Running out of motivation

lifechangin1987

Hey everyone, I'm having a "down" moment and I'm running out of motivation. The real kicker is, it's only my 3rd week in. My first week was like most people, full of motivation and "gung-ho". Second week I received the Brazil Butt lift program in the mail and started doing that. Now I'm on my 3rd week (2nd of BBL) and I have ZERO motivation to workout. What gives? How do I get past this? I know the usual answer is to switch up your program but i just started this one! I'm very frustrated. I feel like i don't have the energy to work out (really its just mental block) and I feel like that's part of my problem...

Any motivational wisdom would help!

rencawdor24

I had that recently and what I'm trying out now is to reward myself when I lose the next 7lb. Your reward doesnt have to be weight related but might be a reward if you continue to work hard for another two weeks?

fayefayee5

I hit that stage at about the 5 week mark, I took it as I was over working myself. I was gymming it 6 days a week, and just pushing too hard. So I gave myself a few extra rest days, worked some treats into my cals and loosened the belt so to speak.

Just keep on going, push yourself through it, because when the scale chnages again or your clothes feel loose, thats all the motivation you will need to keep on going!

_Zardoz_

Habit. In reality you can only be motivated for short periods of time. So you make things good habits so you start doing them without thinking. You just do it to coin an advertising phrase.

ktloo

Habit. In reality you can only be motivated for short periods of time. So you make things good habits so you start doing them without thinking. You just do it to coin an advertising phrase.

Pretty much this. I go through low/no motivation days, and last summer I gave into them and never picked back up until spring when I realized I had gained back a good chunk of the weight I had lost. 8 whole months wasted. Now I push myself through reminding myself of how far I've come and how far I still have to go. I may not have the motivation to get started but once I do, I never regret it.

THECaptainObvious

Push thru it! Motivation really is a daily thing (rather than weekly or monthly).. Just know once you get up and do it, you'll feel better! Let's do this!!!!!!

beautifulebony

Motivation is not constant for anyone. As already stated, it is a daily thing. If you are not motivated today, there is always tomorrow. Don't beat yourself up. If you have had a bad day today, write it off and start a fresh tomorrow.

However, If a bad day becomes a bad week, then bad month, then a bad year!!! Re assess why you are doing this. What do you want to achieve and how are you are going to achieve it. Give yourself small targets.

I find writing a diary helps, not just about what I have eaten, but how I am feeling at any moment. For me food intake and exercise and successful weeks are all related to how I am feeling about myself or situation. You then need to deal with the underlying issues and pick up where you left off.

Good luck.
D

47Jacqueline

To keep your motivation, make sure you're doing the kind of exercise you enjoy. When I first joined my gym I signed up for six months of once a month personal strength training. Having that attention once a month was enough to keep me practicing each week, but I had to push myself. Luckily I had a good trainer who showered me with praises when she was working with me.

However, when that program stopped, I found I was uninspired to continue working out that way. So, I went to a strength training class one evening and found that I really enjoyed it. I started adding classes and stopped doing the by myself workouts and was more regular in going. I found that I liked working out in a group more than by myself and that kept me motivated.

Now I go to three strength training classes a week (shred and body pump) and three cardio classes (Zumba and Kickboxing) and I have some ups and downs, but for the most part I look forward to all of them. I've made some in-the-gym friends and that also helps.

jkal1979

Motivation comes and goes. You have to be determined.

I keep a list of why I'm doing this and what I hope to accomplish (besides the number on the scale) from losing the weight. On the days when I'm not motivated to log or work out I pull that list out and read it several times over. Having those goals in my face instead of just thinking about them has really made a big difference for me.

sherambler

We tend to give the word "motivation" more power than it warrants. Motivation isn't some external thing that either has a hold over you or it doesn't. You create it. There are so many days when the last thing I want to do is exercise. But I remind myself, and remind myself, and even remind myself a third time that once I start exercising I tend to enjoy it, there's one less thing to feel guilty about, etc., etc. Sometimes you just need to be persistent in the conversation you have with yourself. Soon, it becomes a habit. Something where my evening doesn't feel right if I don't exercise.

