Everyone should be trying to keep active, but lots of people are simply not doing enough exercise. It is therefore not surprising that so many people are struggling to control their weight. Of course, diet has a role to play as well, but it is not the only thing causing weight gain. If you're piling on the pounds your first instinct may be to alter your diet. Clearly, this is worth considering, but you could also think about increasing your activity levels, as this will enable you to keep consuming a reasonable number of calories without continuing to gain weight. Exercise isn't only important for weight control, though, as keeping active is the best way to keep your heart healthy.
Thus, if you're struggling to find the motivation to exercise, you really need to think about your long-term health, because if you completely ignore your fitness, you could end up paying for it later down the line. It is surely better to get into a routine of doing exercise on a regular basis so that you don't gain an excessive amount of weight in the first place and find yourself struggling to lose it. You may think that you don't have the time to exercise and that you'd prefer to occupy your free time doing anything other than exercise, but you may want to think again. By keeping active, you could increase your life expectancy, which will obviously give you many more years to do what you want!
Sometimes, it is hard to kick-start your fitness plans, but you generally find that once you get started you actually enjoy doing something physical. By going for a run or a bike ride you get your heart pumping and you feel alert and energised. Plus, your brain releases endorphins, which actually help to alleviate negative emotions and enable you to de-stress. Consequently, you will actually find yourself wanting to get up early to go for a run or making time for a trip to the gym. You still have to take the first step, though, and make a commitment to work on your fitness. It can be tough, but you could always ask a friend of relative to exercise with you.
What you really need to do is find an activity that you can enjoy, so that you won't think of exercise as a hassle. If you're a social person, you may decide to take up a team sport so that you can socialise whilst exercising. If you prefer doing your own thing, you could always take up running or swimming, for instance. Ultimately, if you're going to stay motivated to exercise you need to find an activity, or range of activities, which you want to do. You could always try to fit exercise into your daily schedule, by leaving the car home and riding to work on your bike, for example, or walking more.
Once exercise has become part of your routine you will no longer question whether to stay in and watch television or go to the gym, because you will be able to appreciate the benefits of keeping active. You should notice that keeping your weight down isn't as difficult and that you feel more energetic and more positive, and, hopefully, these positive feelings will be enough to help you stay motivated to exercise regularly.
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Monday, 2 December 2013
Friday, 29 November 2013
How to Find the Motivation to Exercise
Not everyone finds it easy to motivate themselves to exercise, which is one of the reasons so many people are leading sedentary lifestyles. However, it is worth making exercise a regular feature of your life, as doing so will improve your long-term health prospects and make it easier to control your weight. Even if you struggle to find the motivation needed to exercise, it is well worth remembering all the benefits of keeping active, as this may help to some degree. Even if you really hate exercise, at least you know you can treat yourself to a piece of cake at the end of your workout!
Maybe this isn't the best way to motivate yourself, especially if you're trying to lose weight, but if you usually do anything possible to get out of doing exercise, you may want to give it a go. If you really enjoy your food, there is always going to be a risk of weight gain, which exercise can counter. By exercising on a regular basis, you can stay slim and tone up your body. You shouldn't only think of the superficial reasons for keeping active, though, since other benefits include a reduced risk of developing heart disease, cancer and diabetes amongst other serious health conditions.
If the long-term benefits of regular exercise still can't motivate you to get off your backside and do something, you may have to rope someone into help you. When you have to rely on yourself for motivation, it is far too easy to make excuses as to why you can't exercise. However, if you establish a date and time when you intend to meet a friend to go for a run or a swim, it is much harder to get out of! If you are unable to get a friend on board or you feel you need a more structured programme, you could always get yourself a personal trainer who should be able to get you motivated!
Ultimately, if you're going to find the motivation to exercise, it helps to have a goal in mind, whether it is to lose weight or to simply improve your fitness. Plus, you have to find some form of exercise which you actually get some enjoyment out of. Even though running may be a great calorie burner, there is no point trying to force yourself to do it when you feel that it is a waste of time. Although you should be able to appreciate that after a workout you feel happier and less stressed, if you are constantly dreading the next time you have to do some exercise, this could be a sign that you need to look for a different activity.
With so many benefits associated with regular exercise, you would think that finding the motivation to keep fit would be easy. Unfortunately, when there are so many other activities you could be doing, exercise may not be high up on your list of priorities. Yet, once you actually make the effort to do some exercise, you will notice the benefits and, hopefully, motivating yourself won't be so difficult in future.
Maybe this isn't the best way to motivate yourself, especially if you're trying to lose weight, but if you usually do anything possible to get out of doing exercise, you may want to give it a go. If you really enjoy your food, there is always going to be a risk of weight gain, which exercise can counter. By exercising on a regular basis, you can stay slim and tone up your body. You shouldn't only think of the superficial reasons for keeping active, though, since other benefits include a reduced risk of developing heart disease, cancer and diabetes amongst other serious health conditions.
If the long-term benefits of regular exercise still can't motivate you to get off your backside and do something, you may have to rope someone into help you. When you have to rely on yourself for motivation, it is far too easy to make excuses as to why you can't exercise. However, if you establish a date and time when you intend to meet a friend to go for a run or a swim, it is much harder to get out of! If you are unable to get a friend on board or you feel you need a more structured programme, you could always get yourself a personal trainer who should be able to get you motivated!
