How to overcome laziness?
Replies
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Laziness is right up there on the list with cowardice as the most objectionable character flaws, IMO.
But really, don't you want anything?0 -
Sign up for a half marathon and get your friends and family to sponsor you. If you are anything like me, you will not want to let everyone (and your charity) down, and will put in the training required to meet your challenge. Also, find some sport that's a bit more interesting than just gym cardio and you may find you enjoy it.0
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A good way to to overcome laziness is by putting good foods into your body. I notice anytime I slip back into sweets etc I get super lazy but then as I put all the good foods into my body i suddenly have tons of energy and am constantly wanting to be moving.0
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Laziness is right up there on the list with cowardice as the most objectionable character flaws, IMO.
But really, don't you want anything?
Wow! :noway: That's TIGHT, but it's right. Never though about it that way. Thanks for posting this--I don't like it, but for me it's true and something I'll think about in this battle of laziness bumdom too.0 -
Right now I'm feeling VERY lazy, and I know exactly why...I'm just back from a week of vacation so
- Lack of sleep (I think we averaged on 4 hours a night when we were gone
)
- Bad diet for the past week (It was awesome, but I know I got very little energy from the food)
- Out of routine
You soon get to know these things about your body, which helps combat lazy feelings.
Also, I find that with exercise and workouts, the less you think about it the better. Just go - get ready and go...don't think about it!0 -
Having a mentor could help, someone you respect and who's opinion means a lot to you, to be accountable to.
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference". Winston Churchill0 -
I'm in the same boat - super busy with college, and the later in the day it gets, the harder it is to exercise. I don't know if any of this would work for you, but here's what works for me (for workout procrastination as well as other types, like on homework):
*Schedule everything - your classes, your babysitting, your homework, and your exercise. If you move things around, you can find an hour each day easily. Don't schedule your whole day back-to-back, just fill up about 50%-70% and leave the rest of the time for the unexpected stuff. I have mine set up on Google Calendar so that I get reminders on my email and phone. Seeing it come up like that makes it a non-negotiable part of the day for me, like class or a job. I need structure to keep me from sitting around reading or playing computer games all day; it sounds like you do, too.
*Reward yourself with non-food things. For example, I like to play online time-management games (what an oxymoron!) or strategy games. I bought myself a couple of addictive games that have to do with fitness, and I made a rule for myself that I can only play them if I've already worked out that day. Other things work too, like downloading a great workout song or scheduling some time out for a manicure if you work out 5 days in a week.
*Just do it - but not in a "suck it up, Buttercup" way. On days when I'm REALLY unmotivated to exercise, I get into my gym clothes and tell myself that I only have to do 10-15 minutes. By the time I'm there and on the elliptical or treadmill, I'm thinking "I might as well get in the 30 minute minimum.... well, I've gone 30 minutes, seems silly not to do the 45 I usually do on this machine.... oh hell, I might as well do my mile walk to cool down."
*One workout at a time. Each time you break a sweat, you score a victory. By the time you hit the showers, you're healthier than you were when you woke up this morning, and that's something to celebrate.0 -
It's not a crime to be lazy by nature. I am. It is possible to "act" like an active person despite the natural tendency to be a veg. That's what I do. I fake it. I reward myself with a half hour of sitting around doing sudokus here, another half hour of surfing the net there in between bouts of doing whatever tasks I can think of to do around the house. I do exercise. A lot. My reward for that? I get to read whatever books I like the whole time I'm on the exercise bike.
Fake it 'til you make it and do not beat yourself up for not loving every minute of it.0 -
I try to find ways to get rid of any excuse for myself. For example, bringing clothes so I CAN workout after class.
Mostly I make my motivated self find ways to co*k-block my lazy self from just going home and vegging after the day is done.
Are there any spots in your day where you can make that happen? It is really hard to get started, but once you find something you enjoy doing - you'll want to keep doing it and feel guilty if you don't!0 -
Thank you all for suggestions, I will take it in consideration.
I don't have friends, no support, no hang out time, I'm a lonely wolf, well I call myself that. The only hang out is with my boyfriend, and he is ok with me not improving myself(and no he isn't fat or anything, he is a future marine).
I was thinking of joining military but again, weight is the problem. I'm too big for military.
Getting good amount of sleep is impossible most of the days. I'm a medical student that spends half a day in school, and when I babysit I study, I get to bed around 12-1 and wake-up around 6.30. Saturday is my sleep-in day because on Sunday I go to work.
After being on here I realized that weigh-wise my problem isn't WHAT I eat but HOW much I eat...and life-wise, I'm ridiculously lazy. I always "see" my success in my head but never get to it...0 -
Each time you break a sweat, you score a victory. By the time you hit the showers, you're healthier than you were when you woke up this morning, and that's something to celebrate.
