Confidence and motivation

[char993]

I've been trying to lose weight for a while now, I have at least 3 stone to lose. My motivation has dipped and so has my confidence. I find that when my confidence dips that's what causes my lack of motivation and so everything kind of goes down hill. Anyone got any advice or feel similar?

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, Char

Take a look at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), or in the drop down on the 'Posts' page (it says 'arrange by'). Read the Welcome Newbie thread, then move through to the challenges, where we hope you'll find at least one that will appeal to you.

Move down to the Topics, to find a variety of threads, collated into specific topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news.

Take a look at the NHS 12 week plan, as a lot of people have been successful with it, making sure to enter your details into the BMI calculator, to get a calorie allowance tailored to your personal requirements. Don't forget to take your starting measurements and a 'before' picture, as they can be very motivating on days that the scales refuse to co-operate.

To the right of the HOME page (bottom on a mobile), you'll find Events. In there, you'll find links to our daily Weigh-in's (you will choose just one day per week), our Daily Diary, where we post our menu and exercise plans, for accountability, advice and support and our “What's happening today” thread, where we pop in for a chat.

Be aware, that the HU app doesn't give you access to all of our important features, so we advise that you use the full website page.

We've found that to get the best out of this community, we need to be active on the forum, as it's where we exchange information, get motivation and inspiration and make friends. We hope that you'll join us here, regularly, too.

It's only left for me to wish you well on your journey

[LaurenS91 1 stone]

When I first signed up here I was at a really low point and had barely any confidence!

5 weeks in and I have found a love of running, something I never dreamt I would enjoy. With that my confidence has increased massively.

You need to find something you enjoy, whether that be cooking new food or taking up a new sport.

Also, when you have a big goal it can seem like a impossible task but if you start with smaller weight loss goals it will be much more achievable and you will be more likely to stick with it!

There will be bad days and good days, please share both with us here! I hope you will find this forum as supportive as I have

All the best

Xxx

[Tiggerr]

I don't necessarily have a personal link between confidence and motivation but I do suffer from dips in motivation (for whatever reason) and that has been the beauty of being here with all these wonderful people. My motivation has been kept high through nearly all of my journey and when it has waned, everyone here has jumped straight in and pulled me out of the mire when historically I would have failed (again).

Stick with this site and stay engaged and you will find the same.

[FarmerGeddun]

I read a blog post that changed my views about motivation, and found that it has helped me enormously. Note I am an habitual procrastinator.

The blog post explained, in detail, why using motivation as a tool to change was a never ending downward spiral. You don't feel motivated to do something, you then feel bad because you still haven't done it and this makes you less motivated to start. The blog talked about motivation as a burst, like a sprint, and that it isn't sustainable in the long term. The lack of up front reward, and constant reward requirements make it emotionally draining. Discipline, on the other hand, is the enduring trait to get you through something, to get you somewhere where you can then claim your reward.

Confidence is gained through positive personal experience, like being able to push yourself to make a change. Sticking to it during the times you would rather give up is an overwhelmingly positive experience. I can confidently say that as your body starts to shrink your confidence starts to build, not just because of the way you look, but mostly because of the knowledge that you are able to accomplish something.

I read that blog post just over six weeks ago, I am now 16lb lighter and my waist has shrunk by 3 inches. I still have some way to go, but I feel MUCH better about myself. Looking at the my weight and waist measurements (and knowing that were days when I just wanted a stuffed crust pizza) is very rewarding. I look at my measurements every day, and get a little kick out of seeing them fall.

I keep a food diary and plan almost all of my meals. I'm not on a diet of shakes, constant salads or Ryvita! Because I batch cook and freeze individual portions of decent meals (some of which I've stolen from the daily planner posts) I don't find myself spending ages in the kitchen preparing food either. If I want a meal I can simply pop it in the microwave. This removes the excuse of buying takeaways, or eating processed food.

[Hidden]

Hi and welcome char993