In search of motivation for weight loss?

Question

I'm not looking for motivation to LOSE weight. I'm looking for motivation to get moving. Do NOT tell me to cut calories or take pills--you WILL be reported if you do that.

Here's the deal:
As a stay-at-home mom with a 14-month old, I'm always exhausted. My husband works evenings, which would make sense to exercise in the mornings/afternoons when he watches our son.

I just can't get motivated.

I spend SO much time cleaning, cooking, and being a mom that I get to bed around 2 and get up around 10. My husband helps as much as he can, but I am still exhausted.

There's an exercise facility in our apartment complex, so it's not like it's far away.

I'm not lazy, I'm just mentally and physically exhausted half the time. I eat well, but I know I need to get out and do things. I do exercise tapes, but I end up cleaning.

ANY advice would be muchly appreciated. I do have a goal that's not impossible, but I need that push in the right direction.

I should add the the three of us used to go out walking and swimming, but now it's too cold to do either one.

Izzy--I don't give a flip what your sister did or how she did it. I am FAR from lazy. I just finished school, planned a wedding, planned two funeral, organized a land auction, and oh yeah, raised a kid.

Answer 1

I had this problem, always was able to maintaine my weight. I never over ate, but didn't watch what i ate, fluctuated up and down 5 pounds at most. Wasn't active either due to being a heavy smoker.

Well i turned 21, winter came shortly after, I was always wearing 3 or 4 layers of clothes since i live in PA and its about a 20 min walk to classes. Spring came and all of a sudden i realized i had a gut...gained 40 lbs and lost a little muscle.


Motivation. Well instead of switching to bigger sized clothing, i stuck with the clothes that gave me man boobs and gut. I became super self concious and was generally embarassed, always embarassed. Even when i was in my apt alone, i could feel my stomache bulging out.

I'm a conservative person, but i'd reccomend wearing clothing a little skimpy, stuff that just makes you look horrible. Rolls hanging out etc. If you go to a party or something, yeah wear nicer clothes, but the rest of the time, don't. That will give you the motivation you need.

It atleast worked for me.
Also...what i actually did.
Well i did cut a little bit of caliores. I drank 4 liters of soda a day and just simply switched to more filling fruit juice (OJ with pulp) and water. That cut nearly 2000 calories out of my daily diet. Also, i didn't know this, but the sugar itself is somewhat addictive. Your body gives you the urges of hunger when your sugar drops thats only cured by drinking more soda, but you don't realize this and just eat food.
I still drink soda now, 2 liters a week max.
Try to find something like that in your diet, something that you wont' entirely miss.

I also did a little bit of strength training. Being a woman, you won't have to worry about bulking out, since you don't have the hormones. But get a dumbell, while watching tv just do some curls.
Basically if you are maintaining your weight....every lb of muscle you gain results in losing 6 lb of fat. Every pound of muscle burns about 30 calories while fat burns about 5.

My results were losing about 20 lbs in 6 months.

Answer 2

I have the same problem with getting motivated to exercise, working 2 full time jobs and all, but the thing that's helped me the most is having a friend call or come over and working out together, that way you get the support you need and a little push in the right direction when you know you need to work out but just don't quite have the want to.
Moral Support Goes A Long Ways!

Answer 3

Until you get clear about your goals, then you will not succeed in reaching any of them. Are you purely motivated for excitement or thrills, or do you have goals that are much more important than merely "having fun?" Exercise is only as "interesting" as you make it. If you need a routine with a lot of variety, then it's up to you to create that routine. After all, we're only talking about your health and your life. What is a good life worth to you in terms of making an effort to get fit? Think of it this way: there are disease processes at work in all of our bodies. Someday each of us will sicken and die unless an accident gets us first. That being said, physical fitness and good nutrition are the best ways to prevent the onset of terminal processes and/or reduce the severity of outcome. In other words, would you rather stay unhealthy and risk having a stroke in your forties that will leave you a vegetable in a wheelchair or would you rather look forward to a long life of strength and vitality? Weight loss is really quite simple; there are only two things you need do to reach your goals: 1. Restrict daily calories to 1600 calories per day. By increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat, you will be able to keep your intake at this level without feeling hungry or uncomfortable. 2. Exercise for one hour a day, every single day. It can be anything from pilates to just plain walking, but do it. One hour. Every day. If you find an activity you enjoy, commit to doing it even on days when you don't want to exercise. Or, if you crave variety find something different every single day that gets your heart rate up and perhaps a bit of sweat on your brow for an hour. This is a pretty simple recipe for weight loss, but it works. It has worked for me; I have lost 62 pounds this way. It will work for you if you commit to it and stick to it. Good luck!

Answer 4

Try the following
1. Drink warm to not very hot water after food.
2. Try eating atleast 3 hours before goind bed. Eg.If u got to bed by 10pm then finish dinner/supper before 7pm.

The regular calorie cuts, fatty foods is all a known story to you I guess.

The above suggestions are very simple to follow and very effective. Try for a month.
You will not only lose weight but also feel light and energetic. (b'cos this will help is good and timely digestion)

Answer 5

Your issue is not motivation, it is a lack of energy after all your other tasks.
Find a way to reorient your tasks so you have time & energy left . . . put the activity in the schedule before you get tired and let something else that is less important fall away.
Many new parents become compuslve about house tasks that really are expendable. Re-evaluate your priorities.

Answer 6

Motivation:

Look at your baby and think about how wonderful he is and how much you want to live to see HIS grandchildren!

Every pound lost increases your life expectancy and decreases your risk of weight-related diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.

Cleaning is good exercise in itself... maybe you could add extra movements into your cleaning routine to help burn more calories.

Maybe get a weight-loss buddy to exercise with you.

Good luck, I'm working to lose weight myself!

Answer 7

Motivation for weight loss and fitness

weight loss before after

Motivation for weight loss and fitness
One of the greatest difficult tasks is to motivate you for weight loss. After one month around, you start your enthusiasm in your weight loss and fitness program. I have learned few things that that has helped me to be motivating towards the fitness program and get my weight loss goal. I think these tips will also helps you as well to loose weight and keep motivated towards various weight loss and fitness programs.


* Once you have started your weight loss program, its a great idea to weigh yourself only once a week. If you keep on weigh everyday, you will only discourage yourself. If you weigh yourself only once a week, you will be able to analyses whether you need to make change to your existing routine or not.

* Keep a photo of a heavier version of yourself in plain view. This will keep be motivating how great you look after loosing weight than you were before loosing extra pounds. It will also prevent you from sliding back into old habits.

* Once you have achieved your weigh loss goals, and then imagine what you want yourself to look like. This will give you the motivation to keep the weight off.

* Keep setting higher and higher goals for you towards your fitness. If you do not set new goal for you and work to achieve them, then you will surely run in to our bed habit. As a result, you will not be able to keep the weight off. So it’s a great idea to keep on setting new goals and get in perfect shape. As you know it’s a really tough task to keep what you have achieved than what you are looking for.


These are some of ideas that keep me motivated towards my weight loss and fitness program. There may be many more reasons for you to motivate yourself to loose weight.

Answer 8

Enroll in an active artwork class, such as sculpture or maybe ceramics.

Answer 9

Get hold of a plant for your office—watering it will make you more active.

Answer 10

Aim for a 300- to 400-calorie meal.