How do you motivate yourself?

I look at myself naked in the mirror. That always helps.

At the start, I signed up to a 5km run and told people about it. I bought a jacket that was just a little too tight and told people about it. I essentially embarrassed myself in to doing it.

Honestly now, sure, the odd time I need a kick up the bum, but it's just what I do. I run 3+ times a week, I lift weights 2+ times a week, I do pilates, I try to keep active outside of that. I try to plan social activities around being active - meeting a friend for a walk/hike/etc... I eat as healthily as I can. I still have a piece of cake and a glass of wine, but I'm back completely on track straight after. As it turns out, I've signed up for another run - a half marathon. I'm afraid to skip on my training sessions in case I can't finish the run - a definite possibility. It's in July. But really it's not motivation, it's just what I do.

Due to family illness I was away before Christmas and wasn't able to keep my routine going. I got headaches, felt miserable, etc... Just don't want to feel like that again.

Motivation gets you started but habit is what keeps you going.

If I'm ever struggling to workout, I remind myself that I ALWAYS feel better, not worse, after a workout!

I look at exercise as something that is non-negotiable. The way I always must brush my teeth in the morning-I must workout 6 days a week and on the 7th day make sure I stay active doing fun things with my family. I've been working out for years but I remember it took about 1 month to fully establish my exercise habit. If I go away, I always make sure I walk everywhere or swim if its that kind of vaca. I feel tired and irritable when I don't get to move enough.
I love to eat and I would be miserable eating 1200 calories a day so I know I need to move my body.
I eat whole foods that I cook from scratch with fruits for snacks and dessert and chocolate everyday.
I know if I feed my self well and balanced, I will naturally feel energetic and satisfied, with no need to binge.

This is it right here.

bump I am so (gym) unmotivated that my pep talk has laryngitis.

If you don't want to go to the gym then don't! Find an excersise you do like - go for a hike, ride a bike, go for a run, swim, play a sport, go kayaking, learn to dance, ice skate - whatever suits you. There is more to excersising than lifting weights or doing aerobics classes!

My sister has never ever in her whole life been active. After finishing treatment for breast cancer she took up dragonboating with a breast cancer survival group and now trains a few days each week and has started competing both nationally and soon will be going to the US for a regatta in Florida. She and I are also going trekking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal - 17 days of trekking up and down mountains - and she has started training for that as well by walking and slow jogging etc. And this from a person who has been a life-long smoker and couch potato!

You just gotta find your buzz!

You keep pushing because you believe in yourself and in your vision, and you know that it is the right thing to do and success will come" Arnold Schwarzenegger

I look at myself naked in the mirror. That always helps.

Yep, same deal with me. Side on images make me put on my running shoes and get out there!

Here's the thing: It's not about motivation. It's about determination. It's making the right choices consistently, whether you feel like it or not.

I like to look at the people I went to school with and see that they have let themselves go. It makes me push harder to loose the weight I need to. I also found things I like to do other than go to a boring gym. Use the outdoors as your gym its a hell of alot better

I like to look at the people I went to school with and see that they have let themselves go. It makes me push harder to loose the weight I need to. I also found things I like to do other than go to a boring gym. Use the outdoors as your gym its a hell of alot better

Good point. I basically only use the gym for weights. Almost all my cardio is done outdoors. Cardio machines at the gym drive me nuts with boredom!

I look at exercise as something that is non-negotiable. The way I always must brush my teeth in the morning-I must workout 6 days a week and on the 7th day make sure I stay active doing fun things with my family.

^This

Here's the thing: It's not about motivation. It's about determination. It's making the right choices consistently, whether you feel like it or not.

^And this.

I don't wait to feel motivated. If I did that, I would still be 50 lbs from goal and sedentary. I just made the decision that I wanted it ("it" being a healthy weight, and fit, and looking after both my mental & physical health) and then incorporated the things I needed to do to achieve "it" into my lifestyle. I work out 4-6 times a week, not because I get out of bed in the morning feeling all pumped up about going to exercise, but because that's what I do.

People go to jobs they hate not because they feel motivated, but because it's important to them. It's important to them to pay the bills, it's important to have the status of being employed vs unemployed etc. People work multiple jobs and put in long hours of study to get degrees not because they feel motivated - sure sometimes they probably do, but a lot of times they don't. Not in the moment. But, they decided that having a degree was important, so the made the decision to put the effort in. Maybe not 100% of the time, but enough that it counts.

Parents do stuff every day that they probably really can't be bothered doing, in the name of raising their children properly. They get up early to make breakfast, give up their free time to take their children places, take the effort to sit down and talk to them when things are going wrong etc... how many parents say they feel excited and motivated about parenting all the time? How many are completely on the ball and perfect as a parent 100% of the time? But they do what they need to do because it's important.

Ultimately you have to decide a) what you want b) is it important enough to put the effort in? and c) exactly what effort you need to put in to get the job done. Then, it's a matter of doing it, and keep doing it until habits are ingrained. You don't have to be perfect all the time. You don't have to hit your calorie goal perfectly, or work out every single time you plan to, but you need to be on it most of the time.

You have no energy, your confidence is diminishing, your back hurts... all of these are your motivating factors. Now you have to decide if having energy and confidence and a back that doesn't hurt are important enough to go and put the effort in whether or not you feel motivated at any given moment. If you sit and wait for those feelings to come back, it may never happen.

And do remember - weight loss isn't easy, but don't make it harder than it needs to be. Set a reasonable calorie deficit, don't drop it as low as possible. Just aim to meet your goal and eat at least most of your exercise calories back. Nutrition is important, but these changes can happen gradually, over time. To start with, just eat foods you like and meet your calorie goal. Don't force yourself to do hours of exercise you hate. Choose the path of least resistance and find something you love - or at least can tolerate. If you don't love the gym, get outside to run or walk, or go for a swim, or do exercise videos at home. Exercise is amazing for health, fitness and general well being - but it's not the be-all and end-all of weight loss. Your intake will determine that.

Want to get into better shape, so I can out run the cops when I go on my crime spree.

Best reason I've read haha. Thanks for the giggle

Want to get into better shape, so I can out run the cops when I go on my crime spree.

Best reason I've read haha. Thanks for the giggle

Hey, it's good enough for me. :laugh:

Honestly, my biggest motivation is my "fat" pictures from 2012. When a friend of mine tagged me in some pictures on Facebook, I was MORTIFIED. I've left the tags, and saved the pictures to my phone and computer. When I feel like giving up, looking at where I used to be helps SO much.