[emaug]

Hello! I'm new to this website so let me tell you a bit about myself. I am 24 years old and I weigh about 156 pounds. I would like to get down to around 135-140. Basically, I just want to be comfortable in my skin and feel good about myself. My biggest problem is getting motivated and staying motivated. I'm pretty good with diet and exercise for a couple of days, but after that I lose my motivation and give up.
Does anyone have any tips on staying motivated? I know that once I start to see results I'll probably stick to a program, but I have yet to do that. Help!

[rainbowmyst]

Motivation is very individual. Some people find it easier to split a weight loss program into mini goals and reward themselves as each one arrives.

Others purchase clothing in smaller sizes and make that a 'goal' -- trying it on occasionally to see their progress.

It really depends on the person.

Do you have any clue what derailed your previous attempts? That might give us some clue as to where to brainstorm a solution.

[LesnarsTXF5Diva]

Well, you're a year older than I am, but I usually take this appraoch:

Last year on my birthday, I weighed 285, and that was the last time my best guy-friend saw me. *The guy whom I've had a crush on for 3 years now* While I'm working out, I think of how far I've come already. I'm down 50 pounds just since the last time he saw me, and I want to see how much I can lose before I see him again, to surprise him I guess. I do send him progress pics of me and the last one I sent, about 2 weeks ago, he was freaked out by how much thinner I looked, even though I can tell no difference between what I look like now and back 8 months ago.

Also, because I graduated high school 5 years ago this coming May of next year, that puts me at the halfway point to the 10 year reunion and I want to kinda pay back all those people in high school that made fun of me. I saw my best friend of 12 years last Sunday. That was the first time I'd seen her in 3 years because she had moved away to Missouri, but she said I'm going to lose all the weight and then at the reunion everybody will be wondering who I am because I'll look so different and all the guys that wouldn't give me the time of day in high school will all of a sudden be wanting to talk to me. *too bad is all I can say*

I also buy different health/exercise/diet magazines with tips in them and new exercises and stuff to try. Sometimes that keeps me motivated too. Like last night I did a 10 minute ab workout that I got out of the new Diet & Exercise magazine and all I can say is that it definitely works because my ribs are saying, "Where'd that come from?!"

You just kinda have to find your own motivation I guess, that's what I do. I watch WWE wrestling too and some of those people I look up to for motivation. Speaking of, I have a Trish Stratus, Nidia, and Brock Lesnar poster on the door of my closet that I have to pass by every time I go in my room and just seeing the way they look makes me want to try to stay on this routine of diet/exercise. Brock works out everyday, Trish works out everyday, I dunno about Nidia, but I know there were rumors going around that the executive people were telling her she needed to lose weight, and she's soooo not even fat.

But anyway, hope this helped, and good luck!

[ladaha]

I have found this site very motivating. People here are a great boost. Try to find someone to report each day to and hold eachother accountable. If you want I can do that. Another thing that got me going, I posted on another board here. Oprah said she finally had to decide, do I hate to excersize more or hate being fat more! I needed to hear that because I had been saying I hate to run!!

Good luck!

CW 188 GW 135

[Tummy Girl]

I think motivation is the age old question. It's the hardest thing to maintain out of everything else involved in weightloss.

Although I'm not necessarily the one to talk, I've only been doing Atkins for 6 weeks now but the same triumph in that is I've never lasted this long doing anything weight related before. The differences this time are many however and if any of them help then that's fantastic. I post and read the forums here everyday. It's the first thing I do in the morning and starts my day very well. I don't think about my weight loss or my eating plan very much throughout the day so it centers me back to my goals and like ladaha said it creates an accountablity factor.

I've taken before pictures and measurements, and continue to do so each month. I'll also take my measurements if the scale has been stubborn for awhile because it works the same for me as motivation from the scale does.

I keep a journal of feelings, weigh related issues and track every single occasion when I want to eat and am not hungry. I found out all the reasons I eat besides being hungry and am now better able to label those feelings and avoid eating.

A huge part of this of me is the eating plan though. I was a total carboholic, that was nearly all I ate so doing Atkins has given me freedom from that and has made this whole process alot easier. I get motivation from the side benefits of the plan as well; better skin, better sleep and tons of energy.

Another thing I've done is associate pain with certain behaviours that previously had been pleasurable. In breaking a habit I find that motivation only goes so far and I often need more than just "wanting" it. I went off plan about 3 weeks ago for 2 hours and it was actually physically painful. I laid in bed for 3 hours just groaning. Then wrote it up in my journal and posted it to my fridge. It reminds me that no matter how much I want to go off the plan it is far more physically painful than the pleasure I get from eating.

Motivation is such an individual thing, everyone finds it in different places and I hope that you find yours.

[ladaha]

Emaug,

YOu have not responded are you doing any better? Are you still down or have you pulled yourself up? I hope up!
ladaha

[LA Hopeful]

i totally agree with LesnarsTXF5Diva. we all find our motivation in different ways/things/people. for me it was something i wanted to do for myself and no one else. it always seemed like such a daunting task. but then i'd say "if i'd started a year ago, a year would have gone by already." so one day i just woke up and said, "this is it, this is my year!" and now a year later i've lost over 50 pounds and i feel great.

the thing to remember is we all have our ups and downs. the key is not to let the downs sabotage you completely. if you have an off day (or even an off week or off month!), just get right back into the swing of things as if nothing happened. if you tell yourself you're a failure, you WILL fail. we're only human. we're not perfect the best thing to do is just keep on steaming full speed ahead!