How do you find your motivation? Please tell me

perfect_storm
perfect_storm Posts: 326 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I took some time off of exercising due to an ankle injury then I got sick now I am on medication for jaw pain that makes me so dizzy I can barely walk (really it is like I am drunk). Anyway with all of this I feel so discouraged and just want to say screw it and not bother with exercise once I am able (after these meds are gone). Maybe I am feeling sorry for myself I dunno but I feel like quitting. Being off just has made me feel so far away. What you all do to keep going and want to exercise would help me.

Replies

  • perfect_storm
    perfect_storm Posts: 326 Member
    oops
  • greattimes
    greattimes Posts: 123 Member
    I keep going because I gave all my fat clothes away and can't afford new ones again. I also know that I am healthier and happier since I lost my weight. I enjoy exercising now and actually miss it if I don't get to do it.
  • KendraElmendorf
    KendraElmendorf Posts: 837 Member
    No joke. In all seriousness I stand naked in front of a mirror.

    no sucking in, no hiding, no nothing. just straight on naked in front of the mirror... that's all it takes for me.

    I know I can cover up with clothes, camera angles, sucking in, behind people... but naked in front of the mirror I cant hide anything.
    Real brutal but effective reality check.

    That's what i do when nothing else seems to be working and I can't get my head in the game for anything.

    Hope this helps
  • grdnr03
    grdnr03 Posts: 547 Member
    weight wise I'm not at goal, body image wise not there either sigh...

    hopefully when the meds are done with you will find it again.
  • TheRealJigsaw
    TheRealJigsaw Posts: 295 Member
    I look at old pictures of myself.
  • Gwen_B
    Gwen_B Posts: 1,018 Member
    No joke. In all seriousness I stand naked in front of a mirror.

    no sucking in, no hiding, no nothing. just straight on naked in front of the mirror... that's all it takes for me.

    I know I can cover up with clothes, camera angles, sucking in, behind people... but naked in front of the mirror I cant hide anything.
    Real brutal but effective reality check.

    That's what i do when nothing else seems to be working and I can't get my head in the game for anything.

    Hope this helps

    Exactly!!
  • sarahi2009
    sarahi2009 Posts: 285 Member
    Well, I find motivation is my goals...where I want to be at so and so time so that keeps me going...plus taking progress pics work to keep you motivated...when you don't feel like exercising just make sure you are making good food choices
  • SandySweats
    SandySweats Posts: 38 Member
    Motivators are the mirror and giving away all clothing that is too big. If I gain any weight at all I have nothing to wear. I stand naked in front of the mirror every morning after I weigh myself. I look at everything bit of fat that still needs to go. At night in bed before I go to sleep I grab my fat rolls and tug on them. Remind myself of how far I have come and how far I have yet to go.

    It is a journey and a commitment.

    My quotes for the coming year:

    "Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen" Brene Brown

    "There are times to let things happen, and times to make things happen. Now is that time. You will either make things happen, watch what happens, or wonder what happened." - Dan Millman from No Ordinary Moments

    "Against the grain should be a way of life. What's worth the prize is always worth the fight. Every second counts 'cause there's no second try. So live like you'll never live it twice. Don't take the free ride in your own life" - Nickelback, If today was your last day.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    When I'm feeling blah and I need a kick in the *kitten*, I read these forums and other fitness websites. Reading about other people's struggles and successes (and failures) makes me feel like part of a community, a community that cares about fitness and that I want to be a part of. We all have our bad days, even bad weeks, and it's great to know that we can always come back and be a part of something that is good for us, both physically and mentally! Hang in there! Don't worry about exercise right now -- just try to eat some delicious, healthy food and revel in how it makes you feel. :)
  • indianarunner76
    indianarunner76 Posts: 108 Member
    You have to find compelling thought out Reasons for why you want to take back control of your health. Your Why will get you through when things get frustrated, when you want to quit and throw in the towel.

    Take a step back and ask yourself WhY do I want to achieve my health goal. It will take some time. My reasons are I want to be here and enjoy life, I want to be able to race competitively again, I want to play tennis with my little girls without getting winded. And finally fit in some old clothes which I am finally starting to do.

    Your reasons will be your rod and staff to comfort you when things get rough.

    Good luck
  • fishermanmatt
    fishermanmatt Posts: 308 Member
    My motivation comes from wanting to be better. Your ticker looks like you're already at your goal. Even now you could be better. You could train to run faster or to lift heavier or ride faster. Why settle for how you currently are when you could be better!
  • rllewell
    rllewell Posts: 234
    I stand naked in front of a mirror.

    This and the thought that I want to be active and healthy for my grand-kids. I'm 50 and they don't exist yet so I'm looking 20-30 years down the road. Grandpa will be walking, running and hiking with them NOT sitting in a chair watching them play!
  • Alehmer
    Alehmer Posts: 433 Member
    Find a sport. I used to exercise for the sake of exercising, and after a while even though I loved exercise I got real, real bored. Now that I am doing jiu jitsu and competing, I have a very real reason to get stronger, faster, leaner, etc that isn't based on some random number.
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    I love having energy and its counterpart not being tired all the time.

    Getting going was a *****, since being a family man the only time I could squeak out to exercise is in the morning before anyone else is up - so it became this painful "force myself out of bed" thing, but after not much time I was in the groove and now I actually feel worse when I sleep in :)

    Someone, a while back, I think, posted a list of everyday items - like, "human head" or "automobile tire" or "Microwave oven" and their corresponding weights.

    I really REALLY like the thought of having sloughed off a microwave oven or two over time...
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    I found something active that I like to do. Im my case I was fortunate enough to love doing it.

    Also, getting on a program like Couch to 5K, or a lifting program like Stronglifts 5x5, Wendler's 5/3/1, etc.. keeps things interesting because you're on a track with goals and achievement... rather than just putsing around for 30-45 min 3x week on a treadmill just to burn calories.

    You don't have to be something out of a Nike commercial to workout, and you don't have the "love" cardio to do it. Find something you like that suits your goals, and the rest won't be difficult at all.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    Find a sport. I used to exercise for the sake of exercising, and after a while even though I loved exercise I got real, real bored. Now that I am doing jiu jitsu and competing, I have a very real reason to get stronger, faster, leaner, etc that isn't based on some random number.

    Perfect example.

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