How do I motivate myself to eat right?

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CinnaRum
CinnaRum Posts: 3 Member
in Motivation and Support
I know that I am the only one who can answer this question. Maybe if I learn what motivates everyone else, I can find my own answer. Specifically, I am searching for how to motivate myself to log my food and make permanent changes to how I eat.

For background, I do personal training 3x a week. I (usually) go to a cardio class 2x a week on top of that.

I'm good about making it to PT because I am paying someone to show up and I HATE blowing people off.

I went on a medically supervised fast for about 6 months and lost 30 lb. I would have lost twice that if I had actually stuck to the diet. I gained about 15 lb after getting off the diet, so I started the PT. My weight fluctuates about 5 lb up and down, and I am barely maintaining. My weight is actually creeping up.

I am very lazy. I don't like cooking food when I am hungry. I use food for everything-- stress relief, boredom relief, procrastination. I usually go for the heavy, creamy, comfort foods. I usually forget to log my food or don't bother at all.

I thought my upcoming wedding would motivate me to lose weight. It did not. My personal trainer will amp up the workout if I don't log my food the previous week as "motivation." It hasn't been working.

What motivates you to stick to a positive dietary change?

Thanks!

Replies

  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,709 Member
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    For me, it's the way I feel when I eat well and within my calorie range. The brief taste of food isn't worth feeling poorly afterwards, in my opinion.

    However, this is where I'd start if I were you: "I use food for everything-- stress relief, boredom relief, procrastination. I usually go for the heavy, creamy, comfort foods. I usually forget to log my food or don't bother at all."

    Find alternatives to food for each of these feelings. Keep a list handy of all the other things you can do. Just try it. Be consistent. I'm guessing once you realize you don't need that extra food and have other coping skills you'll start to feel better and gain the confidence you need to realize you DO have control over food.

    Also, whatever you eat, LOG IT. Everything. Make it a habit like showering or brushing your teeth. It's a very valuable tool and will help you learn proper serving sizes.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    I try to live as much as I can without the need for additional motivation. This means I keep things as simple and easy as I can to stick to the habits that lead to the desired results.

    What is it about logging your food that you resist? Sometimes it take a few weeks of steady logging to drop the amount of time doing it.

    Have you tried pre-logging a day or more in advance?

    Have you tried weekend food prep to get most of the recipes you might need to enter done in one batch?

    Have you tried pre-weighing your portions? For instance it is not uncommon for us to divide things like berries into single serving containers. This means if one of us grabs a serving we already know it is 80ish grams and that is easy to log.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    Your body naturally craves calorie-dense foods. Blame it on evolution. Give yourself a break.

    Now you've asked the most important question: why would I want to intervene with what I want? It gives me so much pleasure!

    Now, there's something to think about. Until you identify good reasons for changing your behavior, you probably won't. Go on a retreat, throw out all the distractions, and spend some time thinking about what you want and why.
  • MySlimGoals
    MySlimGoals Posts: 750 Member
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    I have loads of friends on my list and I post all my achievements, losses and failures. That's pretty motivating to do well! I also am in two challenges on the message boards where I post my weight daily and weekly for the other. So I have to do well because people are looking! The daily one is just below here on this topic and is called 'Just give me one month'.
  • CinnaRum
    CinnaRum Posts: 3 Member
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    Thank you for all of your responses!

    I wrote out the reasons why I want and need to lose weight. It's a serious health issue for me.

    When I was living alone, I tried a few meal prep services. I was meal prepping like a champ when it was quick and easy and the photos of the food was getting me some attention on Instagram. Then I realized how calorie dense it was. Whoops! It also got super pricy. I was also not going to the gym as regularly, so I had extra time.

    My live in fiance is basically my meal prep service now, he does the bulk of the grocery shopping and cooking, and he encourages us to meal prep. Doesn't always happen, we get tired after work or gym, or we get lazy.

    It's hard to pre log because I don't always know what I am eating in advance. I guess this is where meal prep comes in and I'll need to find a way to make it work.

    Once I stop logging, it's hard to get the momentum going again. I usually log on my phone. I tried switching to logging by writing on a notepad, but I stopped doing that once the novelty wore off.

    I think I am aware of why I eat, I do it anyway for bad reasons. Before I order that Panda Express, I usually make a conscious effort to think of how gross and unfull I feel after, and that only works a small amount of the time.

    I got a Fitbit and signed up for a food addiction/solutions class with my insurance.

    Seeing how easy it is for everyone else to log their food is a little embarassing for me. Maybe this is one of the little pushes I needed.

