Can't stay motivated to exercise.

K

KimDW

Cathlete
Help!

Here is my problem. I am a lifetime weight watcher member and got lazy and have gained back about 10 pounds. I have been trying for at least 2 years to get it back off (Have lost 40 pounds). My problem is that I do good for awhile with my food and my exercising but then I get bored or lazy and then I'm bad and then the whole cycle starts back over again. I can stick to an exercise plan for a week but then I get unmotivated. I love all of my Cathe videos and am thinking about buying more for a bigger variety to chose from. Does anyone have any advice on how to stay motivated after a week? I'd love to rejoin my local gym but I just can't afford it right now. When I get home from work I feel tired and once my butt hits the couch I'm done for the night. I am not a morning exerciser (tried it and I think I confused the dog cause I got up so early at 5am). Any advice is very welcome and sorry this is so long.

Kimbra :(
 
Hi kimbra,

i totally understand your frustration and identify with your situation completely.

While i dont have any advice, i do have some tips for when i get lazy and get sidetracked offof my good habits.

a few things have helped me
1.i have a sweet tooth the size of an elephant and i know if i have a chocolate bar i'lleat it, so i asked everybody in the house to help me and not get any junk food while in the store.
2. NEVER EVER EVER go grocery on an empty stomach. i end up getting so much junk and feel terrible when i throw it away cause i wasted so much money.

3. changing my exercise times, activites helps me stay motivated. Sometimes i get up at 5 am, sometimes i do weights before going to bed.

4. Make sure you are drinking like a gallon of water.

5. I read in Fitness magazine that when you are feeling lazy have fruits 15-30 mins before exercising and i cant tell you how much more fresh you feel . you are redy to just jump.

I hope this helps. Just by typing this, i have the energy to go jump around.

Let me know how it goes,

You friend in fitness
Aisha:)
 
Kimbra,
I have begun making fruit smoothies in my blender. My husband loves them and it is a good way to refresh yourself nutriciously. I add a packet or two of Splenda if the smoothie is not sweet enough. I have a couple of recipes from a book my Grandma has. Nothing bad for you goes in these smoothies...all fruit, ice, or non fat yogurt and the two I have tried this week are yummy.

Try planning out different rotations that last a week or two. And then if you want to do something else do it. As long as you are moving who cares?

I am a teacher so during the school year I get up and exercise usually in the morning....very early. This seems to be the only way for me to be sure to get it in. I eat better during the school year because I think of the sacrifice of early morning sleep I give up to workout every day and it helps me think I am not going to blow off all that work for too many sweets. Plan the time you are going to workout and stick to it no matter what. Write it in your daytimer if you have to and think of it as an appointment. Decide how many times a week you are going to workout, what time, and what you are going to do and than just do it! If you do it after work, fix a smoothie or have a small healthy snack, put your workout clothes on and work out before doing anything else. Don't sit down on that couch or do anything until you have done your scheduled work out. Sometimes I change my schedule and workout in the afternoon after school, but when I do I don't check my messages or e-mail, I don't answer the phone until I work out.
Anyway, I hope this helps. I didn't mean to go on and on. Good luck!
:7
 
Kimbra, I used to be the same way, then when I couldn't fit into my blue jeans anymore and all I could wear was my size 12 overalls, that did it. Now I stay motivated cause I don't want to go backwards, I have lost 17-18 lbs. I have gone done a whole pant size and I can get into size 6 levis now. That is my motivation. I want to wear that nice swimsuit I bought to wear on vacation. I am definately a morning exerciser, I like to get it done early. I walk on my treadmill in the mornings for an hour, now with ankle weights.

So Kimbra, just think of how good you will look and feel once you have reached your goal. It won't be long and I will be to the weight I was when I got married 22 yrs ago ( 100 lbs ):7

You can do it!!!! .... just have a good talk with yourself. God bless you ......... Rhonda :7

OH yeah, the treadmill exercises are just half of my exercises, but its the one I do early, like at 7:30 am .....
 
Kimbra:

I wouldn't advise you to buy more Cathe videos just yet, because it does not seem that they inspire you, and that's OK, they don't inspire everyone, and often I get bored with them too.

