What Motivates You To Exercise When You Really Don't Want To

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  • stephierae25
    stephierae25 Posts: 60
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    The scale! I weigh every morning and that's what helps me to keep going.
  • mynameisdumbnuts
    mynameisdumbnuts Posts: 111
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    I think about how I will feel if I DON'T go to the gym, and it's usually 10 times worse than I feel right then. So I up and go.
  • lovediets
    lovediets Posts: 375 Member
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    Do you have before pics???
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
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    Everyone has difficulty mustering the motivation to exercise at one time or another. I'm curious as to how you motivate yourself to move during those times when you physically and/or mentally do not want to do an activity.
    Well, to be perfectly honest, it's usually because I'm low on calories and want to eat something. I have to work out first though to see what/how much I can eat. Once I get started I forget about food and try to push to the next calorie level (25 or 50 or 100 like that. I hate odd numbers like 381 lol what I couldn't take 3 more steps and burn 4 more calories? lol)

    Sometimes there is nothing that will do the trick. Sometimes, being upset or angry will give me reason to move. I have to do something with the energy.
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
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    I just start going over my mantra in my head, "Fu*k this fat *kitten*" Over and over.
    :laugh:
    Amen Sistah!
  • knrbaker
    knrbaker Posts: 21
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    Remember that exercise is not just going to the gym or doing some workout video. I kick my feet back standing in line, parking farther away from the doors at the mall/shopping, dancing around the house while doing chores... etc. Have fun with it. Just move :-)
  • Peyton115
    Peyton115 Posts: 75
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    This is a post that I wrote for another thread. It is what keeps me going when i don't want to:

    "Just for Today:I will focus on ideas vs reality, or what I like to call "The Rear View Mirror Principle".

    During the day a lot of thoughts and ideas come to me: "I want to have a fuzzy sock day. I want to lay in bed all day and read a book. I want to eat junk food. I want to watch movies that I haven't watched in a while. Exercise is too hard. Eating right sucks. A nap would be more fun the a stroll on the dreadmill." Last night, post workout, I read someone's status that they were trying to get up the enthusiam for a workout, but a nap sounded better. It struck me how often (Most minutes of every day) I have the same thoughts. But having already completed my workout for the day, I was able to honestly say, that although the idea of the nap is better going forward, the reality of the workout is way better in the rear view mirror. What do you want to see in your rear view mirror at the end of the day? "

    I absolutely LOVE this! Everything about it is so true, and regret is the worst feeling in the world. Regret that you didn't make yourself go to that gym today or you cheated on your diet. I don't want to be angry at myself, I want to love myself as much as I can every minute of my life. This world has plenty of people ready to tare you town, don't do it to yourself. When I know something is good for me but don't feel like doing it, I think along those lines. I remind myself that my body is wonderful. It has given me so much, I need to take care of it in return. Mentally and physically. Physically I am going to make my body stronger by exercising, and mentally I will have just a bit more peace of mind at the end of the day because I know I didn't give up :smile:
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    Thanx for this...I'm sitting here right now thinking how sick I am of my winter work out. I was all psyched to go for my first jog EVER...I have my ipod with C25K on it, my hoodie and gym strip on, and it just started snowing. So after reading this I will haul my sorry butt downstairs and do some cardio boxing and calisthetics...winter should be over soon lol
  • CricketKate
    CricketKate Posts: 3,657 Member
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    Remember that exercise is not just going to the gym or doing some workout video. I kick my feet back standing in line, parking farther away from the doors at the mall/shopping, dancing around the house while doing chores... etc. Have fun with it. Just move :-)

    I walk laps around my kitchen island with my little girls. We pretend we are princesses riding on our magical horses. I also do step ups on the curb while I'm pumping gas into my car and walk laps around the play area in restaraunts. If I'm really ambitious, I do squats while I dry my hair.:blushing:
  • Peschuntz
    Peschuntz Posts: 270 Member
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    I did it! Went shopping, came home tired, looked back on this thread - then got my kettlebell out and worked up a sweat!
  • cklbrown
    cklbrown Posts: 4,696 Member
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    The mirror! :laugh:
  • Peschuntz
    Peschuntz Posts: 270 Member
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    Top 2 reasons:

    1. To never again see instant attraction and then utter digust on a mans face when he sees my face and then my body.
    2. To take my daughter on every roller coaster up and down the east coast summer of 2012 as her college graduation present.

    Two comments: (1) You are pretty and it's unfortunate this happened to you. (2) Losing weight to help celebrate a college graduation sounds wonderful! Good luck and thanks for your post.


    Hey everyone, check out this article which appeared on AOL tonight . . .http://www.thatsfit.com/2011/04/15/exercises-for-every-mood/?icid=main|hp-desktop|dl5|sec1_lnk3|210177
  • Nigel99
    Nigel99 Posts: 498 Member
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    I've had plenty of days when I did not feel like exercising. Having reached my goal weight, I'm not worried about needing to lose more, so I'm just telling myself that I need to keep exercising and stay fit. It is tougher at the moment since I'm doing a running program AND P90, so I'm exercising pretty much every day. Once I finish P90 in a month, I'll drop back to 3-4 days a week, and I hope that will make it a bit easier to push through on those less motivated days.
  • jen2bhottie
    jen2bhottie Posts: 48 Member
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    Whether I'm having a bad day, I'm tired, or just feeling pissy, I know that when I'm done working out I WILL feel better...less stressed, more relaxed, etc. Exercising has been very liberating for me this last month...I always hated it before, it seemed like a chore so I just didn't do it. i don't know what's different now except the fact that my determination to be healthy is the driving force behind everything I do. I mean today, I am actually very sick, but I'm not going to allow myself to use that as an excuse, because that's going to lead to me making more excuses, that are less valid, later on.

    Even though i was sick yesterday, I went to the gym last night and had a great workout on the elliptical, maybe the best to date. I ended up burning more calories in a shorter amount of time.
  • plain_jane
    plain_jane Posts: 49 Member
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    I put on my gym clothes. Once they're on I feel compelled to go.

    Me too! Taking them off at the end of the day without having worked out would be a major failure, so I have to get it done.
  • littttlelaurra
    littttlelaurra Posts: 229 Member
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    Thank you, and love the link its just what I needed tonite!
  • thisisabbie
    thisisabbie Posts: 521 Member
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    I just browse these forums for a bit, and i usually find motivation somewhere!
  • Shebug1
    Shebug1 Posts: 9 Member
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    Even on the days when I feel like skipping the gym, my Jack Russell has other ideas....she walks 3 miles in 45 minutes daily!
  • SusyC
    SusyC Posts: 68
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    Reading all these posts helps motivate me. And ... the sun outside my window this morning telling me "shorts weather" is just around the corner. Also, I made a pact with my sister in law. We each have a goal weight, and if we make it, we're taking each other on a long weekend to a beach somewhere ... NO KIDS OR HUSBANDS!

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