Do you lack motivation to go to the gym too?

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Replies

  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    the difference is you almost have to make it so that there is no other option. Am i motivated to cook dinner after work? Usually not, but i have to do it because my family needs to eat dinner. I might make an easy or quick recipe, but it gets done. Your health should be the same way.

    It also helps to find things that you genuinely enjoy doing. If you hate running, don't force yourself to plug away on a treadmill. Cardio for me includes primarily Zumba or riding bike. I thoroughly enjoy heavy lifting so that takes up 3 days of my week.
  • MaryJaneTaylor
    MaryJaneTaylor Posts: 4
    I like that idea. The only problem is i have heard woman tend to lose more weight and get in shape faster with cardio.... you are right though i don't really enjoy cardio... sad part for me is i know it needs to be done
  • hazelsmrf
    hazelsmrf Posts: 96 Member
    MaryJane, that's why I hired a personal trainer, there are several days where I would have chosen to not go to the gym if it was an option :) But losing the 40$ or whatever it costs me to cancel at the last minute hurts more than the 50 minutes of pain, so I go :) I do better as well when I'm accountable to someone else. You're not alone!
  • hazelsmrf
    hazelsmrf Posts: 96 Member
    Also I think that thinking negatively about the gym just reinforces the not wanting to go. I think you kind of need to lie to yourself and tell yourself that you love the gym. You loooooooooove it. Even if you're lying right now, think in positive terms, I truly believe that the subconscious DOES pick up on that.
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
    I'm with the morning people on this one.
    I'm up at 3:30 to be done and at work by 6:00. I lose sleep to do it.

    My motivation is simple. No one else will do this for me and it must be done.
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    I like that idea. The only problem is i have heard woman tend to lose more weight and get in shape faster with cardio.... you are right though i don't really enjoy cardio... sad part for me is i know it needs to be done

    I used to be a cardio junkie. I would sit on elliptical for an hour, AT LEAST, every day. Yeah, i lost weight, but i lost LBM along with it. At least if you do some lifting even just 3 days a week, that will help you retain your existing muscle. The number on the scale might not go down as quickly, but if you are losing inches, does the scale really matter?
  • just_fur_luck
    just_fur_luck Posts: 141 Member
    SO if motivation is 100% all me then why is it that even this website says 90% of woman that have friends to lose weight with will more likely succeed. Because they have MOTIVATION from eachother. I get what all of you are saying about packing my car at night and going in the morning to the gym and i may just try that. But other than that i guess i was looking for someone that has the same problem with me on here and we could coach eachother daily. It seems that you all have pulled yourselves together and figured it out so i will look else where for the support i was looking for! As for people saying i am not into losing weight...hmmm my diet hasn't changed just because i can't seem to go to the gym.... so i am losing weight just not as fast as i know it would be if i included the gym

    First you said you wanted tricks. Now you're saying you just want a buddy. Which is it?

    There aren't really any tricks, it's not a magic show.
    There aren't really any tips, it's not a ****.

    Motivation has to come from you wanting to work out more than you want to be fat. A buddy can help provide accountability to help you along but you have to have already decided that you will do it or you'll just end up telling your buddy to get tossed when they bug you after you no longer have your internal motivation. And that's not what you asked for in your OP. You asked for a trick or a tip.
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    just a side note... the OP deactivated
  • Susan_fessler
    Susan_fessler Posts: 56 Member
    I would never go to the gym after work, I can find to many reasons why I don't go, I really can't fine a "reason" to no go first thing in the AM. I go before work and have rarely missed a day because of it, I even switched jobs and get up at 5:30am now to go but it is totally worth it. My husband even switched to my gym and go with me 3 days a week because he ran into the same problem with trying to go after work.
  • karmabear06
    karmabear06 Posts: 62 Member
    On the rare occassion that I get to do morning workouts I feel FABULOUS for getting it done. Usually it's only my days off that I can do mornings but I know regardless I have to hold myself accountable. The motivation or gratification I have is the sweat stained sports bra & shirt once I'm finished that hangs off my changing body. I know during the work week I have to go in the evenings and once I get there I'm golden. You will have to find your own "motivation" for going. My motivation is.... I like that my clothes are starting to fall off me and I desperately need a great reason to clear out ALL of my clothes and replace everything.
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    No, I don't.

    One thing that I think is huge is having goals at the gym. If you look at it just as a chore just because you need to burn off some calories, it's not going to appeal to you. Maybe you'll want to shave off 10 seconds from your mile time, or add another rep or 5 lbs. on the bench. I've been motivating myself by wanting to increase my strength on the lifts I've been doing.

    Exercise has a purpose far above and far removed from just losing weight. You do it to increase your body's endurance and strength. Any calories are just a bonus. If the only purpose was to burn calories, it's much better use of your time and money to just eat fewer calories. That's my two cents.
  • nicola1141
    nicola1141 Posts: 613 Member
    Best thing I ever did for myself was "give up" on the gym. I never had the motivation to go, when I di dhave the motivation I didn't have a babysitter and the gym daycare was closed, etc., etc., etc. But, I wouldn't workout at home, or go for a run because "I'll go to the gym tomorrow" (which never happened).

    I finally gave up on the gym and decided to focus on exercising at home and now I FINALLY exercise regularly (at least 5 days a week). I have an elliptical at home, I do 30DS, I run, I do circuit training (I like the sworkit app), sometimes I dance. Sometimes it's only 15 minutes. But that's 15 minutes more than I ever used to do when I felt I had to go to the gym to work out.

    I also joined the morning brigade. Started when my daughter was waking up at 5:00. What the heck else was I going to do at 5:00am? But that's kickstarted the habit and now that she's even sleeping to (gasp!) 6:30 some days, I'm still getting up and working out by 6:30. Like I said, sometimes it's only 20 minutes. but I figure 20 minutes x 6 days a week = 2 hours. I never made it for 2 hours a week at the gym. (Plus I've added in other exercises to my life generally, like riding my bike to the train station, actually swimming lengths when taking my kids to the pool, etc).
  • QueensGirl83
    QueensGirl83 Posts: 54 Member
    Before I gained all the weight, going to the gym early in the morning would be my thing. My life was also much different back then. Now I am married and have a job that I have be at by 6am (which means waking up at around 4:30am). The good part about my schedule at work is i get out early too (2pm) so that would probably be the time that i would dedicate to going to the gym. The tricky part of all of this is this time around I want to try for something that I can stick to easily. I do walk to and from work and that has helped, but I would still like to dedicate some time to a real workout. Does anybody have any suggestions for me as well? I am almost considering buying an actual cardio machine so that i can do this all from home.
  • rassha01
    rassha01 Posts: 534 Member
    I lacked the motivation to go TO the gym, so I bought weights for home and do all my running outside. That's worked better for me than the gym.
    This and getting up at 430 am to get it done.
  • StrongerJess
    StrongerJess Posts: 185 Member
    Bump
  • jessicae1aine
    jessicae1aine Posts: 885
    Getting there is the hardest part for me, so I don't. I workout at home / around home.

    Getting there is also the hardest part for me. Once I'm there, though, I really have a hard time deciding to leave.
  • magpie0
    magpie0 Posts: 194 Member
    I forced myself to go everyday for about 2 weeks until I got to the point where I enjoyed the 'high'. Now, I will go 3-5 times a week and it is not a chore in the slightest.

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