    I'll have to look into the challenges, never done one before!
  • Lena_Loves_Herself2020
    Lena_Loves_Herself2020 Posts: 16 Member
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    You want this then you have to force it nobody else can make you
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 1,995 Member
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    There is reason for my avatar. It's the truth about my own journey. We can suggest things all day long, but only you can make it happen. The serious health issue is what you need to focus on and drive yourself to change.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
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    First of all, I agree with the person who suggested logging before you let yourself put a bite in your mouth. Make this an absolute rule. If you’re too lazy to log you’re too lazy to eat.

    Second, find some convenience foods which are low calorie and satisfying. If eating right is ten times as much work as eating poorly, it will never be sustainable for you - you will always get tired and revert. In my case, I live near an Italian place which delivers home style spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken wraps made with chicken breast and pesto and lots of veg. The full portion is a bunch of calories but a half wrap and a half portion of spaghetti is a ton on food and well within my calorie limits. These are reasonable food choices I don’t regret making. So I plan to do that at least once a week, I order takeout and get four meals from it. I also have a handful of places I can go and enjoy sitting down and having someone else bring me food which is healthy, low calorie, and delicious - such as a catfish joint which has grilled and steamed options.

    You mentioned Panda Express. It’s not that difficult to put together a low calorie and filling meal from there. Just avoid heavy sweet sauces, eat lots of veg and lean meat, and have a small portion of the starchy base or use a salad as a base. Remember, no one other than you is making choices for you.

    As far as comfort food is concerned, when I needed to get serious about my health, I did two things: I found low calorie foods that satisfied my need for various types of cravings. Such as sliced radishes for crunchy/salty cravings and Greek yogurt with fresh berries and cacao powder for sweet/creamy/chocolate cravings. More importantly, I made a list of things in my life which were making me miserable and causing me to seek comfort. Toxic relationship? Miserable at your job? Really wish something about your living space was different? Not everything can be fixed but many things can be fixed, and if something is making you miserable in the long term it’s worth making the effort to fix it. Then, finally, I made an effort to seek out other, non-food sources of joy. Listen to music. Do your hair or makeup or fingernails a new way. Go to a new place. Anything that isn’t food.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    nutritious can also be delicious and doesn't have to be bland and boring "diet food" People often have a very myopic view of what constitutes good nutrition which makes things unnecessarily difficult. I also enjoy cooking and it is has been a hobby of mine since I was in my early 20s and broke and trying to impress women without taking them to some expensive restaurant for a date.

    I don't really need motivation...I enjoy eating well and cooking and pizza night on Fridays.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    You should not be embarrassed about struggling to log your food. I would imagine that the number of people who fail to maintain the practice exceeds the number who do. You just happen to be on the message board full of longer term members who have done it for so long it is second nature.

    I have "embarrassing" foibles too. I have a set minimum of 30 minutes of cardio a day. I routinely exceed this number but I struggle to get the first 30 minutes done. After the minimum is hit I enjoy doing more. This makes very little sense to me other than it being some childish aspect of my personality.

    I have learned that figuring out how to navigate my own brand of nonsense is one of the keys to my success.
  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
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    I hear you! It's hard to prep food when you're tired. So, I try to make a list of what I'm going to have for dinner before I go to work or the gym. Then it's usually something quick, like a stir fry with rice or scrambled eggs, or a salad I made before I left the house. Anything easy.

    The logging can be hard to work into your day. I usually log my breakfast and lunch after I've eaten them. Then, I log in what I will have for dinner after I've eaten lunch. I find that's helpful because I know how many calories I have left to play with. So if I've only got 450 calories left for dinner and dessert, I start plugging in my options to see what I can afford to have. Using this approach, I usually am able to have a cookie or two, or a piece of pie, or a glass of wine with dinner. I hate feeling deprived!! But you can do this and still lose weight.
  • fitpal4242
    fitpal4242 Posts: 109 Member
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    It really is all mindset.. you have to become almost obsessed with it. I kept trying to start & restart with the food logging and wasn’t there for a long time. I always consistently exercised, and I was fooling myself in believing that made up for a diet full of snacking.

    I was embarrassed of the scale. Something finally snapped one day when I weighed myself and it was an outrageous number. I was so tired of feeling uncomfortable about how I was looking in my clothes, including that I had shifted to gym clothes that were bigger and covered more.

