Lack of energy and motivation

smcclaycouffer

Ok, so today completely sucked for exercise. I got on the Elliptical hoping to do at least 20min....nope got to 7min, called it quits, and left the gym!!!! I don't know whats wrong with me. I've only been at this for a week and I have already lost all motivation and energy. I went from absolutely no exercise to exercising everyday. Maybe I'm taking on too much too fast. Does anyone have any suggestions? Did anyone feel this way after the first week? If so how did you get past it??

EDBENAGLIO

i use a 5 hr energy shot befor work out and weigh in everyday so i see achange good or bad. you have to stick with it long so you can see a change.

tbhaiflich

i know what your talking about, what helped me is to talk my bff into going with me lol she did and we had so much fun, and the time went by fast. good luck!! love this site!!

jillleebean

Do you have an ipod? Listening to music has made all the difference for me.
Also, would help if you had a "workout buddy" or someone who is going to push you a bit.
Good luck!
Jill

tokenana

i do that all the time what i do is look in the merrier and kinda talk to myself and mostly say look do you wanna stay like this ? crying about it wont do any good you have got to well just get up and run if you just do nothing it will be a bigger problem latter than just gitting up and doing it now .. why dont you work out at home first maybe you got a little shy at the gym just do 100 crunches and jumping jacks at least it sounds like alot but it kinda gets you ready for more to come keeping you heart rate up and such .. good luck get motivated

sauza

Perhaps you just had this one low energy day. Little rest, water, food. Tomorrow may amaze you. I have lots of ups and downs and my metabolism is messed up so I have a long way to go because my fat crawls off, so I don't get that atta girl. One of my best mfp pals posted something about giving 28 days of devotion to anything you are trying to make a habit

Ironbear

Before you went to the gym what was your mind set....I've trained people for years and if they were dreading going before they went in they were going to have a bad unproductive workout.

You might be pushing a little to hard for a newbie. Remember this is a marathon not a sprint. Slower gradual improvement is going to be more habit forming and lasting in the long run. So, today was a set back have positive attitude tomorrow and reengage. Some days it isn't there but just don't make that your habit..

cheetahcub2010

I've noticed that when you start a diet and exercise regimen (having started and failed multiple times myself) the key is to just get through the first two weeks, for me at least. The first two weeks of being good, diet and exercise wise, sets the tone. Once you get past that hump you begin to see results, even if they are small, and the motivation reignites. I hope this helps!

im_not_that_creative

i did for sure, it was so hard to completely change my daily routine, one thing that helped me was to step back and realize why i wanted to lose weight. so i could play with my nieces and nephews and for my wonderful boyfriend. you just have to keep sight of whats important to you.

skinnylizzard

I get like that too, seems like I go full board, then fizzle out. Don't worry if you slack off one day, just really mentally make yourself do it the next time. It will get easier once it becomes more of a habit. I say to myself in a stern voice, "JUST DO IT!" then I stop contemplating my excuses and turn off my brain and let my body take over.

ambermichk

i had a week like that last week, started out great working out then kinda gave in, one excuse after another not to go to the gym or workout at home.....i was also on a weight plateau....i had to MAKE myself do it and now i am back in a routine again and feel so much better, i have more energy when i work out and i cannot let myself forget that !!!

pinkgigi

Sometimes it is a matter of slowly getting yourself into it rather than going every day at the beginning.

Maybe at the beginning going 3 days a week and see how you go after than. You can burn yourself out by going every day at the start.

GG

elfie9863

I also agree with "give it two weeks"...I had to MAKE myself go and all I did at first was walk (not very happily) on the treadmill eyes glued to the timer ....

I tried some JackD-3, which is a sort of mental focus drink that someone on here told me about. I LOVE THAT STUFF. It really got me through the "I hate it and I am not going" phase. I am now doing 60 minutes on the elliptical per day and strength training every other day. I never thought I would EVER enjoy the gym, but after 6 weeks, I really do.

I also take my Kindle and only download really good books that I will use just for that purpose. Amazing how time will fly by when you quit eyeballing the timer thingie.

DaddyMantz

Ok, so today completely sucked for exercise. I got on the Elliptical hoping to do at least 20min....nope got to 7min, called it quits, and left the gym!!!!

You were in the gym! That's a good day in the beginning as far as I am concerned. It takes 21 days to form a good habit. You are one-third of the way there. If you keep going, eventually you will start working harder.

Also, it's quite possible that your diet is causing fluctuations in your energy levels. I read that if you have a sugary snack with no protein, you will have an energy surge followed by an equal energy drop. I believe it because since I have gone to six meals a day with protein at every meal, I have not had one drop in energy and my body fat went from 13% to under 10%.

menchi

The gym can quickly get boring and dull. Maybe mix up your exercises? Try a different machine (I tried one I hadn't used before, found it interesting and switch to it occasionally... I still like the elliptical best), or do different cardio like swimming or running? I hate running but last week I thought what the heck, let's just *check* to see if it really still sucks. Apparently I'm in good enough shape that I can do more than one lap, it was a nice confidence boost. I also have friends who have dogs and are willing to loan them to me for "free" walks (not sure free to whom!!) so that's an occasional fun exercise. You can also exercise outside the gym for normal things you do like grocery shopping. The nearest store to my house is a leisurely 20 min walk so I walk there instead of drive. The restaurants downtown are about a 45 min leisurely walk, so I walk with my bf on nice days on the weekend.

smcclaycouffer

Thank you to everyone with your responses and ideas. Reading that made me feel a lot better and made me think I can do this!!! Tomorrow will be a better day. I'll hit the gym tomorrow with a better attitude....wish me luck!!!

smcclaycouffer

I use my phone it has Pandora. Even that wasn't working for me today!

sweetlilgiggles

I take my iPod and put in some techno music and upbeat dance type stuff to keep myself going. I don't really look at the time, but I do watch my calories burned so I usually try to burn about 300 every time I'm on the treadmill. After a while, I look down and realize I've got 10 minutes left and then I'm looking at the time all the time. I started out first doing 15 minutes though, then bumped up to 20, then 30.

WildcatMom82

If I workout everyday I burn out, I just can't do it. I aim for 4-5 days a week and take the other days to enjoy some much needed "me" time while my body recovers.

Jenlynphi

The first two weeks were h@#$ for me! But by the third week I was running a mile a day. I started the second week of Jan. and I am now running two miles every other day! My body craves exercise now and I have lost 12.5 pounds. Don't give up! I still have a bad day once in a while and then I remind myself how miserable I felt before MFP.

Oh, and download some "power" songs like Britney, Glee, Black Eyed Peas..... that will get you pumping! lol

jonjon143

As others have already mentioned, having a workout buddy can really help. If you don't have anyone who can fill that bill, check out WannaBuddy.com. The site is set up to connect people who share a passion for healthy living. Worth a try!