Being fat is just easier..

Why do I lose my motivation so quickly?!?? I have my days where I get so pumped up to exercise and eat healthy but then a few days later or even weeks I just completely lose it. Idk if anyone can help ('cause I'm sure this is more of a mental thing) but, why can't I stay motivated? And what keeps you motivated??
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Replies

  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    First of all ask yourself why do you want to lose weight. Is it for health reasons, to fit back into that cute dress you had when you were teenager, to look great on your wedding or reunions that you'll be attending or because somebody tells you? And are you ready to make some sacrifices for it? Because if you only doing this for those external reasons other than your overall health you'll not get the motivation you need to stay on track.

    As for myself, I think about my diabetes, PCOS & those heavy TOM moments before & how my new lifestyle help improved it. That if I slip back into my old habits then my condition would get worse.
  • hedgiie
    hedgiie Posts: 1,226 Member
    but being fit is more fun
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    eh, some aspects of being fat is easier.
    most suck. maybe when you get older you'll realize it!

    i do low carb. i know it works, so i stay motivated. losing inches and seeing the number on the scale go down is the best motivation.


    ''being fat is hard.
    losing weight is hard.
    pick your hard.''

    may not apply to you, but i repeat this over and over when i workout
  • fmbomzo
    fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
    Just get back up each time. Learning to redirect the negative self-talk is critical. Those little voices saying "I'm too tired", "It's just one ....", "I'll do it tomorrow" have to be changed to "I can do something even if it's just for a few minutes", "All it takes is one and it takes more than that to work it off", "No better time than today and I can do even more tomorrow".

    You're very correct that the mental is the biggest obstacle. Whenever I don't want to workout, I just go ahead and start changing into my workout clothes anyway. Once I get started, I can keep going. Basically, move your body and your mind will follow.

    See this fitness journey as something that you will not allow to defeat you.
  • michaelispas
    michaelispas Posts: 39 Member
    It's hard working out alone. I know, it happened to me before. I started working out with my girlfriend and it got a lot easier.

    It also makes me feel better if I have a specific nutrition guideline to follow everyday and know what to eat, what not to eat. Also knowing what to do for a workout each day is essential to consistency. What's your exercises like? Biking? Running?
  • Maurice1966
    Maurice1966 Posts: 419 Member
    Motivation comes from within. Others may help and encourage, remind you of why you're doing something, but you have to look inside yourself for the intrinsic motivation first. Noone make you do anything if you don't want to do it. Its called free will. Noone's here to guilt you or judge you into staying on track. It's up to you, if you want to.

    Set your self a goal, not necessarily a weight goal, but a picture of how you want to see your self in 2 months, 3 months out to 12 months. It has to inspire you because out of that inspiration will come your motivation. Make sure it's something that is achievable or you're doomed from the start, but at the same time, make sure their is some challenge in it too.

    Hope this helps and good luck :o)
  • Pimpmonkey
    Pimpmonkey Posts: 566
    Why do I lose my motivation so quickly?!?? I have my days where I get so pumped up to exercise and eat healthy but then a few days later or even weeks I just completely lose it. Idk if anyone can help ('cause I'm sure this is more of a mental thing) but, why can't I stay motivated? And what keeps you motivated??

    I decided to change my habits (both eating and exercise wise) because of a family members health issues. I am determined that both of us are going to be the healthiest we can be. The weight loss for me is a happy benefit not a necessity.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I think it's hard if you set yourself unrealistic goals.

    If you set yourself small, achievable goals ("eat a healthy breakfast every day this week", "exercise for 15 mins every day this week", "no soda for three days") then it's much easier.

    If you set out to eat 1200 cals a day, exercise for 2 hours every day - hell yeah, it's going to be hard!
    Then you'll probably give up and feel bad. Again.

