THE MYTH OF MOTIVATION (AND WHAT YOU NEED INSTEAD)

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  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    Big bump :)
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    Another bump :)
  • witchaywoman81
    witchaywoman81 Posts: 280 Member
    Bump
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    bgr3b4uwdbu5.jpg
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    bump
  • Kfrase83
    Kfrase83 Posts: 42 Member
    I have been on MFP since August 2014, and this is the first time I've seen this post. And I absolutely needed this today. :smiley:
  • thanos5
    thanos5 Posts: 513 Member
    bumpity bump bump
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    April showers bring May thread bumps.
  • rubipaz75
    rubipaz75 Posts: 13 Member
    I came up with excuses all the time! thank you!
  • carolynsutton6
    carolynsutton6 Posts: 9 Member
    Absolutely beautiful! I love the reminder to stay on target.
  • pennysob
    pennysob Posts: 59 Member
    Bump
  • pennysob
    pennysob Posts: 59 Member
    bump
  • RastaLousGirl
    RastaLousGirl Posts: 2,119 Member
    July 2019, and this post still hits me. Just what I needed to hear today.
  • rothvl
    rothvl Posts: 2 Member
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    This is from fitness blogger Vic Margay.
    http://www.vicmagary.com/blog/fitness-motivation/

    “Motivated, motivated, hell yeah I’m motivated. Ooo Ah, I wanna kill somebody. Killlllll!!!”

    As part of the Army’s brainwashing process (better known as Basic Training), mantras like the one above shouted in unison by a platoon of young men with shaved heads often made Basic Training feel like some sort of twisted psycho cheerleading camp instead of preparation to become Infantry soldiers.

    But we were motivated.

    warface.jpeg

    Or were we? If you include fear of punishment and peer pressure as motivation, then the environment at Ft. Benning was certainly motivating.

    But were we self-motivated? No, most of us standing in heel-to-toe lines and referring to our new Army buddies by last name only at Ft. Benning, Georgia in the autumn of 1998 were not self- motivated. And it is acquiring and maintaining this self-motivation that I am often asked about in the realm of diet and fitness. But here’s the thing…


    Lack of motivation to follow a healthy diet and commit to consistent exercise is a myth.

    You are going to die. And neglecting your health and fitness is more likely to hasten your departure. Furthermore, the days you do have will be spent with less energy and more pain if you choose to eat crap and be sedentary. The motivation, the “why”, to exercise and eat nutritious foods in appropriate quantity is present and strong. The bigger mystery is why we choose to ignore the need for proper diet and exercise in the face of obvious requirement.

    We do not need motivation. We need decision.

    3315ca2621df11e2a64f22000a1f968e_7.jpeg


    We need unwavering non-negotiable decision. And yes, I know that the pic above was not taken during Hurricane Sandy (although I thought it was when I posted it to my Facebook page). But it was taken during a torrential down pour at some point in recent history. It absolutely captures the fortitude and decision of those soldiers to stand by their post no matter what hardship may be encountered.

    If those soldiers can decide to endure the elements, then we can decide to put down the damned pizza and beer.

    Or forgo the free bagels at the office. Or wake up a half hour early to exercise. Or keep a food journal everyday. Or what ever else we know we need to do but keep failing to commit to because it is “hard”.

    Enduring chemotherapy is hard.

    Hitting a fast ball in the major leagues in hard.

    Negotiating nuclear disarmament from a hostile nation is hard.

    Saying goodbye to a loved one in the hospital or the veterinarian’s office for the last time is hard.

    But putting down the cookies and picking up the spinach?     That’s only as hard as the story we tell ourselves.

    What is often called lack of motivation is actually lack of discipline and lack of habit. I’ve posted about discipline and habit before – those entries lack the sexy headlines such as “1 weird trick to lose belly fat” and often do not get more than the cursory glance. And that’s unfortunate because it is discipline and habit that hold the keys to not only losing weight or getting strong, but to anything that we want in life.

