How did you get motivated to start exercising/eating right and stick with it?

[ApronMama]

As a frequent Weight Watcher/calorie counting failure, and on-again-off-again exerciser, I'm trying to figure out how to get motivated and stay motivated to eat right and exercise regularly. I believe that changing your lifestyle is the way to get healthy and stay healthy (no quick fixes). But somehow I haven't found the link between know I *know* and what I *do*.

 

What worked for you? Thanks in advance for your advice!

[Carol in Cal.]

As a frequent Weight Watcher/calorie counting failure, and on-again-off-again exerciser, I'm trying to figure out how to get motivated and stay motivated to eat right and exercise regularly. I believe that changing your lifestyle is the way to get healthy and stay healthy (no quick fixes). But somehow I haven't found the link between know I *know* and what I *do*.

 

What worked for you? Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

I'm doing that now, and for me it is a combo of realizing that I'm on the verge of significant health problems that I can mitigate a great deal with healthy habits, and also finally letting go of the 'all or nothing' philosophy that immobilized me for years. I used to figure that 'sometime' I would make this huge, to the death commitment that I would stick to forever and ever, amen. Now I figure that I'll do the right thing a lot of the time, slip up sometimes, and still continue and not get discouraged. It helps that I have lost my first 8 lbs, and have better HDL numbers already! A little encouragement like that feels good!

[lilbean05]

For me, I received the Wii Fit from my husband (I was excited by it because of the yoga and things it offered. Plus the hula hooping looked hysterical) and once I got on that thing and saw how much I weighed, I think I had enough. Something clicked in my head that made me unhappy with myself and I knew that I wanted to fix it. Unlike previous times, I wasn't doing it for my job (military) or because I thought it would make me look more beautiful for my husband, but because I wanted it for me. I wanted to be light and agile on my feet to play with my kids.

 

So the Wii Fit became my new friend. The little character is very gentle when telling you how much you weigh and tips to follow (things I knew, like don't eat before bed, but they are nice to hear every now and again). I set a goal on the Wii to lose 5 lbs in a month and it was fun to hop on and see me reach that goal. (I did the couch to 5k program and stuck around week 3 or 4 because I like the interval training) Then I set another weight loss goal and it became a challenge to myself, for myself. It was fun! It became a game.

 

After my 3rd baby, I started P90X light (only the cardio/yoga videos and jogging week 3 of the couch to 5k program) whipped me right back into shape. I haven't done any consistent exercise the past couple months, and I blame it on moving across the country and adjusting to a new routine with the hubby's new job, but I am hoping soon to pull out the Wii, set a goal, and then grab the P90X videos and laugh at the funny jokes the host makes while I bounce around the room. :)

 

Hope this helps!

[Jean in Newcastle]

14 weeks ago I started to exercise and eat right.

 

I have a couple of WTM buddies who I e-mail everyday with my food and exercise log and they do the same to me. They are so supportive when I hit a slump and want to quit. I think that is a big reason I have continued.

 

I decided from the start that this time I'm going for health and fitness, not just weightloss. In my case, I have trouble with fatigue from adrenal issues so I had to make sure that my energy didn't tank. That's been a big reason why exercise hasn't worked in the past. So this time I am eating 6 small meals a day. I try to have veggies and protein at each one of those meals. Having an even bloodsugar level has been wonderful! As my diet buddies can tell you, I'm not always good on what I eat at those meals but I keep reporting and I keep trying to get the balance.

 

I decided that I needed to find exercise that would add muscle as well as burn calories and up my metabolism. I do weight training on M, W, F and more cardio on T, Th, Sat. Yes, I work out 6 days a week. I started out small because I was weak. I am slowly building muscle - every time my exercise routines start to get easy, I add on or change to a slightly harder program. I've gone from doing pregnancy exercises (chosen because they are not so vigorous) to doing a medium intensity workout.

 

I am learning that doing it this way doesn't give the huge results that others get on the scales but it is making a huge difference in my body. We can actually see my body starting to tone up and get some muscles. I have shoulders now! And I trust that the weight loss will come even if it takes me 1 year to get down to my target weight. I've discovered that I have a pattern - week 1 I gain 2 pounds of muscle, week 2 I lose the equivalent 2 pounds of fat, week 3 (if I'm lucky) I lose a little extra fat, repeat the cycle.

[HeathenMom]

i weighed 270 pounds at the holidays in 2006. on New Year's day 2007 i decided that i was DONE being disgusted with myself and i started exercising and eating better. it was like a switch flipped in my mind, there was no question about if i was going to cheat or skip a workout. when i started seeing results it motivated me and i learned more about diet and exercise...now i weigh 130 pounds, size 3, 18.5% bodyfat. i'm in the best shape of my life, i LOVE weightlifting and running and all the things i used to hate and my one piece of advice is:

 

do not allow yourself to make excuses. :)

[nono]

Honestly? I had my dh take a photo of my rear end naked. I printed it out in 8 x 10 and put it on the inside of my pantry door.

