So unmotivated

Sballard418
Sballard418 Posts: 153 Member
edited October 1 in Motivation and Support
So I'm rather new to the site. I've been doing what it tells me and then some :) But yesterday I didn't workout and I went over my calorie goal (I would have broke even if I did exercise) Today I work up and feel the same as yesterday totally unmotivated. Any idea's how to get on track or why my body is doing this?

Replies

  • NKF92879
    NKF92879 Posts: 601 Member
    You just have to do it. You know you've got it in you, you just might have to dig a little. You got this!
  • microwoman999
    microwoman999 Posts: 545 Member
    Its not going to happen overnight! I bet this is why you are unmotivated! When you see your body change for the first time that will motivate you! Think about how great you will look and feel! Just do it!! Don't stop get to your goal and show everyone you can do it!
  • LaSweetMini
    LaSweetMini Posts: 157 Member
    You just have to force yourself to do it. I felt like that in the begining and sometimes even now but you really have to make yourself do it if you want to lose weight.
  • murf19
    murf19 Posts: 453 Member
    you have to want it. I use before and after pictures to motivate me. Take some photos and post them around the house.
  • I am in the same boat.....I need to force myself to exercise. It has gotten to the point where I have no energy from being overweight...it is a vicious cycle.

    We can do this, we just need to push ourselves, and think of the end results.

    Best of luck!
  • birdlover97111
    birdlover97111 Posts: 346 Member
    Your motivation has to come from within, there is nothing anyone else can do for you except encourage you to keep on keeping on...Personally, exercise has a lot to do with how motivated I am to continue on my journey...If I don't exercise, I feel awful...Sometimes it's hard to get my gumsion up to climb on my elliptical, but once I get started, the great feeling kicks in and I'm good to go...Be sure that you are not over loading on carbs and sugars....Don't give up...There are a lot of people on here, including myself, who would be happy to support you...Feel free to add me if you would like.... :flowerforyou:
  • Mamoonie
    Mamoonie Posts: 328
    This sounds as if it's not your body doing this to you, but your mind!

    Try to think about why you are here and what your goal is. Read in the success section and watch all those before/after pictures.

    That should get you some motivation.

    MM
  • lodicox7
    lodicox7 Posts: 101 Member
    To be blunt, it's not a body issue, it's a mind issue. It's extremely difficult to start dieting as I'm sure everyone here can attest to, but you have to have the will power and motivation to want to make a significant change in your life. And you may not think that you have it, but you do! Just dig deep and find it!

    Reading the success stories of others helps significantly with motivation. So does setting realistic minigoals for yourself to try and meet along the way. Also, try making small changes in your life to help jump start your metabolism. IE, stop eating after 8pm, or drink at least 64oz of water a day. Small changes like these can really add up to make a huge difference.

    MFP is an amazing resource tool to help keep you on track. Stick with it, and I promise you will come to think so too. Good luck! You can do this!!!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    I post this a lot on MFP but when I workout I sleep better, eat better, and function better overall as a human. Having a desk job means my hour of a class at the gym is MUCH needed.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    You have to force yourself to do it. Once you are going regularly, you'll feel great and it will get easier, but getting started is always the hardest part.

