Some mornings when I wake up it takes me a few minutes to find my motivation to make the day a healthy one. I know in the grand scheme of things that I want to spend the day in a healthy way. I want to exercise and eat healthy whole foods. But that is the big picture desire. The day to day motivation that will propel me to make those good choices is a little bit tricky sometimes.
Some days I wake up tired or sore from a previous workout and finding that motivation is hard. Some days I just want to stay in bed. Some days I just want to eat to soothe all my problems. Some days I just want to throw up my hands and stick my head in the sand so I won’t have to worry about calories or my target heart rate or blogging about my losses/gains. Some days make it harder to find the motivation to keep going to classes, to keep pushing as hard as I can.
I’ve learned to take these days in stride. I won’t let a single day where I am not enthusiastic about exercise or eating more salad derail me from my end goal. I’ve let that happen in the past. I know how easily it is to miss three weeks after promising myself just to miss this one workout. I know how easily I can slide back into laziness and slothfulness if I’m not vigilant. So I make myself get up and find whatever motivation will work. More often than not the “motivation” is the simple fact that I have to do this.
I have to do this every day, forever. Healthy living isn’t an option. For me, it’s not. Either I want to live and I want to do it the right way, or I don’t. I will always have to workout. Exercise isn’t something I can put away in a closet for when I have more time or energy. It is an every-day-I’m-alive-must-do-it kind of thing. I will always need to eat things in moderation and keep my calories in a “normal” range for my body. These things are not options for me. Some days I might have to force myself to do it, but healthy living is forever. Some mornings I tell myself I have to do this and that motivates me. Because I do.
Sometimes I wonder why I struggle with motivation to do the things I WANT to do. I wonder why all the other people out there seem to be so dedicated, so committed and motivated to making their healthy goals a reality. It makes me seem weak or stupid, when I have all the resources in the world, yet struggle with the motivation to use them. I know the lack of motivation right now is a fleeting thought, just a brief moment of it when I wake up before I talk myself into an awesome day of exercise and healthy eating. But the fact that it is there, no matter how fleeting, bothers me.
Living a healthy lifestyle is forever. It’s not something you just drop after 6 weeks when you reach a goal. You do it day in and day out for the rest of your life, if you want to do it right. And I am okay with that fact. I know that some days I will be more excited about it than others, but I will continue to pursue these things forever.
What about you? Are you in this for the long haul? Or do you step out of the race as soon as the motivation leaves you?
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Motivation used to be a really hard thing for me to find – but that stuff that people spout about letting it become a habit and it’s not so hard? That’s true.
I realized the other day that it doesn’t bother me to think about what I’m going to eat or when I’m going to exercise. I just do it on autopilot, the same way I used to hit up the drive thru and then flop on the couch.
I’m in for the long haul. I’ve never been this committed. I just have to keep reminding myself of how rewarding it will be to reach my goal. It’s a daily struggle, but one I’m willing to take on.
I’m going on two years of healthy living. I’ve lost 87 pounds. I’ve walked 60 miles in a single weekend.
“I wish I had your motivation” says a friend to me.
I stare at her blankly.
What motivation?
I don’t always love what I do. There are days when I loathe the idea of stepping on the elliptical. Days when I wonder if I could actually eat four or five candy bars in a row.
I don’t feel… motivated. Not the way people seem to think I should… not this bubbly enthusiasm. I never leap out of bed and say “Wow, I so totally want to eat grilled chicken for dinner tonight!”
Now, admittedly, today, I had an awesome work out and I feel really good. And I remember those feelings. I don’t always want to get started working out. But I know I’ll feel better after. And I’ll feel WORSE if I don’t. So I do it.
But yeah, there are really days when I would love to scream at my body and say “I quit, you go do your own damn thing and leave me alone.”
But that won’t happen. So, I can’t do that.
it’s about lovin’ yourself. honestly. i know that sounds totally crazy. but for me, it was about admitting where I was, where I wanted to be and making small changes each day. IN THE END..lovin’ myself.
