I'm trying to lose weight, but what I'm trying is not working. It's not working because I need more motivation. I'll start doing good, get bored with whatever I'm doing, and then be back at square one.
So how did you decide what plan (whether it a program, eating plan, workout, or all three) to go with? Why did you decide on it?
That's an excellent questions. I picked a plan that features food I like (Mediterranean), is sensitive to blood sugar (an issue with me) and targets belly fat (my most major issue). I find that I am also using all the things I learned in all the other *good* diets I've been on over the years, so, customizing a little, I guess.
A question you might want to consider for yourself is: Could the loss of motivation be due to a lack of commitment rather than a flaw in the plan you picked? Or maybe it is not a plan that works for you, or for you now (style or current lifestyle).
Figuring out how to get yourself committed so that things don't pull you off is a big part of this.
Committing to doing it, with any plan or even changing plans over time, is going to be far more important than which plan you use. Motivation is so unreliable. Believe me, I understand about the motivation. But sometimes, it just actually hasn't occurred to us that we do not have to wait on motivation. We can just do it *anyway*. Weird but true.
I went with the Superfoods concept initially, with calorie counting, because I really like focusing on what I am eating and not on what I'm not eating. I also really like focusing on health more than just weight loss. That makes it easier to stay on track and not feel deprived.
I'll start doing good, get bored with whatever I'm doing, and then be back at square one.
Here's the thing ...nothing is exciting all the time. Sometimes things are just routine. But we do them anyway because we're committed. Think of it like being married or being in a relationship. Sometimes a relationship is really fun and exciting and you are passionately in love with your SO. But no relationship can maintain that passion 100% of the time. Sometimes you're at home sitting on the sofa, your SO is watching football, you're reading a magazine and you stop and think "God I'm bored. Is this what my Sunday's are going to be like during the whole football season?" So do you ditch your boyfriend (or divorce your spouse) because you're bored? Of course not. Just because you're not in a relationship high, doesn't mean the relationship is over.
I've said this a lot before and I'm sure some people think I sound like a broken record. For me ... what I'm doing to make myself healthier isn't about being motivated. It's not about having fun (although I do try to do things I enjoy). It's about doing the responsible adult thing. We all have things we have to do every day in order to live life - things that aren't necessarily fun. We all get up in the morning to go to work. We all brush our teeth. We all do laundry. We all wash the dishes. We all pay the bills. None of us love to do those things, do we? I mean sometimes work is fun and sometimes you get some satisfaction out of seeing a clean kitchen, but who *really* gets up in the morning and says "YAY!!!!! I get to write $1000 worth of checks today to pay my bills!"
Being healthy and exercising is the same thing for me. It is something I do because I have to, just like if I don't pay the electric bill, they'll turn of my electricity.
All of that said, I did choose my plan - calorie counting - because it gives me the most flexibility. If I had to work with a diet that dictated what I ate and/or made me eat the same thing over and over again, I would get bored and frustrated and I'd quit.
With calorie counting, I often *do* eat the same thing every day (at least for breakfast and often for lunch as well) but that's my *choice*. I also know that if I decide I don't want yogurt and blueberries for breakfast, I can have something else and not have to feel guilty for going "off plan".
you have to find a plan that you can live with FOREVER. sounds bad I know but in order to lose weight, be healthy, and keep it off, you have to change what you are doing now. and once you change it you can't go back....
yes you will modify over the years... add exercise, change some things.. but the basic premise is you have to eat good foods in reasonable amounts and move your tushie a bit...
my story briefly:
May 2006 weight 300ish pounds started South Beach Diet.
over the next two years I lost about 70 pounds. I didn't exercise all the time (still don't) and i was not 100% on plan (more like 85% on plan).....
March 2008 read "the beck diet solution" lost a few pounds *(still sticking with South Beach which basically is eating whole foods) kept going
August 2008 added Weight Watchers Flex points... so now I eat beachy foods IN THE RIGHT amounts.
OK, so this is how I think about it. I take care of my kids everyday. I adore them. I think they are funny and cute, etc., etc. But sometimes, I get tired of taking care of my kids...except, I keep taking care of them. Exercising them. Feeding them the right things in the right amounts. Doing nice things for them. So, what about my own body? Not treating it the same is just crazy! So, I might get tired of doing it, but I just need to keep on doing it. You do not have to have motivation...****, half the time I can't get around to doing my exercise until 10:00 pm because of three boisterous little boys, a husband who wants my attention, piles of laundry, and on and on, and I have NOOOO motivation to climb my sorry behind onto my exercise bike. But I just do it. Because, well, my body deserves it. I deserve it. And after I am done I always feel great -- no matter how late it is.