    Be realistic, accept that you aren't going to wake up next week 10 pounds lighter but that if you eat well (not too little, not too much) and you do some regular exercise (which doesn't even have to be every day) then you might well be 10 pounds (or a whole lot more!) lighter by Christmas.
  • ajball90
    ajball90 Posts: 211 Member
    bumppp
  • kmm7309
    kmm7309 Posts: 802 Member
    As for myself, I think about my diabetes, PCOS & those heavy TOM moments before & how my new lifestyle help improved it. That if I slip back into my old habits then my condition would get worse.

    Did the weight loss really help the PCOS and heavy TOM moments? The biggest problem I have with PCOS is the hair growth and I'm hoping that if I lose enough then it will stop growing!!
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
    Why do I lose my motivation so quickly?!?? I have my days where I get so pumped up to exercise and eat healthy but then a few days later or even weeks I just completely lose it. Idk if anyone can help ('cause I'm sure this is more of a mental thing) but, why can't I stay motivated? And what keeps you motivated??

    TRUST Me, being Fat is one of the Hardest things in the world to be! And as you age, it will get even worse, the toll it takes on your Body! Do something different, join the Eat More 2 Weigh Less Group. You can not lose weight unless you have a Plan that you can LIVE with, day in and day out. Do yourself a favor, check them out under Groups. Then after about 4-6 weeks of a solid try, if you want to quit on yourself, do it.
  • znkmommy
    znkmommy Posts: 49 Member
    Its not easy to be fat and go upstairs.
  • Le_Joy
    Le_Joy Posts: 549 Member
    I don't know if being fat is easier, but I had more free time since I wasn't exercising and meal planning was easier...
  • leahartmann
    leahartmann Posts: 415
    I agree with LaMujerMasBonita! I also use to loose (or is it lose?) motivation after max two weeks. My MFP friends really helps me staying on tracks. They keep reminding me of my goal. I would disappoint them and myself, if I gave up. For a motivation, I keep a cute dress in a too small size on the outside of my closet. I want to wear it at a special occasion later this summer. It keeps reminding me not to have that burger or icecream. Also, I have a goal that I want to attemp a 5k run. Right now I have no conditioning and can hardly run for two minutes without droppen dead.... But I have a specific goal I want to achieve for ME!

    I hope you will keep your motivation this time and stay on track. You deserve the life you want.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Exclusively health reasons. Aesthetics is a close second.

    I cannot afford hospitalization, surgeries, and long term prescription medication.
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
    Health, sense of well being, comfort and self esteem are all reasons that I stay motivated for. Being healthy is waaaay easier than not, at least that's my opinion.
  • CassieReannan
    CassieReannan Posts: 1,479 Member
    I had this thinking once.. about 5 months ago.

    "Oh well, my fiance said he loves me at any size. I can eat another slice of pizza... It doesnt matter."

    It does matter... and only you can decide if you are ready to take the next step and be responsible.
  • LynC33
    LynC33 Posts: 196
    Join a gym and hire a trainer for once a week. You will stay on track because you know you have to be accountable to someone other than yourself, and there is lots of motivation around you at the gym.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    being fat isnt easier, you're just afraid of change :smile:

    don;t be afraid. yes you will need to make several improvements to your life and you might have to confront the psychological reasons why you gained and kept the weight on. that might be hard but the improvements you make on yourself externally and internally will be worth it.
    just imagine the YOU who stuck with it looking back into the past and cheering the now you on from the future :happy:

    you can do this!

    also as i frequently remind myself, motivation isnt necessary. you dont need to be motivated to do this, but you do need to be committed to your goals and whatever the initial reasons were you wanted to lose weight. for instance i'm not always motivated to brush my teeth and floss before i go to sleep, but i am committed to not getting cavities so the brushing and flossing gets done
  • leahartmann
    leahartmann Posts: 415
    I think it's hard if you set yourself unrealistic goals.

    If you set yourself small, achievable goals ("eat a healthy breakfast every day this week", "exercise for 15 mins every day this week", "no soda for three days") then it's much easier.

    If you set out to eat 1200 cals a day, exercise for 2 hours every day - hell yeah, it's going to be hard!
    Then you'll probably give up and feel bad. Again.

