How do you stay motivated?

CarobChip108
CarobChip108 Posts: 54 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Ugh I get so sick and tired of entering in things everyday it seems so tedious. How do you stay motivated to keep going with the practice of MFP?

I find that I can do it for couple weeks at a time but then i go off for a week, I usually maintain by trying to just eye out portions, but when I stick to MFP I can lose weight but its very slow (probably because im so short that minimal calories is still not a big deficit) and I guess I get discouraged.

Also I cook most everything from scratch unless I eat out somewhere, which is probably what adds to the tediousness of having to add every single ingredient into a new recipe and then figure out the portions since I do cook for me and my husband, and we like making different things, rather than the same recipes cycled out.

Idk, what is your advice? Please help!

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    It gets much easier after several weeks. You say that you make different things but surely you aren't making a new recipe every night of the week. At a certain point you'll have your recipes set up and just have to make small changes to them as you go along. You can also go in and "remember" specific meals or use the copy feature to copy over meals. That speeds things up a lot.

    Overall, though, I stay motivated by looking at my results so far. I absolutely positively do not want to backslide into where I was 3 years ago. The idea of doing that is just awful to me.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    I don't bother with motivation or anything like that. My approach may or may not work for you, as I also don't do counting, logging of foods (so there's similarity there).

    I simply "tune out" of eating (when I need to lose wt). We can stimulate our appetite and we can also de-stimulate it. Eating is highly conditioning. When you don't think, pay attention to foods (and just eat enough) there's nothing to test your motivation, willpower or anything.

    I know several people around me following this, even if they are not aware. They are in shape and do not struggle with "dieting".
  • CarobChip108
    CarobChip108 Posts: 54 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    It gets much easier after several weeks. You say that you make different things but surely you aren't making a new recipe every night of the week. At a certain point you'll have your recipes set up and just have to make small changes to them as you go along. You can also go in and "remember" specific meals or use the copy feature to copy over meals. That speeds things up a lot.

    Overall, though, I stay motivated by looking at my results so far. I absolutely positively do not want to backslide into where I was 3 years ago. The idea of doing that is just awful to me.

    I tend to cook indian style dishes with whatever i have in the fridge so there can be a lot of variety. But I guess I could really try to hone in on several and make standard recipes with them. That's another thing I don't like to be so calculated when I cook, I'm very much a creative cooker using different ingredients, but I do want to be serious about losing more weight so I have to sacrifice in that way.

    I've lost 24 pounds so far since starting MFP with another 20 to go, I definitely don't want to back track either!
  • CarobChip108
    CarobChip108 Posts: 54 Member
    I don't bother with motivation or anything like that. My approach may or may not work for you, as I also don't do counting, logging of foods (so there's similarity there).

    I simply "tune out" of eating (when I need to lose wt). We can stimulate our appetite and we can also de-stimulate it. Eating is highly conditioning. When you don't think, pay attention to foods (and just eat enough) there's nothing to test your motivation, willpower or anything.

    I know several people around me following this, even if they are not aware. They are in shape and do not struggle with "dieting".

    Can you explain a bit more in depth what you mean? I can easily maintain my weight it seems without tracking but losing weight steadily is what is difficult for me if I dont stick to a regimented meal plan it seems
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    I find it's easier to delete items, so you might just "save meals" that have a lot of ingredients, like stir frys. That way a long list will be posted to your dinner. Then, you can delete the things you didn't use, maybe change a few quantities, add that extra ingredient.

    But, unless you're being terribly exact with weights and micronutrients like iron and vit. A, whether you add 56g of broccoli or 40g of onions to your log might not matter if you know the calorie counts are the same-ish. I'd worry more about the oils and sauces and nuts/seeds than the EXACT weight of the vegetables (unless you're trying to eat keto where the carb counts matter).

    If there comes a point where you're no longer losing, maybe that's the time to be 100% accurate with non-starchy vegetables, if you're finding it a chore.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited May 2016
    clean livin' and self-denial

    Logging and weighing everything really is a pain. It's so squaresville. I try to look at it as a perverse little game I'm playing. Inject a little playful whimsy into the proceedings.
  • ekim2016
    ekim2016 Posts: 1,198 Member
    I keep a photo of me in swim trunks on the refrigerator! That's all the motivation I need...
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    Ugh I get so sick and tired of entering in things everyday it seems so tedious. How do you stay motivated to keep going with the practice of MFP?