 

Worked like a charm.

 

(It has since been replaced by pictures of Dara Torres and Deena Kastor, because I knew my luck would run out and someone from outside the family would open that door and get an eye full! :D )

 

Ironically, men who've seen my "locker room" always think my dh has put the photos up!

Edited October 21, 2010 by nono

[Wendi]

I've never been a very regular exerciser, although a few years ago, before experiencing tendonitis, I used to hike once or twice a week in the nice weather. I also took yoga for a few months. I did Weightwatchers and lost about 20 lbs., reaching my goal weight. Then I gained it all back, plus 15 more. :glare: I hate the way I look. I don't have energy. I don't want to buy clothes because I feel like nothing looks good anyway. I've been stress eating, eating out too much, not exercising at all.

 

I started thinking to myself, "If you keep doin' what you've been doin', you'll keep gettin' what you've been gettin'." (Dave Ramsey) I realized that I was risking health problems, and that clearly I would become more and more overweight if I didn't do something to change things. I knew Weightwatchers helped, but it obviously wasn't enough. I needed to become an active and fit person. I restarted WW, and three weeks ago, I went and joined a gym. I have a trainer, who taught me which machines to start with, what settings and weights to use, and how to do them properly. Now I am working out 4-5 days a week. I've lost about 4-5 lbs., but considering I'm also gaining some muscle, that's pretty good. I've tried the yoga class (which kicked my butt!), but I haven't had the nerve to try Zumba yet (I'm a klutz). I will, though. I've started playing Wii Fit some, too.

 

I find I love doing this for myself. I see fit people at the gym and realize I will look like that one day. I imagine myself hiking Camelback or Piestewa Peak without having to stop so often to rest. I also hope to do some hiking in the Grand Canyon someday.

 

I'm already hooked on working out. I use my iPod to listen to a book. By Christmas, I hope to be down one size in my jeans. I can already tell I have some actual muscle in my abs!:001_smile:

 

Wendi

[Kim in Appalachia]

During the winter of 2007 I started having some health issues. I was having severe pain in my left leg and it felt like it was going numb. I also had trouble in my left arm and then my right. I had a bunch of tests, all showing nothing. Looking back I believe it was a combo of having 5 to 6 cups of coffee a day, plus a diet coke, and taking sudafed daily, all acting on my Reynolds causing me problems. I think it then was sending me into panic attacks.

 

I was very unhealthy. I was not considered overweight for my height, but it was high for me. I was not sleeping enough, constantly on the go, and eating very poorly. I fell a part.

 

When things started to improve I knew I needed a change. I started running, then had to stop for injury, then Pilates, then more running, then Yoga. I changed my eating habits. I cut down on junk and coffee and limited my portions, especially of starches. It took time, but I lost 30 lbs and I feel so much better. I have more energy and feel more sane.

 

It is worth it. You will feel better. You will have more energy and be able function better. Eating right is not just about weight, it's about your overall health. It is more important than weight. The same goes for exercise. It is about your health, not just weight. I really believe focusing on the scale is negative. Focus on your health. Think about the fact that you want to get more out of your life, that in 20 yrs you want to be able to function well.

 

If you think about the fact that the bad foods are hurting you, not just adding weight, then I think it helps. I think about how it will affect me in the morning (making it harder to get out of bed) or how it will affect my run. Or even how those foods seem to make my brain fuzzy (I don't need to make my brain fuzzier than it is :tongue_smilie:)

 

That's my pep talk for the day.:D I think WW is great. My mom has used it, on and off, for years. It focuses on the healthy, which is good.

[Xuzi]

The birth of my daughter in 2004. I was raised by a chronic yo-yo dieter who went on every fad diet, weightloss pill (including fen-phen), and attended multiple Weight Watchers meetings in short spurts, then hit a "stressful time" and gained it all back and then some. She also very often made comments to me and my sister about our weights, and put us on very unhealthy diets (canned tuna fish and grapefruit juice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. *blech*)

 

I was a size 12 in middle school, and a 14/16 all through HS, then got married at 20 in a size 22 wedding dress. I never got to wear trendy clothes and looked far older than I was. I tried to convince myself that I was "happy just the way I am" but deep down I really didn't like the way I looked.

 

When my DD was born I knew that I didn't want her to grow up with the same weight issues that I had, and I knew that the only way to help her be healthy was to lead by example. I read Dr. Phil's weightloss book, joined Curves, and haven't looked back. I'm now a fit and healthy size 8, 142lbs, very muscular, and I can do an hour Zumba class and still feel like I could do another. And my kids see me exercising every day and mimic me! They pretend to lift weights, to jog, to ask for healthy foods that will give them "energy". The fruits of my labors are finally showing themselves, and that is just even more motivation to keep going. :)

[Parrothead]

The eating better has been the easiest and has lasted 10 months now. It is a bit more expensive, but well worth it. My motivation was that I quit smoking. Sooner or later something will click for me and I'll get started with the power walking I want to do.