    Be realistic, accept that you aren't going to wake up next week 10 pounds lighter but that if you eat well (not too little, not too much) and you do some regular exercise (which doesn't even have to be every day) then you might well be 10 pounds (or a whole lot more!) lighter by Christmas.



    This!
  • DaughterOfTheMostHighKing
    DaughterOfTheMostHighKing Posts: 1,436 Member
    I love looking fit and being strong. I've always been one to be strong, but being in a fit 'shape' is awesome!!!! When I get tired or feel like stopping during a workout I think about my friend who got me on this site. He may not be working it, but I want him to see me as I want to be. does that make sense? he's the reason I keep pushing the elliptical pedals when I could just as easily stop and walk away. :)

    I also don't want to take meds... high triglyceride levels are genetic and my could easily jump into the 400+ if I don't exercise. I'm at a very low 80 right now. :) PUMP IT! PUMP IT! PUMP IT!
  • Sayli87
    Sayli87 Posts: 18 Member
    The best reason i have to stay motivated is because 3 months ago when i went to the fair i was unable to ride the rides with my fiance because i was to big and frankly i don't want to be that person anymore. We are always going out to amusement parks and concerts and i don't want to have a reason that i can't do something i love. At first i felt like giving up because its easier and i don't have to push myself and people will still accept me the way i am but i won't. After the first couple of weeks it got easier i noticed my clothes were fitting looser. So that kept me going. Then the compliments at work began so that gave me an extra push. Then i started going down in pant size which got me all excited and made run a marathon, which i can't but maybe someday. The biggest thing that kept me going was just a couple of weeks ago my fiance and i went to busch gardens and to my surprise i fit on all the rides. I haven't fit on some of the rides in three years. Now that i've reached that goal i just want to keep going. That was the best motivation for me and now you gotta find something deep inside that works for you. :)
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I think it's way easier to spend one hour 3 or 4 days a week and do something strenuous than it is to sit on my fat @$$ doing nothing. I often wonder what people do with their time; eat twinkies? I have no idea. It seems so lazy and sluggish to do nothing.

    Is it easier to be fat? I don't think it is. I think it has the appearance of seeming easier, but winds up harder down the road.

    But, in order to be successful, you have to have a true purpose and reason that resonates with you. When you feel weak, or like quitting, you think about that thing, and it motivates you to do it no matter what. After a while though, after years of doing it, it becomes like brushing your teeth. You wouldn't just not brush ou teeth because it's easier not to. Working out is the same. It's just the right thing to do. The more you do it, the more you see it.

    You need to find some sort of higher purpose for why you want to get healthy. Otherwise, you may not stay with it.
  • davinahilary
    davinahilary Posts: 48 Member
    I truly forget how much motivation and help is on here! You all gave such great advice. I realize that I make VERY unrealistic goals for myself. I usually try to push myself to lose 10lbs a month when I should know that it could take longer than that. It's not the only unrealistic goal I so sadly try to attempt but it shall be my last. From now on I think I'm going to make mini goals for myself. Such as: eat a healthy meal, drink more water, exercise for an hour etc.

    Now, psychologically I know I have reasons for why I put on the weight and keep it on. They're just things I push to the back of my head because I do not want to recall them. Perhaps I need to see a psychologist so I can move on from those things. As for now, I'm going to stay as postive as possible and keep pushing myself.

    Obviously I know being fat isn't really easier it's just more... convenient, per se, but I'm so over being fat. I hate being extra hot in the summer and still hot in the winter because I have too much weight. I hate not being able to just jump on a roller coaster because I'm afraid of not fitting & being asked to get off (happened to me when I was about 8/9). And I definately hate being self concisous when I'm intimate with a boyfriend. I wanna feel good about myself from the inside out and in order to do that I gotta start small and MUST be strong.

