What enables YOU to get started?

Options
Dubuque
Dubuque Posts: 49 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have been thinking about something for awhile now, and I'd like your input.

I ALWAYS desire to eat healthy and within my calorie goal and macro ratios. I don't always feel motivated to do so. But, then there are times, like now, when I DO feel motivated and empowered to be successful. I have been wondering what triggers that motivation for me. I have hunch that my motivation is triggered by hope. When I think I have a hope of being successful, then I can get started. When I feel despair or hopeless about it; I may want to start, but I cannot seem to.

What is your experience?

Replies

  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,482 Member
    Options
    Hope? Absolutely. Good point.

    And if you’ve calculated a moderate calorie deficit, use a food scale when possible and faithfully keep a food diary, there’s every reason to hope. Believing your plan will work is the foundation of discipline.
  • flippy1234
    flippy1234 Posts: 686 Member
    Options
    For me it's feeling good. When I eat well and exercise regularly and see the weight come off and my strength increase, that is all the motivation I need. I just want to feel good and be healthy.
  • Mommytyme
    Mommytyme Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    For me it's mind over matter. It just clicked for me 1 day to get on my journey to my personal best and I've had this will to do it.. don't get me wrong, @Dubuque I also have days like you say where -it's not there- BUT as I've stayed "true" (to the best of my ability) I'm slimming down..which definitely helps (me) keep the momentum going. I'm happier and I feel like I can be a positive example for others in my life.. plus, I enjoy the macro /calorie count. It's kinda cool to see what (count) works for my body.. ha ha -if I can just "crack the code" I'll be in great shape!
  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
    Options
    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    It’s not a “thing” for me. Meaning I don’t start and stop. I have days I eat over (sometimes fantastically over) my calorie goal, I have days where I eat at or under my calorie goal. There’s no on/off, good/bad, start/stop. They are just days, it’s just the food I eat and the tally of calories. Having it not be a “thing” to start or have to be “good” or be “on track” makes it all a non-issue for me.

    I’m going to eat today. That means I’m “started” and “on”. I’m going to log all my food - good, bad, ugly. From personal experience, I can tell you that MFP can handle at least 12k calories on a log for a day. So no worries that you’ll break it.

    Not every day needs to be perfect. Not every day even needs to be “good”. This also applies to weeks and months. When we tell ourselves that it’s only worth doing if we do it “correctly” (meaning we meet our calorie goal and macros and make perfect food choices and whatever other stipulations), we make it very difficult to be human (which is almost never perfect - not even in a Disney film).

    I agree with @Duck_Puddle on every point.

    That being said, kicking in a higher gear, or steering back to a better direction requires some calm and peace of mind. If I’m frazzled, stressed out and tired, all of my being goes into surviving and dealing with whatever mind-frazzling situation there’s going on. I’ve found that cookie dough feels like a very good de-frazzler (spoiler: it’s not). In these situations, I need to de-stress and calm down first, and then I can focus on eating better and getting in a workout, which coincidentally further eases the situation. I’m a college student* and work part-time so my schedule is very hectic and I always try to do All The Things, even though I still only have 24 hours per day like everyone else. In the last couple of semesters, I have developed a back-up plan beforehand, so if the going gets tough and my mind starts to go haywire, I have a pre-selected list of which course I’m going to drop first, what assignments or exams can be pushed back to the future etc. I’ve found that to be really helpful in keeping myself in a state of mind where I stay sane and doing the things I actually want to do feels enjoyable instead of a chore.

    *college student in Finland, where the college system is very different, a lot less school-y and there’s no issues with things like tuitions and a set 4-year graduation plan.
  • MagnumOpus1
    MagnumOpus1 Posts: 161 Member
    Options
    To echo some of what has already been said, having a perfectionist mindset will always lead to self sabotage. I realised this after spinning my wheels for a whole year. To worry about perfection is to say there's a sacred way of eating, there isn't. It's a spectrum you fluctuate in. Some days you eat Uber healthy other days all junk some days a mix between the two. It's up and down, side to side, front and back. Being chained to one form of eating just sets you up for failure.

    For me I spent years through trial and error trying to figure out how best for me to eat in a calorie deficit. I know what I like and what I don't like. Your diet has to be tailored to you like if it were s suit. Don't cut out any foods you enjoy eating because that only backfires. There are days when all of this strategy goes out the window and all I wanna do is eat cake & croissants for example. I allow myself to knowing this isn't the norm. It's an anomaly so it doesn't make a difference. If I would torment myself by trying to strictly adhere to my regular mode of eating it'll likely just lead to me over eating because I would eat my regular good then still end up eating what I was really craving.

    Treat yourself well. The myth of perfection the dirt industry sold to us is nothing but bs. You can in fact have your cake and eat it too.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,119 Member
    Options
    When I want to lose weight, I take steps to do that.

    When I don't care one way or the other, often because other things are a higher priority, I try not to go crazy with the eating and try to get some exercise, but chances are I'm not going to lose weight.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Options
    When I started to lose weight I was just tired. Tired of getting winded of walking up the flights of stairs in my home. Tired of not being able to wear the clothes I wanted to wear. Tired of missing out of life etc.

    I didn't know what to do, but I just started walking. Not far and not fast at all, but I did what I could.

    That inspired me to work on my diet. Again, I didn't know what to eat, so I just ate smaller portions of my food.

    The I started seeing progress and made other adjustments.

    About a year later I was 80 pounds down and I have been maintaining now for over 5 years.

    For me it was about finding that balance. Not cutting things out or doing hard back-breaking workouts. I found things that I could easily do for the rest of my life and stayed consistent with it.

    It took me a bit longer to find my way and to lose the weight, but I can say it has been pretty easy for me to keep it off.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
    Options
    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    It’s not a “thing” for me. Meaning I don’t start and stop. I have days I eat over (sometimes fantastically over) my calorie goal, I have days where I eat at or under my calorie goal. There’s no on/off, good/bad, start/stop. They are just days, it’s just the food I eat and the tally of calories. Having it not be a “thing” to start or have to be “good” or be “on track” makes it all a non-issue for me.

    I’m going to eat today. That means I’m “started” and “on”. I’m going to log all my food - good, bad, ugly. From personal experience, I can tell you that MFP can handle at least 12k calories on a log for a day. So no worries that you’ll break it.

    Not every day needs to be perfect. Not every day even needs to be “good”. This also applies to weeks and months. When we tell ourselves that it’s only worth doing if we do it “correctly” (meaning we meet our calorie goal and macros and make perfect food choices and whatever other stipulations), we make it very difficult to be human (which is almost never perfect - not even in a Disney film).

    This is what I was going to say.

    If you find it difficult "starting" then you've made it too different and complicated than your "normal" life. Just make a small deficit from time to time is all you need to do to lose weight.

  • Dubuque
    Dubuque Posts: 49 Member
    Options
    Thank you everyone. This has been helpful.

Categories