I am new here and am SO glad I found this place! I have lost weight before (almost 100lbs...then gained a bunch of it back). I am ready to re-commit and really, really want this badly--for myself, not for anyone else.

My biggest struggle right now is that I start out in the morning w/ a great plan to workout. But by 3:00--ish I find myself finding reasons not to go to the gym. The thing is, I really like going to the gym--it is 'my' time. I put on my favorite music or have a good book to read while doing cardio. Once I get there, I am fine--it's just like an hour some days I struggle w/ thinking 'maybe I'll skip--just today', which turns into a couple of days sometimes.

Working out in the morning just isn't possible--I just don't have the time and I am not an early riser. I leave work and go immediately to the gym--that really does work best, unless like I said, I start thinking about 'reasons' not to go in the late afternoon.

Any suggestions for what works for you would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Any suggestions to keep myself

MJ5,

I struggle with exercise committment, too. I do find that I'm much more committed and focused when I visit 3FC daily. Reading about the successes of my fellow 3FC friends gives me hope and encouragement.

That is one of my problems too. Exactly that. I also exercise after work, many days going right after work.

So, no excuses! You've got the gym bag in the car, it's in your calendar (a good way to make it "official", just go. Remind yourself it's your YOU time and don't let yourself talk you out of it.

Then come here and tell us you went!!!

I had to change my way of thinking about exercise, well food as well, but that's another story.

It's not so much that I stay motivated, it's that I stay DETERMINED.

I now look at exercise as one of those things that MUST be done. I don't necessarily have to enjoy it, I just have to DO it. Just like brushing my teeth and washing the dishes. They get done regardless of how I am feeling about it. I wouldn't think of passing up on those things, I wouldn't think of passing up on my exercise. It;s just THAT important.

You also mentioned that you give yourself "reasons" for not going. Well, how about looking for reasons FOR going. They have to definitely outweight the ones for not.

There are lots of different ways to add exercise into your day. Perhaps you'd like to try out a few different things to mix it up and keep it interesting. Bike riding, dance, swim, kickboxing, DVDs, walking and the such. Maybe switching it up a bit would be more motivating for you.

I can't seem to get up any earlier in the mornings to work-out either, 6am is early enough! My workouts are done after work, some days before dinner, some after. I walk my dog, and she helps keep me motivated there. Plus my daughter likes to rollerblade while I walk, so she's a big help too. I am less consistent with my videos. I'll do one of them 3 times a week, but don't always do a cardio workout the other 4 days. When I am feeling wishy-washy about it, and want to watch TV, I look around my home. I have a skirt hanging in my room, waiting for me to fit into it. I have my sorority picture hanging in my living room. I was at a healthy weight then, and I look at myself and know that I can be that weight again...and I push through the tough spot and work-out. Watching the number on the scale drop is a big motivator too!
Also, knowing that I will log on here, and post my exercise times and points for the day has really helped too. Some days I post my exercise plan for the day before I have done it. Just the thought of having to change that to something less has made me do it! If you are going to a gym, don't go home first. You'll never go back out. Stop by even if its just for a quick walk on the treadmill, you'll probably end up doing more.

This is the area I'm most struggling with myself. I have yet to really do any exercise. I keep promising myself tomorrow. Well there's no time like today. Thank you Robin for posting your take on it. It really puts a new perspective on it. I take the time to write out my menus and log my food. Why can't I also take the time to exercise my body? Thank you. I will walk when I get home this evening.

Thank you for the welcome and the suggestions! I am going to write it in my appt book--I live out of it at work, so why not?! I think thinking of it differently (not as an option--just something that has to be done) and finding reasons TO go is great too. I know posting here has helped and will continue to help even more--just checking in as well as coming back later to say what I did--to keep me honest!

I also just got off the phone w/ my brother (he is in fantastic shape--he is the one who got me involved in lifting weights) and he is going to join "my" gym soon. I am SO excited! He doesn't accept any of my so-called excuses, which is good.

A while ago, I read an arcticle written by a trainer about how even on the days you just don't want to work out, to just go to the gym, change, and walk out on the floor. If you still feel like leaving, then leave, BUT as long as you are there get moving! That helps sometimes...

I think buying some cute workout clothes would help too...mine are kind, of, well, icky. Hmm, a reason to go shopping (like I need one?!)

I AM going to the gym tonight--arms and back for weights and cardio.

Thanks again!

