Unable to Grasp That Needed Motivation

silentmalu

I’ve seen posts and heard of others talking about that moment when things finally clicked for them and they were able to put their time and energy into changing their lives. I’ve had more than one opportunity for that defining moment, and yet I’m not able to get the motivation and determination to get out there and work out. I track all my meals and what exercise I do, but even then I don’t have that motivation to make time for myself. Has anyone else struggled with this? What have you done to overcome it?

krystico

I struggle with the same things. Somehow, the laundry, cleaning, etc. "win" over taking time for myself.... I just joined a Zumba class through the local community college. The fact that I had to pay for it (more expensive than the gym) and that it's a scheduled class time has helped me so far. It's only Week 2 of classes - so far, so good!

lynheff

I think most of us struggle with that. When I was in the wheelchair and the only exercise I could do was swim, had to go to the pool at 1045 or make the decision that I would not exercise that day. I couldn't tell myself " um,,,later". I had to do it. I keep an exercise log and I push myself to do just a wee bit more every week. When I am tempted to slack off, I look back and see how far I have come. My first weeks at the gym, the staff wouldn't even let me use the treadmill because I was so disabled. Now I can do 2.4 miles in an hour. My wheelchair is gathering dust in the garage and I walk with a cane. I know that most people don't have as far to go as I did but I hope this will motivate you anyway. Good luck!

H_Factor

I’ve seen posts and heard of others talking about that moment when things finally clicked for them and they were able to put their time and energy into changing their lives. I’ve had more than one opportunity for that defining moment, and yet I’m not able to get the motivation and determination to get out there and work out. I track all my meals and what exercise I do, but even then I don’t have that motivation to make time for myself. Has anyone else struggled with this? What have you done to overcome it?

let me be blunt (maybe this will help)...

what is it about being overweight that you enjoy? obviously there's something great about it if you aren't making time for yourself to make a change. I mean, if you like being overweight, having less energy than you should, being at greater risk for diseases like diabetes and heart disease....well then I can understand why it might be hard for you to find the motivation to make a change.

if, however, there are things you don't like about being overweight...write them down. be brutally honest. review them OFTEN. if that's not enough to motivate you to live a healthier lifestyle, then perhaps being overweight isn't such a bad thing for you.

enjoy.

freshstart4me

i work from home. i have a toddler. these two things do NOT mesh well together. therefore, i bring the kid to the gym so i can have some peace and mother effin quiet for however long i decide to stay. i did not not not not not not want to go today to the gym and i almost didnt until the kid turned it up a notch and turned into a brat...it was the most peaceful 40 mins of my day so far.

thats my motivation - the toddler who needs to expel his energy!!!

hollykhod

I'm struggling with this as well... except that sometimes I lack the motivation to track my food or do any exercise lol. Honestly though the people here have been supportive. The last couple days I didn't track anything and didn't log in out of laziness. Yesturday I opened my e-mail to see several people messaged me to get back on the site. So I guess having a couple good friends who will keep you accountable makes a difference.

charlesfeduke

I started very small. I saw a talk on TED about weekday vegetarian so I did that for several months just to see if I could do it and attended a gym a few days a week to just run 20 minutes on a treadmill. This part was easy because I listen to a lot of books from Audible so I looked forward to running.

The diet part gave me a weekly goal that I was able to keep up. Then I decided I would become a vegetarian which had the effect of essentially ceasing to eat out which is probably the single biggest contributor for my weight loss. I think its more important to not eat out and eat at home correctly than anything else.

I used to be pretty bad at running but slowly I've gotten better at it and now I enjoy it, often trying to get in a quick 2 mile run every day. I joined a Crossfit box which has been much better at motivating me to not just lose weight but build muscle (after 1.5 months of 3/wk classes I've made considerable improvement).

I think the takeaway is: take small steps. If you dread exercising you will never get the motivation to do it. You've got to look forward to it by combining it with things you enjoy until the act itself becomes enjoyable. It takes time. I've never had an "aha" moment but I'm very satisfied with my results.

(I've gone from 235 lbs to 170 lbs since May 2010 by making small changes to my lifestyle over time.)

