How do i get motivated????Help!!

Bloodwork

Bloodwork

New member
i am not motivated at the moment... And i´m a newbie in weightloss there for i need some help to begin somewhere..Can you give me advices about training, motivation, nutrition??
I am in need of some serious help!
 
Ask yourself "why?"

Why do you want to lose weight? You have to make your mind believe that going through the motions that lead to weightloss is worth it. Once you do that, things become a whole lot easier.

Just saying, "Because I want to be thin," is NOT going to be enough to make your mind believe you.

You need to couple deep rooted, powerful emotions to your whys to create belief.

In terms of training and nutrition advice, I suggest checking out the stickies on top of the various "sub-forums" before asking such a broad, generalized question.
 
i'm in the army and i lost a lot of weight during basic training then gained it back (And some) in ait so my husband recently relocated to colorado so i'm not gonna see him for 7 weeks when him and i go to los angeles together!

there's my motivation - having my husband say DAMN and being able to wear a nice bikini! =)

also i reward myself after certain amounts of time.
 
Yep, you´re right man! Why? Because i don´t feel happy with this situation..When i was 15 and til i was 18 i had a muscular body..and lots of girls hanging around me..I felt happy at that moment. Maybe it was the most happiest years in my life, i´m not really sure, i haven´t lived so long to be able to decide that. I´m sure muscles won´t help me feel happy now, but at least i wanna live and not die because my heart stops beating cus´of my eating and slacking all the time..

Music is my passion in life, maybe i could combine my weightloss with the music..But i´ll guess i have to think over this!

Thanks mate!;)
 
Bloodwork said:
Music is my passion in life, maybe i could combine my weightloss with the music..But i´ll guess i have to think over this!
Click to expand...

do you have an ipod? if not reward yourself with one...

if you do reward yourself with an itunes gift card or something along those lines or an accessory for your ipod.

if you cant tell - i love my ipod! the gym wouldn't be as fun without it! =)
 
Blueeyes414: Okey, that´s a good thing to do..I agree to that. But i´m like in a evil circle, and it wont go away..I feel like a lamer when i can´t do anyyhing..Of course i can do something about it..But i don´t know how to start :( That´s the problem i got for the moment.. Maybe others are in my situation, i don´t know.
Maybe all i gotta do is to take time for myself, and find out how to do?!

A bit hard for me now..Thanks!
 
blueeyes414 said:
do you have an ipod? if not reward yourself with one...

if you do reward yourself with an itunes gift card or something along those lines or an accessory for your ipod.

if you cant tell - i love my ipod! the gym wouldn't be as fun without it! =)
Click to expand...

I have lots of mp3-players and mp4 :p...So that´s good..I even sing in a band. We play Heavy Metal, and i love it...So your idea is a good advice:D..I haven´t thought about in that way before hehe...Thank you very much.
//Hugs
 
it took a lot for me to get motivated originally because once my husband left alls i wanted to do was stay in my room and not do anything... then i realized i could either sit in my room bored or go to the gym so i figured i'd try the gym. and i left the gym feeling so much better than i had gone in. now its to the point its like an addiction. and my friends here get on me if i dont go because some guys here go every night around the same time so if they dont see me they'll be giving me crap!! (its vice versa too).

you'll find if you get going to the gym or exercising you'll eat healthier anyway. i do because i figure i didnt just put in all that hard work to screw it up by eating junk!!

try walking to start... i used to walk 5 miles a night... i loved it!! my dog would go with me or i'd just take my mp3 player!!
 
Bloodwork said:
Yep, you´re right man! Why? Because i don´t feel happy with this situation..When i was 15 and til i was 18 i had a muscular body..and lots of girls hanging around me..I felt happy at that moment. Maybe it was the most happiest years in my life, i´m not really sure, i haven´t lived so long to be able to decide that. I´m sure muscles won´t help me feel happy now, but at least i wanna live and not die because my heart stops beating cus´of my eating and slacking all the time..

Music is my passion in life, maybe i could combine my weightloss with the music..But i´ll guess i have to think over this!

Thanks mate!;)
Click to expand...

Yea, I would certainly spend a good bit of time developing a thought process.

I have discussed this multiple times on this forum, but I should probably talk more often on the subject. Developing the mindset is an extremely critical step in this process. Most people skip right over it, jumping right into exercise and diet.

While I agree, starting today on the physical components of weightloss is critical.... don't forget about the mental aspect.

I find, for most, they think of this as a "plan." They know that it is all about creating good "lifestyle habits," yet, they still think they are locked into following some plan. Rigidity is something that scares most. Fear usually leads to dislike. Dislike usually leads to lack of adherence.

The moment you believe you are stuck following some "plan," IMO, you already shot yourself in the foot. And please don't read me wrong. There is a difference between a plan and a program. Programs are cyclical in nature. I am certainly not telling you to go and do whatever you feel like. There needs to be some continuum. When I say plan, I mean more of a mindset of being trapped. "I have to do this or else...."

