Need motivation

[faithbreanna]

Please can everyone share ANYTHING that will motivate me to lose this weight and become healthier! Really struggling to find the effort

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

Hello and welcome, faithbreanna

Motivation comes from within: it means the reason for doing something and it's unique to each of us. It may help if you think through all the reasons you want to lose weight, how life would be different, what you have to gain, by losing Some members write that down and put it somewhere to remind themselves when they're finding it tough.

What you will find here is loads of information and support, to help strengthen your motivation. You'll get that by being an active member of the forum, joining in with activities, encouraging others, chatting and being open to new ideas.

You'll find everything you need in our Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/weight-l... I see Thursday is going to be your weigh day so head over to the Think Thin Thursday weigh in and join the team chat. Also, check out the Daily Diary to see what meals members are planning today, and have a look at all the different Pinned Posts to see what would help you.

If you haven't already, you can take a tour of the forum here healthunlocked.com/?tour=true

All the best.

BG

[bobz17 7lbs]

It's hard. You have to really want to do this for your own reasons and have your head in the right place to do it.....it's not a 'fits all' type of thing. I have just gone through the worst 3 years, I became insular and self-indulgent to my detriment but I'm good at hiding it so no one really picked up on it and, of course, lockdown didn't help. I got a big wake-up call in October when I had several health tests and I finally realised that I was causing myself a lot of damage and had to sort myself out. I don't want to be the granny knitting on the sofa while my youngest grandkids are playing on there own. I want to get down on the floor and join in, dance with them and take long nature walks......like I used to do with my older grandkids. Make a list of pros and cons if it helps. I like organised chaos so it helps me to have a plan, eg, a one month meal plan and regular slots during the week for exercise, research for your particular needs. It will take you a few days to set this up but preparation helps tremendously in my case.....it may not suit you.

Do you walk? It's a great stress reliever, some people are intent on solely power walking, which is fine in it's place, but taking note of your surroundings is beneficial in it's own right. What environment do you live in, by which I mean town, country, seaside etc?

Joining this forum was a good step. I've only been here for a few days but it has already boosted me with the support that people have afforded me and I feel much more confident that I can stick to my intentions. Oh and get rid of the word 'diet' from your vocab', it's a real downer, think of it as a lifestyle change.

You CAN do this and when you stumble, coz you will, you just get right back up and focus ahead. Good luck on your journey. I will follow you with interest. 😘

[faithbreanna in reply to bobz17]

Thank you so much! I have really bad anxiety and struggle with very low self esteem and depression. Yesterday I went for an hour walk with my sister after not leaving the house for 6 months! And it felt amazing. I live in a little town but a few roads down there is some woods with a giant pond. I burnt 442 calories on that walk. I’ve cut down on my junk food massively these past few months and my next step now is finding an exercise routine that suits me. I definitely am going to start going for walks more and am planning to take my little sister for a walk soon and to the park. I have a piece of paper upstairs that I’ve planned everything out and I’m planning to use that. There is a programme called Chloe Ting and she does workouts for free and millions of people have shown results so I’m hoping it will work for me as everyone’s body is different! I’m planning on losing about 3-5 stones which may take about a year but will definitely be worth it! I will be posting photos later of my walk and my plan!

[bobz17 7lbs in reply to faithbreanna]

Fantastic, you are halfway there.

Are you able to get up and down to the floor easily? Google Our Parks Couch 2 Fitness, they have a fair bit of floor exercises so I have improvised with standing ones, as they have 3 people doing varying intensities and so suitable for most levels of fitness. It is a free 9 week exercise plan but you do have to sign up to access the workouts. On my request they will be considering including standing alternatives in their next series.

My favourite one is Body Project. They have a number of free vidz on YouTube which are low impact and some for total beginners. The guy has a way of making you feel good about yourself with the encouragement he emits.

Google/YouTube are great for finding low impact classes. You may find something else that you prefer. 😊

[bobz17 7lbs in reply to faithbreanna]

You may be interested in the weekly workout that MintTeaMascara is hosting today. Check it out and see if it suits. I'm not sure how to tag you into it. Starts at 2pm then a chat after.

[Carbstrong]

Steering your focus away from weight would be a good start, there are so many variables.

Give yourself SMART Goals, this is proven to help manage expectations and help keep you motivated.

[springersrule Moderator 76kg]

Hi Faithbreanna. My initial motivation was being told 1. If i needed an operation on my arthrtic knee the surgeons wouldn't do it unless i was 20-30kg lighter, and 2. being told it would be near on impossible for me to lose that myself due to health issues and being referred straight to the bariatric surgeons! I was determined to lose something myself to prove them wrong, to not be told i was too big for an op and to hopefully avoid weight loss surgery.

through taking to dr's, consultants and a dietician (who i think all thought i would fail) a plan was devised and followed and tweaked by me so it was more to my liking.

despite injuring my knee further in July which means my mobility is severely restricted, in 13 weeks i have lost 28kg without starving myself, not missing snacking, having no cravings and enjoying being adventurous with what foods i put together.

my motivation now comes from this group who have (unwhittingly i think) at least increased my self worth and self confidence by more than half. I can put myself out there on here and not feel i may be criticized or ridiculed - far from it. This week i even revealed to a couple of best friends what my weight actually was and is. It also comes from enjoying different foods and experimenting.

Try things out, research different options and find what works for you. If you enjoy it it wont be so hard. Best of luck xx

[AndreaLe]

You will feel better and feel more confident. It is hard now as it’s cold and mostly windy and wet but keep going. I am just trying to hold my weight loss until February now and not regain it over Christmas.