Help! I can't stay motivated/focused

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pamelamrowe91
pamelamrowe91 Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been struggling with losing the weight I gained while pregnant for the past 2 years. Only this past year have I been more consistent with going to the gym (lifting weights, cardio/stair climber/elliptical) and eating well.... The past month I have worked a great deal of overtime and haven't been able to get to the gym so I haven't worked out any really, and although I had been trying to watch what I was eating, I had not been tracking my food and just did what "felt right." Well of course that included French fries, biscuits, & lots of eating! ...

Anyway, I have struggled more than I ever have in my life losing this weight. I feel worse than ever and fight depression related to how I look. Some days, I'm comfortable and others I'm not. I know that's another issue all together, and I'm working on it... But I do need to live a healthier life.

How do you all stay motivated?
Keep from getting down?
Sometimes I just want that "bad" food!
And I struggle financially affording the healthy food I like.
I know and understand everything in moderate but daggon. I get so bored with oatmeal.. hate brown rice (and I mean loath)..
Any suggestions on cheap healthy food?

There's a lot in this. & I'm sorry for the rambling (although it felt great to get out).. Anywho... How do you all stay consistent?
If/when you're struggling financially, what keeps you going on the healthy track?

Replies

  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    First of all. There are no bad foods. There is too much food. Too much of any food is bad. You can enjoy pizza and chips in carefully controlled portions and lose weight and you can over eat fruits and veggies and gain weight. It isn't about what you eat it is about the calories.

    Bread is okay. Sugar is okay, fat is okay. You can eat food you like. Of course nutrition is also important and you should eat fruits and veggies and lean meats. Still in carefully controlled portions.

    You don't have to exercise to lose weight. It does help for good health and a higher calorie allowance, but to lose weight all you have to do is eat less than your TDEE. It doesn't even have to be a lot less. a 200 calorie deficit will get you a slow but steady weight loss.

    Also, you don't have to be hungry all of the time to lose weight. Don't get so aggressive with your calorie deficit that you can't enjoy your life. Fast and aggressive leads to bad days, binges and giving up. Slow and steady leads to success.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    What you're doing has to be sustainable. If it's not, you're not going to stick with it. Ask yourself things like "Am I going to go my whole life without eating _____?" If the answer is no, then work those foods into your calorie goal. I'll tell you right now, I still eat fast food frequently. I still have some sort of dessert (mostly ice cream) nearly every night. I balance those things with other foods of course, like chicken, veggies, fruit, etc. But there's no way I would be happy with myself if I didn't eat the foods I love. If you don't have time to go to the gm some days, just go for a walk around the neighborhood. Any activity is better than none at all.

    Moderation, not deprivation. Eat what you want, just fit it into your calorie goal and look for balance.
  • tracefan
    tracefan Posts: 382 Member
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    What works for me.. is taking a day and preparing food. Take stuff with you so you won't be tempted to eat whatever. I have peppers cut up in baggies. I have bluebell cheeses and almonds in snack bags. I have grilled chicken in tupperware with steamed broccoli.. Salads salads salads dressing on the side. One day at a time. Portion control.. this will all help.. mind over matter
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
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    I am not motivated all the time, but I am working on being disciplined and making good habits. I don't have to love it, or even like it, I just have to do it.
    The good news is it is getting easier on the whole.
    As far as eating healthy food, I do most of my shopping on sale. I don't know if you have an ALDI's or other discount grocery store available, but they can be a great alternative. During the summer I am at the Farmer's Market every week as well. I haven't bought meat at full price in ages. I have a freezer and if there is a really good sale I will stock up.
    I am eating much less so my grocery bills are actually going down.
  • soulofgrace
    soulofgrace Posts: 175 Member
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    The reason people are always saying "make choices that are sustainable for a lifetime," is that we don't always feel motivated. We can't always avoid feeling down. There is no special formula. Start where you are. Eat what you normally eat. Just eat less of it. Exercise as much as you're motivated to exercise. Exercise actually works to motivate me and keep my mood up and my anxiety down. Make small changes along the way. It's just your life...streamlined. There is no rush.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    no one can motivate you, but you.

    you dont have to buy special foods. eat the same you always have, just less. oatmeal and brown rice sounds horrible.

    find the time to workout. everyone is tired. I'm tired. I MAKE the time to workout.

