What is your secret that keeps you going?

19gabriela01

Mirror. I see a red, sweaty and tired face and messy hair. Sometimes I fell like I even want to cry. I put my hands on my knees and look deep into my eyes and tell myself that I haven't gone until here to just give up. I breathe heavily. And I realise my breath more than when in peace. It makes me feel alive. I am my motivation. And my belief than anything is possible.

ltworide

I look forward to killing it every time I work out regardless of what I'm doing. I love being healthy, being fit & beating my PRs. I like facing new challenges where mind meets body whether it's Tough Mudder, a 5k run, or learning a new sport, activity or exercise. Mental & physical health to me are equally important. I want to be fit enough to enjoy moving in many different ways whether it's Yoga, lifting heavy weights, Krav Maga, horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, archery, running or doing some speed, agility & balance work placing emphasis on coordinated movement.

IILikeToMoveItMoveIt

Mine is a two parter.
1. I don't like being fat.
2. I do like being thin and fit.

yesimpson

I like being slim, fit and feeling comfortable in my skin.

I also like collecting medals for taking part in races, so that motivates me too.

bioklutz

I work out because I like food and want to eat more of it. I also work out because I want getting older to suck less.

HappyHope0123

My biggest motivator is to be healthy. When I am around my family, it's like my mind gets reset. They are very overweight, and eat unhealthy. Mom and dad spent last week with us, and I didn't see my father eat a single piece of fruit (we have apples, bananas, oranges sitting on the counter). Mom is limited by her Crohn's disease what she can eat, but the sweets through brought were unbelievable...snacks for them are chips, dip, soda, ice cream, candy. For my husband and kids, ice cream happens once a month MAYBE...chips rarely, last time I bought soda was 2 months ago. Every now and then the teen boys will buy a soda with their money. We drink herbal teas and eat berry parfaits for snacks. Seeing mom and dad, and how limited they are in their mobility, not to mention their health issues, resets my mind every time!

Kullerva

Sad to say, but my family is my secret weapon in maintaining my healthy routines--especially my father's family. They are living, breathing examples of what happens when people fail to take care of themselves. I don't want to end up a smoking/drinking type 2 diabetic with high cholesterol and 30 extra pounds, like my grandfather, aunt, and dad. So I do things to prevent that. (My mother's family provides a more positive example of the benefits of self-care, but I've always been more responsive to consequences.)

jemhh

I like no longer feeling like I am creaky and old when I move or do anything requiring the slightest bit of flexibility.

I'm also just happier in general when I exercise, which I assume is due to endorphins. When I am in a better mood, I am nicer for others to be around as well. I very much enjoy exercise just for the sake of exercise. I don't consider myself to be that great at it but I enjoy doing it.

Fairysoul

I have always been active. Ever since I was a kid I have always done something. From gymnastics to ice skating to skiing to hiking even climbing mountains with my dad to track to snowboarding... even now I have taken up snowshoeing I love the adventure of it all.. and right now being fat puts a real damper on the things I love to do. My motivation is the need to adventure I want to be in shape so I can do the things I love and travel even when my kids get older! Find your passion!

toe1226

In college my exercise bio professor told me that exercise was a "human requirement" - we are an animal, and as a species, we require exercise, without it we will [slowly] grow sicker and die. You must sleep, you must eat, you must brush your teeth, you must exercise. You just gotta put it in your human animal list.

ninerbuff

Having the physical ability to still participate in sports and physical activities (rock climb, swim, etc.) like I did in my younger years. When I was younger, I promised myself (many kids did too) that I wouldn't get "old" and "slow" like my grandparents did.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

shadowfax_c11

I get exercise doing things I really love doing.

My job
Aikido
Working with horses.

Willbenchforcupcakes

Because there is no better feeling than nailing a pr that you've spent months working towards.

cwolfman13

Being healthy and fit is by far better than the multitude of health issues and crappy blood work I was having before. Being healthy and fit is pretty awesome.

joinn68

rankinsect wrote: »

I enjoy being active, particularly hiking, and a life goal of mine is to hike Kilimanjaro. Fitness is going to be important, even if it is the easiest of the seven summits.

