The motivational thread!

[indigowulf]

I was thinking, I want to lose some weight and get in shape. I have goals, and reasons, but no motivation. Maybe if we make a thread where we share our goals and why, we can also post things to encourage eachother along those paths! My goal: lose 50 pounds (im 5'5" and 183- I gained 40 pounds in 2 years ugh!)

Reasons why: other then the obvious, that Ill feel better both healthy wise and about myself, I also have things I want to do! Granted, I have extreme neck damage and can never do things like my inspirational videos, but they still help get me off my rear and make me wanna jump around and get in shape.



Ooh update! I was weighed in at 183 about 12 days ago at the doc's checkup. I was very unhappy about it, and started trying to lose weight before I made this thread. According to the scale I just bought today, Im at 179. 4 pounds in 12 days. Yay!! Made a progress bar for myself in gimp since I cant find one that uses bbs code online. (also found out my scale doesnt work right on carpet- duh! lost 4 pounds tho, still happy!)


Sample inspirational things for me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myJj0mNNe1Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx1T9TO5A2w
and a giant OMG for this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pceio4hOmFQ


So-- post your goals and aspirations, or post your support and motivation for others, lets celebrate our accomplishments together!

[hiyoko]

I know what you mean indigo.^^ Personally, when I wanted to lose weight I stopped drinking soda, less sweets and some workout. In like a month or 2 (since this was 3 years ago), I lost 20 lbs. Also, another way that helps me is to look at a really cute/hot guy.

Go indigo! You can do it! *throws arms in the air*

[indigowulf]

heh thanks stop drinking soda.. ugh.. I should do that. That would be soooo hard.

Im 33 now, it didnt used to matter what I did, my weight stayed the same basicly from when I was 14 til I was 30 (120-135 pounds). Past 30- kaboom- I gain like a blimp.

Pokéwalker is helping me get excersize too Yay Nintendo!

Anyone else got goals they want to share?

pic taken march 23rd, completly relaxed:


Pic from I think 4 years ago- singing karaoke:

[Ryuukokoro]

Motivation for you: 3 completely random people (not connected in any way) have all told me in the past week that they cut soda out of their diet and all said they dropped 15-30 pounds. Not doing anything else, no exercising or diet anything, just stopped drinking soda.

[Taruia]

Wow...I wish I drank soda...but I gave it up over 10 years ago >.>

[red_uni387]

O_O soda does that? *is addicted to the stuff*

exercise first, then eat! this way you don't gain back the pounds you just exercised off my dad forgets to do this all the time, so his fat just sorta stays there XD

[indigowulf]

I'm going to start with a cut back on the soda. Right now, I kid you not, I drink about 4-8 cans a day. Im going to cut myself back to 2 a day for now.

The thread isn't just meant for me though- everyone else feel free to share goals as well

[red_uni387]

instead of just saying you'll cut back, try buying healthy stuff that comes in cans, like guava nectar mmm that stuff is good <3 not that healthy, but is healthier than soda

I personally need to find some way to gain weight without eating a ton of junk food (even though I already do that XD) helps? I'm at 99 right now, been trying for 100 for the last few months >.<

[Ryuukokoro]

Well personally I need help with motivation too.... >.> I always got straight A's in school without even studying hard, and I landed a job right out of college without really looking... I never had to really WORK for anything in my life! And it makes me kinda lazy I'm afraid... sigh... -_-

I'm trying to set aside time every day to work on my novels, but I keep putting it off and putting it off. Finding more fun or distracting things to do. I tell myself I will write when I get home from work, but then I'm too tired and want to relax. And I tell myself I'll write before I go to bed, but I find something on hulu to watch and then I'm too tired. And suddenly the whole day has gone by and I haven't written ANYthing.

If anyone has any ideas on how to get me set on a writing schedule or get me motivated to write every day, I'd love to hear ideas!

I feel particularly low about it right now. There was one guy in high school who was a close friend of mine but also a rival. He wanted to be a novelist just like I did, and we liked the same things but he was always better at everything than I was. I just saw his status update on Facebook, he has an agent looking at his manuscript to get it published. >.< I feel like such a loser since I have like seven novels STARTED but nothing even close to done... I'm already 27 years old and when I was a kid I told myself I would have a book published by the time I was 25 at the latest!

Secundi is half the problem. XD I am always here looking for new posts rather than writing like I should be... I just can't seem to motivate myself to DO it. Advice?

[Ryuukokoro]

I'm going to start with a cut back on the soda. Right now, I kid you not, I drink about 4-8 cans a day. Im going to cut myself back to 2 a day for now.

Idea: You could get a dry erase board and write the days of the week, and put two boxes under each day. Check off each box when you drink a can, and then you can see visually exactly how well you're doing on your goal.

