Struggling to keep it up...

colorlessgreen
colorlessgreen Posts: 173 Member
I've missed two of my workouts already this week, and I don't want to do tonight's, either. I'm not sure exactly why I'm having trouble sticking with it. Let's examine some possibilities...

1. The workouts are too long/intense: I think just the idea of pushing myself to my limits after a long day of work just feels too exhausting. With 30DS, I could tell myself, "It's just 20 minutes -- just do it. You can go a little easy." But with Insanity, I feel like if I'm not pushing myself 100% the entire time, I feel like I'm slacking or not going to get results.

2. I'm doing it too late in the day, or not getting enough sleep: both times I missed my workout, I *intended* to do it, but then crawled in bed and fell asleep. I guess this could be remedied by doing the workout earlier in the day, but I'll really have to work to get to bed early to do it before work, on weekdays.

3. I'm doing it with my boyfriend, who isn't doing it as seriously as I am (or as I planned to): he has done about half of the workouts, and I think his nonchalant attitude toward it is rubbing off on me. Plus sometimes I kinda wait to do it with him, and then he decides not to, so it's hard for me to motivate myself to do it -- especially if it's late at night by that point.

4. I'm pretty happy with my body: I'm at my goal weight, and I have to wear a belt with my smallest pants, because they're so roomy! I'd really like to lose some of the fat around my middle, but now that I'm relatively content with my results, it's harder for me to find motivation. I realize this is a pretty nice problem to have -- I'm not complaining. Maybe I need to just admit to myself that I'm at a place where the amount of work I need to put in to get more impressive results just isn't worth it to me. I'd REALLY like to have abs, but if it takes intense working out an hour a day to get them, maybe I subconsciously don't actually want them that bad.

I guess that helps me identify a few steps to take. I could try doing my workout earlier in the day (without waiting for my boyfriend to join me -- I just need to be more assertive about doing it when it works for ME, and he can join me when he chooses). I could also tell myself before I start that I'm going to allow myself to do the workout at 70% effort -- which is still probably better than not doing it at all! And finally, the one I'm less inclined to do (but might be the most realistic): maybe I should just plan to do the workout four or five times a week, instead of all six.

Is anyone else finding it challenging to stick with the workouts? Why do you think you're missing them? What are you planning to do about it?

Replies

  • MelissR75
    MelissR75 Posts: 735 Member
    I just started week 2 Thursday, and although I feel great after its over, it takes a lot of pushing myself to get it done! I love Jillian bc its only 20 minutes and I feel like I get a good workout in that short amount of time.After 20 minutes of Insanity I wanna just shut it off bc Ive had enough and Im pretty sure I might die! lol! The workouts just seem sooo long.
  • jamkat
    jamkat Posts: 77 Member
    I've had a bad week also. Just when I felt like I was on a roll and then I go and fall on my knee Tue night. The swelling is finally down now but wow the bruising is nasty!!! It also still hurts a bit. I guess I'm lucky I didn't break it.

    Today my 4th day in a row without Insanity. I did wake up naturally at 6:30am this morning and thought about just getting up and doing it but my husband and I are re-landscaping our front yard today so I figured that will be plenty of exercise. I will be back at it tomorrow morning! I have to be!

    colorlessgree - My husband worked nights for 4 long years. This January he went to days. We talked about how great it will be to go to the gym together at night and to push each other when one of us doesn't want to go. Oh yeah, and we'll take walks after dinner. blah blah blah... just like you with your boyfriend I often wait for my husband before I go for a walk or to the gym and then when he doesn't want to, I very easily talk myself out of it.

    I have to do my Insanity workouts before work; there's no way around it. When I've slept in and convinced myself that I will do it after work, it never happens!!! When I do it before work I feel so great throughout the day and proud of myself that I didn't take the easy way out by staying in bed - I pushed play!

