Can't seem to get motivated

Avatar for susan970002
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2003
Can't seem to get motivated
3
Mon, 03-20-2006 - 1:02pm

Hi everyone! I'm Susan and I'm new to this board. The reason why I stopped by this board is because I can't seem to ever get motivated to loose weight. I need to loose over 100 lbs and I can never committ myself to not go to fast food restaurants and just not eat out and not drink pop. I tell myself all the time to drink water and watch what I eat but don't ever committ to it. Does anyone have any suggestions? DH and I don't have a lot of money coming in and when we get money we end up going out to eat some where and we can't seem to committ to buy healthy food. I worry about him because he is over weight and so am I. I worry that we will end up having a heart attack or something to that effect. What can I do to get motivated? You would think that just knowing that we are prone to heart attacks and strokes that would be motivation enough, but it's not. It's really hard for me to change my eating habits. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks for reading.

Susan

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-17-2006
Mon, 03-20-2006 - 3:11pm

My advice is to start keeping a food journal, write down everything you eat and drink and the times. Simply writing those things down will help you to control what you eat. Don't try to diet yet, just record. Than after a week or two you can go back through your journal and look for someplace to make one small change. Once you are comfortable with that change go on to the next one.

Also try and cut out the soda, even diet soda. There have been lots of recent studies that show soda consuption directly linked to obsity. Even diet soda, inhibits weight loss!

320/246/169

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2006
Tue, 03-21-2006 - 5:53am

Hi Susan. Maybe you can't commit because you're trying to change a lot of things at the same time. I mean you cannot make a statement like: "I will not eat junk food ever again" and expect to follow through with it. Start small and build up. Downsize your meals, then skip the coke, then skip the fries, and so on. How much water do you drink? can you add 1 more cup of water? And when this is not a struggle, can you add one more? and so on


As a previous poster mentioned, journaling is a great tool to use. Record everything you eat and I mean EVERYTHING. When you're keeping track of what you eat, you don't eat mindlessly as much as you usually do. Have a look at your journal after a couple of days and see where you can make better choices.


The most important thing is that once you cheat or get off the diet wagon, try to get on as soon as you can. Don't wait for next Monday or even the next day. Don't give yourself and excuse to binge and tell yourself "so what I've already ruined it". Just get back on track the next minute and continue from there.


Good luck with your journey and welcome aboard. Please keep us posted

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-01-2006
Tue, 03-21-2006 - 7:26am

Hi, Susan---

I absolutely agree with Mary, that trying to change too many things at once can be overwhelming unless you have superhuman powers. I tried the "everything changes from this point forward" bit about two years ago, and guess what! Still trying to lose (about) the same amount of weight, but now with a sensible WW plan and moderate exercise.

I also agree that heart attacks, strokes, etc. should be able to motivate us... maybe they're just too abstract. I recently injured my knee (see previous whiny, psychotic rant), and let me tell you, the thought of possibly losing mobility permanently due to my weight has been much more motivating for me personally that the shadow of death!

Accountability to this board helps, too. I tend to post in spurts, but check it out more often... and find this puts me back on track more often than not. Best of luck to you!

Misha

PS-- Have you seen that cereal ad, where the dieter has her "itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini" hanging on the wall? The laughter alone should be good for burning calories!!!