stay motivated, keep exercising when you have no energy, curb that intense craving...

I find it hard, too. Today I was tempted to give the treadmill a miss because I had just finished sewing some curtains but some weight loss program came on the telly ... lord knows there are so many of them I don't even recall the name ... and the woman weighed the same as me. Because I got a glimpse of what I was avoiding in the mirror I found some will to get up and do it.

I am in awe of the many people here whose counters show loss, little or large, and keep on going down. I have all the best reasons in the world to lose weight and sometimes even reciting those don't help. I have a long way to go and only yesterday I was asking the same question you are.

Perhaps, ultimately, what will keep me on track is remembering why I came here in the first place ... I am saving my life.

Lame as it sounds all I do with the cravings is drink water. It works for me because I get a little bloated and the thought of eating anything at all is a little repugnant. I guess that comes under the heading of aversion therapy =)

I look forward to proper answers though!

I talk to myself in my head a lot lol but what really motivates me is remembering the time when I could throw anything on and run out th house looking 'cute' I miss those days

I hate having to pick and choose what I wear depending on how fat I feel that day.

WELCOME....When I first started (I'm still on my journey) someone on here said that motivation is based on feelings. Commitment will keep you going when motivation is gone. Someone else posted that actions don't come from feelings, feelings come from actions. I remember that every day and remind myself of my commitment to be THE BEST ME. I am committed to not being the biggest person at every event. I am committed to not having to worry about fitting into the seat belt on flights. I am committed to not being over 250 pounds.

Sometime I am incredibly motivated....Other times (like this morning) I am not. I just remember that my feelings cannot dictate whether I stay on plan. ANOTHER MOTIVATOR....Go to the Goal section and look at the pictures. Search for weight loss pictures on You Tube. Sometimes it helps to see that it is possible.

For cravings, I find substitutes that are in my eating plan. I am a calorie counter. For ice cream, I try skinny cow. For cheesecake, greek yogurt with a graham cracker. Chocolate...Chips Ahoy pudding or skinny cow candy OR a mini bar (hersheys, etc.). For chips, I do reduced fat Pringles (LOVE the sour cream ones). Chinese food....Lean cuisine asian meals or rotisserie chicken with a small amount of wild rice and light soy sauce.

Cheering you on to goal!

Are you in the middle of a workout and lose energy?
Or are you asking how do you get the motivation to excercise while you have no energy?

My major thing I learned is I'm a HUGE self sabotager! I gained back 20 pounds I lost and realized why I did it.

I also found out that when I'm in the mood to nap instead of the gym...that going to the gym actually wakes me up and gives a me a little more energy. I sometimes lose energy during my workouts but after I'm done working out the energy level pops back up.

The motivation this time around for me is every 10 pounds I lose I buy myself something big I've wants.

My first 10 pounds I'm buying my Rebel Canon Camera SLR which is helping my motivation...and people's negative around me thinking I won't succeed also helps me...

Cravings are only usually bad around pms time...I haven't figured out how to stop it haha.

I don't know about motivation - for me, it was more of a commitment. I just completely committed to eating only at my calorie level while I was losing and also journaling everything. As for exercise I do my best, but that is something I am still working on to be honest! I find keeping my calories in line is much more important for weight loss and maintenance than my activity level, however getting that wonderful movement in does a lot for my outlook and how I feel, so it's definitely a priority too.

In terms of curbing intense cravings, I have a number of strategies I use. One is a good strong cup of tea, I love it a bit sweet with some splenda. Or else I might chew a couple of pieces of sugarless gum, or else I might just completely distract myself by going to try on some clothes at the mall or I might get involved with a home organization project (those seem endless at my house, lol) or even have a nice hot bath. This works 95% of the time. If I really still want whatever the item is, I have it, in a portion controlled, calorie counted way.

Good luck!! You can do it!

THIS^^^^
It takes committment to keep going. You can do it!

You know, I think working things into your routine a little at a time is a great way to stay motivated because after a while certain things are just routine and you don't think twice about it.

It really took me over seven years to get to the point where I am now. My mother took me to a gym back in high school and I really liked it. I didn't lose all that much weight, but after a while going to the gym was routine, even though I was 200lbs by the time I began this portion of my journey.

I'm so used to going to the gym that I don't even think about it. I just go because I'm used to it and I feel weird if I miss it!

i view it more as commitment as well....i signed up for a gym membership a few months ago and you had to sign up for a year membership....so i know that that money will be coming out of my pocket for a year and i refuse to waste it by not going...so that motivates me to go to the gym...habits work for me as well...ive been logging my food in notebooks since last March, seriously Every Single Day no matter what...and that habit helps keep me accountable for my calories...even the days that i'm way above my limit, it's still written down and the next day i just move forward and do better

i dont get cravings very often anymore...which is odd and i cant explain it...usually i will crave ice cream or pizza...and in that case, sometimes i'll get us all a pizza for dinner, and have some, and what's left over i will package up for the kids for their school lunches throughout the week, that way i'm not tempted to go back for more pizza later that night...or for ice cream, i will buy one of those teeny tiny single ones at the store...and when i finish it, and still want more, there's none in the house...

ive lost 30 pounds between last March and right now...i lost my train of thought but hopefully that was somewhat helpful lol

I find that when I have no energy, exercising gives me energy. Even if it's just a walk around the block, I find it refreshing. By the time I get home, I always have more energy than when I started.

To avoid cravings, I sometimes suck polo mints. (Not for everyone, granted, but it works OK for me.) For one thing, having something in my mouth tricks me into thinking I'm eating, so I manage to last longer until the next meal. Also, the minty taste means nothing else tastes good for a while afterwards (like when you've just brushed your teeth).

Motivation... I think of the number on the scale. Nothing motivates me like seeing the number on that scale go down.