Running out of motivation

I had that recently and what I'm trying out now is to reward myself when I lose the next 7lb. Your reward doesnt have to be weight related but might be a reward if you continue to work hard for another two weeks?

Habit. In reality you can only be motivated for short periods of time. So you make things good habits so you start doing them without thinking. You just do it to coin an advertising phrase.

Push thru it! Motivation really is a daily thing (rather than weekly or monthly).. Just know once you get up and do it, you'll feel better! Let's do this!!!!!!

To keep your motivation, make sure you're doing the kind of exercise you enjoy. When I first joined my gym I signed up for six months of once a month personal strength training. Having that attention once a month was enough to keep me practicing each week, but I had to push myself. Luckily I had a good trainer who showered me with praises when she was working with me.

However, when that program stopped, I found I was uninspired to continue working out that way. So, I went to a strength training class one evening and found that I really enjoyed it. I started adding classes and stopped doing the by myself workouts and was more regular in going. I found that I liked working out in a group more than by myself and that kept me motivated.

Now I go to three strength training classes a week (shred and body pump) and three cardio classes (Zumba and Kickboxing) and I have some ups and downs, but for the most part I look forward to all of them. I've made some in-the-gym friends and that also helps.

We tend to give the word "motivation" more power than it warrants. Motivation isn't some external thing that either has a hold over you or it doesn't. You create it. There are so many days when the last thing I want to do is exercise. But I remind myself, and remind myself, and even remind myself a third time that once I start exercising I tend to enjoy it, there's one less thing to feel guilty about, etc., etc. Sometimes you just need to be persistent in the conversation you have with yourself. Soon, it becomes a habit. Something where my evening doesn't feel right if I don't exercise.

Maybe think about changing the time you exercise. Maybe you're waiting too long after getting home and your energy gets drained. That happened with me. I realized I needed to exercise as soon as I got home from work otherwise I was more likely not to do it.

Someone else (don't remember who) replied to a similar post the other day with something like: You have it backwards, motivation doesn't lead to exercise; exercise leads to motivation. (I loved what he/she said, so it stuck in my mind)

In other words, just do it, do it consistently and you'll find the motivation just happens.

I work out in the morning, and I think we have it easier on the motivation front. Wake up, get it done before anyone else is asking you to do something and you have no excuses. I lay my clothes out on the nightstand, my shoes are on the floor next to it and I already know what my workout will be that morning. If it's one of those mornings, I just get myself through the now: Just get up and out of bed, then just get dressed, then just go to the basement, then just push play.

I don't let myself get out of the routine, even if all I can handle is a leisurely stroll on the treadmill instead of a hard-core HIIT routine--I get up and do it. I'm a little worried that one day missed will lead to 2, will lead to 4 months and then a year--because that's happened before.

It was harder in the beginning, but I've had this mindset since Jan. 2013 and it's probably the most consistent I've ever been with my exercise. You know what else? I feel really great about it!