What is your solution when you lose motivation?

leld730
leld730 Posts: 8
in Motivation and Support
When I was in high school, I was always active. I played sports and when I was at home I was always rolling blading, biking, and horse back riding. Fast forward 8 years and I have such a hard time staying focused and sticking to working out. I have a short attention span so I always get started on something I drop a bunch of weight but then I give up. Not to be bring up a sore subject but about 2 years ago, my younger brother passed away and any sense of motivation was demolished. I"m just starting to get everything back together and combined with working for an office job....dah dah dah.... I put on about 20 pounds. Maybe to some that's not very large but to me...it's down right awful. I beat myself up for all the time, I look at myself in the mirror and I'm just unhappy with the way I look.

I love yoga and pilates but I need the cardio. Running is difficult because I have bad knees. Do you guys have any tips or tricks to what keeps you going? I eat relatively healthy but when it comes to working out ( which the funny thing is ...I love how I feel afterwards) I just come home after work and plotz.... :grumble:

Replies

  • Dahllywood
    Dahllywood Posts: 642 Member
    As hard as it may be, try to create a schedule and stick to it. Plan to go to the gym before or after work. Yeah it may not sound fun and it won't be appealing after a long day, but if you can put it in your schedule and stick to it it will get easier over time.
  • shandajenkins70
    shandajenkins70 Posts: 26 Member
    My motivation is thinking about having clothes to wear and looking good without my fat rolls hanging over my jeans, being so uncomfortable because they to tight.
  • leld730
    leld730 Posts: 8
    Well I don't have the money for the gym right now. I'm saving up to get the 3 year pass from Costco since that seems a bit more practical. So I work out at home. I stream videos for the yoga and pilates and I try to walk around my neighborhood but after a while it all gets so boring.

    I used to be a dancer as well ( Jazz, Middle Eastern, etc) and a martial artist and I find that I am more pumped for exercise when it's something I love...however my finances just simply don't allow for me to take a class.

    I always say I'll work out in the morning but I can't ever ease myself out of bed to do it. However, I do know I felt so much better when I was and felt great all day at work....so perhaps I just need to force myself into a schedule :) Thanks!
  • nicool31
    nicool31 Posts: 6
    I'm not too crazy about working out, but iive always loved walking. My husband and I go for a walk every evening after supper and I love it. We can talk, or check out nice houses or pretty scenery. Before I know it, it's been an hour and I've burned 200ish calories. That combined with healthy eating seems a lot more effortless than killing myself on cardio equipment at the gym. Although sometimes I would go to the gym, mainly the walking is how I dropped all my baby weight. Try to remember how crappy you feel when you don't fit your clothes and how awesome you feel when you stick to a meal plan, or after some exercise.
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    I watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448
  • leld730
    leld730 Posts: 8
    My motivation is thinking about having clothes to wear and looking good without my fat rolls hanging over my jeans, being so uncomfortable because they to tight.

    That's def. a good sense of motivation. Finding jeans for me is already tough enough ( I'm 5'10 with long torso and long legs) and it's next to impossible to find jeans. But when I gained weight the jeans I had that did fit....no longer did and I was sad so I've been living in leggings. I lost a bit of weight the last few weeks and the feeling I got that I could fit into my jeans again was def. satisfying....so maybe I'll have to focus on how great that feels a little harder... thank you :)
  • leld730
    leld730 Posts: 8
    I'm not too crazy about working out, but iive always loved walking. My husband and I go for a walk every evening after supper and I love it. We can talk, or check out nice houses or pretty scenery. Before I know it, it's been an hour and I've burned 200ish calories. That combined with healthy eating seems a lot more effortless than killing myself on cardio equipment at the gym. Although sometimes I would go to the gym, mainly the walking is how I dropped all my baby weight. Try to remember how crappy you feel when you don't fit your clothes and how awesome you feel when you stick to a meal plan, or after some exercise.

    This is very true....I def. can relate and hate that feeling of my clothes not fitting right. Thank you so much....I think it's just a matter of convincing myself that I can stick to it.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I keep logging anyway, keep exercising as much as I can, keep making healthy choices as many times as I can.
    I don't beat myself up over one (or more!) bad food choice - I just tell myself that it wasn't smart but that all I can do now is go forward and try to make the next choice a better one.

    If I have more good choices than bad, then the long term result is going to be good.
  • leld730
    leld730 Posts: 8
    I watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448

    Thank you so much for this link. How truly inspiration and amazing. :)
  • Punktorian
    Punktorian Posts: 224 Member
    I have a set schedule and people to lift with. If they don't show up I give them crap for it and if I don't show up I would expect them to do the same. Started lifting again back in February, 3-4 days a week and I've missed one day since then. I was hung over and had some kind of virus so it just wasn't going to happen.
  • justjenn1977
    justjenn1977 Posts: 437 Member
    I have lost about 70#... my youngest child weighs about 70#... when I feel unmotivated I pick him up and give him a piggy back ride... and I think about how hard it was to walk 70# ago...


    basically when I find my weihgt loss stalling... I LOG every single bite... and I find that I am eating more than I should... when I start loosing steadily again I am not as psycho about logging :)
  • leld730
    leld730 Posts: 8
    I keep logging anyway, keep exercising as much as I can, keep making healthy choices as many times as I can.
    I don't beat myself up over one (or more!) bad food choice - I just tell myself that it wasn't smart but that all I can do now is go forward and try to make the next choice a better one.

