What keeps you motivated?

I can't seem to get motivated. I haven't been to the gym in several weeks and don't feel motivated to go. I'm great once I'm there and I feel great afterwards, but getting my butt to the gym seems almost impossible. How do you do it?

I actually have a few pictures of me on my fridge that I have to look at if I go in the kitchen to get something to eat. I have one where Im at my highest *265* and one at my lowest *165* I sooooooooooo wanna get back to that weight so im totally determined!! So when I go to grab something out of boredom, I can see the skinny pic of me and then shut the fridge and grab some water. It works for me. Might not for others but that motivates me. Also this website has helped me LOTS! When im feeling down , I come here and read the posts, might not post myself, but I love reading about how much people are losing! Hope you find something that works for you! I know its hard and its not easy, but its worth it!

I can totally relate. I actually like exercising...for some reason it's getting to the gym in the first place that's the hard thing for me. What I decided to do this week was make a list of fitness goals for the week, which I plan on doing every week. I might even do some sort of little reward system for myself if I meet my weekly goals (e.g., buy a magazine or something). So...for example, this week's goals are to do at least 30 min. of cardio 3 times this week, 3 strength training sessions, and one of my exercise videos. I figure that weekly goals will work well because I can change things depending on how I'm progressing. This is my first week of doing this, and it's working for me so far!

When I started I hated exercise, and wasn't motivated at all. But I made a committment. 4 gym days a week, for 6 weeks, minimum workout time 40 minutes, then I could give up. Of course after that commitment period ended, I felt fantastic, looked better, and had made some real improvements in my fitness levels.

Then I was motivated and didn't need to quite as religiously make appointments in my diary.

Now my whole "workout life" has changed completely. I used to go to the gym in off peak times and hide and do my workouts alone. Now I go when its busy and I enjoy the buzz, I do pilates classes, yoga and just did my first ever Rockstar Dance class, which was g.r.e.at. and I feel inspired to try more and more things.

Don't wait to get motivated, get commited. If its important enough to you, you will do it!

What motivates me??? Well, the energy I've discovered within myself from excersizing. Also, seeing the scale moving down, and of course, how flirty i have become. I love seeing my clothes getting baggy on me. I still have times when i just wonder when am i going to start looking slimmer to me...but i have so many people at work telling me how great i am looking. (they may be creating a monster because i have become much more flirty at work than i ever have been)!! I think what keeps me motiviated is that i HATE to have my picture taken and i don't want my kids to look back over their childhood and never see a picture of me with them. I always take the pictures because i don't ever want to be in them. So, I am working on losing weight so I can feel good about myself and they will have photographic proof that i was really there in their childhood. (hehehe).

I change up my music often!!!

If I can't do the I read fitness/heath mags or books!

I do the music thing, and also am training for a 10k run, which really helps get you motivated.. only because I don't wanna be last! heh.

Also, another thing that helps me is that summer is quickly approaching, and if I want to feel good this summer I *need* to lose some weight. I want to enjoy this summer, wearing tank tops, going to the beach.. maybe even wearing a bathing suit! eek! I better go exercise now...

-Aimee

I have decided that I am going to do this next summer. I've known about them since they opened, and every year I've thought about it but always talked myself out of it. Next summer, I'm going to go! I want to be in fantastic shape for this, so I've got my diet and exercise all lined up for sports performance. Weight loss may happen, but that's not the goal.

The fact that I've come this far is part of what keeps me motivated. Even though I still have even further to go! But I can see now that it's really possible.

I also have a very pretty flowered denim skirt I'd like to wear. I bought it without trying it on, thinking surely it would fit when I got it home. It didn't. I'm so close to being able to wear it for the first time! It'll zip up now, but it's still too snug and figure-hugging to look right. If I can just keep eating right and exercising for a few more weeks...!

This question comes up a lot here at 3fc. Motivation is great, but it's something that comes and goes. Sometimes you just have to get your butt moving, whether you're feeling motivated or not. It helps me to have a set schedule. Exercise becomes more of a habit and less something I have to think about.

I agree! I am not one who loves exercise, but I have decided that this isn't about what I want in the short term (not exercising) but what I want in the long term (healthier, fitter me). So it's less about motivation many days than about commitment.

After all, you may not be motivated to go to work everyday, but you do because it's about more than what you want right now.

I'm another one on the commitment bandwagon. I've made exercise a habit rather than relying on motivation, and it's just something I do every day. I take one rest day a week, but even then it's an active rest day in that I do some exercise.

If I relied on motivation, I probably wouldn't go because almost every day that little voice in the back of my head says, "you don't need to go to the gym, stay in bed another 15 minutes instead." That voice often continues with reasons why I don't need to exercise right until I reach the front door of the gym. For me, commitment is the only thing that counteracts that voice.

The thing that has worked for me was to commit to 10 minutes of something every day - no matter what (unless I am so sick I can't get out of bed). This way, I don't play those mind games - "well, I exercised yesterday so I don't have to today", or "I know I didn't exercise yesterday or today, but tomorrow I will do double to make up." etc, etc. . .

I flipped off the motivation switch and now it is just something I do. Do you need to feel motivated to brush your teeth or take a shower? Same thing - although I totally understand that it is easier said than done. If it was easy I would have done it a long time ago!

I agree with everyone who said this. The only solution is, Just Go. Don't let yourself talk you out of it. When you're having an internal debate about whether or not to go, don't wait to hear all the reasons to justify staying home, just pre-empt them and go. And getting there is half the battle, because it's a lot easier to just do it when you're already there.

I love reading fitness magazines and watching fitness shows on T.V. those always keep me motivated. Even reading posts on 3fc keeps me motivated. That's why... when I'm in a grumpy mood and binging.. I tend to avoid 3fc, lol. Mostly because I feel horrible for eating unhealthy and I'm being a grumpasaurus so I want to stay that way.