I was two months abroad, in two different countries and I didn't run. In one, I was way too busy to run. In the other one, a woman running by herself was not an option. So I am starting this again and hopefully I will not stop this time. I was 150lb and made it to 140lb but I am now back to 145lb. I really want to achieve my goal of 130lb.
I fear the school year: I am a FT teacher with two kids in two different schools. I know I will start good but I fear that later I will be too tired or too busy to go run. So I want to prepare myself for myself
How do you make yourself get out and work out when you are too tired? Any words of wisdom?
I always tell myself that if I still feel really tired and crabby after 10 minutes I can quit and go home. I think I have only quit twice. Usually once I get going I feel better and I am not as tired. Basically I treat myself like I am a five-year-old!
I sign up for a local race and pick a training schedule. I tell myself that what is written on that paper for the training is my personal trainer and I must do what it says...no excuses. It works for me!
I listen to upbeat music. I normally have a main song I listen to when I work out or run and whenever I hear it somewhere else it gives me some energy and confidence.
Gosh, that was me this morning. I almost didn't get up and run but once I got up and out the door, I was fine. I felt so good when I got back, I'm glad I didn't quit. Just. Do. It.
I do everything that everyone above said! I listen to good, upbeat music. I register for 5k's to keep me motivated - this is nice, too b/c I feel like ti gives my exercise "purpose". I am not just running for "exercise," I am running to train for a race!
On days when I don't feel like running - I think about HOW GOOD I will feel AFTER I am done. That helps!
If all that doesn't work = maybe you need to try something different?
Well, I knew from past personal experience that if I could just make myself get in the habit of going to the gym again I'd love it again. (I run for 30 minutes and do weight training.) So I created a challenge to get myself in the habit! I have to go to the gym 6 days a week every week in August. If I meet my goal, my husband promised to buy a new pair of Gap jeans for me. (My size 12s are way too loose for public wear these days.)
It's been a slow process, but I'm finally getting to the point that I look forward to going to the gym. I have so much more energy during the day because of my exercise. And I know that once I get going on the elliptical machine the adrenaline will start moving and I'll feel astronomical.
On days that I don't want to go, when I'd rather just lie in bed and enjoy the short break I have before fall classes start, I look at my body. Like others, positive reinforcement works better for me than negative. I focus on the muscle definition I can see in my legs now, the lack of fat poking out over the waist of my pants, and I know I have to get to the gym if I want to improve what I've got and keep those improvements around. So I go!
Well, I knew from past personal experience that if I could just make myself get in the habit of going to the gym again I'd love it again. (I run for 30 minutes and do weight training.) So I created a challenge to get myself in the habit! I have to go to the gym 6 days a week every week in August. If I meet my goal, my husband promised to buy a new pair of Gap jeans for me. (My size 12s are way too loose for public wear these days.)
It's been a slow process, but I'm finally getting to the point that I look forward to going to the gym. I have so much more energy during the day because of my exercise. And I know that once I get going on the elliptical machine the adrenaline will start moving and I'll feel astronomical.
On days that I don't want to go, when I'd rather just lie in bed and enjoy the short break I have before fall classes start, I look at my body. Like others, positive reinforcement works better for me than negative. I focus on the muscle definition I can see in my legs now, the lack of fat poking out over the waist of my pants, and I know I have to get to the gym if I want to improve what I've got and keep those improvements around. So I go!
That's a good motivation!! Whenever my DH promises to take me clothes shopping, that's enough to make me continue onward, lol.
I have found things I absolutely love doing and I don't really have to think about getting to the gym anymore- it's something I really look forward to! Group classes are awesome, full of energy and turns us all into a sweaty mess- what more could I ask for ?! I try not to see exercise as a means-to-an-end, but really focus on what I'm doing and enjoy it in the moment. I probably sound like a nut right now, but I feel so alive when I'm working out! I just try to hang on to these feelings.
(I will also add that I know that I'm moving in February and won't have access to any kind of gym, much less my beloved spin classes, so I also have this sense that I need to take advantage of what I have now and do it as much as I can before I leave!)
I just give myself a pep talk. I tell myself that the weight is not going to magically come off. I actually have to do something about it. Then I muster up the energy to change into my work out clothes, put my shoes on, get my music ready, & just go for it.
I'm ALWAYS glad I worked out/ran. I am NEVER glad I was too lazy to.
I have to do the workout first thing in the morning when I still have the energy to make it happen. Another important asset to staying on plan is having a workout buddy! For me, I had someone to go to the gym with on certain days a week so I just COULDN'T miss those days!
I'm ALWAYS glad I worked out/ran. I am NEVER glad I was too lazy to.
^That's what I think about too!
I'm a teacher too, so I understand the feeling of being completely drained when you get home and the powerful lure of the couch! Not a good combo!
The thing that works best for me is to go work out *right* after I get home. I take time to get the mail, maybe eat a little snack if I haven't already done that at school, and then change into my clothes and head out. That gives me almost zero time to even ponder the couch.
Speaking as a working mom, and long hours away from my home (12-13 hrs away for work at a time), I totally understand the lack of desire and drive. Honestly, here is what it boils down to - not letting excuses get in the way. I leave my house at 5:30am for work, get home around 5:15-6pm at night (depending on things at the office)... then it's time to help kids with homework before eating a family meal. After that meal, the kids are not an excuse... then it's the tug-of-war... am I tired? Or just using that as an excuse to be lazy? So then it's a reasoning process in the head: I feel better when I get the adrenaline rush, I sleep better after a workout, "things" won't remain staying tighter if I don't put in the effort, etc. That usually leads to me half-heartedly putting on my sneakers...I begin moving... then finally it hits... that feeling of accomplishment about a forth of the way through. All the reasoning and pep-talk in the head paid off and I feel great again. If you have to pep talk, do it... if you have to find a way to reason it out, do it.... I am not fortunate enough to know anyone who is willing to be workout buddies, so that wasn't an option and just HAD to rely on myself. You can keep it up with school year, you totally DESERVE to keep it up during the school year. Remember your worth, remember your esteem and your inner pride...and if you have to, keep a visual around of the amount you are doing to keep you pushing
What has been working for me the past couple days is thinking about how guilty I'll feel if I DON'T work out. Even though I feel frustrated and out of shape during my workout, I always feel good afterwards because I'm making the effort to reach my goal.
I've found that after a break it's easier to start training again if you just get yourself to do a little something - like go outside and run for 10 minutes. More often than not that's enough to get moving again. Don't beat yourself up if you can't pick up where you left off.
It took me ages to to get to the point where I don't need to do anything to get myself moving.
How do you make yourself work out?
?! I try not to see exercise as a means-to-an-end, but really focus on what I'm doing and enjoy it in the moment. I probably sound like a nut right now, but I feel so alive when I'm working out! I just try to hang on to these feelings. 
