Motivation

[Pitbull]

I've been struggling with motivation lately. I've got it in my head that I want/need to lose weight and gain more muscle but getting into the habit has become more difficult then it used to be. I've tried working out in the morning (I'm not really a morning person and I've tried working out in the evening (something always comes up). What can you suggest to help me get motivated and focused on

[massive member]

for me personally, i've always tried to find my motivation but never could. then it hit me, I LOVE WORKING OUT!!

its fun, i enjoy it. i've been doing this for 11 years and i cant imagine not doing it. and what do you know, something i love to do is actually good for me. who wudda thunk it?

one bit on motivation thats readily available but most dont realize is right here, message boards. get a routine down and post it. state your goals, what you want to accomplish and when.

post updates as you go along. you now have others rooting for you and will gladly ride your ass if you dont follow through on them.

if you get stuck or lose enthusiasm or whatever, your buddies on the board will be there for you to help you get back on track.

just an idea. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Pitbull]

Yeah, I agree with you that having a support group is a great way to stay on track. I used to work out 5 to 6 days a week and eat better but since I got married and in my career I just can't seem to stay on track. I either work out really good but can't stay on track with my nutrition or I eat good but don't make time to get into the gym. It's always something. Then I look at myself in the mirror and keep telling my self that I need to lose weight. It's like a huge cycle. I'm trying to get mentally ready to do this though. I used to weight 180-185 at 5'8" with 14% bf and now I weigh about 220 with almost 30% BF. It's gotten out of hand

[massive member]

you're preaching to the choir.

1995: 125lbs 5% bodyfat 12" arms

1998: 180lbs 10% bodyfat 15" arms, got married, bought a home, got a promotion at work, things got so hectic i decided to take a 4 week break to collect myself and get things together.

that 4 weeks became 6 months and started a long downward spiral that led me to 200lbs 26% bodyfat and a 40" waist.

best advice i can give you is to get started and get started now. next week we start a whole new year. you have 12 months to get things together. just imagine how great its gonna feel this time next year when you look back at what you accomplished.

and dont stop. i made the mistake and stopped. never again. i learned from my mistakes.

ask yourself, how bad do you want it?????

[Pitbull]

Wow, your story sounds about like mine except I've still got a 36 in. waist (thankfully it hasn't gotten anymore out of hand). What size are you back down to now? Thanks for the encouragement.

[massive member]

a few weeks ago, it got it down to 33.5" although it feels like i gained at least an inch after last week. LOL

i got my routine down from next saturday (jan 3rd) to the memorial day weekend. then i got rough ideas from then to labor day weekend, then to the end of the year.

i got a digital camera so i can better record my progress. i posted some pics on the mens health board with an old polariod camera and they werent that great. i've got my new tablets for my nutrition and training logs plus a small calendar to plan everything out. this is going to be the year i turn the corner, i know it.

can you feel the excitement in my typing???? [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img]

this stuff isnt complicated when you think about it. training, nutrition and rest with the desire to want it, the discipline to do it and the commitment to get it done.

[img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Pitbull]

Is rest a pretty big part of losing weight and getting in shape? I only get about 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night. That is probably a problem. I'm getting myself conditioned to eating right right now. I'll start working out this week as well. Pretty excited.

[massive member]

my opinion is that its important to guage how you feel when you wake up in the morning. some can get by with less, some need more. i get roughly 7 hours sleep and i do fine. i train first thing in the morning so when i wake up, i'm ready to go.

rest and recovery are important in that doing too much will hurt in the long run. HIIT has shown that you dont need to do endless cardio. and hitting the weights for an hour is plenty.

with experience comes knowing when you go to far. for me its easy. when i lose my enthusiasm for training, i know i need a break.

remember, 12 months. not 12 days, not 12 weeks. 12 months, one day at a time. one workout at a time, one rep at a time, one....... ahhh, you get the idea.

you think you're pretty excited now, wait till 12 months from now.

[LVRebGirl]

Pitbull, I think Massive has given some great advice already. Having a support group is really important. I only post here from time to time, but on my working moms message board, we have a weekly fitness check-in for all of us trying to lose weight/build muscle and get healthier. It definitely helps to have that accountability and know that others are going through the same thing. I've been back at the gym for a little over 3 months now and have lost 16lbs. of fat, 9% body fat and gained 12lbs. of muscle.

Like Massive, I'm taking digital pics of my progress... pretty much every 2-3 weeks I take new pics and it really does help to keep me motivated when I can see the the changes. It also helps to share them with a couple close friends who give me a lot of positive feedback on my progress. It all helps!

[Pitbull]

Thanks for the comment Sandra. You're right, having someone to motivate you and hold you accountable is key. I had a buddy who played for the University of Arkansas Razorback football team, and I worked out with him one summer while he did his off-season work out. I got into the best shape that I've ever been in. He kept me pretty motivated and helped me along. My goal is to get back to that point.