Loss of motivation

tamsin_hartley
tamsin_hartley Posts: 4 Member
in Motivation and Support
Recently I’ve been pretty religious with hitting the gym and a strict diet eating clean. However, due to my job and the fact I works shifts means I can’t go to the gym everyday or at set times meaning it sometimes ruins my flow and makes me lose motivation.

Also, when I’ve been so meticulous with everything for a while, I virtually have a complete loss of motivation as it becomes a bit tedious and boring- especially if I’m not seeing much in the way of results or weight loss.

Is it okay to take a day or two to reset, lay off the gym and be less strict with my food and then try to get back into the swing of things? How can I get re motivated again? Any tips welcomed please :)

Replies

  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
    It's absolutely ok to take a diet break once in a while. But is it possible that you wouldn't feel so "over it" if you weren't so strict with yourself?

    I have tried and failed to lose weight a number of times but I learned a lot about myself. I just can't be religious about food or exercise. In fact, I'm probably blasphemous about it. I changed as little as possible about my habits and it's finally working.
  • rosiorama
    rosiorama Posts: 300 Member
    edited April 2019
    Motivation is pretty fleeting. It’s easy to be gung-ho about things at the beginning, but it’s when things get tedious that lots of people give up or start sliding. You just gotta grind. And slog. And realize that’s your reality if you want to succeed.

    I haven’t been to the gym in nearly two weeks (my usual is 4x per week) but I HAVE managed to cycle and walk to work several times this week. And due to a work-related event, I totally went off my regular food habits and have eaten crap for the last two days. Today I am back to eating better and under my budget. The gym is closed today, but I will be back at it tomorrow

    It happens. Take your break, but don’t let it derail you completely. And remember that meeting your weight and fitness goals is a longterm commitment... a few days or an off week doesn’t mean failure... it just means you carry on as best you can.

  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    Motivation is like a sunny day. They come and go..and you learn to enjoy them when you've got them and it is unrealistic to think every single day should be a sunny day.

    So, motivation is good stuff..but habits are what matter in the end. You perform habits., not because you want to, but because you know you should. brush your teeth.. feed your pets...pay your bills, do the laundry.. take your vitamins. work out.. blah blah blah.

    The goal is to get what you eat and your exercise into that category.. the habit category,...and out of the motivated category. :)
  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
    A day off from the gym is no big deal, really. For me, I have to still have the habit of being diligent on logging my food or I kind of go backwards.
  • WC1982
    WC1982 Posts: 137 Member
    Sometimes you don’t realize it but after hitting the gym for a while your body needs a break. Taking a day or two can really reinvigorate yourself.
  • mitch239
    mitch239 Posts: 78 Member
    elisa123gal wrote: »
    Motivation is like a sunny day. They come and go..and you learn to enjoy them when you've got them and it is unrealistic to think every single day should be a sunny day.

    So, motivation is good stuff..but habits are what matter in the end. You perform habits., not because you want to, but because you know you should. brush your teeth.. feed your pets...pay your bills, do the laundry.. take your vitamins. work out.. blah blah blah.

    The goal is to get what you eat and your exercise into that category.. the habit category,...and out of the motivated category. :)

    Motivation increases on sunny days makes me want to get outside and do something :lol:
  • emmies_123
    emmies_123 Posts: 513 Member
    I get that shift working can totally mess with routines. Could you possibly adjust your thinking away from "i exercise at this time" to "I always exercise right before/after shift"? That way it can move with your schedule but it still has a set place in your mind?

    I lost a bit of motivation when I was doing the same thing each week/month. I use workout videos instead of a gym, so I was able to create an 8 week program using free videos of my favorite trainer, split between cardio and strength. If you want to keep using gym, maybe you could introduce more variety into your sets so avoid boredom of repetition?

    Also, can you focus your energy at one improvement at a time, instead of trying to change everything at once? Let one new habit take root, then it won't feel like you are having to exert will-power on too many things at once.

  • mstarks01
    mstarks01 Posts: 109 Member
    Try changing up the normal routine with something that you find fun. Maybe go dancing or something along those lines.

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