How Do You Motivate Yourself?

[Stalwart Guardian]

I'm twenty years old and currently at 5'4'' while weighing 155lbs.
I have a bit of muscle on me, so at least it isn't all fat weight.
I don't think of myself fat; mostly because I've been fat to the point of obesity.
Problem is, I lost all of my weight when I got really sick for about four months straight.
It dropped me from nearly 200lbs to about 130 across four months at the age of sixteen.
Since then, I've put on a bit of weight both in muscle and fat.
I have quite a bit of 'pudge' on my stomach and thighs though, enough that it really bothers me and leaves me with zero confidence.
I just can't ever find motivation to work out more than one day at a time though.
Can't tell how many times I've spent an entire day doing cardio, push ups, etc...
Then the next week I'm like, "I should do that again!" and end up waiting a month to do.
confused

I have all the time in the world, I just can't make myself get up and do it.
Anyone got tips for that?

P.S.
I dislike gyms. I'd like to work out... I don't know the term for it, 'naturally' I guess? Not things that require machines.

[0lexis]

You sound a lot like me. I was never more than 157lbs, and I'm floating around 145lbs now, but I have zero motivation and I'm always so very, very tired.

I have hypothyroidism (possibly Hashimodo's Disease) that is going untreated, until I get myself a family doctor (apparently those are hard to come by).

But lately I've found a few things... I dunno I just bought skates and I am really excited to use them... I haven't ice skated in a very long time and it's high speed exercise with a little less effort than running so very good exercise.

I'm also changing my eating habits... paleo-diet/gluten free works for a lot of people with thyroid issues, and along with feeling better I'll probably also lose weight once I get on that.

I dunno... find things you enjoy and that make you feel good or things you have lots of fun doing... there are tons of sports, there's almost unlimited possibilities.

I also like to think that life is meaningless without context.
So what sort of context should I choose to fill it with today, in order to give it meaning?

[AkioMaster]

Here's a few ideas that I've seen people do:

-Create a schedule and a chart. When do you want to workout? What do you want to do when you workout? How many reps/how long/how much weight do you want to lift? Write out your goals and figure out some smaller goals inbetween them.

-Workout tip jar. Every time you work out, put X amount of money in the jar. Have a goal for that money. "I'm going to get a video game," or "I'll go see this movie," or whatever.

-Use a fitness app. Don't have a smart phone? Most fitness apps have a website you can use to track calories, your workout sessions, etc. (I found one app called Sworkit that pulls a random assortment of body weight excerises based on what you want to work on. It times you and beeps whenever it switches exercises. It looks pretty cool and I'm excited to try it.)

[persistence of vision]

I think the problem you are experiencing is common for many people. I too suffer from lack of motivation to work out. I hate working out. who in their right mind would look forward to getting sweaty and have their muscles hurt?

however i also don't want to a lot of other things too. i get easily distracted. i guess it is my ADD. sometimes depression too can cause people to not want to do things.

[Unread Rolling Eyes]

This is going to sound really shallow, but I promise I'm not...xD

But a lot of my motivation comes from my wardrobe. Being a lady, I love my clothes, and I like to fit in my clothes. I like looking good in them. It's been a big motivator for me.

Also, my career choice. The job I most want is one where I can't do it if I'm not fit and healthy...I hate my job now, I'm not using my degree for it, but I know if I kick myself into high gear and really crank out the workouts, I'll get to that level where I need to be to get the jobs I want.

So, yeah. Basically, find out what it is you want/like most in life and use that to stay motivated.

[War Owl]

Honestly, it's hard to start but once you get the wheels rolling, it's hard to stop. When you feel better about yourself and look better, your confidence will rise and you will have more pride in yourself. That in itself should make you motivated to keep doing what you're doing and to always improve. Not to mention, as you look better and better, you'll attract more people even when at the gym. You'll notice more guys/girls looking at you and/or coming up to you for advice and whatnot. The ball is on your court, you decide what you want to do with it. Pain is temporary, brother, glory is forever.

Set yourself a long term goal, and stick to it. Turn your brain off and just become a robot and do it. It shouldn't be a chore to you. It should be a lifestyle.

[ExTERmINATION]

What motivates me is knowing when I have to go into work and that I need to be prepared for every situation I get myself into. I must be able to defend myself, others and know that at any time every situation is different so I need to be prepared cause I want to go home at the end of my shift.

[BeIoved]

I'm a bit overweight myself, and in the past, it used to be I'd work out a little and then next to never do it again. I'd do the same, tell myself I'll do it again sometime, and it ends up being months.

However, for the past month, I've started to get very active, and watch what I eat especially. My motivation comes from the want to reach my full potential, inside and out. I've had a hard time in my life like many others have, but I figured, I'm feeling like a happier, better person by doing my school work properly and getting into healthier habits. The other part of my motivation comes from my boyfriend. He is happy the way I am, but it never hurts to surprise him. xD

It's hard to get into the habit, but as someone else said here, once you get it started, it'll become a daily activity in your lifestyle. I've started out small, trying to build up muscle with simple things such as running, crunches, and pushups, but once I get stronger, I want to begin lifting weights and whatnot. :3 A perfect body is a toned body, and it kills two birds with one stone also throwing in an overall happy being.

