I dowanna!
 

*whining* I dowanna work out...I know I need to, but omg I am SO unmotivated. Not a single part of me that wants to get up and do my workout. It's just a 20-minute WATP DVD. Not that hard. But I'm finding all kinds of excuses for not doing it. I don't know where my workout shoes are (I'm sure I could find them pretty quickly, but still), I can't find a decent bra, there isn't enough floor space (not that that ever stopped me in the past, cause I can kick stuff off to the sides of the room)...

What do you use to get yourself to ACTUALLY do stuff you know you need to do, particularly working out? I'm just at a dead standstill.

I'm actually feeling just like you right now. I haven't worked out in two days and I've had plenty of opportunity, I just don't feel like it. My excuse the past two days is that I've had a cold, which has never stopped me before. I hate feeling like this too. I'm not sure what the solution is, I guess telling yourself how good you'll feel after you workout may make you do it. I tend to not workout as much during winter too, I just want to cuddle up with a blanket on the couch and watch a movie. Sorry, no advice for you really, I guess I just wanted to tell you that you're definitley not alone. :hug:

I will if you will! ;)

And I actually did. Finally. It took much grumbling, and much feeling guilty, but I finally got up and got dressed and did it.

Surprisingly, that 20-min 1-mile DVD kicked my butt. I hadn't realized I'd gotten so far out of shape.

I talk myself into it. It goes something like this:
Just start doing it, you don't have to do the entire exercise, just 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes if I'm still feeling resistant...
You aren't doing bad, maybe 5 more minutes.

If after 10 minutes I'm feeling resistant...
You've gone half way and not doing badly, maybe 5 more minutes and you can quit.

If after 15 minutes I'm feeling resistant...
You are only 5 minutes from finish, you can do that, can't you?

I talked myself into 25 minutes of super sweaty heart pounding elliptical exercise last night. I really really wanted to quit after 10 minutes but I kept talking myself into it.

But chagotta!

I try to get it out of the way first thing in the morning. If I wait until the day is over, I never get around to it.

I do pretty much the same thing as Nelie....once I get warmed up I usually feel good and put my whole time in. Fake it 'til ya make it... :D

:snooty: :club: I DOWANNA EITHER!!!!:rollpin: :dunno: :rofl:

i feel the same way niknia....am having a terrible time motivating myself to work out...am doing well in the food area...but poorly on the workouts...or lack of...

nelie-i'm going to try your strategy..i could really see it working...5 mins at a time...thanks for the suggestion

Boy can I identify!

I use that excuse for many things in my life. Mind games are a great strategy to beat the I dowanna monster! (So I trick myself, does that make me strange?)

I'll do the "just 5 minutes"....sometimes it really is just five minutes and then I sulk like a child and quit. But usually once I get going, I keep going, and I NEVER regret working out.

Sometimes I'm so into it no prodding is needed. I'm just rearin' to go. But other times, the complete opposite, like I need a bulldozer or something to get me moving. At times like that I do the same as the other ladies here - Just give it 5 minutes and then another and another and before you know it - ahhh, it's done. I also try to remind myself how good I feel about myself after I am done. And then there are the times where simply I DOWANNA and yikes.... I don't. :tantrum: I know many people only plan to workout like 4 or 5 times a week, I plan to 7 days a week, so if I have a I DOWANNA day every now and then it's not so terrible.

I think working out a few times a week is harder than working out every day. When you work out every other day or three times a week or some combination, it is way too easy to think , "Oh! I exercised on Monday. I don't need to exercise today." When you plan in a DAILY workout it becomes so routine that you don't end up spending time arguing with yourself, you JUST DO IT!

My personal motivation is that I am SICK AND TIRED of being on this stupid plateau (210 lbs. for eight MONTHS!!!!) I want to fit into a new dress I bought that is in a smaller size, AND I really want to get to ONEderland!

I exercise every day. I mix it up between walking outside, doing WATP, Turbo Jam, yoga, weights, and my newest thing, step aerobics. I get bored VERY easily, so I plan what exercise I will do right along with what I plan to eat for the day. I put out my exercise clothes at the end of the bed and even stuff my socks in my shoes so I don't lose them. Having a regular DAILY routine makes exercise just like brushing my teeth or taking a shower. Believe me, I USED to fight myself all the time when I was staggering my workouts. Now I have also added an afternoon/evening workout on several days and may make THAT every day if this stupid weight doesn't hurry up and fall off me!

I have to admit that another motivation for me is my son who lost 75 pounds and who ran his first marathon this past fall. His fiancee is training for an ultra in August and ran 35 MILES two days ago. She plans on doing 62 miles of the 100 mile ultra in August. I watch them plan out their very healthy eating plan and work their days around their work and their work-OUTS. A measly hour of cardio or 45 minutes of weight training won't kill me, and I know I will be so much better for doing it!

Keep going! You can do it!!!

:dust: :dust: :dust: :dust: :dust: :dust: :dust: :dust: :dust: :dust: :dust:

I'm like nelie, I tell myself the exact same! For me if I skip a day its not bad (I plan on 7 days a week like robin) but If I skip 2 that 3rd day is just awful!! I am glad you made yourself do it, dont you feel better??

I just keep my exercise equipment organized and ready for a workout. That way there is no excuse to miss a workout and I just do it when the appointed time arrives.

Rainy days are the worst for me. I NEVER want to exercise on a rainy day. But if it is an exercise day, I do it anyway. Most days exercising is great ,but some days it is a chore. Feelings are fleeting ,but the benefits of getting my rear in gear will stick. Unless I am honestly too sick or too injured to workout, then my butt is on the treadmill.

Perhaps setting a fixed workout time and setting goals might help. Each week I do five 50 minute workout sessions. When I started out, I did a 15 minute walk 3-4 times a week.

If you make exercise an appointment, then it is easier to stay consistent.

Fitness goals are another way to measure progress and can be fun especially when a once-challenging workout is now ridiculously easy. :D

This doesn't work for everyone, but sometimes it helps me to pretend I am in the military and my drill sergeant :drill: has just given me a direct order at full volume, and then I just DO IT. YES SIR! YES MA'M THANK YOU MA'M!

And once I get past that, it's much easier to keep going. :cb:

Jay

I just don't give myself the option of not working out. I think of it like my job. There are lots of days when I get up and don't feel like going to work, but I do it anyway. Same thing for working out. Like Cheryl, I work out every day, so maybe that is part of it. It's something I do every day, so I don't have to decide whether or not I am going to do it today or tomorrow.

I also find that it really helps to do different kinds of workouts. I am most unmotivated when I am doing the same thing day in and day out. So now I swim once a week, jog 5 miles once a week, take a class once a week, do the cardio machines two days a week, and work out with my trainer 3 days a week. The only days I really have to motivate myself for are the cardio days--everything else is easy. The jogging and swimming even feels like a reward. In fact, I bribe myself with it. If I don't do my two days of cardio machines, then I have to give up with the swimming or jogging for another day of cardio machines.

Even if you don't belong to a gym, there are so many different things that you can do. Jogging, bicycling, jumping rope (great jump rope workout in Self magazine this month that I'm totally planning to add to my repetoire), swimming--not too mention hundreds of exercise videos. Maybe if you try mixing it up a bit, you'll be more motivated to exercise.

Another thing that really helps is shifting the responsibility to someone else so that all I have to do is show up. On the days when I take my class, I know I have to be there at a specific time. Once I'm there, I don't have to think about, I just have to do what the instructor says. Same thing for the personal training. I have an appointment--if I miss it, I lose $50. In both cases, I don't have to motivate myself, I just have to show up when I am supposed to.