    What's your biggest reason for wanting to lose weight? Write that goal on a post it and stick it to your alarm clock or bathroom mirror (wherever you will see if when you're thinking about talking yourself out of going to work out)!
  • Sballard418
    Sballard418 Posts: 153 Member
    I'm gettin up now and doing my two miles. I know I can do it. THanks for the kick in the butt :D
  • Losing weight is about what you do most days. So you had an off day, move past it and start new every day. You can do it!
  • Maura5
    Maura5 Posts: 30
    It's a process. Your progress already is great...25 lbs will be a big accomplishment! Rather than scrutinize each & every day, look at your overall success & remember that you didn't gain the weight overnight, you won't lose it overnight either. We all have setbacks but I can tell you that having this bunch of friends on here does more to keep me going than anything else. I've never met you & probably never will but I support you fully. We show up day after day to encourage each other & help when one of us falters. (would love to be one of your MFPals) Keep on keepin' on!
    Maura5
  • ebert5150
    ebert5150 Posts: 135 Member
    Exercise is a big thing but so is changing not just how much you eat, but what you eat. Are you adding more veggies and fruits to your diet? You can a lot of food bulk without as many calories. Also consider alternative exercises if you can't do your normal workout. Don't forget that walking the dog or pushing a baby in a stroller can burn a lot of calories if you do it for long enough. All that being said you're still going to have days where you go over your calories. Don't beat yourself up over it. Move on and don't give up. Get back on track the next day. You can do it!!!
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
    I watch Silence of the Lambs whenever I don't want to exercise. The girls the creepy guy kidnapps are the same size I am, and I refuse to get turned into a skin suit.
  • glenner
    glenner Posts: 160 Member
    I have just started my pathway to weight loss (for the millionth time!!). I was great the first two days- then yesterday I let myself skip exercise blaming the weather even though I could have gone. For some reason I munched more in the evening too- kept saying to myself I should be eating less since I didn't work out but it didn't matter. today I got up, forgave myself for yesterday and decided to have a great day today so I am back on the path to making good choices a habit. They say if you perform an action like eating properly or exercising daily for 7 weeks it will become a habit so I am going to try to focus on making myself do it for 7 weeks and see if it comes more naturally then! I am also focussing on smaller steps- I used to think if I can't walk for an hour or lift weights for an hour, why bother? This time I am saying to myself "better a little bit then nothing" and fitting it in when I can. If I can only walk 15 minutes, I am still going to do it- if I can only lift weights for three sets of 6, better then nothing! I find that attitude is more encouraging to myself- and sometimes when I get going, I find the time to go further! We have to make new patterns for ourself- my old pattern was eating nonstop and watching t.v. But now I am going to ignore my lazy voice and do what I can to try to change my life. Try that- small steps like a short walk or drinking more water when you're hungry. I am also concentrating on recording good things in my fitness pal- I am trying to eat things that will come up healthy when I check my totals for the days. I want that to be my new habit- checking my progress on the tracker, not stuffing my face. Good luck- we can do it and support each other!!!
  • keola64
    keola64 Posts: 207 Member
    You HAVE TO WANT IT ENOUGH TO PUSH PAST YOU WEAKNESSES,if you see some peoples pics amazing results have been achieved ,if you s look at my profile pics I only have a couple of when I was 263 pounds,I currently am 170,I reached my goal in 7 months and am not working on staying fit. Picture yourself where you want to be & don't give up till u get there it won't happen over night but I can tell u I've lost 93 pounds total 70 with myfitnesspal,& have a friend who was close to 500pounds,now he just over 200 seeing peoples results may help you get more motivation,by best to you and your goals - Keola
  • lodicox7
    lodicox7 Posts: 101 Member
    Also, obviously exercise is good for you. But don't beat yourself up for it by missing a night or two, at least in terms of achieving weight loss. I have a stress fracture in my lumbar spine and have been dealing with severe lower back pain for a majority of the time I have been using this website, which has significantly limited the amount and type of exercise I can do. Probably 95% of my weight loss has been from diet alone, as a result.

    This is NOT to say if you can exercise, you shouldn't do it. All I'm saying is, if you miss a night don't beat yourself up feeling guilty. You can spend an hour running on an elliptical to burn 300 calories. Or you can just not eat a giant brownie.
  • lynheff
    lynheff Posts: 393 Member
    You are so right that it is sometimes hard to find your motivation. You might try journaling to see if you can discover What was different the days you did eat right or work out? Only your very own personal reason will make you do it. Because I have severe arthritis, a few days of not working out leaves me stiff and sore. That also means if I gain back the 149 pounds I have lost, I will be back in the wheelchair. So doing what I can do and keeping the weight off is a real priority for me. Good luck. I hope you find lots of inspiration here!
  • starracer23
    starracer23 Posts: 1,011 Member
    It's like everything else in life that you don't want to do but have to do, you HAVE to do it.

