We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Motivation Issues
kew1952
Posts: 52 Member
When you have lost your motivation, how do you get it back? Since December 20, 2017, I have lost 25 pounds. I have about another 10 to go. Tracked everything, walked regularly, as well as Pilates 3 times a week. In the last month or so, I can't get motivated to stay on this journey. I find that I am not tracking everything I eat and I don't walk regularly like I used to do. What are things that have helped keep you motivated?
0
Replies
-
Maybe switch to some other type of exercise? That might shake things up and increase your motivation.
2 -
Just a few ideas... I've got the same issue.
- Remember WHY you started, or come up with the most compelling reason why you will continue making progress.
- Create small, achievable, and extremely detailed "SMART" Goals for yourself. Like, things you can get done/reach in a day or a couple weeks. Small successes = gained motivation and momentum.
- My friend says just do it, and if you aren't, it's simply cause you don't want it enough.
These are the things I learned today. I hope it helps you too.
2 -
Maybe buy some smaller clothes for motivation? I have so many clothes in my closet that are too small and I wanna fit into them again0
-
Think as well..what is the alternative? Gaining the weight back? ..I am in the same boat. I lost 25 lbs this year and am close to goal and the fear of gaining the weight back scares me. I was at goal back in 2012 and gained back the weight plus....never again!0
-
I get unmotivated when I think "I have only xx amount of weight to lose to hit my goal" because that number can seem daunting (even though I've lost 60lbs). So instead, I focus on smaller goals such as "3 weeks from today I want to weigh 1.5lbs less than I do today."
1.5lbs seems so much more doable than 10lbs.1 -
I think about how much it will suck to start over again.4
-
Running2Fit wrote: »I think about how much it will suck to start over again.
^ Truth. I have progress photos going pretty much back to the beginning of my weight loss, and looking at the 'before' pictures is plenty enough motivation for me if I feel like I need a kick in the hindquarters.3 -
When you have lost your motivation, how do you get it back? Since December 20, 2017, I have lost 25 pounds. I have about another 10 to go. Tracked everything, walked regularly, as well as Pilates 3 times a week. In the last month or so, I can't get motivated to stay on this journey. I find that I am not tracking everything I eat and I don't walk regularly like I used to do. What are things that have helped keep you motivated?
Don't wait around for motivation. Just do it.
The "journey" doesn't end when you reach goal weight. I hit that 2 and a half years ago, and it never gets "easier".
But it's not hard!
You just keep going. If you want to avoid the litany of obesity-related health issues, you just keep going.
Motivation isn't a blinding flash of light that solves everything. There will still be tired days, busy days, emotions that sway you.
Don't wait around for motivation. Exercise and moderate eating are a necessity in life. Accept it as a fact of life. But the rewards are incredible.
The 10 lbs will take a long time. If you haven't already, you need to read this:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/113609/relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner/p1
Don't be worried you've had a month off. The science now recommends diet breaks. Take another week and really savour it without guilt.
Plan to have maybe Xmas, Hannukah, or a couple of other high calorie days, and enjoy them too.
Then keep going.1 -
I allow myself to have a real over calorie treat on one day a week. I look forward to it, so that is my goal. A long future date with no treats can stop the motivation easily. So my advice is only plan for a week, have a treat, then start again for the next week. For me it works and is achievable.0
-
Been there done that.
Personally I allowed myself some maintenance time on my journey. Usually this was during a holiday. A fe weeks just getting used to maintenance and then back to weight loss modus. I still logged but less precise and ensured I was not gaining. I saw it as a way of learning slowly what maintenance was about.
For me it saved my sanity to do it this way.0 -
When you have lost your motivation, how do you get it back? Since December 20, 2017, I have lost 25 pounds. I have about another 10 to go. Tracked everything, walked regularly, as well as Pilates 3 times a week. In the last month or so, I can't get motivated to stay on this journey. I find that I am not tracking everything I eat and I don't walk regularly like I used to do. What are things that have helped keep you motivated?
A diet break over Christmas might help?1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »A diet break over Christmas might help?
I second this. You've been working hard for a long time to get to where you are. You might need to give yourself permission to take a break. Eat at maintenance. Still exercise but you don't have to go hard at it if you don't want to. Just get a few walks in to keep fitness up.
I'm not a fan of the "Just do it" advice. It's like telling someone with depression "be happy!". When people ask for help with motivation what they may be saying is that they're a bit fed up with the process right now or a bit despondent as they're working so hard but might not be getting the results as fast as they want.
Loss of motivation is a phase or a mood. Hang in there at around maintenance and your motivation will come back ready to lose the next bit.0 -
when i feel unmotivated, i still ride my bike and as i feel the sense of freedom, of breaking free from the desk/computer, i realize i'm pedaling more and more.
also, i look at my chubby cute picture and realize i don't want to be cute. i want to be healthy
1 -
Though I had the motivation of a health issue, I read once that this whole thing was really about the importance of habit.
That stuck with me because it made so much sense. I realized, as a veteran of 40 years of failed attempts at dieting, that I had never embraced any change as habit. So nothing ever lasted. And if nothing else, I am a creature of habit. I love the deeply familiar.
So one by one, in baby steps, I built a new life based on new habits that supported a weight that I wanted to be. Sure there are days where I feel less like doing what I usually do than others, but since it's a habit, I just get it done anyway. Because to not do it would just feel wrong.2 -
I so second this post.GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Though I had the motivation of a health issue, I read once that this whole thing was really about the importance of habit.
That stuck with me because it made so much sense. I realized, as a veteran of 40 years of failed attempts at dieting, that I had never embraced any change as habit. So nothing ever lasted. And if nothing else, I am a creature of habit. I love the deeply familiar.
So one by one, in baby steps, I built a new life based on new habits that supported a weight that I wanted to be. Sure there are days where I feel less like doing what I usually do than others, but since it's a habit, I just get it done anyway. Because to not do it would just feel wrong.
Babysteps make habits and habits hold0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 394.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.9K Getting Started
- 260.4K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.1K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.7K Fitness and Exercise
- 440 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 16 News and Announcements
- 1.2K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.7K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions