For those who do...what is your motivation to exercise?
 

When I started Atkins (Aug 2003) I walked 4 miles every day with a friend. She started bailing on me in Nov. and I walked alone anyway. Had my Dec-Jan fall off the Atkins wagon, and now for the life of me I cant get myself motivated to exercise regularly. I am so sporatic about it. I know I need to. I lost weight regularly (about 1 lb per week when I did) and now Im not losing at all and Im staying around 20 carbs (mostly from veggies). So, how do you motivate yourself, what are your secrets to getting up and doing it everyday? :wiggle:

Hi! I can't do cardio because of a medical problem, but I used to be an avid walker/runner. The cardio gave me so much energy and a feeling of accomplishment. Does walking do this for you? If so just remind yourself of this. That is what worked for me. I didn't want to run when I would wake up in the morning but I would tell myself that I needed the energy and remind myself how great it felt to get it done. Also try convincing yourself that weight loss will be easier if you do it, which is true. My doctor says I can start cardio again in about 2 weeks and I can't wait! :yay:

Hey Pook, I also have friends that I excercise with that will bail on me at times. The thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that I'm doing something good for me...and the fact that it'll be over before I know it. 20-30 minutes fly by and the way I feel afterwards is great! Plus this time I'm taking it slow and I've noticed that I'm losing FASTER because of it. My goal is to lose weight THEN work on cardio stamina. before I had it all backwards and I was working TOO hard and seeing little results. So start slow....that's easy to get motivated about, and I can guarantee that when the scale starts moving down you WILL be MORE motivated! Worked for me :)

For me, it was the results.

The first 4-6 weeks of exercise were tough, but I held to it. I just had to stick to it and promise myself I wouldn't bail.

After 6 weeks, I noticed my at-rest heart rate had dropped 5 bpm and it took A LOT more stress to take my heart rate above 160. In order to get above 160, I REALLY have to push myself now.

In addition to that, my legs are beginning to become toned, the muscle is still as large as it was before, but now its much more tight and has a great shape.

A couple things that helped me stay motivated:

1) Exercycle is placed right in front of the TV. There's no excuse not to ride it while watching the news or my favorite show.
2) I taped my before picture to the console on the bike, when I feel like quitting early, I look at that picture, say 'No way in hell' and start pumping harder.
3) I scheduled my work and sleep schedule around it. I used to wake up at 8am to get to work by 9am. Now I get up at 6am to get to work at 8am. I get extra time to work out as well as getting out earlier from work to work out again before dinner. This may not work for you if you don't have a flexible schedule. My boss was very supportive though.
4) If you live with others, put the exercycle somewhere that they can see you exercising (if its not too loud). I found myself using it more often, because I knew if I didn't, THEY would know I didn't. Its easy to tell yourself 'eh, I'll do it tomorrow', but then when someone asks you why you didn't work out today, you don't have a good answer ;)

Find a gym buddy! I also excercise with a friend, and it makes all the difference in my motivation. If she bails on me I have such a harder time getting to the gym. But I am oh-so-happy when I do because I have so much more energy! I usually work out 2-3 times a week after work, and on the nights that I don't I feel like a slug around the house. Plus, you can catch up on your magazine reading if you bike or use a stationary machine like the eliptical trainer! It is also so motivating to see progress (not just with weight loss), but by increasing reps and time spent on a certian excercise. That is a measurable way to see progress not with a scale or tape measure. I just FEEL stronger and more flexible! I like to visualize this strong person that will be revealed when all of my extra "padding" dissapears!

I stay motivated by one, keeping a picture of my goal weight virtual model on my fridge. You can make one too at www.virtualmodel.com, it's free.
Two, I have a pair of jeans 2 sizes smaller that I bought and want to get into by the summer and last but not least, the fact that I am tired of being over weight is enough to keep me motivated.

I want this real bad and will exercise my butt off till I reach goal. I exercise 5 days a week and I assure you, 2 of those days I may be in a bad mood for what ever reason, didn't sleep well, kids are nagging, the point is, I do my exercise's anyways and by the time I'm done, I'm in a better mood.

Plus good music really helps too. :lol:

Find something you like!

I love the water so I do water aerobics and hope to begin swimming soon. I also like sports so I try to engage is some unorganized touch football, softball, soccer, and whatever else may be going on in my campus neighborhood.

My best advice: do not look at it as a chore if at all possible. Find something you truly enjoy, and it may not be "exercise" at all but gardening, walking dogs, playing with toddlers, etc.

Good luck!

I wasn't blessed with the best metabolism, so if I stop exercising, either I have to eat practically nothing, or I have to put up with a significant amount of fat regain.

