where do you get your motivation?

strawberry123187
strawberry123187 Posts: 62
edited October 7 in Motivation and Support
I'm just starting out excercising(again) and could really use some ideas of what helped all of you when you started excercising to just get up off the couch and start? I want to work out(as long as noone can see me) but there always seems to be another distraction or something else to cause me to procrastinate. Does anyone have a way they made it through this lazy beginnign stage? Once I get in a routine I can stick with it, changing my entire diet was no problem, it's just that beginning week or two

Replies

  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    I'm just starting out excercising(again) and could really use some ideas of what helped all of you when you started excercising to just get up off the couch and start? I want to work out(as long as noone can see me) but there always seems to be another distraction or something else to cause me to procrastinate. Does anyone have a way they made it through this lazy beginnign stage? Once I get in a routine I can stick with it, changing my entire diet was no problem, it's just that beginning week or two
    I get motivation from within.

    I associate pain with failure and pleasure with success.
    And this works in any areas of life where I have goals set. As for health and fitness, I weigh the pain of seeing myself as a fat, ugly, unlovable slug against the pleasure of looking good, feeling great and living a long, happy life.

    I never have ANY issues with motivation.
  • iHEARTcardiacnurses
    iHEARTcardiacnurses Posts: 437 Member
    Sleep in your gym clothes, then you have no excuse.

    Motivation comes from within. You pay for the new you in sweat equity.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    It is hard to find the motivation to get going, but once I am exercising I set myself a distance/time and don't stop until I get there, no matter what. I simply don't ever entertain the possibility of not doing what I set out to do. It's not motivation as such, more stubbornness.

    I should have gone for a run this morning, but I didn't, because it's the last day of the holidays and I wanted to spend it with the children. In general, though, I have a routine throughout the week, that exercise forms a part of, and I only even think about not doing it if I am too ill to move.

    Routine is a great substitute for motivation. Just fix the stuff you do every week and commit to it.
  • reallymyBEST
    reallymyBEST Posts: 242 Member
    Agreed, it comes from inside, from wanting what you say you do more than the status quo. I think it's a good idea to make the goals doable in order to establish a pattern of success. Personally, I LOVE checklists! So, I documented my workout/running goals and got the "thrill" of checking them off each day and seeing the fact that I was making changes.

    Good luck to you!
  • strawberry123187
    strawberry123187 Posts: 62
    My problem there is that i'm not actually very unhappy with myelf most of the time. My fiance's constantly telling me he loves me the way I am and doesn't think I need to lose the weight but at the same time he fully supports me doing it. I used to have those thoughts of "i'm fat" or "i'm ugly" all the time but it just made me more depressed and less inclined to do anything about it. Maybe i'm just weird lol
  • strawberry123187
    strawberry123187 Posts: 62
    the checklist might actually help, i'm definitely a to-do list girl but never thought of applying that to excercising
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    My problem there is that i'm not actually very unhappy with myelf most of the time. My fiance's constantly telling me he loves me the way I am and doesn't think I need to lose the weight but at the same time he fully supports me doing it. I used to have those thoughts of "i'm fat" or "i'm ugly" all the time but it just made me more depressed and less inclined to do anything about it. Maybe i'm just weird lol
    Associate what is pain to you as well as pleasure.
    If you can't define this clearly, you will never be motivated and failure is assured.

    Just stop and think about it.
    What is painful about not losing weight?
    What would be pleasurable about losing weight?

    Again, being able to define this is key for success in achieving any goal.
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    For me it was not so much motivation or inner strength that I needed but new habits. I dipped my toe into activity and gradually worked up to an exercise routine. I started with walking once a day, then twice a day. I tried to do it with friends in lieu of going out with them shopping or sipping coffee. This started gently orienting my friends into my new lifestyle. It took me over a month to feel positive energy from that. I then started building in structured exercise. I added strength and flexibility first and then gradually inserted the cardio. Each person's exercise focus and habits are different. I just wanted to note that you are building a lifestyle and you don't have to plunge into it.

