What are things that help you stay motivated?

cgailb
cgailb Posts: 29
edited November 9 in Social Groups
I am always looking for sayings, images, or things I can do to stay motivated. On the group page there is a photo of two glasses. One says "The pounds I need to lose" and the other says "The pounds I've lost". Inside the glasses are those glass stones used in flower arrangements and aquariums. I am going to make a set of these for me!
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Replies

  • beki18
    beki18 Posts: 21
    setting goals to achieve throughout the year are what keep me motivated. though sometimes i do find the road a long and lonely journey, but i guess these are just speed humps to keep us pushing forward and stronger in the long run.
  • cgailb
    cgailb Posts: 29
    Do you write the goals on a calendar or do you make it more jazzy with fancy paper and those paper cut outs and stickers and stuff? Maybe a PDA reminder? Do you celebrate it by doing something to recognize you've reached your goal?
  • NewTeena
    NewTeena Posts: 154 Member
    I used to be a very negative person. A couple years ago I decided that every day I needed to come up with one positive thought. I didn't have to believe it, I just had to say it. On a good day a good thing might be that I had a great lunch visit with my daughter, on a bad day I might think a leaf is a nice shade of green. The simple act of saying something positive just seemed to make me feel better, even if I didn't really care that the leaf was a nice shade of green. Over time it got easier and now I tend to see positive before I see negative.

    I would have to say that for me, positivity fuels motivation.

    Back when I was a negative person, I suffered from depression. Now that I've learned to think positive, I enjoy every minute of it.

    :smile:
  • beki18
    beki18 Posts: 21
    i usually set the goal in stone by entering a race (i run long distance), this year i have entered a Warrior Dash 5km of obsitcals and a full marathon in July, also thinking about a half marathon in September. too much more than that & i dont' know if my body would cope i am already averaging running 40km per week which will increase come march (marathon training starts) , i have my training calander on my fridge and at my desk cubical and i put it out there so that the goal is public... no going back now.
  • Victoria2448
    Victoria2448 Posts: 559 Member
    I have a dream or vision board with my personal and business goals. I use to think these things were cheesy...but they actually work!

    Now I have two board!

    I also have a support team that helps me me accountable and motivated. It is the key to achieving anything, especially weight loss. They are my fitness family, fun caring...just a great bunch.
  • Mcctin65
    Mcctin65 Posts: 507 Member
    It may sound silly but I refused to buy bigger jeans! I I had gone up a couple of sizes and finally decided THAT'S IT.... no more!
  • Mcctin65
    Mcctin65 Posts: 507 Member
    It may sound silly but I refused to buy bigger jeans! I I had gone up a couple of sizes and finally decided THAT'S IT.... no more!
    I also have goals as far as what I think my ideal weight is and I would like to run a 5K. Warrior Dash is a dream but it scares me a little also. I have no one willing to go with me.
  • beki18
    beki18 Posts: 21
    I also have goals as far as what I think my ideal weight is and I would like to run a 5K. Warrior Dash is a dream but it scares me a little also. I have no one willing to go with me.
    @mcctin
    Dont wait around for someone else to do it with you! Grab the bull by the Horns and go for it! I am sure once you get to the event there will be plenty of people in the same position. Give it a go it's going to be so much fun!
  • sandy220464
    sandy220464 Posts: 2 Member
    Hi; I started a walking group in our community to keep me motivated. Our members are all walking for different reasons but we have all kind of discussions about weight loss along the way. So far I've lost 20 lbs.
  • smoten
    smoten Posts: 53 Member
    My first quote is one that ive kept in mind since i began caring about fitness: "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal". this is a big one for me as i am a great excuse maker.

    My new motivation comes from my new passion RUNNING.
    (can i say it again? I AM A RUNNER) Setting small goals for myself keep me going. First it was "ok make it around the block" then i moved up to a mile, then two, then 3... i signed up for my first 5k a year ago and have been hooked ever since. My new goal is a 10K in the spring. Goal setting can be applied to any part of life and gives you determination. I still have to be very careful about what i eat and that is my hardest part of this process.

    My newest motivational quote is "The miracle isnt that i finished. The miracle is that i had the courage to start". Ladies, what we are doing IS miraculous! Never give up!
  • JTH11706
    JTH11706 Posts: 3,033 Member
    I've been trying to increase my running stamina. I can do a 5k (slowly) but I would love to run faster and to do a half marathon someday. Since January, I have pushed myself to either run or walk almost everyday and I am very pleased that I managed to do 100 miles in January. I'm setting another goal of 100 miles in February. Some days I feel strong and run well but other days I struggle. What I have done to keep myself motivated is to give myself permission to walk when I need a rest. I remind myself that walking still burns calories and as I lose weight I will run better. I am trying to be patient with my progress and realize at my age it doesn't happen overnight.
  • ajr050969
    ajr050969 Posts: 20 Member
    I agree! If you want to do it sign up! Look at it this way if you go by yourself you don't have to worry about anyone slowing you down!:smile: In the unlikly event that your running partner is faster than you, you won't have them rushing you, you can go at your own pace. Good luck!
  • robyndunn
    robyndunn Posts: 1 Member
    The things that keep me motivated are the few friends that text me to have a great day and share their workout status. My goal is to one day to be able to run a 5k and finish, to look good in a bathing suit (in MY mind, not all my loved ones'), and to be able to go rock climbing, at least once!
  • toque88
    toque88 Posts: 113 Member
    TINA TURNER
  • dperich1968
    dperich1968 Posts: 235 Member
    I signed up for a Mud Run with work. I ended up being the oldest member of our team. Being able to complete the Mud Run without feeling like I want to die keeps me motivated.

