How Can I Motivate Myself to Lose Weight

I stand in your shoes almost to a T. I was 125 before I had kids. Like you, I'm short and that was a good weight for me (even though it's considered overweight for my height.) I got pregnant with #1 and gained over 50 lbs. 30 came off, but I still had that extra 20. Then I got pregnant with #2. Thankfully, I lost all that pregnancy weight, but am still stuck with the extra 20 lbs. I tried on a really nice dress and about puked when I saw myself in it. My arms were flabby and jiggly, my stomach looked like I was 6 months pregnant and I can't even talk about my butt and thighs. DISGUSTING. That was my motivation. I got Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred from Netflix and have been doing it fairly religiously for over a month. I don't do it everyday, sometimes life gets in the way, but I do it at least 4 times a week. I noticed a difference in a few days. I felt better and had more energy. I don't own a scale, so I have no idea how much I weigh. I didn't measure before I started, so I don't know how many inches I lost. I do know that I can fit into my little black dress now :) I'm not "shredded" like she promises, but I can tell I look better. For the first time in a long time, my breasts are bigger than my stomach. ;)
I found that once I started working out, I started eating healthier too. I eat my fruit first at lunch so I'm not as hungry for the junky stuff. I don't go for second helpings at dinner. My portions are smaller as well. I'm a junk food junky and it's SO hard for me to watch my husband (who has a ridiculously high metabolism) eat Oreos one after another. I do allow myself to indulge in a treat, but instead of eating 10 oreos, I eat 2. For a midafternoon snack, I eat a handful of nuts. They fill me up far more than junk food. I can eat a small handful and feel satisfied.
The bottom line is that no one can motivate you but you. If you just get started, I think you'll find that motivation. YOU CAN DO IT!!! :D

I really like the book "Body for Life". One of the things it said in the book was to just make a commitment for 12 wks...tell yourself it is not forever but you must eat well and exercise for the next 12 wks. After 12 wks the things you are doing will be a habit and you will like your new body so much it will simply not be worth the 2 minute of enjoyment you will get from eating that donut. LOL On days I don't feel like exercising, I tell myself I only have to for 10 minutes but the truth is once I start it is never a problem to work out for another 20-30 minutes.
good luck!!!

"When the WHY is big enough, the How and the What will work themselves out"
You have to find your WHY; because you want to be healthy, because you want to look good, because you want to impress someone, etc... You have to figure this out. Once you do the motivation will come. I have struggled with weight my whole life. A few months ago my WHY became my health. I was NOT going to be unhealthy and then be a burden to my family in later years. I have lost 52lbs and I feel great. My WHY was health. What is your WHY??? Good Luck, it will come.

Some motivational ideas I use:
*Meet a friend at the gym
*Refusing to shop for clothes in a size I don't want to wear
*When I reach size x, I get to go shopping! :)
*Knowing that I can keep up with my 2 1/2 year old
*Talk to other people who are active..if you have a friend who is in the gym a lot, talking to him/her about what you are doing that day or week can help. In my work office, there are people who run marathons, go spinning, and do triathalons. Just talking to them is motivational to me...but I can be a bit competitive! :) I think, he's 50 and can do that? So can I!!
*Set a goal, like running a 10K..huge sense of accomplishment!
*get a subscription to a fitness, health, ect magazines..just getting that magazine in the mail is a reminder of my goal
*Involve your whole family (eating well especially) because it is so good long term for your son to develop healthy habits now
*set mini goals...go to the gym/work out 3 days a week for 3 weeks...get a massage or manicure!
*look at pictures of yourself, either at the size you want to be or the size you are unhappy about...which ever one works better for you...and put that picture somewhere that you can see it.

I try to approach health and exercise as a way of life. I hope to teach my daughter by example that this is just what we do. It's not a diet or a phase, it's just one of the things we do to keep healthy. With all the news about overweight children, eating disorders, and negative health consequenses, I feel that it is my responsibility to be healthy & teach that to my daughter.

I hope you find what motivates you the best so you feel good about body soon!

Like Suz said, www.sparkpeople.com is fabulous. It is a FREE resource and you can get lots of support from other people who are in the same boat as you. Yes, there are the typical tools people use to track weight, exercise, and nutrition, but you don't HAVE to use any of them. I don't track food and exercise or do a particular food program. I do, however, use them for support and the fun of doing team challenges if I choose. There are tons of teams you can join, from teams in your home state to particular interests you have to the age you are to the amount you have to lose and thousands more. I'd encourage you to go on there and poke around and see all the stuff Spark People has to offer. If you don't like it, delete it.

Good luck! C.

I've always had to keep weight of the hard way-never had the naturally fast metabolism. I've always watched my diet CLOSELY and done lots of very strenuous exercise over the years. I lost 30-50lbs 3 times for 3 kids, and I'm back to battling the same old 10 pounds that I have my whole life.

The thing that keeps me MORE motivated than before kids is the health issue. I used to do it sheerly for vanity to be thin, but now I really do want the healthy heart and joints and youthful appearance that being in shape provides. I'm an older mom, and I feel good when the younger parents at the daycare are surprised to hear I'm older. I also want my kids to learn how to be healthy by watching me. Also, my husband would hate it if I stayed out of shape. He wouldn't say anything, but he wouldn't like it, and just knowing that helps me too. These are all things I run through my head to keep me on track.
Give yourself a deadline. You really don't have much weight to lose. Buy a new dress or outfit 1 or two sizes smaller and give yourself 2 months to fit into it. It's easy to sort of "never get around to it" if you have no set date. My last 40 pounds had to be lost quickly for an out of town formal event-I never slacked! Maybe set up a fun event in a hot outfit to help you stick to your schedule.
Motivation is very hard! Good work wanting it!

