How Do You Stay Motivated? 30 Tips from MyFitnessPal Users!

Staying motivated can be tough under the best circumstances. So what happens to your healthy eating and exercise goals when the chips are down? Often, they get pushed aside and bad habits sneak back into the daily routine. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We asked MyFitnessPal users on Facebook, “How do you stay motivated to reach your goals?” Read their tips and use them to stay on track the next time you need a pick me up!

Look at How Far You’ve Come

• ‪“I think of how far I’ve come—I’ve lost 315lbs., and how I feel now, which is awesome!” —Les S.
• “My motivation is knowing I’ve come too far to quit now.” —Erin S.
• “Taking pictures every 30 days really helps. If you have been working out and tracking your calories, you may not see the scale move much, which is frustrating. But if you look at your photos every 30 days, you will see a leaner body and inches lost!” —Christina P.
• “I wear two ankle bracelets. One shows how many inches my waist was when I started, and one shows where I want to be. Whenever I lack motivation, I take them off and compare them to where I am now.” —Elizabeth A.
• “Looking at how happy and comfortable I looked in old pictures before I put the weight on. Looking at pictures since I put the weight on—my smile looks forced and my clothes look uncomfortable when I dress up. A healthier me is a happier me!” —Kathee B.

Get Inspired by Others

• “I surround myself with motivated people with similar goals!” —Jennifer R. H.
• ‪“Reading success stories and seeing my logging count increment: 502 days and counting!” —Tom W.
• “I have my bad days, but just seeing other people progress and succeed keeps me going.” —Tessica M.
• “I just picture all the jerks who called me fat or made fun of me while growing up and that pushes me even harder to prove that I CAN DO IT!” —Amy B.
• “Helping others meet their goals motivates me to push myself harder towards my own.” —Richard J.

Lean on Friends and Family

• “I look at my children. They deserve a healthy mom.” —Heidi H. P.
• “Doing this with my wife, Melissa. She’s a hottie!” —Perry O.
• “I have a nice bet going with a friend.” —Billie J. P.
• “Set small goals, set targets and rewards for both small and large goals, and post on Facebook for support from friends and family.” —Lisa T.
• “My husband/cheerleader/weight loss partner. I wouldn’t have been able to lose over 100 pounds without him!” —Laura S.

Get Excited about New Clothes

• “I love looking at clothes on Pinterest to keep me motivated.”—Sarah Marie B.
• “New workout clothes and shoes—it’s worked for over 3 years now!” —Kelly E. S.
• “I buy a pair of pants or a shirt that is a couple of sizes too small.” —Roberto M.
• “I bought a dress to wear for a special event this summer. It fits okay, but I want to look amazing in it by August!” —Krista Danielle E.
• “My closet full of cute clothes that I haven’t been able to wear since getting pregnant and having a baby. I WILL be back in those clothes!” —Addie L. F.

Rely on MyFitnessPal

• “Every time I click the link at the end of the day and it tells me how much I would be in 5 weeks if I continued to have the same progress—that keeps me encouraged.” —Doug C.
• “Loving the little messages on the [android] app now! Feel a little thrill every time it tells me I’ve made a good choice!” —Katherine E.
• “My food diary on MyFitnessPal is the only thing that has ever worked to keep me from gaining weight.” —Gina H. R.
• “The best way is to have a MyFitnessPal partner! I had my daughter-in-law. She got me started on the program, and it worked beautifully for both of us! I still frequently thank her.” —Linda J. L.
• “I have MyFitnessPal friends who keep me motivated on the app. And I read the Success Stories forum a lot.” —Aaron D.

Start Moving

• “I register for mud runs and obstacle course events.” —Karie M.
• “Exercise before breakfast. There’s nothing better than seeing that you can eat more calories than you started the day with!” —Joanne J.
• “My wonderful daughter encouraging me and entering us in 5Ks keeps us motivated.” —Angela S. P.
• “Sometimes, the only thing getting me out the door for a run is if I’m already in my workout clothes. Everyday, I wake up and put on my pants, sports bra, shirt, and tennis shoes. Just putting on the clothes makes me think, ‘Well, I’m already dressed, might as well go for it.’” —Tracy L. C.
• “Exercising first thing every morning before I can talk myself out of it. I go at 7:00am everyday, except Sunday.” —Janet C.

Did we miss anything? What helps you stay motivated? Share in the comments below.