Where do you get the motivation?

A

amanda12485

Guest
when you just don't want to workout or slack off on your workouts being lazy, or just don't want to eat healthy. where do you find the motivation to not give in or get your butt moving?
I NEED SOME!
 
When I lost 40 pounds 10 years ago it was for health reasons. I wasn't in really bad shape but I was eating crap and not exercising enough. I watched my parent's getting older and not being able to do as much as they had in the past. I saw other people having to take tons of pills and I thought I'm not doing that. So I started eating better and working out. Losing the weight and having people notice the weight loss was motivating to me so I continued. What happened next is the I started loving my workouts and I felt better when I ate healthier. I grew stronger, happier and healthier.

Working out now is just part of my day. I don't even think about not doing working out. I think about what workout I'm going to do for that day. It's just part of my life. My world right now is small because I'm helping my family take care of my dad who has dementia. So my life consists of work, family and working out. I have cut other things out of my life but working out sustains me.

I think motivation for living a healthy lifestyle is a personal thing. You need to find what your motivation is and work towards it. You have to WANT to change your life.
 
After 2 or 3 days without a workout, I feel like shit, get antsy and jittery and hate the world. Since I loathe feeling like this, I have to workout to get rid of it and feel myself again. That's a real big motivator right there.

You need to tap into how shitty you feel right now and how great you feel during and after the workout.

Clare
 
I like to look at old photos when I'm feeling lazy. The photos of myself in high school and college inspire me to remain that size and shape no matter how lazy I can get! It works for me. My avatar is actually a photo from college, one of my favs.

Lisa's idea is good too. I admit that new shoes or a new outfit (or a new workout or a new song or new equipment!) helps motivate me too.
 
amanda12485 said:
when you just don't want to workout or slack off on your workouts being lazy, or just don't want to eat healthy. where do you find the motivation to not give in or get your butt moving?
I NEED SOME!
Click to expand...
Amanda I use the workout manager, a checkin and Cathe's calendar. For some reason all three keep me in check. :) (BTW Thanks Cathy, drover, for being my checkin buddy STS 3.5 Ladies)

HTH, Amanda! :) Hang in there!
 
after a couple days of not working out (being lazy) or a day of eating like crap i feel really horrible like maddiesum said, and that will usually get me to get off my butt and keep going. I guess I just don't want to even get to the point, i want the will power to just do it no matter what i excused i try to give myself.
 
I think we have all been through this! I agree with ^^^^ if you make it part of your day or an important "appointment", you will be less likely to skip it.



amanda12485 said:
after a couple days of not working out (being lazy) or a day of eating like crap i feel really horrible like maddiesum said, and that will usually get me to get off my butt and keep going. I guess I just don't want to even get to the point, i want the will power to just do it no matter what i excused i try to give myself.
Click to expand...
 
Made a contract with your self.

I made it part of my life. I have 4 daughters 18, 14, 7, 4. They keep me moving and of course the support of my DH. With out him I don't think I would be even here. On the forums he never got mad of me buying all I needed. Step, High step, DVD'S, STS, Weights, Supplements, and on,and on.
He love me as I'm but a muscular tide body helps.
Besides it helps when all my 18 year old daughter friends said I'm HOT..
So every morning I got up and get my workout clothes on, check Cathe forums, Check the workout manager. And ready to start the day.Its almost like a contract that I have with my self. And I don't accept a fail.

Sorry I was not gonna Log in because all this STS Stickers on my page.
I'll ready report them but they haven't get fix.

Thanks Eunice:)
 
This forum, my blog, my check in, Spark, finding bony spots :p, the bathroom scale, the mirror, it helps with depression, my journal and lots of podcasts:

1. Motivation to Move and the Daily Boost
2. Phedippidations (for runners)
3. IOWL Inside Out Weight loss
4. Reasonable Diet Radio/Reasonable Diet's 6 minutes of Sanity

All are free downloads from iTunes. ;)
 
My DH. He is currently rehabing from a falling out of a tree injury. He goes to the gym to work on his leg strength. (I can't convince him to join me and Cathe). He's just like a nagging wife (that is supposed to be a joke). Always asks, "have you worked out yet today?" I usually workout at the same time he is at the gym. Can't have him coming home and nag. A workout buddy is a great thing. He's ALMOST like having one. You just need someone else to help you be accountable to yourself.

Tracy


WHOA! CAN EVERYONE TELL I'M ON DISC 26? WHAT IS UP WITH THE REPITITION ON THE TICKERS??
 
Last edited:
Hi

During the workouts, all I think about is the workout, whether be weight lifting or gasping for air and trying to keep with Cathe, Amy or Kelly. I get to forget anything that bothered me for at least an hour so. It's like meditation (I call it dynamic meditation). My mind gets a break and my body gets healthier. That's what keeps me going.

Penny
 
When I eat junk or don't work out enough, I feel like something the cat dragged in. In my busy life, I don't have the luxury of feeling that way for more than a day or two before there's some demand on me that requires me to be upbeat, energetic (and put on my size 2 suit!). I guess the motivation is feeling rotten and not wanting to feel rotten anymore, at the very least so I can meet the demands of my life, if not just for its own sake. Or just wanting to avoid the yucky feeling in the first place.
 
Last edited:
Motivation for me comes from remembering how hard it was to get to this point, how badly I felt health-wise before working out regularly. I also think about my accomplishments so far. Also, I check this forum several times a day and every new post (well, most of them - not the Madonna ones and stuff like that ;)) keep me very motivated!

As an example, last Saturday was my DH's birthday. We started celebrating on Friday night and didn't finish until Tuesday! All the leftovers and birthday cake and such! With all of that, keeping up with my runs has kept me from gaining weight off of all that rich, junky food! Another time, and I would have been up 5 pounds! I have no guilt and I'm not beating myself up over it. Just got back on my healthy eating as soon as all the temptation was out of the house!

You guys keep me sane and keep me on track!
 
It's really motivating reading about everyone's motivation! :D

I have to say that for me, motivation isn't something I look to other factors to find. I am not motivated on a daily basis, or sometimes motivated and other times not. It's inside me. It's what I do. I don't even consider not working out and eating right.

Honestly, I think you have to find a place inside your brain where you aren't searching for motivation. You are just always there. It's a part of what you do, regardless of anything else.

Good luck to you!
 
JeanneMarie said:
It's really motivating reading about everyone's motivation! :D

I have to say that for me, motivation isn't something I look to other factors to find. I am not motivated on a daily basis, or sometimes motivated and other times not. It's inside me. It's what I do. I don't even consider not working out and eating right.

Honestly, I think you have to find a place inside your brain where you aren't searching for motivation. You are just always there. It's a part of what you do, regardless of anything else.

Good luck to you!
Click to expand...

I like that! Well said!
 
I am motivated by the contents of my closet

I only own clothes that fit - no skinny/in-between/fat sections, so I can't gain weight. That helps a lot, also seeing the other women in my family who are all over weight and/or way out of shape is a motivator. So is the mirror in the fitting rooms at stores! I just know I have to work out, so I do it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top