What motivates you??
 

Hi there,

I feel my motivation slipping when I do not see numbers on the scale go down. i know I have just started working out and should not expect results in a week but I do.

It'll be great to hear from different people about how they stay motivated to eat healthy and exercise regularly. I seem a lot of success stories on this forum and this will inspire others like me to stay focused and not lose heart.

Thanks

I get most of my motivation from my kids. I want to be strong and healthy as an example to them and I want to live to a ripe old age so I can meet and play with my grandkids and great grandkids. The other thing that motivates me with exercise is to find things I enjoy doing, and to find "programs" that have a certain duration, like EA Active which has a 9-week program or to take exercise classes.

almeeker, thanks. You have lost so much- way to go :) I hope I can see changes soon

One thing that works for me is to start taking pride in your appearance - even if you haven`t lost yet. Wearing makeup and taking a little more care with how you look can lead to more motivation. Make a list of all the reasons you are doing this and keep it handy. For me it`s for my overall health not just my weight. As your fitness improves being able to do things more easily is a great motivator. If all else fails bribe yourself. Or lie to yourself that you are just going to exercise for 5 minutes -- once you start you will continue. Good luck

Here's my list:
1) My grandkids are a big motivation for me. I want to see them grow up.

2) The shorts I bought for this summer are waiting. I plan to wear them

3) My nephew suffered a spinal cord injury at age 14 and is now a quadraplegic. With the help of an assistant, he works out every day for 3 hours. How can I possibly complain about my piddly little workout routine?

4) My dog makes me feel guilty if I don't take her out for some exercise.

5) I look younger when I am thin and fit. I look better and feel better.

6) I allow myself plenty of down time as needed.

In the biggest picture, I'm motivated by my desire to not be a burden to others, being healthy and strong will allow me to take care of myself longer.

Shorter term,

I'm motivated by the high I get from exercise

I'm motivated by my gym friends, who miss me if I'm not there!

I'm motivated by my doctor saying "did you keep it off?"

Some of my motivations might mean silly, but they're the things I envision when I'm in the hardest stages of my workout and want to quit, or when I'm having a frustrating scale week (or two, or three...)

1) I want to be able to have children someday, and I want to teach them how to live a healthy life. I want to be an example to them - and I want to be healthy enough to have them in the first place!

2) I want to FEEL good.

3) I want my boyfriend to be able to pick me up and spin me around. I also want to have the option of being carried across thresholds. Neither has ever happened.

4) Taking care of my appearence - makeup, clothing, styles and fashions. Things I want to wear but don't currently look good on my body as it is. I want to feel good, and know I look good, so I don't have to think about it when meeting people or being social. I want to lose that self-conscious feeling I always have.

5) I the jaws of family and friends who haven't seen me in a year to drop!

6) Ticking off little goals every day that remind me that the scale isn't the ONLY indicator of my healthy life.

7) Support from people at Fitday motivates me even on the worst days :)

Reading over my list of the benefits of improving my health helps tremendously for me.

I found too that having a list of my excuses for not following my plan helps a lot. I listed my excuses and then found ways to eliminate them.

1. It's raining - (you aren't made of sugar, won't melt and besides, it feels very refreshing! Go anyway!!)
2. I'm tired - (then take is slow, even going slow will still help)
3. I'll make it up tomorrow - (yeah right... been there, done that, it doesn't happen)
4. I deserve a day off - (Tell yourself: No, I deserve a fuller life! And go do it!! )
5. I don't want to. - (Actually, you really do want to. Think about it - read your benefit list!)

I like your thinking!

I guess my fitness motivation is more about doing more these days rather than weighing less. Lift more weight, running faster or longer, completing a work out faster, finally getting double unders for jump rope... that sort of thing.

Mike, you are such a gym rat and fitness junkie, what are your next fitness goals once you get past the back issues? (which you will).

I have a 1/2 marathon scheduled in September. I had a time goal, now i just want to be able to finish it. I'm not a runner by any means but I'll have zero training going into this one, unless my back heals up quickly. Once I get better and can lift like I want to I hope to get my bf% back down and tighten up my midsection. I haven't been able to do ANY core work for over a month and it's taken a toll on me.

Knowing that heart disease & diabetes is hereditary is the major factor in staying motivated to keep pushing myself to get lean (already reached target weight- a new challenge for me now is to get to 10% body fat).

When I started my journey to getting fit, I was looking for workouts & I found an article on menshealth.com about Jason Statham's workout routine.

He says this:
"If you can't motivate yourself, you're never going to get results..."

That's helped me keep my focus to keep on.

I am focused on an event coming up this fall. I go ever year and when I see the pictures of myself I just want to barf. This year is different I have till Sept to lose 16 pounds and I am working my butt off literally. I may not lose the whole 16 but I am going to get real close. I started this quest three weeks ago with 20 pounds to lose. My workout has make me not only feel better but I am already stronger, more flexible, and can wear pants I could not even zip three weeks ago.

Another motivator is the fact my son would is taller than me only weighs 6 more pounds than me....that sucks!!

Much of my social life is through the people that I workout with and that's what motivates me most.

There are some people that I only see at the swim workout. If I want to see them, I have to get to swimming.

I have a bunch of friends that we all run together. For some reason, we can't seem to get together for dinner or drinks, but we can for runs. This past weekend, two were doing a half-marathon and another woman asked if I wanted to do it too. I was not in shape to do it well, but I am in good enough shape to finish it so I did. Then I got to hang out with three friends.

I take fitness classes at my gym and there are two guys there that I have been taking classes with for about 10 years now. Sometimes we bike together on the weekend.