Where do you get your motivation from when you start?

merceah

Ok, I have been on this site once before, I was doing ok: TMI I am a nursing mom, and it depleated my milk supply a little and a got scared so I quit coming on here, I talked to my doctor, found out how I can avoid that this time around so I am ready AGAIN, to take control of my life.

Here is my question and my problem. I always loved working out, I want desperately to lose weight, I want to be healthy, I want my life back, Where do you find that motivation in the beginning to work out before you start losing weight. I know nothing comes over night and it has to be worth waiting for, but I need some motivation, some drive, I need a push!!! Badly!!!

Where did you guys get it when you first started?

Also to the moms: when do you work out with a new baby and kids to get off to school a house to run, errands to tend to and the like. I need some me time, but I have no idea where to get it.

maidentl

Motivation isn't external. You have to just start doing it.

megz4987

Honestly, from the success forum or my friends here on MFP. When I'm feeling lazy I'll either post and comlain that I'm being lazy and people will yell at me to get off my *kitten* or I go through a few posts in the Success forum.

About the being a mom part, you HAVE to take time for yourself or you'll go crazy. My daughter is only 6months so I clean while she's having her 'me-play-time' and workout while she's napping.

Nerdy_Rose

I just force myself to do it.

lawtechie

I got my motivation from being tired of 15+ years of being overweight. Enough is enough! Jenny Craig didn't work... well it did but then I gained it all back.... not doing anything didn't work, so I HAVE to do something. The fat isn't going to go away by itself.

For more concrete stuff, I am walking in a big walk (60 miles) next month and in February when I started training that was my push. I exercised, but didn't eat right -- and gained weight. Now that I'm eating right, I've lost 20 and the weight is still going down.

Another, is I WANT to feel good about myself. It all comes down to you just wanting it badly enough. Worked for me for quitting smoking (2+ yrs smoke free), quitting drinking (1+ yr at that) and now weight loss.

Once you start to weigh less, I think the motivation will continue on its own.

AndreSF

In my experience, there is typically this one thing that could be deep down somewhere that makes you tick, and that is what I search for myself when motivation is lacking...
Find it, embrace it, use it wisely too...

Good luck!

Qarol

I am a nursing mom, and it depleated my milk supply a little and a got scared so I quit coming on here

Wait, what?

horsepullerlovesme

i m a stay at home of 8 and all in school but the 6 month is at home i do exercise when she is napping and my hubby gives me much needed me time. :~) or she sits in her chair and i talk to her while i exercise. good luck on ur journey

XFitMojoMom

"It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to"
~Annie Gottlier

So yeah, that is basically all I got. Often when I feel the motivation waning - I'll pull up some bodyrock.tv to guilt myself into working out... or youtube for some crossfit clips.

this guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtH0cotA57g

speckled_1

When I catch myself being unmotivated/slacking I have a saying/Motto that I tell myself... "Suck it the F*** up Erin!!". This actually helps me ;-)

FitnessElle

The mirror. That was my motivation.

I grabbed my fat rolls and kept chugging along in a direction I am now proud of.

GibsonDarlin

its a cycle, you have to make time, if you have a good support partner at home...you can leave the baby with them. Yes they can handle it and she will be ok. The missing mother quilt will be there just ignore it!!! It's better to get the weight off than to feel bad when you can't run and jump with the kids.

Add small things to your day. Cut out mayonnaise, cheese, chips, ice cream...what ever is your biggest draw. Replace lettuce with spinach leaves on sandwiches. Small changes in cooking is good too. My family doesn't know that I use turkey meat in chili and spaghetti sauce.

Park further away and walk to the mall and stores. Have realistic expectations. You will have good days, bad days and great days!!

This is for YOU no one else!! You can do it!!

