I am so frusterated, but what else is new right?

I have no energy to get my butt up and exercise. Even though I know I have no energy because I dont exercise and I know that once I get into the routine then I will have so much more energy and feel so much better I can not get myself to the gym.

My mother in law works at the YMCA that is like 5 minutes from my house. And we have a free membership. we have had the membership since January and I know that so many people would love to have this and here I am taking advantage of it and not using it. and as soon as it is gone I am going to be complaining that I wish I hadnt wasted this time.

Does anyone have any suggestions on getting me to the gym for the first few weeks until I get into a routine? I would appreciate it.

Is there something about the gym you don't like? I was kinda scared to go to the gym at first! What do you find yourself doing instead? Sometimes nothing will work except good old "because I'm the boss, that's why". Then you just GO. Because you HAVE TO.

Do you like to dance? I have been having a ball doing the "Dancing with the Stars" video and a belly dance video at home on the days when I can't get to the gym (which, due to my work schedule and single mom-ness, is most days).

Daphne - gosh, this is hard. I can think of a couple suggestions.

Do you have an mp3 player? One thing I've done is reward myself with fitness-related rewards for getting my exercise done...rewards that increase with the amount of days in a row I exercise. I used this when I was having a ROUGH month motivating myself to go to the gym. Every day I went to the gym for the first week, I bought myself a new song for my mp3 player. At 88 cents each, it wasn't that big of an expenditure, but it not only gave me a little reward, it also gave me extra motivation AT the gym, because I had all of those great tunes.

For each WEEK that I exercised 6 days, I bought myself a book. This wasn't necessarily fitness related, but I go through lots of books, and it was a great motivator for me.

At the end of THREE weeks, I bought myself a fabulous new workout outfit. It was comfortable, had pockets for the mp3 player, and generally made me really happy.

You can use any little reward you like, and they don't have to necessarily cost money. A bubblebath each time you go to the gym, a pedicure at the end of the week, and any other big indulgence you've been waiting for at the end.

Yes, its bribery, a little. But it gets you through until you've got a good habit established!

I love Mandalinn's bribery ideas. I might try a few of them for myself.

On days when I REALLY don't want to go, I just start lying to myself. Does the YMCA have TVs by the exercise machines? I tell myself I'm just going to watch TV, and can just do enough exercise to justify allowing myself to watch a favorite show. I also play games with myself to make the minutes go by. Most machines will track your RPMs, and I try to get the number at a certain level and keep it there for a certain amount of time. I also designate a certain number of calories or a certain distance and promise myself I can quit when I get that far, but then keep moving the number up as I surpass it.

I am also rediscovering the joy of positive self-talk. I had skipped exercise for a few days, and was really feeling bad about it. Today, I told myself that I was going to the gym because that is who I am now and that is what I do. I told myself how determined I was to make my weight loss goals, and I knew that I wasn't going to give up until I had achieved all of them. Self-talk is incredibly powerful.

Now - say it with me, "I am going to do this because..."

Hi,
I experience this daily, I agree with Laurie that self talk is great .I do it daily, it is the only thing that gets me going. What will work for you I don't know, but you are the only one who can push yourself to do it,and unless you take your feet out the door, nothing is going to happen, so believe in yourself and do it!! Today is a new day. You can do it!!
cheryl

You know... sometimes there's a lot of internal conversation that goes on. "Oh! I should go to the gym now!" "But I don't want to." <pout, go to food cupboards > "But I really ought to go." "But I don't want to and it won't make any difference. Maybe in an hour." "I say this every day!" "I'm no good. I'll never change."

And so on.

Sometimes the answer is not to wait until you have energy or feel like going. That day may never come. Instead, you have to get tough with yourself. Set a time today when you will go to the YMCA.

Step away from the food cupboard! Put the shoes on. Get the car keys. Drive to the YMCA!

Walk in the door and get on a machine! C'mon, you know how to do this! Set the time for ten minutes. Anyone can go for ten minutes!