    If I have more good choices than bad, then the long term result is going to be good.

    I like how you said you tell yourself that it wasn't smart. I can be really hard on myself at times...and that's obviously not good. I will try to look at it from that prospective and try logging.
  • raechellg
    raechellg Posts: 30 Member
    try to find a workout buddy.. a friend and i walk 3mi. at least 4-5 nights a week.. i also do zumba and if the instructor and classmates weren't so awesome i prob wouldn't be so dedicated to going.. i have made some new friendships and carpool buddies from class also.. and well of course if i don't loose the weight then i will be limited on my "fat" clothes because i refuse to keep buying more clothes just because i outgrew them lol and i know some other people that reward them selves once they hit goals.. not even always a weight goal.. a workout goal they have set.. like manicure or new shoes.. and we do this thing called push in our zumba group.. basically u set a goal timeline of trying to behave with calorie intake and working out for a set amount of time ex. 2 weeks, 3 weeks and then allow urself a day off to cheat or go over on calories or whatever.. that way u can look forward to the favorite eating joint or enjoying a few drinks and dancing and then go another round of the push.. i hope u find these tips helpful and good luck in your journey =)
  • MashaSK
    MashaSK Posts: 142 Member
    I love working out, but I can barely eat healthy Well it may seem healthy for most people, but not my ideal way healthy. Put a picture of yurself in ideal weight in your phone and look at it every time you feel not motivated. Go to stores and try on clothing even if you are not planning hsopping. Dresses etc can also be very motivating...oh underwear and swimming suits as well too
  • MashaSK
    MashaSK Posts: 142 Member
    Office job is the key problem for me too! When you shall sit most of time that how you gain weight. I try to walk everywhere, but yeahh thats so much easier for people who work from home or whose job is active
  • leld730
    leld730 Posts: 8
    Office job is the key problem for me too! When you shall sit most of time that how you gain weight. I try to walk everywhere, but yeahh thats so much easier for people who work from home or whose job is active

    I gained most of the weight once I started the office job. I'm sitting all day and I work in a pretty stressful place so by the time work is over i just want to go home and do nothing except be a lump and forget about the day. I love buying dresses but...I am absolutely so nervous to walk around in a swim suit. I think that might need to be my goal...
  • leld730
    leld730 Posts: 8
    try to find a workout buddy.. a friend and i walk 3mi. at least 4-5 nights a week.. i also do zumba and if the instructor and classmates weren't so awesome i prob wouldn't be so dedicated to going.. i have made some new friendships and carpool buddies from class also.. and well of course if i don't loose the weight then i will be limited on my "fat" clothes because i refuse to keep buying more clothes just because i outgrew them lol and i know some other people that reward them selves once they hit goals.. not even always a weight goal.. a workout goal they have set.. like manicure or new shoes.. and we do this thing called push in our zumba group.. basically u set a goal timeline of trying to behave with calorie intake and working out for a set amount of time ex. 2 weeks, 3 weeks and then allow urself a day off to cheat or go over on calories or whatever.. that way u can look forward to the favorite eating joint or enjoying a few drinks and dancing and then go another round of the push.. i hope u find these tips helpful and good luck in your journey =)

    I was doing this thing where every time I worked out I put $2 dollars into my savings. I wasn't allowed to buy any new clothes or splurge on anything until I saved up enough from working an X amount of time. That did seem to work for awhile. I keep hearing about this zumba....is it worth checking out?
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
    What *I* do is, look in the mirror. Not even joking. Works for me. I did it today while I was working out and ready to throw in the towel and quit. I looked in the mirror at my fat self exercising, and kept going.
  • raechellg
    raechellg Posts: 30 Member
    I was doing this thing where every time I worked out I put $2 dollars into my savings. I wasn't allowed to buy any new clothes or splurge on anything until I saved up enough from working an X amount of time. That did seem to work for awhile. I keep hearing about this zumba....is it worth checking out?
    [/quote]


    zumba is great way to sweat and burn calories while dancing to fun music.. and the great thing is even if u don't get all the moves exactly perfect nobody cares lol
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    Just look in the mirror every morning and tell yourself how awesome you are
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    solicit accountability.. find someone that can hold u accountable in a way that matters to u and can keep you on track. Give someone that authority and be as honest with that person as you can be.
  • LeggyKettleBabe
    LeggyKettleBabe Posts: 300 Member
    stand in front of the mirror nude and jump up and down. LOL
  • labellavitaxo
    labellavitaxo Posts: 26
    I look at old pictures of myself, then look at myself in the mirror. Or I think about all the cute things I wanna wear when I go out, but then I look in my closet and realize "Oh, that's a size 9, and my fat *kitten* ain't getting in that".


    When it comes to working out, I just do it. I push myself through it, and I feel *so* much better afterwards. I also have chosen a DVD workout with a predetermined length of time and lots of different movements, that way I don't get bored and start getting in that monotony of "Oh god, how much longer? 10 minutes?!? UGH!".
  • CherylAnne1988
    CherylAnne1988 Posts: 161
    OMG what a great link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448 was!! so motivational!

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