[G35 Chic]

I am having the hardest time getting motivated and staying motivated. I'm super stressed with work and boyfriend issues. And yeah, I know exercise is a good stress reliever but just getting myself motivated to do that feels impossible. Help?

[shcirerf]

I have those days too! Get up and do 1 minute! Then another, once you're started it's easier to keep going.

[rockinrobin]

We talk about this all the time here.

Losing weight, being healthy, getting slim, trim, active and being the optimal you doesn't have *much* to do with motivation. Motivation will certainly get you going - I mean you have to WANT those things, but it can't be relied on. It can't be counted on.

What you need is commitment. Commitment to do this once and for all, permanently and no matter what. NO. MATTER. WHAT.

No matter if you're in a bad mood, if it's raining out, if you overslept, if you had a suck-y day (week or month), no matter if you feel like it or not. You do it because you decided to do it and you committed to do it.

Because it's now a top priority for you. Because it really, really matters and is important. Because to not do it, would be, well would be - out of the question. In fact, it's no longer an option to not do it. You do it, just because. Like brushing your teeth, getting to work on time, paying your taxes.

So I therefore urge you to indeed decide to do this and commit to doing it.

But please set yourself up for success. Plan out everything in advance. Plan, plan and plan some more. Eating well, being healthy, being slim won't happen on it's own. You've got to plan for it. Failing to plan is planning to plan.

So make yourself a plan, stick to it like glue, working past the initial temporary discomfort of swtiching from bad habits to good. Let this new healthy lifestyle get entreched in you so that it becomes automatic. But you're not there yet. You'll have to challenge yourself. You'll have to push yourself to get there. But if you stick with it - no matter what - you'll get there a lot sooner than you think. And once you do, you'll wonder why the heck you didn't do it any sooner.

Oh and you spoke of exercise, but weight loss is 80% food and 20% exercise. What's your plan for eating? HAve you got that mapped out? What's your mode of attack???

[AZ Sunrises]

You don't have to feel motivated. You simply have to get up and do it.

[Persicae]

Try this: start working out for a couple of days for a little bit. Each time, increase your time or resistance (Only slightly! Don't do too much too fast!). Make a game out of it or challenge yourself to increase the fun level.

For me, I tell myself "Okay, once you are done running this half of a mile, you can go back to speed walking." But then, I hit that half mile mark and tell myself I can go for a bit longer. So I go for longer and add more running distance each time. And when you challenge yourself and can succeed in that, exercise becomes much more fun.

And once it becomes fun and you do it long enough, it becomes a habit. And you will no longer need motivation because it will be second nature.

[G35 Chic]

Thanks for the support everyone. I'm making my plan of attack as I type.