How do you stay motivated?

stir_crazy

I seem to lose motivation very easily. I've been trying to eat healthily and lose weight but I seem to give in so easily that I've hardly lost any weight at all. I am trying to eat less processed carbs and I try to keep a food diary on myfitnesspal.

I have about 40lbs to lose in the long term, but I've set myself smaller goals - I'd like to wear a certain dress in 6 weeks time which is a dress size smaller than I am currently (this has been my goal since January). After that, I would like to be wearing a different dress for my 30th birthday in July - again, a smaller size. I would like to lose the bulk of my weight by September when I go on holiday.


I know all of these goals are do-able, but I never seem to keep at it long enough to make much of a difference. So if anybody has any tips that I can use to keep motivated that would be great! They dont have to be "diet" tips, just anything that would help with willpower in general.

Thanks in advance.

stir_crazy

Well done for your weight loss secretarybird :T:T


My danger zone seems to be any time after work, so perhaps you are right and I need to keep busy rather than sit about and let myself think of bad food! I try not to buy chocolate or biscuits or crisps on my weekly shop but I seem to find myself buying something extra round about midweek when I've run out of something. Sometimes my willpower disappears entirely and I end up at the shops buying an incredible amount of junk when I've got perfectly good food in the fridge at home.:cool:

BakerBoy

Avoid TV cooking shows, they're lethal!

stir_crazy

Haha, the only one I tend to watch is River Cottage. Mainly because I know its going to be far too much effort for me to recreate anything. I had to stop watching the Hairy Bikers though!

Fluff15

Are you meal planning for the week ahead? I find that it is much easier to follow a plan, if you have everything you need and a set schedule ahead of the week. Also helps with budgeting and no last minute buys - very MSE! Even if you then miss a meal or even a whole day, it won't make too much of a difference.

Also, what also causes you to lose the willpower? And what time of day are you visiting the shops? I find allowing myself 'treats' on a certain day, or everyday but in small amounts, stops me caving completely.

166million

I have joined DietBet. I have to lose 4% of my total weight in 4 weeks otherwise I lose £20. If I succeed I stand a chance of winning money.

Angry_Bear

Fluff15 wrote: »

I find allowing myself 'treats' on a certain day, or everyday but in small amounts, stops me caving completely.

^^ This.
And short goals. So "I will exercise 3 days this week and not eat any junk, then on Saturday I'll have a lazy day and a bottle of wine."
Don't let yourself breach it, just keep telling yourself that if you stick to it then Saturday (or your "free day") will be so much better because it will be guilt free.

Rinse and repeat until it becomes a habit

Mojisola

stir_crazy wrote: »

I seem to lose motivation very easily. I've been trying to eat healthily and lose weight but I seem to give in so easily that I've hardly lost any weight at all.

On the recent tv programme, the people who struggled with keeping to a diet were put on the 5:2 way of eating so they only had to resist temptation for two days a week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02ddsd9

pirateyqueen

I don't buy anything that I know I will snack on, like chocolate, biscuits or crisps. If it's in the house I will eat it, so it's easiest to just not have those things in the house. The "treating" myself on a certain day doesn't work for me personally, I find it much easier to avoid the food altogether and don't even miss them.

Also, try going food shopping when you're full, that way you will be less tempted to pick up things you don't need.

Work out a weekly meal plan, so you know exactly what you are eating on what day, and exactly what you need to buy, and only buy that.

166million

pirateyqueen wrote: »

I don't buy anything that I know I will snack on, like chocolate, biscuits or crisps. If it's in the house I will eat it, so it's easiest to just not have those things in the house. The "treating" myself on a certain day doesn't work for me personally, I find it much easier to avoid the food altogether and don't even miss them.

Also, try going food shopping when you're full, that way you will be less tempted to pick up things you don't need.

Work out a weekly meal plan, so you know exactly what you are eating on what day, and exactly what you need to buy, and only buy that.

This. Also, with going to the gym, I have realised that I can't rely on being in the right mood to go, i.e. motivated. Its just planned into the day and I go whether I 'feel like it' or not. If a am really miserable I just plod away on the elliptical for half an hour but its better than going straight home and exacerbating the problem.

stir_crazy

I try to plan, but I know that I'm not very good at it. For example,I'll buy a week's worth of food, stick some in the freezer then not take it out in time so then I would buy rubbish instead. I have been trying to do batch cooking so then I can reheat it from frozen.

I haven't tried having a treat day so it could be worth incorporating that into my diet to give myself something to aim for until it becomes habit.

I tried the 5:2 back when the BBC showed the Michael Moseley documentary. I found it hard but it gave me results. It's worth trying again.
I used to be able to cut processed carbs easily and lose weight so that is what I've been trying. I guess it's just trying to find something that suits me now.