    Everytime I see someone running, I think "I wish I liked running" I have been running almost everyday now for 3weeks and am starting the C25K on Monday. I think I will finally push through the "This is a Chore" feeling to "I love the way this feels" thoughts.

    This site keeps me motivated!
  • Micheller1210
    Micheller1210 Posts: 460 Member
    I like to read oxygen, shape and other resources for inspirations, and I love love cookbooks so everyday I find something that keeps me interested and motivated, I glean recipes from raw food pages to eating clean, as I don't eat processed food, as much as possible, I watch youtube too. It has been since June that I have eaten in a restaurant, after having lived on the road you despise restaurant food. And I come here to see before and after stories.
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
    MY BIGGEST MOTIVATION IS MY GRANDKIDS. I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THEM,THEY DESERVE A GRAM THAT IS FUN, AND i HAVE TO BE THERE FOR THEM. I WANT TO FEEL GOOD, AND IO CAN'T FEEL GOOD OVERWEIGHT, THE FAT HAS TO GO.
  • CailleachBeara
    CailleachBeara Posts: 86 Member
    This is inspiring me today:

    6819984347_9a9ec7d389.jpg[/url]
    steps by Losin it2012, on Flickr
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
    Loved this, MsManx!!!
  • I have a two piece bathing suit hanging on my bedroom mirror. :) Daily reminder for me. And it has worked. Days I just don't feel like a work out. That reminder has inspired me to get up, get moving.
  • CailleachBeara
    CailleachBeara Posts: 86 Member
    Some other things that motivate me are:

    Being my own best friend - no one will ever be as cruel to you as you are to yourself. I would never talk to a friend the way I talk to myself so I made a decision to stop beating my self up with negative self talk and start thinking more positively which has really helped. I also realised that I still had this belief deep down that I just didn't deserve to be loved so I over ate to compensate myself for never having any love in my life, I want to change that so I'm taking care of myself this year to give myself confidence to start dating.

    If I'm having a really crappy day I think of a quote by one of my heroes Winston Churchill: "If you're going through hell, keep going"
  • Myschelle
    Myschelle Posts: 101 Member
    I am always looking for sayings, images, or things I can do to stay motivated. On the group page there is a photo of two glasses. One says "The pounds I need to lose" and the other says "The pounds I've lost". Inside the glasses are those glass stones used in flower arrangements and aquariums. I am going to make a set of these for me!

    "Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts." -Winston Churchill (don't let stumbles knock you down, just get up and move on, that's how I take it.)
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
    I love the glasses filled with stones. What a great idea. I always love hearing how people have lost weight,foods they ate or gave up,exercise, etc. Any secrets out there you can share?
  • CailleachBeara
    CailleachBeara Posts: 86 Member
    I have also made a pact with myself that I will not bring any junk food into the house. This was hard initially as every time I went shopping on the weekend I would always buy chips and chocolate, eat the lot and undo all my hard work for the week.

    I also made a vision board for myself with my weight loss goals and some other life goals that I want to achieve. It's hanging right near the kitchen so every time I'm thinking about overeating I get a visual reminder of where I want to be. Working like a charm so far! :smile:
  • traceyjj
    traceyjj Posts: 406 Member
    After being a wife and mother for more than 25 years, I decided I need to recharge my batteries and go on a "me" holiday... no one to think about but myself. If I want to sit on a beach and watch the sea all day, I will do. If I want to read all day I will do... but I really want to wander around a foreign country with my camera and take photos and study a local area... not something I can do when I have hubby and kids in tow.

    I promised myself that if I keep all the hard work up, and hopefully get in shape/lose weight, I will be doing that later this year.
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
    That sounds like a great plan, I hope you do it. I would miss my grandkids after a couple days, and come hauling back,lol
  • traceyjj
    traceyjj Posts: 406 Member
    Thanks! I'm certain I will miss them all dreadfully... but its something I want to try. The thought of it is helping me stay on the straight and narrow on the weeks I dont lose any weight (every lb seems to fight to stay on my body)
  • cgailb
    cgailb Posts: 29
    I just found this website modcloth.com. I love to window shop the dresses there. I am making a wishlist. I am also creating my style on pinterest.com. I used to be a size 6-8 and loved skirts and dresses. I am enjoying thinking about that again. Now, when I am choosing something to eat, I think twice.
  • All of these things are very motivating. My husband is my blessed support system. He tells me I am beautiful every day, even when I feel like a sack of potatoes. He helps by eating the things that I do and by soothing my aches when my illnesses take over. My goal is to be as medication free as possible and to get back into the size nine clothes that are filling my closet and drawers. Keeping positive can be difficult when you are hurting and can't exercise, not even walk. And my goodness, when the scale is crawling at a snails pace, it can be so tempting to quit. Then I read some positive feedback on MFP from my buddies and I remind myself that everyone is struggling and I shouldn't give up.
  • cgailb
    cgailb Posts: 29
    I a, so with you. I hate the pain. I've been wheat free and I ate some cookies and a hotdog with the bun over the weekend. Sunday it felt like my knee joints were going to explode. I usually walk at 3mph. I was limping along on the treadmill at 2mph. Needless to say I'm back off the wheat. I wasn't going to go to the gym but I promised to meet my mother. I am so glad I did. I don't like moving when the pain in bad. I forget that it can make things better or at least I can burn some calories.
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