Do you ever find yourself waiting for a certain event or date to finally start changing your lifestyle or pursuing a goal? Then, once that moment passes and nothing changes, you end up picking another future event to motivate yourself all over again, repeating the same cycle because you didn’t follow through the first time. I know that feeling well, because it happens to me more often than I’d like to admit.
For example, I told myself I would start exercising more once my classes ended, since I’d have more free time. My classes ended a month ago, and I’ve probably worked out only five times since. It makes me wonder: how can I build the discipline to actually follow through on the changes I want to make in my daily life, especially the ones that would benefit my health?
Back in 2019, I managed to lose a significant amount of weight. I went from 238 pounds down to 176. Now I’m back at 204. I’ve regained 28 pounds, and every day I find myself frustrated, afraid of gaining even more. It took so much effort to get to 176, yet I can’t seem to stay motivated the way I once was.
I know I’m not alone, most of us have something we struggle with. Some people are trying to keep a steady job, some are trying to gain weight, and others are simply working on being kinder human beings. Believe it or not, even being nice doesn’t come naturally to everyone.
Thinking back to 2019 and everything we’ve all gone through since then, I’ve decided it’s time to let go of the past and start fresh today.
Reading through my notes from March 14, 2019 at 1:13 AM, I found this entry:
“The last time I was under 199 pounds was probably in 2009 or maybe even 2010. I never thought the day would come when I’d see that number again. Staying motivated has always been a challenge for me. Some weeks the scale wouldn’t budge at all, and it drove me insane. But then there were other weeks when it dropped drastically. I read countless articles and tried so many diets. Eventually, I had to find what worked for me.”
What really worked for me was sticking to a daily 1600-calorie goal and burning 300 to 500 calories at the gym about four times a week. With that calorie limit, I could eat whatever I wanted, and even on days when I hit around 2000 calories, going to the gym and burning 500 helped balance everything out. I never wanted to be the person constantly saying, “Oh no, I can’t eat that,” or “I’m trying to make better choices.” I wanted a lifestyle with no restrictions, where I could still the not so healthy foods.
When it came to working out, though, it honestly took me four months to even take the first step. I bought my gym membership in September 2018, but I didn’t actually start using it until February 2019. The good thing is that my gym was open 24 hours, so I really didn’t have an excuse not to go. My only goal was to show up four times a week and burn at least 300 calories and maybe 500 on the rare days when I pushed harder.
Even after working 10-hour shifts, I still made myself go. Seeing other people working toward the same goal to get fit helped motivate me. And the gym never felt repetitive because there was always something different to try. I didn’t have to do the same exact routine every time. I explored different exercises because my mind does not do well with strict repetition. Having variety kept me engaged, and it made the gym feel less like a chore and more like something I could actually stick with.
What kept me motivated the most was simply the feeling of fitting into my clothes again. It was such a relief knowing my buttons weren’t about to snap or that I didn’t need to use a hair tie to add extra room to my jeans. My pants started fitting loosely, and even my tops felt more comfortable. That feeling alone pushed me to keep going.
Reading all of this now reminds me of the drive I had back then. Right now, I’m only five pounds away from being under 199 again. I know I can lose five pounds in two weeks if I return to my calorie deficit and go back to burning 350–500 calories at the gym. Every day is a new chance to follow through with what I want, and even if I only meet myself halfway, it still counts as a win. The hardest part is just getting started, once I complete one day, I can do two, then three, and eventually reach that mini goal.
Setting small goals has always been more successful for me than setting one huge, overwhelming goal. Mini goals feel achievable, and they build momentum.
I’m not sure if anyone will make it through this long blog post about my motivation and struggles with weight loss. But if you do, feel free to share some tips that help you reach your own mini goals. I’d love to hear what works for you.