LaSweetMini

I was sitting on the bed on a sunday night after a binge session and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrow sitting there with a big belly, fat face, and feeling completly and utterly distgusting. My husband walked by and I wanted to hide because I felt that if he knew how distgusted I felt then maybe he would start to see me in the same way. I never felt so gross in my life. I started to quietly cry about how unhappy I was and then it hit me. I asked myself "why are you even crying or feeling this way. Its your own fault. But you can change that and the quicker you start changing your ways, the quicker you will start feeling good and beautiful again." I was my own motivation. Looking at myself in the mirror everyday and seeing a fat face. Thats what motivated me and it is what continues to motivate me and if I can lose 1lb, I can lose 2,3 and 4! and SO CAN YOU! :happy:

aprylkemper

I start off by writing really good goals that have realistic deadlines and rewards (like a massage, a new outfit or a mani/pedi) attached so that I'm excited about 'earning' them and then I put up pictures of what I aspire to - I put them where I cannot avoid them and change them if I start to get used to them.
I also subscribe to some really good podcasts on iTunes that I list to and get motivation, tips, and just generally keep it at important in my mind.
My last tip would be to keep a calendar up and check off the days you work out or the days that you meet your eating goals. The visual reminder is motivating and you'll look forward to marking it off!

Good luck and congratulations on the sweet little baby - getting in shape for them will make your time together even better

alanaosu

When I can't be bothered I just put my workout clothes on and tell myself I'll only do 15 minutes. I ALWAYS finish the entire session once I start so the key for me is to just get on with it.

Some days I actually enjoy it now!

bookworm03

I hung my smallest pair if prepregnancy pants in the kitchen. After a while it became a habit so I put the pants back in my closet. I exercise while the baby is sleeping. She is now 10 months old and its so much easier than it used to be. I have an older child as well and if your little one will nap after your older one gets off the bus you can try doing zumba after school. My oldest loves dancing around the living room with me. If you are like me and have 2 left feet it makes it even better. Awesome silly time. I don't get "me time" away from kids very often, so I'm no help there.

megz4987

OH and you're milk supply, DRINK TONS OF WATER. Exercising you need more water, anyway but also nursing you need a TON of water. Don't skimp!

fuhrmeister

for me it was a couple of things:

somthing just went off in my Brian at 255lbs that said get up off your butt off the couch

Also, my husband and i are having trouble gettign pregnant, so i figured gettign healthy can only help.

In teh end I think you really have to want to change. for me it'a nice thet my husband and i are doing it together.

We are also setting an example of helthy living for my stepsons.

maybe make a list of all teh benifits of being more healthy and post them on your mirror.

You can do this

merceah

I am a nursing mom, and it depleated my milk supply a little and a got scared so I quit coming on here

Wait, what?

I was not taking into account the amount of milk my baby was eating which is a lot of calories, plus i wasnt eating the extra calories you are to consume while nursing, sooooo my milk depleated a lot, my baby ws not happy, but now its all back to normal and I am counting all of my nursing calories so that I eat enough for her and to lose weight, hope that made sense.

Preshusone

Exercising is never fun, but I think if you try and find something you like and add some pumping up music it makes it more enjoyable. I have an eliptical that was accumulating dust. I finally went to Radio Shack and got an extension for my earphones and logged onto playlist.com. When your working out with music to motivate you time goes quickly. I started at 20 minutes now I am between 45 minutes and 1 hour. I would go longer but I seem to get really hot so make sure you have a fan blowing on you. Finding something that works for you is the best. Good luck..My journey has been slow because of my Thyroid disorder...I wont give up I believe I can lose the weight.

mountiewife

Hey there! I have a pic of myself from my pre children days....if that doesn't motivate me nothing will! All I need to do is look in the mirror and then look at that pic....As for getting the motivation to actually start my workout....the hardest step is putting on my sneakers! Once I get going it feels great!!! That usually is my ME time, a time when I don't have to listen to "mom, mom, mom" :laugh: Good luck to you with your weight loss, feel free to add me as a friend if you like!

merceah

Thank you all for your responses, they were all helpful in their own ways. I will just have to get up and do it, maybe I will get up earlier in the morning ( use to no sleep after all these years :laugh: ) and take a baby monitor with me. Am so lucky I have a wonderful husband who will help but the guilt eats at me for taking time away from my kids... and I am luckly to have every exercise equipment available (almost) I just have to start using all of these things to my advantage i guess. Thanks again

mdperry

My motivation is two-fold. One of my good friends is on this site and has been such an inspiration to me. She has done so well and been so committed, all while her husband is in Afghanistan and she is home with their 4 children.

Second, the day that I hopped on the scale and weighed more than I did the day I delivered my daughter. That was my wake-up call and I am finally ready to shed this weight.