Artemis_Acorn

I don't think it's as simple as a 'defining moment' for everyone. I have little moments of clarity here and there, and lots of internal battles with myself over getting exercise. I know that I need to get healthy - at my age it's a slippery slope and one of the moments of clarity was when I learned that I was going to be a grandma and this thought just popped into my head that at the rate I was going, I would die before the child would be old enough to remember me.

Another one was when I lost a whole weekend to fatigue - I did a few chores Saturday morning and was so exhausted by it that I slept the rest of the day and still felt crappy on Sunday. This is no way to live.

Or how about climbing one flight of stairs and huffing and puffing at the top of it? Then there's an older brother who's had two types of cancer, another older brother with diabetes and 2 heart attacks, a sister with chronic depression and thyroid issues. I was headed toward being diabetic myself. As the doctor put it, "You're a diabetic waiting to happen."

None of these by themselves compelled me to do it, but cumulatively, they amounted to the feeling that I had a guillitine hanging over my head. The only way to turn it all around was to get serious about my health.

The calorie counting part was easy, although the first week I was hungry all the time. It's the exercise part that was difficult to get going. We got a used treadmill and I started at 2.0 mph and 1.5 incline. After 1/2 an hour, I was sweating buckets and totally wiped out. I HATE to sweat by the way, and at first, I had the same kind of reaction as to the chores. It would exhaust me and I would need a 2-3 hour nap to recuperate. (answer - do it before bed.) Gradually over the past several months, I increased the incline and distance. and now I go for 3 mile walks in the neighborhood a couple days a week. Another problem with the walking was that my feet would become VERY painful, and the pain would increase cumulatively if I exercised for days in a row. (answer - good shoes, aspercreme on my feet to take the edge off the pain and take a rest day every third day.) Do I still have foot pain from exercise? Yes, but it is gradually improving. I think by the time I'm down another 20-30 pounds, it won't be a major issue any more, but if it is, I'll deal with it.

I also spend 15 minutes several times a week on stretching and flexibility. I often do this while I watch a favorite TV show. Ditto for strength training. I use light weights and my own body weight and increase my reps as I can. I go at a pace that works for me - maybe when I'm closer to a normal weight I'll get more into the whole 'workout' mentality, but that would absolutely demotivate me at this point in the game.

I celebrate every success, even the little ones. Every day I'm not over on calories. Every day I get even a 10 minute walk in (and the extra calories I earn from exercising.) Every day I wake up refreshed instead of tired. Every decrease in blood pressure and resting heart rate. Every pound lost. Every compliment I receive. I celebrate baggy clothes, and donating the ones that are too big to charity. I celebrate going down a size. I celebrate the new glow to my complexion, the new brightness in my eyes. I celebrate getting to the top of the stairs without being breathless. I celebrate my increase in energy (and use it to do housework, therefore burning more calories...) If I have a bad day, I celebrate the coming of a new day where I can start over again with a clean slate. I celebrate the successes of my MFP friends - their progress and example is a huge motivator for me. I even celebrate sore muscles - they mean that I am getting stronger and they sure beat the aches and pains of old age. I celebrate the 'hints' of bones I'm starting to see - ankle bones, hip bones, collar bones - these have all been hidden away for decades. These are the things that give me motivation to keep going forward. No epiphany for me. Just a daily effort to do the best I can in that day.

stubbysticks

Do you think everyone is all gung-ho on weight loss all the time? Cuz that's not how it is. Sure, many of us had that "moment" where we got sick enough of ourselves to start really doing something about it, but that didn't mean we just stayed motivated all the time.

Think about other things you need to do that you get done. Do you work? Do you go to school? How do you get those things done? I love my job but that doesn't mean I like doing it all the time. Some days you have to just go through the motions & chalk it up.

When you make your health & fitness as important as those other things, you'll find a way to do what you need to do. Occasionally you'll see some noticeable results, whether it's movement on the scale or better endurance or fitting into goal clothes, & that's what will spark your motivation to continue.

The important thing is to DO IT...don't sit around waiting for motivation to arrive. Make it happen.

silentmalu

Thank you to everyone who replied. All of your comments were both inspirational and helpful. I just need to get up, tell myself I can do this, and go for it.