I like to cook, I like to eat, and I like to have good wine--and the only way I can maintain my weight is by maintaining my exercise. And if I want to lose, then I have to exercise 5 or 6 days a week, and I have to do it hard, in addition to adjusting my eating and drinking habits. It's not fair, but the alternative for me is out-of-control weight gain. I've had enough of that to last me the rest of my life. :rolleyes:

That's what gets me to the gym. What keeps me going once I'm there, is that exercise feels really good once I'm actually doing it. I like setting mini-goals for my running and weightlifting, and working towards them. Running is less fun than lifting, but I put good music in my Discman and then it's pretty painless. It's such an accomplishment when I hit a fitness goal; it feels like I'm moving forward and getting to a place where I've never been before. With my weight loss goals, they still feel great, but it's more like I'm going back to a place I used to be at (in terms of scale and body size). The fitness is a new adventure.

After a year of consistent exercise, and just recently 12 weeks of punishing Body-for-Life exercise, I am in better shape than I've ever been in, regardless of how much thinner I was in the past. I'll never give it up.

Emily

My motivation is knowing that my friend is waiting for me at the gym at 6am. If she can make it there, so can I. I am, conversely, the same motivation for her. I also have a DBF who is very fit and works out as regularly as anyone I've ever met. He takes only one day off a week and that is tremendous motivation to get snuggled up next to him and realize that I'm snuggling solid muscle and it makes me want to give him the same enjoyment. Finally, the biggets motivation to exercise is the amazing feeling I have when I look in the mirror and realize that I can look any way I want to and it makes me feel good to look very in shape. I hope this helps!!
-Noellica :wiggle:

I use a Jazzercise class that is on a local cable channel (too fat to go to the class, I would be so embarrased, plus I have no rhythm) And every time I think about skipping it for a day, I look in the mirror. That's enough motivation for me!

One of the things that motivates me is to exercise at the same time every day. If I know I am being a slacker, I will sometimes put on my workout clothes earlier because it's a prompt. About 45 minutes before I work out I have 1/2 c of strawberries with 2 tbsp of heavy cream. If I don't work out, I don't have them. So in this WOE that's a big motivational tool.

But I think the thing that really motivates me is the thought that I don't want to lose weight and not be toned. As the weight comes off I want to see a body underneath that fat.

When I don't feel like exercising, I look at some of the flabby skin I'm developing on my arms, tummy, thighs and other places. It reminds me that the only hope I have of toning up and looking at all decent in a bathing suit is to exercise, exercise, exercise!

I have yo-yo dieted all of my life and really never exercised in any regular sort of way. As a result, I always gained it back and then some. I now understand that without regular exercise, the weight will never stay off!

Exercise doesn't make a difference in my weight loss on a week to week basis, but in the longrun it really does the trick. Last time I was on Atkins I had more problems with stalls, etc. This time, my loss has been more consistent. I know it is the exercise :).

It is a real mental health issue for me as well. I work from home and I get "cabin fever" pretty badly. Getting out exercising picks up my moods and energy and that is wonderful! Nothing like a good dose of endorphins to brighten the day.

You might consider joining one of the fitness challenges here on the forum. It is easier when you are with a group of people who are working on the same things. Even if it is online!

Best of luck to you
Orchid

I've been trying to exercise since starting Atkins in September/03. I bought an exercise bike and tried (not very faithfully) to start riding it. Recently, as the weather got nicer, I started bike riding outside with my 8 year old and 3 year old daughters. Now, every night after dinner, they beg to go for a bike ride. We all enjoy exercise now and it's easier to just go than to tell them "not tonight". Rain or shine.. We ride our bike.

Hi

I don't do too much exercising, but I walk from the subway to my work and back every nice-weather day I can (13 min walk). I have also started doing leg lifts, cuz when you lose that weight, you don't lose the body shape!!!! :(

I believe it takes 21 days to form or break a habit. If you exercise for 21 days, you then form a new routine and it becomes part of your life. Maybe if you focus on exercising for 22 days, you can make it part of your daily routine.

Good luck
Mary

PS I am starting to feel my muscles in my stomach (who knew I had any muscles ;) ) and I have been doing leg lifts for only 6 days! It feels pretty good!

Someone here once posted that the only way to change the shape of your body is by exercising. If you lose weight and don't exercise, you will wind up with a smaller version of the same body. After doing all this work, I want to look BETTER not just SMALLER.

I go to the gym about 5 days a week (even though sometimes I don't feel like it!)
Here are some things I do for motivation:
ALWAYS leave your gym shoes lying aroud where you will see them a lot
every time you do, you'll remember -- oh, I should go workout.

Tell yourself you'll just workout for 15 minutes -- chances are once your doing it, the time will get away from you and next thing you know 20-30 minutes have passed.

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!!! It really peps you up, and keeps you going.

Don't look at exersize as a chore or punishment. Change your mindset from "oh, I HAVE to go workout" to "it's time for me". Its not an option -- it's a part of your day, and a part of your new way of life, period!

