How do you guys not procrastinate about exercising?
lmimi13
Posts: 1 Member
I just started a diet about a month ago, I'm young and overweight and want to lose a lot of pounds. I can cut back eating and eat healthier but its hard for me to exercise. I always procrastinate and I have a busy schedule that makes it difficult. I want to start running in the morning but I always have an excuse? how do you guys stop procrastinating?
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Replies
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If you workout as soon as your feet hit the floor, you don't have time to procrastinate. The rest of the day you feel good because you did it.
and you don't have to keep thinking about the fact that a you haven't done it yet. This helps me... might do the same for you 
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I tend to have this problem as well. I always "think" i'm going to get up in the morning and go to the gym...when in reality I just hit the snooze button!!
So lately my motivation is my 4 yr old. She loves going to the gym and playing with her friends. Her and I go nearly every night after I get off work. Sometimes we only go for 20 min or so but it's still something
Good luck in your weight loss journey 0 -
Sometimes it comes down to pushing yourself.
If this is what you really want - to lose the weight - you have to force yourself to the gym and get your workout in.
For me, when I started seeing results and I knew I wanted to maintain all the hard work that I've done, I realised that physical activity has to be an important part of my life. Just as important as work, sleep etc.
It's all about getting there... you just have to start and don't stop.0 -
You may want to try workout DVDs (Leslie Sansone is my fav). All you need is sneakers on in front of the tv, u don't even need to leave your home.0
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find something you really love doing. once i realized i dont like cardio, and started doing more with weights and such, it got easier.
try to catch your excuses before they come out of your mouth. recognize them for what they are. cop outs and flimsy excuses. you might have to rearrange your schedule a bit, or make sacrifices i other areas (like sleep) but if you are really 100% committed, those wont be that hard to make.0 -
I'm hungry. I know if I work out, I can eat some/all of those exercise calories I've burned. I want to eat so I work out. :laugh:
Ok. Well sometimes it's just a matter of reminding myself I don't want to give an inch on the progress I've made.0 -
Find an activity that you really enjoy doing; if you are having to force yourself to do it, you won't stick with it. The procrastination is a sign that it is an activity that you don't look forward to.0
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Do you have any friends that you can meet up with to work out? I find the accountability helps me. If I skip a workout, I'm not only letting myself down but someone else so it is more motivating for me to follow through.
Also write out your workout plan for the week (day, workout, what time). This will help you visualize how you're going to fit a workout into a busy schedule and help you to prioritize it into your routine.0 -
Getting a Fitbit helped me be more active. I also think I've started to enjoy exercise more because I'm using it to procrastinate my grad school work. & I don't feel bad about it because I'm still accomplishing something while doing it, so that's a bonus!
Echoing others though, you have to find something you enjoy & feel comfortable doing. I started with at home exercise videos - you can find pilates & Zumba & a lot of other stuff on YouTube. I started with those because I was ashamed of myself & also because I don't like university rec centers. Then as I got more confident, I started walking in my apartment gym on a treadmill, and walking outside.0 -
At first, it's extremely tough. It takes maybe 2-3 weeks of consistent exercising routines to get it down.
For me, I personally like playing sports. My gym has a volleyball night every tuesday night that I go to so I usually go to that and the time passes by quicker than I want it to. I'm also part of a tennis club and we practice nearly everyday so just from that, I'm exercising a lot and it feels 1000000000000000000000000000000x better than running on the treadmill and lifting weights for 2 hours 3 times a week. The time goes by quickly when I play sports and I actually enjoy it a lot as opposed to the gym, also you usually are gaining muscle as well as doing cardio when playing most sports.0 -
Same here! If I don't get it done first thing in the morning, it's likely not going to happen. And the feeling of regret for not having exercised is worse than the effort of getting up early and getting it done. Doesn't take long for it to become a habit. Even after 2+ years of being consistent with exercise, I still find that in winter when I don't HAVE to run at dawn to avoid the heat, I'm the queen of procrastination and can sit in my recliner and think about running all morning long!If you workout as soon as your feet hit the floor, you don't have time to procrastinate. The rest of the day you feel good because you did it. and you don't have to keep thinking about the fact that a you haven't done it yet. This helps me... might do the same for you 
Workout clothes on, grab your gear and get going, whether it's weights, kickboxing, a DVD, an app, an online video, a brisk walk, a run, or heading to the gym - taking the first step is the hardest, but once you're a few minutes into whatever workout you're doing, it's awesome.