Mary, I know what you mean. It is sooo easy to put something off and then days pass and before you know it, you have de-railed your entire plan. That is why blogging is so important to me. It keeps me on task and focused on the end. Keep it up.
It gets easier? Or so I think, these changes become habits when you practice them long enough. Sure enough, you may need some reminders and some days will be harder than others, but I do believe that you’ll get there. I’m just about at 5 years of maintaing the 185 pound loss. Some days I bemoan my lack of motivation, but you just get up and do what you have to do. DO it enough, it becomes your life!
@Lynn C
Damn. Your comment is awesome and what I needed to hear. I needed to hear that I’m not alone, that the bad days suck, but the awesome days are good and I just have to keep at it. I like knowing I’m not alone in thinking the things I do.
@Sarah
I guess that is kind of what I’m tryin to say in this post. Some days it sucks and I’m not motivated, but I’m going to do it anyway because THIS IS MY LIFE. Yeah.
It’s 3 months after I had planned to start running. And I still haven’t started. So I get this post. I really do.
My god it would be nice if it got easy. Or if suddenly I didn’t want to eat crap and watch TV. But I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone say that. And sometimes that is depressing.
September 28th I said I was going to get walking again. I even blogged it for accountability. http://runninglarge.blogspot.com/2009/09/running-while-fat-first-goal.html
I’ve had exactly two 30 minute walks.
Why is this so hard?
Definitely in this for the long haul, it’s my life now. Go big or go home! ;) lol!!
Motivation hasn’t evaded me yet, but perhaps that has to do with circumstance. As a 271-lb individual, everything was a struggle. Getting out of bed, tying my shoes (…which is why I refused to wear shoes with laces…), getting from point A to point B, etc. Rock bottom has been the only motivation I’ve needed this far and it has definitely worked wonders. However, now that I am getting down to a more manageable weight (a weight that doesn’t prevent me from basic stuff like… I don’t know… proper wiping techniques?), I can see why motivation can become an issue. I have no doubt in my mind that I will have to face this new challenge one day, but like you, I will pick myself up and carry on. Healthy living is forever!
Thanks for writing this post. I have shared it with a friend whose motivation is wavering. Hopefully she can find the inspiration she needs to get through TODAY.
We all feel like that sometimes! Believe me, nobody is on 24/7. I’ve come to realize that when those feelings crop up, I need to acknowledge them and tell myself that it’s okay to feel that way. When we ignore the feelings, we are disrespecting our inner guidance system. By working through the feelings we are sending our body-mind the message that we respect and love ourselves and we can replace the negative feelings with positive ones. Only then do the long term benefits of the life change become more important than the momentary pleasures we have become so addicted to.
You can do this! You have all the tools.
My best tools to keep going are a schedule that allows rest days and a reliable buddy. We’ve been running training partners for years. We run at a similar pace and have plenty to talk about and we’re both reliable. So not showing up at 5:30 on one of our 4 weekly meetings and leaving her out there alone isn’t an option. And the same way she can count on me to be there, I count on her to be there. In all the years, I think I’ve been a no-show once, and that was b/c of a flat tire on the highway and she was already standing outside her car (away from her phone) waiting for me. She’s never stood me up. But the obligation feeling is what gets me out there, and then I love chatting with her and I feel great after the run usually (but not always). And after we run a race or finish a season, we set goals together for the next season, keeping our cycle going. And since we only meet 4 days a week, it’s hard to justify skipping. Motivation on our off days is harder for me, sometimes I use them to rest, sometimes I sucker my husband into going with me to work out.
I hear ya! I am definitely in it for the long haul, obviously BUT I have days just like you wrote about BUT I get up & do my thing & I always feel better after a workout. It never fails me!
In these years of changing hormones when I do everything right & the bod does not want to listen, I sometimes want to throw up my hands & say why do I try BUT that is as far as it goes & I keep fighting back! I know you will too Mary!
