Does anyone have any secrets to motivate themselves to exercise? I have the worst time getting myself up and out the door. My walking buddy moved and none of my other friends want to walk at 6 a.m.

I was about to list all the great benefits of exercise and how much I love it, and realized I was feeling lazy about getting to the gym today: it's gorgeous outside, and I'm off work, lounging around, surfing the www, posting at 3FC, ha! it's not always easy even after I've been doing this for years.

I will go to the gym today, and I'll take a walk through the park. at first, moving from basically no exercise to more regular exercise, it was tough for me. I had to get into a routine and just do it. Make it sort of a mindless have to (like brushing teeth).

it made it easier when I picked things I liked, I like walking, I like going to the gym. I liked them more after I got over feeling like I was forcing myself to do it, and after I started really feeling the plusses (mentally and physically, not just as an aid to weight loss). try different things (if that's part of the problem).

having friends to do it with you does give an incentive sometimes, but more often than not, you can't count on that to keep you going (because people have lives and obligations and not always the same motivation levels).

good luck!

There are no secrets honestly. IMO Motivation is fickle and leaves us when we need it the most. I've come to realize commitment and consistency is the key. I'm a big exercise hater as well. Believe me, I can come up with excuses galore as to why I "cannot" workout today. But, I know, to lose my weight and live a healthy active life, working out is part of my life. I workout consistently regardless of how I feel. Having said that it doesn't mean that I don't have one of those days when I just don't do anything . But I try to limit those days. I have scheduled breaks every week.

What workouts do you do? Do you just walk? Have you tried joining a gym? Maybe group classes is the key for you. Setting small goals might help you stay focused. For example, set a goal where you decide to walk 3 times this week. Then build on it.

I'm not a morning person either but I switched my workouts to evenings. I get it done as soon as I get home from work. This way it is out of the way before I even sit on the couch.

HTH

I guess I haven't found any exercise (except golf) I really enjoy. I do take a class - meets twice a week - but the rest of the days it's a real struggle.

Seriously, the Nike slogan says it all: just do it. There are very few days when I feel like walking, and very few days when I do not walk. Don't think about it. Don't debate whether you will walk or not. You have an appointment with your sneakers-- just put them on and go first thing.

Have you got any competetiveness in your nature? Sometimes keeping track and comparing yourself to others can help (a little friendly competition, of course ). I do a tracking program through the Y called Fitlinxx but I think there are others out there. With this program I can compare myself with others in my age group or against what I did last month.

Unfortunately, I don't have any secrets. I guess my motivation comes from a few things:
* knowing I'm going to see a bigger drop on the scale when I work out
* how I feel when I'm done working out: exhausted but proud that I did it
* feeling how much stronger I'm getting helps to keep me going

Can you work out at another time? I know I can't do morning workouts. I have to be at work by 6:30am & I just don't want to get up at 4:00am to fit a workout in. So now I go right after work & consider my time exercising as work. Meaning, my day isn't over & I can't relax until I exercise. It's like a scheduled appointment.

Not every day is a struggle but a lot are. On those days, I just tell myself, "just go to the gym, and do 15 mins on the treadmill. It's something." Most times I find, if I can do 15, I can do 20 or 30. And then I think "well, i'm here, i might as well get weights done, too." And before I know it, it's over & I'm exhausted & I've lived to fight another day.

I guess thinpossible is right: Just do it. Don't think about it, don't make excuses, just strap on those shoes & get it done. Good luck

Hi Quilter - Like Abby, I have to be at work early in the a.m., so I workout after I get home from work. It helps release/relieve the stress of the day and really relaxes me (afterwards). Also, I love the endorphins, and knowing the scale and the way my clothes fit will reward me in the near future! It's hard sometimes to get my self to the gym or to even walk around the block, even though I know I will so much better afterwards. So I "just do it", unless there is a serious physical reason why I cannot on a particular day (severe and debilitating back pain, pneumonia, etc.). Abby is right, say you'll just do it for 15 minutes...but then you may feel so good and proud of yourself you'll want to keep going.

Another suggestion...there's a thread under the general support groups (rather than under the 100 lb Club) called "Every Day" 21-Day Challenge where you challenge yourself to commit that you'll do various things EVERY DAY for 21 days. It's helped me a lot because I know I have to be accountagle for it.

Also, the AUGUST Points Challenge (This has nothingto do with WW) thread is a good way to encourage yourself to doing exercise daily.

Good luck, hang in there and JUST DO IT!

I have yet to move from hating it, to loving it and may never get there. I use fear as my motivator. I know that sounds bad, but I really am afraid that if I let myself slide one day, it will be easier to not go the next day. So my goal is to go to the gym every day I have scheduled for the gym. On my not so motivated or energetic days, I just do whatever I want to do once at the gym. I don't worry about "working out" as the goal was to go to the gym and I met that goal. Anything above that is a bonus.

Most days once I get to the gym, I'm good to go and I know that whatever I do there will help me lose weight. Some days though, I just randomly move through the gym and do ~5 lifts of this or that and move on.

I also hired a trainer at the 4 month mark. That is usually where I start to faulter in my previous weight loss attempts. There have been some struggles with the trainer, but it has kept me going to the gym and now we have reached a good spot in our communication.

Being consistent at exercise was one of the biggest hurdles for me. I really hated it! I made the commitment to do it though, and that commitment got me through the tough times. Now I still can't say I love it while I'm doing it, but I sure love the results. Not only the weight loss, but the muscles and stamina. I love feeling strong. I love the muscles in my legs. I have saggy skin on my thighs, but I have some awesome muscles underneath it. Lately I've noticed how easily I move. Getting in and out of the car seems so effortless. It used to be such a chore, just moving around. Now it comes so easy. That is mostly due to the consistent exercise.
Try to think of what the exercise will do for you. Make the commitment to do it, don't give yourself the option to not do it. I tell myself that I don't have to like doing it, I just have to do it. I like the Nike slogan too - Just Do It!

h8cake, I totally agree with the loving the results thing, it's getting easier and easier to move around, to get up off the floor, to get in and out of cars (the struggle was always to me, obvious and embarrassing.) Going up hills is easier, ****, just WALKING is easier, my feet and ankles don't hurt like they used to, so while exercise might not be the most FUN thing at times, it's definately worth all you get out of it!

Lottie, i know what you mean about the struggle being embarrassing. Trying to talk with someone while walking and I'd be huffing and puffing, bright red in the face and the other person would be just fine! Climbing stairs and trying not to moan from my knee pain. Oh yes, I remember, and I could list so many other examples. I used to look at my treadmill as a torture device, but now I think of it as a great tool that has helped me find freedom.

I'm right there with y'all on the huffing and puffing and turning red in the face while going upstairs. In addition to being overweight, I have asthma,which I know will improve greatly when I lose weight. And while I can down stairs all day long, I limit going up more than 1 or 2 flights of stairs at a time to once a day. As I drop some weight and get more aerobically fit thanks to regular exercise, I'll do it more often. But my asthma doc said to increase gradually so I don't have to use my rescue inhalers all the time.

"Even celeb trainers need motivation":

http://www.neversaydiet.com/slidesho...ercise-mantras

Like others have said, it's not about motivation but about making a commitment to yourself. I get up every morning Sunday thru Friday, put on my workout clothes, and go to the gym. I will not allow myself not keep to this routine because I know how easy it is to get complacent about going.

I don't love working out, but I really love how it makes me feel and how my body is already changing shape.