And like the person I quoted said, for the rest of the day you feel good because you DID your workout first thing. It sets the tone for my whole day.0 -
I'm hungry. I know if I work out, I can eat some/all of those exercise calories I've burned. I want to eat so I work out.
This works for me. If I exercise, I can eat more.
If morning doesn't work for you, OP, try another time. That's what I do. I hate working out first thing in the morning, so I don't.
One more thought: if you do it long enough, it becomes a habit. Now I don't feel "right" if I miss my exercise.0 -
Same here. I know I can eat more if I exercise (I use TDEE though so if I don't exercise, I know I won't lose weight). And I have that nagging voice in my head all day if I put it off too long... which is very annoying.
There's no way I would get up earlier to work out though.0 -
I enjoy the "me" time so I look forward to it. I put on my favorite pandora music and just get to take care of me!
You need to find something you enjoy doing so that it makes it fun. Sometimes the worst part is just starting.
Make it a goal to go ___ days this week, and increase until you are HAPPY to be going0 -
GREAT question.
Although i run 3 miles a day, i pretty much never ever want to..until i'm about a minute into it and then i think, omg, i'm loving this. So what i do is simply put my stuff on, get out the door and say to myself, i'll just do what i can. I'll aim for 3 miles but if i only do 5 minutes thats fine too. 99.9% of the time, once im out there, or at the gym i'll do the 3 miles and love it. For me its about getting my kit on and the thought of it. As Nike says, just do it 0 -
Find an activity that you really enjoy doing; if you are having to force yourself to do it, you won't stick with it. The procrastination is a sign that it is an activity that you don't look forward to.
This for me. When I start procrastinating, I know I've got to change up my workout. If I was planning to walk, but I'm procrastinating, I find a DVD instead.0 -
GREAT question.
Although i run 3 miles a day, i pretty much never ever want to..until i'm about a minute into it and then i think, omg, i'm loving this. So what i do is simply put my stuff on, get out the door and say to myself, i'll just do what i can. I'll aim for 3 miles but if i only do 5 minutes thats fine too. 99.9% of the time, once im out there, or at the gym i'll do the 3 miles and love it. For me its about getting my kit on and the thought of it. As Nike says, just do it
^^This.0 -
GREAT question.
Although i run 3 miles a day, i pretty much never ever want to..until i'm about a minute into it and then i think, omg, i'm loving this. So what i do is simply put my stuff on, get out the door and say to myself, i'll just do what i can. I'll aim for 3 miles but if i only do 5 minutes thats fine too. 99.9% of the time, once im out there, or at the gym i'll do the 3 miles and love it. For me its about getting my kit on and the thought of it. As Nike says, just do it
Also this! I rarely want to go beforehand, but my mantra is: I've never once regretted going for a run. If I feel like I don't want to do anything, I set myself a really low target, once I'm out there I usually end up doing much more than my minimum. Getting started is always the hardest bit.0 -
I go with a buddy. I'm doing NROL4W (which I am actually doing with my boyfriend... I'm not sure the workouts are different in the NROL program for men) and it requires me to do strength training 3 times a week. If I skip more than one workout, the next one is going to be terribly difficult, so we drag each other out of the house and go to the gym. Even if it's awful and we don't feel good, it's over in 40 minutes and we got it done.
It's like doing homework. Of course you don't WANT to, and it's okay if you skip one or two, but if you don't do it you will fall behind and your performance will suffer.0 -
Truth? You REALLY don't want to start running or else you JUST DO IT.I just started a diet about a month ago, I'm young and overweight and want to lose a lot of pounds. I can cut back eating and eat healthier but its hard for me to exercise. I always procrastinate and I have a busy schedule that makes it difficult. I want to start running in the morning but I always have an excuse? how do you guys stop procrastinating?
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
as others have said find something you look forward to doing...
