Whats keeps you going?

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nakegu
nakegu Posts: 9
in Motivation and Support
I know i can't be the only one who has tried many times to start working out and change eating habits but after about a month maybe sooner, maybe longer, it just kind of becomes forgotten.

so for those that have managed much longer, i have to ask, what keeps you going?

what makes you say, 'i'm going to work out today" when you really really REALLY are sluggish or lazy and simply don't want to.

and when you do work out, what makes you give it your all? i've noticed during workouts sometimes i just want to quit and i find my mind trying to reason with me, telling me it won't be so bad if i just stop haha

any stories and tips would be great! thanks!
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Replies

  • brittg7
    brittg7 Posts: 146 Member
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    i am a runner and i register for races and so that way i stay focused and dedicated to what i consider my sport....

    and i just put workout clothes and walk out the door get in the car and go...even if i just do cardio that day like the ellipical i go to the gym...going is better than not going

    and im just now becoming addicted to weight lifting again (i did i in high school) and i am having a friend on here create my workouts and just doing them because then i feel like i cant quit or bail out :)

    you have to just push your self to do it!
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
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    Honestly? I don't want to be fat. It is that simple for me.
  • bachooka
    bachooka Posts: 719 Member
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    I just think about how hard I worked and I just can't let that all be for nothing... it's too much!
  • melissa_leah
    melissa_leah Posts: 107
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    My friend and I made calendars, and we write what our inspiration to eat well and work out is every day!
  • NyxDominique
    NyxDominique Posts: 271 Member
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    Honestly, I think about all the hard work I have put in the past 30 days and say "I won't let it all be for nothing". I have invested too much time and effort this time around to let it slip away.

    I find that doing a excerise you like helps alot.

    It wasn't until I found Zumba that I was able to keep interest long enough to excerise every day. I love getting up there and dancing for 45 minds a day. Just to let go and dance. Yet, that is me. Find what you like. Promise it will come more easy!
  • Dolphingirlie81
    Dolphingirlie81 Posts: 322
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    i don't wanna be fat anymore. Keep pushing yourself. I started working out again 15 days ago and finally today I had to take a break off. I lost 5 pds in those 15 days. That was enough to keep me going. Good luck!
  • samb
    samb Posts: 464 Member
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    I just remind myself that being confident and happy means more to my life than not working out or eating badly could benefit me. And eating badly also makes me feel like crap, and working out and eating well makes me feel terrific so that alone is great motivation.
  • corpseskank1
    corpseskank1 Posts: 24 Member
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    Music is a HUGE motivator for me. I wake up in the evening and think "there's no way I'm working out today, I'm way too tired," but you start listening to music and just feel like moving suddenly!

    I also have longterm goals I'm working toward. I'm sure I'll lose a few habits I shouldn't after my wedding and once I've had the opportunity to volunteer firefight, but ultimately, it's my passions that require me to be fit and my desire to be satisfied with my body and personal strength that keep me trying.

    Then again, I haven't been doing this very long! I'm young - in the past, staying fit meant eating ice cream for lunch and dancing five hours a day. I don't have that luxury anymore, but I'm lucky to have enough money that I don't have to eat junk food to survive anymore either. I owe it to myself to put in quality fuel and get back to where my body belongs. Goals help. A lot. :)
  • fastbelly
    fastbelly Posts: 727 Member
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    For me the key is to find challenges and activities where I have fun while doing them. If you're having fun doing something why wouldn't you want to do it in the first place?

    It is really that simple.
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    For me it was usually after a day or two I'd quit :laugh: and put quite simply, I'm tired of being fat. I just kinda tell myself when I'm being lazy, "Fine, Brittany, stay on the couch. Be fat for the rest of your life. Go ahead, take that one day of rest, so it can turn into a week, and then never start up again." And then I get so mad at my fat that I get up and do it lol
  • nakegu
    nakegu Posts: 9
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    i like that idea, just don't think about it and do it!

    if i over-think things i end up not wanting to at all.

    i have noticed having others involved in my workouts has kept me going even longer then usual because i don't want to just wimp out or seem like a quitter haha
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    Honestly? I don't want to be fat. It is that simple for me.