Thank for THIS! :flowerforyou:0 -
You can still be lazy heck im lazy almost all the time however, the difference is i dont put lazyness at the centre of my life. I put exercise at the centre then everything else revolves around it, work, being lazy, eating, sleeping, playing video games etc. I think about exercise almost all the time during the day. Usually my thoughts are, when will i exercise next and what will it be. Then once i have completed my exercise for the day, i can then relax and concentrate on other things like work, meeting up with family/friends, reading a book, watching tv etc.
Another option is to consider taking medication for your overall mental well being. I dont have any medical condition however I consume 2 capsules of ganoderma lucidium per day which helps strengthen the immune system and assists the body with suppling oxygen to the brain.
This helps keep my body in top shape to combat any nasty ailments like the office flu and mentally focused all day without having to consume any coffee/tea/energy drinks. Its effects dont stop there however. Strengthening the immune system has many benefits so id recommend any products that help keep it in good shape other then exercise of course which is a much more natural way of achieveing this. Best consult a doctor on what medication is safe to consume for lazyness.
Overall it generally takes me a good 6 weeks to become fully acustomed to a new routine whether its work related, sleep, night shifts, day shifts etc .. Think about your mental state and change it so your life revolves around exercise. One day at a time 0 -
I expect things to change right away, like if I eat good and exercise then next day I expect to be thinner...and if I am not, I feel like blah..0
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For overcoming laziness, u need to work on your mind. It's all about thoughts and your mind set. If we do something we like, we never get lazy. Right? Sometimes when i have a craving for any food, i never gets lazy even if the restaurant is too far. I will take any risks to get there and stop my craving. Likewise, if you like exercising, you will never ever give up. So try to love it. And modify your fitness regime in the way you like. If you don;t like to workout alone, try joining a gym or a zumba class, spin class or even a yoga class. In ma case. i don't' like to exercise alone. So i joined a yoga class and i find it interesting. If you get bored up with a class easily, then change the class before you get bored up. If possible..hire a workout buddy.0
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I just read you post now- I'm a lonely wolf.
your bf may not be pushing you towards weight loss, but it is true that he will be really excited to see a new girl( who is more sexier and fit and that is you itself k), and dont grin.. 0 -
2 Suggestions:
- Log every day and start monitoring your activity levels. Being aware of what you are currently doing is really motivating.
- Make a daily stroll with your boyfriend part of your routine. Log it, every time.0 -
adjust your workouts and use your likes and dislikes in conjunction with working out to your advantage. As a lazy person you probably like sleep. Workout at night RIGHT before and just think about the tremendous amount of great sleep you will get if you exercise. Also, try taking creatine and weight lifting. Creatine is said to have great effects on the functionality of the brain and levels of fatigue. The only problem with this is that you cannot be lazy to drink water. Also, add some friends on mfp and look at their logs. Idk about you but I get pissed as **** if someone is basically effortlessly doing better than me.0
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have you tried the "just 5 minutes" method? Basically, when there is something you don't feel like doing, just push yourself to do that thing for just 5 minutes.
It is amazing at how much you can get accomplished in 5 minutes. Whether you are doing exercises or homework or chores, I don't know anyone who can't commit to just 5 minutes. Set a timer, if you have to.
The magic in "just 5 minutes" is in Newton's 3rd law. Give it a try. It's just 5 minutes.0 -
I'm lazy too, and I hate the elliptical and gym machines. I use a FitBit Zip to motivate me to move. Literally just MOVE- walking is exercise too! I won't let it read below 10,000 steps at the end of the day- not acceptable. So most days, I just put on my sneakers and walk around the neighborhood until I hit my step goal! I sometimes even chat on the phone while I walk- but I try to walk fast! Often that walk will turn into a bit of running too. I go to Zumba as well, which is really fun and almost doesn't feel like a workout- except oh wait, I'm sweating and panting like crazy!
Also the FitBit syncs with MFP, so it'll give me a "calorie adjustment" depending on my steps. If I hit my 10,000 steps, I've usually earned about ~250 cals from exercise...and often I hit 15,000 when I run or Zumba, so I get like 450 cals! I don't usually eat them back but it's SO cool that it all syncs up!
I also found motivation doing Couch to 5k - it was really exciting to see the progress I made getting better at running! I've kept running ~2x a week since and I LOVE seeing myself go farther and get faster- I've NEVER been athletic so to be getting into a "sport" feels so good!0 -
I have no support on here, everyone is concentrated on themselves and pretty much never comment, never suggest anything...0
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Laziness is super tough to overcome. I'm terrified of gaining the weight back and its what keeps me from being lazy for any long periods of time. I do think it has to start with attempting to do something you like. I tend to be forced to walk because I have a dog but I do enjoy walking as well. Once I come back from the walk ,I tend to find it easier to either do a video or lift weights. So I guess my suggestion is to get a high energy dog 0
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One thing that has definitely helped me be more active (especially on rest days) is wearing an activity monitor. I have a FitBit One and looking at those numbers periodically through the day is a big boost! Even on exercise days, it'll sometimes cause me to do a little bit more to reach a milestone.
