how do you motivate yourself?

For me, (and this sounds negative) I look in the mirror and tell myself that this isn't how I want to live and I don't want to be remebered as "that fat guy".

Replies

  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
    Not negative at all! its whatever works for you. Keep the motivation up :)
  • tjfrisque
    tjfrisque Posts: 267 Member
    I'm 45 and remember what I used to look like. I don't want ppl I knew in the past to see me and think WOW she used to look hot now she's fat.
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
    I find the disgusted with myself pep talk to be quite motivating to get me to start back to the gym, after that first step though all I need is to remember how great I feel when I work out
  • GrEyedRose
    GrEyedRose Posts: 90 Member
    Very shallow way but...

    The flirty dress in my profile photo is hanging on the back of my bathroom door and I try to keep in mind how great it felt to not only be able to wear it but look cute it!!
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Thirties me wants to shake twenties me by the throat for the health (and other) choices he made.
    I am determined that forties me will want to shake thirties me by the hand.
  • Kinda of weird for me, but I have a picture of Jillian Micheals(the trainer) on my fridge, and I think I wanna look like her someday
  • oreo182
    oreo182 Posts: 17
    I want to stop feeling like a hypocrite when I tell patients about the importance of a healthy diet and weight.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I'm just letting my inner athlete out. I try and focus on who I want to become rather than who I don't want to be. I like to register for races - I have running races and obstacle races already registered/paid for through September 2013 :) That keeps me moving towards my goals.
  • JAMProphet
    JAMProphet Posts: 288 Member
    I'm just letting my inner athlete out. I try and focus on who I want to become rather than who I don't want to be. I like to register for races - I have running races and obstacle races already registered/paid for through September 2013 :) That keeps me moving towards my goals.

    Amen! I am working on getting better at boxing, so I push myself to go to classes. practice, and save money for PT sessions
  • yuckidah
    yuckidah Posts: 290 Member
    There were many motivators for me but one, along the same lines as people above, is that I started thinking how mortifyingly embarrassed I'd be if I ran in to an old boyfriend one day. Now I'm almost looking forward to it happening :smile:
  • LoveAlwaysAlisa
    LoveAlwaysAlisa Posts: 111 Member
    I have an outfit hanging on my closet door that I want to fit into by my birthday (May 9) ...I don't want to be "chunky" in the summer and not be able to wear all the cute clothes!!!! LOL :grumble: ....plus my 10 yr high school reunion is next year and i want to look great!! I was chunky back in highschool..
  • RoseDarrett
    RoseDarrett Posts: 355 Member
    When some friends and some family say negative things to me about my weight or are not supportive of my weight loss and fitness journey.
    Damn straight I don't let them win.

    It pushes me to prove them wrong and prove to myself,I'm better than the put downs and the criticism.
  • swashburn3
    swashburn3 Posts: 172 Member
    For me it's about identifying myself with what I want to be, instead of what I don't want to be.

    Like, just in the last two weeks I've become the kind of guy who works out everyday.

    It's pretty much just a change of perspective, but I'd rather be a guy who works out every day but does it poorly right now, than a fat guy trying to exercise.

    Know what I mean?
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,885 Member
    go on netflix and watch all the documentries about the food industry, and the obitity crisis, thats one thing that keeps me going, its scary to learn what all this bad food is doing to us.
  • EdTheGinge
    EdTheGinge Posts: 1,616 Member
    People not recognising me is my motivation, met up with a few friends I hadn't seen for a year or so and they had to ask each other if it really was me. All night I had comments of 'skeleton, I just can't believe it' and my personal favourite 'it's like hugging air' haha.

    Whatever works for you :)
  • TarshCooper001
    TarshCooper001 Posts: 25 Member
    the heat! 45 degrees celcius is too hard to handle when you have a winter coat on in the summer!
  • piste9
    piste9 Posts: 8
    Looking great in clothes aside, my main motivator right now is my stats I got from my nutritionist.

    I'm a 22 year old with the metabolic age of 37.

    I'm 33.3% fat.

    To me, this is not alright. It's probably not too healthy to keep telling myself in the morning that I'm fat, but for the last week it's gotten me to the gym enough to lose 1kg in my first week.

    Let's say I'm scaring myself skinny.
  • I spent most of my teen years wishing I was thinner, healthier, fitter and did nothing about it. I don't want to waste my life wishing. So I look at my friends for motivation, think how it feels when we go shopping and they are picking up gorgeous clothes in small sizes that would never fit or look half as good on me.
    I also want to TTC this year, so that is my biggest motivation.
  • Halie_Bird
    Halie_Bird Posts: 47 Member
    COFFEE. And wanting to look great too =)
  • akj_25
    akj_25 Posts: 244 Member
    my motivator right now is i have already made plans for my birthday (july) that i want to be able to lay on a beach/boat all day in my swimsuit (with a drink in my hand) and not feel like i need to cover up before anybody sees me.

    plus i have also decided which 5k races i am going to run this year (i am planning on 3 so far) and need to not be last in my age bracket.
  • aimeeernest
    aimeeernest Posts: 159 Member
    1. the scale
    2. old photos of myself at my goal weight
    3. before and after photos and success stories of others
    4. talking to a fitness buddy
    5. seeing results after sticking to my food and exercise goals
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    I figured out another motivation this morning.

    I have a six year old daughter. That means I have seven years until the teenage boys start swarming (possibly less). I figure by that point I can get down to a good BF% and up my muscle bulk enough to be pretty scary. I already have the scary shaved head/beard combo, along with a lot of martial arts training. If I can look ripped with it, it should be a pretty effective trifecta for scaring anyone away from dating my daughter.

    She can date when I'm dead. Plus two days to be sure.
  • CaptainMilda
    CaptainMilda Posts: 127 Member
    Like ChelsG77 I have a picture of someone with, what I would call the perfect body and I have my "skinny jeans" from HS as well.
  • ashdawg8790
    ashdawg8790 Posts: 819 Member
    I just turned 22 and all of a sudden I feel like my metabolism went from running at about a million miles an hour so that not only could I eat anything and everything I wanted, I had to or I felt sick to running about about half past dead. I'm slowly gaining a bit of a tummy and that's enough to push me, especially when my fiance, of whom I demanded blunt honesty, does exactly that and tells me I'm getting a little chunky. I don't want to be the skeleton I was when he met me but I don't want to be huge either! Also, my wedding is in five months and I need to fit into the prettiest dress EVER! :wink: And to top it all off, the first place that teeny tiny little cookie that I used to be able to eat 20 of with no problem goes is to my already round face! Poo on you, genetics! I'm going to beat the chubby cheeks everyone in my family has and be GORGEOUS!
  • KWake1
    KWake1 Posts: 148 Member
    I play a variation of "What's the worst that can happen?" Instead of ocusing on all the awful stuff that could happen if I work out, I tell myself "What's the BEST that could happen?" I could lose weight, I could get stronger, I could sleep better tonight, I could feel inspired to not eat crap food for the rest of the night, I could *finally* fit that dress I want, and on, and on.
    When you look at it that way, why WOULDN'T you go to your workout?