working-out motivation

[cornflakegirl]

so lately i have been lacking this in a big way. i am looking for suggestions to get me back on track.

i just read about a great idea, which i am going to adopt. every time i work-out, i am going to put a few dollars into a jar to use for a self-indulgent activity. i am thinking about a massage or a facial. now, to make sure i have cash on me.

[mishl982]

Ooh that sounds like a good idea, Liz!

My motivation lately came from the realization that I have a beer belly that needs to go away. My bday is also coming up and the last thing I want is a belly!

[cornflakegirl]

the fact that i have gained 10 lbs overnight & none of my clothes fit is my other motivation.

[pisces2473]

I also need some serious motivation. This weekend, I ate garbage and drank. Ugh, I bet I gained like 5 lbs. I was in a gym phase for awhile, but I don't know what happened. I just stopped going. Grrr.

I'm trying to think of some goal to develop so that I'll get to the gym more often...hmm, maybe if I have some fitness challenge for myself, like "I'll lose 10 lbs by Christmas?" But then I'm like, Oooh I'll have that and that and that other treat and whooooops.

[biodork]

I've pretty much given up on working out until i get into my own place. The fact that I've actually tried exercising and it doesn't matter how much i do I'm just too exhausted from waking up super early and driving really makes it hard. I fall asleep the majority of the time once I get home, and wake up after an hour or two and am still tired enough to go to bed by 1030 later on.

[cornflakegirl]

i have all these great philosophies & ideas in my head, but i have a lot of trouble putting them into practice.

for instance, what i would ideally like to do is, instead of thinking that i want to lose 15lbs by x date, focus one workout at a time. one day at a time, because that is really all that i have control over. everything is a process. by setting a huge goal for myself, i instantly fall behind & feel bad about myself.

i also think a good dose of therapy would help me in this area. when i feel down & discouraged by my body & my life, i treat my body like crap. i don't eat well nor do i exercise.

[biodork]

Oh yeah not to mention that I have trouble eating right while at my parent's house, as it sucks having to go upstairs to cook when I don't want to be up there.

I think the day to day goal is a good idea. I could probably handle that much better myself actually. Maybe make a weekly log of weight, and take my measurements once a month. Bu

If I have to do too much though I prob won't follow through.

[bridgetjones]

It might be worth it to invest in a few sessions with a personal trainer to get you assessed and started with a routine. I did it to get started with weights. So far it is working and the advice was worth it. Plus if I am not at the gym, my trainer notices and I get glaring looks. :p Now it is rather like hygene again. In university, I felt gross if I did not workout regularly. Make it a habit...

The diet on the other hand... Ok I eat too much. Made a list of stuff to cut down on rather than count calories. I find it easier to exercise more than eat less. :cry:

[MetFanL]

Liz, I still use the 15 minute rule to get my a*s to the gym. You make a deal with yourself that if, after 15 minutes you STILL don't want to be there, you leave. That's it. If your not into it, it's not worth staying. And, FWIW, I've NEVER left after the 15 minutes. I usually feel better once I get going.

Therapy might help too, if you have the $$ to go. I have a dr's appt. tmw, and I think I'm going to get my 10 sessions for the year in now. I've been losing 10 lbs and then sabotaging my diet for the past year and that needs to stop. I know why, I just don't know how to deal with it. Good luck, sweetie.

[paiger81]

Seriously, my biggest motivation is to just put the work out clothes & shoes on. Once I've done that it's like "Ok, I've already come this far, so I have to do something". I also bought an elliptical a few weeks ago, it's in my living room, so it's conveniently located.

I do like the pay option. I was thinking of doing that for my exercise classes, cause I always find excuses not to go.

[bridgetjones]

Yeah I use the 10 minute rule too. Plus after 3 weeks it will become a habit. I think that is how long it takes to develop a habit. Keeping track of my progress is also a motivator - how far ran, amt of weight lifted, time spent, etc. Gives sense of accomplishment.

Not to mention there is less need for therapy after a long run. Then again I have never been to a therapist. Hmm... I just know that running 2-3 miles is probably better than any anti-depressant for most people. I should recall that next time I am really bummed.

[J-girl]

My biggest motivation is the feel good factor after. If I dont work out I start to get wierd aches and pains.

Yeah but dragging my ass out of the house is hard and the first 15 minutes at the gym are hard too. But I take my book and my music along with me so that helps time fly by.

Also I read somewhere if you buy nice work out gear you want to go to the gym more.

[tina1979]

This weekend I went shopping and bought 2 shirts that I really like in a size to small purposely. I hung them up in front of my window to give me motivation.

That and I bought another outfit that fits, but it'll look really cute after a few hundred situps. I am on the prowl, so this week I am seriously motivated to do as many crunches as humanly possible to look super cute for a guy on saturday. not a date, but I am hoping it will turn into one. :evil:

[Morgan81]

Here's my motivation:
DON'T BECOME THIS GUY!

[blueyes]

Motivation:
wedding to go to in 3 wks and counting
wedding to go to in 5 wks and counting
turning heads in the leather outfit (2 wks?)

I am actually only 3 lbs off my the upper end of my 'ideal' weight, and my doctor will scream bloody murder if I let my weight drop too much. She, however, will not have to pose in the eighteen scrillion pictures at said weddings. I do. I think she can kiss my butt for the next 5 weeks.

[and1grad]

I use visual aids. Famous people with bodies that I wouldnt mind having, especially ones that were overweight and arent now.

[wordsmith]

None of that works for me. My biggest barricade to motivation is that I'm just plain too exhausted 99 percent of the time, and there's no way I can get around that right now if nobody will offer me a different job. :(

[ollie11]

If you don't have the time or energy or money to go to the gym, even doing something as little as doing push-ups, crunches and lunges everyday at home can make a difference, especially if you cut down a little on what you eat. Do it when you wake up or before you go to bed everyday and start with 5 push-ups, 10 crunches, and 10 lunges (each leg) and build from there. At the very least, it's better than nothing.

[wordsmith]

You know what, though? That's not true, at least not in my experience. I can muster the energy to walk for a half hour a day, and it does absolutely nothing by way of visible results, even over a good span of time. I really need something more intense to really do any good, and I literally just do not have the energy for more than that.

[paiger81]

Jess-
I don't know how much you want to lose, but I know I lost the first 20 pounds just from watching what I ate. Maybe give that a shot first, then worry about exercise later.

And I agree that just pushups & crunches don't do a whole lot for me either. I need serious cardio classes to get my ass to lose weight.

Every body is different.

[wordsmith]

In my case, the issue's not eating. It's that my job requires 12+ hours of sitting on my ass. :( It shows. But when I get home late in the evening, I literally don't have the energy to do anything high impact. The solution is a new job, which is being worked on. But it's been being worked on for the better part of a year, so I'm not holding my breath. I just can't have a desk job with long hours. Not with my metabolism.

[bridgetjones]

Well walking is a good start and it is good for you. It keeps the French thin. Plus there has to be something you can cut out of your diet with no pain. I get the sitting on my ass job dilemna.

[cornflakegirl]

so i am now home from work & when i first got here i was motivated, but now it is dark & i am getting hungry. damn me for not hitting up the gym on my way home.