what motivates you?

You may want to post in the motivation part of the site, as there is a sections specifically for this type of question.

I know it's lame but I have a tumblr that is just FULL of fitspo (fitness photos and toned girls and healthy foods and quotes) and I look at it every night to remind myself why I'm doing what I'm doing and what my end goal is! It definitely works.

Looking at pictures from 4 years ago when I was 40ish pounds lighter. My life is very different now but I know I can get there again.
So every morning,6 days a week, I roll out of bed and put my work out clothes on before I eat breakfast.
@DizzyMissIzzy, I have a board on Pinterest with the same kinds of things. It does help.

kayla98765 wrote: »

What motivates you to exercise?

Goals.

I'm not going to be able to cycle to the top of Mt Wellington in 2016 if I just lie in bed.

jimmmer wrote: »

Nothing. Motivation is useless.

Motivation? You get divorced. Your dog dies. You move house. Have a new baby. Etc. Etc. Good luck staying gee'd up to eleven with "motivation" when reallife™ stuff happens.

Habit - that's the key. You do something that's a habit consistently, and that's what this requires. Make it like brushing your teeth. You do it because you're an adult and you need to, and should, do it regularly. Physical activity is no different.

Yes, but in order to first form the habit you have to motivate yourself to get started. Habits don't just form themselves out of thin air. It takes time, and in order to get into the gym on a daily basis for someone who previously didn't do much of anything, motivation and determination are necessary. How else are you supposed to pick a goal and chase after it?

Habit comes later

DizzyMissIzzy wrote: »

jimmmer wrote: »

Nothing. Motivation is useless.

Motivation? You get divorced. Your dog dies. You move house. Have a new baby. Etc. Etc. Good luck staying gee'd up to eleven with "motivation" when reallife™ stuff happens.

Habit - that's the key. You do something that's a habit consistently, and that's what this requires. Make it like brushing your teeth. You do it because you're an adult and you need to, and should, do it regularly. Physical activity is no different.

Yes, but in order to first form the habit you have to motivate yourself to get started. Habits don't just form themselves out of thin air. It takes time, and in order to get into the gym on a daily basis for someone who previously didn't do much of anything, motivation and determination are necessary. How else are you supposed to pick a goal and chase after it?

Habit comes later

No, you just stop making excuses and take your medicine.

It's different for those of us who have an extant goal that we're training for. Then you have to break down and structure your schedule in such a way that you approach/achieve these goals. That means non-nebulous, realistic goals.

If you have a vague goal like "I want to be in better shape", "I want to lose some weight" or a non-realistic goal "can I lose 20lb for my holiday in 2 weeks" that's going to be either hard to road map, or set a road-map that's impossible to achieve. You can't form habits around vague stuff or stuff you can't actually do.

The OP's goal is too vague to be achievable. "Being more toned" is a meaningless statement. First off we need to realistically survey where they are (say 25% bf). Getting from that point A to a more specific goal (Point B, say 20% bf) can then be mapped out. We can say what exercises/programming/diet are likely to be most optimal (i.e. what they will stick with) given their lifestyle/tastes/etc and how we can go through a set of mini-goals at specific dates to get to point B. Then you just show up and do it.

You need to take the emotion out of it. Nobody wants to hear that and there seems to be a whole industry of pictures of people puking and pushing themselves to the point of death and a bunch of other stuff with emotive statements plastered all over it around the "fitness industry". It's okay to just show up regularly, slowly work towards a goal without turning the emotional knob up to 11, it really is...

Going to the gym is something I actually like doing. But in terms of motivation though, knowing that my current activity level is preventing many preventable diseases.

jimmmer wrote: »

DizzyMissIzzy wrote: »

jimmmer wrote: »

Nothing. Motivation is useless.

Motivation? You get divorced. Your dog dies. You move house. Have a new baby. Etc. Etc. Good luck staying gee'd up to eleven with "motivation" when reallife™ stuff happens.

Habit - that's the key. You do something that's a habit consistently, and that's what this requires. Make it like brushing your teeth. You do it because you're an adult and you need to, and should, do it regularly. Physical activity is no different.

Yes, but in order to first form the habit you have to motivate yourself to get started. Habits don't just form themselves out of thin air. It takes time, and in order to get into the gym on a daily basis for someone who previously didn't do much of anything, motivation and determination are necessary. How else are you supposed to pick a goal and chase after it?

Habit comes later

No, you just stop making excuses and take your medicine.

It's different for those of us who have an extant goal that we're training for. Then you have to break down and structure your schedule in such a way that you approach/achieve these goals. That means non-nebulous, realistic goals.

If you have a vague goal like "I want to be in better shape", "I want to lose some weight" or a non-realistic goal "can I lose 20lb for my holiday in 2 weeks" that's going to be either hard to road map, or set a road-map that's impossible to achieve. You can't form habits around vague stuff or stuff you can't actually do.

The OP's goal is too vague to be achievable. "Being more toned" is a meaningless statement. First off we need to realistically survey where they are (say 25% bf). Getting from that point A to a more specific goal (Point B, say 20% bf) can then be mapped out. We can say what exercises/programming/diet are likely to be most optimal (i.e. what they will stick with) given their lifestyle/tastes/etc and how we can go through a set of mini-goals at specific dates to get to point B. Then you just show up and do it.

You need to take the emotion out of it. Nobody wants to hear that and there seems to be a whole industry of pictures of people puking and pushing themselves to the point of death and a bunch of other stuff with emotive statements plastered all over it around the "fitness industry". It's okay to just show up regularly, slowly work towards a goal without turning the emotional knob up to 11, it really is...

So very much this. Having goals takes the need to choose out of every day. I just show up and trust the work I'm given is going to get me where I want to go. It's become as simple as that.

All of my friends are getting struck down with diet related health issues. My best friend of 36 was just diagnosed with diabetes. Another friend of mine had a heart attack at 39 years old. Another friend developed weight related arthritis at 40. That *kitten*'s scaring me damn straight.