Motivation to continue entering meals

So I’m currently in the process of losing weight again. I’ve used this app in the past and have been able to find success, but now I’m losing again as I have gained some back. I know I’ll hit my goal, because my metabolism allows me to lose weight quickly when I diet. That being said, I have a hard time entering food once I’ve hit my goal. What is your motivation for entering when you are maintaining?

Replies

  • Howard_M_Burgerz
    Howard_M_Burgerz Posts: 61 Member
    Your own post is your motivation... "I’ve used this app in the past and have been able to find success, but now I’m losing again as I have gained some back"
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    I try to "loosely track" or "intuitively eat" when i'm maintaining. Inevitably, I will start to gain weight after a while because I love eating all the foods and have little self control.

    So, I just keep an eye on the weight/how I feel thing, and when i'm a couple of kilos above my happy place, I just track properly for a couple to a few weeks to get back on track again and rinse and repeat.

    I never let it get to the point where more than 2-3 weeks of mouth-shutting will be needed for me to lose the kilos. I never want to have to lose heaps of kilos again. That is my motivation.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    After I lose my last 5 pounds I’m going to transition to recomping, which requires that you eat at maintenance. It will give me motivation and discipline to continue tracking and logging, and motivation continue progressing with my lifting, which I have discovered I love (I LOVE being stronger). And on the days I go hiking I can eat a LOT, since you’re not supposed to have a large deficit during recomp and hiking burns a lot of calories.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    Fear of gaining it all back
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    I came to MFP in 2012 looking to lose weight, like many. I quickly lost the weight I had gained and maintained relatively well for a few years but still wasn't altogether thrilled with how I looked. Maintenance quickly became more of an exercise in continuous improvement as I got into weightlifting and focused on improving my physique, strength, and athleticism. Now, logging is just as much habit as stepping on the scale or hitting the gym.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,743 Member
    I log to remain mindful of what I eat. I don't weigh and measure, since I know approximately how much I'm eating but I do log. A lifetime of yoyo dieting taught me that if I'm not truly conscious of how much I'm eating, I slip into bad habits. I hate starting over.
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
    I log to remain mindful of what I eat. I don't weigh and measure, since I know approximately how much I'm eating but I do log. A lifetime of yoyo dieting taught me that if I'm not truly conscious of how much I'm eating, I slip into bad habits. I hate starting over.
    This. Also, logging meals is so simple, once you've done the original input. Logging anything on MFP keeps me honest with myself. And that's mostly what maintenance is about.
  • HotFrieZ
    HotFrieZ Posts: 35 Member
    What if you transition to logging once or twice a week in maintenance to keep an eye on your diet while not feeling as though you need to obsess over entering your food every day?

    Or just be one a weird numbers nerd and you'll find it enjoyable 😂
  • SaraBeth2007
    SaraBeth2007 Posts: 9 Member
    Based on history, I've learned that within 6 months or so of stopping tracking/maintenance, I slip back into old habits and gain. This time, I've just accepted that I'll be tracking indefinitely if I want to say this weight. I don't find it hard or challenging since I've done it for so long...and I usually allow myself to get a little lax in tracking on weekends (while allowing for a bit of a deficit on the weekdays to even it all out). You have to find what works for you.