Motivational tips please

[Arcy67]

Hi I'm new here. Losing weight takes ages and I find it hard to stay motivated. Has anyone got any ideas on how to keep up the good intentions because even early on I find it difficult?

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, Arcy67

By throwing yourself into forum life, reading all the information and supporting others, you'll find that your motivation levels will stay topped up.

Follow this link to our chat thread and a list of all the activities we run. We've found active participation to be key to success, especially with our weigh-ins and Daily Diary.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

To make navigating the forum easier, we've put all the information you'll need in a newbie pack and here's the link

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Please take the time to read it carefully, so that you're able to enjoy everything that we have on offer.

We ask that you also read this important information about internet privacy and security.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Wishing you all the best

[Arcy67 in reply to moreless]

Thanks for the welcome and motivation etc. I'm aiming to lose a stone to start with and at least I have made a start.

[IndigoBlue61]

Try to take a long term view, find a plan you enjoy, and then tell yourself you’re not “on a diet” but eating healthily. Some one on here once said, “time will pass either way, you may as well be losing weight, albeit slowly”

[Arcy67 in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thanks for that, really helpful.

[S11m]

Hi, Arcy67 , Welcome.

You would need a great deal of motivation to make a calorie-restricted diet work... to get weight off - let alone keep it off.

But it is not all about motivation and masochism...

I think that the solution is to eat more (you were not expecting that were you) ...eat more good (satisfying) food, including fat, at mealtimes.

This will stop you feeling hungry, and make it easy(er) to resist those sugary and high-carb snacks.

Then cut down on Grains, Potatoes and Sugar, and work towards (a compromise between the Standard American Diet (SAD) and) The Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat (LCHF) diet (See the forum here on Health Unlocked).

Not Eating All Day is what we call Intermittent Fasting (IF). Start by setting a time in the evening after which you do not eat, and gradually narrow your "eating window". See:

healthunlocked.com/fasting-...

[Arcy67 in reply to S11m]

Thanks I will take some of that on board.

[Hidden]

I would say motivation comes and goes, Arcy67 . Usually starting any new regime gives you some impetus to stay motivated and enthusiastic for a while. Then when motivation starts to fade, you need to keep reminding yourself of your goals.

Look at it like this - Losing weight is hard. Being overweight is hard. Choose your hard.

[Arcy67 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, my main failing on a diet is snacking but I bought lots of salad and apples etc. to try and deal with that.

[Hidden in reply to Arcy67]

Snacking is still my downfall, even now as a Maintainer! Making sure I eat enough at mealtimes really helps, in that I'm genuinely not hungry in between meals. And my other tip is having some chewing gum to hand, so if I feel that urge to nibble, I can happily chew away calorie-free, with the added benefit that the minty flavour spoils the tastebuds for snacking on anything else (for a while, anyway!)

[Shortandstocky]

I also really struggle with motivation - it's hard when you don't see quick results! I am finding that as I have not yet seem the scales move much in the right direction, I am getting my sense of progress in other ways -

1) going to the gym - I might not be losing weight yet, but I am seeing measurable progress in the weights I can lift

2) small healthy habit-forming e.g. drinking more water, getting 8 hrs sleep, sticking to 1 small snack a day. I have a weekly planner pad that includes a habit tick-box for each day - again, this is visible progress!

3) making myself accountable through the forum - helps with accepting reality but avoiding beating myself up

Best of luck and hope you find what works for you!

[Arcy67 in reply to Shortandstocky]

Thanks I have got a chart on my fridge and a notepad for counting calories and have been doing some yoga. Bit stiff today though so no yoga today. I also have a journal and I am trying mindful eating to try and slow down.

[Shortandstocky in reply to Arcy67]

All sound good!

[CrimsonMama]

Hey hey! Welcome to the forum. Its a good place to keep motivation up!

Let's break this down into parts. First. What is motivation? Motivation really is just a mix of knowing what you want, wanting it bad enough and having the willpower to stick at it. Make sure you know what your aims are and how you are going to measure progress (ie weight, measurements, fitting into a new size, fitness). Set smaller goals towards your main goal. I am 1lb away from losing 6 stone but I would never have managed to picture that from the beginning. I set myself a goal of one stone. Reached it then set a new goal of another 1 stone.

"Losing weight takes ages". I used to watch this program -I forget what its called - but this guy comes in and helps someone severely obese lose weight. He dedicates one year to that person. One year! Is that a long time? I started my journey last October so I've lost nearly six stones in less than a year. I don't know how much you want to lose but it IS possible and time can fly (seriously, its almost Xmas again! This year has flown!). Give yourself a very reasonable target! Don't tell yourself you are going to reach X amount in weeks. Start out with realistic expectations.

" keep up good intentions". If you find the right method of weight loss then this isn't too difficult. There are many types of weight loss people find works for them. Personally I started with the 5:2 diet then moved onto daily calorie counting (and lots of exercise!). I can eat what I love and I lose weight. It works for me, is not a struggle and seeing the results all keeps me going. Of course rewards can help too! I buy a new tune for my playlist when I reach mini goals. If you choose a "diet" that you hate or find isn't something you can see yourself doing longterm then its probably the wrong one for you. But also start off slow! Don't expect to change habits all at once! That's why I liked the 5:2. I only had to change two days a week but be normal the other five. Then gradually I made changes to my "normal" (ie bad) diet. And I have slowly changed my ways. In the beginning I allowed myself to have a takeaway once a week. Then once every two weeks. Then once a month. Now I don't even want them anymore as I love the meals I cook better.

Slow and steady! If you change habits you won't need much motivation to keep going!

[Arcy67 in reply to CrimsonMama]

Many thanks for your message. I tried a fast but couldn't stick to it so now I'm trying to lose a stone to start with by calorie counting and yoga and walking. Feeling more positive now, the motivational tips really help. I'm going to try and change habits.

[Hidden in reply to Arcy67]

Fasting is definitely a no-no if you hate feeling hungry! You just have to keep chipping away at it Arcy67 , sometimes you will fall off the wagon, but you just have to forgive yourself, and heave yourself back on board. It's a long haul, but we're in this for the long haul, all of us. I've been here nearly three years, maintaining for nearly half of that, but I learned last year that you never actually arrive at the end of this journey, you are on that wagon for good. (That's not to say that the feeling you get when you "get to goal" isn't worth it - it certainly is!) So stay with us, and keep keeping on (as my MIL used to say about everything!)

[happyinlove]

I lose 2 kg then put it back on

I eat less runabout more

wonder why I bother

[Arcy67]

It's horrible when you put the weight back on, I think it's true what they say, permanent weight loss is about changing habits.