Help! I've lost my motivation and I want it back!

[Guest asdf]

So, yeah. Just that. I've almost stopped working out entirely. For the past month or so I've maybe only done one full workout with genuine effort a week it's a good week, and a lot of the time I end up cutting myself short of following through with workouts. When I go into the college cafeteria more often than not I end up eating something shitty and then feel bad about it afterwards. And when I tell myself to make good choices it's like brain shuts off and says, "I'm not listening I'm not listening.......!!" I've entered the current 6 week challenge with some good goals and so far I've done very little to help myself achieve them. How do I get myself out of this predicament? I was doing so well up until 3 or 4 months ago went things started going seriously downhill.

[Burizado]

Usually what I do when presented with bad food choices is remind myself how shitty I felt last time I ate bad, or too much.

 

Basically say to myself "Do you want to feel like that again?"

 

Usually my brain responds with a sigh, and "....no."

 

As for the motivation, watch some of these daily.  All of the Inspiration You Will Ever Need

[Wolverine]

My advice would be to stop looking for and relying on motivation.  START THINKING LIKE A ROBOT (and read that article!).

 

Life is a series of choices.  Take the emotion out of the equation, and start making some small but good choices (e.g. IF it is morning, THEN I will wake up and stretch.), build up some good momentum, and then start tackling the harder ones.

 

I started rocking my training and my nutrition goals as soon as I stopped looking for motivation, stopped emotionalizing the decision making process, and started thinking like a robot.

[I-Jo]

I always view it as "not an option"

 

it is simply NOT an option to not work out.  

Every Monday I go to dance class- regardless of what I want or not.

Every Tuesday I work from 5-8 roughly and then I work out from 8-11.

Every Wednesday is a day off

 

Etc, etc, etc

 

there are no options- this is just how I do it.  Sometimes I have to make a substitution- like- i have to push my workout and substitute the hair cut- but ultimately I come home and work out later that night.

 

NOT working out- is NOT an option.  The second you give yourself any time to talk  yourself out of it- is the second you don't do it.  

 

watching fun cool new videos always inspires me too but ultimately that's just to try something new- not to give me moto to go work out.

I also find once I start- I'm committed and that's it- I push hard.

 

Start doing interval workouts- only because once the buzzer goes- you can't stop till it stops... it's an easy way to bang out 15 minutes of intense work with NO thought what so ever!

[sweetleaf5]

I started making lifestyle changes on Feb 17th...I made an attempt at the Whole30. I didn't do it 100% but the changes I made turned into 3 lbs lost in week one and right now I am down 9 lbs total. I feel better, my clothes fit differently, I'm stronger and now other people are starting to notice the changes too! That is motivation enough for me!

I like the idea of making the exercise and healthy choices non-negotiable...just do it! I love that!

[Wolfhorde]

I always view it as "not an option"

 

it is simply NOT an option to not work out.  

Every Monday I go to dance class- regardless of what I want or not.

Every Tuesday I work from 5-8 roughly and then I work out from 8-11.

Every Wednesday is a day off

 

Etc, etc, etc

 

there are no options- this is just how I do it.  Sometimes I have to make a substitution- like- i have to push my workout and substitute the hair cut- but ultimately I come home and work out later that night.

 

NOT working out- is NOT an option.  The second you give yourself any time to talk  yourself out of it- is the second you don't do it.  

 

watching fun cool new videos always inspires me too but ultimately that's just to try something new- not to give me moto to go work out.

I also find once I start- I'm committed and that's it- I push hard.

 

Start doing interval workouts- only because once the buzzer goes- you can't stop till it stops... it's an easy way to bang out 15 minutes of intense work with NO thought what so ever!

This, totally. Don't try to do things. Do things, because not doing them is not an option. 'Good enough' is not an option. The status quo can go suck it.

 

Also, robot mechanisms + playlist of songs/artists that get you pumped => win. (try listening to Andrew W.Ks "I get wet" without getting pumped)

[StuffofDreams]

I go through this myself. It can be tough. But I have found some ways to help me get off my ass.

 

First, you need to plant the seed in your mind. Take a few moments right now to think about going to the gym. Imagine yourself putting on your shoes and heading there. Hear the weights clanging. Imagine the people you'll see. What does it smell like? Try to make it as vivid as possible.

 

Now you need to take a minor action. Select your gym clothes and place them in your workout bag. 

 

Go to bed.

 

The next day just tell yourself, "I'm going to put on my workout shoes. That's it. If I don't feel like working out then II'll take them off."

 

If you've gotten this far already then you should be thinking, "Screw it. I'm going to the gym." However, if you're still feeling lazy then just say to yourself, "I'm going to the gym now. I'll walk inside. If I walk inside and don't feel like working out then I can just go straight home. I've never gone home immediately after entering the gym.