When I do crunches though, I tend to push myself a ton... mostly till I burn. I usually put myself down when I work out, but it only helps me in the end.

Good luck getting into habit! :3

[Kitasahe]

I had the same lack of motivation, and my health and weight got out of control when I was in high school. Since then I've dropped 60 pounds though. :3

Honestly, the only reason that I was able to stay motivated was because I found a form of exercise that I genuinely enjoyed. Back then DDR was all the rage and I really liked it, which made me look into taking actual dance classes. It was so much fun that I didn't really think about it like I thought of working out. I had tried going to a gym before and could not keep up with it. I also tried other things like walking and jogging and stuff but I always ended up feeling so bored with it and I never wanted to try it again.

After that it was a lot easier to get exercise because I discovered that I just had to find activities I liked doing. Now I still do some dance but I've found that I really enjoy Pilates as well.

So, my advice would be to look for something that seems interesting or fun and give it a try. Even if you're low on funds and can't take formal classes the Internet has videos of everything these days. :3

[RapscalIion]

There used to be nothing I hated more than working out. The treadmill was my worst enemy. But seeing how I want to be a cop, I decided I had to get but butt in shape. I did things to motivate me by putting up motivational pictures on the wall across from the equipment in my basement like pictures of cop cars, a picture o myself when I was thinner/healthier and beside that, a picture of a current body photo. I also would watch a motivational video on YouTube before working out, one I recomend is called "pain is temporary". There was also a local police video of what new recruits went through their first year of training, the ups and downs, so I watched those sorts of things,
I also would never touch the equipment unless either my favorite music was blaring, or a good show was on tv, makes the time fly faster and distracts you from the hardships of working out lol
Finally, I just recently gave in and signed up to a gym. It's not as threatening as I thought I would, people there encourage you and give wickked training tips. Also try to get our friends to join! Workout buddies make it so much more fun, ye can laugh at eachother and push one another resulting in a great work out.
After a while, not long actually probably a month or two, I no longer resented working out, enjoyed it, and didn't need much convincing or motivation to get going. The only problem I have now is spending too much time working out smile

Those are my personal findings anyway, hope some work for you! smile

[RapscalIion]

There used to be nothing I hated more than working out. The treadmill was my worst enemy. But seeing how I want to be a cop, I decided I had to get but butt in shape. I did things to motivate me by putting up motivational pictures on the wall across from the equipment in my basement like pictures of cop cars, a picture o myself when I was thinner/healthier and beside that, a picture of a current body photo. I also would watch a motivational video on YouTube before working out, one I recomend is called "pain is temporary". There was also a local police video of what new recruits went through their first year of training, the ups and downs, so I watched those sorts of things,
I also would never touch the equipment unless either my favorite music was blaring, or a good show was on tv, makes the time fly faster and distracts you from the hardships of working out lol
Finally, I just recently gave in and signed up to a gym. It's not as threatening as I thought I would, people there encourage you and give wickked training tips. Also try to get our friends to join! Workout buddies make it so much more fun, ye can laugh at eachother and push one another resulting in a great work out.
After a while, not long actually probably a month or two, I no longer resented working out, enjoyed it, and didn't need much convincing or motivation to get going. The only problem I have now is spending too much time working out smile

Those are my personal findings anyway, hope some work for you! smile

[Trancetornated Neko]

I have a full body mirror In the shower ...

:3 it works for me

[Levina-Taima]

I've been in your shoes numerous times with falling off the exercise wagon. I'd get into it for a while and then what ultimately throws me off is when I skip a week from a busy schedule or wanting to just RELAX.

What helps me pick it up again is remembering that I don't have to dedicate myself to a straight hour of running on a treadmill. There are hundreds of small things that you can do when you've got a few minutes to spare. Do ten squats when you're just standing around in the kitchen trying to decide what you want for lunch. Drop and hold a one minute plank during commercials. Do ten jumping jacks while waiting for the shower to warm up.

By taking advantage of these tiny little moments helps keep me in shape and it doesn't feel like I'm setting myself up to fail. Some days I won't do as much as others, but the fact that I do it everyday is all that matters.

Besides, fitting into the cute clothes that I love and looking at myself in the mirror and thinking I look fit and healthy is worth the effort.

The energy I get from exercising is a huge bonus when I'm up on my feet ten hours at work and need to dedicate another six hours to my home life.

[princessoutcast]

i think about finally not being disgusting to guys.
i also think about all the cute clothes i can finally get into.

[oTrissa]

All the motivation I need is when I look in the mirror and hate my fat.
It's seriously hard to motivate me though. I don't really look at other people for inspiration, music sometimes works but not often. I just have to be in the mood to work out. I used to be a LOT more, every day in fact. Now I feel I am becoming flabby...