7 Tips That WILL Motivate You to Exercise for Fat Loss Now
Even though I enjoy exercising now and wouldn’t miss a workout session unless something really drastic happened, there was a time when I only did it because I knew I had to to lose weight.
Notice the moobs and gut and just know that it got worse. Way worse.
There were times when my motivation was lagging and I found it really hard to push myself though a workout. And even if I did make it thought the workout, because I couldn’t push myself as hard as I thought I should have, I would feel that my whole plan to lose weight/fat was thrown off and I would never reach my weight loss goal. Forget the body of my dreams.
At one point things seemed to be getting worse as I had, what I thought, was one bad workout after another. The whole idea of working out started to become even less fun than it already was. It seemed like I was always playing catch up and I was destined to fail at my weight loss goals like so many others before me. Sound familiar.
I felt like a weak failure and that I was quickly losing my battle with the bulge. And that is definitely not what getting the body of your dreams should be all about
Thankfully I learned some things along the way. Some strategies here. A few tips there. Either finding out for myself or getting help from others. All of which got me to my present body.
These motivational tips can also help you destory your lack of motivation and self doubt right when you are about to give up exercising for the day.
Or forever
So take the 7 tips I have included below and put them to use now (I mean right now) and you will never think of skipping a workout ever again.
1.) Visualize. - Find a quiet place and turn off all distractions. Once you are focused, I want you to visualize the body you want and will get if you workout. When you have that body in front of you I want you to focus on the parts that you really want to change. See that flat stomach, those firm thighs, the strong shoulders, those toned arms and whatever else you are looking to achieve by working out.
Once you are done visualizing your dream body, remind yourself that you can only get it though hard work and exercise.
Visualize your perfect body.
2.) Write everything down. – And I mean everything. Write down what your goals and expectations are, your clothes sizes, your height, weight, circumferences and where you would like the aforementioned numbers to end up. Write down how you felt after your workouts. Or how you felt after you blew one off. Even write down things that happened because you now workout but didn’t expect (i.e. better sex).
The next time you feel like blowing off a workout read the things you have written. Seeing the changes that have occurred due to working will inspire you to make them even better.
3.) Don’t stop moving. - It has been shown that it is what you do for non-structured exercise that really determines how fit and healthy you are. (see Fat Loss is NEAT). So no matter where you are and what you are doing, MOVE. Walk around, jump, hop. Just do something.
Once you start you will want to keep going. Like Newton discover: an object in motion wants to stay in motion. Not moving around and just sitting there can make you want to keep doing the same.
MOVE ALREADY.
Follow her example and keep moving.
4.) Do a 5 minute workout. – Really don’t feel like working out. Do this. Go to the gym (or where ever you workout) and tell yourself that you will workout for just a few minutes. And mean it. Have absolutely no intention of continuing. Plan to stop at the designated time.
If you get to that time and you still want to stop. By all means stop. But remember: an object in motion wants to stay in motion. Your chances of actually stopping and pretty low.
5.) Take a caffeinated nap. – I do this a lot myself with a cup of green tea.
Feeling slow and tired? Try this. Make a cup of tea or coffee. Once you finish drinking it (quickly is preferred), set a timer (if necessary) and take a 15 – 20 minute nap. If you really are tired, you will fall asleep but after about 20 minutes the caffeine will kick in. Instant Energizer Bunny.
Try not moving when that happens.
6.) Get ready. – This works the roughly the same way as #4. Next time you don’t feel like working out gather everything up that you will need to workout. Get your clothes, your shoes, your sweat bands and any equipment you might need and gather it up like you would for a workout. Once you have done all that, you probably won’t want to have done it for nothing and will decide to work out.
7.) Just do it. – Be like the athletic company, named after the Greek goddess of sport, and JUST DO IT. Turn off that lard ass couch potato in your head and JUST DO IT.
JUST DO IT.
JUST DO IT.
That’s where you want to be.
Why are you still sitting there? JUST DO IT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.
Have any other tips that you use to motivate yourself. Leave a comment below. You just make keep someone on track that might otherwise give up.
Your friend and trainer,
Paul F. Sweatt
Wellesley’s Best Fat Loss Motivator and former lard ass couch potato.
Posted by Paul | in Mind & Motivation | 2 Comments
This might be an obvious point, but keep in mind how good you feel when your workout is finished. You never regret having done it once it is over; so remember that feeling when you are mentally listing all the reasons why it is O.K. to skip it.
Great tip. Thanks, Marcia.