Binge exerciser

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GoddezzSheila69
GoddezzSheila69 Posts: 23
in Motivation and Support
I am trying to figure out why it is SO HARD for me to stay on a regular exercise routine.

I have done the whole....Same time each day, change things ups, etc etc etc....This is what happens.

I go through about 2weeks straight of working out at least 3-4days a week for about 2 weeks. Working out above and beyond my everyday routine. Like at the gym, or at home. THEN....I quit. I just do not have the motivation/gumption to continue and find I have gone through a whole week without really putting effort into working out.

This has always been my greatest health challenge.

How does one become a regular exerciser? I WANT to be one of those people who loves to and does work out everyday of the week. But I find myself, mentally drained from the rest of my life and kind of go into a temporary hibernation (from working out).

PLEASE help me change this for good!

~

Replies

  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
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    1. Perhaps you are trying to go into it too fast. Generally, if people are trying to change their life and they change ALL their eating, and want to go to the gym and do this and that, it is too much at once. Try baby steps.
    2. You haven't found a form of exercise that you love. Do this, experiment, and you will stick with it.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    These are mine:

    1. Find something you love to do. If working out meant doing something I wasn't crazy about, I wouldn't do it.
    2. Fake it until you make it. There are days that I don't want to get up at 6am, but I do it because it's so easy to fall out of the habit.
    3. Set goals that have nothing to do with the scale. You want to run so far, you want to lift so much, etc.

    It's all about mentality. My drive to meet my goals is what keeps me going.
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
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    Do you actually enjoy the exercise that you're doing? It has to be fun for you or you will always lose motivation. Maybe you're just not a gym person. I know for me working out at home is pointless because I just slack since there is no one else around. I find going to classes really helps, especially if you commit to a friend or the trainer that you will be there, you will feel more accountable.

    You might also consider joining a team of some sort - soccer, volleyball, softball, etc., When you have games and practices every week you have to show up. There is more incentive. Another idea is to sign up for a race or a cycling event and do it for charity. There are many groups (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a great example) where you train as a group and raise money for the charity while you train. These groups are extremely motivating and supportive. They have group training sessions each week and if you don't show someone will miss you.

    The mental drain you are feeling in the rest of your life can be remedied by working out. It may not seem that way now, but eventually working out can become your respite, the place you go to escape stress. The gym is the place where no one bothers me, where no one can bring me down. It gives me the strength I need to get through the day. I work in an office and used to find it very difficult to get along with some of my co-workers. Now I lift weights in the morning before work and just knowing I can deadlift a 150 pound bar gives me the mental fortitude to deal with my coworkers. My gym workout is way harder than dealing with them, I realize that now.

    Find something that inspires you to keep going and don't give up. After about a month or two of working out solid, you will feel weird if you don't. Working out regularly helps me sleep better. When I slack off, my sleep suffers. Get back in the gym, sleep is good, whole life is improved. Try and put it into context of how it will improve your ENTIRE life. Working out is just not a means to lose weight, it is stress relief, health insurance, sleep medicine and so much more!
  • GoddezzSheila69
    GoddezzSheila69 Posts: 23
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    "Perhaps you are trying to go into it too fast. Generally, if people are trying to change their life and they change ALL their eating, and want to go to the gym and do this and that, it is too much at once. Try baby steps. "

    NO....I have ALWAYS had this issue. I love going to the gym..WHEN I GO....I can work out at home, just fine, WHEN I DO IT. It is almost as though once every couple of weeks I have this damn mental block. This has been my life for years. Plus I am a all or nothing person. So going into something slowly is a definite set up for failure for me.

    As far as exercises I like doing....I switch things up all the time. Swimming, instructed classes and so on. I also feel much better, sleep better etc when I work out regularly.

    "2. Fake it until you make it. There are days that I don't want to get up at 6am, but I do it because it's so easy to fall out of the habit."

    I like this. One thing is the habit of setting my time because summer is in full swing and kid activities RULE my days right now. I get plenty of regular exercise. Walking etc...But in order for me to actually loose weight, which is my main goal, I really have to work out hard.

    I get the context etc....I have battled a lot to get where I am now. A life long heart condition that was surgically fixed last year, Type 2 diabetes I reversed with diet alone...and a few other things. So I know the benefits and so on....I just don't know how to make my *kitten* NOT get to that once every 2weeks I stop....OIY.

    Thanks for our words, all.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
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    Why are you stopping? You are saying you don't have the motivation? Are you thinking about the time spent, are you thinking of something else that is taking away motivation, are you thinking too long term?
  • roughneckswife
    roughneckswife Posts: 341 Member
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    I do the same thing.... I go to KLASS twice a week and normally walk/run 3 miles a day.

    Then, some days I just don't have it in me. I do KLASS and that's it.
  • twinmoon
    twinmoon Posts: 108 Member
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    I can relate. At first, I bribed myself. I stuck to the plan and went shopping :) As I became more fit, I craved my exercise time. I also change things around, including lots of walks outside. No need to bribe anymore.

    Congrats on turning your health around so well. That's great!
  • GoddezzSheila69
    GoddezzSheila69 Posts: 23
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    Thank!:smile:

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