How did you get started and keep yourself motivated?

I have a really hard time trying to keep myself motivated. I am 5'5', 150 lbs. I am not overweight, but I have all my weight in my butt and a loose stomach. I have had 2 kids. Before I had kids I weighed 120. I want to be there again. Is there anyone out there that knows of a energy pill or diet pill that will boost my energy to motivate me? Thanks for your help!

Tue. Jan 31, 8:26am

Be careful about using diet or energy pills!! They can do more harm than good sometimes!

I decided to walk in the breast Cancer 3-Day as my motivator--I have to raise funds AND walk to train, I logged in approx. 250 miles last year in training and lost weight & inches without really doing too much else. (besides trying to eat more fruits and veggies.)

I'm doing it again, so if you're interested, I can give you some tips..

The way I saw it was this: By doing a charity walk, I'm walking for someone else (my best friend's mom had breast cancer). So... they are counting on ME (in my mind) to follow through and to do the walk... Walking 60 miles in 3 days (20 Miles a day) is NOT easy, but far easier than what many women go through when getting treatment for breast cancer!

--IrisSVB

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 10:01 AM

Exercise is the best energy "pill" there is!

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 10:26 AM

I agree that exercise is the best "pill." The adrenaline rush is addicting and can turn your whole day around. For me, the hardest part of exercising is getting my butt out the door. No matter how much I know that exercise makes me feel better, and I will love it once I start, I still can't get moving.

A lot of times "tricking yourself" can work. For example, if you are going for a run, tell yourself that you're just going to walk for a bit, no pressure. Then, once out the door and walking, start jogging. Nine times out of ten you get inspired to make it worth your time and break into a nice pace. Another trick is to tell yourself you'll do a real easy run, no hills...once you start running, the endorphins kick in and you outdo your original intentions.

Pulling the wool over your eyes can work in any form of exercise, too. Say you are going to bike for 15 minutes...once you break a sweat you want to keep going, and, before you know it, you tricked yourself into a 45 minute cardio session.

Sounds silly, but I swear by it.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 10:57 AM

I swim as part of my coss training. Front crawl. Three strokes between breaths- and I have a mantra that keeps me motivated. I (stroke) AM (stroke) A GODDESS!! (stroke/breathe) I (stroke) AM (stroke) FIERCE !(stroke/breathe) and repeat while swimming a mile. I find it impossible not to have motivation when you realise you're a fierce goddess...

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 11:15 AM

My Manta:

I was recently told this by a fellow peer trainer:
I CAN do it, just for this day!
I CAN workout, just for this day!
I find that if i focus on just today, i am much better off than if i think abou the whole week b/c its too overwhelming. Its also too easy to say, i will exercise tomorrow. I just need to walk 20 min today and remember to eat right- just for today.
Feel good about YOU today and you CAN do it! :)

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 11:39 AM

Rhodiola for energy

It's an herb that I took after surgery and I felt great. It is NOT a stimulant. But like all supplements, absolutely do your research, purchase from a good vendor/company (not GNC or other chains in my humble opinion) and talk to your doctor.

Otherwise, exercise, exercise, exercise - get those fitness hormones flowin'!

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 11:47 AM

Get a dog

Get a dog that will walk or run with you......they are such creatures of habit, they get you up in the mornings and stare at you when you don't walk the "usual" times.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 2:34 PM

I had a hard time getting motivated too, but I decided to jump in to peertrainer before I was motivated, and I hoped that being here and doing the food log and the group would motivate me, and it did! Sort of put the cart before the horse and it worked! If it's energy you need I absolutely recommend exercise, just start walking, just start slow and build from there. All the best to you!

Wednesday, February 1, 2006, 5:14 AM

This is so true-I do this all the time. Cardio is not my favorite-especially the treadmill. I tell myself that I will only walk, then I hear a good song, and Bam! All of a sudden I am in the middle of nice run. I will also tell myself that I am only going to stay on the treadmill for 10 minutes, then all of a sudden 30 go by and I feel great! I need all the 'tricks' I can think of and this seems to be working!

Wednesday, February 1, 2006, 7:37 AM

I often have trouble getting myself out the door for my runs, even though I know I'll enjoy myself once I do.
I have several "tricks"
I tell myself I'm only going for 15 minutes. Sometimes, I only will run for that long, but more often than not, once I get going it's difficult to stop.
I put on my running gear even if I dont want to go. Then it seems really silly to take it all off without doing atleast a short jog.
I think of how good I feel after my run.