Like that. Become a robot and just follow orders. It will get easier as you keep doing it.

If I had a free membership to the YMCA I would be there every day! You don't have to be like that, but it sounds like you do need to exercise some discipline.

Jay

Thanks dek6 for the thread!! I'm right there with you!!! I don't have a gym membership, but know I can at least get outside and WALK!!!
Thanks mandalinn for the bribery tips, they may help me, too!!

I have to just make myself go, whether I'm tired or not and whether I want to or not (usually not). Jay's right, I have to be my own drill sergeant (I pout about it a lot too! ).

Now at least, I do know I will feel better and be happy for it when I'm done.

There's some other great ideas here too. Try them out and find something that works for you!

Not much I can add. Only that I agree with the others. The benefits of exercise are simply extraordinary. EXTRAORDINARY, on so many fronts. It's something that simply MUST be done. Like paying the bills, brushing your teeth and doing the laundry. Not my favorite things, but nevertheless - they've just got to be done.

Maybe you need to set a very SPECIFIC time for yourself and then be NIKE, - JUST DO IT. Hopefully in a very short period of time it will become habit to you, no, ifs ands or buts about it. It WILL become something that you just *do*.

Good luck Daphne. I know you can do this.

Here's what I tell myself:

Quit whining and do it.

You may borrow it if you wish.

Sometimes I use more colorful language.

I AM LAZIER THAN A PAMPERED PET!!! hehehh

treats/rewards don't work with me, as I tend to give myself whatever i want when i want it -- hence the THREE HUNDRED POUND PROBLEM lol

I admit that I didn't exercise for the first 25 lbs, just felt too big and lumbering and out of shape that it was depressing!

At first I did 15 minute walks around ANOTHER neighbourhood because I was mortified at the idea of my neighbours seeing me ?!? WEIRD!!!

It's only been a few months now, but I've found that getting it out of the way as soon as possible was beneficial, then i didn't have it hanging over my head anymore.

I DO NOT LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! It is still a chore and something I equate with cleaning house, brushing teeth, showering -- just something that needs doing, not really any pleasure to be found in it -- i'm hoping that changes as the months progress

HOWEVER!!! the first few weeks were so crappy and disheartening i ALMOST thought to give up but then one day...one magical day hehehe... i noticed that i ran around town doing errand after errand, lifting stuff, doing this doing that, and I had waaaay more energy so I kept going and did ALL the errands I would normally do in 2 or 3 days all at once yay! That happens all the time now! score!

I'm in a similar predicament.

I get free gym use at the college I work at because I'm staff. I don't go because:

I have to start work at 7:30am - and getting kids up at 5:30 is early enough for them.

I only have 30 minue lunch break, it takes 10 minutes to walk each way... leaving me 10 minutes to work out. Meaning I would have no time to eat a lunch... eating at my desk is forbidden by our dean.

After work (I get off at 4pm) I HAVE to get the kids by 5:00... leaving me an hour only to take the busses across town to get there in time. We have transit problems in our city because there are not enough drivers, so there are times when 2, 3 or even 4 busses go buy before one is empty to enough to stop and pick up more people.

Lately I've been walking the first bus route (about 20 - 30 minute walk). I like this on warm days (which won't last long, winter is around the corner) because I can walk out my frustrations from the day. Then taking the last busy for the 70 block ride.

We've been doing a lot of walking to give us the exercise we need.

I've been putting off buying a membership at the gym closer to me because I have a free membership at work.

I think I may have to arrange for a ride (or carpool) so I can work out a couple of times a week.... maybe find a workout buddy... lol

yikes that sounds frustrating! my only obstacle is laziness and ME hheheh I don't have kids and bus rides and crazy early start to the day already! is there any way once or twice a week someone else can get your kiddies at 5? leaving you some time to work out? hmmmm.... at least you're walking tho! that's a lot!

ps such a cutie bride pic!!