What do you do when you have just lost your motivation?

[Startrip80]

I was just curious as to what all of you do when it seems that no matter how hard you try, your motivation to continue losing the weight just diminishes? Ive always considered weight loss almost a spiritual process. You have to be ready to do it with every cell you contain in order for it to be sucessful. Maybe thats been my trouble lately, I dont know. Info anybody?

~Alan~
np: Mary Chapin Carpenter ~ The End of My Pirate Days (YES!! I have it on repeat!)

[Worship Your Toaster]

I think...as of right now, I've lost my motivation. It's probably only a temporary loss, but I feel horrible right now.

You may or may not remember my talking about losing my job. This will be my 4th week without a job. I'm waiting to hear back from one, but the longer it takes them (they said they'd call either Friday of last week or Monday of this week. When I called yesterday, they said they still weren't finished checking references/deciding/etc.), the bleaker I feel like my chances are. I walked out of the interview feeling really good about it, but with every day that goes by, I lose more and more hope. Bah.

I've also been putting off grocery shopping, so I'm not eating right lately either. Whatever's in the fridge (my roommate's leftover mexican food from three days ago?) is what I have for lunch. I have been managing to keep walking/jogging, which is good...but I still feel like a useless dolt.

Sorry to whine on your thread like this...but yeah, somebody help us get motivation back, for the love of god...

[Startrip80]

No trust me I UNDERSTAND!!

Me and you seem to be in the same exact predicament with jobs.

BLAH!!!

~Alan~

[AutumnFizz]

Not having a job has to be one of the most depressing things ever, at least for me. I thought it'd be smart to take a year away from school, only now I can't find a job and I'm going insane with boredom. I complained about being tired and needing a break when I did have a job and now I'd give anything to just have some reason to get up in the morning again. Sorry to whine so much, I just wanted to say that I understand what you're going through.

As for keeping motivated, I sometimes try writing a list of all the reasons for losing weight and then read it over when I feel I'm losing my motivation. I usually try writing a list when I'm keeping to my diet and losing weight, so that I can see all the benefits of it. Anyway, I'm not sure if that's helpful at all, I just wanted to add my suggestions. :)

[SparkleScamp]

Hugs to all three of you :) :) :)

The reasons to lose weight thread is pretty motivational. And the one about how has your life changed since you lost weight. I'm pretty corny that ways, but I really do feel that reading self-help books gives me a morale boost. Sometimes picking up the phone and calling somebody works wonders. Have you considered a support group?

But the truth is, when you're down in the dumps it's real hard to pull yourself out of it. Sometimes you don't even WANT to. I've surely been through it, and recently. Like over the Christmas holidays. Only when I started to get back into the groove did I realize how ASLEEP I was during that time. Blah.

[Startrip80]

Ya, and I really feel in the dumps lately, especially tonight.

~Alan~

[Rath_Dawg]

Originally posted something in the wrong thread...oops. *hitting head on the desk*

[SparkleScamp]

Okay, Alan, I went and dug up every inspirational thread I could find for your viewing pleasure! Now get your fat ass in here and cheer up! ;)

Love ya!

[Swampbaby]

Ugh! I lost my inspiration a few days ago. I have eaten too much and payed the price, not by gaining weight but by stomach aches! I had the worst one last night, I was in so much pain! I guess after eating healthy/fewer calories for the past several months, I've gotten so used to it that I can't eat the way I use to. Which is good but damn, sometimes I want to be able to have a large meal without driving the porcelin bus for the rest of the night you know?

As for getting myself back on track, the meditation/visualization is indeed helping - and I'm getting better at it. I also have a book about weight loss success stories that helps me.

[SparkleScamp]

Well driving the porcelain bus is a *SURE* sign that you have eaten too much! Which is better, to eat the foods you really love in moderate amounts, or to get sick?

Your body talks to you, hon. If you will only listen you generally won't eat too much. It took me a LONG time to learn that. When I was a teenager we were very poor and whenever I went to a potluck, I felt like I would never see those foods again and I ALWAYS ate until I was sick as a dog.

The only message that matters: "I've had enough and I don't need to eat another bite."

But how many times have all of us said instead: "This tastes so good, it won't hurt me to finish it."