    By the way. I tallied my five year results recently. I have lost 8" chest, 8.5" hips and resounding 15" from the waist. I still walk recreationally (the dog) daily, I strength train 2-3 times per week and do cardio 2-3 times per week. This year I have added in a flexibility and balance focus.
  • CommandaPanda
    CommandaPanda Posts: 451 Member
    Well, take it from my experience. I've been off and on in the gym for over 5 years now, and I've only been really heavy on it over the summer. But recently, I've adopted it as a complete lifestyle change.

    I usually have a lifting partner. We never scowl at anybody or look down on people who are trying to do something good for themselves. So I'd get that thought out of your head, nobody is judging you! It'd be worse off if you were seen in a McDonald's binging on hamburgers!

    What I would recommend is find somebody that you can look up to. A role model, someone you would really like to see yourself become. Once you've identified that person, remind yourself of where you're trying to get to each and every day. Videos on YouTube greatly supplement this effort for me haha. I watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alIRpRS28wY - this video when I get lazy (Marky-Mark Wahlberg!).

    I also have posters up in my room of people who inspire me. That's the only trick in the book that I have to keep motivated! Well, I mean, other than the fact that I'm trying to get to be the person I want to become (if that makes sense). Hope I've helped!
  • strawberry123187
    strawberry123187 Posts: 62
    Thank you everyone this has all defintely helped and i'm now about to grab my puppy and take her out for a walk(jog if I can do it) up and down the hills in the holler and then back inside to do the WII workout with my soon to be aunt in law after I get her motivated too lol wish me luck and feel free to add me if you'd like as well. Thanks again everyone, I know I can do this :)
  • ahavoc
    ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
    Every time I look in the mirror, kid, every time.
  • tkopps
    tkopps Posts: 341
    If you are a list person, make yourself accountable and keep track. I set the target of 4 X 45 minutes each week. I like to log my exercise on here and see how I can overachieve. In the past I used a small desk calendar and mark which days I worked out and then calculated my % of days in the month. I think a little self challenge helps.

    You could also join one of the challenges on mfp. The Move Your *kitten* Monthly Challenge is a good one that I have been doing for 4 months.

    I hope that helps! Good luck!
  • strawberry123187
    strawberry123187 Posts: 62
    I didn't know they had challenges on here. I thought it was just the message boards
  • SkinnyGirlFatBody
    SkinnyGirlFatBody Posts: 98 Member
    I found weighing myself everyday, really helped me stick to a rountine. I know people will say not too as you naturally flucuate from day to day, but it motivated me to get out of bed every morning on time because I was excited to see if it went down at all. After I got that routine down I found it was easier to fit in some excersice in the morning since I was already up.
  • rsajoc
    rsajoc Posts: 7 Member
    OMG!!! This is exactly where I'm at and struggling to get motivated to excercise. I could really use some support to get moving!!!
  • rsajoc
    rsajoc Posts: 7 Member
    challenges??? how do I find them....thanks.
  • rsajoc
    rsajoc Posts: 7 Member
    Your post is very helpful and inspiring...thankyou!
  • rsajoc
    rsajoc Posts: 7 Member
    This post was very inspiring to me.......thanks.
  • Cole721
    Cole721 Posts: 15
    A notice board on my college campus said "it takes 21 days to make something a habit". So really set goals for yourself for a month and I would imagine it would become easier to abide by those goals as the days go by. (=
  • elg1982
    elg1982 Posts: 167 Member
    Find a kind of exercise you think is fun. Listen to music you like or a find a podcast/book on tape about something you are interested in, and *only* allow yourself to listen to the next episode or chapter if you are exercising.

    Also make sure you have the proper footwear! Running always hurt my shins until I got running shoes, and now I love it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/449365-countermotivation-why-you-re-lose-motivation

    Read and assess.
  • cheree1965
    cheree1965 Posts: 29
    From feeling bad about myself and looking in the mirror
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