I loved Lynn’s comment, too. I no longer look at this journey as something I need to get pumped up to do; it’s just something I’m doing, something I’m going to keep doing.
I don’t always love walking into that dressing room at the gym, but I always, always, always love the way I feel when I finish a workout. I love the compliments and the better-fitting clothes, too, but I really enjoy knowing that I’m taking care of business.
When you embrace that idea, it’s a very empowering thing.
@Running Large
I’m actually the same way with running. While I’m pretty good at staying active, I am terrible with getting myself back into running. So I’m hoping that we both make that happen.
@BodyByPizza
Man, I freakin love your story. You’ve done so well so far. Even if it was that rock bottom place that had to motivate you… that’s awesome what you’ve done. I know that you will keep beating down the challenges! Healthy living is forever!
I hope your friend does find the motivation, wherever it comes from.
@Hanlie
I know. I think my posts like this are acknowledging the fact I feel this way at times, so I am being truthful about the process. Some days it sucks to make it happen and that is okay as long as I keep doing it. I just want to be honest and real and show that it’s not always easy.
I love the way you think, Hanlie.
@Anon
A reliable workout buddy is an awesome idea. I love when that kind of situation happens and works out. Sounds like you have an awesome friend/workout buddy!
@Jody
Keep fighting!
@Jack Sh*t
Yeah, I freaking love the post-workout feeling. A lot of times that is the only thing that gets me through the door and into the gym. It’s enough. :)
Reading this post and the comments have caused a light bulb moment for me: I need to stop looking at this as a chore or even a lifestyle change, and start looking at it as something I just *do* because I have to — I don’t like scrubbing the toilet, but I do it because I have to; I don’t like paying bills, but I do it because I have to; I don’t like getting up at 6am, but I do it because I have to. They’re all a part of life, good, bad, or otherwise. It’s time I sucked it up and just started living healthily because I HAVE to.
Thanks, everyone! :)
I have been up and down on weight my entire life. I am in this for the long haul. I have to be. Healthy is not only for a short period in time.
The fact is that we don’t even need to make healthy living a political or moral subject by saying that it’s better to be fit. An unhealthy lifestyle is a punishment in itself. The motivation to live healthy comes from an innate bodily urge, and denying its call is a more complicated problem than we can ever imagine.
I am so with you. I feel like this time is different because I’m not doing anything differently now that I won’t be doing in two-ten-twenty years…Good job!
The long haul defines my life in a lot of ways. I’m in the long haul for my health. For my marriage. For my kids. For weight maintenance.
It’s all about commitment and I love this post!!
That last paragraph made me smile :)
I don’t need to add anything. You got it.
I LOVE this post as for me it can take a moment every morning to find my motivation in all aspects.
to choose to be married
to choose to be the best mom I can be
to choose to be healthy
I used to think this was a “bad” thing but now I realize as long as Im choosing the right things (for me) its ok.
With exercise, I’ve reached a point where motivation isn’t required anymore. It’s no different from making that cup of coffee in the morning. I simply get up and do it.
I do not have a totally healthy lifestyle… but I am pretty good on the exercising front, and sometimes healthy food. Since I started exercising about four yrs ago, I feel so much better that I cant imagine stopping at some point, so yes, that is a lifestyle change that I plan to implement forever. There are definitely days im so unmotivated. If its maybe one, esp if im not feeling good or too tired, usually I skip workouts but more than 1 day I force myself and don’t regret it! :) as for the semi unhealthy and very unhealthy things I do… probably those are gonna last as long as they can as well. My motivation is more what feels good, and since exercise feels good (altho if you told me that more than 4 yrs ago I woulda thot u were CRAZY), it stays, but so do some bad habits as well. Oops. :) Oh and another motivation is trying new things. I just got a deal on trying 2 bar method exercise classes and im actually very excited.
Barry Hughes@ i am much concern with you.
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