Need motivation please

There must have been something that made you get on MFP in the first place. I know what you mean though. Some days it just feels like more trouble than the slow progress is worth, but just think how you will feel when you get there. It won't happen unless you keep at it. Ideally, eating right should just be part of the self care you do every day, like brushing your teeth. How "motivated" do you need to be to do that?

Here are some things that keep me focused:

At every 5 pound milestone, I'm going to try on the clothes in my closet that have been too small and get rid of the too large things.

I can't wait until I've lost enough that someone will notice.

My husband (Mr Discipline) has begun trying to lose weight. I'll be damned if he is going to do this better than me.

I can't wait until my feet, knees and back don't ache.

Bicycling:. I can't until I don't have to haul so much freight up the hills.

You get the idea...make your own list.

Hi Dree! I'm going to be turning 50 tomorrow. I just started using myfitnesspal this year have lost 10 pounds so far. Weigh yourself once a week on the same day at the same time, preferrably in the morning. Your body weight fluctuates too much to weigh yourself more frequently. Don't expect fast results. Some weeks you won't lose any. Another week you may lose 2 pounds, but you should try to have a calorie deficit of about 500 calories a day which translates into an average of one pound per week. It doesn't seem like a lot, but remember, you are in this for the long haul! In 20 weeks that is 20 pounds! Good luck!

REMEMBER what has inspired you about others in the past and take some moments to be grateful about the good things where you are at today, then remember other times that you've had resolve and what you did to "get moving" on a plan, be grateful if you're not in pain today and think "Hey, why not? I'm actually ok right now, I may as well do "xyz" today....then do whatever you can with small steps, even if you're not "feeling it"....take baby, baby steps...ie...say to yourself "just for breakfast, I am going to eat according to what I know is right"...keep doing that all day..."just for this meal" I am going to eat the right thing ("...because I can always have that other thing later"). Myself, I struggle with depression, inactivity and apathy...small baby steps is what helps me the most and brings a sense of success throughout a day that can transfer to good eating choices, as well. To explain: I say to myself: "Ok, right now, I'm going to do 10 motions" here in the kitchen before I leave...and then I pick up/wash/put away with 10 movements, which OFTEN turns into many more, but I can stop at 10 if I'm not "feeling it". I will do this in every room of the house that I go...even the bathroom gets cleaned/picked up just because I went in there to use the potty...10 movements everywhere I go, really makes me feel much better at the end of a day. It creates a pattern of success in my mind throughout the day, so that I can not go into negative thinking mode... I then translate the positive feelings to making good choices with food. It's all about baby steps for me....and although I talked about tidying, it's an example of using small goals throughout a day to achieve an accumulation of successes by the end of the day. " Just for now, I'm going to eat the right thing."..and LOG IT so you get to feel that you did the right thing, let your success fill you with good feelings, then plan the next meal and repeat....if you eat the wrong thing LOG IT and write in the notes how you were feeling, etc, and then write NEXT TIME in the notes, and write what you will do the next time you are feeling as you did...that will leave you with hope for next time, versus disgust for a wrong move. Look at the other parts of your log and be sure to count every small success in your mind, take a good long moment to feel positive about each and be grateful. I'm grateful right now to have a chance to write this out, it helps me remember my own small successes, and realize how LUCKY I am to have tools like MFP to help me along the way. I am so lucky to even HAVE food choices...that may sound silly, but it motivates me.

Hi Dree. We are in the same boat. I am new at this approach using this app but not at trying to make better choices for a healthier lifestyle.

Yes it will take some effort and certainly discipline, however, it can be done with some outstanding results.

I treat it like a relationship...with myself, meaning, I'm going to put forth that effort and care and work towards those lasting results which in turn gives a happiness of self value. And overall you feel good.

The ideas and methods from all the amazing people here are a tool to enhance that relationship.

I too value the support of others. We got this!