[carolinagirl]

I think you have to arrive at the place where it's not a diet, but a desire to be healthier. It's probably the biggest factor in being successful. And also, take it day by day. Do not look at all the weeks ahead of you, just do the right thing today. And then tomorrow you do it all over again. One thing to remember is that no matter how slow the progress is, it's still better than none *and* even more, it's better than gaining and getting heavier and more out of shape.

[BMW]

The exercise part: After 3 years of just about no exercise, I was always stiff. I was moving a lot slower. I felt like a 70 year old looks... slow, stiff... and I realized that I needed to change that. I used to be very flexible, too. I wanted some accountability, but, that hasn't totally happened... I got my hands on a few interesting looking dvd's to exercise with. I began blogging about my journey... from the 10 year old time a family friend called me chubby, crying in the shower - grabbing hold of my chubby tummy, crying and praying "God, please get this OFF of me." I began writing about my journey through anorexia and how I wanted my focus to be on HEALTH and not focus on weight or eating, at this time. So, now I try to regularly write Fitness Fridays on my blog and update family/friends. I don't really know that anyone else is joining in and exercising... no one leaves comments... but it helps to know that I am going to write about it every week.

 

The food part: because I have struggled in teens and 20's with anorexia, I have to be careful. I am always tempted to stop eating. I had success with low-carbing in my 30's. My dh does not support me in that, particularly with heart disease running in my family, plus he really pushes veggies and a balance. I just stick with not overeating and am interested in those drops that people are using to burn off their fat and not be hungry... but I think dh will be against that, too.

 

So, for now, I am getting in the habit of regular exercise, switching up the dvd's, and trying to eat more veggies and as healthy of a choice as I can make each day.

[NanceXToo]

Me, either. But here I am trying again!

[jplain]

For me, there are two main factors that determine success or failure of an exercise regimen:

 

1) I have to enjoy it. If not, I move on, because it ain't gonna work long term. But I do try a new activity for a couple weeks weeks before deciding I hate it.

 

2) It has to be a habit. Habits, like brushing teeth before bed, are pretty easy to maintain once established. That means I have to set aside time, as if it is an appointment I must keep, and I can't cancel it without a really good reason. About a month of consistent practice will turn most activities into a habit...unless you still hate the activity on day 30. Then you have to go back to number 1.

 

Don't break the chain is another motivational strategy for establishing new habits.

 

As far as diet goes, it needs to be something you can stick to for life, not a temporary fix. If you are a few weeks into a new eating plan, and can't wait until you reach your target weight and can go back to normal eating, I personally give you permission to quit now and resume your search for a way of eating that you can live with. :tongue_smilie: But do give it a few weeks, and look for new recipes to inspire you, because your preferences may be changing. At the end of that few weeks, you may have a completely different opinion regarding whether or not this new way of eating is sustainable.

 

For both eating habits and exercise, consider how to handle disruptions and distractions, like the double whammy of a busy & yummy holiday season. Don't deprive yourself, but set out clear expectations for yourself, and do your best to stick to them. Be honest with yourself, but don't beat yourself up either. If you screw up, no big deal: just start over. Here's an column on this topic that I've found to be helpful: Starting Over.

[Mejane]

I used to figure that 'sometime' I would make this huge, to the death commitment that I would stick to forever and ever, amen. Now I figure that I'll do the right thing a lot of the time, slip up sometimes, and still continue and not get discouraged.

 

This. I hate to exercise, but used to force myself to do it everyday. I was miserable, so I cut back to three times a week. I still feel good and am healthier than if I didn't do it at all, which is what would have happened had I continued to be so rigid. I also eat right most of the time, but still have junk or some wine every now and then without beating myself up. Like everything else, it's all about balance.

[The Girls' Mom]

For me, the change in attitude came when I couldn't ride up the road on my bike with my kids. Seriously, I got a few hundred feet and had to turn around and come back home.

 

I realized that if that was my condition at 33, what would it be at 43? 53? Would I even SEE 63?

 

I could also see a similar decline in my dh's health. So part of the motivation is to be a motivator for him as well. And my girls...my 13 year old is in poor shape too. I need to be her role model, in a good way.

 

The weight has been slow coming off, but my fitness level has dramatically increased. (I can now calculate how far I've ridden in MILES not feet!) I feel better, and have more energy. Our lifestyle is becoming more active, and healthier.

[ApronMama]

Helpful advice everyone! Thank you so much!

 

Maybe I'll have to tell myself I can spend one minute here for every minute I spend exercising--that might do the trick too!:001_smile:

[6packofun]

For me, without having any support to keep me on track here at home, it was so helpful to join SparkPeople.com to have a community that would encourage and educate me. I use the tools that work for me--mainly the food diary thing--and make myself visit every day. I've just started up again and SparkPeople is my homepage so that it's a priority for me. I like to have little goals, too, and not just numbers for my weight.

 

Yeah, yeah, I'm doing it for ME and some people don't feel the need to have support because it's personal, etc., but I was surprised to find that it's a very helpful component of the process for me.