Last night after a little encouragement and the desire not to be shamed by the hard-pushing long-jogging FLG, I snuck off to the gym. After the new episode of Project Runway ended at 10 p.m. I decided instead of wasting time playing around online I would go get a workout in. An hour later I felt great about the decision. Just adding 45 minutes of cardio into my schedule where it normally wouldn’t have been completely made my day. Late night workouts are great.
It’s funny how despite having all the free time in the world (hello, unemployment!) I still have to force myself to get workouts in. When I’m busy I can somehow easily schedule a workout into my day. It’s just another thing on my checklist of things to do and I have no problem making myself get it done. But when I have an empty day with no structure and nothing to do I have trouble making it happen. I will pick a time to workout but because I sit around for hours before hand by the time the “exercise time” rolls around I don’t want to go. I just want to keep sitting around watching movies and twiddling my thumbs (um, I totally need a hobby – feel free to throw out suggestions). The motivation to exercise just doesn’t seem to be present.
Even today I’m having that problem. I am scheduled to go meet Cammy (the awesome blogger from the Tippy Toe Diet) for a workout in an hour. For the last hour I’ve been dreading it and thinking of reasons why I should just not go. Silly, right? There is no reason I shouldn’t go. There is no reason why it won’t be great. There is no reason why I should be trying to get out of dong the exercise my body desperately needs. Yet I am. I’m battling my lazy mind and body to convince them that this is a good thing and that sitting around the house all morning is more than enough. It’s time to get moving and stop making excuses. Even though I know the workout will be great I am still fighting against part of myself that just wants to sit around and continue feeling useless.
But then I think about all the times I’ve let myself get in the way of things I wanted or needed to do. I think about all the times I let my weight or my fear or even just my desire to be lazy hold me back. I realize those opportunities are gone but the future opportunities don’t have to slip by the same way. I am not lazy. I will workout. I will not let the desire to mope and sit around win!!
HURRAY EXERCISE!! (Boo laziness.)
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hey girl! i have had a busy week and am just catching up :) nice job on getting to the gym. it is SO crazy how i can argue with myself for hours about going, and then once i finally get it over and done with i feel so refreshed and wonder what all the fuss was about to begin with! i love your motivation in this post, i hope i can remember this enthusiasm next time i am feeling lazy! have a great weekend :)
Oh, good for you!! I can’t tell you how proud I am of you, and your commitment to get healthy.
You want to hear something along the same lines? When I only had 3 children I could never seem to be anywhere on time. But the busier I got, and the more children I had, the more organized and efficient I became. Out of necessity I suppose!
Good job for going to workout!
I have struggled with this myself, as I too have all kinds of free time but haven’t always wanted to spend that free time working out. However, the fact that I’ve been running has motivated me to get up early on those days because it is so stinkin’ HOT if I wait too late!
Ping! Light bulb moment: “sit around the house feeling useless”. Mmm, I sit at my computer all day feeling fat. I should be working out! Thanks! Say hi to Cammie!
It is really funny how when we are not busy, it is hard to make ourselves do something, but when we are busy, we find times to do things. While that isn’t always true, it sure seems to be more often than not.
Congrats on getting the workout in!
I just found your blog, and I’m loving it!
I know what you mean about unstructured days making it even harder to “fit in” a workout. I’m much more likely to hit the gym on my lunch break from work than to do anything active at all if I’m at home.
I need to fight with this too. I hate the fact that I am so lazy that I can’t myself up early enough to run. There is nothing stopping me, but I just can’t get up.
I know that feeling. For me it comes every Tuesday and Friday (my weights days). I think of reasons not to do it, I try to talk myself into not doing it, but in the end I seem to be able to coax myself into doing it. I think my winning argument is always “just do a little bit, if you’re not into it then stop, but if you want to keep going, keep going.” There’s something about having that option in there for me that hooks me :)
But hey, good on you for going to the workout! I’m sure you had heaps of fun! :)
Hobbies… hmm, violin? :)
It was an awesome workout, and I hope we can do it again next week! Thanks for joining me!
I’m just getting the hang of the unstructured days. Mostly by structuring them. :) One thing that rarely gets skipped is my workout. My floors might not be vacuumed, and my bed might not get made for days on end, but I will get in my workout!
Just do it, right? That’s how I do it. I say okay, it’s four o clock…time for my walk. and then i go. Maybe you should schedule a specific time. It really works for me, I can feel it gnawing at me if I don’t get it in. Well, keep up the good fight.
I hear you on the not working and exercise thing. I am finding it is harder to exercise with out a defined routine or schedule. Too much free time to over think things and procrastinate!!! I hope going back to Manchester helps me get back into a routine and my exercise will be more regular :D
seriously feel like i wrote this post.
I totally agree with Cammy where she said ” I’m just getting the hang of the unstructured days. Mostly by structuring them”. Getting yourself out of bed at a decent time is half the battle. Once I can do that at a decent time, I feel like the rest of my day is more productive. I have found it also helps to love the gym that you go to. Get to know people, or get involved in classes you really like.
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Good for you!
I have some days where I have to force myself to go to a class or do my cardio. I’ll whinge my way through every reason why I can’t do it and then I’ll do it anyway. Well… most of the time.
Congrats for getting the workout in! the more we do it, the more it becomes like a habit, so keep on pushing through. :)
I agree with cmoursler. I had this battle in my head all the time, too. Finally, I just decided I had to quit thinking of exercise as an option. I just had to do it, period. I did finally stop beating myself up about not enjoying it, though. I’d still rather be doing anything else. But it’s the only way for me to lose and maintain. And the way you feel being at a good weight makes it all worth it! Keep it up!
You can do it!!! Once you you make it a habit, you’ll feel worse if you *DON’T* exercise!!!
I totally relate with you on this one. I´m unemployed too and it´s the feeling of feeling useless that´s driving me crazy! I tried to exercise (that´s the least I can do with all this free time) but I couldn´t find the right time either…there´s always an excuse! right?
I just read the latest post by FBG and I think it´s great…take a look at it. It talks about how what you eat is more important than excercise and that sometimes exercise makes it harder to loose weight.
Also a friend of mine has lost like 40 pounds in 3 months changing her lifestyle with a business called Chef-Rx, they customize 3 meals and 2 snacks and deliver daily to your house so you don´t have to shop, cook or clean..I don´t know if they have something like that where you live, I live in Chicago, but let me tell you that my friend is so happy and is living a healthy life now.
Good luck with your new achievements and maybe give them a call..(847)-778-45-88.
I really don’t think youre lazy. But I understand…if I have nothing to do all day but get ready for one thing, im usually late. Inertia or ‘ooh I should just do this first’ usually gets in the way. (ps I love project runway)
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