Why do I believe this will kill your progress?

It's the same reason why most people hate their jobs. They feel like they HAVE to adhere to the plan, just like most of us HAVE to go to work every single day.

Think about it, if you could go to work whenever you wanted and didn't have a boss or a set of guidelines that you HAD to abide by.... most wouldn't hate their jobs so much.

Don't read me wrong. I am not telling you that you can half-ass this process.... doing the right things some days, and the opposite on other days. I am saying, on top of creating the belief, it is also crucial that you control your perception.

If you feel like this is like a job, chances are, you are going to end up hating the journey and the destination is going to remain an elusive dream.

So how do you create a perception that works?

That is a question I can't really answer. I can certainly give some pointers, but it is such a broad topic. I speak a lot about pain and pleasure. We all act based on these two emotions. Being rational beings, we will all strive to feel pleasure and we will do are darnedest to avoid pain. Right?

What most of us assume is we are naturally pre-set to associate pain and pleasure to certain things in life. Guess what? We aren't.

This "association scale" is something that is completely in our control. Our current beliefs and associations are born out of habit. New habits and new ways of thinking can certainly replace old.

I can't tell you have many people come to me saying, "I just can't get into this whole exercise and diet thing." They have battled the lifestyle for so long that they actually begin to believe that they aren't cut out for it. They believe they are different than "others" who are physically fit and able. This is just a prime example of the power the mind has. Let it get the best of you and it will drive you right into the ground, taking the wind right out of your sails.

These people, most often, are having trouble due to their "pain/pleasure" scale. They have so much pain associated with exercise and diet, and this all ties in with their perceptions too. Making it more difficult is the fact that they also have pain associated with the idea of giving up their old lifestyle habits.

These two concepts of pain are enough to stop most, dead in their tracks.

Now add this into the mix:

In which direction is their "pleasure scales" tilted? Of course, they are weighted incorrectly too. They associate pleasure with their "old ways."

Okay, so I am sure all of this seems a little "far-fetched." But I promise, this stuff is very real. And changing your perceptions is no easy task. Getting a grip on your mind is more difficult than the exercise and diet part of the equation, IMO. And for most, the diet and exercise part already seems impossible, so imagine how difficult the mind part is!

But fear not. What most people don't realize is, once they figure out the mind part, the other parts fall into place rather easily.

So how do you change perceptions?

Stay tuned for part II, I am sick of typing, LOL.

For now though, I think it is crucial that you identif and isolate what your perceptions are. You can't change something you aren't aware of.

And this is only one facet of what I call, "human development." There are so many techniques and theories. Personally, I spend more time focusing on my thoughts and internal dialog (self-talk) than I do on my training and nutrition.

Our minds are our own, personal advertising firms. Just like commercials, billboards, and ads trigger actions such as spending money.... our minds (thoughts) which are repeated time and time again, trigger our actions.

No grip on your thoughts = No grip on life
 
blueeyes414 said:
it took a lot for me to get motivated originally because once my husband left alls i wanted to do was stay in my room and not do anything... then i realized i could either sit in my room bored or go to the gym so i figured i'd try the gym. and i left the gym feeling so much better than i had gone in. now its to the point its like an addiction. and my friends here get on me if i dont go because some guys here go every night around the same time so if they dont see me they'll be giving me crap!! (its vice versa too).

you'll find if you get going to the gym or exercising you'll eat healthier anyway. i do because i figure i didnt just put in all that hard work to screw it up by eating junk!!

try walking to start... i used to walk 5 miles a night... i loved it!! my dog would go with me or i'd just take my mp3 player!!
Click to expand...

You´re completely right!
Today i´m gonna get out for a walk..And with my mp3-player i´m going to conquer the world hehe..Just kidding! But absolutely, i am going right now. Listening to some heavy metal..maybe i will try to run a bit to..I might have a smile on my lips tonight..:)..Take care for now!
//Michael
 
Steve said:
Yea, I would certainly spend a good bit of time developing a thought process.

I have discussed this multiple times on this forum, but I should probably talk more often on the subject. Developing the mindset is an extremely critical step in this process. Most people skip right over it, jumping right into exercise and diet.

While I agree, starting today on the physical components of weightloss is critical.... don't forget about the mental aspect.

I find, for most, they think of this as a "plan." They know that it is all about creating good "lifestyle habits," yet, they still think they are locked into following some plan. Rigidity is something that scares most. Fear usually leads to dislike. Dislike usually leads to lack of adherence.

The moment you believe you are stuck following some "plan," IMO, you already shot yourself in the foot. And please don't read me wrong. There is a difference between a plan and a program. Programs are cyclical in nature. I am certainly not telling you to go and do whatever you feel like. There needs to be some continuum. When I say plan, I mean more of a mindset of being trapped. "I have to do this or else...."

Why do I believe this will kill your progress?

It's the same reason why most people hate their jobs. They feel like they HAVE to adhere to the plan, just like most of us HAVE to go to work every single day.