    Preach it, sistah.
  • Leslietheriot
    Leslietheriot Posts: 303 Member
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    When I think of giving up (either during my workout or while "dieting") I have to remind myself that I am only cheating myself if I quit. It's hard but you have to keep your eyes on the prize. I set a goal and a reward for reaching that goal (usually sweets) and when I get to it I'm so happy that I reached my goal that I dont want to mess up my progress and don't even get my "reward" but continue what has brought me to that point.
  • nakegu
    nakegu Posts: 9
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    @brittanyjeanxo i love that pep talk! hahaha
  • Des92
    Des92 Posts: 309 Member
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    RESULTS!! For a few years I've been up and down with my weight, trying for a few weeks then giving up. When I started THIS time, I waited til I had time to myself. I had 3 weeks alone because of how my school schedule worked out - no bad influences, all the time in the world to cook and eat healthy meals. I dropped weight FAST during those weeks, I could really see my stomach getting flatter and I knew I couldn't go back when I've come so far. Then I started exercising more, and finding new muscles, and I LOVE it!!! I feel like if I miss workouts, I'll lose all this toning and stop having those little surprises when I find a new muscles (which is always so exciting!) Now I just want to keep going because I see it working. I still have a while to go, but I've proved to myself that I can do it. Just stick with it long enough that you see changes. If you're like me, you won't want to quit after that :) good luck!!
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    @brittanyjeanxo i love that pep talk! hahaha

    lol, thanks. It's what I need to get my fat *kitten* off the couch :laugh: there are a few more harsh words exchanged back and forth between myself and...myself, but in the end, I always win :bigsmile:
  • nakegu
    nakegu Posts: 9
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    these are all amazing motivators.
    its very inspirational to read about all the ways to keep you motivated.

    I have been trying different workouts that i enjoy, and enjoying a workout is definitely a new experience for me! unfortunately i'm one of those people that feel somethings wrong if i don't see immediate results. I'm reasoning with myself though! it didn't take a week to gain all that extra weight, so it won't take a week to lose it either haha

    the calendar idea is great, ive always logged what workout i would do for that day but i never considered writing down what would motivate me for that day. genius!

    Now, I just have to quiet that little voice in my head that says its ok to skip a day haha
  • GiuliaShakespeare
    GiuliaShakespeare Posts: 41
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    Sometimes I feel shallow when I'm thinking of my motivations, but then I remind myself that they're *my* motivations and it doesn't matter how deep they are (or aren't)!

    What keeps me going is my direction from God to honor my temple. It's also thinking about how sexy I'll feel when the weight is off and I have some MUSCLE. It's the irresistible urge to wear a huge yellow dress like Belle (of Beauty & the Beast) someday and not have to worry about whether or not the color makes me look huge. It's the utter and complete joy I feel when I look in the mirror and realize my double chin is disappearing. It's the craving to wear sleeveless shirts without worrying about how big my arms look. It's getting over anxiety about intimacy. It's the fact that working out makes me feel confident and sexy, even when I haven't hit my goal weight yet. It's feeling like I've accomplished something when I finish a day and I'm right on with calories. It's watching the numbers on the scale/tape-measure drop. It's noticing I did all the shoulder raises in the 30 Day Shred video without wanting to die. It's messing up and then getting back on the wagon. It's the satisfaction I feel when a friend looks at me and says, "You look great! What have you been doing??" It's the control I feel when I make decisions about the food I put into my body and don't let my environment make them for me. It's the awesome feeling that every step I walk, jog, or run is a step closer to a healthier, happier me. And GIRL, it is the fact that when I reach my ultimate goal weight I am going to treat myself to the sexiest lingerie I have ever SEEN.
  • nakegu
    nakegu Posts: 9
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    @thatjuliaperson all of that- was just so awesome!!
  • Des92
    Des92 Posts: 309 Member
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    Sometimes I feel shallow when I'm thinking of my motivations, but then I remind myself that they're *my* motivations and it doesn't matter how deep they are (or aren't)!

    What keeps me going is my direction from God to honor my temple. It's also thinking about how sexy I'll feel when the weight is off and I have some MUSCLE. It's the irresistible urge to wear a huge yellow dress like Belle (of Beauty & the Beast) someday and not have to worry about whether or not the color makes me look huge. It's the utter and complete joy I feel when I look in the mirror and realize my double chin is disappearing. It's the craving to wear sleeveless shirts without worrying about how big my arms look. It's getting over anxiety about intimacy. It's the fact that working out makes me feel confident and sexy, even when I haven't hit my goal weight yet. It's feeling like I've accomplished something when I finish a day and I'm right on with calories. It's watching the numbers on the scale/tape-measure drop. It's noticing I did all the shoulder raises in the 30 Day Shred video without wanting to die. It's messing up and then getting back on the wagon. It's the satisfaction I feel when a friend looks at me and says, "You look great! What have you been doing??" It's the control I feel when I make decisions about the food I put into my body and don't let my environment make them for me. It's the awesome feeling that every step I walk, jog, or run is a step closer to a healthier, happier me. And GIRL, it is the fact that when I reach my ultimate goal weight I am going to treat myself to the sexiest lingerie I have ever SEEN.

    Love this. Agreed 100%!! I can relate to almost every single thing you said in this post :)

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