What gets you motivated?

[Cherished]

I need every bit of motivational help I can get so 'give it to me' I need to get started, workout as best I can, eat well and drink loads of water. I'm feeling pretty motivated today but fear it will dwindle as the days go on and I experience the reality of all the food preparation I'm going to need to do. I really feel like it's now or never. I've been in such a rut for lots of different reasons and I need to achieve this goal once and for all so that I can feel good about myself regardless of other things in my life that I can't control.

So what gets you motivated?

[Rowellen]

Seeing my fat wrinkly wobbly belly in the mirror in a change room & knowing I'm not going to have another baby to fill it out again. I hate my belly I'm hoping if I lose some weight that the stretch marks won't look so horrendous.

I struggle with diet though. I try to think of the health benefits of eating healthy (very important for me as I have PCOS). I still struggle though. I want to see what other responses you get

Good luck!

[Phteven]

TBH I think that discipline is more important than motivation.
Motivation comes and goes and discipline is what gets you to the gym and makes you put the cake down on the days that motivation has gone AWOL.

I find that making myself accountable is helpful so putting out there that I will be at the gym more often helps me because then I feel like I need to keep my word.
I find classes help keep me motivated; it helps to have someone to push you a little bit harder, it gives you a definite time to put into your schedule, it helps establish a routine, after you get to know your fellow regulars it adds a social aspect.
One thing I try and keep in mind are that often doing your laces up is the hardest part of a workout so even if I don't feel like working out I go to the gym because once I'm actually there and working I often find that I stay for longer than I intended.

A food diary is good for keeping an eye on diet - if it's down there in black and white it's harder to rationalise.

I also found the weight loss challenge thread motivational because it helps having people to share with.

[peanutter]

if eating is a problem, I suggest getting a notebook (a pretty one, if it makes you more likely to carry it around and use it!) and write down every single thing you eat and drink, and I mean everything.

then have a column on the right, where you write in how many calories/kilojoules/grams of fat and sugar/whatever in it.

then keep a list in the back, telling you how much [activity] it takes to burn [x] calories/kilojoules/grams of fat and sugar/whatever.

so then the next time you go to have a tim tam, you get quicker at deciding whether you actually want to eat 30 minutes on the cross trainer ... or whether you'd actually be just as happy with a mandarin ...

and when you go to cook something, you're a little more intentional - and accountable - about portion sizes, the amount of oil/salt/cream/whatever you put into it, etc ... both because simpler foods are easier to calculate (and are generally much healthier) and also because while yes, that meal might be richer and yummier with xyz in it, you don't actually need it, and you'd prefer not to have it added to your exercise list ...

***

if exercise is the issue, the best motivation I find is figuring out a way to make it really enjoyable ... is there someone around who you can go for a nightly walk with? or go swimming 3 x a week with? do you stay at the gym longer if you have music? do you want to join a netball/basketball/tennis club? how about salsa dancing? zumba, on your loungeroom floor?

anything you like, you'll do ... even if it's forking out $100 for a cheap exercise bike which you put in front of the TV - and then tell yourself that instead of sitting on the couch and watching your favourite program, you have to cycle for at least half of it ...

[Mother Goose]

I use daily affirmations, set small achievable goals as well as medium and long term goals (they don't always seem achievable!), keep reminding myself of the good example I set for my daughter, focus on how amazing I feel when I look after myself and how crap I do when I don't, and I remind myself that it is important for my back to stay healthy and active... And I have fun! I mix up my training regularly and constantly search for different healthy meals.

Good luck! You can do it!

[AnyDream]

I'm not a shining example of motivation AT ALL - but I read somewhere that feeling proud of making healthy choices for yourself is a much more effective motivator than berating yourself when you don't. So congratulate yourself every time you get out there doing what you want to be.

[Cherished]

Thanks for all the ideas girls, lots of this stuff really resonates with me. I need to make it happen for me for so many reasons! Plus the healthier I am the healthier ds will be and that's super important to me!

[Traveller]

I use visualisation to see my thighs slimmer, or to see myself looking good in a bikini. That image pops into my mind when I reach for the cookie jar and makes me happier than the cookie would, so I find it easier to say no

[misty]

Write up a list of ALL of the reasons you want to loose weight. (doesn't matter how petty or small some of theses easons may be). And also a list of all the things that are going to be different when you do loose weight that you are looking forward to. (ie, fitting a certain size clothing, being able to climb under the cot, not having to take certain medication, etc). Keep both these list somewhere hat you can see regularly, and when you are tempted to 'give up' (or you already have temporarily) pull these list out and read them and remind youself. Also if you have a 'skinny' photo of yourself that is a good thing to put in your temptation zone (ie, fridge door) to remind your self of what you want to do and how you wish to look.

Will power will only get you so far, there WILL be times you crack and are ready to chuck it in - so put strategies in place for those times. Don't keep tempting foods in the house. Be organised and plan as much as you can to support a healthier lifestyle. Delay gratification - don't tell yourself you cann't have things, but tell yourself you can have things if you really want them, but you need to wait so long, or do something first. Figure out what YOUR biggest obstacles are and come up with possible solutions BEFORE the situation even arises, and you will be in a much better position then you would otherwise.

[~*Niadalla*~]

What motivates me?

Results. If I start getting good results it spurs me on to keep going.

People commenting on my loss. A good ego boost always gets the workout juices flowing.

Blogs. I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading other people's blogs! Especially those who are going through what I am (similar start weights etc). SO inspirational! I LOVE writing my own weight loss blog aswell. It keeps me accountable and apparently inspires others which in turn leads to that ego boost I was talking about. LOL

The Biggest Loser. I've never watched it before, but I doubt I'll miss an episode this year. I feel like I'm right there with them and it helps that I'm doing Michelle Bridges online program. I have a bung hip at the moment, but after watching the episode last night I got off my giant backside and went for a 5km walk. I will no doubt do the same tonight.

Encouragement is a great motivator too. Knowing you have so many people behind you can really help.