Motivation for exercise

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  • stevenvj
    stevenvj Posts: 17 Member
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    coco_bee wrote: »
    I've wasted money on unused gym memberships, personal trainer, equipment hire but please could u let me know where I can buy motivation?

    I have wasted time and money with gym memberships and supplements before. I used to pay for gym memberships and when I would go it would be a lazy session and halfway through I would go home. Eventually when I reached 300lbs I went to the gym and spoke to the Personal Trainer. He gave me an eating plan, an exercise plan and then I paid for 12 sessions with him. After those 12 sessions I didn't look back because the change in my body was enough to give me all the motivation I needed to continue. It is now a little more than a year later and I have gone from 300lbs to around 240lbs but I have packed on quite a bit of muscle as well and my clothes have dropped from an XXXL to a L/XL depending on the cut.

    I hit the gym 5 times a week but I also watch my diet. I do cheat and am not strict on my diet at all over weekends as this is a very busy time with family responsibilities, etc and there is just not always time to make my meals.

    I know you would like to buy motivation as would we all but your motivation should come from what you want to achieve and the results you see in getting there. Take a picture of what you look like today and find a picture of a fitness model whose body type/tone you would like to have for yourself and put them up against a wall / closet / mirror that you see when you get up in the morning and this will inspire and motivate you to get your butt into gear to make it happen.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    In the 1950s, Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon, developed a theory that it takes about 21 days to develop a habit. In 1960, Maltz published his thoughts on behavior change in a book called Psycho-Cybernetics. The book went on to become an blockbuster hit, selling more than 30 million copies.

    In the decades that followed, Maltz's work influenced nearly every major "self-help" professional from Zig Ziglar to Brian Tracy to Tony Robbins. And as more people recited Maltz's story -- like a very long game of "Telephone" -- people began to forget that he said "a minimum of about 21 days" and shortened it to: "It takes 21 days to form a new habit.

    In 2009, Phillippa Lally, a health psychology researcher at University College London, conducted a study that found it takes more than two months before a new behavior becomes automatic -- 66 days to be exact. And how long it takes a new habit to form can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In Lally's study, it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for people to form a new habit. (European Journal of Social Psychology).

    In other words, if you want to set your expectations appropriately, the truth is that it will probably take you anywhere from two months to eight months to build a new behavior into your life -- not 21 days.

    At the end of the day, how long it takes to form a particular habit doesn't really matter that much. Whether it takes 50 days or 500 days, you have to put in the work either way.
    The only way to get to Day 500 is to start with Day 1. So forget about the number and focus on doing the work.
  • coco_bee
    coco_bee Posts: 173 Member
    edited August 2015
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    I am blown away from all the replies I've received, thank you so much, I feel very grateful. stevenvj thank you for taking the time to tell me your story which is very interesting and has inspired me to feel more motivated. Thank you also 47Jacqueline for your very interesting message. You are all wonderful. Thank you tigger and repsrequired I laughed out loud about the clothes rack - you know, I'm actually considering getting myself another "clothes rack" and actually using it this time! I wont "wait" for motivation - I will use self discipline instead and read all your messages again for renewed motivation :)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,198 Member
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    coco_bee wrote: »
    I've wasted money on unused gym memberships, personal trainer, equipment hire but please could u let me know where I can buy motivation?

    You've got to pick an exercise you like.


    This is a list of sports ... do any appeal to you?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports




  • coco_bee
    coco_bee Posts: 173 Member
    edited August 2015
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    You've got to pick an exercise you like.


    This is a list of sports ... do any appeal to you?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports


    [/quote]

    Thank you Machka9 and I had a look at your list and yes! I used to play squash and loved it. Also badminton. Hey, now that you mention it, I might even return to these sports :) I also like dancing even tho that is not considered a sport.


  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,514 Member
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    middlehaitch wrote: »
    Oh, we'll done ruqayyahsmum!

    Functionality was my original goal too, then as mobility and fitness improved, attitude took hold.

    Now I am the slim, 62yo nana, with pink and magenta hair, who trecks through tropical forests on horseback, rappels down waterfalls, snorkels with the fish, and zip lines over forest canopies....the list goes on.

    Exercise still isn't my favourite thing, but if it helps me continue leading the life I never thought I would have when I was 40, I will keep doing it.

