Losing motivation to exercise

nevergiveup66

Hey everyone

Just wondering if anyone has some tips and tricks on how to stay motivated to work out?

TavistockToad

what are your goals?

nevergiveup66

My goal is to lose 100 pounds.

TavistockToad

nevergiveup66 wrote: »

My goal is to lose 100 pounds.

you dont need exercise to do that.

making some fitness goals might give you more incentive to work out?

88olds

Agree that exercise is vastly overrated as a weight loss strategy. Try calorie counting supported with a food diary. Calculate a modest calorie deficit and start crunching numbers. That’s basic weight loss.

But exercise does great stuff for our brains and makes a good compliment to weight loss. I look on working out as where I learned incrementalism. Incrementalism is the heart of significant weight loss. That may not make sense, but stick with it you’ll see.

Motivation to work out? My first workout was 8 min on the stationary bike that I dragged out of the corner of the basement. At 285lbs, 8 min was the most I could do. I got on that bike Monday through Friday. Saturday I took a long walk. I don’t recall how long I stayed at that. Later added a treadmill and eventually moved to the gym.

I think it’s best to try to plan for some kind of daily activity with 1 rest day. It doesn’t matter much what it is at first. Just schedule a time and stick to it. Even when my “workouts” were 10-15 min I made a big deal out of putting on my workout clothes and sticking to the routine.

Avoid the notion that you need to always go longer or with more intensity than yesterday. Do a slow ramp up. Don’t beat yourself up. Work on establishing a habit. The good news is that exercise is very habit forming. More good news is I can tell you as a fact that losing 100lbs is possible. Never quit.

cheryldumais

I lost 100 lbs with nothing but a calorie deficit and walking as exercise. Find something you enjoy and that in itself will motivate you.

amusedmonkey

Food is a powerful motivator for me. When I exercise I get to eat more, and I like eating more. This has kept me consistent because I don't want to stop eating more.

Some people are motivated because they have certain fitness goals and achieving them makes them feel good. They stay motivated because they really want that good feeling of achieving a fitness goal.

Some people enjoy their chosen activity. They're motivated to keep doing them because they like the way it feels to do that activity.

Some people use activity to manage certain conditions, like anxiety, blood sugar/pressure control, or mobility issues. Not exercising makes them feel worse, so they're motivated to keep doing it.

See the commonality? In all of these cases, motivation comes from exercise serving a need/strong want. What need or strong want do you feel exercise could provide you? If you can't find a reason to exercise you aren't likely to keep doing it. Good news is that you don't have to exercise to lose weight, another good news is that there are so many types of activities to choose from that if you really do want to be active you may be able to find something you enjoy. Lately, I'm into laser tag.

AnnPT77

I'm one of the "find the exercise you love to do" people (ideally, something you find so fun you'd do it even if it weren't good for you).

There are so many ways to burn extra calories and get fitter: Disc golf, biking, walking, swimming, dancing (lots of types), martial arts, weight lifting, rowing, running, group classes, skating, games (basketball, baseball, pickleball, tennis, badminton . . . .), active-body-movement-type online or video games, YouTube exercise videos of all types, and so much more.

Try something fun, and give it enough time to get past the inevitable "I'm so awkward, feels impossible" at the start. Everyone felt like that at first, even the other people who're doing it but looking so cool and on top of things now.

Best wishes!

TexasTallchick

If you can afford it, buy a FitBit. Having something strapped to my wrist all day that tells me how active I’m being is a real motivator. It also syncs with MFP, so it adds your burned calories to your diary so you can see them every day. My burns per day are in the thousands, but I don’t eat any calories back unless I’m very hungry. Add me as a friend if you’d like. 😊

cwolfman13

Do "exercise" that you enjoy. I hardly think of my exercise as exercise...most of my "exercise" is active recreation and hobby. I mostly cycle, either just out to have a good time on my bike and let my thoughts wander, or commute to the store or something. I also walk my dog most days, enjoy hiking in the mountains and doing a little rock climbing here and there and playing in the pool with my kids. Thinking about picking up golf again this summer...haven't played in a few years.

The only thing I consider to really be a "workout" is my 2-3x per week in the weight room...everything else is just being out and active and having fun.

smantha32

Personally, exercise felt really hard when I had a lot to lose. I would say manage your calories and maybe go for short walks and do reps with moderate weights until it gets a bit easier. I didn't really feel like I could exercise without dying until the first 30 pounds came off.

sammidelvecchio

I convince myself in a funny way. I tell myself to just take my pre-workout, and if I still don't feel like working out then I don't have to. But...I have never not felt like it after taking pre-workout so it has been a good strategy so far.

I also second the fit bit thing. I have a Garmin, and it gets me moving more casually through out the day, instead of thinking I have to devote x amount of time before or after work to exercise. It's a balance for me. As a previous collegiate athlete, some days I just get resentful at all the hours of my life I spent working out, so on those days, walking throughout the day will work just fine.

emmies_123

To second some great ideas here:

-Agree with Sammi: Do a pre-workout and get started. Tell yourself that if you really don't want to keep moving after 10 minutes, you can stop. Chances are once you start you will finish your routine.

- Agree with Cwolfman & Ann: Find a workout you enjoy doing. My husband cycles on a stationary bike for an hour or so each day, I HATED that and could not find motivation to keep doing it consistently. Instead I found youtube workout videos, which he later tried and hated. Everyone is different, and if you find something you enjoy it won't feel like a chore to work out.

- If you have something you enjoy doing, mix it up so it doesn't go stale. I started losing my motivation after doing the same suggested pre-made video routine for a few months. So I made myself a new one that lasts longer and has no repetition of videos, so I don't get bored.

-And at the end of the day, if you are going to take a break from a habit it is better to choose exercise instead of diet changes. What and how much you eat will affect your weight loss sooner than exercise will.

jqmartini12

I tricked myself into exercise sometimes and used the "what's 10mins of my time, just walk 10mins. Just walk around the room, it's easy enough". I used to say that a lot to myself. After a month I got into the habit of doing it 6 (sometimes 7) days a week. Then once I realized I established that routine I started adding to it. I'd say "why not add 3 more minutes, what's 3 minutes on top of my 10, that's basically a cool down". Then a week after that I'd add a few more minutes, and another week add more minutes. Eventually I got up to an hr which was hard bc at the time I was a stay at home mom with a 2yr old child and postpartum depression that I was working on. That was 2 years ago. Here I am today, I've now had another baby and trying to stay over again so I can understand motivation. I have an almost 4yr old and a 10mon old so I feel less motivated bc I'm tired. I am proud to say I've kicked the PPDep! But during nap time I tell myself again, what's 10mins of your time? I'm now up to 40-45 minutes.

So, what's 10mins of your time?

lorrpb

I'm convinced exercise is very important even though, yes, you can lose weight without it but you'll be much better off in the end with it. I lost 150 lbs while walking & strength training (and of course following a deficit). Exercise helped me feel better, retain what little muscle I started with, regain my functionality, and address health issues. I didn't really need more motivation than that. With 100 to lose, you may have some of these concerns too. In end, I feel it helped me look and feel better when I reached goal and I have continued exercising 2+ years into maintenance.

ashleyih

Honestly-when I’m sick of exercising, I make myself go on a walk for an hour or so.
Pick a good podcast or
Great music and make yourself do it! Burns more calories than nothing!

iDad74

nevergiveup66 wrote: »

Hey everyone

Just wondering if anyone has some tips and tricks on how to stay motivated to work out?

Surround yourself with like-minded people who are at and above your level.

valentina5780

Remember WHY you started the journey.