how do you stay motivated to a fitness plan?

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fitgal411
fitgal411 Posts: 668
in Introduce Yourself
Hey everyone,

I've been on and off dieting and exercise plans for the past 2 years (none of them lasting more than a week or two) and it's driving me CRAZY!!!! If anybody has any tips to stay motivated without getting totally bored, then thanks!

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  • fitgal411
    fitgal411 Posts: 668
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    Hey everyone,

    I've been on and off dieting and exercise plans for the past 2 years (none of them lasting more than a week or two) and it's driving me CRAZY!!!! If anybody has any tips to stay motivated without getting totally bored, then thanks!
  • may_marie
    may_marie Posts: 667 Member
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    hello...

    i used to be like you .. hated excersices with a passion ..

    i find that the best thing that works for me is to have fitness goal.. a while back i would reach my max heart rate by walking fast on the threadmill... i started making it a little more challenging every week and now .. 6 months later.. i run 2 miles without stopping .. thats really cool but i want more :happy:
    now i`d like to run a 10k... now the sky is the limit and i cant wait to hit the threadmill again ...

    soon or later youll experience the runner`s high ... then working out will be your drug of choice...

    enjoy !!
    may
  • debmac63
    debmac63 Posts: 459 Member
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    I too had problems adopting a healthy lifestyle...not a diet. But the more weight I lose the more I want to work out. I'm planning on running my first 5k this June and who knows maybe a 10k like May someday. Choose a goal and go after it!
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
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    I hate working out but I enjoy a nice slow jog so my biggest way that I lost weight was running a good 3-6 miles at my pace... not sprinting.
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
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    Some things that help me stay motivated
    1) Viewing this as a lifestyle not as a diet. I don't want to give myself the option of ever going back to the way I was. So I view this as a permanent change to become healthier and more active -- losing weight is just a great benefit of that.
    2) Get support. All of my family and friends know that I have commited to this change and are very supportive. Also, by telling people I feel like I have to hold myself accountable to them if I slip. I also hired a trainer when I first started out to provide motivation, support and education. It was the right choice for me. My biggest obstacle was coming up with excuses to skip the gym. Knowing someone was waiting for me there really helped me stay on track when I first started. However, even finding a workout buddy can be a great source of motivation.
    3) Have challenging but realistic goals. My goal is to complete a half marathon in Oct.
    4) Education - this helped me to have realistic expectations and thus has helped me stay motivated. Also, it is kind of empowering to be educated on how your body works.
    5) Keep it interesting! Get out and try new things! Find activities you actually enjoy doing! Try things more than once before you decide it's not for you. I never thought I would enjoy running and althought at first I hated it now I can't wait for the snow to hurry up and melt so I can get back outside!
  • Violet_Mist
    Violet_Mist Posts: 94
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    I used to be just like you...everyone deals with that. Some things that help me..
    1) I think about the benefits of eating healthy and exercising. I compare how I used to feel with how I feel NOW. I love the energy I get from exercising and eating healthy, so I feel better about myself.
    2) I try on clothing that is a little tight. I think half my wardrobe looks HORRIBLE on me, or it's tight, so I wear it to motivate myself to WANT to look good in it.
    3) I read the inspirational stories on here. I know others have done it, and I can too!
    4) YOU MUST LEARN TO SAY "NO!" TO LAZINESS!
  • burbuja
    burbuja Posts: 32
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    Why don't you try a fun workout like zumba or something dance related, you get to learn new steps and it's tons of fun or maybe kick boxing where you learn some great moves to defend yourself. I also look forward to cleaning my house everyday, I don't miss any details now, I don't cut any corners because I've learned it's a great way to burn some calories, I really get a sweat out of it.

    To keep me motivated I try on once a week old jeans or clothes I really like that don't fit and see how I've made progress. I tried on some slacks yesterday that didn't fit and to my surprise they fit, I was able to zip them up and everything.

    Good luck :bigsmile: !
  • MOMOFTWO29
    MOMOFTWO29 Posts: 8,276 Member
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    Hello and welcome to MFP, the best website ever. You will love it here. I :heart: this site. It is so motivational, supportive, helpful, and everyone is so nice and friendly here. I just wanted to tell you good luck on your weight loss journey. You can do this.:smile::flowerforyou: :smile: :flowerforyou: I have my exercise bike in front of the t.v. so I watch t.v while I ride my bike, or I put in a cd and listen to it while I ride my bike.

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