Work Out Motivation

liezelcha

I've only been on MFP for a short while and I usually just read and read and read. I use the advice I find on here, I look at the before/ after pics and think how proud they must be and I empathize with everyone but I never ask for help and then it FINALLY hit me that one of the reasons I joined was for motivational assistance......................

I used to LOVE to workout. I lived and breathed it and I know that if you stay with it a few weeks you will usually get 'hooked' on it. Welllllllllllll I just can't get there now.

First of all, I'm post surgery (multiple surgeries) so I'm limited on the workout front in so many ways right now. Walking is just about it for me. I have a treadmill and it bores me to death (even has a tv on it w/satt). Ha! How about that! I think because I can't do anything more exciting it is causing me to stall out. I'll walk for a couple of weeks then I stop. There do not seem to be enough endorphines to keep me feeling excited and ready to do it again as in the past. I've attempted to adjust some fitness dvd's but I again end up aggravated with my limitations. As the weather improves I'll be able to get outside and that may help some.........

I've improved my eating habits but still have some work to get to that really 'clean' stage but I'll get there. At least my cals/fats/carbs/sodium etc, for the most part, are staying in line. It's not my first rodeo and I know that without the exercise I'm not going to even get close to my goals.

I'm probably looking for a miracle answer and I know there isn't one but I decided to it was time to share, maybe that in itself will help revive me.

tapwaters

This will sound silly, but i schedule my workouts. Once I'm on the elliptical or bike (real bike, stationary bikes bore me), and the music is going (if I'm inside, not on the bike lol) I'm super pumped and ready to go. It's a matter of getting on that is a problem for me, and scheduling it takes care of that.


Not super helpful i know, but it's relevant (maybe?).

rileysowner

First of all, there is not reason you cannot lose fat, and a substantial amount of it, without exercise. Exercise only makes a small portion of your weight loss success. If you can't exercise right now, you can't. That is the way it is. Instead concentrate on staying within your calorie budget and learning new eating patterns. Not only will you lose weight, but as your body heals, you will have more energy and ability to exercise. Exercise major place in weight loss is in getting your body healthy and fit which most fat people are not since it is hard to be fit when you cart around a bunch of extra weight.

ruddyrunner

Maybe try to find a foot race that welcomes walkers. Perhaps one that benefits a cause you're passionate about. There are many 5Ks as the weather improves. If you want something longer some 10Ks, half marathons, and even marathons welcome walking participants - just make sure you check beforehand to make sure there isn't a cutoff time that will prevent you from finishing. I know having an event to look forward to and train for helps me. It might be worth searching around to see what you can find.

spackham

If the post surgery is still an issue, you need to accept the fact that you can't do more and be happy doing only what is reasonable. How can you be happy about that? You are doing it for the hell-th (health) of it. It only takes 30 minutes 5x/week and a moderate level to reap all the health benefits from exercise. Yep, that's it. So, do it for the health of it. Then, when you can begin to increase your exercise, I started on the elliptical to adding some walking, to adding a few sprints at the end, to adding some running, to combining walking with running and a few sprints, to dropping the elliptical to replace it with treadmill. It took about 2 months. You can do that! And you are right that once you stay with it long enough (takes a bit longer when you are older with exercise 5-6 times a week) you will feel so much better, you wont want to stop, even on those morning you ache. You can do it.