Case-in-point, Tuesday 11:40pm (a few hours ago) I had ascended 91 floors of stairs. I knew that just doing 9 more floors would earn me a '100 floors' badge instead of a '75 floors' badge. So I took a few minutes and did 9 round trips on my stairs at home.
On rest days, I'll see that I'm only at 1,600 steps for the day by lunchtime. I'll walk around the house, take extra trips to get stuff, or pace while watching TV (especially NFL). Those little bits can add up to '5,000 steps' badge even on a lazy-*kitten* rest day!
Feel free to look at my MFP profile to see how those badges can add up.0 -
I'm lazy too, and unmotivated to exercise. Doesn't help that I work a desk job. So I have been forcing myself to move even when I'm sitting. I probably look hyper now, because I can't sit still, ever. I'm always bouncing or kicking my legs or something. It's not much but it burns more calories than just sitting.0
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I'm lazy too, and unmotivated to exercise. Doesn't help that I work a desk job. So I have been forcing myself to move even when I'm sitting. I probably look hyper now, because I can't sit still, ever. I'm always bouncing or kicking my legs or something. It's not much but it burns more calories than just sitting.
Good idea I've thought of trying.0 -
I've been overweight my whole life, and its taken me this long to finally WANT it. I still have my ups and downs but I'm more motivated than ever. We never really take advice to heart when we're young, because you feel you have all the time in the world. You don't want to be 40, like me, looking back and wondering where the heck did the last 20 years go?! LIVE LIFE. Be happy. Be motivated. Find what makes you happy and keeps you motivated. YOU have to WANT it for yourself. My "fear" now is, losing weight, getting fit, being so happy, and then being mad at myself for waiting so long to be fit and active and healthy - but I'm looking forward to losing the weight and being fit and active and healthy with my son and husband and family and friends. Always look forward, not back, and get excited about starting new chapters in your life. Your "career" may yet to be determined, so focus on yourself and your well being. One step at a time. One day at a time.:flowerforyou:0
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- Make a daily stroll with your boyfriend part of your routine. Log it, every time.
This does help; I walk with my husband after dinner some nights. Every bit counts!0 -
Yes, every bit does count. I get some of my best exercise when I just grab my bike and head out for 20min.
- Make a daily stroll with your boyfriend part of your routine. Log it, every time.
This does help; I walk with my husband after dinner some nights. Every bit counts!0 -
You just kinda have to do it. Just push yourself, really no one can convince you to get up and exercise, you have to want to do it yourself.
For me, I have two kids and I know if I don't lose weight and exercise to get healthy then I put myself at a higher risk of so many illnesses and I would never want my kids to be without their mammy.
Try maybe doing something that isn't just running or swimming, try a class like zumba or something fun. Any friends you can talk in to doing something like squash, badminton or tennis? If you are meeting someone and have plans to do it, then you are more likely to go.
I really to hate stating "excuses" but I can't do anything extra. Weekdays I go to college really early in the morning, then I babysit and sleep. So the only exercise I can do is elliptical. It's the whole laziness thing..."oh gosh, elliptical, noooooo"
I love the elliptical! You said you go to school too? So do I and I felt like I had to choose between studying and working out, so now I bring a school book to the gym and read it while I run on the elliptical. Time goes by so much fast and I'm killing two birds with one stone!0 -
Just do one little thing. Everyday. You are obviously not too lazy to get on here and ask for help. Seriously. Get a piece of paper, Write your intention at the top, number it 1-31 and EVERY DAY do one little thing to meet your intention. It can be the littlest thing. You will feel really good about yourself, and this will motivate you to do it again, and again with everything. And before you know it, all of those little things add up to BIG changes. :flowerforyou: 0
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have you tried the "just 5 minutes" method? Basically, when there is something you don't feel like doing, just push yourself to do that thing for just 5 minutes.
It is amazing at how much you can get accomplished in 5 minutes. Whether you are doing exercises or homework or chores, I don't know anyone who can't commit to just 5 minutes. Set a timer, if you have to.
The magic in "just 5 minutes" is in Newton's 3rd law. Give it a try. It's just 5 minutes.
THIS! I do this for cleaning/tidying up around the house, which I hate with a passion but it isn't so bad for 5 minutes (and in fact I usually keep going). Think of it this way: you didn't gain weight (or a messy house) overnight, so don't feel like you have to fix it overnight.
Another idea, which has been mentioned in various forms, is to make a public commitment, such as signing up for a race. The shame of failure (quitting) is enough to keep some people motivated. Same goes for financial commitment -- if you pay in advance for something expensive, like a fancy gym with classes at a certain hour, you may be more inclined to go to "get your money's worth." There is also a website called stickk.com - it was created by behavioral economists who are basically trying to harness the human impulse to do nothing, for your own advantage. (I have no affiliation with the site.) For example, you can put $100 on losing x lbs in a month or else that money goes to an organization you hate. Obviously it's up to you to be truthful, but that might be a good motivation for you!
Not all of these things work for everyone, so experiment to find something that works for you. 0
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