What motivates you??

JennaSwann

JennaSwann

New member
I am excited to be here and hopefully can find more motivation, advice and encouragement for my weight loss journey.
I have 2 young kids and tried for 3 years to get rid of 25 pounds of baby weight. I have learned better eating habits, the importance of protein and snacks and was able to lose the baby weight within a little over 3 months. I have maintained it for about 6 months now but I am lacking motivation to get to the next level and where I would truly like to be.
I think i struggled for so long to lose it that once I did I just kinda quit. I kept doing what I was doing and I fluctuate 2-3 pounds on and off but I've been able to maintain and have become complacent. I'm lacking motivation to exercise, tone up and lose more weight and am not quite sure what I need to do to get where I want to be.
 
Last year this time I was at my heaviest but yet my motivation to exercise was amazing. For 5 straight months I exercised either by running or doing strength and weight training with circuit training 5-6 times a week. I want that motivation and drive back but it's just not happening.
Each night I go to bed saying I'll get up early and run or exercise or go to the gym but then when morning comes so do the excuses. I am beyond frustrated and want to tone up and gain my confidence back but I just won't do it.
I've tried different apps and groups that have exercises but I am terrible at keeping up with those. I feel like if I miss a day I've failed and so I end up throwing in the towel rather than getting back on track. I need more accountability and motivation for workouts. I wish I had someone to workout with or keep me motivated so I won't give up
 
JennaSwann said:
I wish I had someone to workout with or keep me motivated so I won't give up
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I wish I had someone to follow me around and smack food out of my hand, and yell at me Jillian Michaels style... but ...*sigh* I don't have that. haha! The only thing that really keeps me motivated to exercise is friendly competition or rewards. If I do this, this, and this.... I'll reward myself with this. Currently my husband and I have a reward thing going on... If I exercise 4 times this week and eat well, he's going to take the kids to school one day next week and let me sleep in an extra day. I loathe exercise so getting something in return is about the only thing that works for me. I know being healthy should motivate me enough... but no.. haha!

Also when I'm motivated and come back to the forum everyday, that keeps me motivated as well. :)
 
Lol having a Jillian Michaels around me would probably motivate me and scare the hell out of me! I love competition so maybe I'll try to think of something. My husband is in the national guard and is a firefighter/EMT so he's in great shape and he's just small anyways. He's one of those annoying people that eats what he wants when he wants and never gains an ounce. Drives me crazy.
I do have a friend that tries to motivate me to the gym but she goes to a different gym so it's essentially her saying hey you go to yours and I'll go to mine...doesn't motivate me to go alone. But maybe I can think of something fun with her to keep me going. Thanks for the tip
 
Welcome, I've only been here a week but it's been super helpful - hope it works for you too.

I totally relate to the 'f*ck it' approach after one bad day...that's what I'm learning again...This journey never ends and we just need to look at it that way. Things will never be perfect and we are only human.

Good luck with your getting your motivation. I've been keeping myself motivated by telling myself how MUCH I want to feel good in my body and wear the clothes that I want to wear and feel strong and fit. I REALLY want that in my life coz the alternative is pretty shit :D Having said that, it's still a struggle to get out of the door a lot of the times and I need to remind myself how good it feels when I have exercised.
 
I almost feel like I need to be that person that takes a pictures of myself and just puts it right on the fridge so maybe I'll pick better choices when I open the doors but the working out is like insanely difficult. Weather is getting nicer here so maybe that'll help get me outside and everything. 95% of my problem is just making it to the gym. My life is busy and hectic (I know "so is everyone else's) so by the time I have a chance to get to the gym I lose motivation and just want to sit. I need to just discipline myself to get up in the morning and go while everyone is asleep. That's what I will do. Starting tomorrow i am up at 5...well let's do 6
 
JennaSwann said:
Starting tomorrow i am up at 5...well let's do 6
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Ugh. I am not a morning person at all and that sounds absolutely dreadful to me!

Most of the battle is definitely in our heads and finding the motivation is tough. Keep coming here though...read the other diaries...keep plugging away...and one day that switch will, well, it will switch...and you'll wonder why it was ever that hard.
 
jen_renee said:
Sooooooo.... how was the gym? :)
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Ummmmm......well. I could've used some of that yelling you mentioned. I have yet to make it BUT I did take my kids to the park with an overly sized hill and we ran up and down it like 10 times. It really just made me realize how out of shape I am
 
If you take every opportunity you can to get some incidental exercise it will add up. How much weight do you think you need to lose Jenna? Or do you think you just need to get fitter?
 
JennaSwann said:
Ummmmm......well. I could've used some of that yelling you mentioned.
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GET YOUR ASS TO THE GYM, WOMAN! Go! Go NOW! ....or at the next most convenient time... but do it! Doooooo it! Go!


:D

But seriously....

giphy.gif
 
This just made my entire year! Lmao!!! Thank you for the motivation. Thanks to this I did a little circuit training in my house. My husband is in an EMT class and runs with the volunteer rescue squad and the fire department so I'm flying solo with 2 kids and apparently it is "frowned upon" to leave a 1 and 3 year old home alone lol

But seriously....

giphy.gif
 
cate said:
If you take every opportunity you can to get some incidental exercise it will add up. How much weight do you think you need to lose Jenna? Or do you think you just need to get fitter?
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I think I dreamed too small...that's weird to say but basically I so badly wanted to get back to my pre pregnancy weight that it became my entire goal. I hit that number but after 2 kids your body doesn't so much go back to "pre pregnancy body" if you know what I mean. Honestly I would like to tone up and not so much focus on the scale but just inches and feeling better in my clothes. I'm not looking for a 6 pack but just toning
 
In that case, Jenna you can just work at getting fitter & more toned by being just a little more active, eating healthy, drinking water, getting a good night's sleep......You have this honey. It takes time to get back to feeling like you were before having 2 kids. Life will never be the same, but is more enriched. Enjoy your life & your kids. By eating healthy & being active you will also be a great example to them. I'm glad you are not obsessing over numbers. Very smart!
 
BIG THINGS PEOPLE!! Well big for me anyways especially as of lately. I decided to get off my pity party soapbox and I did some circuit training in the house the other night since I haven't been able to get to the gym. I took my kids for an hour long walk with a double stroller up and down hills yesterday and worked out today at the house. It's nothing huge but it's more than I've been doing.
I am starting a "lean in 13" thing tomorrow so I'm hoping that will keep me motivated and moving. Feeling positive!'
 
Good for you Jenna. It sounds like a good workout to me. What is the lean in 13 thing?
 
cate said:
Good for you Jenna. It sounds like a good workout to me. What is the lean in 13 thing?
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The idea is pretty much you have 3 burn days where you get 3 full meals and 3 snacks and focus on protein and doing about 20 minutes of exercise. For the burn days you don't do complex carbs or fruit and then on day 4 you have a refuel day with 3 meals, 3 snacks focused on protein but you can have carbs and fruits and you basically repeat that and day 13 is a free day. It's helping me stay motivated in working out and I have been taking the refuel day as more of a rest day lol but I've been using you tube work outs and getting some exercise at home and when it's warm I just try and get the kids outside. I've lost 2 pounds and about 6 inches so I'm feeling better. Now to just keep it going
 
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