    What I do for motivation:
    1-before I eat or buy anything, consider how it will make me feel afterwards. If I eat a gallon of ice cream (& I know I will if I buy it), I’m going to feel bad about myself and kinda icky afterwards
    2- no matter what I end up eating or how much I go over my calories, I must log it. Then move on. It’s done, so all I can do is make better choices after.
    3- I weigh myself every time I go to the gym- 6 days a week. I’ve been recording it on a weight trending app. It was pretty satisfying once my BMI trended down from the ‘overweight’ to ‘healthy’ range.
    4- I’ve never had a problem with gym motivation, but the mindset is that it’s just something non-negotiable that I do. I go early mornings. Doesn’t matter if I want to sleep- I get up when it’s time. Treat it like work- you wouldn’t turn off your alarm and decide you weren’t going to work today, so don’t do it with the gym.
    5- adding to #4- my morning routine is absolutely mindless- it’s what I do. Get out of bed at an exact time, turn on my coffee, make a smoothie, consume. Leave house at exact right time, run to gym & take a scheduled class. The decisions have already been made before I wake up.
    6- figure out your go-to meals that are low enough calories. I like scrambled eggs with cottage cheese. I also like having a big tub of cut cabbage ready to sauté when I want it. And people may disagree with this- but a nice bowl of cereal with almond milk is my go-to low calorie quick dinner (try for healthier- kinds like kashi are better. But, the calories are still fairly low in the unhealthy ones)
    7- reading through the mfp community helps keep me in the mindset and is a reminder I am not alone in this
    8- sometimes I find it easier to stick to my calories by eating out more. Depends on where you live. I’m in a major city and it’s easy to grab a salad or soup that is actually healthy (no hidden butter, creamy stuff, fried ingredients). You also can only eat what you have.
    9- just don’t buy those trigger foods. Mine is mostly ice cream. I almost play a game with myself sometimes where I walk by & see if I really want it. So far, I’ve been able to walk away. But if I don’t one day, back to #2

    I’ve lost over 25lbs since I decided to take this seriously in July. You can do it! It really does get easier once your mind is there & time starts passing.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
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    Pain is the precursor to change. Painful feet, knees, hips, joints. Emotional eating is only comforting for about 5 minutes then it only adds to the stress it creates. Motivation and willpower are limited resources and they do run out...just like using events as a source of motivation.

    In many ways, you've answered your own questions. When the event arrives it's easy to fall right back into our old normal ways of eating. Sometimes, it happens on the very same day and we just start coasting. There's no such thing as the Finish Line with our overall health and well being.

    Use your very next meal as your new beginning and fresh start. Every single morning everything looks brighter and if you don't ever let a day pass you by without thinking of your very next meal as your clean slate, eventually all of these days will add UP into a MFP streak. The streaks will turn into years and lo and behold, with MFP as your witness you won't ever have to start over again.
  • CinnaRum
    CinnaRum Posts: 3 Member
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    "Too lazy to log, too lazy to eat."
    This is going to be my new motto! SO true now that I think of it!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,178 Member
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    This is kind of out of the flow of the thread "conversation", but I'll comment anyway because I haven't seen it mentioned so far. (Apologies if I missed it.)

    I'm a hedonist. I like food. I want to eat it. Too much of it. I did that for decades, and became obese, and stayed obese for over a decade even after becoming very active and even competing as an athlete. I'm not good at self-denial. ;)

    Now, I'm also old, 64. I'm not complaining big time, but it's become crystal clear to me that 64-year-old Ann would have a better, happier, healthier, easier life if young Ann had given a bit more thought to balancing her immediate pleasures with future-Ann's needs. Small amounts of current incremental pleasure, repeated frequently, can lead to pretty significant unpleasantness later in life. (I've had cancer, high blood pressure, have some arterial calcification, bad knees, and more - all of which are more likely with obesity; and I was obese for 3+ decades).

    I'm now thinking in better terms, going forward. I hope it will be soon enough, to make a difference in my longevity and future well-being. I've now been at a healthy weight for about 5 years, and still active, so there have already been benefits. It's that I want even more benefits: A healthy, happy, independent future Ann, for at least a couple of decades to come, if at all possible.

    Therefore, I need to balance current Ann's immediate pleasure, with future Ann's well-being. Pretty small reductions in current indulgence, made habits over a long period of time, make a huge difference. Healthy weight and basic fitness, in particular, have immediate pleasurable benefits, as well, once achieved, that are worth consideration.

    Just another thing to think about.

    P.S. I endorse that idea that using food to deal with stress, boredom, etc., is not a good plan. If the problem isn't hunger, nutrition, or (to a certain extent) gustatory pleasure, then food is not the answer, not at all. Deal with the non-food problems in non-food ways.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    I kept hearing and reading that midsection fat increased health risks considerably. I was motivated just to lose the fat around my vital organs...or stomach. that single motivator kept me on my plan ..it made sense and had more importance than vanity.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    Since motivation and will power comes and goes for everyone, you might find that a focus on building new Habits to be a helpful approach.

    By building a new habit that replaces the "reward" gained by eating calorie dense food with a different action and reward cycle, you could begin to build the habit of eating foods that support your weight loss goal.

    If this is of interest, I"d suggest Charles Duhigg's book, "The Power of Habit" as a way to understand the concepts in more detail.

    Good luck.

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