In need of a pep talk!

Hey all!

I've been going strong on my "diet" and exercise for 4 weeks straight! (Trust me, that's a record in my case ;) )

But I feel the motivation slipping. I don't necessarily miss food (because I'm not depriving myself - just keeping it all in moderation), but there seem to be more and more days where it's hard to care! I manage to stick to it, but I'm jealous of the people around me who can eat whatever they want, and not worry about it!

So, I want to know - what keeps you going? How long have you been on your plans? What kind of successes and failures have you had? Lets hear it!

Knowing that it wont take a forklift to carry my coffin.

My skinny pants are now my normal pants.

My normal pants are too big.

The way I feel when I get up in the morning and eat my egg beaters. I feel accomplished. I -really- did something by having a healthy breakfast.

People at work asking me how to count calories, how I stuck with it, and how they can do it too.

Knowing that when I finally hit my goal weight I will have the stamina to run and play and all the things that the skinny people do.

Need more?

Lol!

Those are all good ones!

How about - wanting to look good for the summer, avoiding the guilt trip that follows the consumption of the extra fat and calories - and knowing I could have done better, not wanting to adopt an entire collection of clothing with an elastic waistband, with every single step - not wanting my butt to move twice (something I witnessed this weekend from a women in stretchy black pants - it was quite the phenomenon), and wondering what my body is capable of looking like :)

Anyone else?

Fitness! I used to huff and pant and sweat after three flights of stairs. Just last week I climbed up the stairs and went all the way up to the tenth floor, no big. I've completed both the 100 push-up and 100 burpee challenge, and I've never felt better in all 18 years of my life (actually there may have been more happiness with my first paycheck, but yeah).

But you know how you can really push yourself? A reward. Based on your picture, I'd assume you like looking good, so you can do one of the things I did: splurge on a clothing item that is in the size you want/hope to be.

It can be a tee, a sexy dress, some skinny jeans.

Buy it and make a goal to fit in it within a deadline. You have to be able to wear it, otherwise it will have been a waste of your money and perfectly good clothing.

Well, it really depends. What is your goal?

Going for the look? Look up some pictures of the physique you want. Then go look at yourself in the mirror. Compare. Imagine yourself having that physique. Correlate your healthy habits with earning that physique. Take pictures; with the most unflattering settings. Flash on, no fancy lighting, etc. You can move around and use your imagination with a mirror, a picture doesn't lie.

And it can become motivation later to look back and see how nice it is to not look like you did in your old pictures. It's visible, tangible progress.

Just want health in general? Challenge yourself. Try something that you know you can't do yet, whether it's running a _ minute mile, or running _ miles, swimming _ laps, or lifting _ pounds, and so on. Try your best and then write down how you did. Do better the next time.

Is there someone/some group of people you want to impress? Focus on that. Imagine their reaction when they see how far you've come. Imagine how jealous they'd be of the efforts of your hard work!

Visualization is really the key. You have to make your goals real to you somehow. You have to remember how great it will feel to achieve them, and you'll naturally work hard to accomplish them. If you start to forget them, you'll be less focused on making them happen.

I've found that my motivation and "goals" have been constantly changing since I began this journey. Congratulations on your 4 week streak!

My first goal was to be able to walk across my campus without getting out of breath. 100 pounds later, my goal is to shave minutes off of my 5K time, and I run miles and miles every single night.

What keeps me going is buying new clothes and watching them fall off 3 months later. The fact that I started at a XXL and am now a M/L also feels pretty good! I'm graduating from college in 2 weeks, and I just realized that I will be leaving 100 pounds lighter than when I got here. 

There may be people who can eat whatever they want, but they didn't have to work as hard for their bodies, and being skinny does NOT mean being healthy! Good luck on your journey!

I too have this issue, motivation slips..and then eventually kills over and dies... I'm in a kill over and die stage right now, attempting to revive motivation. IF I COULD JUST STOP SLEEPING SO MUCH AND COOK...it doesn't help im in a house where I'm the only one who cooks!!! (one roommate works 12hr shifts, and the other one is too damn lazy to cook) Anywho, I'm lookin at this statement to get a jump start and stay motivated "24 and damn near 300lbs is SOOOOOO not sexy"..Now if I could just stay awake long enough to keep reminding myself that!!!!

I think my goal right now is centered around a few things -

#1 - That I'm getting married in 7 weeks, so I want to be able to fit into my dress and look good on the honeymoon cruise!

#2 - I want to develope healthy habits now, because the older you get the harder it is to a) develop those habits, and b) reach your goals (ie. lose weight, build muscle, etc.).

#3 - I want to be an example to my family, and teach my kids (when I have them) how to be healthy.

So, none of it really has to do with wanting to have a particular physique (or more accurately - not have).  It's a matter of having long term goals and a healthy mentality.