  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    Weight loss is a matter of eating less; exercise is a matter of healthy lifestyle. You don't need to exercise to lose weight.
    All food is good food; you've just got to be careful of the portion sizes of all foods. When life keeps you busy and away from the gym, focus on keeping to your calorie limit and all will be well. Exercise when you can. Life will settle down again and you'll be back to the gym then.

    Keep it simple. Watch your intake, exercise when you can. You've got this!
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    edited February 2016
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    You need to just get yourself back to basics one habit at a time, otherwise the overwhelm just wins. I would start by tracking food. That's job one. Don't be strict about the eating the first few days; just be strict about the weighing, measuring & recording. When that's well reestablished, pick the deficit you want & aim for that. If the gym feels a world away, walk for 30 minutes or do a fitness blender video. Think small. That will carve out space for the gym. You need to start where you are. All or nothing thinking will get you nothing. This is not binary. Do something small & go from there.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    Also: 'motivation' does NOT hold me in place. Hundreds of tiny, flexible but resilient, and almost idiot proof habits about as exciting as a box of bandages hold me on track. Waiting to be 'motivated' to be healthy is like expecting feeling 'in love' will keep you married for the long haul. Just nope.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    edited February 2016
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    The financial part is not really a valid excuse. The plainer & more basic you eat, the more you can afford. If you are on a budget you should learn to make your favorite purchased items. If you eat the same things over and over again, make a weekly budget with no repeats. We do this menu: Mexican or Cuban one night, Asian or Indian one night, diner style 'comfort' food one night, Italian one night, then fresh fish on Friday, BBQ red meat on Saturday, and a chicken dinner on Sunday. No carry out most weeks. I have simple recipes and I use a crock pot lots.
    I work 7 days a week at two jobs. I have one child still at home. My husband spent 4 months working on an assignment back east this year. The fewer excuses you make for yourself, the fewer you'll need!
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    scolaris wrote: »
    Also: 'motivation' does NOT hold me in place. Hundreds of tiny, flexible but resilient, and almost idiot proof habits about as exciting as a box of bandages hold me on track. Waiting to be 'motivated' to be healthy is like expecting feeling 'in love' will keep you married for the long haul. Just nope.

    Great Analogy!
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    What works for me is that I exercise almost every day, something, anything. I find that if I exercise, I'm more inclined to make good decisions as far as eating. Even if the exercise is a 15 min swim when a normal workout might be an hour.

    You also will NOT be motivated all the time. That's why part of your focus needs to be building good habits, so good behaviors become automatic. Brushing your teeth isn't something people are motivated to do every day, but it's a habit.

    On the financial front, this may not be true for many, but I find that breakfast is the cheapest meal to shop for, so I make sure to include it every day. Also starting the day good makes it easier to continue to day good..back to the habits thinking.
  • pamelamrowe91
    pamelamrowe91 Posts: 10 Member
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    Oh, I never thought of cheese & almonds, that sounds great!!
    tracefan wrote: »
    What works for me.. is taking a day and preparing food. Take stuff with you so you won't be tempted to eat whatever. I have peppers cut up in baggies. I have bluebell cheeses and almonds in snack bags. I have grilled chicken in tupperware with steamed broccoli.. Salads salads salads dressing on the side. One day at a time. Portion control.. this will all help.. mind over matter

  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
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    scolaris wrote: »
    Also: 'motivation' does NOT hold me in place. Hundreds of tiny, flexible but resilient, and almost idiot proof habits about as exciting as a box of bandages hold me on track. Waiting to be 'motivated' to be healthy is like expecting feeling 'in love' will keep you married for the long haul. Just nope.