    #4 is a very nice problem to have! I've wondered if / how I will be motivated to push myself once I get to my goal weight. I look at it this way, the gym I belong to is awesome! They are popular for the personal training and boot camps they provide. It's more of an athlete's gym without the big bulky muscle builder type of place. A pretty equal balance of men and women. The women aren't afraid to break a sweat and leave there looking all nasty from a tough workout. Anyway when I wonder if I'll continue to push myself to workout I think about many of the women at the gym who I've become friendly with. They range in age from early 20's to 60's and are in phenomenal shape - yet they still work there butts off and leave puddles of sweat behind. I look at them and think "why do they bother? They already look great, there can't possibly be anymore room for improvement". That's when I realize no matter if your body is at goal weight / ideal body fat percentage / toned you still need to put the work in! I was once toned and at my goal weight. 19 years ago this week I weighed 117 lbs on my wedding day. Today I am 160. Even after I went back to work after having each of my kids I was 130-135. Come to think of it when I went to the hospital to have each of my 2 children I weighed 160 each time. WOW! How depressing is that?! I now weigh what I did when I was at a full term pregnancy. :sad: Long story short, had I continued to put the work in back when I was in shape, the pounds would not have crept on leaving me where I am now. So even if you are at your goal weight, please don't get lazy and stop putting the work in. One day you'll be in your 40's like me and wonder why you stopped taking care of yourself.

    Keep pushing PLAY!! I'm off to Home Depot now, have a great day!!
  • kungfugirlrox
    kungfugirlrox Posts: 42 Member
    I'm having trouble sticking with it as well. Between long days at work, studying, being sick, and just not feeling motivated to do anything, I have only completed 2 workouts of Week 2 and I started a week earlier than the April 30th start date. Oh well, sometimes life takes over. I just have to tell myself that I need to do this and I will do this. The sooner the better. Summer's almost here and I wanna look good and feel good lol.....
  • jreed1920
    jreed1920 Posts: 123
    I feel like JM 30 DS was a MUCH better/more effective workout. There are a couple of things I really dislike about Insanity. First off when you add in the stretching part (which I do like) and the breaks the actual workout itself is only about 25-30 minutes max. Then I hate that you do the warm-up and get in the zone then stop and stretch which brings me all the way back down to resting heart rate again then ramp it up again for the actual workout section. Feels like the first 10 minutes are a total waste of time.

    Not sure if I am going to stick with this as I really don't see it giving me the same results I got with 30 DS which was awesome and quite frankly I miss the weights.
  • skohl83
    skohl83 Posts: 23
    I understand how you feel, this is my second go around with insanity, and I cannot stress enough how much good insanity does for your body. You will feel stronger, and the endurance that it gives you is just crazy. I would recomend for everyone to just try and get through month one and see how different you feel.

    I promise it is so worth it!!!

    Dig Deeper!!! :)
  • skohl83
    skohl83 Posts: 23
    Also, they have the stretching after the warm up so that your muscles are warmed up and you are able to get the most out of the stretch....if you notcie after two weeks you are able to do the deep lunge and your legs and arms no longer shake in the hip stretch. Month two the workouts are now 50-60 minutes so that after the stretch you now still have 40 minutes of work out.
    I have never tried 30 DS, but isn't that only like 20-25 minutes?
  • billyjoebob
    billyjoebob Posts: 72
    I tried 30DS and I way prefer this. I definitely don't think the first 10 minutes are a waste of time, I think they are very important and I'm definitely burning calories and toning my body when I do them. Of course, if I didn't like the workouts I probably wouldn't stick with them, you need to find what works for you and what you enjoy. I've really been loving my new energy levels and feel like this program is really working for me. I did so much better on the fitness test this time. And I've even discovered I have a hidden 6 pack which was never there before! (It's under a bunch of fat, but I can feel it!) I've never felt such muscle on me before! Hopefully it will be visible by the end!

    week1-week2
    switch jacks: 80 - 110
    power jacks: 44 - 49
    power knees: 78 - 80
    power jumps: 32 - 40
    globe jumps: 8 - 11
    suicide jumps: 10 - 11
    push-up jacks: 17 - 27
    low plank oblique: 42 - 65