Why is this? I am Frustrated!

S

slenamond

Cathlete
This is really just to vent a little and see if any of you have gone through this.

I used to be able to get up at 5:30am and work out. I LOVED it!! Felt SO good. Working out after work just doesn't seem to work for me. I have so much to do when I get home.

I can't get out of bed in the morning no matter how early I go to bed. Even if I am awake the thought of jumping around or lifting makes me ill. It makes me so mad. I lay there and tell myself that I CAN'T do it and I will just work out when I get home. Then I end up not doing it.

I am so frustrated with myself. I don't know maybe it is because I am getting older. I will be 39 this month.

Have any of you gone through this?
 
YES YES YES!!!! I've been talking to friends about this same thing. And I know the 5-8 lbs I want to loose will come off if I go back to morning - I'll quit staying up having wine and little snacks!! For me the big difficulty came after my third kid 18 months ago. There's no excuse - he's an awesome sleeper. Just can't get myself to get out of bed. I'll be 38 soon, but to be honest I'm just going to have to blame my lack of "wanna" to lack of discipline. I used to be so self-disciplined w/ my morning excercise and diet. That just makes me more mad.
 
What has been really helpful to me is to write down how I feel after a workout. You wrote in your post, "I LOVED it!! Felt SO good." Write that out and post it by your bed and read it before you go to bed and when you get up.

I have been feeling this lately but I push through it. I workout at night after work. I am also helping to take care of my dad with dementia and most nights I have to rush home after work do my workout, eat something, make my lunch, pack for the next day and head out to my parent's house. I will come home not wanting to do it but I will do it anyway. After the first 10 minutes or so I'm fine and when I'm finished I feel great and am happy I did it. It also gives me a stress outlet so I'm a better caretaker for my dad.

I don't think it's age at (least for me). I'm 48 and the more "mature" I get the more disciplined I become.
 
Everything you just said - YES!! I started working out in the mornings when I was 18 and I'm now 35 so you would think the 'habit' thing would've kicked in by now, right?!;) But it's still a struggle sometimes.

I find that I go through spurts - some weeks/months it's effortless for me to get up at 4:20 am, then some weeks/months I just CANNOT get out of bed and you're right - it makes you so mad to sleep through your workout when you know how GOOD you would have felt if you would have just got up and worked out.

Fortunately, right now I'm in the phase of not having trouble getting up and these are the things that are working for me now (and the things that always help me get back into working out):

- I have two alarm clocks (my boyfriend doesn't mind, but he thinks I'm crazy!!) - one by the bed set at 4:00 am and one across the room that I have to physically get up out of bed to shut off that goes off at 4:20. So the one that goes off at 4:00 gives me a couple of snoozes and then I know by the time the other one goes off, I HAVE to get up. I'm already out of bed to turn it off, so 90% of the time, I go straight to the bathroom and start my day!

- I don't have 'conversations' with myself in the morning, you know what I mean?? The back and forth, 'get up, you'll feel better', 'but I'm tired, I want to sleep', 'but your clothes won't fit soon'!! :p:p I'm hoping all morning exercisers have these conversations with themselves and I'm not the only one! But I don't do that anymore - the alarm(s) go off, and I'm up and won't talk to myself!

- This is the biggest thing for me that I really think helps - I go to bed and the last thing I think of is what workout I'm going to do in the morning. That really helps me because I thrive on structure and having a plan so knowing that I have my workout picked out is so important to me. If I go to bed thinking, "I'll do this, or I'll do that" there's a good chance I won't do anything then regret it all day. So knowing my workout and visualizing myself doing it has helped me tremendously.

And like you, if I don't workout in the morning, I'm not working out. So it's so important to be able to get up and get it done.

Good luck to you in finding what works!:)

Erin
 
Sorry girls, I don't think it's age...at 38-39 you two are still young whipper-snappers! (I can say that cause I'm 48!!) :eek:

If it's not medical, I'd say it's burnout. Don't dread workouts. Give yourself permission to take a week off, or totally tone down the intensity of your workouts, or do something completely different.

I am taking an undetermined time off from all DVDs. Yes, even Cathe. I am walking, running, and stretching, and that's it, and it's great freedom. I have no problem getting up at 6 because I don't dread it.
 