You could get a work out buddy - it's much easier to go if you know someone is depending on you being there. You can keep each other accountable - it's easy to make excuses to just yourself for not going, harder to make excuses to someone else why you just "don't feel like going."

Hi and Welcome,
I am a SAHM at the moment, so I can exercise in the morning, a few times I have had to exercise in the afternoon, or early evening and have to say I hated it, I really haven't planned what will I do if I get a job. My suggestion is if you can't work out at the gym, how about walking in the evenings, or buying a treadmill and working out at home? I had a gym membership last year( was donated to me for 6 months), and loved it,but as the time neared for it to be over, I stopped going and started gaining weight. But I did buy a treadmill and have been using this, which helps alot.
Good luck with whatever helps you , cheryl

I have really been having a problem with not wanting to go to the gym 3 days a week too. I love my cardio class, but i also go right after work. I am motivated until about 4pm. Then i start thinking about how much i want to go home. But recently i measured myself and had lost another half inch all over. I have a one year anniversary coming up in 6 weeks....so I made myself a challenge. I have a 6 week challenge to go to my cardio class 3 times a week and measure myself at the end of the 6 weeks. My goal is to hopefully drop another 2 inches by that time. Making that decision has really helped me focus on why I AM going to the gym and not why I'm not. I also have a dress hanging on my bedroom door that I want to fit back into from about 8 years ago. I have measured it and know how many inches I need to lose to fit back in it. So....I am hoping to wear that on my anniversary night out to eat. Also...on my calendar at work and home i have each week marked as Challenge week 1, challenge week 2 all the way to the end so I don't forget. Just an idea of what is keeping me motivated this next 6 weeks to keep going.

I'm trying to get into the mindset that it's not optional.

We don't bargin about washing our hair, brushing our teeth, walking the dog, going to work (ok, sometimes we think about doing that), but we bargain about exercise.

For me, I want it to become part of my day that I don't even think about bargaining away.

It took me years to finally accept that in order to have optimal health and in order to give myself the best chance at weightloss success, LONGTERM that is, that exercise is a MUST.

Once you start eating right AND exercising your whole mindframe changes. Health really comes more into play. Things start snowballing. One fuels the other. It really is worth it and you will be amazed just how it aids in your weightloss efforts. And again - your MIND. It's just that all over health awareness thing going on. You feel like you've exercised for your optimal health, then you want to do all you can in the eating department to keep up the health benefits.

Goddess Jessica (love the name!) and rockinrobin--that's exactly it! It has to be a mindset that it is not optional--two years ago when I lost a lot of weight, that's what it was. I didn't think about going to the gym...I just went and I worked hard when I was there.

Ok, so today--I did it! I went and did my planned work out. I feel SO good right now!

As I was pulling into the parking lot of the gym today and thinking about the reasons TO go (rather than coming up w/ ones NOT to go--again, thanks, rockinrobin), I realized that one of the reason I joined was b/c of my dad. Long story, but my dad ended up joining the gym and LOVED it. He inspired me. He died suddenly just over a year ago...from time to time I still struggle w/ denial and I wonder if (even if subconsciously) that is tied to why I struggle to get to the gym sometimes? All I know is that once I thoght of this, I had quite a bounce in my step on my way in the door and I had a GREAT workout--dad would be proud.

Thanks again

mj -- yay for getting to the gym!

Robin -- you are so right about the mind! I tend to exercise in the afternoon/evening and I actually find that it usually clears my head of the stresses and cobwebs of the day! I found that during my term, I did much better when I got to the gym.

When school starts again in the fall, I am going to put going to the gym in my calendar at least 3 days a week m-f (I usually don't have as much trouble doing it on weekends). Seeing it as an appointment for ME makes me less likely to skip out. At least, that's the plan!

Everyone has already given some great ideas for motivation, but I just want to add that motivation becomes easy when you find something you absolutely LOVE to do. I love running, which I never thought I could do in a million years. I love the feeling I get after I run, but even more I love it while I'm doing it. Is it easy? No. But do I feel powerful and strong and wonderful? Absolutely. So nothing can keep me from doing it! I used to make excuses all the time, because I hated working out. Now that I've found something I'm actually passionate about, I don't want to make excuses to get out of it.

It doesn't have to be running -- it could be any kind of exercise. The thing is that you have to give it a chance to become an addiction. You have to push yourself enough times to get comfortable with it and then you won't WANT to skip.