    I find that I can do it for couple weeks at a time but then i go off for a week, I usually maintain by trying to just eye out portions, but when I stick to MFP I can lose weight but its very slow (probably because im so short that minimal calories is still not a big deficit) and I guess I get discouraged.

    Also I cook most everything from scratch unless I eat out somewhere, which is probably what adds to the tediousness of having to add every single ingredient into a new recipe and then figure out the portions since I do cook for me and my husband, and we like making different things, rather than the same recipes cycled out.

    Idk, what is your advice? Please help!

    I'm not always motivated. I am, however, determined.

    Losing weight is hard work. It isn't always fun. But like going to work, brushing my teeth, taking a shower, and doing laundry, it is something I, as an adult who cares, must do. It's what's best for me. If I don't act in my own best interests for the sake of my health, I am the one who suffers.

  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
    Hmmm you stick it out and eventually it becomes a habit. I love counting and tracking now.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    I don't bother with motivation or anything like that. My approach may or may not work for you, as I also don't do counting, logging of foods (so there's similarity there).

    I simply "tune out" of eating (when I need to lose wt). We can stimulate our appetite and we can also de-stimulate it. Eating is highly conditioning. When you don't think, pay attention to foods (and just eat enough) there's nothing to test your motivation, willpower or anything.

    I know several people around me following this, even if they are not aware. They are in shape and do not struggle with "dieting".

    Can you explain a bit more in depth what you mean? I can easily maintain my weight it seems without tracking but losing weight steadily is what is difficult for me if I dont stick to a regimented meal plan it seems



    I find it very effective to retrain my perspective and behaviors on eating. Just as you can activate your hunger, appetite (by basically thinking about, heightening your senses around foods, letting yourself enjoy tasty foods) you can also deactivate it as much as possible (by doing the opposite).

    I don't need to do it now, but just an example for you, I could just stack my fridge with sandwiches, salad, boiled eggs, and eat them for weeks. I just eat them for nutrition and move on. I don't think much about it. I occupy my time with other interests. I enjoy losing weight.

    We are basically trying to cure a bad disorder (obesity). It's perfectly fine to temporarily shelve the pleasure of eating.

    While I eat less, I pay close attention to my energy level and my weight. That means every 2, 3 days when too much weight is lost, I would eat more. About energy level I observe my body's activity level and just eat enough. Example, a creamy coffee is enough for 5 hours of sitting in front of the computer, or 2-400 calories of carbs if I am going to work out.

    I don't follow the 1200/day minimum since day to day activities aren't equal and plus I don't count/log (it disrupts my dinner time and cooking creativity :)). Ballpark figures with 300 more or less (or wider margin) are easier to do. Again, the bathroom scale and energy/health level are more than enough guidance.
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
    Yes counting really can kill creativity in cooking. If I am lazy about counting, I use recipes that have calculated calories, protein etc for (like from skinnytaste or cooking light). I have to measure ingredients into the recipe, but it is much easier to enter into MFP, usually already an entry or just create one in 30 seconds.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    My advice is to learn to love it. Find a way to enjoy the process. I won't be able to lose without logging, I know this about myself. If this is going to work for you you'll need to find a way to find a little joy or at least not have a negative experience.

    I was having a really frustrating time with it all until I shelled out some bigger bucks for a GREAT food scale. It was $50 but my $15 one had a low weight limit and would shut itself off after a minute of inactivity. My new one can hold all my pots full of food and I can see the screen so well, it even moves out if I need it to, and stays active for 6 mins so I have enough time to write things down. I enjoy the process so much more now. I keep a sticky notes pad on the fridge and don't build the recipe until the end but it's so much easier now with the decent scale.
  • robs_ready
    robs_ready Posts: 1,488 Member
    Ugh I get so sick and tired of entering in things everyday it seems so tedious. How do you stay motivated to keep going with the practice of MFP?

    I find that I can do it for couple weeks at a time but then i go off for a week, I usually maintain by trying to just eye out portions, but when I stick to MFP I can lose weight but its very slow (probably because im so short that minimal calories is still not a big deficit) and I guess I get discouraged.

