Keeping up the motivation...

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Panem
Panem Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I need help MFP.
I am trying to lose ALOT of wait, and I know to do it slowly so that it stays off.
I go through phases as I am sure a fair few people do on here whereby you decide enough is enough. I reinstall this app, log into my old account, and log everything obsessively whatever passes through my lips gets logged. I then start losing weight and feel really good. A few months goes by and I start to see progress. This is where I begin to get a bit relaxed with logging and then I start "secret eating", then I decide I don't want to do it anymore, uninstall the app and put the weight back on. When I have motivation, there's no stopping me, but as soon as I start to dwindle, that's it. It's as if it's all or nothing.
I am now at the point where I am feeling rubbish about myself again and want to start logging after a month or two of eating chocolate for breakfast, but I don't want to to repeat the same cycle. And I am being realistic thinking that the same will happen.
Does anyone have any tips to keep myself logging and motivated. I know I should log everyday, despite how well I have done, but it's as if I forget why I started doing it in the first place.
I can't help but feel like I would be where I want to be if I hadn't kept stopping and starting. I would love to be where many people are and be able to say that I have logged for hundreds of days in a row etc.
Thanks in advanced.
Pan x

Replies

  • bethannien
    bethannien Posts: 556 Member
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    It's like reading my story! Seriously, I had a hard talk with myself when I finally started logging again. I will be counting calories for the rest of my life. If I don't plan on doing that, then I will be here again in 1 year or 2 years at best.

    I don't know how to stay motivated yet. I think you just have to decide that you're doing this and you have to wake up and decide to do it every single day.
  • Moxie42
    Moxie42 Posts: 1,400 Member
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    Yep, been there done that for YEARS! Then someone told me, "Motivation comes and goes. It's nice to have but you don't need it. What you NEED is determination and discipline." So I started thinking about it like a job. I might not always like it but I want the payoff (a paycheck) so I do what needs to be done. That's not to say this has to be a miserable experience. If something isn't working for you, find something that does work. Sometimes you might have to switch it up.

    For example, if you get sick of what you're eating, find new recipes. No time for crazy recipes? Find simple Crockpot and one-dish recipes. You can even save the recipes and meals on MFP to make logging easier. (Pinterest is my new best friend for finding recipes, btw!) Hate the gym? What about walking outside, or finding a Zumba video online, or taking a class?

    This journey is about progress, not perfection. Focus on the positive. Every good decision you make is a win. Every poor decision is an opportunity to learn and to improve. If it helps, check out the Success boards. For me personally, this helps me see that yes, my goals are possible. Others have done it, and I can to. Of course, you don't want to compare yourself to others and start thinking "why can't I do that?" but seeing others who have achieved similar goals can be very motivating (because while not needed, motivation certainly helps!) I also found some great MFP friends on the Success boards, through Groups, and through Challenges. Being supported by people who have succeeded, as well as those who are struggling like I am, really makes a difference, as does supporting others.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
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    Its not motivation....its determination that is needed.
  • hiyomi
    hiyomi Posts: 906 Member
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    As the second poster said, its like reading my own story! As soon as I stop counting calories, I quickly start to gain weight, so from the way it seems I will probably have to count calories forever or lose a dramatic amount of weight first and then maybe I can stop there....I usually lose 10-20 lbs and then start saying "i can cheat here...i can cheat there..." I don't have to log this...." Then it goes downhill from there.

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