How do you stay motivated?

As far as the gym, I just go, I don't let myself have the option of skipping it. Cravings? I scratch the itch, don't go nuts, but if someone left some Peanut M&M's around and I want some, I'll have a few, but I won't eat the whole bag. You can give in to cravings, just do so in moderation.

Rigger

I posted the following on my own wall for my friends list. Thought this was the appropriate thread to paste it to.




OK! I already see a few people on my FL (friend's list) that are having a hard time getting motivated. OK! news flash! Getting up early and doing what you planned to do can sometime suck! My alarm went off at 6 am this morning and the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed. To be honest, I hate it. It takes me for ever to get my gym clothes on and get everything together because my head is in a daze. Sometimes I wonder why I keep doing this. Heck, I am good enough. I look ok now. Why bother any more? Because I don't just wanna look OK or good enough. I WANNA BE HOT! I wanna look like one of those, you know really hot guys with muscles bulding and girls just act silly because they are so hot. Like tote my oats (James Earl Jones style). And I know I ain't gonna look like that sleeping my *kitten* in. So I fumble around looking for my clothes and then go outside in the cold (I know, Alabama is not as cold as say Wisconsin or Canada) but still. I don't really want to do it. But I do it anyway. "Tote my oats!" ;-) So now I get on this treadmill and tell myself do it for 30 minutes at 6.5 mph. To be honest, I something go, "Are you freaking kidding me?". Hell let me do it at 5 mph today, or maybe for only 20 minutes. hell, let's just go back to bed and do it tommorow. Nope. I get on the treadmill regardless and stand on it, set up the workout music on my smart phone (first song is Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did In The dark (Light Em Up)) then set the treadmill "Age 42, Male, 209 lbs, 6.5 mph, 1.5% incline) then my mind tells me, "dude you are just nuts if you think you can do this", then i go "tote my oats" then I put my earphones on, hit play (music starts) and his start and now I am running. OMG How long am i gonna run for? Well, I know the first 5 minutes are gonna be easy so I can say at least 5 minutes. Then I do another 5 minutes. Wow 10 minutes down and just another 20. And now I am awake, blood going, my breath really isn't that bad yet, and I tell myself... I can do this today. it's not so bad. Now it's 15 minutes in. half way there. Do I slow down? Do I quit early? Nope, not yet. I got this. Shoot for another 5 minutes. Now it's 20 minutes in. 2/3 done. Just another 10. Now 9 minutes. Now 8... Now only 5 minutes. 4, 3, 2:30 Hell, I am actually gonna finish this. I am a beast! 2:00 left. 90 seconds. 60 seconds. 30 seconds. 15. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 at 3 seconds the screen on the treadmill warns me of the cool down in 3, 2, 1, then YESSSSSSSS! I'm DONE! I AM FREAKIN DONE! PISS ON YOU TREADMILL! I OWN YOU! hahahaha now I feel great. I just burnt 580 calories. I actually freakn ran 6.5 mph for 30 minutes without slowing, without stopping and I feel awesome! But if i decided to stay in bed. I know I would feel sucky *kitten*. Dude, that treadmill owned your *kitten*. NOPE! Not today! I hope this inspires someone! Cause this is what i go through every freakin morning.

I tell myself that I already feel like crap, I might has well feel like crap on the elliptical. Lol.

I don't need motivation. It's a schedule I maintain, like getting up for work.

I tell myself that I already feel like crap, I might has well feel like crap on the elliptical. Lol.

Haha, pretty much this! Then I usually feel better when I'm done.

motivation that's a tough one. One kept me in check for the longest time was working with a coach for about 3 years. Coach monitored my macronutrients whether on gaining phases or dieting phases. Over time of reporting weekly that kept me accountable until it became 2nd nature.

In this off-season going at it alone, but I still ask friends and other coaches casually about my progress. I still use a coach to monitor my strength gains and to customize lifting protocols for me.