Motivation slipping!?!

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lisav6
lisav6 Posts: 56
in Health and Weight Loss
I can feel my motivation slipping - had a horrid cough / cold type bug for a few weeks now, not lost any weight for a while and lacking in energy.

Had a horrid blow out day yesterday (the first since I started) and reckon that unless I snap out of this it, it could be a fast and slippery slope back to 15 stone.

On around 1500 cals and eating back exercise cals (when I have the energy to do anything decent). Lost 7lbs so far over 45 days and have 33 lbs to go to get to the top of my BMI. Usually eat very well and clean, minimal processed food, lots of veggies, lentils, pulses, nuts etc..

What tips does everyone have for getting back on track?

Replies

  • cartmail
    cartmail Posts: 36 Member
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    Maybe take a couple days off to regroup or set yourself a small goal each week. Maybe a exercise calories burned goal. Sometimes small achievements help boost me. Or perhaps you could try a new exercise. Hope you feel better soon
  • Virtech2k3
    Virtech2k3 Posts: 14
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    Happened to me this week for the first time since the 7 weeks that I started.

    Saturday and Sunday out of town
    Monday, had visitors from out of town
    Tuesday, already missed 2 days anyway, etc, etc, etc. The excuses could have kept going, yes excuses because no matter what, we can all find 30 minutes in our day if we want it badly enough.
    Wednesday more excuses.... thinking "start slow, take one more day and pick it up tomorrow. Do less exercise than I am used to, and tomorrow do more again to get back on track..." All the thoughts in my mind while I struggled. So how did I snap out of it?

    Later Wednesday - did the same intense exercise that I was doing before, got right back on schedule and GOT STARTED. The hardest part is actually STARTING AGAIN and blocking out all those "excuses" in my mind as to why tomorrow is a better day to start.

    I shifted a couple things around in the exercise to maintain the same routine while making up for what I had missed. Once I actually STARTED, it was easy to keep going the next days until today. But because I had just learned how to deal with slipping away, I worked out hard before going to sleep.

    So in short this worked for me...

    1 - excuses, excuses, excuses to not exercise
    2 - block off the excuses and actually START the same routine as if you'd never stopped
    3 - keep going the following days and make it more challenging to "punish" for the slacking and get back on track
    4 - you are right back at it as if it was just a minor slip, so now you feel stronger for overcoming it :)

    Hope this helps as it helped me a lot, still learning...
  • fay_pigu
    fay_pigu Posts: 125 Member
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    Being off colour is no fun with watching what you eat.

    I had wisdom teeth out, after a night of not being able numb the pain (most of a bottle of wine and ice cream failed). I took a bit of time not logging (although not blowing out) and felt better being able to approach with full attention.

    Do give yourself a day you'll start again and keep visiting mfp forums.
  • lisav6
    lisav6 Posts: 56
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    Being off colour is no fun with watching what you eat.

    I had wisdom teeth out, after a night of not being able numb the pain (most of a bottle of wine and ice cream failed). I took a bit of time not logging (although not blowing out) and felt better being able to approach with full attention.

    Do give yourself a day you'll start again and keep visiting mfp forums.

    I haven't been ill for ages and am wondering if upping my cals for a few days might help me get over the bug? Not sure if it is scientific but if I am eating below my needs, will my body have enough reserves to fight off bugs etc? Just seems to be lingering when I usually snap out of things quickly.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    First of all, try and cut yourself a little slack with regards to the illness. That's bound to make you feel a bit lacking in energy and motivation. Have you seen a doctor? Maybe if it carries on, that would be a good idea. If it's not in your chest, and you don't feel really awful, then try and keep exercising, as that should eventually make you more energetic. If the low-energy thing has been going on for longer than the illness, then maybe get that checked out with a doctor too. You could consider eating at maintenance for a while, just while you recover from the cold.

    As for mental motivation - try and remind yourself of all the reasons you started losing weight in the first place. Write them all down if it helps. One day of excess is not going to derail you, so you haven't ruined anything. Just keep at it. Keep eating like you are, and doing as much exercise as you can. I find that sometimes you've just got to keep putting one foot in front of the other until you get back to feeling motivated and enthusiastic about it again. It's not always going to be easy, otherwise everyone would be able to lose weight without ever giving up. My favourite weight-loss quote:

    Losing weight is hard.
    Maintaining weight is hard.
    Being fat is hard.
    Choose your hard.
  • lisav6
    lisav6 Posts: 56
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    bumping for more butt kicking!
  • mrsgokev
    mrsgokev Posts: 20
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    I lost about 20 lbs after my first daughter turned 1 year old. She's now 5 1/2 and I'm working hard to get it off again. It's annoying to think of how much work I am going through yet again. If only I had just kept up with it then or just jumped right back into it after baby #2 then I wouldn't have to work so hard now. Every time I have a pound come off, I get excited and then think of how I'm still a good 15 lbs away from where I was a few years ago. You don't want to have to do the work twice....believe me. It took me a while to get back into the mindset to count calories again and work out again because I knew the work it would take but when the number on the scale hit very close to 200 lbs I knew it was time. That just kicked me into gear and I started doign it again.

    Remember the reasons you are doing it in the first place. Do you want to feel better? Look better? Fit into cuter clothes? Have energy to chase your kids around? Ask yourself if what you are doing will achieve those goals.

    Here's my favorite quote and it can apply to just about anything: "I'm not saying it's going to be easy, I'm saying it's going to be worth it."
  • sharlowbrla
    sharlowbrla Posts: 54
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    save to read later. I'm there too.
  • BlackPup
    BlackPup Posts: 242 Member
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    It's definitely harder to stay within your calories without the exercise calories. Maybe try going for a walk if you are too sick for other exercise.
    I don't think you need to up your calories to fight a cold but adding a multivitamin, some vitamin c, zinc, echinacea or sambucol have all been shown to reduce the length and severity of a cold.
    It's miserable but you just have to persist, keep logging your food and counting the calories and you will get there.

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