[Skinny Teen]

I've been having this problem over the last two weeks. I've been making my excuses again, and blah blah blah.
"I should work out, but then again I should also study for finals" (and I never get to studying....)
"I should work out, but I have to get ready for the new semester." (That was the only weekend I've had free of homework in a long time!)

Luckily I have friends with the same goals as me. (Which is to lose weight by May when we have an anime convention we're going to. I don't wanna be another fat cosplayer that people make fun of anymore!) Plus I'm just shy of my Valentine's Day goal. I'd hate to give up now!

But I think I may need a bigger push. What do you do to make sure you don't give up?

[s0nali]

I just go to the gym, even if I don't want to. I get in the car and make myself go. Creating a habit is hard work - there's a lot of resistance against it. You just have to remind yourself that you're in the process of creating a habit and you have to be annoyed with yourself for now.

And it's all about perspective. See working out as part of getting ready for the semester See working out as a great way to clear your mind for 1/2 hour so you'll be more receptive to information you study for your finals.

And remember your goal. After working out, go to the fabric store and figure out which gossamer you want to use for your Size 8 Chii costume, and be happy that today, you took one step closer to that goal.

Eventually, it will become habit, even if it's slightly inconvenient. I used to pick up my boyfriend from his lab every day at 5:30-6. Now, he waits for me to get done at the gym. He gets more work done, I get in shape. It's a win-win

[fractal]

Well, my first-aid diet kit is my heaviest photo. I just look at it and then don't look back! But I started at a weight which is significantly greater than your start point, and the less you have to lose, the harder it is to stay focused.

[peccavi]

I don't have any fabulous advice but I've been in the same boat as you. I used to go to Akon in San Antonio, TX every summer and there was one time that I really wanted to dress up as Rikku from FFX but.. she wears pretty skimpy clothes and I would have looked (and felt) ridiculous. Darn you, extra fat!

I'll just give you one piece of advice. It seems like you're looking for some magic way to "not give up." You don't have to think that way. I know that when doing something hard like dieting, it's sometimes better to remove the word "can't" from your vocabulary, except in this one instance:
You can't give up.
For me, what keeps me going sometimes is that I just tell myself "I can't give up." Giving up is just not an option. I have to go to school. I have to pay my bills. I have to breathe. I have to sleep. I have to count calories and exercise. Just think of it as one more thing that's not optional.
So instead of asking "How can I not give up?"
You can instead wonder "How could I possibly give up?" You just can't! Stick with it. You made a commitment.

[Su-Bee]

Just get started. Tell yourself, "I'm just gonna go work out for 15 minutes, & then I'll (study, slack off, fill in the blank!). I find that if I just get out the door for my jog, or on the elliptical, or whatever, after 15 minutes, I'm usually like, "Well, I'm already doing it, I may as well go for 30," or whatever.