Losing weight motivation

lordessofia

Hi all I just got back on this app to get in a healthier lifestyle and lose weight. So what I'm wondering is there any tips you guys can give me to keep motivation to work out almost everyday just to keep active. I lack a lot of self motivation and honestly it's the biggest problem in my healthy lifestyle adventure... anything helps even if it's a meditation or affirmations

ninerbuff

Make a program where you do full body and can finish it in 30 minutes and do it every other day.

Leg exercise
Back exercise
Chest exercise
Shoulder exercise
Arm exercise
Ab exercise

I can train any client within 30 minutes (which I do with about 90% of my clients) and do full body in 30 minutes this way.

Start with an exercise for each body part that isn't too difficult to perform so that you get used to it. Routine helps to keep people consistent and if you're consistent, you don't need much motivation. You just do it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Rockymountainliving

To lose weight, you don't have to exercise. Just follow the calories assigned by MFP. All I do is walk and garden additionally, which I enjoy.

AnnPT77

If you want to be active often, invest some energy in finding an activity that's so fun you'd do it even if it weren't good for you. No motivation then required. That's where the magic is.

There are dozens, even hundreds, of different activities that can challenge our current strength, cardiovascular capability, balance, power, etc. Anything that creates that challenge keeps fitness improving.

The person above walks and gardens. I row boats and ride my bike . . . mostly. I like doing those enough that I do less-fun things in Winter so I don't have to start conditioning all over again come Spring, like rowing machine, stationary bike, strength training. I like rowing (especially) that much.

There's a whole world of other options. If you enjoy gym-type exercises, by all means, go to the gym. If you don't enjoy that, try other things: Swimming, roller blading, skiing, dancing (of any type), martial arts, rock climbing, canoeing, physically active VR or video games, ping pong, yoga, basketball, . . . and lots, lots more.

ETA: Weight loss can be done just by changing eating, i.e., eating fewer calories. I stayed overweight/obese for more than a decade, working out and training pretty hard 6 days most weeks. Then I got my eating routine in better shape (fewer calories) and lost from obese to a healthy weight in just under a year, have been at a healthy weight for 7+ years since.

The motivation issue for eating is about the same: Find a new, calorie-appropriate way of eating that you find tasty, practical, affordable, and doable almost on autopilot. Limited motivation is needed to figure out that new routine and practice it at first. Once it becomes habit, it takes little or no motivation to keep going.

Think "how do I make weight loss as easy as possible" not "how do I make weight loss as fast as possible".

kshama2001

I love to garden and walk. I feel happy during and afterwards. It's more the negatives that motivate me though - without my exercise calories, my calorie budget is too small. If I don't do yoga at night, my back hurts in the AM. If I don't get enough exercise during the day, I don't sleep as well. So avoiding pain is a bigger motivator for me.

But what makes it easier is using discipline to create habits so it's just autopilot. Ex: I set an alarm for my evening yoga and just do it. http://www.wisdomination.com/screw-motivation-what-you-need-is-discipline/

MamaBear5445

If you don't have the self motivation, one way to lose weight would be to set yourself some basic rules. You don't need as much motivation for rules.
- No eating after 7pm (no snacks after supper, or a small snack depending on what time you eat supper at)
-Only eat at specific times during the day (breakfast, lunch, and supper). And specific snack times if so desired.
-1 plate at meals. No Second helpings.
Track your food for a few days without making adjustments to see where you are getting the majority of your calories from, and make a plan from there.

zebasschick

you can dance to your favorite music in your living room, and if you want, track your heart rate with something to track your calories. or if you're not feeling motivated, get a semi recumbent exercise bike and pedal while watching your favorite show or youtube videos. i find it's super easy and you forget you're even pedaling.

doing something fun means it takes a lot less motivation to do it, and i can work up quite a sweat dancing or pedaling (or on the treadmill) while watching videos.

springlering62

Try some new things, give them a few days to get past the discomfort and unfamiliarity.

I was scared spitless to try weightlifting, worried about being judged, laughed at for my utter lack of strength, especially at a small competitive gym full of muscle. Instead I found something I love doing, and also found a great community who-if they paid attention to me at all- supported, rather than cut me down.

I broke a toe a couple of weeks ago, so decided to try swimming laps, thinking it would be less stress on my toe. I suck at swimming and thought it would be grunt work to tide me over til my foot heals. Instead, whoaaaaa! Swimming laps is fun and a challenge. It goes into the regular rotation. I still suck, and gasp for air like a beached fish, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try to improve. A new goal!

Yoga? Who’d have ever thought I’d love yoga? I started when still obese, and it immediately clicked for me. With weight loss, my skills have multiplied and I really look forward to several instructors’ classes. A good class feels like fifteen minutes. What? It’s over already?!

I tried spin last year. I love my stationary recumbent bike and I love riding my bike around town, to the gym, to the grocery store. A natural fit, right? Hate it with a passion. Cannot learn to love spin. However, the grand thing about life is, no one can compel me to continue something I loath.

Find what makes you happy and keeps calling you back for more. It makes working “out” feel more like working “on” and there’s a huge difference between the two.

_simplicity_

excellent question @lordessofia ... fantastic inspiring/insightful answers @Rockymountainliving @AnnPT77 @kshama2001 @MamaBear5445 @zebasschick @springlering62 ... Thanks everyone for sharing! This is going in my bookmarks for now as an excellent reminder/refresher.

csplatt

You don’t need motivation! You need discipline.

springlering62

csplatt wrote: »

You don’t need motivation! You need discipline.

The two can go hand-in-hand. I am very motivated not to put the weight back on, which provides/strengthens the discipline to log/workout.

Maybe we should call it “resolve”. 🤔



And PS: add battle ropes to my ugh list.