    Thank you ALL for you support advice. Feel free to add me as well 'cause I'm sure I might need the continued motivation or just someone to chat with. Good luck to all of you on your journies!
  • davinahilary
    davinahilary Posts: 48 Member
    The best reason i have to stay motivated is because 3 months ago when i went to the fair i was unable to ride the rides with my fiance because i was to big and frankly i don't want to be that person anymore. We are always going out to amusement parks and concerts and i don't want to have a reason that i can't do something i love. At first i felt like giving up because its easier and i don't have to push myself and people will still accept me the way i am but i won't. After the first couple of weeks it got easier i noticed my clothes were fitting looser. So that kept me going. Then the compliments at work began so that gave me an extra push. Then i started going down in pant size which got me all excited and made run a marathon, which i can't but maybe someday. The biggest thing that kept me going was just a couple of weeks ago my fiance and i went to busch gardens and to my surprise i fit on all the rides. I haven't fit on some of the rides in three years. Now that i've reached that goal i just want to keep going. That was the best motivation for me and now you gotta find something deep inside that works for you. :)


    I am soooo afraid of that! I've stopped going on them. When I was about 8/9 that happened to me at Knott's Berry Farm and my brother who is twice my size could fit and I couldn't. I had to get up and walk off as all the other kids laughed. That's tough to deal with already but being a young girl and your brother fit but you? Now that's humilating.
  • morgan9
    morgan9 Posts: 22

    ''being fat is hard.
    losing weight is hard.
    pick your hard.''


    True story! I will use this myself. Thanks!!

    We all have different types of "fat"; each our own battles. If you are comparing yourself to who you once were, you may find your motivation there. It is only fair to yourself to compare to who you know you can become. All else is just pipe dreams of who you may want to be but may not have the ability. I, for instance, will never be my best friend with her big beautiful hips. I am not built that way. But I can be a better version of me. What is the better version of you? Can you describe how happy she is or how energetic she is with family and friends? Is she, maybe, an inspiration to those around her and to herself? Love you for who you are now! Don't beat up on yourself for faulting but know there is a better you just around the corner. A little work and patience is all you need to get there!

    The best to you!
  • davinahilary
    davinahilary Posts: 48 Member
    It's hard working out alone. I know, it happened to me before. I started working out with my girlfriend and it got a lot easier.

    It also makes me feel better if I have a specific nutrition guideline to follow everyday and know what to eat, what not to eat. Also knowing what to do for a workout each day is essential to consistency. What's your exercises like? Biking? Running?

    I used to have someone to workout with but they quit long before I did. I am a runner. I just absolutely love to run! When I can motivate myself I run alone but mostly I try to get someone to go with me and everyone declines. I think I just need to get some good music, headphones and then I'm off on a run alone!
  • In my own personal opinion the key is to lose the weight quickly then stabilize at your new lower weight and figure out how to stay their. It seems to be much easier losing 4-5 pounds a week to stay motivated then just losing a pound or two. I go against the traditional advice but never the less the important parts are staying with the plan and maintaining the new lower weight. Lose the weight fast that will keep you motivated.
  • davinahilary
    davinahilary Posts: 48 Member

    ''being fat is hard.
    losing weight is hard.
    pick your hard.''

    I love this. I think I just found my new mantra :D
  • FitasBarbie
    FitasBarbie Posts: 141 Member
    Being fat is not easier. It's harder actually, just imagining the mental abuse we'd go through, the what if's and the psychological effect every time we'd see our fat selves in the mirror. It makes us miserable and it's hard. Just knowing that I am trying to lose weight the best way I can. The endorphins I get from exercise and eating right makes this lifestyle change worth it and alot easier than going through the torture of seeing myself in front of the mirror and hating what I see when I know there are so many things I could have done to change this.

    Stick with it. It may take awhile to get used to and you may feel that it's not working the way you want it too but don't give up. It's all about your mindset. Change your attitude about weightloss and everything will just fall to place.

    A pessimist sees the difficulty in every oppurtunity. An optimist sees the oppurtunity in every difficulty. - Winston Churchill