    You already know what to do to lose weight and get in shape. The smaller details will vary but the big picture is always to eat real food in appropriate quantity and move in a manner that is continually challenging. The problem is not lack of knowledge or lack of motivation. The problem is lack of decision.

    Decide. Now.

    Share your thoughts on motivation, decision, and the mental/emotional hurdles we face when it comes to diet, fitness, and weight loss in the comments below.

    Stay strong

    Excellent article! Mind if I write this in my personal journal?
  • jkfroese323
    jkfroese323 Posts: 3 Member
    Once again, the wonderful universe puts in front of me exactly what I need to hear at exactly the right time. Thank you so much for posting this.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    qgababcfkbna.jpg
  • SonFlowerTC
    SonFlowerTC Posts: 42 Member
    Thanks for this stern message about whinning and not wanting to do the hard thing to be healthy. It does require our decision! I didn’t want to get out to the gym to exercise but I did and now I feel great, alive and ready to accomplish what I need to do!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Bump
  • FABRICWOMAN
    FABRICWOMAN Posts: 539 Member
    I am in awe of your original posting in 2012. Right now I am barely walking with a cane and I have DECIDED that I will eat better and move more right now in 2020. Thank you for the insight and hope for a better tomorrow, and again thank you for your service to our country.
  • Mys_Trea
    Mys_Trea Posts: 6 Member
    This. Is what I needed to hear today. I love it. Thank you.
  • shakenbake57
    shakenbake57 Posts: 303 Member
    Just what I needed to read this morning as I begin this journey AGAIN. I've done it before, but my discipline slacked and bad habits returned.
  • judefit1
    judefit1 Posts: 1,102 Member
    Such a great post. A reminder to me of how easy it is to justify my own bad habits, and that it's my own outlook that defeats me. Thanks so much for the reminder of what's hard and what's really not...
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    edited December 2020
    Just found this little gem. Bumping cause I need it bad!
  • Thanysss
    Thanysss Posts: 16 Member
    I want this spoken to me when I am craving cakes and sugar. Help!
  • TerriRichardson112
    TerriRichardson112 Posts: 19,151 Member
    edited November 2021
    Bumping this up as it’s so relevant.

    Just decide and do it.

    To paraphrase Yoda:
    No trying! Just doing!
  • shabegger
    shabegger Posts: 1 Member
    I needed that--thanks
  • kamaperry
    kamaperry Posts: 885 Member
    Wow, this is an amazing post!
  • jdianedo
    jdianedo Posts: 1 Member
    Thanks!
  • dmschuh
    dmschuh Posts: 6 Member
    Yes, I agree - it is not "motivation", but instead making it as habitual/non-negotiating as going to work every day (for the working out/exercise component). There is nothing to "think" about or "decide" on really. I mean, do you "decide" to go to work every day or do you just get up and do it? To me, when I am in this mindset -- I get up at the same time every morning, have an appointment at 5:30am (or whatever time) to do x or y exercise, I don't allow myself to "decide" -- that is the ONLY time when I am successful and consistent. Do I wake up tired some days and not want to go to work? Hell yeah, but I go b/c "not doing it" is not an option (like going to work) - I may get a little more coffee or remind myself to go to bed earlier, but I go. If I remind myself that working out is as non-negotiable as going to work - I may groan a little, but I do it (and unlike that next glass of wine or piece of cake, don't regret it later). When I think motivation has anything to do with it, that's when I fail. I mean does anyone pat me on the back every day for showing up to work? Do I need to find "inspiration"? OK, well, maybe some days ...lol. For those starting out - there are 1000s of free YT videos with dancing, tae bo, yoga, Zumba, weight training, rowing, etc. etc. Get up every day at the same time (with enough time built in for 15/20/30/40 min workout). Make a plan (just like you manage your work schedule) and put it on your calendar. That way you know exactly what you are doing and for how long and work up to what is optimal for you.

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