Lack of Motivation

kd137108

I've recently decided to get back into shape. Before I graduated college in June I was doing really well with tracking what I ate and working out. Now I'm living with my parents (meaning no rent but not much control over meals) and I'm working as a Staffing Coordinator at a temp service 35 minutes from my house and we're in peak season.

I joined a gym and started a new MyFitnessPal account (username xDUNKIEx if anyone wants to add me) but I have no motivation!!!! Any tips?

entropicbeauty

I agree with xcaly that the more results I see the more motivated I am.

It also helps checking in on the accountability thread here. The more I posted the more I wanted to make sure I didn't have bad/lazy things to report - it helps knowing people are keeping track.

jennylee813

You're the only one who can motivate you.

Make sure that you're making a lifestyle change, and not looking for a quick fix (read: diet now to look good, then once the event is over, going back to your old ways). And don't get me wrong, sometimes saying,  "I want to look good/be hot/be a yummy mummy ..." is a valid enough reason for someone to start being healthier.

whatever your reasons, make a list. Remind yourself of them. You're already on the right track; tell other people what you're doing. Don't talk trash to yourself or about yourself. Learning to take a compliment is probably the hardest thing to do. When I began losing weight and people were saying how good I looked, it was really easy to brush them off. Eventually I stopped, when I realized how hard I was working, and that I deserved some credit.

And no, I'm not there yet. I look at myself as a work in progress. I look at how far I've come, and how close I am to being where I want to be.

You need to motivate yourself. We're here for support and advice, ask and vent away. But no one can do this for you. Every day you choose your sneakers over the couch is a good day. There will be days when the couch wins. There will be days when the scale is being mean. But there will also be days when your clothes are too big, and things you never thought you'd be able to wear again are suddenly in your everyday wardrobe.

My mantra is: today is a new day with no mistakes in it yet. I can carve my own path. (and if I mess up, it's only one day, and I can start all over again in the morning)

Good luck!

cnf2013

Sometimes being nice to yourself is a good motivator as well. Like if I'm feeling like my motivation is slipping I'll go buy some new workout gear or something. Buy some bluetooth headphones (one of my best purchases ever, I swear to you), download some new music and just make yourself go for a few days, like suggested above. It will come, but you have to get yourself there. 

jennylee813

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_lack-of-motivation-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:0203b6fc-34d1-497a-bd2d-9ab36f2f8931Post:608befda-de49-4589-9415-4087594ede02">Re: Lack of Motivation</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>jenny, I loved everything you said in your post.  Just wanted to mention that you're awesome.</strong> You have to find what motivates you.  For me, it was pictures of me in my wedding dress when I bought it - I was not happy with how I looked, and knew I wanted to look better, so I started working out.  Joining in with this board, I began to learn how to eat better, track my food, overall be healthier.  Now a year later the workouts themselves are the reward.  It started very superficial - I wanted to look and feel hot in my dress - but now it's more about a healthier lifestyle. So find whatever it is that motivates YOU - pictures that you're unhappy with, the desire to be healthy for your kids, etc.  Put on your shoes every day and at least walk in to the gym, or to the end of the street, or whatever.  <strong>Tell yourself "I'll only spend five minutes" and typically you'll end up spending more than that once you're out the door.</strong>
Posted by kwitherington[/QUOTE]


* blushes

Aww shucks! Thanks. I happen to think that this board is FULL of awesome ladies!

Absolutely true about the 'five minutes' thing, kwith!

 Silliest workout motivation for me??? I work out in the evening and wash my hair. It takes too long to dry in the morning, so I talk myself into working out since I don't want to have to wash it in the morning and go to work with it damp/frizzy (or frozen -'tis the season)!

Honestly though, I want to look better in my clothes (ie. rock my wedding dress and a bikini next summer). I want my kids to be proud of me and see the things that I've accomplished, and I want to be able to keep up with them. Those are the reasons that work for me.

Dreamergirl8812

You have to analyze yourself for a bit. When you're thinking of going to the gym after work, what stops you? For me, if I'm even a little hungry, there's no chance I'm going to work out. I realized that and work really hard to make sure I have healthy snacks at work and even if we're busy I need to eat an hour before I get off.

If it's just good old fashioned laziness, you just need to force yourself. Again, this is an individual thing, but I focus on just walking through the front door. Once I get into the locker room I instantly get motivated. So I can get away with telling myself that it will be an "easy" workout that day. It almost never turns out to be "easy," but it gets me through the door.

What has worked for you in the past? The gym's location? Having friends that work out?