I feel really dissapointed with myself. My boyfriend got me a personal trainer that I can see twice a week, and besides working with him I don't go to the gym at all, even though I'm supposed to. I feel like I'm letting my boyfriend down, my personal trainer down, and myself down by not going. I don't know what to do to get myself motivated to go. Any ideas? I just feel so hopeless. Argh.
Another question... kind of. My personal trainer gave me a food menu to eat, after I showed him what I ate on a typical day. There was sooo much food on the menu that he gave to me that I needed to eat daily. I just couldn't eat it all. There were 5 meals, and by the time I got to the 3rd one ( a little more than half way through the day) I felt sick from eating so much food. What do I say to my personal trainer? What do I do until saturday when I see him again? I want to be healthy but forcing myself to eat seems like it's defeating the purpose, even though all of the food for the day was only 1800 calories.
Be honest with your personal trainer about both the food issue and your lack of motivation. He should be able to explain to you why it is important to eat that much food, or else modify the menu in some way. He also should be able to help with the motivation issue.
I am wondering whether perhaps this whole thing was your boyfriend's idea and you are really not ready yet to make the commitment to lose the weight and get healthy? If that's the case, I think it is best to be honest with your BF about it.
I will tell you that you can see results very quickly when you combine a gym workout with a healthy diet. I am doing the same thing, and in less than 2 months I have gone from a size 24 to a size 18. Maybe that will help motivate you?
Well the personal trainer is suggesting that much food because he thinks you are working out daily. Not going to the gym means you are not burning those extra calories like expected and therefore not hungry...you dont need the extra fuel. Just be honest with your trainer. What is the point in him making a plan that doesnt work for you...
I would also look at the portions of food that your personal trainer suggested. I eat 5 meals a day but my meals are small. Did your trainer give you portion guidance? I'd ask him or her about that.
1. get dressed.
2. pick up your wallet, purse, car keys, water bottle, etc.
3. walk out door
4. get in car
5. drive to gym
6. park car and get out of car
7. walk into gym
8. get onto machine you're suppose to be using
Sometimes you have to put yourself on robot automatic pilot to get it done. Don't wait until you feel motivated. Remember how your Mom used to say, "If you are not ready when I count to ten . . ." and you knew you HAD to get ready? Well, here we are again. You're the Mom now. Get your own little butt in gear!
Like Nelie, I also eat 5-6 small meals a day but they are small meals. Is there a chance you're not full from the meals, but simply bored of the type of foods you're consuming?
Definitely discuss your concerns with your Personal Trainer. He'll be able to help you a lot more if you're honest.
And like Jayell said, even if you're not in the mood to workout. Go to the gym anyway and see what happens. There are a lot of times where I'm not in the mood...but I make myself exercise and within 10 minutes I'm really into it.
Jay's post hit home for me. I have so much trouble getting to the gym or getting on the treadmill. I often have no motivation. I do it because I have to, and because I like the results, not because I want to go. Getting dressed and getting my shoes on is the hardest part!
Setting goals helps. I now set goals for the number of minutes I exercise in a month. These goals have increased over time (you can see in my sig...)
Try scheduling the gym. Actually put it on your calendar. Put your gym bag on the passenger seat and plan to go straight there after work or school or whatever.
I've been seeing a personal trainer for almost a year now. If it makes you feel any better, in the beginning I only went to the gym for my personal training sessions, I didn't go in any other time either. If your trainer is anything like mine, you are getting a pretty good workout on those two days that you have your sessions. That's two more days per week than you were working out before, which is nothing to sneeze at.
It was at least two months before I started doing any workouts on my own. It wasn't until I started to feel like I was making some progress that I got motivated to go into the gym on my own. And then I slowly worked up to it. I started by just going into the gym once on the weekend. Finally, after a while, I added a Tuesdays and Thursdays (my training sessions were Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays). So maybe set some goals for yourself--e.g., you will just do the training sessions for the next two months, after that you will add one day a week of cardio on your own for two months, then add another day of cardio, etc. You don't have to go from couch potato to fitness freak in one week; most of us have taken a long time to work up to the freak stage .
Also, you don't necessarily have to eat exactly what your trainer tells you. You need to stay within your calorie allotment for the day and you should also stay within the appropriate range in terms of fat, protein, and carbs. But you could eat foods that are smaller in terms of volume but that provide the same calories/nutrition. For example, one 4 oz banana has about the same calories as 2 cups of sliced strawberries. Given the choice between the two, eat the strawberries if you are really hungry; the banana if you aren't so hungry.
Also, I agree with the others about making sure you are accurately measuring portion sizes. 1800 calories really isn't an excessive amount of food and it shouldn't be making you sick to eat that much.
I agree completely with Jay and Wyllen! I keep hearing so much about "motivation" as if it is some "magic force" which inspires us to get off our butts. But it doesn't happen like that or, if it does, it is very temporary and wears off. It is a DECISION we make and stick to it.
One thing I have found that helps... sooooooo often I come in from work and think how I do NOT want to get out there into that pool... but once I do it I actually think, "Yay! I am DOING it!" Sometimes I remind myself of that when I don't want to go... how happy I will be that I can say that once I get into it.
And I love the RESULTS so much that sometimes I just can't believe it -- like today when I actually wore ZIP UP khaki pants to church (which someone had given me a long time ago) instead of those awful stretch waist things I always have to wear. AND knowing there is a black pair in the closet just like them except about an inch smaller in the waist is going to keep me going like crazy! Not to mention the new blouse I bought a couple weeks ago on a clearance rack for next to nothing... and which is just a bit too small!
As for what you are eating... I know I say this sometimes so often it probably seems like "harping" but... listen to your DOCTOR; not your trainer at the gym. My doctor told me to stick at around 1800 calories and I would lose weight just as quickly as if I went much lower and cranked down my metabolism. That's what I've been doing... focusing on healthful foods as I DON'T think it is just "calories in, calories out" that counts.. our bodies process natural foods SO much more efficienty. Anyway I went to my doctor last week and she was so proud of me. I told her she was RIGHT. But I am off track LOL... your DOCTOR knows your body and what you need to eat; not a gym trainer.
... your DOCTOR knows your body and what you need to eat; not a gym trainer.
While it would be nice if that were always the case, one shouldn't make the assumption that their doctor has had training in nutrition/dietetics. Always ask!
Misti, hang on to that doctor! I've never had one that could give me sound nutritional advice.
dissapointed
but... listen to your DOCTOR; not your trainer at the gym. My doctor told me to stick at around 1800 calories and I would lose weight just as quickly as if I went much lower and cranked down my metabolism. That's what I've been doing... focusing on healthful foods as I DON'T think it is just "calories in, calories out" that counts.. our bodies process natural foods SO much more efficienty. Anyway I went to my doctor last week and she was so proud of me. I told her she was RIGHT. But I am off track LOL... your DOCTOR knows your body and what you need to eat; not a gym trainer.
