Ahhhh, where’d my motivation go??

Beeingthin
Beeingthin Posts: 40 Member
in Motivation and Support
Ever since Thanksgiving, where I gave myself the “day off”, I have completely lost my motivation. I have 5-7 lbs and half of a size to go to meet my goal. I haven’t gained any weight but I haven’t lost weight either, when I’ve been losing 1/2-1 lb a week since August. I’ve stopped logging in calories when I was super dilegent about it before. I’m still mindful of what I’m eating and know the measurements but not like I need to be to lose the last few pounds. This is why I didn’t cheat, not even once, before. I know myself and I knew this would happen. I don’t know why I thought it’d be ok to just let it go on Thanksgiving. Crap. I haven’t even opened up the app since last week. :( Usually seeing a loss on the scale gets and keeps me motivated but I’m having a hard time just getting to a small loss. What are your tricks to get back on track?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818701/the-myth-of-motivation-and-what-you-need-instead
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    I make it kind of a mind game. First thing I do is I log all my food the best I can for Thanksgiving. It's a huge pain in the *kitten*. Makes me want to go back to normal eating the next day. Another thing it does is it keeps up the habit of logging. My primary goal is to log all my foods, and secondary is is stay in a deficit. The act of logging helps to get me back in the mindset, and even if the next day is a little rough on the deficit side, I'm able to see how I did compared to Thanksgiving or another holiday, and it's typically a lot better. That sort of improvement helps me do it again the next day, until I'm back in a deficit.
  • kireler
    kireler Posts: 30 Member
    Well, first off I'd say exactly what you're doing. You took a stumble, acknowledged it and sounds like you know what you have to do. :) Greet job!

    A little stumble shouldn't take you out of the whole trek, it's just a little set back.

    Maybe find yourself a little game or reward system for each of the lbs you still have to lose where each pound you lose you get yourself a little something nicer and nicer.
  • Bex953172
    Bex953172 Posts: 4,158 Member
    I have two days in the year which is not logged (and the calorie number doesn't get mentioned lol!) one is my birthday, the other is Christmas day.

    I actually look forward to them!

    I mean I'm not perfect on the other 363 days of the year and I have set backs just like anyone else. But atleast it's more controlled and not a free for all!

    You say that one day has screwed it up for you but it hasnt.
    Thanksgiving day was easy, you didn't have to log, you could eat what you wanted carefree, drink as much as you wanted etc.
    Thing is, your brain will always want to do what's easy, your brain wants to protect you so it just does the easy thing.
    So you need to break that instinct (for lack of a better word) and just... Do it. Don't even think about it, because if you think about it then you'll attach an emotion to it, and if you "don't feel like it" you won't do it.

    And here's the big thing, you're never really going to feel like it.
    So this is why I rely on discipline ovdr motivation because motivation is never there when I need it. But discipline, doing what needs to be done can't be questioned.
  • Kimmotion5783
    Kimmotion5783 Posts: 417 Member
    Don't worry, Bee. It happens. The key is not to beat yourself up over it. Allow yourself to enjoy the holiday and just do the best you can. Get right back on track the next meal, and keep at it. This is a hard time of year to try to lose weight because food is everywhere, but just do your best in the interim. Once the holiday season ends, I find it's a lot easier to get re-motivated. Forgive yourself and move forward.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,534 Member
    Start logging. It’s a thing to do. How do you talk yourself out of it?

    Is it a holiday thing? Calculate your maintenance calories and do that until a date you pick in the future. It’s better than breaking the food diary habit. Good habits are hard to come by.

    And if you’re anything like me, free ranging will start to show up on the scale.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,281 Member
    This time of year, my motivation usually disappears with the daylight. Now is when I rely on habit more than anything. "Just go. It's what you do." And I tell someone I am going, so I feel held accountable (even though if I don't go, that person usually doesn't care, lol). There's something about saying it out loud or putting it into a text that makes me feel a little more obligated to stay the course.

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