    Also I cook most everything from scratch unless I eat out somewhere, which is probably what adds to the tediousness of having to add every single ingredient into a new recipe and then figure out the portions since I do cook for me and my husband, and we like making different things, rather than the same recipes cycled out.

    Idk, what is your advice? Please help!

    I dont log my food through mfp, it'a too much effort, I only log calories burnt, I know roughly what I'm eating each day and I've maintained weightloss most of the time.

    Take a holistic view to this, you are training to get fitter and stronger, weight loss is a side effect of that. Focus on the first two.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    dmt4641 wrote: »
    Yes counting really can kill creativity in cooking. If I am lazy about counting, I use recipes that have calculated calories, protein etc for (like from skinnytaste or cooking light). I have to measure ingredients into the recipe, but it is much easier to enter into MFP, usually already an entry or just create one in 30 seconds.

    I find that it's generally meaningless to go over or under 100 to 400 calories. So obsessing over every calorie is completely unnecessary.

    The body is amazing. It handles surplus and deficit surprisingly well and in a much longer period than 24 hours. That's why we got fat packed around the body and how many could survive on extremely less food for weeks, months or even years.

    I enjoy and eat more on good occasions and put on .5 to 5 lbs (in extreme case). Then, I eat noticeably less and it comes down by 1 lbs, 2 lbs. I do that 2, 3 days and able to drop all the gain and even lose a bit more. I doubt if this "irregular" eating in only 3, 4 days is bad for the body.

    I'm tempted to compare humans to animals such as bears, lions which fast in a much bigger interval, but I should not. On the other extreme we got fellow humans that think they need to eat every 2 hours or at least 3 meals a day! No wonder obesity is epidemic.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    If you do it 28 times in a row, it becomes a habit!
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    dmt4641 wrote: »
    Yes counting really can kill creativity in cooking. If I am lazy about counting, I use recipes that have calculated calories, protein etc for (like from skinnytaste or cooking light). I have to measure ingredients into the recipe, but it is much easier to enter into MFP, usually already an entry or just create one in 30 seconds.

    I find that it's generally meaningless to go over or under 100 to 400 calories. So obsessing over every calorie is completely unnecessary.

    The body is amazing. It handles surplus and deficit surprisingly well and in a much longer period than 24 hours. That's why we got fat packed around the body and how many could survive on extremely less food for weeks, months or even years.

    I enjoy and eat more on good occasions and put on .5 to 5 lbs (in extreme case). Then, I eat noticeably less and it comes down by 1 lbs, 2 lbs. I do that 2, 3 days and able to drop all the gain and even lose a bit more. I doubt if this "irregular" eating in only 3, 4 days is bad for the body.

    I'm tempted to compare humans to animals such as bears, lions which fast in a much bigger interval, but I should not. On the other extreme we got fellow humans that think they need to eat every 2 hours or at least 3 meals a day! No wonder obesity is epidemic.

    For most people losing weight, it is absolutely necessary. Science.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    What is "it" that you are referring to? Missus
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    If you do it 28 times in a row, it becomes a habit!

    That's how it is with me and heroin.
  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 799 Member
    You could look into intermittent fasting where you have a smaller window of time to eat. A lot of intermittent fasting people just omit bfast and eat 12-8 or 2-8 so you can have bigger meals once or twice a day rather than trying to stretch all your cals out. I've been trying it out because I'm super short and it's hard to stretch 1200-1300 cals out over a whole day and it's much easier than I suspected:)
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    What is "it" that you are referring to? Missus

    I'm guessing she means the whole entire logging and counting calories part. Pretty essential, especially to those of us who got overweight. If you were always a healthy weight then the no counting method makes sense. I'd venture to say many of us need to learn appropriate portions and what the actual calorie count is.
  • maidengirl_
    maidengirl_ Posts: 283 Member
    Seeing progress each week keeps me motivated. Noticing my muscle definition come in...seeing my progress photos and my strength keeps me going. I don't find logging to be tedious as I once did. But then again I don't count everything and I still find success, not just on the scale but in the way my clothes fit and how my body is changing. Again, I don't count everything but I am much more aware of the type of foods I put in my body.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,810 Member
    edited May 2016
    I don't bother with motivation or anything like that. My approach may or may not work for you, as I also don't do counting, logging of foods (so there's similarity there).

    I simply "tune out" of eating (when I need to lose wt). We can stimulate our appetite and we can also de-stimulate it. Eating is highly conditioning. When you don't think, pay attention to foods (and just eat enough) there's nothing to test your motivation, willpower or anything.

    I know several people around me following this, even if they are not aware. They are in shape and do not struggle with "dieting".

    Yes! I find that weight loss is easier when I am extremely busy with other things. I eat certain things at certain times (and use the Quick Tools > Copy from Yesterday feature, and perhaps make slight modifications if I've had noodles instead of rice or something). I know if I do that I will stay within my calorie limit while providing myself with enough calories to function, so that's one less thing to think about and I can focus on other things.

    As for motivation ... seeing the weight falling off of me is enough to keep me going. :)

    But an added bonus is that I'm able to accomplish so much more with my cycling. I've gone from being in tears at the top of most hills because it has been such a painful struggle to get up there to choosing hilly routes and pushing the speed on hills so that I'm flying up them (relatively speaking). :grin:

  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    edited May 2016
    brb_2013 wrote: »
    What is "it" that you are referring to? Missus

    I'm guessing she means the whole entire logging and counting calories part. Pretty essential, especially to those of us who got overweight. If you were always a healthy weight then the no counting method makes sense. I'd venture to say many of us need to learn appropriate portions and what the actual calorie count is.

    logging and counting calories is pretty essential IF that's all you know. Hence, I elaborate on another approach if anyone is interested.

    When I first started I hoped to eventually know how to read correct portions. Soon I realize it's not possible, feasible, appropriate or right in many situations. Example, today our company has free ice cream and other treats for employees and I wanted to participate. I have no idea about the portion each bowl contains or what was in the ice cream and toppings. Another example is when I go out with friends or when I want to cook something nice or adventurous. If I was obsessed about calories in these situations, I would either not eat or eat with guilt or simply go crazy (a little at a time) because I couldn't participate.

    Fortunately it (reading correct portion) or being precise about calories is not necessary. I can just rely on the body's mechanism of dealing with surplus and deficit. I put my effort on tuning out of eating, controlling my eating habits or pursuing other interests.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,810 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    It gets much easier after several weeks. You say that you make different things but surely you aren't making a new recipe every night of the week. At a certain point you'll have your recipes set up and just have to make small changes to them as you go along. You can also go in and "remember" specific meals or use the copy feature to copy over meals. That speeds things up a lot.

    Overall, though, I stay motivated by looking at my results so far. I absolutely positively do not want to backslide into where I was 3 years ago. The idea of doing that is just awful to me.

    I tend to cook indian style dishes with whatever i have in the fridge so there can be a lot of variety. But I guess I could really try to hone in on several and make standard recipes with them. That's another thing I don't like to be so calculated when I cook, I'm very much a creative cooker using different ingredients, but I do want to be serious about losing more weight so I have to sacrifice in that way.

    I've lost 24 pounds so far since starting MFP with another 20 to go, I definitely don't want to back track either!

    Maybe be more creative on weekends and less so during the week. At least you wouldn't have to give up all the creativity that way. Then be more active on weekends as well to give yourself the freedom to be creative with less worry.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Plenty of people lose weight without calorie counting or logging. They are still reducing calorie intake or burning more calories. My dh lost his 30 lbs without doing any logging or exercise. He just ate less. I couldn't lose weight consistantly without logging.
    Logging gets easier if you do it for awhile.

    If you want to change your weight you have to be willing to change your habits somewhere.
    Cook following a set recipe. Spices and herbs don't add many calories though so you could play around with those while carefully measuring the meats, oils, rice, etc.
    Pre-log for the whole day or week in advance and just measure out and eat what you logged. Plan meals. Give up spontaneous eating.
    Cook less variety. Rotate the same weekly or monthly menu. You know what the calories are and what your portion should be for those items.
    Cook the same variety and spontaneously but weigh and measure and log accurately.
    Don't log but eat more lower calorie stuff.
    Eat a bit less and exercise more.
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