How to stay motivated

[Bungle]

My dedication to being healthy seems to come and go. Currently I'm in the I love it phase and am wondering how you all keep that going year round. I really enjoy running at the moment but it may just be the honeymoon phase. I'm afraid my motivation will fade AGAIN. I need to stay on it because I've still got more weight (40 lbs ) to go. So help me out here. How do you stay on track? Especially when you don't want to?

 

[ucfsweetie82]

I started running in October 2009, and haven't looked back. I started with the couch to 5k. To keep running fresh, enter a race. Trust me there are people that walk them, and runners are so encouraging to each other. It doesn't matter whether you come in first or last they cheer for you and remind you the important thing is you finished. I love competing against myself to see if I can beat my previous time
I am currently training to run my first full marathon, which will be Disney in 2012. I don't have all of my weight off yet as even though I was running, I wasn't making the healthiest eating choices, but I have started doing that and really hope to be at my goal weight by the time I run my marathon.
If you would like to subscribe to my blog here is the link
http://therunningprincess.blogspot.com

 

[perfectmatch300]

We have a monthly exercise challenge here on the WISH board. Keeping track of the minutes I exercise and reporting in there really serves to keep me accountable and also very motivated. Anyone is welcome to join us. Just commit to as many minutes, miles, or whatever works for you on the thread, then keep coming back to report in what you have accomplished. Most of us commit to minutes. You choose the number that works for you. Come join us. Hope to see you in our Feb challenge!

Nancy

 

[FireDancer]

I looked at my lifestyle change as just that, not a diet or getting in shape. Having that permanent mindset makes a big difference IMO. All of those changes I made to my diet and to being more active are now just a part of my life and second nature.

That doesn't mean from time to time I don't want to skip a run or the gym and I do, but because those things are so ingrained in my routine I don't let that one missed run or session turn into a week of doing nothing. The same goes for diet. When I splurge a little it really does feel like something foreign and while I enjoy that piece of cheesecake or whatever I look at it as a treat as opposed to reverting back to old habits.

It's not really easy to explain but over time new habits become routine, it just takes some time.

 

[eva]

I looked at my lifestyle change as just that, not a diet or getting in shape. Having that permanent mindset makes a big difference IMO. All of those changes I made to my diet and to being more active are now just a part of my life and second nature.

That doesn't mean from time to time I don't want to skip a run or the gym and I do, but because those things are so ingrained in my routine I don't let that one missed run or session turn into a week of doing nothing. The same goes for diet. When I splurge a little it really does feel like something foreign and while I enjoy that piece of cheesecake or whatever I look at it as a treat as opposed to reverting back to old habits.

It's not really easy to explain but over time new habits become routine, it just takes some time.

This is great advice. I was in that old cycle of once I missed a workout or once I ate a piece of cake, I felt the whole thing was shot. Now I realize that having a day off from the gym or a piece of cake is not a green light to just go back to all my old habits. And I don't punish myself for those things anymore either. I don't starve myself at dinner because I ate a brownie at lunch anymore. Each of my meals is planned to around 400 to 425 calories with 2 snacks around 100 to 150 calories. I don't count a day of calories. I count meal and snack calories. That's it! If I go over on a particular meal. I just start over at the next meal or snack. None of that "Well, I'll start again on Monday" mind set.

 

[Bungle]

I looked at my lifestyle change as just that, not a diet or getting in shape. Having that permanent mindset makes a big difference IMO. All of those changes I made to my diet and to being more active are now just a part of my life and second nature.

That doesn't mean from time to time I don't want to skip a run or the gym and I do, but because those things are so ingrained in my routine I don't let that one missed run or session turn into a week of doing nothing. The same goes for diet. When I splurge a little it really does feel like something foreign and while I enjoy that piece of cheesecake or whatever I look at it as a treat as opposed to reverting back to old habits.

It's not really easy to explain but over time new habits become routine, it just takes some time.

I am very guilty of slipping a little and using it as a green light to go crazy. This is something I am working real hard on at the moment.

Perfect match I will look up that thread, I think the accountability will help.

ucfs I looked into the couch to 5k and it seems like a good program but I noticed its only three days a week. Do you run more than that?