Hey I did that! Easiest maybe but I didn't reach the top; too out of shape. Eternal regret. Now I walk/run hills 3 times a week and I just wish I could go back in time or... anyway. It was a great trip and you'll enjoy it

And this type of things is my motivation: not missing out again and again on stuff that fit people can do and to make sure my body can respond for many more years. use or lose it

paulandrachelk

My hairdresser says I can still " wear" jeans. I' m 73

shrcpr

My mental well-being is dependent on working out and being active. So, it's medication or exercise and I'm fortunate enough to be someone who can manage without medication as long as I exercise.

charliepertell

Put one foot in front of other once I start that's it I'm alive buzzing.it takes my body approx 35 mins to get warmed up proper than I'm on form.x it's the best buzz around .I use to weigh 19.2! Even then I tried to have some form of exercise. It was people that made that difficult but you know what I did this

ash_law

Iron_Miss_Canada wrote: »

Because there is no better feeling than nailing a pr that you've spent months working towards.

This right here. Getting that PR is an incredible high.

zdyb23456

my secret or motivation is that I love food... exercising consistently and hard means I get to eat more without blowing up like a balloon

my second secret is that I am very competitive, mostly with myself, but honestly I like beating other people

mpeters1965

jimmmer wrote: »

To crush my enemies. See them driven before me. Hear the lamentations of their women.

The usual stuff...

Although I love this answer above, mine is vanity, sanity and health. In my 20's it was only the first, after two kids and a desk job, I added the second. Once I hit my late forties I added the third.

Diana_GettingFit

What keeps me going is seeing the weight falling off. Seeing my old slim face re-appear in the mirror, the face I haven't seen in over twenty years. And seeing my lower fasting sugar numbers every morning and knowing I am staying off my diabetes medication. Nothing motivates you more than seeing continued success.

fiddletime

I've exercised for, gasp, a half century. I like to feel exhausted and drip with sweat. At 61 I'm still working out. I'm working on getting back to maintenance range and staying there. I like being able to do all the workout DVDs as its getting harder and I'm getting slower. I like doing resistance work too. I get up and work out before work and six days s week. It starts my day off perfectly. I don't need partners or other people around, i just do whatever exercise routine I'm into for that decade.

Stop1510

Being reminded by threads like these in mfp of how good it feels to finish a workout and how much better I feel mentally and physically if I keep at it consistently.

cocoradical

Maybe at the first couple of months you'll need motivation. But when your body gets used to it, it becomes a lifestyle. No need for motivation. You'll just want to do it. So probably the secret is, just to focus on making it your lifestyle. After that you'll be automatic. Just like eating.

mbaker566

i want to lose weight and be fitter-that's my secret, but it's not a secret at all

SparklySarah412

For me it's the desire to continually better myself

I must:
Lift a heavier weight than last time
Do more push-ups before I collapse in a heap
Run further than last time
Run faster than last time
Finish the workout I couldn't finish last time

At the end of each workout I write down exactly what I did so I can make sure the next one is better.

CoffeeNBooze

I don't feel like "me" when I'm heavier. I want to feel like myself and match what I feel on the inside to the outside. I want to be fully confident and for me part of that is having a very fit and healthy body. Also I want to look great in clothes and wear whatever I want! I also want to be able to run and jump and play just as I did as a child; that should never go away.

mochapygmy

My secret is 3 parts:

1) I remember how everything ached when I was heavier. I was slowly killing myself. It was so hard to run for a minute. My parents have medical problems that I don't want. They are old before their time.

2) I am really enjoying finding out what I/my body is capable of. I can lift heavy, bend into crazy poses, climb rock walls, kick bootcamp booty, spin like the devil, enjoy ocrs and play with my nieces and nephew for hours.

3) I don't want my nieces and nephew or anyone else I know, to be unhealthy and shorten their lifespan. I am an example that you can be healthy and do what you love. Also I am the crazy, fun, Aunt and my nieces and nephew need that energy in their lives for at least 50 more years.

Isca_1

I just started lifting in Aug of this year. I love it! Should have found this outlet 20+ years ago. I feel strong, both in and out of the gym. Everyday life is easier. I love that my kids "wanna come to the gym with Mom'. They are 10 and 6. I love that my 10 year poked my left arm the other day and said 'Dang Mom, you have a huge muscle there and it doesn't wiggle anymore!" Kids, gotta love em