    Cheers, h.

    Wow your life sounds amazing!
    I would love to snorkel with fish, we have 2 tanks at home but would love to see marine fish in their natural habitat
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
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    I waited a long time to get to do all these things Ruqayyahsmum, so you may get to do them yet.
    We go on a cruise once a year and snorkel off the islands in the Caribbean. The fish are amazingly beautiful.
    Even though you don't need to be able to swim well to snorkel, it did inspire me to learn.

    Cheers, h.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    you probably need to broaden your view of "exercise"...find something active that you really enjoy doing and go do it...that's exercise...and when you're doing something you really enjoy, very little motivation is needed.

    I personally love cycling...yes, there are occasions where I'm not feeling it, but that's when habit and dedication take over...and those occasions aren't very frequent...I love to ride.
  • meghrose17
    meghrose17 Posts: 8 Member
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    Write down the reasons you want to get fit and look at them every day. Find ways to make it fun - exercise you enjoy, do it with a friend, play your favorite music. Use exercise as a tool to procrastinate on something else you don't want to do, haha. Figure out what you like about working out and every time you catch yourself grumbling about how much it sucks to have to exercise repeat that positive statement - it sounds silly, but if you tell yourself "I love exercise, I always feel so great when I exercise" even when you don't feel it you'll eventually start to believe it!

    These are all just suggestions, though - the best thing is to sit down and have a think about what kinds of motivation usually work for you on other things in your life - is it competing, rewarding yourself for hitting goals, having a friend hold you accountable, focusing on your reasons, or something else? You have definitely motivated yourself to do things you didn't want to do before - how did you do it? Try that! :)
  • coco_bee
    coco_bee Posts: 173 Member
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    Thank you cwolfman and meghrose for your encouraging comments. I agree with what you say and I am very grateful for your advice which I will follow. For some reason I lost my incentive for exercise for a while there, but it is now gradually coming back because of you guys, thank you!
  • kazredhead
    kazredhead Posts: 13 Member
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    Fear of success can hold you back too - our mind gets comfortable in the body we are in, and we "hide" behind it. When you start to lose weight, people start to notice you more, comment on your clothes, your looks, how fabulous you are, and that is hard too sometimes - strange as that may sound! Quick question while I am here, I want to see what I have achieved in exercise, but I don't want the system to automatically add the calories I have earned to my daily total - how do I stop that?

    For me 24lb to go........

    Kat
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    coco_bee wrote: »
    I've wasted money on unused gym memberships, personal trainer, equipment hire but please could u let me know where I can buy motivation?

    Motivation fades only commitment counts

    Options (not personal)

    1) are you fat? Do you want to not be fat? Do you want a body that you're happy in
    2) are you healthy, do you have odd aches and pains, asthma, diabetes, joint issues or anything that can be alleviated by getting your *kitten* in gear?
    3) are your parents healthy? Do you want to be like them when you are their age or do you have another idea in mind
    4) do you get left out of things / avoid things because you simply don't think you can do it
    5) are you happy being lazy / couch potato
    6) can you walk into a shop and know that there's more chance that clothes will look good on you than not

    There's nothing as sexy as feeling strong and fit
  • Alisher423
    Alisher423 Posts: 6 Member
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    My fitnesspal doesnt always let me log in. As bsck up i jusy now made a kik group. #weightsupport is a group I administer if anyone is interested in being motivational to others and maybe share some stories or tips. I am struggling with weightloss. I've tried finding other supports on kik and myfitnesspal, but no luck yet. So I hope many will join and help motivate each other! It's on kik.
  • alexandriasundstrom
    alexandriasundstrom Posts: 5 Member
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    I definitely agree with finding something you love! And don't be afraid to try new things. I have always enjoyed dancing, but I was worried that being so overweight would make me look stupid. One day, I just decided to be brave and try to ridiculous strobe-light/booty shaking dance class at my gym... and I love it! So now the challenge of trying to learn the steps motivates me to go back twice a week. I was also afraid to use barbells for YEARS, and I finally just put in my headphones while blasting some kick-*kitten* music, went at a very slow time, and jumped in with Strong Lifts. I never imagined how addicting I would find lifting a heavy bar and setting new personal records every day. Even if the weights I'm lifting may seem small or lame to everyone else, it's monumental to me. I gotta start somewhere!

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