Motivation feeling very flat

Hi i was just wondering how you keep your motivation and momentam (sp) to keep going with diet and most of all exercise.

I have been attending personal training for 3 weeks now and although it is torture to say the least i enjoy it though and still very sore afterwards. My problem is i absolutely think of nothing else the morning before i go, and try and think of ways to get out of going, i am so lazy and very unmotivated it is very hard to get my mind on exercise. If i was doing it alone i wouldnt go but i am going with 2 sisters and 2 friends so i dont want to let them down.

Diet is another story, i have been good compared to what i was eating but still not eating exactly what i should be or shouldnt be more to the point.

Our wedding is in 2 months and 6 months ago i had a goal to lose 25kg and so far i have lost 6, i think i am so disappointed with myself for not reaching my goal i cant focus on continuing as i already feel like i have failed.

I need help to keep motivated.

Give yourself more time on the exercise - it takes *at least* 3 weeks to build a habit, so you are getting there! It's great you have the extra motivation of sisters and friends, I would just use that (plus the good money I assume you're paying!) until it becomes ingrained. I've been going to the gym for years and most of the time I don't think twice about going. (Of course there are some days I don't feel like it, and I normally push myself to go, and there are days when I *really* don't feel like it, and I'll often give in and skip it which I figure is ok because most of the time I do go). For me it's as much of a habit as brushing my teeth. But - I've been doing this for 7 years, and I do need to mix the routine up (different classes etc) so I don't get bored!

On the food side it sounds like you're doing ok. I don't have great habits when it comes to food (they are ok but not as good as my exercise habits) so I'm not the best person to talk to! You might not have lost as much weight as you wanted but you have lost some and if you are building good habits and feeling better that is the main thing - those will last much longer! Stay strong :)

Thankyou I managed to get through another class today and i will admit it makes you feel great afterwards and it isnt as tough as a couple of weeks ago. I will try to plod along.

Abbie, I have no idea how to keep motivated TBH!
It will get easier as you go along!
:clap::clap::clap: for pushing through!!!

Maybe talk to your personal trainer about trying different exercises. Honestly I am a pretty active person but if it came to personal training I wouldn't do it. Work with them to find exercise that you actually enjoy and can carry on yourself. Alternatively you may find it easier to work at a different time of day - e.g. first up. Get it over and done with so you can spend the rest of the day not thinking about it.

Hi Abb,

I have been seeing a PT for about 18 months. When I started, my goal was to lose 40Kg.

Before I had DD, I was a gym junkie. I've always been active and involved in sport. Then I had DD and got very sick. I gained a lot of weight. I loathed being in public let alone exercising in public! I was also terrified of going back to the gym because of the type of people I've had experiences with in the past. Then, a few months in, I wound up with a severe injury which would see most people throw in the towel. And you know what? I still go. I was going twice a week but have had to cut back to once a week for various reasons.

People often comment on my dedication, how I'm still going (despite having only lost 10Kg in this time frame) and sticking with it. I won't lie, there are certainly times when I do not want to go. My trainer will attest to that! But he keeps me motivated and encourages me. When I'm having a bad day (motivational or injury), he (constantly) reminds me of the positives - what I've achieved, what I enjoy etc. I also keep my goals in mind. I want to lose those 40Kg; I want to be healthy again; I want to set a brilliant example for my DD (which I must be doing because she LOVES exercise!); I want to be able to run again (something I miss and am limited with due to my injury); And I want to prove people wrong (all those medico's telling me I'll never run again! HA! Red flag to a bull I say! :rofl:).

I've learnt that the key to keeping me motivated is;

remaining positive. I focus on how good I feel after a session; how much I've achieved (my training sessions also include rehab for my injuries); I focus on what I enjoy.

My trainer also keep things varied for me. If I walk in (and it is scary how easily he can read me!) and I appear to be having an average day, he mixes my session to include things he knows I love.

When I'm training on my own, I have an awesome play list I listen to (very loudly!) on my iPod/iPhone. I am constantly altering my list so it is always fresh.

I set myself smaller goals. Some people consider this cheating but I consider it motivational. I have my long term goals but I also set smaller goals to keep me motivated. It might be something as simple as extending my time on the cross trainer, or being able to complete a certain number of push ups by the end of the month.

I have a very good friend I work with who is also exercise obsessed. We also have the same trainer. We constantly talk about training and sometimes train together (without trainer). We are both a little (*cough*) competitive but also very supportive (we both have similar injuries although mine is worse) so encourage each other immensely. And we never want to be seen as slacking off so we don't!

I also have some brilliant friends on BB and we all support each other. We have the fitness talk and tip thread going. Pop in there for some extra support!

Be kind to yourself hon. When I first started training again, I was told the first 6 weeks would be the hardest. And they were right. It was bloody hard! Having the motivation to go, not getting results as quickly as I wanted and hoped. It was difficult. But after about 6 weeks, I found it was my routine. And I discovered that if I missed a session, I wouldn't feel "right". I NEEDED my exercise! To this day, it is my "me time". And I also found that instead of reaching for food when I was upset, I was more inclined to reach for my gym gear.

Make sure you discuss with your trainer your concerns and your lack of motivation. You're paying them to keep you motivated! Once you have that chat, give them a couple of weeks to address the issue and then if you're still not happy, consider changing trainers. I have a brilliant one but have considered changing once or twice (once when my injuries were really bad and my physio wanted me to see a rehab trainer - but my current one does all that anyway. The second time was when there were rumours in the gym that we were seeing each other - it would have been laughable had DH and I not been going through a trial separation and I was stressed to the max!). But we have an awesome training relationship and he is good for me so I can't imagine leaving him any time soon!

Oh! and grab yourself a training partner! Where in Vic are you?

Keep your chin up hon, focus on your goals, focus on what you're achieving. And pop into the fitness chat and tips thread! https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...-tips-3-a.html

MG :hug:

set yourself a new realistic goal. that old one seems to be getting you down to much. why not aim for something like 6kgs over the next 2 months. It is doable, but you will still have to work for it.

Oh, and while it is fabulous that you are doing exercise, if your goal is weightloss, you will need to look closer at your diet. You can loose weight without exercise, but you cann't loose weight without watching what you eat, and if you do both it is going to be way better - for your health and your looks ;)

thanks girls

i have set myself a new monthly goal - lose 4 kg and not to snack after dinner, no carbs after lunch.

i am pretty happy with progress this week - loss of 2.5kg yay

Mg - i live just out of Warrnambool, my trainer is awesome, i think maybe i need to go more than twice a week though as i tend to lose motivation easy.
Misty - i am working on the diet. just trying to not call it that, healthy choices i think, i have real emotional eating problem that i need to address also.

Abb, I always refer to it as a lifestyle change... then it is more appealing ;)

A friend once told me that if you're really serious about losing weight and can afford it, 3 sessions a week is the way to go. But you have to go with what you can afford both financially and time wise.

I think your revised goal is very doable! And well done on this weeks loss!

lol - I call anything I eat my diet. Today my diet has been full of junk food, cake, lollies, chocolate, etc. Normally I try to eat much more sensibly. I guess I forget others think 'diet' as in loosing weight, while to me 'diet' is what I eat regardless of whether I am being healthy or not.

Oh Misty if i even think of the word chocolate i put on weight lol