I'm having problems motivating myself to workout

For myself, I'm a believer in finding fun exercise, then doing an amount of it that fits into my life while allowing for good overall life balance. "Good overall life balance" means enough time and energy for job, home life, non-exercise social connections and hobbies, and anything else important to an individual. YMMV, but there's no way I could spend 3 hours daily exercising - especially exercise I didn't inherently love and find motivating in itself - forever, and still have a well-balanced and overall happy life. Since I want to be at a healthy weight long term, ideally forever, the "3 hours of exercise daily" approach wouldn't work for me. (Some people say staying at a healthy weight is harder than getting there in the first place.)

Are you sure it will work for you long term? It sounds like maybe it isn't working ideally now?

I adjusted my eating to fit my balanced life, including sticking with a sensibly moderate calorie deficit on the eating side until I got to goal weight. Now I'm maintaining (year 8 in fact), doing that same amount of quite enjoyable exercise, which is half an hour to an hour or so most days, occasionally a couple of hours or more.

I'm not really great at motivation (or willpower, or discipline), so for me it was key to find new, relatively enjoyable (at least tolerable and practical) habits that I could continue long term almost on autopilot, on both the activity side, and the eating side. I don't know about you, but I could eat in way less than half an hour all the calories that I'd burn in 3 hours of exercise. For me, that makes managing the eating side of the equation really essential.

I hope you can find an approach that works for you: These things are really individual. Best wishes!

raycnyit wrote: »

Hi, I'm having problems motivating myself to go to the gym and workout ever since i stopped paying for an expensive gym membership that included a coach.

Now i'm wondering if you guys have any tips to motivate yourself to get 3 hours exercise everyday? Cause when i was exercising 3 hours everyday, i was definitely losing weight, and fat, but i was spending so little time on rest and i got injured.

OK, I’ll bite. I do workout several hours a day, but I do it because I’ve “graduated” from being on my bottom and stuffing my face all day to craving movement.

I only do things I enjoy and look forward to, though. Otherwise, what’s the point?

I mix it up every day. Today has been gym, cardio class, walks, swimming laps and aquafit with my sweetie. He splashes and clowns at me, so aquafit is our quality time together. Walks are typically with my idiot, uncontrollable rescue dog- also quality time. I talk, he listens.

Many trips to the gym are an opportunity to give the dog a ride. He adores rides. Any ride is an event. I’m happy, he’s happy, win/win. I get dropped off in a great mood, lavishing him with pet-pets before they drive off. I go in chill and laughing.

Tomorrow is dog walks and rides, my trainer, some laps, and aquafit. Fun stuff!

Saturday is more walks, and a pair of hot power yoga classes. I find them utterly engrossing and they go by super fast.

Do you see a trend here? Enjoyment and lots of time, which, sadly, few people have in spades like us. We have the utter luxury of retirement. No way we could do all this stuff otherwise.

If you are lucky enough to be able to create the three hours a day, fill them with things you enjoy doing and people/critters you enjoy being with.

It’s like the old saying,”if you love what you do, work will never be work.” Or something like that.

“Motivation” is BS. If it’s fun and interesting, you’ll do it. If it’s work and a chore, motivation fades pretty darn quick.

BTW, 62, and have lost a buttload of weight here via MFP. It all becomes so much easier and more pleasant the more you lose. Its just getting the “what shall I do” ball rolling that’s the hard part.