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.

Did the initial  weight loss slow down or stall all together?

Are you considering cutting back your calories even more or ramping up your exercise efforts?

Well before you do that, there is another part of the fitter you 2.0 program that you should consider increasing before you try the aforementioned strategies.

And what would that be?

Sleep.

It is recommended that the average person get between 7-9 hours of sleep a night (8.5 hours being the ideal) with a few 30 minute naps thrown in through out the week for good measure.

I know what you are now saying at your computer screen.  ”Yeah, right.  I don’t have the time to get that much sleep.”  ”Naps.  What’s a nap?” “I catch up on my sleep on the weekends.” This kind of thinking is probably why the average person only gets about 4-6 hours a night.

But not getting a full night’s sleep (remember 8.5 hours) can have some serious effects on your fat loss and fitness goals.

You remember those goals (i.e. resolutions) you made a couple weeks ago, don’t you.

1.)  Lack of sleep can cause fat gain. Not getting enough sleep has been shown in studies to increase the production of a hormone in your body called cortisol. Increased cortisol production has been shown to cause your body to store fat.  And cortisol especially loves to help you store fat in your stomach.

What lack of sleep can do to a FGAA member….and you. Real photo. Not doctored.

2.)  Your workouts will suffer. Not only will you not be able to workout out at 100% capacity, you will not be giving your body the recovery time it needs to rejuvenate and repair itself for the next workout. Also, if you are tired during your workouts your form will suffer.  Bad form leads to injuries.  Injuries lead to lack of exercise.  Lack of exercise leads to fat gain.

He’s getting in his recovery time.  If you can’t see the book, it reads “1,001 Ways To Get Fit.”

3.)  Not sleeping enough leads to a weakening of your immune system.  If your immune system is in a weakened state it makes you WAY more susceptible to whatever germs or viruses are lurking about.  You can’t work on your fat loss and fitness goals when you on the couch with a bucket ready.  And by the way, any weight loss that occurs when you are sick is most likely water and lean tissue. No, any weight loss is not good weight loss.

Just because this pig is cute doesn’t mean getting the swine flu will be.

Now that you know how important sleep is for your fat loss and fitness goals I want you to turn off your computer find a nice comfortable place and take a nice long nap.  Or if you are reading this in the middle of night, GO TO BED ALREADY!!!!

Your friend and trainer,

Paul