That's usually enough to get me out the door.

Wednesday, February 1, 2006, 8:56 AM

I don't think anyone has mentioned $$$ yet.
I know it's not possible for everyone (its not possible for me right now - so poor), but if you're paying for it, you're going to be more motivated to get your money's worth.
I've heard a lot of people who have joined weight watchers say that what keeps them eating healthy is just knowing that they're paying for the program.
About a year a go I joined a running club and sign up for a running class. A little expensive - but well worth it. I never missed a class because I knew it was my money, and I worked hard all week so that I could keep up with the rest of the group.

Wednesday, February 1, 2006, 9:23 AM

A great way for me to get motivated...
Started out with Lent of last year. My hubby & I decided that for Lent we would give up TV, EXCEPT if we were exercising... :-) It was amazing how much of our free-time we reclaimed!!! :-) I'm planning to do that again this year.

One year, we gave up fast food (and pretty much stuck with it-- we found renewed energy!) Another year, we gave up meat (couldn't stick with that for long term, but it was an interesting adventure in trying to eat at restaurants)

Also, I plug in a DVD of my favorite movie while on the treadmill. It makes the time go by so quickly!! (One of my favorites is Lord of the Rings.) You get so engrossed with the plot & story that before you know it, an hour or 2 have gone by! I also have a few DVD collections of favorite TV shows-- By the time you "watch"' 2 episodes, about 35-45 minutes have gone by!

Wednesday, February 1, 2006, 9:29 AM

Hey, my calendar has a "weeks to go" feature in it!
I did an analysis and used some benchmark dates for my calendar-- what I found was this:

Hey, I just looked at my calendar and noticed some benchmark:
It's 101 days (13-1/2 weeks) until my friend's wedding shower
It's 150 days (20-1/2 weeks) until she gets married..
and 191 days (26-1/2 weeks) until the 3-Day walk!

If I can lose 1.5 lbs a week until her shower, I should be about 150 lbs...
If I can lose 1.5 lbs a week until her wedding, I should be about 140 lbs (close to my ideal goal!)
If I continue to lose 1.5 lbs a week until the 3-Day, I will be at 131 lbs (a weight I haven't been since I was about 18 or 19)

I think I'm going to put up this "benchmark" and see how things go... 1.5 lbs a week should be pretty attainable for me and I hope will motivate me to see what my long-term goals are!

Wednesday, February 1, 2006, 11:47 AM

Let Feeling Great Motivate You...Not Pills!

There is no magic pill! I was a workout nut, but now that I'm 33.5 weeks pregnant, I've had to slow down a little. I'm already thinking about how I'm going to get back into shape and I have to resort to thinking about when I first got serious about fitness...

It was a life change! And I had my ups and downs, even once I established a solid routine, there were times I didn't feel like doing much. So I would take a few days off from working out; I'd eat what I felt like eating, and within a day or two I couldn't wait to get back to the gym! And after a really good workout, I was always motivated to keep it up...you just have to go with the ebbs and flows of your mood. If you aren't up to working out, take some time off - Not too much though!

Stay away from the pills...they aren't good for you, they can give you a horrid complexion, dry hair, brittle nails, etc...if you're looking for a pick me up have a small cup of coffee before a workout.

Thursday, February 2, 2006, 12:11 PM

Agree 100% Pills can wreak all sorts of havoc on your body!!

Thursday, February 2, 2006, 1:38 PM

i was just reading my fitness rx magazine and they said that basically real women do not depend on diet pills or look for a quick fix it is all about the confidence and how much you want something. My best recomendation is to try and have fun with it, i always use a fast paced music and that keeps me going. But even better is to workout with a friend or even a trainer. I am a very competitive person and its very motivating to have someone right next to you for support thats doing the same thing. I always think oh, if she can go for that long then i should be able to go for longer and when I do it is a confidence boost so for a while after the day that i work out with a friend i am trying harder. Thats why I try to work out with my friend at least 1 time every two weeks. If you need more help then that then maybe take an old picture of you before pregnancy and look at it for motivation of what you want to go back to. I was 150 also and those are the few things i did to lose 30 pounds and now i look even better because i am all toned now. I hope this helps a little bit.----Cristina2

Thursday, February 2, 2006, 4:02 PM

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