There is an athlete in all of us, your job is to find the sport/athletic activity (and it could be dance orientated) that will bing this out in you. If you are not motivated to stick with Cathe longer than a week, as much as I love her (most of the time), I would conclude that she's perhaps not for you.

Everyone has to have a passion, something that motivates you to get down dirty and sweaty. Everyone has to find an activity that just makes your body feel so good and which feels "organic" to you, rather than swimming against the tide of your natural inclinations.

Give yourself a few months of trying out different activities to find what works for you. Adopt the mind set of going on an adventure, enlist a friend to go on the journey with you and join a YMCA type facility that offers dance classes, weight training, a variety of fitness classes, yoga classes, and martial arts. Then just sign up for a bunch, no strings attached, and see what floats your boat.

There are so many ways to get fit and build the body you want to live in, Cathe videos are just one way. Maybe you need a class atmosphere to motivate you because left to your own devices you blow it off again and again. And maybe, you'd just rather go for an evening walk with a friend and catch up on the local gossip so it's more of a social, followed by a half hour weights work when you get home, and you're done.

Think also about setting yourself a goal other than "weight loss." To have "I must lose weight" as your goal can be very demoralizing and set up stress surrounding the whole enterprise, especially after your history with WW. Put the emphasis on finding an activity to move your body and have fun doing it, and as you work hard to improve and master the activity, if it truly is a passion, the weight will start to drop off, especially if you commit to your health now and cut out the junk.

By finding another goal I mean for example, "I want to become a runner and enter my first 5K", or "I am going to try Slow & Heavy weight training for 3 weeks because I seriously want to improve my strength and conquer 20 for bicep curls and back work as my regular weight." You need to have something to strive for to get your mind focussed so you will come back tomorrow and the next day and next week, because there's something at stake other than weight loss.

What works for me are goals like "prevent osteoporosis" and "keep my depression at bay" which is why I am hitting the S&H as in my stated goal above. But in the Fall when this blasted heat goes away, I want to go back to being a runner as I used to be and get back to my 10 milers. THose are the goals that keep me coming back when boredom sets in, which it does and I have just come back again to Cathe after a 2 week hiatus due to boredom and depression.

THe secret to weight loss lies, I believe, in finding your passion and setting a goal that means something to you other than reducing the size of your body. That way you set yourself up for fun and success and empowerment, not dieting failure again.

Hope some of this works for you and good luck

Clare
 
Awesome advice Clare, and everyone else. I would just echo what Clare said, to find somthing else that really gets you excited. Sometimes it is as simple as a new piece of workout clothing, sometimes it is a new video, but I think at this time of year it is especially good to see if you can find something outside. I live in the Sierras, and we get more winter than I care to think about at the moment. I woke up to three feet of snow in the middle of April!! It's all gone now, so I am taking every opportunity to just get out and do anything. Mountain biking has been amazing! But hiking, walking, swimming in the lakes.....take that dog of yours out with you. I have found with my focus on just having fun, it doesn't feel like exercise, and the food part just sort of naturally follows. You don't want to eat things that bog you down, and don't make you feel good. Not only are they counter productive to what you are doing, but I truly feel awful when I much out on yucky food. Except ice-cream!!

A final thing, and this has for some reason been HUGE in my goals for some reason.....a couple of months ago I was watching a fitness segment on television. There was a 92 year old lady who was the "model" for the trainer whose point was to stress the importance of long term health and exercise. Especially with weights. Now this little lady was not schlepping mondo weights, but she was lifting something everyday, and the kicker for me was when she layed down on the floor, on her back, and lifted her legs up over her head and touched her toes to the ground behind her. When she was finished she got up, and stood up, walking off with her cane. The thing she said that was key was about being able to get up out of a chair by herself, or out of bed, or up from the floor, and that is what keeps her out of an old folks home. I thought for the first time of the long haul. I am not even 40 yet, but if doing things right now can mean quality of life later, than it is SO very worth it. I was just so encouraged by that little lady.

