Motivation Secrets

maggs_m

I'm sure we can all agree on one thing - it's our level of motivation and 'feel good factor' that encourage us to lose weight, the more we have the more likely we are to succeed.

If I'm feeling low, fat and frustrated where do I find comfort - at the gym? I wish! More likely at the back of the fridge. However, if my self-esteem and well-being are at a good level (independently of what I weigh that day), the gym becomes a great idea and those cookies just a hindrance I'd rather avoid. Feeling motivated and excited about how good you will look, actually believing you can do it and visualising the end result, are what make us lose weight, spurring us on to eat less and move more.

Ok, I know this sounds like obvious stuff, but my goal is to make weight loss EASY and ENJOYABLE, not through slacking, but through adjusting my outlook until I feel GREAT EVERY DAY, in turn making me hungry to succeed, not emotionally hungry for food. Surely a day when you're proud of yourself, exercising and eating sensibly is more fun than a miserable day stuck inside feeling unattractive and unsuccessful? Therefore, if this is attainable, the weightloss process is just a symptom!

Today for example, I had a few set backs in my job, plans for tonight got cancelled, and I was feeling miserable and lonely. I forced myself down to the gym (yes, I know I said normally I would look for the solution in the kitchen, but I am recognising that destructive behaviour) but only managed half my normal workout. My body was heavy, and I was hating it. That hatred meant my mind convinced my body it couldn't continue, so I got off the treadmill and came home. You cannot lose weight if you are in a bad mood. On good days I can run and run and run at the gym, which proves to me the power of the mind.

I want as many people as possible to share their motivation secrets, what gets them in the mood, how they turn the gym from their enemy to their friend.....etc

I have been so inspired reading many of your tips and words of wisdom, please let's continue helping each other!

'Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.'

- Niebuhr

kmluecht

Thanks for your insight. I was searching motivation today. I have been here about a month, and I'm beginning to lose some of the good energy I had when starting on MFP. I agree with your point about the effects of mood on motivation and energy. I have also noticed how important adequate sleep is to the equation. Those days I get enough sleep are days when I feel happier and ready to have a great fitness day.

JasonRM79

Hi, I am very moved by your post and the courage and dedication you have already displayed. You have already showed the strength you need to succeed when you made a decision to go and work out despite how bad your day was going and how you were feeling. The fact that you went home is just one opportunity to grow and get stronger around your motivation. It is not a reason to beat up on yourself. You should be proud of yourself and your resolve to work towards getting healthy.

To answer your question. I bring an arsenal of motivational aids with me when I go to my workout. I bring music that lifts my spirit. I have a smart phone (galaxy sii) so I watch motivational y-tube videos when I am on their cardio equipment. Also, I am very focused on my weight. However, that is such a long range goal that it can be a real downer when the scale doesn't move or I don't see progress in the mirror. So, I use a lot of different ways to measure progress. For example, I track my neck, waist, resting heart weight, blood pressure, cups of water, number of calories taken in, number of reps completed, number of sets completed, and how well I followed the technique of a particular exercise. This gives me a lot of small goals, intermediate goals to find success in and keep my motivation high.

In short I find motivation in finding lots of ways to think of progress. I also try to find motivation in visualizing what life will look like for me when I am healthy. I really try to get into it and make it palpable. There was a really cool ytube video called The Science of Productivity (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHfjvYzr-3g) that I saw back in January. It really helped me think differently about my motivation and will power and I can effectively use them to move toward my goals. I would recommend you check that out too if you get a chance. There are also a couple of good books on willpower and motivation I am reading. Both are online. One is called the Willpower by John Tierney and the other is The Power of Habbit by Charles Duhigg. There are others out there that are just as good. The thrust of all of them is the same. Will Power and Motivation are malleable and can be developed through practice and the right thinking.

Keep up the good work. You are already doing an awesome job by staying the course.

ohenry78

Motivation is different for everybody. And it depends on what you need to be motivated about. All I can do is share my example, which has worked well so far.

Do you mean motivation to keep going in general? To keep tracking your calories and working out? Mine was the birth of my baby daughter. I realized that with my family health history and current weight, I wouldn't be around long even though I'm only 25. I want to be there for her for a long time. I use that as motivation; whenever I feel like not logging something I eat, or not doing exercise some day, I look at a picture of her.

Do you mean motivation to work out that extra bit in the gym? Some days you just won't have it in you. Plain and simple fact. Your body or your mind may be just too tired to have an effective workout. To minimize these though, remember your overall motivation. Bring some music that inspires you, or maybe an audiobook to distract you. Try to keep your heart rate up and push yourself until you get that "runner's high" -- when you get that going even the most mundane workout day will feel awesome.

But the most important thing is to know why you are doing this. If you don't have a goal, a nice clear purpose, the details are going to get lost in a misunderstanding of why you are trying so hard. Keep your goals in mind. And just keep logging