Work Out Mind Tricks
 

I was wondering if you guys have any ideas for workout tricks to keep you motivated.

I have a picture of myself from when I was at my lowest weight- which is still higher than my actual goal, but I look the best I ever have. I sometimes bring it with me when I work out and put it on the eliptical or treadmill and it always maes me work harder. I also bring a workout magazine and just stare at the super cut looking women on the front for extra motivation.

Does anyone else do this? :) I always feel a little weird staring at a picture of myself when someone is on the equipment next to me:o

my ipod and my new workout headphones really help :D And sometimes i just have to trick my mind into not even considering not going, i make the decision to go and then i just try to do it. And when that doesnt work i tell myself something that someone posted on here- love the results, learn to like the process. I still sometimes dont make it, but more often than not i do

My ipod! and i keep a calender right in front of my treadmill with the times i finish each 5K which motivates me to finish faster each time.

It's not really a mind trick, more of a body trick, but I find that I can work out much longer if I do deep mediation breathing while I'm on the machine. The time goes faster, and it's much easier to work out. Just slow, measured, deep breaths. Holding on to the HR monitor helps too, because you can focus on breathing slowly enough to get your heart down to a certain rate (For me, that's in the 160s)

HA! i WISH i had a trick. as much as i love the way it makes me feel and look afterward, me and exercise aren't really bff's. and i'm always thinking about how it sucks but i guess i push through just because i know what the outcome will be: a slimmer hot body.

but nope, i can't jedi mind trick myself into thinking i'm on a beach somewhere. nope nope.

I do the same thing! I have a pic or when I was quite a bit thinner. It keeps me going when I feel like I want to stop when I'm working out. I just think how great it's going to feel to get back into those clothes.

I don't have a mind trick but the only time I allow myself to watch my fav tv shows or series is when I'm on the treadmill or elliptical. I won't allow myself to sit and watch so if I don't feel like working out, too bad, no tv! :P
I'll need to come up with a mind trick though for the 30 day shred dvd since I can't be working out to the dvd and watch tv at the same time!

I love work out podcasts. Most of all Couch to 5k, its motivating to hear someone telling me good job and such.

Whether I'm just motivating myself, or if there's someone else around, I tell myself I just have to get through half my workout. I tell my self that if I want to stop after that, I will stop and not feel guilty, and always by the time I got there I say "I made it this far, I can finish this." It even works on my friend who doesn't seem to be quite as motivated to finish our elliptical sets. "We made it halfway, let's just do half of what's left." "We're 75% done, we may as well do the last quarter."

I tell myself I'll go out and walk or go on the elliptial for at least 15 mins, after that if I want to stop, then I can. By the time I'm on it and 15 mins later I'm feeling a lot more energetic and usually finish.
Having a LOT of music or a good book or tv show to get into helps.

I also try and suck my stomach in- it sounds silly, but it's like I can "feel" my waist shrinking so I want to continue:)

music. it is ALL about the music.
i cover the time and miles gone with a towel and only watch my speed. then when i'm ready to give up i think, 4 more songs. just 4 more songs. and then... just 4 more

My elliptical is in the dining room so I can't see the TV when I'm on it. I've got a goofy setup (as if the elliptical in the dining room isn't goofy enough!) where I put my laptop on a kitchen chair and am currently watching back episodes of "24" on Hulu. Because it's my work laptop, the screen saver will automatically kick in at 10 minutes, so I have to string the mouse up onto the elliptical and remember to jiggle it every few minutes so I don't have to stop and re-enter my password. (These settings can't be overridden since the machine belongs to my employer).

The other thing I do is to set the timer, incline, etc and then cover up the electronic readout with a piece of paper. Otherwise, I keep watching the readout and thinking about how looooooonnnnng I have to go. The combination of covering the readout and watching something full of car chases and explosions really helps me to stay focused and in the groove!

Sometimes i'll get sluggish during a workout and begin to feel a little blahhh...so I'll talk myself out of it. Some of the things are..

-"Suck it up princess and just do it"
-"I'm worth this....I'm worth this"
-"I'm not a quitter..it's almost over"

I know I sound crazy but I find it really works! hahaha

cover up the time........lol

ooh I also study while I exercise

Well, I will listen to music and switch intensities with each song and make sure I hit 10 levels (so 10 songs--30-40 minute workout). On an exercise bike or treadmill, I will go Level 5 for a song, then level 10, then Level 2, then Level 8, etc., until I hit 10 levels. It keeps me from being bored and also it's kind of interval training, which is better for you then just staying at one intensity.

Also a book or magazine on the exercise bike. With a magazine I make myself read EVERY SINGLE WORD and that helps time pass faster too. Otherwise I just flip through it and 5 minutes later I'm finished thinking--gee, I have 30 more minutes and I feel done, now what?

watch movie.
I love anime/cartoon so i turn on my favorite serie and when 1 episode done then i'm done as well (well sometimes 2 or 3, depends on how many minutes i'm about to exercise).

Also music as well ~ like ... only 5 more songs then i'm done ... and so on...

sometimes what motivated me is picturing model's body and look at all of my fat that is hanging out from my gym clothes - ^^

uhm...i guess what i've been doing is pretty much the same with others :D

hahahaahaha angela

'suck it up princess' is my FAVORITE. i should make a poster and hang it up somewhere....

Hahahaha! Sacrifice for Beauty...I can't remember where I heard it, but someone said it to me once and now I say it all the time. I'm definitely going to incorporate the "sUck it up Princess" line, so funny!

angelinelosesweight: You have great habits! I used to have a picture from those magazines on my fridge and taped to the bathroom mirror for my motivation! Sucking in(tighting your abs) is sooo good for you. Your abs are your secondary muscle in almost every exercise so its good to concentrate on keeping these muscles tight while exercising. I do a bootcamp every Saturday morning, and our trainer says "Concentrate on pushing your belly button into your spine", I thought that was a great way of explaining what to do.

I also struggle through my cardio and talk myself into making it half way, and usually end up finishing because I did make it. Someone has a quote or motivator thingy on their signature that says: Nothing tastes as good as it feels to be thin...its my new fav, and I say that to myself the whole way to the gym.

Yeah those are my Jedi Mind tricks also. I always think "all I gotta do is put one foot in front of the other and I'll make it" or "you can do this...you know why??? Cause you are the animal thug of exercise" HAHAHA I know it sounds crazy but it works. Also I don't think of the entire 30 minutes of running I think of 5 min or running and 5 minutes and so on.

I have just started working out again and it has been so so hard. I found that music really helps or if I am mad at my husband or frustrated with work I take out my aggression with exercise. I have a punching bag in the basement and love it. It is nice to vent. I also tell myself to put my big girl panties on and stop whining. Suck it up and do it!!

i always think about something that jillian said on tbl i think...which was along the lines of "you can choose to stop and you can choose to give up but dont ever tell me that you CANT do it"

that usually just makes me realize im being silly and im not that tired and i can do it because i choose to.

LOL Cake... that is amazing!

i always listen to the same play list on my ipod... then think just one more song so most days i go that bit futher

I've stopped using the phrase "Work out." Instead, I tell myself that I'm going to go play at the gym tonight. It reminds me to stop taking this whole thing so seriously, and helps me to convince myself that I really want to do this. I find that I workout harder, enjoy myself more, and can go for longer, and still feel a lot more energized and happy than I do normally.

My workout mind trick is to play extra pump-up, fast-beat music to get me moving and grooving. I also like to imagine that I was dancing instead of lifting weights, doing squats, or doing the Elliptical.

The music also helps you stay to the beat and you can't drop your pace!