Thanks for this thread I really needed it!

I am motivated to exercise so I can regain the strength and stamina to do things that are fun. And heck going to the gym is fun too-once I get there.
Getting up 1/2 hour early to exercise has not kicked in yet:( must attack that problem- ANy solutions for that?

My modivation is weight loss, toning and building a bit of Muscles.
I want to be fit, feel well, and be my best.

Not only that but I feel more energized after.

Kris2, I agree! I get very peppy when I have some dance music playing!

Bev, good luck in getting up early. I think that if you can do it for four or five days, you will see how much energy you have during the day, even when you exercise! Now if you're a teacher (who never gets enough sleep), then you might consider evening workouts.

Good luck
M

I agree with the ladies...that I'm also very lively when I have music going when I exercise!!

I'm kept motivated because exercising keeps me in the right frame of mind and it certainly kicks my metabolism into gear. Exercise starts my furnace burning and long after I have stopped the movements, my furnace is still on and burning. Absolutely, no doubt about it. Exercising has boosted my metabolism and my 30 minute workouts are great!! Without me exercising, I would still be struggling to lose...pound by pound. The workouts have really decreased my appetite, too. I have so much more energy now!!

Thanks so much for all the responses. I think I have been thinking myself out of exercising by thinking too big. I need to say 15 mins a day no matter what, then I know Ill do 30, instead of thinking I need to do an hour a day and doing none. (P.S. I live in the country so I dont have any gyms nearby and with 3 kids under the age of 10, I have to stay close to home) I do have a gazelle and a big home gym, just have been too lazy to use them. Okay... I start tommorrow. Anyone want to join me? 30 mins at least 5 times a week of any kind of exercise!

OOPPS, forgot to think smaller.....at least 15 mins :) 5 times a week! Can do more if you desire!

I also read in an article that if you are on a low carb diet, you immediately burn all fat while exercising, unlike on a high carb low calorie diet, where for the first 20 minutes of exercise you are buring nothing but stored carbs. Just think of all that fat that will be melting off your body! Thats the motivation that gets my butt off the couch and in the gym!

Pook, I am with you on that one. What I did this time (I hate to exercise and have never stuck with it, always lost weight by eating less and nothing else, it don't work anymore for me) was join the YMCA. I am a stay at home mom with four kids myself. The YMCA offers full gym membership for our city residents for 30 a month for the entier family. The older kids 13 1/2 & 15 can go there with or with/o me and can use everything it has to offer. The younger ones 10 & 11 1/2 can do all but the weight loss machines (bikes tredmill weight room) as long as I am in the building they can go swim, do an exercise class, or many other things. Check and see how close you are to the YMCA in your area. People that are in the same county but not city only pay 60.00 a month for the entire family. Its a really good option if you have it near you.

Now how this is working for me. I went at first for the kids. My youngest girl is a tad chubby and I don't want her to suffer all through life like I have with my weight. So I signed us up and she just loved the classes and swimming. We start with a walk around the indoor track and off she goes to her fitness class. Now there are days I don't want to go, but the kids love it and really get on me if we don't go. We are doing about 3 days a week for now. But they want to go every day. On the days I don't feel like being there, I just tell myself, too bad, its okay to not like it, its okay to not want to be here, but you have no other choice. If you leave or don't come the weight is never going to come off. If you don't do this for yourself, do it for your kids. If you stop going now, your kids will never learn the benifits of exercise and living healthy. This seems to work for me, nothing else has ever worked for me.

Since your in the country, if you have no way of going to the YMCA or any other Gym, why not invest in a swimming pool and bikes for all of you to use? Swimming is a great way to lose weight. As is riding bikes. And you can do it with your kids. Another thing is to buy a pair of roller blades and hit a local park with the kids. Its great for your legs. Hard to get started, but after a few weeks, you will be used to it.

Good luck to you and I will post if I make it 5 days or not this week.

Sis

My motivation is summer. I have avoided wearing shorts for 4 years now, and I'm sick of being hot and covering up. I have been working very hard to tone up my shriking body.

My motivation: I have two very energetic dogs who love, LOVE our morning run. If I am not out of bed to run by 6AM they make sure I GET the hell out of bed. They have not yet learned the concept of rainy days or weekends. We're working on that... :) :)

Another thing I've done that makes my run a LOT more enjoyable is I've started checking books on tape out from our local library. My job is super stressful right now and I haven't had a lot of free time to read -- so I carry a walkman and listen to books while I run. I find that when I'm REALLY engrossed in listening to a story, I look forward to my run a LOT more. Just an idea, but it works for me.

Good luck!!

Jeannie

My motivation is tired of being fat. Sounds simple, but for me if I stand in front of the mirror naked for about 5 minutes I want to go to the gym :)