How do you find the self discipline and motivation?

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  • spngebobmyhero
    spngebobmyhero Posts: 823 Member
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    I find that educating myself about health and fitness really helps keep me motivated. I read articles and watch documentaries and this keeps me interested and involved in my healthy lifestyle.

    Past few weeks I haven't been doing this, and my diary shows this.
  • hazelnutflav
    hazelnutflav Posts: 391 Member
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    How do you find the self discipline and motivation?

    as far as motivation goes im able to do this by having a monthly plan, every month i plan for next months fitness challenges that i need to meet, for instance in oct i will be starting the 100 push up challege and i know that i have to stay on track this month with fitness in order to meet octobers challenge.

    i also post my success on my wall where i can see them everyday even now my goals for this month are posted right in front of me, i see it every day, i change up my workouts every month so that i dont get bored and my body does not get usto the same old routine,every month i buy a book on fitness or nutrition or even self help to stay motivated, i log in here faithfully everyday to see what others are doing and what helped or worked for them, i never stop trying to find a fitness challenge or a new way of doing something fitness related,think of it as a project like buying a car or home do your homework constantly, there is always something to read or learn about fitness and staying motivated there is always somehting you can do to keep it moving forward.

    as far as discipline is concerned i allow myself no excuese there are 24hr in a day surely i can make time to workout and i do.

    one of my favorite quotes is..."DO OR DON'T DO-THERE IS NO TRY"
  • medoria
    medoria Posts: 673 Member
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    I want to look the way I feel, strong and cofident, ready for any challenge that life will bring my way! And everytime I struggle I keep reminding myself that Im worth it, and that all that hard work and all the effort I put in to getting in to shape is going to pay off!
  • ambermichon
    ambermichon Posts: 404 Member
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    Its a part of my life now. I am no longer tempted by foods that give me temporary satisfaction. Of course we all cheat now and then....I love pizza! Rather I love how I feel...fit!!! I love the rush I get after hard exercise. Its simple....I just do it. Depends on how bad you want it.
  • kittuk86
    kittuk86 Posts: 192 Member
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    Absolutely great!!!

    I never knew I had the self control!!! if there is one thing I have never controlled or rather wanted to control- Thats food. I never really exercised in my life till I turned 21 and joined Jiu Jitsu classes. That was my first time at seeing weight loss. Then came job, change in the city, food habits & I started piling on pounds.

    2 weeks ago I woke up & saw that half my tops were not fitting & jeans was wayyy much tighter than I remember. I dont know how i came across MFP but thank god I did.

    My Motivation: All you lovely peple on MFP who work with such dedication. if it were not for your stories, pics & motivating remarks.. I wouldnt have survived the first week. I spend 15mins every night & read the success stories. it is enough for me to keep going!!

    Self control: I am slowly trying to modify my lifestyle & trying to eat healthy & exercise- even if a little. If there is something I am craving for, I take a bite & leave it at that. if i eat the whole thing, I make sure I walk an extra km or add more repetitions to crunches etc. Self control doesnt come in a day, you have to build it.

    Infact, I politely declined invites for team lunch at a restaurant when i was dying to go. when they told me the 100 items(indian food =spicy+oily+insanely fingerlicking delicious) they ate, i felt glad about not going. My colleagues may have thought it rude but they are not the ones who are bordering on obese!!! I slept peacefully that night after exercising knowing that I had the self control.

    today, If someone keeps a burger in front of me, I will probably smell it n leave it at that :D & I will think of the sexy saree I want to wear for my best friends wedding & the Navy Ball in dec. That keeps me in check.

    I have learnt one thing in these 2 weeks, If you really want to do it, you will find a way to do it!!
  • ohmariposa
    ohmariposa Posts: 372 Member
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    I strongly believe that it is a day to day process. There are all different types of motivators...family,health,vanity. For me it is a mix of everything and just wanting to be the best person I can be. When I step on the scale and see minimal loss, I see that as a challenge. When I see at least a pound gone, I feel victorious :-) I like logging what I eat because it holds ME accountable. It is not like the oreos in the cupboard come after me and beg me to eat them. I am in control. The end.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    wow! impressive!!

    Thanks!

    I was very, very serious though...take progress pictures! Take a picture of you at your absolute worst ever...tape the thing to your bathroom mirror, to your fridge, to anything that is any sort of trigger for you to slip. As you progress, take more pictures. My signature is also a picture of me. I was substantially fatter in that picture (I was substantially fatter even in April lol)...but I felt my back looked strong...how I wanted all of me to look, so I used it as motivation.

    It works =D.
  • buddy529
    buddy529 Posts: 41 Member
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    The self-discipline? That really hasn't been a problem for me. I don't give in very easily...and it pisses my friends off haha. As for the motivation, I just think about what my little brother's reaction will be when he comes home at the end of the year and sees me after begin away for about six months.
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    I will admit that I am struggling.

    I remind myself of how crappy I felt 51 pounds ago, how much better I feel now, and how much better I will feel as I continue to live a healthier and fit lifestyle. And, when I'm having unplanned trouble (i.e., sometimes I do mean to cheat...its good for you), I review my goals and motivations and inspirations that I wrote out.
  • bogotachica
    bogotachica Posts: 81
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    Everyday is a new day for me. That is what I remember. When I want to eat something, I plan for it. I don't think of it a cheating. My new lifestyle doesn't call for that. I also look at all the clothes that I have that no longer fit due to my increased weight gain. I think about how great my jeans feel now. I also see a nutritionist every two weeks. It helps me to be accountable to someone other than myself. I also think I am worth it. No, everyday is not easy. But I think about my goals and why I want and more so need to loose weight.

