How Do You Get the Motivation to Get Back On Plan? I've had a bad couple of months and put around 24 LBS back on from my lowest weight this year. I guess I'm discouraged because I gained back so much weight.

It's not easy. Well, I guess you've discovered that!

For me, I pick a tomorrow, and have a 'last day' of not trying. I start the tomorrow as if it were a new diet/plan all together.

For me, that happens again and again and again, like trying to strike a match. This time it's taken me about 6 attempts to get the match lit but it's finally burning.

I also come here as much as I can, and read and post, if I can, even when I really, really am not interested. Other people's successes and enthusiasms are catching.

BTW, I didn't mean other people weren't interesting but when I get to the really low and grey, the whole weightloss thing just seems pointless. Persevering with at least trying to be around people who're working their buttlets off really helps.

I quit dieting all together. A diet is a temporary thing and diets set me up for FAIL. Since I'm not on a diet I have no wagon to fall off of. I just do the best I can to stay on track and if I have something that wasn't the best idea to have I just pick right back up at my next meal. I have a few goals that I'm striving for, this is my motivation.
It's like saving up money to buy something I really want,I have done this many times so it made sense to me to apply it to losing weight and become healthier.
I really, really, really want to lose weight, and become a healthier person. I want it so freaking bad. And this time I'm not going to let some dumb old food and my dumb old stinking thoughts get in my way.
I'm not letting food and my stinking thoughts be that powerful anymore.

Just do it. Start tomorrow morning. The first few days are the hardest, but after 3 days, you'll be feeling fine. You've done it before and you can do it again.

If it really seems like it's going to be impossible for you, then you might want to switch to a new plan. For me calorie counting worked, but then I fell off the wagon and gained the weight back. When it was time to get serious again, I thought counting calories seemed too hard, so I switched to weight watchers. WW and calorie counting are pretty similar, but the format change really helped me get back into it.

Well... what finally made me lose weight was that I stripped and looked at myself in a full-length mirror. That sorta gave me a ton of motivation!

Jay

For me i pretty much agree with Rosinante. I gave up a while back and its taken me a long time to finally get back into the swing of things. I would tell myself ill start tomorrow. Well tomorrow never came. I suppose it has to come within. Its not so much knowing how to do it cause i lost 50lbs before. It was actually wanting it enough to put in all of the hard work and effort i knew it was going to take. Also i think they first few weeks are the harderst. Onceyou get back into the swing of things it comes like second nature.

I know what doesn't work for me and that is telling myself "I will start tomorrow" because then I eat all the foods that I will not eat on a diet. The key for me has been to get rid of the word diet and getting rid of the old language like being on the wagon or off the wagon. I am working on changing my lifestyle and giving myself the control of the food I eat. It isn't easy but you can do it.

Wishing you all the best in finding the language that works for you. Don't wait until tomorrow to start, RIGHT NOW is your time.

Don't wait til tomorrow, start right now. Your next meal. Plan, plan, plan then do, do, do. You can totally do this!

*nods* I've fallen off the wagon and climbed back on several times. I agree with the 3 days. If you can make it 3 days on plan you're back. As for today/tomorrow I do tend to favor tomorrow but I prepare for it. Make sure you have healthy food on hand. Go shopping if you have to. Move unhealthy stuff to the back of the shelf/bottom of the freezer or trash can. Go ahead and pack a healthy lunch and some snacks for tomorrow. Get things ready so you can have a healthy breakfast. Preparation is key!

Thank You All for the Support and Ideas! I just finished two weeks of Vacation. I need to get to the grocery store and stock up on some healthier food and re-start my calorie counting and regular exercise program. I've joined three different challenges as well.

Good for you, Vickie! You can do this. Just put one foot in front of the other. One day, you'll look back and see how very far you've come.

I'm glad you are feeling motivated to get back on track to a healthy life. That's great Keep up the good work, you can do it!

I haven't read the other replies, so sorry if I repeat. The good news you caught it and you can be successful providing you don't give up. We both know it could have been worse. Consider it a done deal(the past) and focus on TODAY, this second, making healthy choices for the day. Doing typically comes before the motivation. You can achieve your goals. Good luck.

This is true for me as well. I don't really feel motivated till I start seeing/feeling results. So when I'm in the beginning stages of any activity, I just DO it. Then when I see results, I think, "Hey! Cool! Look at the thing I just did!" and I am motivated to continue.

I had a motivation problem with running the other night. I went ahead and put on my running clothes, got my mp3 player, put on my shoes. Then as I started running, I started making deals with myself. "Maybe just one song." or "Maybe I should just walk tonight instead of running." Finally I told myself, "For crying out loud! If you don't want to run, then don't run, but quit trying to decide and wiggle out of it."

I ran. Sometimes I just have to tell myself that it doesn't MATTER that I don't feel like being on plan or running or whatever; because I'm doing it. This is my committment to my new lifestyle.

I went to the dentist today. I wasn't motivated and I didn't feel like it, but I needed to so I went. I don't necessarily FEEL like brushing my teeth twice a day, but I do it because it's my committment to my health. Stuff like that.