Need to stay focussed

Hi there I have put this day off for months. I have a gym membership I don’t use, and yesterday a friend of mine asked me to go to a Zumba class. So I thought to my self I’ll go and have some fun. I need motivation and company, going to the gym on my own I find boring, but doing a Zumba class with a friend has given me the kick up the backside that I needed. Any tips would be grateful. I have two weddings to attend next year so I really need to stay focused.

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,916 Member
    While attending weddings is certainly a reason to get into shape, I would suggest finding some deeper motivation along with it. I don't know how much you have to lose or any of your personal circumstances - can you visualise what your future would look like having lost the weight? For example: being able to keep up with (grand) children more easily, being healthier in old age (as opposed to overweight family members and friends), avoiding health issues like diabetes,...

    Other tips:
    - don't force yourself to do activities you dislike - the gym isn't the only way to exercise and even within the gym you have many options (same goes for eating - don't force yourself to eat foods you dislike, unless you are aiming to change your taste preferences, which you should do gradually)
    - work on changing your habits, gradually - the goal is to lose the weight and keep it off, not just lose it for those weddings and then 'go back to normal' and gain it all back. So don't make drastic temporary changes but rather gradual ones you can stick with long-term

    My own journey: losing 70+ lbs (I started in 2019). Yes, looking better feels great, but my real motivation actually came when I felt how much easier life became while being lighter! I never realised how much my excess weight was making life harder (I gained weight gradually over 15 years or so). Just being able to bend over to tie my shoelaces without having to hold my breath, climbing a hill and not being out of breath. In stark contrast with my mom who gets winded after the smallest effort and has a limited life due to her weight.
    The added confidence from achieving my weight-loss also carried over into my career - much easier to look for a new and better job when you're not radiating insecurity.
  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 1,320 Member
    I ran into an old friend from Highschool this past weekend.

    We are both 55 years old and I haven't seen him and his wife in about 35 years or so. I noticed they both put on allot of weight.

    Myself I am now about the same weight as I was 35 years ago. This is a huge motivator for me as I know he must have noticed I am still in shape after all these years... :)