Maybe think about changing the time you exercise. Maybe you're waiting too long after getting home and your energy gets drained. That happened with me. I realized I needed to exercise as soon as I got home from work otherwise I was more likely not to do it.

Capt_Apollo

working out in your living room can get boring. take your work outs outside.

sign up for a race and have some kind of event to prepare for.

lifechangin1987

Thank you all for your wonderful responses!

Even my husband suggested that I change what time of day I workout. I currently get up and work out first thing in the morning but if I wait until after work I'm more likely to not do it at all.
I think I just need to slow down (since I'm just starting out). Maybe I'm burning myself out? I'm also going to see if a pre-workout helps with the energy.

fabafter5

Find something that you love and do it! It may be Zumba, kickboxing, cycling, swimming. If you love it you will more likely stick with it. I see so many people forcing themselves to run when they really hate running. Why torture yourself? There are so many different ways to be active so pick one that you really enjoy!

JoRocka

success does not come from motivation.

success comes from the determination to see the thing through to the end goal.

Do not rely on emotions to help you do this thing- they WILL fail you. Make it a habit- make it the thing you do and commit to doing the thing.

T_Ciku

I read a quote on a weight loss website that really stuck with me. It basically said that motivation was overrated. It's all about discipline. Now I realize how true that is. I've started and failed workout routines 3 times before. And what I realized was that I always quit between my 3-4th weeks. I don't know why. I guess that's when my body starts getting really tired. Thank God I realized that this time. So when I started feeling really tired and demotivated this time round, I reminded myself that it was one of my usual slumps and I pushed through. Some days I would have zero energy to exercise but I still did it. I didn't give it my usual 100% but I did it anyway. And a week later it was gone. If anything, I have even more motivation now. (I'm in my 6th week)

So stick it out. If your body is feeling overworked, don't just have a rest day. For me when I skip one day it becomes much harder to resume my schedule. You can decide to do light stretches or yoga or something on that day. Just make sure you do something. All the best.

mdcoug

Someone else (don't remember who) replied to a similar post the other day with something like: You have it backwards, motivation doesn't lead to exercise; exercise leads to motivation. (I loved what he/she said, so it stuck in my mind)

In other words, just do it, do it consistently and you'll find the motivation just happens.

I work out in the morning, and I think we have it easier on the motivation front. Wake up, get it done before anyone else is asking you to do something and you have no excuses. I lay my clothes out on the nightstand, my shoes are on the floor next to it and I already know what my workout will be that morning. If it's one of those mornings, I just get myself through the now: Just get up and out of bed, then just get dressed, then just go to the basement, then just push play.

I don't let myself get out of the routine, even if all I can handle is a leisurely stroll on the treadmill instead of a hard-core HIIT routine--I get up and do it. I'm a little worried that one day missed will lead to 2, will lead to 4 months and then a year--because that's happened before.

It was harder in the beginning, but I've had this mindset since Jan. 2013 and it's probably the most consistent I've ever been with my exercise. You know what else? I feel really great about it!

guardianwill

Greets!

Hope I can be some help here...

Motivation should always come from within un-relying on outside stimuli. Yes, we have good stimuli as like music or a favorite past time but to really learn how to overcome your bodies ability to fight back change, the stimuli should always come from within--even if it at times has to be sheer determination to start. Your body hates change. It loves the same old same old such as eating at the same time each day, aprox calories taken in each meal ect... It trains itself best by repetition and adapts the body to best utilize this adaption for efficient energy use. The nice thing is though when you get started, by the end of your exercise routine the body rewards itself with happy chemicals called endorphins. So, the real problem is to get started. Do you really enjoy your new exercise routine or hate to admit that you don't because you spent so much on it? Maybe it is the time of day, or when you feel most energetic. Always remember why you desired-deeply desired to lose weight and keep that buried into your heart so when these unmotivated times come up--reach deep to remember the emotional reasoning why you wanted to lose weight. This is a powerful tool to get you started.

Good Luck and always remember your doing great!