where is my motivation...?!

Dbracarella

I am at the 6 month mark (friday, 6/6) and I don't know what my problem is! I have 6 months to lose the most weight possible.... I am ready to tape skinny people up on my fridge both at home and at work... what is everyone doing?! shakes? no carbs?

ScoutF

Diet and exercise are your friends. And when I say diet, I don't mean fad diets- no low carbs, no meal replacement shakes. Cut down on your caloric intake and find something active to do. I recommend My Fitness Pal to keep track of what you are eating. Counting calories alone helped me lose twelve pounds.

JCbride2015

My Fitness Pal is really great for tracking.  Don't do a crash diet or shakes.  Find an exercise program you enjoy so you'll keep at it!

KatieinBkln

Agree with PPs. The only thing that has EVER worked for me is being vigilant about what I eat. I've done both Weight Watchers (a points system that feels like a "budget" if you're into that) and My Fitness Pal (this one is FREE and basically a calorie counter, with the added bonus that it does a good job of adding calories back to your total if you work out) with good success. If you're really feeling unmotivated, try something as simple as just writing down what you eat. According to science (sorry, too lazy to link) even the act of writing it down and seeing everything in one place causes people to ingest less. 

With six months to go, I think you can do any type of exercise (i.e. strength training and cardio) and it'll help. Do what you can! Do the little things like taking the stairs, parking farther from your destination, jumping jacks during commercials when you're watching TV. (I also like doing a "workout game" which is exactly like a drinking game but with exercises--like, drop and gimme 20 every time you see a bare butt in Game of Thrones, for example). Once you get closer to the date (like, 1-2 months) if you're still trying to lose weight, and probably more importantly, inches, stick with cardio. Weight training is AWESOME and worth your while because the muscle you build increases metabolism and actually helps burn fat when you're just sitting around, but there is a time when you'll have awesome muscles underneath fat, and you will actually be slightly bigger. With six months you can easily get over that "hump" (plus you'll be totally cut and toned once the fat goes) but if you're getting really close it might be best to avoid landing yourself right in the "bulky" phase just as your wedding rolls around.

Good luck!

ETA: My Fitness Pal is free, which is another point in its favor.

AshleyKeffer

Low/No Carbs is defiantly a bad thing to do. I did a low carb diet (15 grams of carbs a day) and while I did lose alot of weight it put me in the hospital because I kept blacking out and falling down and once I stopped I had a ton of lose skin because there wasnt alot of muscle left and I gained everything + back.

Right now I'm trying juicing I'm not going extreme or anything, just replacing breakfast with a juice and if your like me you never eat fruit and a 16 oz juice usually has about 7/8 fruits or veggies in it so its a good way to get them. I just need to stop my midnight binging and I'll be good

KatieinBkln

AshleyKeffer said:

Low/No Carbs is defiantly a bad thing to do. I did a low carb diet (15 grams of carbs a day) and while I did lose alot of weight it put me in the hospital because I kept blacking out and falling down and once I stopped I had a ton of lose skin because there wasnt alot of muscle left and I gained everything + back.

Right now I'm trying juicing I'm not going extreme or anything, just replacing breakfast with a juice and if your like me you never eat fruit and a 16 oz juice usually has about 7/8 fruits or veggies in it so its a good way to get them. I just need to stop my midnight binging and I'll be good

Glad to hear you're not "juicing" in the sense of replacing all meals with juice or doing a "juice cleanse." I did that once against my better judgment. Lost 4 pounds of water weight, put on 8 of "real" weight, gah! 

If you're doing it to get the goodness of fruits and veggies, I recommend doing a smoothie instead--you get all the fiber that is lost when you have just the juice, plus it feels more filling (which might help with the midnight cravings?)

gladyscf

I wonder if my motivation is hangin' out with yours?

I am going to drag my ass to step class tonight. That should provide some entertainment!

twinkjeep

One of my bridesmaids and I are using the app Nexercise. She got married in October and I am getting married this November. Knowing how great she looked motivates me, especially when I get a little ping that lets me know she has been to the gym! If you are competitive at all, the app is awesome.