Same with the food. I DO NOT feed my kids endless empty calories. I worry if they eat too much junk -- why do I deserve less. I read all I can about what all those empty calories were doing to me, my health, etc., and I just eat better. This is not a "I WILL start tomorrow kind of a thing. Like it is temporary and the 'two weeks' or 'two months' begins at dawn. This is FOREVER. To keep the weight off, the changes are FOREVER. That rest of your life, that 'forever' is going on right now. It doesn't begin after that last bowl of ice cream. It is happening now. You just do it.
OK, so this is how I think about it. I take care of my kids everyday. I adore them. I think they are funny and cute, etc., etc. But sometimes, I get tired of taking care of my kids...except, I keep taking care of them.
I'm the same with a few of the others, as soon as I'm told I can't have something I CRAVE it with a vengence... so after much struggling lately with both my food and exercise I found two programs I'm working together, calorie counting for my food and The Step Diet for my exercise it's got me on my treadmill a minimum of 45 min a day now without it seeming like a chore I've stuck with it now for 10 weeks so that is real commitment coming from this professional yo-yoer, lol
I prayed a lot and asked myself what I couldn't live without on a diet. For me, that was chocolate. Then I started eating healthier while incorporating chocolate in moderation and healthy snacks into my diet. But the seduction of faster losses promised by other diets, and emotional eating brought on by a broken heart, lead to a substantial weight gain. Then after more prayer, and letting go of the heartbreak, a friend of mine gave me a copy of my current plan (very similar to my original plan) -- the snack-all-day diet. And I'm back on tracking and losing again.
I guess I shouldn't look for motivation, because it seems like it'll never come. Like, you'd think being 40 pounds over weight would be enough, but it isn't. I do have a problem with commiting to things that concern myself. I know I can do it (stick with eating healthier and excercising), because when I was a teenager, I lost 20 lbs. just by cutting out soda and dancing around my room for 30 minutes per day. My major problem now, is overeating. I will happily eat veggies and fruit all day, but i'll also go overboard on stuff like cornbread.
I wish I could've stuck with the South Beach diet. I stuck with it for a little over 7 weeks, and actually lost quite a bit, but it had me feeling lethargic and dizzy all day, and I cannot feel like that with a toddler and an 8 month old in the house.
I tried many diet plans....Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers (my mainstay for years) and most recently South Beach diet. Sometimes it takes awhile to see what works for you. Do you like to prepare your own food, do you like mind tracking calories, are you creative or do you eat the same foods over & over again. Try to analyze what would fit your personality and lifestyle best. There are so many forums here to browse through. I'm sure you'll find plans that interest you. And if you find one doesn't work for you, don't throw in the towel. Just investigate another one. You can't get motivation from a diet plan. That has to come from within. Good luck!
I wish I could've stuck with the South Beach diet. I stuck with it for a little over 7 weeks, and actually lost quite a bit, but it had me feeling lethargic and dizzy all day, and I cannot feel like that with a toddler and an 8 month old in the house.
did you eat the milk and beans in the first phase and transition to phase 2 timely?....
I use Fitday.com to track all food and exercise - the free version. I try to eat unprocessed and to balance carbs and proteins and keep fats to 20%. I created some of my often used "custom" foods, I plug in info from labels. I am often surprised to see how this record keeping frees me up emotionally. I'll eat something impulsively and feel bad but when I log in the various calories I'll be surprised it's not as bad as I thought. My emotions need the reality check. I like online calorie counting because I can do it at home, at work. I walk 5 miles a day (half morning, half evening) and keep under 1,200 calories M-F, more on weekends. I don't eat 3 hours before bed because I have to stay away from the kitchen at my weakest time. I'm doing really well 2 months into it.
How did you decide on a plan?
So do you ditch your boyfriend (or divorce your spouse) because you're bored? Of course not. Just because you're not in a relationship high, doesn't mean the relationship is over. 
For me ... what I'm doing to make myself healthier isn't about being motivated. It's not about having fun (although I do try to do things I enjoy). It's about doing the responsible adult thing. We all have things we have to do every day in order to live life - things that aren't necessarily fun. We all get up in the morning to go to work. We all brush our teeth. We all do laundry. We all wash the dishes. We all pay the bills. None of us love to do those things, do we? I mean sometimes work is fun and sometimes you get some satisfaction out of seeing a clean kitchen, but who *really* gets up in the morning and says "YAY!!!!! I get to write $1000 worth of checks today to pay my bills!" 