That being said, I absolutely love chocolate, sweets and fast food, and there are days when I just want to resolve to be a happy fat person!  But you all have come up with great suggestions to get through those days and stay on track.  Keep 'em coming!

hey, if you have already lost a good bit of weight one of d best motivators can be an old pic of urself, look at them every now and then and know u dont wanna go backwards.

new clothes in a smaller size is a great feeling too, new gym clothes can make u excited about goin ( for little bit anyway)!

think about how much healthier u feel when u eat well and exercise.

imagining ur wedding day is prob one of d best for now!!

I agree that some days you lose the motivation and think that one thing can't hurt. I mean everyone at my owrk eats junk food lunches. Having my salads can be quite hard.

But then I think how good I feel when I managed another day without chocolate and chips, or if I manage to not eat after I'm full. Those little accomplishments rather than the self-sabotaging things keep me going.

Also, 80% of my clothes are too tight for my and i refuse to buy new ones. that's a good motivator. What else will I wear?

The day to day motivation can be really hard to maintain, and I find that splurging on expensive items is tough to do other than for significant milestones.  I like to reward myself with a new download from I-Tunes every five days that I stick to my plan.  The new songs give me something to look forward to while I work out, too!

It is really tough to stay motivated.  As a little pick me up, I'll get a new shirt or pants to workout in every few weeks.  Update your songs on your Ipod, listening to the same thing can get boring.  Think about the future, keep your goals in mind.  Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I think about the summer that is right around the corner and i dont want to spend another summer miserable because I dont feel comfortable in a bathing suit or those cute shorts that I've been eying at the store.   You have a lot of wonderful things planned in your future, remember you are doing this for yourself and you're the only one that has control over what you eat and how you workout!!! Now that the weather is getting nice, how about taking your groom for a bikeride, or an afternoon walk/jog.   Good Luck and congrats on your wedding, you're going to be a beautiful bride.

Thank you for the compliment :)

And I hear ya! 

Too many summers have gone by where I've thought to myself "if I had only worked a little harder...".  I don't want to have to wear a one piece and shorts, I don't want to have a gut hanging over my bikini bottoms, and I don't want to be afraid to show people my honeymoon pictures!

It's nice to hear that everyone struggles with motivation at times.  When I go to the gym and see the toned woman, I automatically assume that this is something that comes naturally to them, and that they were born with some kind of superhuman power with which the temptation of chocolate and the smell of fries goes right past them :) 

I SO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL! 

you're actually more persistent than me. 

In my case, i started a week ago, and i made up my mind to lose weight and stick with it. Well what happened to me was, on sunday my family and I ended up going out for dinner, and i went back to my "normal" eating pattern of just eating what i wanted, until i was full! 

Now im hear trying to get back to where i was a week ago! =( 

But back to you, I really think you should just keep your focus on your goal. which you already know! but i just hope i can get like you, and stay focused on my -10 lb goal. summer is right around the corner! Stay encouraged! 

So, I know this may sound cheesy, but I refrain from calling my eating a "diet".  For me and many others, this has a negative connotation to it.  I call it eating.  Or my eating plan.  Or sometimes I don't call it anything other than "this is how I'm eating".  For me, it's somewhat of a mind game.  The term "diet" insinuates and end to that way of eating.  I, too don't have kids yet and have adopted similar goals as you: to be healthy life long and to set the examples for my children.  I, too love sweets as well.

I have found some alternatives.  ZonePerfect Dark Chocolate bars are great in that they provide a good amount of protein for the taste.  I also will have fruit, low-fat yogurt, or even half a portion of a sweet than I normally would have.

I would like to lose another 8 lbs and then I will be on maintenance.  Once I reach my goal of 8 more lbs, I'm thinking that as long as I tell myself and believe that the "eating plan" is not over, I will maintain with success.  I have found that when I have changed my eating in the past to lose weight, once I have reached a goal, I just go back to the way I was eating before.  It's not healthy to yo-yo and I don't want to anymore. 

I now try to sit and eat my food slowly since it takes the brain about 20 minutes to realize the stomach's full.  When I go out to eat, I try to stay away from high-calorie prepared foods and try to stick to healthier versions.  I will even ask for a to go box right away to stash half my meal for later so that I don't eat it in one sitting.

I have found journaling daily to be helpful as well as weighing daily.  This way I can reflect on how I'm either successful or detrimental to my goals.

I hope this has helped some.

I look at it the same way as healracmt. It is NOT a diet, but an EATING PLAN. Unfortunately, until it becomes "norm", I must plan what I eat. That's OK, it has allowed me to look at a meal and know how much 3 ounces of meat is and how much 1/2 cup of carb is. It has helped me, always, writing what I have eaten. It allows me to see how many calories I have left to "spend" for the day. I must admit, certain days, I save enough to spend on a glass of wine. No matter what, I always count; even the days that I go over. It keeps things in perspective.

