Why can I not get motivated to exercise? Seriously! It's like every time I go to the gym and have a great work out, and look forward to going tomorrow... that when it is finally tomorrow, I totally lack the motivation to have a repeat performance. Why? Let me tell you!
1. I'll get hurt. So the day before, as I am rocking the tricep machine and feel like that I can go for hours. But I know better... I cap it at a reasonable "starting" workout. I leave the gym feeling great and pumped to go back the next day. I wake up sore, or worse, I throw out my back or neck, and am totally disabled for the day.
2. I'll get busy. My day starts at 6:30 when the early waker tugs at my blankets and there is no sending her back to bed. Time to fix kids breakfast, clean the kitchen while they eat, get the kids dressed and check work email. I'm usually on my own until the nanny comes in at 8 or 9 (though on a rare awesome day, she starts at 7 and the kids sleep past 7... and I get up at 9!). I take my oldest to preschool or we take all the girls out to a play date or the store, etc. At 12, we're all home and while the nanny gets the kids lunch, I'm showering for my day at work. I leave at 1 and get home around 8:30. I could go to the gym - it closes at 10, after all. Or I can go home and kiss my kids goodnight instead. They win each time. And of course, I'm not going out after that because I still might be able to spend an hour or so with my husband before he goes off to bed and I assume my position on the couch (or, tsk tsk, clean the kitchen because it got trashed from when I cleaned it that morning). But, I only work 2-3 days a week so the likelihood of my job getting in the way of my success is certainly not at fault.
3. I'll get lazy. So the day before, as I am rocking the treadmill and feel like that I can go for hours. I leave the gym feeling great and pumped to go back the next day. Sometime in the middle of the night during my sleep, that hunger turns off. I wake up the day and just don't care... don't care that the day before I literally saw 1 pound drop off my body during the 30 minutes before and after my workout. Don't care that I am failing miserably at my goal of losing more than 50 pounds before year end. WHY? Why am I sabbotaging my progress?
Everytime I work out at least 2 days per week, I drop 1-2 pounds per week or more. Everytime I don't... I don't lose weight. Even though I've spent most of November tracking my eating, I come in under calorie goal regularly and their daily ticker tells me, "If you keep eating like this, you will weight XXX in 5 weeks. Well, that XXX ranges from 15-25 pounds less than my current weight depending on whether my day was a success or failure. So, it's been about 3 weeks and according to the website, I'd be down 8 pounds at the very least, right? Nope.
I know I'm a "special case" with my jacked up hormones. I wonder if I am destined to have a 800-1000 caleroie day diet AND get at least a half hour of exercise a day for the rest of my life! This will be a slow process, but I *will* eventually get to a normal weight. It will only speed up with added exercise because damn, do I love to eat.
Well, let's see how I do next month.
I know what you mean. I'm reading this as I'm debating about wether to go myself. But I do know after a few consistent weeks you get more and more addicted and in the habit. So as they say, it does get easier. But I'm still waiting for that day too! :)
ReplyDeleteOne thing that worked for me and might work for you too - was to get an accountability partner. I've recently started to seriously think why Lindora worked so well for me before my kids were born and it was writing down EVERYTHING I ate and being accountable about it.
ReplyDeleteSo I recently asked a very good friend (who is tough!) to be my diet partner -all I'm doing is journaling what I eat and sending it to him. Doesn't matter if he reads it or comments, I just need to know that if I don't produce a log, he'll ask me about it. That process makes me stop and think before I start any mindless eating.
Perhaps keeping an exercise journal and being accountable to SOMEONE ELSE can help you stay on track. I know that as much as I want to stuff my face sometimes, I DO NOT want to have to write it down - so I think through my eating much more. Good luck!