How do you get/stay motivated?

wamydia

You don't necessarily have to get up early or use up your lunch break for exercise if you don't want to. I absolutely cannot make myself get up early just to exercise and I also love my lunch breaks to just kick back and relax for a few minutes. So, the deal I made with myself is that, if I'm not willing to do it in the morning or in the afternoon, that only leaves one option -- I have to do some kind of exercise after work. I find that if I sit down to "rest for a few minutes" before I head out for my evening walk, I end up just staying parked on the couch. My rule for myself is no sitting down before I get my exercise done -- I come home, feed my dogs, put my stuff away, (have a snack if I'm hungry), and then head out for the evening walk. The really amazing thing about exercise is that it tends to make my feel more energetic after I'm done, so I find that I actually have energy afterward to come home, make dinner, do laundry, etc, before bed. I didn't have it in me most of the time before I started exercising regularly.

Also, it really is a habit that you have to develop. You kind of have to make yourself do it in the beginning, but after a few weeks of consistently getting out there and doing it, it becomes ingrained and easier every day.

One last thought is that if you aren't ready to exercise yet, you don't necessarily have to in order to lose weight and get healthier. It is OK to just concentrate on improving your diet and calorie intake for now and worry about adding exercise in later.

Rose6300

I look in the mirror......and if I really want to super-motivate myself I turn sideways and look in the mirror.

Same here. With clothes on to feel good about my progress. With clothes off to tell myself I'm not done.

Same here! Wow, I tried on some clothes yesterday and it was kinda shocking to see how much I've let my fitness slide. Made me realize I can't just keep putting off until tomorrow what needs to have been done yesterday. And for me it's not so much getting rid of pounds (although that is also needed), but LOTS of firming up required!!! :grumble:

I hate this. How can positive results come from negative attitudes?

Positive results can come from negative (yet realistic) assessments. I'm not sure I see any negative attitudes in anything stated here.

tohellnback

what do you do for work?

you say you are exhausted by lunchtime, exhausted by 6pm... have you been to the doctor about it? being tired after a busy day is normal, but exhausted by lunchtime doesnt sound right? whats your diet like? are you getting all the nutrients you need?

I'm a vet assistant. I'm on my feet, restraining dogs and cats and running around the clinic. Ha, the doctor...yeah, I haven't been to one in about 10 years. I know I should, but I'm scared. My diet isn't bad, I don't eat crap foods. Fruits and veggies, I take vitamins (Fish oil, B12, D and C) every morning. I may occasionally get Starbucks here and there to get me through the day.

cebreisch

I think this is the magical question that if we could "bottle and sell" whatever that is, we'd be RICH!!!

Back in April 2011, I had an "aha" moment. I went to a school event with my oldest daughter, and could hardly walk to the door.. I was so out of shape, I had to stop several times on the way to the door, and once inside, had to sit down. I had the nerve to tell them it was there fault I was huffing and puffing for having made me walk so far. Sitting there, I was humiliated, mortified, and embarrassed as I sat there trying to catch my breath watching all the other mother's and their daughters "climb" over me. I decided that something had to change. I called a lap-band surgeon that week to see about surgery. I was told they wanted me to lose 90 pounds before they'd do it. Ugh. I started meeting with their dietician, a therapist, doing what they told me to do, etc. I lost 115 pounds, and a year ago, I had skin removal surgery for another 26 pounds. My husband and I had set a goal to go to Disney at the end of the school year, and my goal was to not be a hinderance to going around and doing things - and it was awesome.

At that time, I relaxed a bit....it was raining, it was sunny, it was cloudy, here comes July 4, and then school's getting ready to get back in session for the kids, and excuse after excuse after excuse. It also didn't help that my dad had been fighting a few types of cancer either. He passed away in December.

YEs, there's been a lot going on, but ultimately, it was the prison I made for myself by not holding myself accountable. That's what got me up to 376 pounds to begin with. I got so frustrated with trying to lose weight, didn't have the right support system or the right program, wasn't doing the right things and MOST IMPORTANTLY, I wasn't willing to step up and do what I needed to do.

Ultimately, that's really what it is. Anybody who says they can't lose weight despite all odds really isn't doing what they need to do. They may not know what they need to do - I didn't for the longest time. A guy I know who lost about 100 pounds and is now a body builder once told me that the way he was able to do it is that he "hired the right people."

In my mind, yes, hiring the right people helps, but moreover, what it REALLY amounts to is: You have to be willing to get uncomfortable and do what you need to do.

That means:
Don't dwell on whatever medical conditions might be hindering your efforts. I have them too.
Get over the idea that other people being able to eat what they want. You aren't them; they have their own issues.
Quit talking about it and start doing.
Get your groove on, and decide that this is what you're doing. It just is.

My dad always said that once I made my mind up to do something, you might as well mark it down because I'm stubborn enough to see it through.

We can do this!

sunnysteph0420

Hey didnt read everyone else comments so sorry if something similar has already been said. I personally follow my macros which allows me to eat a lot and not feel hungry. I have a very similar work schedule to yours and I too love sleep. I found some workout classes at a local recreation center I workout for an hour 5 days a week at 6pm if you get your workout in before you eat dinner and sit down for the first time your more likely to succeed at working out. Hope this helps.