Buy Walking VideosLosing Motivation
Every few months, I lose my motivation. It happens quite regularly. In fact, because I’m such a statistician, I have tracked my dips in motivation. They happen for two reasons: I’m too strict with my diet or something hurt my feelings.
The first reason that I lose motivation is something I’ve struggled with since I started this program in 2002. I’m too strict. I will restrict my diet too much. I will limit my calories to the bare minimum. I will exercise like I’m training for a marathon. I’m a strong person and I can keep this up for a month or two, but when my body finally screams for more food, I end up bingeing. I’ve been able to hold off those binges by actually eating more each day. I eat at the upper level of my calorie range. I may lose slower, but I also avoid those binge slips that have plagued me since the beginning.
The second reason that I lose motivation is because I realize how hard it’s going to be to finish this project. Maybe some hurtful thing from the past resurfaces. Maybe I remember what it was like to be a fat child in elementary school. Maybe a brown-haired girl points at me at the gym and laughs.
This reason for losing motivation can hit me like a ton of bricks. The only way I have found that helps me is writing. I fire up MS Word and start typing. Sometimes I am able to cull the swear words enough to post the emotions here, but most of the time I am just trying to figure out the problem and how I can feel better about it. Most of the time, one or two pages of text is enough to make me feel better and get my head in the right spot.
Here are some of the questions that I ask myself to help me figure out what’s going on:
- Why do I feel this way?
- What’s the point?
- Is all of this worth it?
- Why did I start this program?
- Why do I feel like quitting?
- What has brought me to this point?
- Why does it bother me that other people haven’t noticed my progress?
- Why does it bother me when people DO notice my progress?
- What can I do to boost my motivation?
Make a pact with yourself to write down what is going on in your head when you find yourself unmotivated. Stop whatever you are doing and start writing. Ask yourself these questions and get yourself back on track. You and your health are worth it, so get back in the game.
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February 7th, 2005 at 5:33 pm
Hey. Stay in the game! I found your site through a series of links from the forums at getupmove.com – I’m excited to see that so many people are on a crusade to get healthier. I’ve got a lengthy road ahead of me to reach my goals. I haven’t even set them yet. I guess I should get started. Take care of yourself!!
March 15th, 2005 at 12:40 am
what you’ve said about pouring your heart out on ms word is really true. i work from home, and sometimes do feel real low and ‘unmotivated’ especially if you’re living with a grumbling mother-in-law that frequently putting you down with sarcastic words and you still have to put on that smile and stay polite…well, yeah, your method works to lighten up a low day!
April 15th, 2005 at 3:29 pm
I’ve read a couple of these posts and several things have been close to home. I’m just starting my fitness/diet program (3 weeks and counting). Thanks for sharing.
May 10th, 2006 at 11:33 am
think i was looking for a different answer. but can see where your coming from and relate to it. my thing is just these past 3 weeks my training regime has gone from 3 x a week to 1 for 3 weeks. now when im trying to get back to 3 x my run time for 1.5 mile has plummeted. (other factor is going from treadmill time to road run time) but from 9.05 to 10.40 is a jump too far. also the road run im struggling to do in one go. (stop the timer get breath and carry on) i too am beating myself up at slowing up and getting un-fit. im a 37 year old (38 next week)paranoid about getting old and past it. and looking for an explanation of why ive suddenly slowed up.