Help with motivation

shellandcharlie
shellandcharlie Posts: 13 Member
edited May 2022 in Getting Started
Hi All!
Any suggestions to get motivated and moving when you're too tired and feeling like there's no point?
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Replies

  • HaleCry
    HaleCry Posts: 387 Member
    I look at old pictures of when I had lost the weight before and remember how comfortable I felt and how much to want to feel like that again. I also go onto the success stories on MFP and read through them to give me motivation.

    I haven’t got back into exercising properly, but before if I wasn’t feeling motivated I’d get up in the morning and put my shoes on, once my shoes were on I’d say to myself ‘you only have to do 10 minutes, then if you don’t want to carry on you can stop’, then by the time I’d done 10 minutes I’d say ‘you’ve already done 10, you may as well finish’ etc. Also, I have a dog, so if I didn’t want to move much I’d say to myself I’ll just take him out for a walk, he deserves at least a walk.. then that’s something I’ve done even if I do nothing else.

    If I really don’t have any, I’ll up my calories to maintain and just distract myself until the next day when I may feel more motivated. It doesn’t matter if you miss a workout, or eat a few more calories one day. This is life, and a lifestyle change, and if you’re not feeling it one day, don’t beat yourself up. Tomorrow is a new day.
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    Discipline works better than motivation.
    Whether or not I feel like it is irrelevant if the decision has been made, it is simply what I do. In the same way that I clean my teeth or get up for work.

    I don't want to clean the bathroom, but I have to get on with it anyway. Sometimes the same principle applies.

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,826 Member
    littlegreenparrot1 wrote: »
    Discipline works better than motivation.
    Whether or not I feel like it is irrelevant if the decision has been made, it is simply what I do. In the same way that I clean my teeth or get up for work.

    I don't want to clean the bathroom, but I have to get on with it anyway. Sometimes the same principle applies.

    Discipline can sound a bit negative, depending on how you interpret it, but basically this, yes.

    Not discipline in the sense of devising an unpleasant exercise regime and then forcing yourself to do it.

    But making a plan that is as 'pleasant' as possible: a frequency and duration that seems feasible, something you enjoy.
    A bit of 'hard knuckling' perhaps in the beginning to get going, but building habits so that it ultimately comes more or less automatically.
    Start small, and then build on that.
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    Sorry, yes. That maybe comes over a bit more harshly than I intended. I am not in the business of punishing myself or doing stuff I don't like, there truly isn't any point in that.

    I run or swim before work. I like doing it, I get a lot out of it, I always feel better once I am doing it.
    That 10 minutes hoisting myself out of bed an hour early? That bit is less fun :D . The only way I can do it, is to just do it on autopilot. If I'm lying there thinking about how I don't really want to, I won't.
    Up, dressed, glass of squash, out the door....habit/discipline. Then I'm going, the air is fresh, the music is on, the birds are singing, and its worth it.

    I also attend fitness classes, because they are an obligation. At the weekend plans often involve family or friends. Time playing in the park with a ball? A walk down the river to the nice pub for a drink? You get the idea.

    But if I'm really nacred and and just need a rest, that's ok to. It's not mandatory. Rest is part of good training.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,352 Member
    I'd say something is better than nothing. You truly don't have to do ALL the things right now.

    If the thought of meal prep AND weighing and measuring and entering your food AND having to plan and shop for "healthy" foods AND starting an exercise program is exhausting (I'm exhausted typing it!), then pick your battles. Add a vegetable to dinner. Walk a couple of extra blocks when you take the dog out. Start a grocery list. Have some fruit and string cheese instead of a bag of chips for an afternoon snack.

    Small steps add up and actually often work better to build the habits you'll need to keep the weight off once you lose it.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    shellandcharlie wrote: »
    Hi All!
    Any suggestions to get motivated and moving when you're too tired and feeling like there's no point?

    A couple things...

    Unfortunately, motivation is a pretty fleeting emotion. It really comes down to habit and routine. The hard part is getting into a routine...but once that train is moving, it tends to just keep rolling down the track.

    Another thing is finding something physically active that you enjoy. People tend to have a pretty myopic view of "exercise" and think it has to be droning away on cardio equipment or taking some kind of punishing class or something. People tend to forget that there are all kinds of fun things to do recreationally that are also active and good exercise. Take walks...ride bikes...go for hikes...paddle a kayak, etc. Go outside and play! If what you're doing is fun, it doesn't really take much motivation.

    As for feeling like there's no point? IDK...The point for me at 47 is to be able to continue to be an active and physically capable person as I age. I can look at some of my peers in my age group and sometimes I think they're physically pushing 70 instead of 50. I look at people like my mom who, because she has remained physically active, was doing triathlons in her mid 60s and who now in her 70s is still out their dancing 3-4 nights per week and still hitting the gym. I look at her boyfriend who is also in his mid 70s and he's still out their mountain biking and hiking...while many of their peers are having a hard time getting off the toilette or simply walking around the block. I want to be them, not the 70 something year old that can barely crawl out of bed.

  • shockbishop
    shockbishop Posts: 38 Member
    Heard something cool the other day on a podcast. People were told to go to the gym but can only spend 5 min. They did this a while and sure enough it was the habit that kept them coming back. Pretty cool, not much pressure.
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
    I heard if you’re struggling to get out the door for that run, put your power tunes on and headphones in and it’ll get you motivated to get changed / leave the house.
  • ashminxie1
    ashminxie1 Posts: 7 Member
    I often struggle with this as well, what works for me is putting on some music that gets you in a good mood and dancing you can burn calories dancing it's fun and there are loads of dance cardio videos on youtube, plus if you are enjoying your work out you will be more inclined to keep doing it. so find something you enjoy doing :)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Losing weight and getting fitter reduced my feeling of tired all the time massively so maybe your motivation is to work towards losing that horrible feeling?

    There is a virtuous circle of the more you do, the more you can do, and the more you want to do.

    What activity or exercise do you actually enjoy?
  • experimentofone
    experimentofone Posts: 28 Member
    Find something you like to do!!!!!!!
    It's easier to do something you WANT to do than something you HAVE to do.
    There's got to be some activity out there that you enjoy? Walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, pickleball, golfing, kayaking...... mountain climbing..... something :)
    For me walking turned to snowshoeing turned to cycling turned to pushing my golf clubs instead of renting a cart.....
    The point??? Well trying to lose weight sucks..... might as well find some enjoyment along the way..... being active and enjoying those activities are my chocolate ;)

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