[GetOffaMyRunway]

However, if you're still feeling lazy then just say to yourself, "I'm going to the gym now. I'll walk inside. If I walk inside and don't feel like working out then I can just go straight home. I've never gone home immediately after entering the gym.

 

This right here! I always try to make myself at least show up at the gym - then I can't really justify not working out at least some.

 

You say you are walking into the college cafeteria and eating bad? Take a few minutes one day when you aren't going to eat right away, and walk around the cafeteria. Take mental notes of what choices you could make that are healthier. I find that I am much more likely to eat healthy when the healthy choices are obvious. If I walk in and go straight to the pizza bar, I never even look at the salad or fruit, and I might feel bad later, but not enough to make the better choice. If there's a little voice in my head telling me HEY you KNOW there is a better choice RIGHT THERE, I'll probably put down the less healthy choice. Try to keep a healthy snack like an apple or a baggie of nuts in your backpack for between classes, that way you aren't ravenous when you get to the cafeteria and you can take time to think over your options instead of wanting to grab something and sit. Having to look at something healthy in your bag is also a great reminder - this is the type of stuff I eat now, I'm a healthy person.

[marionette]

I try to work it in so that the gym becomes part of my routine before I even get home. I bring my gym bag with me to work, the gym I go to is located near work, not near home to remove the temptation to stop off. I schedule classes at the gym and there is a financial penalty if I don't make them. After a while of doing this it became second nature and now it isn't a hassle to get to the gym on weekends, or go for a run because I've pretty much reprogrammed myself to workout 5-6 days a week.

 

For cafeterias I've found that the opposite of how you shop a supermarket tends to lead to better choices. Salad bars tend to be in the middle, hot stations and junk on the edges. Fruit tends to be the furthest away from the trays. Try altering your usual path through the cafeteria and see what you pick up naturally, I bet it is more green and less grease.

[I-Jo]

^^

 

what she said. 

 

once you are home it's hard to make it happen- nothing but iron will determination will get you back up and out the door.  

 

Taking the bag with you and making sure the "work out" zone is on the way to or from work- makes getting there a lot LOT easier. 

 

(I actually will take a bag when I'm travelling- if I get stuck in traffic- I can visit another gym instead of worrying about making mine- or coping out at the last minute b/c I'm tired from the drive. 

[sylkamaru]

Everyone has some good inthoughts about this.

 

If I can add a little something based on my experience, you have to do something you like,

because it will be the thing that remains when every bit of motivation will be gone.

I did lot of different type of workout / program and lots of them didn't last long because past the motivation of the beginning

 

But since I street workout, it's easier because I like getting on bars like a monkey, getting upside down, watching tv while I make static holds figure...

 

And for me it was important that access was easy... the gym was about 40 min from my work whereas the park was just behind... made a lot of difference. At home, the weights are all tied up, but my pull up bar is always on... so when I'm not in the mood, all is set to still crack up some push ups and pull ups

 

Hope it'll help

[UH60guy]

One of my tricks with low willpower is to avoid the situations that tempt you the best you can all together. It can be tough as a college student, but see if you can avoid the cafeteria for at least one meal per day.

 

For example, I used to go to Subway every day at work for lunch. I though of it as healthy as I pretty much just stuck to ham or turkey, no cheese or sauce other than plain mustard, with apples, water or unsweet tea. In the end I never really lost any weight because of my low willpower- I would succumb to temptation with the chips or cookies, or one of the calorie bomb subs a few times per week. Once I made a routine of packing my own lunch, I controlled what went into the box each day, and I didn't put myself in the situation of eating out where I even had the temptation. Now it's part of my routine- Sunday shopping involves buying what I take for lunch at the grocery store, and I pack it each morning while cooking breakfast.

 

See if you can find something healthy at a local grocery that fits with your diet plan. I went for greek yogurt and apples with a thermos of water from home, which ends up being about $2 for a lunch- another trick is that the food is perishable so once I buy them I commit myself to actually using them during the week before they go bad. This week I'm trying with packing vegetable tray stuff and a small tupperware with some almond butter. Now that I've taken the act of making a decision off the table, I actually can't cheat if I wanted to. Not to mention it gave me a great excuse as well- I was invited out to a restaurant for lunch an hour ago, and I could just point to my lunch and say "ohhhh, sorry, I brought my lunch today."

[sylkamaru]

Amen to that !

 

We're all weak facing temptation... Best thing is then flee and avoid rather than fight it. (I know this isn't very brave, but there is no meaning to make a fight you're gonna lose)

Most of my friends often tease me because "man !! there is never any snacks or beer or sweets at your place !!!"

But unlike most of them, I do not empty a full pack of chips or pop corn during movie time at home...

[sweetleaf5]

Tracking my workouts is motivating to me. I love looking at the calendar and seeing all those YES marks!