I personally need to find some way to gain weight without eating a ton of junk food (even though I already do that XD) helps? I'm at 99 right now, been trying for 100 for the last few months >.<

Have you talked to a dietician? I think they're good for that. Only thing I can think of is that you're not eating the 2,000 calories a day that is the intake for the average person. Maybe make a list of everything you eat each day and count the calories, and see if you're close. I think there are websites that will help you plan out your daily meals and stuff that can help with that. (Like they'll tell you how many servings of meat, fruit, vegetables, etc. you should be eating each meal.)

[indigowulf]

250 words per day *nod nod* It helps immensly to get one of those progress bars. Seeing any sort of progress moving along towards your goal makes it harder to give up.
http://www.anthologiesonline.com/Articles/count_your_way_to_a_new_novel_by.htm


I like that progress bar- stealing my own idea!

[red_uni387]

ooo thanks Ryuu, shall try counting the calories

unfortunately I got an unfinished novel too, so don't really have advice XD

[Ryuukokoro]

ooooo I like the idea of a progress bar, too! Do you know where I can get one online?

*lightbulb above head* Oh! Since I visit Secundi all the time anyway, maybe I can motivate myself by keeping a tracker on HERE of the words I should be typing... *thinks*

[indigowulf]

Yes, junkfood, oddly enough, doesnt help everyone gain weight. If you have a "smart" body, it will simply pass the bad food through your system and not process it. Once your body is used to doing this, it will take it some time to re-train it and teach it to process healthy food. Junk food that goes out as fast as it goes in does nothing but cost you money lol. And you starve because your body refuses to poison itself.

oh- the only word count progress bar I know of is the one at Nanowrimo, Im not sure if its available at all times.
Found one!

http://languageisavirus.com/nanowrimo/word-meter.html

[Ravvana]

I lost a lot of weight several years ago (about 60 lbs). I was at my "goal weight" (via myself and BMI) for a while, but one way I convince myself to eat healthily most of the year is by allowing myself to splurge on holidays and vacations; that also gives my body a bit of a wake up call that, yes, the food I'm usually eating is comparitively healthy. By "splurge" I basically mean that I eat dessert. I never drink anything but water, sparkling water, or black decaf. coffee, and I haven't had fast food or the like since I was a kid. I don't bake using butter nor do I use it as a topping, and I don't eat cheese (yes, not even on pizza).

But anyway, my problem is that during my wonderful dude ranch vacation last month, I gained about 3 lbs. I lost the first pound easily, but I can't seem to shake the last two even after all this time As said before, I don't drink soda or eat the typical junk food, and I walk between 3 and 5 miles each day using an eliptical (in addition to riding my horse) -- I walk less if I eat less, and more if I eat more during the day. I admit that I have been a little lax about desserts compared to my normal rigidity (birthday party single-serving of cake, few cookies at a social event, pie a la mode at a buffet with my parents... nothing major, but some dessert every second or third day as opposed to no dessert at home).

Any advise on how to lose these last two stubborn pounds? I don't want to starve myself or work out to the point of unhealthiness, but I'm going to New York in mid-April and really want to start with a clean slate. Usually I have no problem dropping one pound in one week, but it's just not working this time x_X;;

[indigowulf]

according to my pokewalker, the walk I just took was 8876 steps long. Unfortunatly, its still cold enough to be freezing outside, I felt the mild twinge that warns me Ill get frostbite if I keep it up, so I had to stop. Stupid anemic/low blood pressure making it hard to stay warm

[Ryuukokoro]

I'm at Borders right now reading picture books as research for my own. ^_^ (I know, doesn't count as writing lol. I will do that when I get home!)

Random trivia of the day: did you know almost every picture book ever published is exactly 32 pages? Maaaagic!

[bewilderness]

I wish I could lose weight.  I'm reeeeeeally overweight.  I tried really hard this year, going to the gym even though I couldn't really afford it, and trying to eat right/eat less.  Even got my thyroid tested, which was normal.

For six months I did an amazing job, regularly in the gym 3 or 4 days a week, working my tail off, keeping a food diary, eating better, etc.  Guess how much weight I lost during that six months?  10 pounds.     And half of that was water weight because it came back the week I ran out of blood pressure pills (and dropped off again once I started taking them again)

Then I got bronchitis and have been fighting it for the last six months and haven't been able to go to the gym...plus the doctors keep having to give me steroid shots and steroid packs to keep the inflammation down so I can breathe...I now weigh more than I did when I got my gym membership.   

[Ryuukokoro]

Idea: Rather than getting a gym membership, why not go for a nice jog around the block once every day? It would save you lots of money and still get in the exercise! Plus you feel a lot better actually going somewhere than just running in place for two hours...

I love going for a jog and going right past the large windows of the gym on the corner of my block lol. XD And if you drink soda, you could always try dropping it! I've heard good results!