    Excellent reply. I try to chime in similarly when I see "motivation" posts.

    The truth is, everyone will lose their motivation and feel down at some point during their diets. Maybe some more than others, but there's no one in this world that can keep that emotional high throughout their entire diet. It's working through the low points that you have to figure out. Does that mean giving yourself an extra 100 calories from time to time? Talking a simple walk outside instead of killing it on the treadmill? Or setting habits that are so sustainable you don't need to make special exceptions for your low points? It's totally up to you - but if you are able to remain as consistent through the lows as you are the highs, you're definitely going to see good results.
  • pamelamrowe91
    pamelamrowe91 Posts: 10 Member
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    scolaris wrote: »
    The financial part is not really a valid excuse. The plainer & more basic you eat, the more you can afford. If you are on a budget you should learn to make your favorite purchased items. If you eat the same things over and over again, make a weekly budget with no repeats. We do this menu: Mexican or Cuban one night, Asian or Indian one night, diner style 'comfort' food one night, Italian one night, then fresh fish on Friday, BBQ red meat on Saturday, and a chicken dinner on Sunday. No carry out most weeks. I have simple recipes and I use a crock pot lots.
    I work 7 days a week at two jobs. I have one child still at home. My husband spent 4 months working on an assignment back east this year. The fewer excuses you make for yourself, the fewer you'll need!

    You're right.. I have started to make our bread and have found that it doesn't bloat me or hurt my stomach like store bought bread did. I feel better about eating carbs that way as well. =) lol. What are some of your crockpot go tos? I tend to get bored with my crockpot a lot, honestly. And my husband is super picky... Does your family eat the same things you do? I guess that's more of my problem honestly.. affording to feed my eat-an-insane-amount-like-a-teenager husband and myself healthy food. But you're right.. excuses excuses, lol.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Oh I hear you! I've been overwhelmed myself. Believe me!
    I make basic Mexican beans every week in my crockpot. I often make an Italian pasta sauce there too. Usually something with a lot of protein like bolognese or meatballs in marinara. For Indian food I make butter chicken in the crockpot or a batch of chana dal with chick peas. It is so much easier to control the calories making it yourself. I make soups in the crockpot, plus chili and stew.
    I try to have 5-10 choices for each night of the week & just rotate through. Everybody eats the same food. I do one big shop, usually Saturday, with a menu in hand. It runs Sat-Thu. On Fri I buy fresh fish. We are not low budget eaters at this time but for many years we were.
    Check out crockpot cookbooks by Lynn Alley and America's Test Kitchen. They are really good. And look at Pinterest. I get a lot off of Pinterest.
    You can do this! xoxoL
  • chiptease
    chiptease Posts: 70 Member
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    It took me years to figure out a "diet" that works for me (motivation being part of the issue). Here's what I learned about myself (over the years of yo-yo dieting and trying ridiculous fad diets that I frequently gave up): I love to eat more at night. I love rice. These are facts. I began tracking what I ate and realized that my highest caloric intake happens at dinner. So to compensate, I eat very small meals throughout the day (totaling 400-600 calories, typically limit my carbs) and then indulge in a ~800+ calorie meal at night (I get to eat my rice!). It's worked for me since February 2015. I stay motivated I've discovered what works for my body. As for healthy eating, I typically gravitate towards stir-fry meals. Super easy to prepare (cheap too) and you can make it all in one pan.
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
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    scolaris wrote: »
    Also: 'motivation' does NOT hold me in place. Hundreds of tiny, flexible but resilient, and almost idiot proof habits about as exciting as a box of bandages hold me on track. Waiting to be 'motivated' to be healthy is like expecting feeling 'in love' will keep you married for the long haul. Just nope.

    I love this!

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