What keeps me motivated are my kids. I think what it would be like if I was not around for them because believe it or not 10 extra pounds may not kill you but a 100 will.

Heart Attacks, diabetes run in my family. These health issues and others come along when you are overweight. So I am setting my mind up. The buck stops here, I am not over eating and I am exercising because I want to be around for a long time. Is it hard? Hell yeah! There is days when I work a 12 hour shift, where I do so much stuff for others that  all I want is a couple of chocolate bars or a few glasses of wine to unwind. But, what I notice is that after I have that first ahhh taste of chocolate or whatever confort food if I wait long enough I dont need eat the rest.

So my motivation, My kids and been around for them.

The way to stay is to have that little indugence ever so often but, if you indulge make sure you enjoy it and dont go on a guilt trip, go on a happy trip and work it out!

Hi All,

You are doing GREAT Samantha.. Just focus on you and what is healthy for you. Allow yourself to have what you crave most at least once a week.. whether it be chocolate or a burger from burger king or a big ice cream sundae. You can always exercise more that day or have less of something else..but you shouldnt completely deprive yoruself of those foods. i always take one day a week and have what I want like Saturday i had stromboli but within reason, I didnt go overboard and I was happy with that.

I ahve been doing htis for 4 weeks aso and I see results already. I can tell I lost some from my clothe. I dotn weigh myself cuz i find it discouraging, i check in the mirror or go by my clothe. I have 25 lb to lose and I alrready am well on my way..

I workout 5 days a week sometimes 4 but for the most part I stick to 5 days and I workout for 30 - 45 min a day switching on and off my routines every week. I too find it hard to stay motivated, when it comes to working out cuz it sint no fun to workout alone. Like thsi morning I didnt really want to workout but i thought of all my hard work I put in to thsi so far and the results that i am seeing, even though it sint alot at one time that still motivates me to keep going. I ahve worked out for nearly 25 yrs. and I get to teh point where I just dont want to, then I quit for a while but i am not quitting this time.. I am very fit as far as that goes but I have allowed me to gain 25 lbs in the years and now I am working to get it off, so i focus on inches rather than weight!!

I am so glad that i found c/c. it keeps me motivated when i log my workout routine in there or when I put my calorie count in for the day!!

Good Luck with your wedding day!! and with losing hte weight you want. hang in there you can do it!!

You guys are so awesome!

I, too, rarely call my eating plan a "diet".  When I use that word, it seems so short-term to me, and implies that once I've reached my goals I'm going to slip back into my old habits.  Ultimately, this is a lifestyle, right? 

To give an updated report - I have been doing really well.  I manage for 6/7 days to stick to my calorie counting, and hit the gym at least 4 times per week.  I have to admit (*gasp*) that I went overboard with my eating yesterday.  I was so ridiculously hungry, and I wanted sweets more than a million dollar check from Ed McMahon!  But, I didn't guilt trip over it.  I just got back on the wagon today, and even went to the gym for some serious cardio on my lunch break.  It feels so good to know I can get back on track! 

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but just like myladidi, I do not weigh myself.  I know my weight fluctuates, sometimes I retain water, I'm not perfect 100% of the time with my eating habits, and dang it - there are days when I just need chocolate!  (Admit it ladies - chocolate is the 5th food group, and at that time of the month - it's an absolute necessity!)

I also think we should embrace a little bit of our womanly-ness.  I was looking at my body this weekend, and I admit - I like having a few curves.  Yes, I want to be toned and I want to have muscle.  But I'm not going to beat myself up for not having the perfect stomach or butt.  There's something to be said for the softness we were meant to have, and I think we should recognize what's beautiful about being a woman every bit as much as we try to be healthy!

Anyway, enough of that tangent!  I am going to pick up my wedding dress this weekend (the alterations are finished), and I'm excited about the fact that it'll fit just right! 

(And not to exclude any guys that have offered their motivation scenarios and tactics!  All advice is appreciated!)

Do fun things to get you motivated, go to the parlour, pamper yourself.. it should work. i generally like reading motivation mails, and that keeps my spirit up.  when you see people around you eat and you cannot, just think of what their medical records are going to show 1 year from now.. think negative when you are in situations like that.

growantree-

I totally agree with you.  Often it's the little victories that keep you going.  I may not have been great yesterday, but I did NOT binge for once.  And I can do that again tonight.  And pretty soon you overcome the bingeing.  Crying about all the times just makes you more emotional and more likely to continue the behavior.

And yes, the clothes!  Last summer's clothes are too snug.  I can't afford a new wardrobe so I need to nip this in the bud now.  That has definitely been motivation for me too.