How to stay motivated?

[Sparrow86]

I was doing SO well, eating healthy and exercising every single day (even if it was just an evening walk). The flu caught me and I was down for a week. I didn't just not lose during that week, I actually gained 3 pounds and I'm just feeling down. How do I stay motivated when things out of my control hinder my progess?

[Esya]

Acknowledge them and remind yourself that they were out of your control. Accept the fact it happened and that it is in the past. You started making the changes because there was a reason you wanted to. Get your focus on that reason again and tomorrow is a new day with new opportunities to make the right choices again. You did the right thing by taking rest and healing first.

There will always be bumps in the road, but it is a marathon and not a sprint.

[Ukase · Accepted solution]

Struggle is good; it means you haven't given up. 

When you're not feeling well, I think it would be insane to deny yourself calories 

to maintain your diet. The body has to have the resources to fight bacteria or a virus. I’m not suggesting you have all you can eat Ben & Jerry’s, but a little TLC can make a miserable time a little more bearable. 

Also – keep in mind that our bodies will vary in weight throughout a diet. Up, down, up, down, the same, up, the same, the same, the same, down 4#’s, up 3.5#’s, the same, the same, down 1#, the same, etc. 

What matters is – really, how are you feeling? Unless you’re a fitness model or a professional athlete, it really doesn’t matter if you’re 5# heavier or lighter as long as you’re healthy and feel well. 

In short, get back on the diet and get back on track. You’ll be where you were in no time.