AM workouts advice?

amymeenieminymo · September 2010

For those of you that work out in the morning, how do you motivate yourself to get up and go? I did AM work outs for about 6 weeks last winter but toward the end I either couldn't get out of bed, or I'd get up, stand in the bathroom, say F it and go back to bed.

My wedding is in one month from today, I have GOT to get back to it....even if I could only lose 5 pounds by then, I think it will make me feel a lot better about myself.

I am not a morning person at all, getting up for work at 7 is hard, let alone 5:15 to go work out. What tricks do you use to make yourself go/wake up enough to not be tempted to go back to bed.

PS I am picking up my dress next week and she said once they make any alternations next week, I cannot lose or gain anymore weight. But if I were to lose 5 pounds, that wouldn't make a big difference with my dress not fitting, right?

Chenoachem · September 2010

Put my clothes out the night before. I never hit snooze. I get up, go to the bathroom, wash my face, change and head out the door. I don't give myself any options. Washing my face with cold water, makes me more allert and less likely to change my plans.

ladybug91254 · September 2010

I do EXACTLY the same as Chenoachem. Any hesitation and I wouldn't go! I also plan to go with a partner so I would feel bad if I "stood them up".

FemininGuns · September 2010

5 pounds will make a difference in your dress... 10lbs would bring you down a dress size - so I think you would still be safe to lose the 5 you're aiming for.

For my AM workouts (I get up at 4:40am), I just get out of bed... I really get ready for my workout the night before - preparing all my meals for the next day, writing down my workout for the gym the next morning, and sometimes even visualizing it so It's not so overwhelming when I get there (Especially if it's a new workout). If you ever take notice of your thoughts the day before you decide to say 'screw it' for your morning workout, you'll notice that you're ALREADY talking yourself out of it before going to bed.

It's important to approach this as a lifestyle and NOT just a way to lose 5 lbs... So, if you're comitted to the lifestyle - getting up in the AM will be easy - you may even realize that you only wake up in the middle of your workout - and noticing that half is done already! YAY!

The other thing is that if you are consistent with your diet and your workouts in the AM, your body will adapt quickly and wake itself up before your alarm goes off - you won't have trouble getting up once you've done it for a week. Going to bed EARLY is another factor. If I go to bed at 10pm, that's TOO late. If I go at 9 or 9:30 I'm good for the next day - full of energy all day, and ample energy for my workouts!!!

Good luck!

annabellj · September 2010

i dont think five lbs will make that much diff in your dress. if you have to be to work at 7 that is hard. can you workout after work or is your job strenuous? I will never be able to consistently get up at 5 am to work out and be awake much less! i know i am not helping much! if you can go to bed earlier you might have a shot at it. i have been waking up around 4 consistently because hubby goes to work adn wakes up the dogs etc. but by 9pm i am out.but i dont think i could work out that early. even if you can take a couple of ten min breaks during the day and walk then or do some squats or ab work or whatever. every little bit helps.make sure your food is spot on as that is 75% of your program and even if you dont get in a workout every day you will still lose that way.good luck!

daj150 · September 2010

I used to exercise in the morning all of the time. My work schedule forced me to change that, but here is what I did to get myself motivated.
1) As mentioned, set out your workout clothes the night before.
2) If you need X hours of sleep, make sure to go to be an extra hour or so before you usually would in order for your body to naturally wake up at the time you want to work out. (e.g. If you need 5 hours sleep, work out at 4:30am, then I would say go to bed between 10:30 and 11pm. Or a little earlier.
3) Focus solely on your goal...5lbs...1week...GO GO GO!!!! That will help you wake up as well.
4) And for the final kick in the butt, figure outa healthy but yummy low-cal low-carb breakfast for after the workout, If food doesn;t help motivate you, try drinking a glass of water right before you go to bed. Your body will force you to wake up to go to the bathroom. I have used this technique many times. Works wonders.

shelleyfey · September 2010

I get my breakfast ready, lay out my clothes and set a departure time goal. Yesterday was comical - could not get my self together as I didn't complete these steps. My MP3 was low on juice, need to download more tunes, forgot to fill water bottle...the list was endless but a reminder that planning ahead is a must! My biggest motivation in the morning is that I have it done for the day and I can concentrate on other important things! It energized me and when I can get out on the trail and bike in the sunshine it just makes me feel better. If I have to go to the gym because of the weather, the earlier the better - I'm a grouch in the morning and don't like to be around a lot of people, I can get in, get it done and get out before there are so many people there! I work with a trainer 2 evenings a week and that keeps me focused too. Hope this helps, congrats on the wedding!

annabellj · September 2010

you should listen to the earlier posts and not mine!

pepperdine · September 2010

I am most definitely NOT a morning person, but in the last two weeks have forced myself to get up 30 mins earlier than usual and go on my treadmill. I have finally realized that because my days tend to get away from me, I need to workout in the morning just to make sure it actually happens. Then my day is free to do go with the flow whenever unplanned things come up.

So far, it hasn't been too difficult getting myself to do it. But I have been going to bed earlier than I usually do and I also go to bed thinking about how I'm going to get up early and hit the treadmill. When my alarm goes off in the morning, it's not a choice anymore, it's just something that I do.

I think you have to make it like going to work in your mind.....of course you'd rather stay in bed and sleep longer, but you get yourself up anyway!

Good luck!!!!

Intimidator · September 2010

well I was like you...I didn't want to get up in the mornings and exercise....Then one day I made up my mind if I really want to lose weight I have to push myself…I do like shelleyfey does and lay out my work out clothes… I also have get up music…something that gets my blood to flow…If you have to get a buddy to call you for a wakeup call to make sure you are up and out the door…a friend of mine was having the issue so we started doing that…I hope this helps…Good luck to you…

amymeenieminymo · October 2010

i dont think five lbs will make that much diff in your dress. if you have to be to work at 7 that is hard. can you workout after work or is your job strenuous? I will never be able to consistently get up at 5 am to work out and be awake much less! i know i am not helping much! if you can go to bed earlier you might have a shot at it. i have been waking up around 4 consistently because hubby goes to work adn wakes up the dogs etc. but by 9pm i am out.but i dont think i could work out that early. even if you can take a couple of ten min breaks during the day and walk then or do some squats or ab work or whatever. every little bit helps.make sure your food is spot on as that is 75% of your program and even if you dont get in a workout every day you will still lose that way.good luck!

I have to be to work at 8, and I did AM work outs last winter so I know all the timelines I need to go by in order to get to work on time. I can work out after work, but I would much rather get it over with, and I love being able to just go home.

AM workouts advice?

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