When I started I was walking outside in the spring with my husband...loved our time together and it wasn't a hard taxing walk...
Then I got Wii just dance...I love dancing and it's a game..
Then I did a squat challenage...
Then I found Jillian Michaels 30DS...loved it...made me stronger which led me to my current exercise
Lifting weights...love love love it...
Getting as strong as I am getting, being able to lift that weight wow empowering and I love it...0 -
Try different activities and see which one you really like, whether it is a Zumba class, riding a bike, walking, or running. Many years ago I started exercising consistently and it really does/can be an easy part of your day. For years, I also had done it first thing in the morning and that was great - there was no excuse such as "I'm too tired after working today" or whatever to get me off track. Now, I do much of my running during my lunch hour and I'm fortunate to have a workout room in my office building. I also have a gym membership so that I can go there for days I work from home, to lift weights, or to go to classes. Once the weather gets better, then I will start running outside again. The more you keep doing it, the more it just becomes part of your daily routine....and you'll feel great!0
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I'm excited all day at work to get out and run. I'm very motivated, I'm inspired by others here, it just plain feels good. once you get started and get that (if you are a runner) runners high, it's hard to not want that feeling again and again and again. I woke up sore this morning but a few hours of being awake and seeing all the success on these message boards motivates me to hit it again this evening.0
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I just started a diet about a month ago, I'm young and overweight and want to lose a lot of pounds. I can cut back eating and eat healthier but its hard for me to exercise. I always procrastinate and I have a busy schedule that makes it difficult. I want to start running in the morning but I always have an excuse? how do you guys stop procrastinating?
Just get up and do it. You had all the time in the world to make bad choices, take some time to make good ones now. That's all there is to it.0 -
I do it in the AM,after feeding horses and dogs I get right to it,,because if I wait until later in the day I run out of day doing other things..and if I have time later I do more then as an added bonus so I can eat choc chip cookies! try making a deal with yourself to do at least 10 minutes, and if you dont want to continue after that you can stop..I would bet 99% of the time you will continue.You CAN make yourself work out for at least 10 minutes and build off that.0
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I just started a diet about a month ago, I'm young and overweight and want to lose a lot of pounds. I can cut back eating and eat healthier but its hard for me to exercise. I always procrastinate and I have a busy schedule that makes it difficult. I want to start running in the morning but I always have an excuse? how do you guys stop procrastinating?
I have a busy schedule, I work fulltime and parttime run my own business and have a wife and three year old. but I don't make time to run. it's part of my schedule so everything has to be planned around my workout. i don't care what it is, nothing is going to stop me from running. I even run in the rain.
so having a busy schedule is never an excuse. it should be part of your day like showering, eating, working. make it a part of your life.0 -
I do it in the AM,after feeding horses and dogs I get right to it,,because if I wait until later in the day I run out of day doing other things..and if I have time later I do more then as an added bonus so I can eat choc chip cookies! try making a deal with yourself to do at least 10 minutes, and if you dont want to continue after that you can stop..I would bet 99% of the time you will continue.You CAN make yourself work out for at least 10 minutes and build off that.
great advice.0 -
I treat it like a job. I get up and go to work every day no matter how much I don't want to. I work out 3 days a week (barring being sick) and I go twice after work and once on the weekends fairly early. It's something I have to do so motivation isn't even a factor.
Once you get out of the mindset of this being something EXTRA, it makes it much easier.0 -
I'm hungry. I know if I work out, I can eat some/all of those exercise calories I've burned. I want to eat so I work out. :laugh:
Ok. Well sometimes it's just a matter of reminding myself I don't want to give an inch on the progress I've made.
I love gym days0 -
I treat it like a job. I get up and go to work every day no matter how much I don't want to. I work out 3 days a week (barring being sick) and I go twice after work and once on the weekends fairly early. It's something I have to do so motivation isn't even a factor.
Once you get out of the mindset of this being something EXTRA, it makes it much easier.
exactly, it's just part of your life. I plan on running 4 miles everyday and won't let anything stand in my way. I'll rearrange my schedule just so i can run.
I asked my wife last night if it was ok to run a race on our anniversary (she said yes, yay).0
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