Stating motivated

marmsworthy628
marmsworthy628 Posts: 5 Member
edited 4:28PM in Motivation and Support
How do you stay motivated?? I do good for like 3 days and then its like, I lose all motivation to continue. I need to lose about 30 lbs but I can't even go a week without losing interest. I thought about buying a fit bit to sort of help keep me moving, but what about eating? I eat so much junk, and I always end up caving because it's so convenient! I need help.

Replies

  • TynaBaby17
    TynaBaby17 Posts: 56 Member
    Motivation is kind of a personal thing. I find it helps to remember the reason I started working out and dieting in the first place. Whether its health or confidence or appearance or whatever, you have to keep that original reason in your head.

    It helps to put tiny motivations throughout your life to remind you as well! Change your phone wallpaper to a motivation quote, put motivations on your fridge or front door!

    I don't have a fit bit or anything like that so I can't attest to that.

    But as far as food, get rid of the junk if you feel you shouldn't be eating it and it's that much of a temptation. If it's going to be in the house then you are way more likely to eat it when you aren't feeling motivated! Buy healthier food s that you actually like, if you buy a bunch of healthy stuff but you hate it, then youll never eat it anyway! Get creative with cooking and make new stuff that you like the eat with healthier, low cal twists!

    If you really are struggling with going more than three days then maybe start slow. Try to go four days a week on a diet and counting calories and maybe walking a little everyday and increase it by a day every week. You want to build sustainable habits, so for you, maybe going full out right from the start is just not going to work. Build up your habits to make it a lifestyle.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,534 Member
    Motivation comes and goes. What’s needed are good habits to carry you over the rough spots.
    The best habit is a food diary. A food diary is a pain at first, but it gets easier. Allow for the learning curve. Just start out logging in your food.

    When you’re ready, start filling in the numbers. Calculate a modest calorie deficit. You will soon find that to hit your number you need some kind of plan. If your plan doesn’t work out for a particular day or situation, make a better plan next time.

    But you have to keep the diary no matter what. Anybody can log their good days, you have to log them all. You will make mistakes. Lots of ways to eat too many calories. Bad plans, loss of concentration, fatigue, bad math. None of those are reasons to abandon your diary. The only way to mess up your diary is quit.

    Trust the process. It works.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    marmsworthy628 wrote: »
    How do you stay motivated?? I do good for like 3 days and then its like, I lose all motivation to continue. I need to lose about 30 lbs but I can't even go a week without losing interest. I thought about buying a fit bit to sort of help keep me moving, but what about eating? I eat so much junk, and I always end up caving because it's so convenient! I need help.

    Motivation is an emotion that ebbs and flows...nobody is motivated all of the time. Discipline and habit.

    We all do things every single day that we are less than motivated to do. I'm never motivated to clean the bathrooms in my house or do the dishes or pull the weeds...but I do these things because they need to be done otherwise my house would be a *kitten* hole. Your body is your house...take care of your house.

  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,169 Member
    I changed my goal from "having motivation" to "working toward better discipline." I would get dressed to go to the gym even on those days I didn't want to go. Once I got there, after about 20 minutes I was glad that I'd gone. I also pretty much approached logging my food as a game, and I was determined to develop a habit of logging accurately AND meeting my daily calorie goal. On days I didn't do all that well, I would end the day with some kind of low calorie treat and do better the next day. I used a Garmin (like a FitBit) for the first 4 months of my MFP program, and made a goal that I tried to hit every day. After a while, exercise just became a habit. I started the Couch to 5K program and was into seeing progress every week. I took body measurements and started getting excited whenever I saw I'd lost another inch off my waist. There are ways to play around with your brain and create your own mind games to become successful. Good luck!
  • bennettinfinity
    bennettinfinity Posts: 865 Member
    Like the others have said; motivation is a fair weather friend. The approach that has worked for me is to do my best to dedicate myself to my goals.

    If I'm being completely honest, there are many days I don't feel like tracking my food or exercising, but I know that these are the things I need to do to make the progress I want - thinking about the end state is what helps me push through the 'I don't wannas'...
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Make the better choices more convenient. I eat lots of raw veg for this reason. I keep protein bars with me when running errands in lieu of getting fast food. Seaweed is better for me than chips...
  • chellycakes
    chellycakes Posts: 347 Member
    Seeing progress helps me stay motivated. I reward myself with fitness clothes, gadgets, and stuff (foam roller, water bottle, bands) rater than food.
    Try replacing those unhealthy convenient foods with alternatives. Bananas, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter, eggs, and cheese sticks are quick and easy snacks and breakfasts that are also filling. Try increasing protein intake to keep you full and don’t keep unhealthy treats in your house.
    I like using a daily scale app to track weight! Even if your weight is high one day due to a salty meal you can see you’re overal losing
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