Think about it, if you could go to work whenever you wanted and didn't have a boss or a set of guidelines that you HAD to abide by.... most wouldn't hate their jobs so much.

Don't read me wrong. I am not telling you that you can half-ass this process.... doing the right things some days, and the opposite on other days. I am saying, on top of creating the belief, it is also crucial that you control your perception.

If you feel like this is like a job, chances are, you are going to end up hating the journey and the destination is going to remain an elusive dream.

So how do you create a perception that works?

That is a question I can't really answer. I can certainly give some pointers, but it is such a broad topic. I speak a lot about pain and pleasure. We all act based on these two emotions. Being rational beings, we will all strive to feel pleasure and we will do are darnedest to avoid pain. Right?

What most of us assume is we are naturally pre-set to associate pain and pleasure to certain things in life. Guess what? We aren't.

This "association scale" is something that is completely in our control. Our current beliefs and associations are born out of habit. New habits and new ways of thinking can certainly replace old.

I can't tell you have many people come to me saying, "I just can't get into this whole exercise and diet thing." They have battled the lifestyle for so long that they actually begin to believe that they aren't cut out for it. They believe they are different than "others" who are physically fit and able. This is just a prime example of the power the mind has. Let it get the best of you and it will drive you right into the ground, taking the wind right out of your sails.

These people, most often, are having trouble due to their "pain/pleasure" scale. They have so much pain associated with exercise and diet, and this all ties in with their perceptions too. Making it more difficult is the fact that they also have pain associated with the idea of giving up their old lifestyle habits.

These two concepts of pain are enough to stop most, dead in their tracks.

Now add this into the mix:

In which direction is their "pleasure scales" tilted? Of course, they are weighted incorrectly too. They associate pleasure with their "old ways."

Okay, so I am sure all of this seems a little "far-fetched." But I promise, this stuff is very real. And changing your perceptions is no easy task. Getting a grip on your mind is more difficult than the exercise and diet part of the equation, IMO. And for most, the diet and exercise part already seems impossible, so imagine how difficult the mind part is!

But fear not. What most people don't realize is, once they figure out the mind part, the other parts fall into place rather easily.

So how do you change perceptions?

Stay tuned for part II, I am sick of typing, LOL.

For now though, I think it is crucial that you identif and isolate what your perceptions are. You can't change something you aren't aware of.

And this is only one facet of what I call, "human development." There are so many techniques and theories. Personally, I spend more time focusing on my thoughts and internal dialog (self-talk) than I do on my training and nutrition.

Our minds are our own, personal advertising firms. Just like commercials, billboards, and ads trigger actions such as spending money.... our minds (thoughts) which are repeated time and time again, trigger our actions.

No grip on your thoughts = No grip on life
Click to expand...

I´m going to copy what you´ve wrote here..And really think over it!
You seem really smart so i´ll guess i find you interesting to listen to.

Have you been in my situation?
 
Bloodwork said:
I´m going to copy what you´ve wrote here..And really think over it!
You seem really smart so i´ll guess i find you interesting to listen to.

Have you been in my situation?
Click to expand...

I think we've all been in your situation. I haven't shared your problems in terms of weightloss. But I think it is natural for all humans to struggle with something in life. We all have problems finding motivation with SOMETHING.

I have spent a lot of time helping people filter through their own minds and figuring out how to get things heading in the right direction.

Smart? Maybe, depending on who you talk to. :jump:

Experienced? I would say so.
 
Steve is covering this pretty well already, but i would like to add some of my own insight concerning finding your motivation.

Think of the things you do well in life.

What is it that makes you do them well? Be specific

Make that a component of your weight loss goals.

for example, i am (or really was) an athlete. I can get quite competitive at times, and my competitive nature was what made me a record holder/champion. but specifically, it wasnt my competitive nature against those i competed against, because my opponents changed regularly. In fact, it was my competitive nature against myself that made me better than everyone else. as long as i continued to beat myself, then inch by inch i became better, and beat others as well. but everytime i was out there practicing or competing, i was always aiming to better my own bests. there were times in competitions where i blew the opponents away by many feet, and even though i was taking home the gold medals and blue ribbons, i had not bested myself and was overly pissed. I use this to my advantage in weight loss when i can, it has worked well in the past, and i know when i get my new scale in tomorrow, that it will work again. every time i look at the scale, each pound coming off is liking bettering myself slowly but surely, and when there isnt a pound coming off, i better get my butt working harder. Being able to competitively measure something helps me keep going, and having been used to measuring in quarters of inches in shotput and discus, i can see the gain even in quarters of pounds as they come off.

by the way, if you cannot think of anything you do well in life, then you might have an underlying mental health issue due to low self-esteem. i would suggest seeking medical help to work on that, as low self-esteem is a motivation killer.
 
I would say you´ve covered the problems i got in the motivation.
I have not yet come to an answer of what i should do about it, but it will come.
Every human has it´s own ways of dealing with his problems.

Thanks for every advice you´ve given me!:)
 
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