    Hang in there :-)
  • jht445
    jht445 Posts: 5
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    I love this topic, it's so inspiring! And I love that quote:
    "Self-control is like a muscle. You have to use it to build it. "
    Definitely going to keep that in mind!
  • April9393
    April9393 Posts: 33 Member
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    Mine is sort of shallow. A male friend met my 17 yr old daughter and told her that she looks just like me. Then he proceeded to tell her "your Mom used to be hot". That is all it took for me. I would like to be "hot" again.
  • sanura
    sanura Posts: 459 Member
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    i have slowly improved my health throughout my adult life and find it comes down to fun. I keep exercising because I love bellydancing. it is great exercise and I stick to my regular healthy lifestyle because of performances.
    keep trying new activities and new recipes, if you like your exercise and food, you'll stick to it!
  • bllowry
    bllowry Posts: 239 Member
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    I was a premie and have had related health issues all my life as a result, but considered myself 'normally healthy' and ate a fairly balanced diet. Then I was diagnosed with diabetes, something not on either side of my family's histories. Being put on tablets twice a day and an injection daily was a wake up call. Ironically I was always scrawny as a child and constantly told to eat. :ohwell:

    The nutritionist I met with was very helpful; she told me there are no 'bad' foods, just bad portions. I have embraced that philosophy, but I've also taken upon myself to really read and try to educate myself to make good decisions. But I think my biggest motivation is my son and his wife telling me how proud they are of me. :smile:
  • marquesajen
    marquesajen Posts: 641
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    I have an account on pinterest and I spend some time everyday adding inspirational images, workout ideas and so forth. Being immersed in motivation reminds me that I can do this. Leave yourself post it notes, subscribe to a fitness magazine, anything that will remind you that you can do it!
  • Soccer_chick916
    Soccer_chick916 Posts: 159 Member
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    Self discipline - Realizing what I am actually putting in my body.
    Motivation, the life I want to have. I made promises to myself of things I will do. Also I have a long list of reasons why I want to loose the weight on my MFP profile.
  • evelyngrice
    evelyngrice Posts: 350 Member
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    The strange thing about me joining MFP is that I only joined so I could motivate my best friend, as she is on here. But now I have been on here a few days, I am actually starting to benefit from it myself. The community spirit on here is so motivational and inspiring.

    :)
  • em1976
    em1976 Posts: 119 Member
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    I have days I wake up,say bugger this no workout.(they happen alot now).Ive been at this 2 years and now almost 24kilos and Ive had many patches of completely giving up.They last perhaps 2 to 3 weeks of doing no exercise but still in a way being careful of what i eat.This was always been about how i saw myself,what i want to look like,was never due to someones comment or criticism but essentially I was 85kilos in a very short lady:)If you can find in yourself what you wish to change,picture in your head how you wish to look,that is what can motivate you,sometimes if your doing it for others the reason to stay with it may not be clear,change your perception,say to yourself 'OK this if for me'.I tried and failed many times before doing it for partners,people everyone else but myself.I can say with a certainty if you can get inside a change room and see your butt from behind while changing clothes(like i did)thats motivation to last a bloody lifetime.OH i bawled like a sook,but I did sit down and wonder how it was id got so damn big and I had been ok with it.Thats my motivation.

    My motivation stems from the fact on my wake-up day I promised myself I would never let my weight get out of control again.Bad days i take in my stride.I have days when my partner is sick of hearing me ***** and moan from doing workouts,complaining bout food and endless 'you have to listen' to my diet stuff,but I don't care:)this is who I am,is who I choose to be,with the odd very bad of pigging out thrown in!
  • klewis81
    klewis81 Posts: 122
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    Here is what motivates me:

    1. I set a goal that wasn't necessarily a number. I want to be fit and healthy when I decide to get pregnant so I (or my unborn child)won't suffer from gestational diabetes or preeclampsia, which one is much more likely to suffer from when obese. My husband and I have agreed that we won't try to get pregnant until this happens and I very much want to start a family.

    2. Exercise has really helped keep me motivated. It releases so many endorphins and I feel so great that I want to continue doing it. If I was eating like crap, I wouldn't lose weight even if I was busting my tail with exercise, so I feel that I OWE it to myself to watch what I eat too.

    3. Constantly coming on the MFP boards and reading success stories and tips about diet and nutrition keep me focused every day. Surround yourself with motivators; get some friends on here, post replies on the boards, and IRL have your friends/family/SO keep motivating you. Once you drop about 10 lbs, people also start to notice and that can be a real motivator to keep going.
  • ohskinnyme
    ohskinnyme Posts: 24
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    The strange thing about me joining MFP is that I only joined so I could motivate my best friend, as she is on here. But now I have been on here a few days, I am actually starting to benefit from it myself. The community spirit on here is so motivational and inspiring.

    :)

    <3<3<3 It is a really great community. I'm so glad to be part of it and so glad that this beautiful lady came here to help me <3<3<3

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