[Tribe]

Goal:After baby number two comes, whip my body back into the 20 year old shape it should be in.

Okay so in high school i adored myself and myself image right, now not so much. I let my self go to waste basically, barely ever eat and with two babies in two years my bodys just had it. So basically ive gotten to skinny, way to almost skinny sickly.

Gotta kinda start the goal to tone my body and gain back the weight i need after cason comes but i just want to watch this thread and be a part of it.

[Ryuukokoro]

How are we doing, guys? Have you kept yourself to 2 sodas a day, Indigo? Have you made a calorie diary for your days, red_uni? Any new ideas for shaking off those two pounds, Rav? ^_^

[red_uni387]

I has not made a calorie diary persay, just sorta kept track/guessed for a few days and have discovered that I don't consume 2000 calories o.o which is really weird cause I'm always hungry xD

[indigowulf]

Ive kept to 2 sodas most days, the rest Ive had less! The scale is stubbornly insisting I'm stuck at 177 now. Still, beats 183! After the initial system shock of cutting off my bloodstre... i mean soda.. Im getting back to not tired

[Ryuukokoro]

I don't pay too much attention to nutrition (bad Ryuu, I know lol) but I think 2000 or 2200 is the normal for an average person, so if you're trying to gain some weight, and you don't eat 2000 a day, sounds like you need to add some more healthy foods to your diet?

[Ravvana]

I'm basically just politely declining dessert even at social events and doing an extra mile each day. Lost 1 of 2 lbs so far Although my friends dragged me to a huge (and delicious) Indian buffet for lunch... so much food x_X;;

[Wolfs Fang]

My goal is to stop procrastinating.  

I've tried to do that for a while now, but I haven't really been serious about it. And procrastinating is NOT GOOD AT ALL. It's one of the reasons I don't get much sleep.   The problem is, I keep on getting away with it- I do finish my work. It's just that I put it off way more than I should.

~Fang

[Ryuukokoro]

Ive kept to 2 sodas most days, the rest Ive had less! The scale is stubbornly insisting I'm stuck at 177 now. Still, beats 183! After the initial system shock of cutting off my bloodstre... i mean soda.. Im getting back to not tired

Awesome! ^^ I know how it can be to have to get back on track after your body becomes addicted (and from the studies I've heard in health classes, sugar is JUST as addicting as caffeine and other less wholesome substances!)

I'm basically just politely declining dessert even at social events and doing an extra mile each day. Lost 1 of 2 lbs so far

Yay, Rav!! Halfway there! ^_^

[Ryuukokoro]

Wolf's Fang, I have that problem too... one of the reasons I don't write enough. -_-

Idea: When you wake up in the morning every day, make a list of a couple things you need to accomplish during that day. Like cleaning or homework or whatever. Include fun things too like a tv show that you wanted to catch. Then check off each thing as you get it done. You'd be amazed how great you feel when you go to bed and see you checked off everything on your list! I do this trick when I find myself walking by the trashcan or the dishes one too many times and I know I'm putting off work around my apartment...

[Ravvana]

Haha, I'm the opposite. I anti-procrastinate, which, yes, is just as bad. When I'm assigned a month-long project, I work and cram and fret over it for the first few days, and then I'm done. It's as much of a stressful time-crunch as procrastinating, just earlier x_X;;

[red_uni387]

wow Rav that sounds like what one of my friends does o.o
(fangy you should know who I'm talking about)

and yes I need more healthy food! so far all but my breakfast(eggs) has been bread

[Ryuukokoro]

Well no wonder you're not gaining weight!!! *pokes red with a stick* Eat some MEAT girl!!! >:B

*Ryuu is an avid carnivore* >.>

[red_uni387]

I do eat meat! tastes soo much better than veggies XD we're having ham(yuck) tonight, so that will be my meat for today plus whatever food group mustard is lol

[Ravvana]

Bleck. I just ran 5 miles on the elliptical... I am so, so very dead right now x_X;; 580 calories are so not worth that

[Wolfs Fang]

Ugh. I'm not meeting my goal. I just caught myself procrastinating again.  Hmm. Maybe I should start small.

Ok. My goal for tonight is to finish all my work by 02:00:00 Secundi time. If I don't complete my goal, or if you see me online between now and 02:00, feel free to throw something at me or PM a reminder. xD

*scurries off* >_>

Wolf's Fang, I have that problem too... one of the reasons I don't write enough. -_-

Idea: When you wake up in the morning every day, make a list of a couple things you need to accomplish during that day. Like cleaning or homework or whatever. Include fun things too like a tv show that you wanted to catch. Then check off each thing as you get it done. You'd be amazed how great you feel when you go to bed and see you checked off everything on your list! I do this trick when I find myself walking by the trashcan or the dishes one too many times and I know I'm putting off work around my apartment...

Thanks. I'll try doing something like that.

~Fang