[Deleted User]

I have motivation issues as well, and I love to just ignore my apps. I think I need someone to come yell at me twice a day. I would love to hire someone but trainers are so expensive!

Alyssa18o6

I've been "dieting" since April 23rd, and i've hit a wall. I've done pretty good up until this point and now my motivation is out the window. I think it's mainly because i'm an instant gratification type of person and even though I KNOW it takes a bit to see results my FI is dropping weight like it's nothing and I get discouraged. I've been over weight since I can remember, obviously thats gonna take some time to get off!! I use MyFitnessPal and I definitely recommend it! If anyone wants to be friends for motivation message me I also workout 4-5 times a week for about 2hrs each time. I shoot for an hour of strength training, and an hour of cardio. But sometimes I do more cardio if I didn't get enough strength training in.

kata18

I have motivational issues too. Usually I get my work out clothes on, drive to the gym and figure it our from there - in other words I work out. Green power smoothies have helped me from Super Supplements as well as adding mint leaves, strawberries and lemons to my water. Giving up dairy (minus the occasional cheese on food) helped me tremendously as dairy is loaded with hormones and sugar.

Exercise and eating clean is your best bet. Please remember that you don't have to give up your favorite foods to lose weight. Indulgence isn't a bad thing  

Kira & Jesus

Dbracarella said:

I am at the 6 month mark (friday, 6/6) and I don't know what my problem is! I have 6 months to lose the most weight possible.... I am ready to tape skinny people up on my fridge both at home and at work... what is everyone doing?! shakes? no carbs?

I actually made amazing experience with doing Focus T25 and substituting breakfast with Shakeology (which actually tastes amazing--chocolate is incredible!).  I lost over an inch on my hips and waist in just the firs three weeks--I was like whoa...but you have to commit to eating clean--it will change your body in amazing ways!

I had such great experiences that I'm starting an accountability group for brides where they can choose between T25, PiYo (a hybrid of pilates and yoga) or the 21 day fix...and we'll have fun keeping each other motivated to get ready for the big day.

Would you have any interest in joining in?  I can send you the details if you are.

peachy13

I think the biggest thing you can do for yourself right now is join a gym if you haven't already. Dieting has never worked for me... I'll eat super healthy and light for a week and then binge eat on junk for the following week and nothing changes. But when I exercise, I can still eat my normal stuff (not super healthy and not junky either). And when I am being really really good, I exercise everyday and eat a better version of my normal stuff (fruit instead of a muffin, salad instead of a sandwich, veggies instead of rice). One other major factor in my game plan is significantly decreasing my alcohol intake. That's when my body and mind really start to improve.

Let's be honest, doing these things SUCK. It's not fun for anyone, and all I can think about is vegging on the couch eating cheese and drinking wine all day. But what's six months of dragging yourself to the gym and eating salads when it means you'll have the best version of yourself for wedding day photos that last forever. Sorry for the tough love, I truly wish you a burst of motivation. Good luck!

novella1186

I suck at exercising. I used to run a lot when I played soccer, but now I absolutely despise running, and the last time I tried it I injured my ankle. I hate going to the gym, hate group classes... the trick for me was to find stuff that was fun so I wouldn't dread doing it. 

My FI also used to play soccer, so we'll go out and kick the ball around. Sprinting to stop him from scoring a goal doesn't feel like miserable running to me, because I'm focused on the game and doing more than just running. I also went to private kickboxing classes, which were totally out of my comfort zone and I've never done that type of thing before, but I ended up totally loving it and now I practice at home all the time. I've also found I like jumping rope; 100 jump ropes per day is pretty easy and tones your whole lower body plus is good cardio. 

Find the thing you enjoy or you're just going to quit. Think outside the box a bit and maybe try something new. It could be a great new experience as well as your favorite method of exercise.