No motivation/mental block

Cocoa1020
Cocoa1020 Posts: 197 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm struggling. Its hard for me to admit that to myself. But i have 0 motivation to workout. I've let myself go. I have about 100+ to lose. I know everything i have to do. I eat healthy for the most part, whole grains, low salt, lots of fruit and veggies, lean meats but my portions are too large and im hungry all the time. I know the change has to come within myelf. Its me needing to take action, but i again have 0 motivation.

I know i am not the only one that feels this way. How have you guys overcome this mental block to reach your goals?

Replies

  • kerstenk141
    kerstenk141 Posts: 83 Member
    What helped me when I committed to losing 50lbs was eating foods that didn't pack a huge calorie punch but we're filling - lots of salads, veggies and fruit before eating my dinner or lunch. I'd drink water or tea before breakfast. This sounds weird but I also started using smaller plates so my meals looked like a lot to my weirdo brain.

    The first 3 weeks was tough. My tummy would grumble but I knew once I made it past that hurdle I could reach my long-term weight loss goal.

    Lastly I stumbled across a quote that really resonated with me when I started to feel helpless and that'd I'd never reach my goal - changed my whole perspective: Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

    Lastly, don't be too hard on yourself. It's okay to start your marathon walking, you'll finish just like person who decides to sprint it. You know right now you feel unmotivated - so start slow. Pick what you want to make a habit first. Something manageable and realistic and build from there.

    You can do this. You are strong and you are capable.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,885 Member
    Something I read here is: being overweight is hard, losing weight is hard, choose your hard.

    I started my weight loss basically without motivation. Heck, I didn't even think it was possible to lose weight ('doomed metabolism' and other silly ideas). Like you, my diet was fairly healthy already, but I was eating too much.

    I started by logging my food and aiming for my calorie goal. I chose the slowest rate of loss because I was worried about loose skin, but that turned out to be a great choice for other reasons too, slow and steady wins the race.
    Only later did I get more active (walking first).
    After 2.5 years I'm down from 208lbs to under 135lbs, which is way beyond anything I thought possible. I'm also way, way more active than I ever thought I could be, in a way I enjoy.

    Motivation comes and goes, I just chose a strategy that requires very little motivation by making things as easy as possible for me.

    For you, perhaps just logging (without a calorie goal) would be a good first step.
    As for your hunger, do you think it's mental or physical? For physical hunger, you might want to experiment with different meal timings or different macro distributions, or volume eating (eating low calorie foods like salads to fill up) as suggested above.
  • Cocoa1020
    Cocoa1020 Posts: 197 Member
    kerstenk141 wrote: »
    What helped me when I committed to losing 50lbs was eating foods that didn't pack a huge calorie punch but we're filling - lots of salads, veggies and fruit before eating my dinner or lunch. I'd drink water or tea before breakfast. This sounds weird but I also started using smaller plates so my meals looked like a lot to my weirdo brain.

    The first 3 weeks was tough. My tummy would grumble but I knew once I made it past that hurdle I could reach my long-term weight loss goal.

    Lastly I stumbled across a quote that really resonated with me when I started to feel helpless and that'd I'd never reach my goal - changed my whole perspective: Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

    Lastly, don't be too hard on yourself. It's okay to start your marathon walking, you'll finish just like person who decides to sprint it. You know right now you feel unmotivated - so start slow. Pick what you want to make a habit first. Something manageable and realistic and build from there.

    You can do this. You are strong and you are capable.

    Thank you for taking the time and commenting, i use smaller plates and i try to eat based on volume, more fiberous foods, less calories. I use an 8 inch plate most of the time. I was particularly feeling low the day i wrote this. I'm realizing it had a rough few months, home was damaged in flood at the same time my cat became sick and eventually passed away a couple months ago. Im trying to over come this hurdle. Before all this happened i was working out a lot and eating better.

    As for the hunger, i'm trying to be mindful. To only eat when im hungry, to time my meals, cook ahead of time so im hungry when it's ready but not starving. After i posted this, i watched a video on food and that food fills a physical need and an emotional need. It needs to physically fill us but but it also needs to satisfy us emotionally. It made a lot of sense.

    Also I love that quote. Ill remind myself of it daily. Because i could be obese in 2 years or i can be at a healthy weight in years. But 2 years will come regardless.

    Thank you again
  • Cocoa1020
    Cocoa1020 Posts: 197 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    Something I read here is: being overweight is hard, losing weight is hard, choose your hard.

    I started my weight loss basically without motivation. Heck, I didn't even think it was possible to lose weight ('doomed metabolism' and other silly ideas). Like you, my diet was fairly healthy already, but I was eating too much.

    I started by logging my food and aiming for my calorie goal. I chose the slowest rate of loss because I was worried about loose skin, but that turned out to be a great choice for other reasons too, slow and steady wins the race.
    Only later did I get more active (walking first).
    After 2.5 years I'm down from 208lbs to under 135lbs, which is way beyond anything I thought possible. I'm also way, way more active than I ever thought I could be, in a way I enjoy.

    Motivation comes and goes, I just chose a strategy that requires very little motivation by making things as easy as possible for me.

    For you, perhaps just logging (without a calorie goal) would be a good first step.
    As for your hunger, do you think it's mental or physical? For physical hunger, you might want to experiment with different meal timings or different macro distributions, or volume eating (eating low calorie foods like salads to fill up) as suggested above.

    Thank you for taking the time to comment. Maybe i will look for a lower calorie deficit. That might be more sustainable for me. I do try to work hard at timing my meals, to start cooking before i am hungry and not starving. eating only when im hungry, and try to be more mindful. I do try to eat high volume, low calorie foods, lots of fruit and veggies.

    Since i wrote this post i did work out twice since. Maybe i just needed to get this off my chest. Thanks again kind stranger! 😊
  • TakeTheLongWayHome
    TakeTheLongWayHome Posts: 816 Member
    Do one thing today. Then do another, or the same thing tomorrow. Then maybe take a day off. But don’t let taking days off become a habit again. Then maybe do two things. Then, before you know it, doing things becomes your new normal. You can do it. I have faith in you. Good luck on your journey.

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