Need your help with my lacking motivation!

I get so mad at myself that I don't exercise more. I want to go the gym 6 days a week but I'm lucky to go two or three times. I know I won't have long term success without exercise. My weight loss is very slow and I'm terrified that I will waste the "honeymoon phase" without getting my weight off. What helps motivate you? Can you share any helpful tips to get me to exercise more?

I am in the same boat as you... I get there once or twice a week, but want to go at least 4 times a week.... Even on days that I am not too busy and could go, I just can't always motivate myself.... I have been stalled for almost a week again, and I am getting so frustrated with myself for not going and working out more.... Although my six kids keep me busy and the fact that we are painting every room in our house so we can list it for sale, I still feel I need to get to the gym.... I hope we get some great advise on this thread... thanks for posting it..... Shawn M.

I can understand not getting to the gym when you have six kids! My youngest is 20, so I can't use that as my reason. I even change for the gym before I leave work and by the time I drive the 40 minutes to the gym, I change my mind and go home instead!

I feel blessed in that I have figured out that there is a type of exercise that I actually enjoy doing, and that is water aerobics. I don't get out of breath, my knees don't hurt, and I have even made some new friends. I have signed up to do it 4 days a week for 45-60 min. I also have been trying to walk, but I get bored with that so I have downloaded a book on tape to my ipod to make it more interesting. I have been trying to think of exercise type things that am actually interested in, and the idea of doing something with dance appeals to me. Perhaps jazzercise or belly dancing would be fun. So I have had a complete turn-around with my attitude towards exercise-it doesn't have to be something I hate! What a concept! Linda O.

Good for you, Linda! It sounds like you really have it under control. That's what I want for myself--something that I actually look forward to. I like the idea of the audio book on the IPOD. I did that today and it really helps. The music at the gym is well...loud, raunchy, and not my style. The book will help drown out the noise and hold my attention.

I actually like the music at my gym, but I still bring my iPod... My gym is a Christian centered gym, so they don't play raunchy music... they play Christian Rock and it is awesome.... I just can't get myself going there as often as I should... Once I put that last kid on the bus at 12:45, sometimes I go and more times I say, oh... I'll go tomorrow... LOL..... I need to stop putting it off. I hope once I get a treadmill I will at least work out more at home. We will see, I hate wasting my gym membership...but oh well.... LOL... Shawn M.

Hi ladies! The gym can be so hard!! But I do agree with the other poster about finding something that you truely enjoy. If you get bored easily the fitness classes are great especially because most gyms offer lots of different kinds of classes all during the week. I'm lucky that my gym lets you bring your own DVD and put it in your personal player/veiwer on the machine you're working out on. So I just got a TV series that I love and am watching an episode each time which works out to about 40 minutes. I love that, but of course, not everyone has that at their gym. One of the reasons I don't like going to the gym is getting all sweaty and gross when I do cardio. But when I do weight training I don't get that bad so sometimes I'll let myself do an extra day of weights just so I don't have to deal with feeling all sticky. Also keep in mind that you don't have to be at the gym for two hours to have a good work out. You can do a great workout in 30-40 minutes. Check out the Body for Life workout, it's the easiest thing I've ever done and it REALLY does work! At the most on days you do weights you'll be in there for 45 minutes and the cadio work out is 30 minutes total on the other days. Hope that helps a little. Good luck, Corinna Q