Or, "I wont' get another chance to have this creme brulee, I might as well eat it."

Or, "I've been working so hard, I DESERVE to have this!"

Or, "It doesn't matter anyway."

A good meal doesn't have to be a large meal. Small amounts of food you really enjoy will satisfy your soul while tubs of sugar-free jello or heads of lettuce never will.

[Swampbaby]

Hmmm...well I didn't have a binge I just ate a bit more than what I have been use to. At the time I was eating I didn't feel overly stuffed or anything, I just had popcorn shrimp and some veggies, but I did drink too much diet pop though. So a few hous later I was getting really bad stomach cramps. I've kind of always been like that though - whenever I would eat 1200-1500 calories for a little while and then have a day when I ate a little more, I'd uh...get the runs :f . This time around I had to throw up instead.

But you're absolutely right about listening to your body. My eyes are definatley bigger than my stomach at this point! I think I'm getting better at it too but I still have to work on getting out this idea that I have about "reward meals".

Or, "I've been working so hard, I DESERVE to have this!"

This is so me, sigh!
;N

[Startrip80]

Where are all the threads you mustered up Chris?

Ive driven the porcelan bus before but thats because I waited at the bus stop and got on myself. I dont do that anymore, well very much anymore. Maybe once a month. :m

~Alan~

[Swampbaby]

Alan, I've gone down that road myself. I was bulemic a few years back and I still consider doing it again when I'm in one of my shitty moods. The night I had the bad stomach pains I had to force myself to throw up and it got me thinking about it again. The thing is now, I really like being healthy even if I am still fat.

Are you getting some help for it?

[Rose Bud]

Whenever I seem to lose the motivation to go on, I know then its time for me to step back and take a look and remember WHY I am doing what I am. Often times we lose site of why we should be trying to lose weight. (or at least I do)

I had been starving myself lately (because of my mental/panic/phobia issue) and I finally returned to normal and started eating again. I would get mad because I'd step on the scale and saw the number go up just a little. Until I remembered that I had been doing something unhealthy and I was treating myself better, even if it meant putting on a couple of those starvation-lost pounds back on. I think I have evened out to where my weight should be right now.

I don't want to give up this time. It may feel like it sometimes, but I keep on going because I don't want to be like this forever.

[SparkleScamp]

Hi Rose Bud!

Alan, look somewhere around 03/01....

[SparkleScamp]

Swampbaby, sometimes artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame or however you spell it, make me VERY VERY ill. Particularly when I accidently ate an entire box (6) of sugar free chocolate covered vanilla ice cream bars. They tasted fine and then WHAM. I was in severe trauma for the rest of the night.

The same thing happened when we were moving house back in October. I was too busy to eat, but I had a box of chocolate Velamints in my bag. I was driving the truck and eating the whole thing mainly out of boredom, and I was really hungry. Well, extremely painful cramps and other things I won't mention for the rest of the day. The worst part was, we had to move so I was hauling around furniture when I felt my insides would explode.

I only really drink diet Coke, and haven't had a problem. But I don't drink more than 24 oz a day.

N-e-ways, I definitely don't ALWAYS follow my motivational advice either, but I'm glad something hit home with you there. Like tonight...I ate more than I feel I should have. I don't feel sick, feel pretty good actually. But I just felt like I wanted to EAT for goodness sakes. I've been hungry for a long time. So I understand what you mean, i'm glad you didn't take it as going off on you ya know.

[Swampbaby]

Yeah, I've been thinking that maybe the diet soda had something to do with why it hurt so much that time. I think the pain was mostly from the fact that my stomach wasn't use to stretching as much and therefore couldn't digest the food and pass it along. Which would explain why I threw up so much food seven hours after I last ate. Just my theory.

And don't you worry about going off on me either, sometimes I need that you know! ;)

[Startrip80]

now now ladies..

shall I get the mud?

j/k lol

Lovies and the such...
~Alan~

[Swampbaby]

Oh Alan! You're sooo naughty! ;)

[SparkleScamp]

Hmmmm.......mud wrestling....hmmmm....

[Startrip80]

Now thats a way to lose some calories!

~Alan~

[SparkleScamp]

Whoo-hoo!