Hi, D.:

Look at adding digestive enzymes to your diet.

Check the web at:

www.enzymedica.com

Just a thought.
D.

The only thing that motivates me is once I start seeing weight come off. Once you start, success becomes the motivation to continue. So just tell yourself that you're going to do it for 2 weeks. And you know there's no magic bullet, you have to take in less calories than you burn, which probably means you have to do like 1200 to 1500 calories a day. I also find its best to take those calories with as many fruits, vegetables, and lean meat as you can. None of those 100 calorie cookie packs, they just leave you hungry. After 2 weeks, you can decide if you want to continue. Good luck!

www.sparkpeople.com
it helps you track how many calories you're putting in your chops every day, gives you workout suggestions and reminders, and tons of support.
good luck!
khairete
S.

I know what you mean! I was at the same weight pre-pregnancy and i'm still lugging around 20lbs but I had gain like 50lbs during pregnancy. It's not easy to get off. I hired a personal trainer at one point . she helped me lose almost 15lbs but couldn't afford to be paying her every week. I'm still losing the weight and I've lost some by working out at home during my son's nap to Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred Boost Metabolism (it's a tough workout that my ex military husband can barly get through. It's fun to watch him get his butt kicked to something I work out to). AND I track what I eat! Get yourself a pad of paper and right down everything that you put in your mouth. I started measuring and counting my calories. You'll be suprised at how you eat and how quick calories and bad food add up especially "empty calories". You will quickly learn not to waste your time on junk. The best tool for me was also the food pyriamid on: http://www.mypyramid.gov/. Great website that most people don't think about visiting. That is your "magic pill". You'll be saying to yourself how the heck you're suppose to fit all that food into one day, but trust me your body will respond because all those food groups have nuritional value that will make you lose the weight. It takes time to figure it out but I put a check mark after all the completed food groups so I know that I covered them all for the day. Hope this helps! :)

How about setting a weekly goal? Small goals really help instead of a big overall goal that you think you can never reach. Just change one thing at a time, you know make healthier choices at the grocery store, then work on taking a walk when your family.

Funny you mention this because I'm sitting here in size 12 jeans. It's a size I haven't seen in 10 yrs. What helped me was making one change at a time.

With most things you throw yourself into it full speed ahead and it works for a short time however real life gets in the way. So you start off hitting the gym 5 days a week be after a while it's too much trying to balance everything so you start not going. Pretty soon you are back to your old routine of not going at all.

I decided to get a dog and now I have to take him out for walks several times a day (no fenced yard so if he's going to get off energy it's walking on a leash). We do 2-3 miles a day every day. Once that was the routine I started looking at what I was eating and decided to concentrate on portion control so nothing was off limits.

One change at a time and stick with it until it's routine for you and then add something else. You'll get there just like I know I'll get into those size 8's sometime in the future.

I have been on a strict diet for a few weeks now, and I have been losing weight like crazy! I just celebrated by buying all new clothes the other day. I dropped multiple pant sizes and the feeling I had in the dressing room was amazing! How I got motivated: I found the most unflattering recent picture of myself I could find. I posted it on my computer and I look at it every day and I tell myself "I don't want to look like that anymore, I WON'T look like that anymore". And it has really worked!! Once you lose the first 10 pounds that alone is enough motivation to keep going. Good luck to you. I know how easy it is to put it on, and then how hard it is to take it off!

To me sometimes you have to look at it from a non-superficial point of view. It's just too easy to buy something to cover up what bothers you. Rather than saying you want to look better and fit in your old clothes, think about how much healthier and stronger you want to be for your LO; how you want to set a good example for them so they will be healthy and strong; how you want to grow old and still be able to actively participate in your LOs life and your family.

I was thinking the other day that I want to be there for my daughters as long as I can and that entails living a clean, healthy lifestyle. For me that's motivation enough to start exercising and eating right after I give birth to my next one. I'm actually excited about getting started and bummed that I will have to wait until I fully recover. The rest of what comes with eating well and exercising are perks...icing on the cake so the speak =)

Quite honestly - You are the one who has to be motivated to lose the weight. You are the one who has to want it, need it, and you WILL SUCCEED. I started this weight loss program with Advocare. I NEED to lose about 50+ and I WANT to lose it too. My motivation - I didn't want to buy or order a size bigger of pants for work. They were getting tight and I knew I needed to do something. Well - I went to a thing my friend was having (she started on the product a month prior) on a Sunday. Wednesday I went to go sit down on the couch to put my work boots on and I split my work pants....I was devastated. I started the program the next day....there was no waiting for me. No more excuses.
I was in a mens 42 going into a 44 size waist, woman size 20W to a 22W. Now I'm in a 16 almost 14. With that said......
I'm not saying you need to run out and look into this product - this is what I did. (and yes I am a distributor too - for the discount purposes) and this is my story and what motivated me.

Hi D.,

Feeling good tends to motivate me. I take an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex and I have energy that motivates me to work out. My husband lost 110 pounds by taking this vitamin (the first 60 pounds he didn't change his eating habits or his activity level. He has neer been a couch potato or overeaten but couldnt loose the weight.) Nutrition will balance your body. Extra weight will simply not stay on.

If you're interested I can let you know what we take and more specifics why it is guaranteed to absorb.

M.