    Once you get in the groove of things it does get easier. You may still have moments where you feel lazy and don't want to go...so you once again have to dig deep and JUST DO IT.

    You will feel better after you work out, you will feel accomplished.
  • lynheff
    lynheff Posts: 393 Member
    Hooray for you! You are so right -- do what you can do. If it is 10 minutes today, that is 10 minutes. Maybe it will be more tomorrow. Many people find that doing something good for themselves makes them want to de even more Good luck!
  • lgwmab
    lgwmab Posts: 274 Member
    It's not easy, it really is forcing yourself, but once you get in a method it's easier, including the food area. I like trying to do muscle building things in the morning, crucnches, push-ups, squats, and leg raises, and cardio things in the evening. It's finding what works best for you. I make the walks my alone time, grab my ipod, listen to music I enjoy, and make it my "me" time. Also their are some daily challanges, to get you to push yourself. Feel free to friend me if you'd like.
  • runslikeagirl
    runslikeagirl Posts: 140 Member
    You have to find something that you love to do! I LOVE to run and I want to do it ALL the time. I look forward to doing it.
  • you have to want it. I use before and after pictures to motivate me. Take some photos and post them around the house.

    It sounds vain to want to look at your pictures that often but I agree with this whole heartedly! I see changes and I get so pumped to keep it going that I usually don't find any reasons not to go!

    Its so hard at first. You really do have to just want it bad enough.

    Good Luck!
  • If I were you, I wouldn't focus on weight loss, exercise, etc.. IMHO, you should put all your efforts only into being fully aware and keeping track only. As uncomfortable as it is to be in the red and be over, the key to failure is unconsciousness, and so the key to success is consciousness - to be fully aware of everything you are doing.

    I've been at times when I would consistently go over and be in the red. The weight would still be adding up, and I would feel terrible. But still, I'd log it in the app. Eventually I came around (now maintaining my once thought impossible dream goal weight - surpassing my "realistic" goal weight) .

    But most people can't take the emotional dissonance of keeping track of their "failures" and drop off into unconscious eating. Don't be most people! Be you!
  • lynheff
    lynheff Posts: 393 Member
    Hooray for you! Believe it or not, after a few months of working out you will begin to miss it when you don't do it. Not necessarily love it--just miss it. Sort of like not brushing your teeth. It just won't feel right. Good luck. Keep us posted on your exercise routine!!
  • lynheff
    lynheff Posts: 393 Member
    So very true. Accountability is a big key. Even on the days we don't want to face the scale or the food diary, doing it will keep us aware of what we are eating and one day lead us to do better.
  • I always tell myself on the days I don't feel like exercising are the days I need it the most. You just make yourself go a few times and then you get to the point where you have/need to go. I get antsy when I can't go to the gym now. I am nowhere near my goal but have definitely gotten into my exercising routine. I feel good to see the progress made so far and that makes me want to push myself further.
    Log into MFP and post it on your wall, having that support and encouragement often makes it easier.
    Good luck, you can do this! Start small, change one thing at a time.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    you are on this site for a reason: to feel better and to get healthier. losing weight and building muscle are just side effects of those two things. you made a great first step in signing up to MFP, because now you can and will be held accountable for what you eat. you just have to find ways to exercise 30 minutes a day.

    me, i have my jillian micheals dvds infront of my xbox. if i want to play video games or watch a movie on it hat day, i do one dvd first. one 30 minute work out and i treat myself with an hour of a movie or video game.
  • ahadj
    ahadj Posts: 257 Member
    You just have to do it. You know you've got it in you, you just might have to dig a little. You got this!

    "you just have to do it" -- arguably the best advice I've seen on MFP, ever!
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