I use to get up early (0350) to workout but I find that my heart rate would get out of control that early than it normally would later on and I also find that I cant drink water or eat anything in the morning because I feel and hear it especially any liquid and that bothers me. I find that I do have to push myself harder in the afternoons to get my workouts done. I just say it's mind over matter no excuses to be had here!!!
 
I get up at 4:30 to work out around 5. I hate mornings, but know that I won't work out after work. I don't like it, but I don't like how I feel when I don't even more. So, for me, I just have to get over the fact that it sucks and I don't want to do it and just do it anyway. The price of not working out (stress, cellulite, weak bones, disappointment in myself....) is not worth the quickly fading price of skipping (extra sleep, more tv...)
 
I am in the middle (or, hopefully, at the end) of the exact same experience. For several years I've been getting up at 4:00 to work out. For some reason, I just haven't felt "able" to get up and exercise the past several weeks (couldn't even imagine it, actually). Unfortunately, I never end up "making up" the workouts in the p.m., because (1) I hate p.m. workouts, and (2) kids/work/spouse/etc.

That being said, what just very recently got me started back on track was the horrible way I've been feeling -- I feel sluggish, unaccomplished, unfit, etc. This feeling (in conjunction with my recollection of how GREAT it feels to complete a workout before "starting" the day) was enough to get me back on track. I think maybe sometimes we just need a break from the early a.m. thing.

As far as age being a factor, I'm 41, and I don't think it's really an age thing (at least not for me, anyway). It's more likely that you just need a temporary reprieve from the early a.m. workout routine. I bet you'll be back on track when the benefits of staying in bed no longer outweigh the benefits you're missing out on by staying there!

Good luck to you! You're certainly not alone.

Deborah
 
It's not your age. It's your workouts that you're dreading so pick workouts that are easier or shorter to get you back in the habit of doing them in the morning. Put out all your clothes the night before. Put the dvd in the player so all you have to do is push play. Getting to bed earlier helps too. :)

Good luck!
 
Just don't give yourself an opportunity to debate the issue in your head. When the buzzer goes off, just get up and put on your workout clothes and get moving. If you let the voices in your head talk to you anyway, just say "f**k it. I know there's lot's of reasons to go back to bed. I'm working out anyway."

Work out like it's your job - if it was your job you'd have to do it, even if you were tired, or sick or lazy. Just do it anyway.
 
That's exactly what I do. I think of working out like brushing my teeth. I don't look forward to brushing my teeth but I'm not about to skip it either :)
 
who keeps hitting the snooze button on their alarm clock over and over again?
then-oops,its too late in the morning to workout

laura
 
I just had to respond to this. I have battled getting up in the morning for many, many years. I am 43, but it happened when I was young too. I can get up if I don't expect to work out or even talk to someone right away. I researched this over and over again because I really wanted to accomplish something early in my day. However, no matter what I did or tried, no go. Especially to get up and do something like Cathe. are you kidding me? Some people can (my husband is up and gone to work out at 5 am with no problem.) Not me. I even talked to my dr. about it and even thought I might have a touch of depression. Even once up and going to work; I still feel like I would much rather be in bed. And I get 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night as I should.

But, I refuse to let that hurt my workouts. My family knows my issue with that and my workout time is after work and weekends. I make sure my weekend workouts are tough and long, and that I get 3 in during the week, after work in addition to the weekend. I have made it work for me after work because I had to. Morning isn't an option; and my Dr. said too that not all people can expect to be fresh and ready to do in the morning.

My workouts fit in when I can do them with a clear mind and a ready body. That isn't in the morning for me and I stopped fighting it and made it work for me and my family. I hope you find a balance...I know EXACTLY how you feel and it is frustrating. Good Luck!
 
I agree with morningstar. As soon as that alarm goes off, get out of bed and get going. Don't even give yourself a chance to not do it. Also, having a workout you're looking forward to help also. Maybe you're burned out on what you've been doing. Change it up - get some new dvds, change the type of workouts you do... I don't think it's age. I'm 48, and thanks to morning workouts, I'm in the best shape and look better than I ever have before.

You've got to want it or it just isn't gonna happen!
 
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