Here for the past two or three weeks, I've found myself starting to plateau. Not with my weight-loss, but with my sense of drive. I know this is probably normal; we can't be kickin' it in fifth gear all the time, but how do you get back into that "drive" mode for at least a little while again?
I have been worried about this for the past couple of weeks, as, while I've still lost weight, I've found myself losing less and making several bad choices. So today I went and bought myself a beach dress. A dress that's not too tight to wear exactly, but would look better if I dropped the ten or so pounds I'm hoping to get off by my beach trip. And the outcome? Tonight I went jogging for the first time in a week and a half, and I made better choices all day.
So, how do you kick the dreaded mental plateau? I can't afford to buy myself a dress every time I start to feel lazy.
Last edited by Song of Surly; 05-10-2010 at 10:03 PM.
I dont know. I guess it would be harder to have a mental plateau then a physical one. when i dont feel like staying on track, i just try to remember, that i will feel like crap if i eat junk food, and i will feel better if i work out. I also use clothes as a huge motivation. Right now im trying to lose weight so i can fit into a cute wedding dress/ bikini for my beach wedding in september.
Also i remind my self, that if i stop now, 5 months from now, when i should be at goal, i am going to look back and say damn. I would be where i want to be if i had just not given up.
I also bought a new dress today. It was only 8 dollars lol, but it is heather grey, kind of a sweater material, mid thigh and long sleeved. It looks really nice on and i think it will be great for fall/winter with leggings and black boots, and a cute waste cinching belt... so it a good motivating factor. It's a small. Technically it fits now, but it is stretchy, so it will look alot nicer when i weigh less.
Also i remind my self, that if i stop now, 5 months from now, when i should be at goal, i am going to look back and say damn. I would be where i want to be if i had just not given up.
This is a good point, I have never thought of this before. thanks for bringing it up!
I'm also having a hard time staying motivated. I've been eating way more crap lately, and my body is not happy with me. Can't wait to see what you all say!
I usually try to examine why I am not on the top of my game...usually it is because there is something bothering me...(fear, (fear of failure specifically) self doubt, etc.)...and once I acknowledge that, I can move past it. Or I just force myself to go to the gym, and work out as hard as I can...(commit to a full hour lets say)...And usually I feel great, and want to come back every day!
I set short term goals. Sometimes it's working out more days than not during the week. Sometimes it's just getting through the day without breaking down and buying chocolate.
And sometimes those short term goals turn back into habits when I've gone off track. This week I'm working on the sugar thing. I broke down today, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow. We'll see how long my streak can be
I know how you feel, though. Those holes can be really hard to mentally get out of. I'm sure you will!
I try not to deprive myself too much or of too many things.
I'm lucky in that I generally love bland foods and since I've been off the junk and excess salt and sugar (I'm very lucky to have always been pretty blah about sweets and not crave them, but I loooved extra salt) I can happily chew on raw lettuce and not feel deprived.
I don't really count much anymore, but I do set minigoals based on upcoming events. I had a physical plateau where my weight didn't budge for two weeks or so and since I've got a birthday coming up this weekend, my mini-goal was to lose ANY sort of weight by then, just keep healthy and feed my body all it needs but lose even 200 grams, dammit! It's not a daunting mental task to lose half a pound in two weeks and when I lost two pounds in a week and a half instead, it was a very nice surprise, but most importantly it didn't feel like it took superhuman effort. It was easier to crank up the motivation for a tiny minigoal and be pleasantly surprised after. I'm taking a trip in four weeks and I'm aiming for the same: I'm shooting for 2-3lbs. lost by mid-June and we'll see what happens...
My advice is CONSISTENCY with a focus on health and nutrition and trying not to deprive yourself too much, even at a slower pace for weight loss. Think tortoise and the hare.
Good luck!
Last edited by Blackberry Fields; 05-11-2010 at 04:51 AM.
I agree with many of the comments here. Usually the mental plateau has a much deeper meaning. I fall into mental plateau when I am depressed. Lately I am into a situation when I feel really low and stressed and it has become much more difficult to go to the gym or make healthy choices. There are days when I just want to go to the nearest grocery store, buy the biggest ice-cream I can find and eat it. Luckily I haven't succubed to that yet.
I also agree with blackberry fields. Give yourself a mini-goal. Mine is something like I must lose at least 300 grams this week. It often works because healthy choices can ensure even that and it makes me even happier when I discover I have lost more than that. ^.~
I think it depends on the cause of the plateau. I mean, I hit a bit of a wall when I lost around 15kg. But it had taken me 2 years of vigilance and weight loss efforts to lose that weight- I was burning out! So sometimes maybe its good to take a bit of a break not a "go nuts, eat whatever" break, but just a bit more relaxed, you know. I was just completely OVER weight loss. I needed a break. But sometimes it could just be a loss of drive or boredom. Then I think its good to have minigoals etc like others have said. Watching a scale gets kinda dull
When I go through that mental plateau it's usually becasue I'm getting burnt out so I'll take a few days there I take a break with eat and exercise. I don't go out and eat anything and everything I want to but I do eat alot more lax(sp) and I basically exercise to enjoy it not necessarly to lose weight. I could get on the elliptical with a book and just go for an hour so and really have fun while engrossed in my book.
I hit mental plateaus, I get to a point where I think I'm doing good and I don't need to try anymore. And then I start slipping with 'treats' every once in awhile that turns into gorging everyday.
Looking through the success stories on here is a good motivator for me, but if I don't realize it's happening before I can try and stop it I'll get off track for awhile.
I just try to psych myself back up. I know I enjoy exercise, and I make myself do it - maybe I have ADD and I hope around on machines, but I get my 45 minutes in - and then I reward myself with a non-food item, like a book or a new song, or something.
I hit mental plateaus, I get to a point where I think I'm doing good and I don't need to try anymore. And then I start slipping with 'treats' every once in awhile that turns into gorging everyday.
That's the track I feel like I was heading down. It gave me a sense of empowerment to realize it and change it, though. I think it's an achievement in itself just to realize that you really do have the ultimate power over yourself.
exercise is the only thing that can get me through a mental plateau. Otherwise, I lose complete grasp of why I'm doing anything and then feel crappy about it.
Exercise breaks the cycle. And looking inside to see why I'm having issues helps too.
How do you get over a mental plateau?
