What motivates you to exercise?

Nads36 wrote: »

I have gained so much in the last year...feel so heavy. I have no motivation these days...So how did you get yourself out there exercising? What types of exercises do you do, especially when weighing around 263lbs. When did you start to see the benefits? When I was lighter I used to jog lots....its been a while. I would lo email to be slimmer and fitter like before. Thanks in advance

I've been around here 4+ years and in the early days, my motivation was food..."earning" extra calories through exercise was a great motivator for me...1900 calories without exercise or 2300-2500 calories with exercise to lose at the same rate got me going.

I made the mistake that many people seem to make though...I forced myself to do stuff that I didn't really enjoy doing simply because I thought I had to do that stuff...ya know, read it in a fitness magazine, etc. It was all sort of random and without any structure and it was just a bunch of stuff I really didn't like...I further made the mistake of trying to do too much too soon which resulted in an injury as well as just plain old burnout.

It was during my recovery though that I re-discovered my bike and a passion for cycling. That was a game changer...not much motivation is needed when you find something you truly enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I still have those occasional days where I just don't feel it...most of the time I just suck it up and go ride and usually feel great once I'm out there...but sometimes I take a step back and realize I've been going pretty hard and maybe just need an extra recovery/rest day.

Walking is a good, low impact way to start...from there, try to find something you really enjoy doing...maybe that will just be daily walks, and that's great.

I'm not going to tell you I love running. I am going to tell you that I love how good I feel when I'm done. I don't hate it, though, and that's a good start. I know that the next marathon isn't going to be any better than the last one if I don't do the training. Also, I only allow myself to use the Zombies, Run! app if I'm actually running. That is sometimes enough to get me started.

If I want motivation to go for a walk, Pokemon Go is pretty good at getting me out of the house. It gets boring sitting on the couch, waiting for that Weedle to come find me.

Health is my motivation. Sure it's nice to be able to eat another few hundred calories, but I do it for the health benefits. At my age I've seen first hand the difference exercise makes over time.

In the long run? There are SO many things that I can't physically do right now at the gym that I wanna do. I've got to keep going if I want to inch closer and closer to those things. I want to feel strong and I want to have muscle definition that I can see and... gotta work out regularly for that, right?

In the medium run? 'Cause I want to lose weight and if I'm sedentary I'm stuck on 1300 calories a say and, well, feck that noise. So a good workout 6 days a week gives me a few hundred more calories to play with and I'm not hungry all the time!

First thing in the morning when I have to drag my *kitten* out of bed and to the gym before work? Routine. I wake up in the morning and my gym clothes are right in front of me ready to be put on and for me to zombie my way down the the kitchen for coffee before trudging over to the gym and with any luck I'm already into my workout before I'm properly awake anyway. Feck motivation, actually getting to the gym day after day after day is 90% routine.

Guilt free TV watching. 3 days a week I do a treadmill. I pop the iPad and watch TV guilt free.

I used to be what is called "skinny fat". I am 31 right now but I did not become actually fat until after I had my son and got my meds upped for PPD. (I now take nothing). I used to be around 125 and ended up at 210 and felt so gross and sluggish. I had never been healthy or exercised and I did good and lost 50 pounds but then the holidays rolled around and I fell off track and gained 20 back. I am now back on track and have lost even more and truly feel this is finally a lifestyle change in my mind instead of a "diet".

What motivates me is my son and setting a good example for him. My husband, who is overweight and got diagnosed with high BP and myself. I like how exercising makes me feel. I like the feel of feeling strong. I like meeting my goals. And, when I feel like eating crappy or not exercising, I tell myself... all the work up until now will have been in vain if I do not keep it up. That helps a lot of the time. Also, finding something you love. For me, I lost the bulk of my weight doing zumba at home on the Wii. If you cant do the moves, just keep moving, makes cardio more fun. Find what you enjoy.

I took up running recently and that is something I have never done and gave me a goal to work for and that helps. Honestly though, you have to WANT IT. If you do not really want it... you will not achieve it. You need to sit yourself down and have a talk with yourself on what you want, what makes you unhappy and what you want to change and how serious you are about it. Once your mind is on board, the sky is the limit but its a mental thing too. I also want to be around for my kid and let him know how important it is to be healthy. Find the things that motivate you, tape it to the fridge if need be but getting yourself there mentally is the main thing and everything else will follow.

One more bit of advice, dont have cheat days, eat things in moderation. Eat healthy most of the time and if you go out to eat with someone or you want to have something small, do it. Just dont do it all of the time or go crazy, you need a lifestyle change, not just a diet so you need to look at everything in a realistic, achievable way. Feel free to add me if you want, I am not on much anymore but you can message me if you want to talk.

CattOfTheGarage wrote: »

Fooood. I use the NEAT system, so the more I exercise, the more I can eat. People say this approach is psychologically unhealthy. I would reply to this but my mouth is full.

Also, I feel alive when I am walking or cycling, it gives me a feeling of flow while still being aware of my surroundings. Keep trying different exercises. You'll find one you love.

A lot of this ^^

And also ... I have been active my entire life. It doesn't feel right to be completely sedentary, and the only times I have been completely sedentary have been when I've been sick or injured or recovering from surgery or something.

I love walking/hiking and cycling. I like working out with weights. And I'll dabble in other things like canoeing, swimming, running, making some attempt to do body boarding (boogie boarding?) at the beach, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing ...


Trying including activity throughout your day. Walk to work. Go for a brisk walk at lunch. Walk to run your errands. Park at the far end of the parking lot and walk from there to get your groceries. Take the stairs. If you've got kids, walk or ride bicycles to the park and run around with them. BBQ with friends on the weekend? Cycle there and back.


It also helps to have a goal ... something you want to accomplish.

Training is my sanity. I am going though a very dark time in my life right now and training gives me control and focus and the sound of the weights clanging down on the gym floor after you've completed the sets you wanted to do is so satisfying, I'm a few months into the start of a long journey determination is key, and if you look at it as 'oh I'll exercise/diet for a few months and I'll be where I want to be' which so many people do, you will fail every single time. It's a lifestyle change forever, a way of life.

Honestly? I still, sometimes, lack motivation. You just gotta embrace the suck and drive on. Accept that you may be uncomfortable for the first couple minutes, or even the entirety of the workout. That's okay. It's part of the process; as someone else mentioned: there is also a mental aspect to consider.

I will reiterate what a lot of individuals are saying: find what you love (or at least don't hate right now) and get to it. If that is ONLY walking right now...then walk with your best effort. Move with a sense of urgency, and maybe one day you'll be decide you're ready to upgrade or add in something else.

And...don't forget to shake off the haters (if any) that may judge whatever it is that brings you joy. For me, that means grinning like a maniac in my rollerblades, scooting up and down the roads, pretending to race the wind... As random cars eyeball me, probably trying to determine my level of sanity as I cackle (or mutter to myself "don't fall, don't die, don't break anything...you're too old for a cast!")

I have enjoyed exercising my entire life. When I was younger it was water skiing, tennis, racquetball, basketball, jogging, etc. I am not as young as I used to be and have had a few injuries lately that required surgery. I wasn't working out to hard or doing things I "shouldn't be". I was just being myself, being active. As these injuries occurred I would tell my surgeon, "I can't sit around and do nothing." He understood. And he said, "for your health, I don't want you to sit around and do nothing." So it all boils down for me, for my health! The more exercise you get, the healthier you are! Best of luck, start slowly, and as time passes you will begin to feel better than you have in a while. Do it for YOU!