Mental road blocks on the path to success

rosshildick3d

Hi there - just want to get something off my chest here and if you choose to reply at all, then thanks


I enjoy food. a lot. and changing my meal plan and eating healthily isnt SUCH a bad thing and I'd sayI'm about 40% of the way from where I was in my diet to where I want to be and how I know I should be eating so the whole diet thing isnt a massive deal.

Phycially though, I want a good body (don't we all, I know... )
I am currently that chubby average Jo you see on the street; I look like this because I hate working - in fact, I hate making an effort for anything. For a living, for my health. Just generally lazy.
The thought of working out excites me because I know its the way forward to a good body and ultimately - happiness. However as soon as I start working out, that all fades away. I hate the feeling of getting out of breath, sweating and the thought of stopping and the reward of simply not having to do this any more FAR outweighs the rewards of a good body if I continue. Whenever I start working out, there's NOTHING I want more than to immediately stop and do something I actually enjoy.

Sound like a lost cause, huh? I certinately feels like it every day.

Has anyone else felt like this about working out? Am I a lost cause? Can anyone relate? or is there some way out of this way of thinking?

I know some people simply love the feeling of working out... love that "pump" in the gym you get... I just want to be like that and actually enjoy it. For me, that's 90% of the battle.

Thanks for reading.

SHORT VERSION: I hate working out. Help.

rachellosesitall85

Hello,

Yes, I completely understand. I have a solution for you. Walk. Just walk. The 1st few days you'll huff and puff and get sweaty but you can always shorten your strides and scale back; just.keep.moving. Over time you will start feeling better, gaining energy so you crave some physical activity, and you'll lose weight. If you don't want to stop eating the foods you love; simply eat off of smaller plates. I don't think you're a lost cause; you're obviously just lazy and laziness can be reversed by doing just a bit more everyday.

You want the body, you're going to have to earn it or accept being that boring, average Joe for the rest of your life and I highly doubt you want that because if you did you wouldn't be here. Good luck!

morgbove

I agree, you're not a lost cause but as Rachel said it has to be earned. Likewise I am a sweaty person and hardly ever want to work out. But I give myself a task and push myself until I am finished even if it's a small goal. When I've reached my goal in the treadmill you'll see me giving myself a high five--yes, in public. And I constantly ask in my head during the sweat and wanting to stop feelings "are you a quitter?" "No, I'm a fighter".
Focus on the small(but hard)goals and you'll see the reward.
Good luck and keep moving!

gothicfires

This is my story from 10 years ago. I have a genetic disorder that affects my skeletal system and as a side affect, my muscles. Doing anything for a period of time is going to be painful. Exercise wasn't high on my list of loves. Then one day I stood up and getting my balance took longer than normal. It usually takes 5 seconds for my muscles to decide they want to support me. But this time was longer and wrong... I stepped on the scale and I was 191.8lbs. Not only did I need to loose weight but I also needed a cane.

So I started counting calories. That was it. I was just super strict with what I ate. I didn't want to be bothered to learn what was healthy (this was the wrong path, i know that now). So I only bought premade meals. If it wasn't 'good' for me, I didn't buy it. If i wanted ice cream or a soda I had to leave the house to get it. I dropped 32lbs without any exercise at all. Then I decided I should start being more active. So I started walking. I had a mp3 player and I put in music that made me feel good. And then I made the mental decision to find joy in what I was doing. For someone who has difficulty moving, moving in itself is a gift. Being able to move is a joy that most people take for granted. Not only was there joy in being able to put one foot in front of the other for 1.4 miles I felt great after it. For those short months I woke up every morning because I had to take that walk. I lost another 10 pounds.

Now I can't walk for exercise. I can barely stand for more than 10 minutes without great pain. Perhaps I will gain some time by loosing weight but I'm pretty sure I screwed myself out of being able to walk for any distance again. I am on disability and it is a struggle not because I don't like it... but because I was born with this struggle. When I exercise it is in a pool or in a chair. Neither of those are appealing to me but when I am exercising I focus on the joy of moving and remember that I am going to feel great afterwards. Perhaps not physically because no matter how I do it, I am going to hurt. But mentally I feel so much better because I did it. I did it because I needed to do it and that is an accomplishment and worthy of that good feeling.

So find a way to find joy in whatever you are doing at the moment. Do what you need to do and be proud of that.

edited to fix grammar

JoRocka

The struggle is real. Most people really don't enjoy (I say most but there are people who do- you masochists you)- ACTUALLY working out- most people piss and moan their way through it- but they love the results- and they love the feeling of accomplishment. Focusing on something small and no overwhelming like walking- can get you up and moving-and give you a sense of accomplishment.

As you become more fit- you can do more- do longer and you're less miserable. But keep in mind not ever workout is a high- not ever workout is awesome- sometimes you just show up and get it done- you don't have fun- weights feel hard- distanced covered before feel impossibly long- it happens. And it's okay.