I also just thought of one more thing that encourages me. I have a dear friend who was a major athlete. He took a simple fall a couple of years ago, skiing, and didn't realize he had badly injured his neck for several months. By then it was so bad he had other problems stemming from it. Long story short, he has been in tremendous pain, multiple surguries, and many complications resulting with him being barely able to walk. He called in tears one day saying he would give anything to just run a mile. It broke my heart! I hate running, but I feel tremendous motivation thinking that I CAN, and am ABLE. There are so many people who are not, that being able to work out is a priviledge. It is a joy to feel so good at the end of a workout. My riding buddy and I always say the same thing at the end of a brutal ride...."That was AWFUL, when are we going again "

I know ruts are hard, but hopefully you get lots of encouragement from everyone on this board, and can look beyond the thought of diet and exercise as a simple problem to master somehow. Think beyond to doing something that make you feel good, because you are so fortunate to be able to.

I will be rooting for you!! Take care!:D
 
1. If you are not on your WW program and going to meetings, start back. Follow the food plan, and that includes, of course, keeping a food journal.

2. As much as you may not want to hear this, become a morning exerciser. You will be much less likely to skip it if you make an UNBREAKABLE appoint with yourself to get up and do it. Just go to bed one hour earlier, and don't concern yourself about confusing the dog! This is a new one on me, the old "I don't want to confuse the dog" excuse.

3. If you have the CTX series, use that for you intro into morning exercise. These are faster workouts, and you would have to get up less early to work these in before work.

These are suggestions I'm sure you've heard a million times, but here they are again. You just have to make up your mind that you MUST revamp your habits to reach your goal weight.
 
honeybunch ... I totally agree with ya, that is one of the big reasons I get up and get started, I didn't want to talk myself out of it later in the day. The plain truth is if your really wanting to lose the weight you won't need to be motivated, wanting to lose the weight and feel good about it is motivation enough for me.
I am getting my pre-kid figure back little by little and I am 43 soon to be 44. I am so excited. Not only I am getting my figure back, I am getting in shape, eating better and drinking lots of water.
You really have to set your mind to it.......... Rhonda :7
 
Thank you to all for the advice. Just reading your posts helps me get motivated. Here are a few responses that I have.

1. I have been going to my meeting once a month at weight watchers but I think I'm going to start with the once a week thing again.

2. I loved my kickboxing class at the gym but due to money issued I can't afford to rejoin right now. I know that is what I need is the classroom setting because the other people and the teacher motivated me and pushed me. I've got two kickboxing workouts and they are OK. I've tried Tae Bo and hated it. I would cost me about $460 a year to rejoin the health club and I say that I'm going to do it but then think that is $460 that I can save by not going.

3. I'd love to find a friend in my area to walk with every evening - I live in Illinois (30 mins from St Louis, MO) and so our evenings are somewhat nice in the summer. But I really don't have anyone to walk with.

4. Re: the morning exercise. It's not just the dog it's my husband. He doesn't get up for work until 7am (lucky). I have to exercise upstairs (no room in family room downstairs) and I like the music LOUD so of course I'd wake him up. I don't live in an area where I can just go out my door and walk. Too much traffic. So i'd have to drive somewhere.

5. I've never been an athelete at all. In order for me to like to do a workout they have to be hard cardio that really gets me sweating and my heart pumping. Otherwise I don't feel like it's worth it.

6. I'm always someone that likes to plan stuff and write stuff down. But like I said after a week or two my plan just lies around on the dining room table.

Also, I've got a question. We have hard wood floors with carpet over them. The house is about 43 years old (very well built. I was wondering if doing hi impact cardio (jumping jacks, jog in place, step aerobics etc... ) can damage or warp my floor where I exercise. I know this sounds silly but I would think a 140 pound woman jumping up and down for 30 - 40 mins every day could do some damage.

thanks,
Kimbra
 
Kimbra, I really don't think your gonna damage your hardwood floors, they are made of tuff stuff, I don't think 140 lb woman doing jumping jacks and so forth are gonna hurt it, hasn't hurt mine, and mine aren't hardwood, they are thick plywood. So you go girl ..... Rhonda :7 :7

p.s. I watch TV when I am on my treadmill, I don't turn on music, so I don't wake anyone ... we can work around things when we really want to achieve something.
 
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