Just get to the next interval of five on the clock or machine, then you can get off it you still want to (I tend to just keep moving the interval to the next one, switching between clock and machine- works really well to keep me going)
For food: "Is there a better alternative." Often I can eat something I want, but in a different way. Fudgecicle instead of chocolate icecream.
For Fast Food: "Is it worth it?" How many times have we gone to McD's (name your place) and siad we HAVE to have the most unhealthy thing on their menu and we are craving them. At the end it was like, "that was so not worth it."
For Excercise: "15 min", "5 more min" Often getting through the first 10 min is my hardest. After that I my muscles don't hurt as bad.
Love this thread! Thanks, morrigan, for starting it.
My regular mantra, I suppose is, like it says under my name..."Never give up."
But for now, since I really want to knock off 30 lbs once and for all, stop procrastinating about it..it's -- "a 500-calorie deficit a day!" -- this is what I figure it'll take to see me move consistently closer to my goal.
Phrases that keep me going... believe it or not, a few of the best ones come from some of my favorite movies. This first one is from Batman Begins:
"It's not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you."
For me, that's an incredibly powerful saying. Because it really is true. If you're a sweet person underneath but the world only sees a mean person, then that is what you are defined as.
The second is from Lord of the Rings:
"All we have to decide, is what to do with the time that is given to us. "
Life is too short to be miserable.
"I'm not going to be like them"
"They" are my father and grandmother. Both are obese, my father has diabetes and heart problems and my grandmother has diabetes. I am not going to put myself at risk anymore than I possibly have to anymore. I am not going to be like them.
"You can look cute in underwear"
I want to be able to wear cute and sexy underwear... even if I don't have anyone to show it to. A provocative pair of undies and a bra can be like my little secret. No one else has to know, but I can get great pleasure from it.
"Don't be the fat sister"
All three of my sisters are skinnier than me. Two of them HAVE struggled with weight... but they actually had good excuses. One of them had a bit of a rough pregnancy, the other has a hypothyroidism. What's my excuse? I like to eat too much. I was the fat bridesmaid at my oldest sister's wedding this past July. I was even fatter than the pregnant maid of honor. I don't want to be the fat sister anymore.
"Be strong"
I want to build strength physically and mentally in order to be a better person. My physical strength will allow me to help others (moving furniture, helping a disabled person into a seat, etc.), and my mental strength... well, that's a pretty obvious one. I want to be strong.
"This is your time to shine."
When I'm exercising, sometimes I just want to give up. A voice will creep up and say "it's too hard". I begin to struggle until I think, "It's a few minutes out of your life. Just a few more minutes and it's over. A few more minutes and you can get on with your life. This is your time to shine."
"Prove them wrong"
All the fat names keep rolling around in my head. Nothing will ever make me be able to forget them. Even now, I'm insulted about my weight on a pretty regular basis (once every month or two). I want to prove them wrong when they tell me that I'll always be fat.
I also use Rosemary Conley's favourite saying: *Nothing tastes as good as being fit feels*.
And (and this makes me look bad, I know...) when I'm running and it gets tough, I imagine my ex's face on the road/track and each step I take I'm stepping on his face saying *I hate X-X-X*. He has a very musical Italian name, and it's got a great rhythm. I never forget my excitement, after I'd had our 2nd baby, going to him one day and saying *I just measured myself and my waist is 29". * I was really excited because I'd not dieted all that hard and I'd read that was the average UK woman's waist measurement. He just burst out laughing and said *Oh yeah right!* I felt so frustrated - he spent years making me feel fat even when I had a figure that turned other men's heads. Of course, now I know what he was playing at. But I always think of him saying awful things about me being *fat* (At the time I was a UK size 10-12, [US 6-8] to put it in perspective, and I'm an average height). I have burned more miles saying that mantrah in my head than anyone will ever know and I'm sure 80% of the weight I've lost has been motivated by that negativity!