The worst part of exercising- actually anything difficult in life- is getting started. Most of the time once you're in it- you can do it.

so start small- allow yourself to have small victories. And allow yourself to realize you may not EVER love exercise- but you gotta do the thing that needs doing. so start small and don't try to convince yourself of it- just do it and check the box and maybe you'll realize as you get better at it you no longer "check the box" and you start to enjoy that "whew KILLED IT" feeling.

cwolfman13

find something you enjoy doing...working out doesn't have to mean jumping around your living room to some dvd or droning away on some piece of equipment in the gym...personally, I love to ride my bike, hike, walk my dog, and swim a little.

rosshildick3d

Thanks for the support, all. I appreciate the struggle of working out for health reasons and mental states... but the truth is, I don't have anything wrong with me. I have a good job and am quite comfortable and I'm not extremely overweight so the NEED to work out simply isn't there like I suppose it is for a lot of people - really shouldn't be anything to complain about... I think the main thing to take away from your replies, collectively, is that I need to find some way of enjoying it... and a REASON to be doing it. The only problem is that, there isnt one (and like I said - the desire to get that good body is gone as soon as I start working out - I need some way to overcome this and keep the desire for a good body to overcome the desire to simply stop and catch my breath)

I really appreciate all your replies so far - thank you I hope this helps out other people too!

lilbthebasedgod

I have a few friends that definitely feel like this, and at one point in my life I have felt like this as well. This might sound really stupid, but once I started working out, I started seeing the shower I take after a nice workout as a "reward", something I've earned for my hard efforts that day for working out. Soon as you know it, my mentality towards exercised slowly changed (it took maybe about two months for it to kick into a habit) and now, I just can't picture a week without working out. It just feels so great and the shower afterwards feels even more heavenly because I "earned it" haha

melholmes80

Omg, it's like I wrote your post

butterflylady86

This journey is hard. We all go through it. You will do it if you really want it. Good luck to you.

TavistockToad

rosshildick3d wrote: »

I look like this because I hate working - in fact, I hate making an effort for anything. For a living, for my health. Just generally lazy

This is what you need to work on....

teresanesselrode2015

rosshildick3d wrote: »

Hi there - just want to get something off my chest here and if you choose to reply at all, then thanks


I enjoy food. a lot. and changing my meal plan and eating healthily isnt SUCH a bad thing and I'd sayI'm about 40% of the way from where I was in my diet to where I want to be and how I know I should be eating so the whole diet thing isnt a massive deal.

Phycially though, I want a good body (don't we all, I know... )
I am currently that chubby average Jo you see on the street; I look like this because I hate working - in fact, I hate making an effort for anything. For a living, for my health. Just generally lazy.
The thought of working out excites me because I know its the way forward to a good body and ultimately - happiness. However as soon as I start working out, that all fades away. I hate the feeling of getting out of breath, sweating and the thought of stopping and the reward of simply not having to do this any more FAR outweighs the rewards of a good body if I continue. Whenever I start working out, there's NOTHING I want more than to immediately stop and do something I actually enjoy.

Sound like a lost cause, huh? I certinately feels like it every day.

Has anyone else felt like this about working out? Am I a lost cause? Can anyone relate? or is there some way out of this way of thinking?

I know some people simply love the feeling of working out... love that "pump" in the gym you get... I just want to be like that and actually enjoy it. For me, that's 90% of the battle.

Thanks for reading.

SHORT VERSION: I hate working out. Help.

I know exactly how you feel! I get all pumped up and motivated and do real good for about two months then bam i hit a wall of boredom or don't see the results i want and slowly stop exercising

Lourdesong

rosshildick3d wrote: »

Thanks for the support, all. I appreciate the struggle of working out for health reasons and mental states... but the truth is, I don't have anything wrong with me. I have a good job and am quite comfortable and I'm not extremely overweight so the NEED to work out simply isn't there like I suppose it is for a lot of people - really shouldn't be anything to complain about... I think the main thing to take away from your replies, collectively, is that I need to find some way of enjoying it... and a REASON to be doing it. The only problem is that, there isnt one (and like I said - the desire to get that good body is gone as soon as I start working out - I need some way to overcome this and keep the desire for a good body to overcome the desire to simply stop and catch my breath)

I really appreciate all your replies so far - thank you I hope this helps out other people too!

You may just be thinking too far ahead. Do you have a desire to work out and not have to stop and catch your breath? That might be something to shoot for, just improving your fitness level and endurance. A good body (as you imagine it) may be so off yonder that it may seem too out of reach and too much trouble. A good body really should be a consequence of achieving mini fitness goals.

The couch to 5k (c25k) app might be good for you.

arditarose

Hey, what kind of exercise are you doing? I hate cardio so I do it like once every month. Lifting on the other hand...it's fun, for me at least. And I feel like it changes my body more drastically than cardio.

shancourcy16

Have you thought of maybe doing HIIT workouts, theres a lot that are under 10 mins, im not a huge fan of working out but i do like walking my dog and swimming!

cj94404

You are overthinking it. I agree about walking. Just walk. Go on a hike with friends. If you live in a city do an urban hike. I had a friend get ready to climb Kilamajaro by just walking to work with her boots and backpack on. Forget the gym for now.