I use lots of things to motivate me for exercise. I reward myself with a show I have saved on DVR, when I get home from the gym. I look at my daughter and know that I want to be able to keep up with her, so I head to the gym. I, actually, like going, now. I've been at it seriously for a little over 2 weeks and I can see how people become gym rats.

secostley

What really motivated me was the threat of having to start taking needles full of insulin from my doctor. The day he said that was the day I got serious. I put a "fat picture" of me in my workout journal to remind me daily of what I didn't want to go back to.

Now, what motivates me to keep going changes daily. I reward myself for reaching certain milestones (e.g. 5 pounds lost, 10, 20, etc). An upcoming trip has me really motivated to reach my next goal.


Shawn

lcnelson

It was the small things. At first, I could only do a little...and then day by day I just increased my previous workout And I know there are not many people like me, but the soreness I would get from my workout was SUCH a motivator!! I just kept thinking that was my muscles moving and not being so dormant.

You have to find what works for you!

JS70

I think you just have to be ready on the inside to make a change! This site has helped me change the way I look at food. I have been on here a little over a month and I love it! I am now accountable for everything I eat and that is the big difference! I decided I have to change now that I am 40 or I will be 60 and wish I had.
As for finding time to workout, I wish I knew the answer! I have 2 daughters and it's a struggle everyday to find time to work out. It's hard at 9pm when I finally have time to get motivated to actually work out.

baloney17

I've been overweight/obese most of my life. I started gaining weight at the age of 6 and was 200lbs by the time I was in 6th grade. From the age of 13 to my now 30, I've been my lowest at 175 and my highest (last year)at 270 and anywhere from a size 12-20. There are a lot of reasons I gained and I would lose and then put it back on. My finace and I got engaged a month ago and I decided that I'd like to be around 190 by the time we get married in October of 2012. I feel that's a very reasonable goal at at the rate I'm currently going, I'll DEFINITELY be able to reach it. I don't just want to look good on my wedding day, I want to be healthier. Chris and I want to start a family right after we're married and I've had 2 different doctors tell me that I shouldn't be over 200lbs at the start of my pregnancy. I'm so ready to start a family and that's my greatest motivation.

I'm currently using an old picture of myself as a bookmark. It is me at my lightest weight and I would LOVE to get back there. So every night when I go to pick up my book, if it's an exercise day and I didn't quite get to it, or do as much as I would have liked, I drop to the floor and do 100 crunches.

I'm also blessed with a very supportive fiance. He's completely on board with the healthier food choices and he's started working out at least 4 days a week at the gym at his work. I think this is really great for the two of us and we definitely help motivate the other. I'm not sure if I'd be as successful doing this alone.

Congrats to you on starting MFP again. Good luck with everything. The friends I'm making on here are great and truly supportive. You can add me as a friend and I'll help motivate you as well. Keep it positive and keep on working.....you CAN do this!!!!!

whateverr120

I'm going to make a book of pictures to look at, some of girls in the weight range I want to be in, and some of bigger girls. So i can look at it and be motivated to be like the skinny ones and remind myself that I dont want to be like the bigger ones. I am a very visual person so its really going to help me.. ill even add pictures of me where I look especially big.
Just remember once you make it a habit, in a few weeks (or maybe months) it will just feel normal to go...you might not even like skipping days because you'll just feel that you didn't go.
good luck

iheartyarn

in order to be a good mom, you have to be a happy, rested (as much as you can!), balanced mom!

i found motivation from being sick of being "sick and tired" i have been pregnant or nursing, or both for 6 years and overweight all of them. i don't ever want to be 250lbs again (my highest weight 9 months pg) my oldest is now 5.5 and i want to set a good example for her, i want an active lifestyle to be the norm for all of them, i don't want them to have to overcome the food issues i am right now!

when it comes down to it, i try not to allow self talk "i need to go work out, but i don't really want to, god its early" etc etc. i just lace up. i go out for my runs around 4 usually right before we make dinner. and then i do 30 day shred after they go to bed.. and if i do struggle, i just tell myself its 20 mins out of my day..

iheartyarn

oh and mybodygallery.com has been an inspiration for me, as well as everyone's success stories here!

anthony008

mine was a nasty breakup that left me with more free time. Once I tried working out and eating right, it just felt good and my momentum piled up. Being in the middle of it, I wish I started sooner.