Ultimately, if you're going to find the motivation to exercise, it helps to have a goal in mind, whether it is to lose weight or to simply improve your fitness. Plus, you have to find some form of exercise which you actually get some enjoyment out of. Even though running may be a great calorie burner, there is no point trying to force yourself to do it when you feel that it is a waste of time. Although you should be able to appreciate that after a workout you feel happier and less stressed, if you are constantly dreading the next time you have to do some exercise, this could be a sign that you need to look for a different activity.
With so many benefits associated with regular exercise, you would think that finding the motivation to keep fit would be easy. Unfortunately, when there are so many other activities you could be doing, exercise may not be high up on your list of priorities. Yet, once you actually make the effort to do some exercise, you will notice the benefits and, hopefully, motivating yourself won't be so difficult in future.
Saturday, 23 November 2013
Finding the Motivation to Stay Slim
Losing weight is hard work and every time you do it you tell yourself that never again will you end up in the same position. However, frequently you find yourself needing to lose weight once more. You just can't seem to get away from the mentality of either being on a diet or simply stuffing your face. There is no middle ground where you eat, drink and exercise in moderation to keep the weight off. Instead, you're either on a diet or not and it is when you're not on a diet that the weight piles on and you feel miserable about yourself.
Since losing weight is so challenging you'd think that people would be extremely motivated to keep off the weight they lose, however this is often not the case. When you have weight to lose you usually have a goal in your mind, which keeps you focused on what you need to do in order to accomplish that goal. You don't mind as much that you can't eat all the kinds of food you want, because you know that when you step on the scales the numbers will tumble down over the weeks. When you're losing weight you're able to fit into smaller clothes and quite often you will be at the receiving end of compliments about your weight loss.
Once you've lost the weight, though, what is there to keep you on the right track? Eventually, the compliments stop as people get used to seeing the slimmer you and you no longer get the same buzz whenever you step on the scales or go clothes shopping. Although you can appreciate the benefits of being slimmer, you also miss being able to pig-out on junk food and not having to worry if you've eaten too much or not done enough exercise. Unfortunately, your inclination to eat junk food and to serve huge portions is always there and you just can't motivate yourself to control your eating habits. The result of this is obviously weight gain, which is precisely what you don't want.
Yet, there is always a tussle in your mind between wanting to be slim and wanting to eat without calorie counting. If you've always battled your weight, quite often it will be food that comes before your determination to remain slim. You may not enjoy being overweight, but sometimes you just cannot be bothered to deal with the fact you're gaining weight and it is much more convenient to ignore the problem and deal with it at a later date. The only trouble is that you find yourself continuing to pile on the pounds, so that by the time you do decide to deal with the issue you have a substantial amount of weight to lose.
Since losing weight is so challenging you'd think that people would be extremely motivated to keep off the weight they lose, however this is often not the case. When you have weight to lose you usually have a goal in your mind, which keeps you focused on what you need to do in order to accomplish that goal. You don't mind as much that you can't eat all the kinds of food you want, because you know that when you step on the scales the numbers will tumble down over the weeks. When you're losing weight you're able to fit into smaller clothes and quite often you will be at the receiving end of compliments about your weight loss.
Once you've lost the weight, though, what is there to keep you on the right track? Eventually, the compliments stop as people get used to seeing the slimmer you and you no longer get the same buzz whenever you step on the scales or go clothes shopping. Although you can appreciate the benefits of being slimmer, you also miss being able to pig-out on junk food and not having to worry if you've eaten too much or not done enough exercise. Unfortunately, your inclination to eat junk food and to serve huge portions is always there and you just can't motivate yourself to control your eating habits. The result of this is obviously weight gain, which is precisely what you don't want.
Yet, there is always a tussle in your mind between wanting to be slim and wanting to eat without calorie counting. If you've always battled your weight, quite often it will be food that comes before your determination to remain slim. You may not enjoy being overweight, but sometimes you just cannot be bothered to deal with the fact you're gaining weight and it is much more convenient to ignore the problem and deal with it at a later date. The only trouble is that you find yourself continuing to pile on the pounds, so that by the time you do decide to deal with the issue you have a substantial amount of weight to lose.
Why is it so Hard to Find the Motivation to Lose Weight?
It is hard to find the motivation to lose weight, because losing weight is a bit of hassle. You know you have to do something about your weight if you can no longer fit into your clothes and you're worried about the impact your weight is having on your health. However, you also know what you need to do to lose weight and it isn't always easy to commit yourself to change. To lose weight you obviously have to modify your eating and exercise habits, but this can be a challenge, especially when you have other things going on in your life.
Indeed, it is tempting to just keep putting off dealing with your weight. You tell yourself that you're only a few pounds overweight and that it doesn't really bother you when you know, in actual fact, if you don't do anything the situation is only going to get worse. You realise that if you don't deal with your weight soon you may well keep piling on the pounds, which is definitely what you don't want. It is clearly better to deal with your weight when you're only carrying an extra 10 or 20 pounds compared to an extra 50 or 60 pounds.
The trouble is that even when you do decide to tackle your weight, you can't give all your energy over to it. You still have to go to school or to work, to look after the kids, meet up with friends, keep the house tidy and cook for you and your family. This can make it difficult to concentrate on what you need to do to lose weight. Even though you are aware of what action you have to take, trying to lose weight can leave you feeling hungry and as though you don't have much energy. This can obviously interfere with other areas in your life.
If you're constantly hungry and tired you may snap at friends and relatives and it can be difficult to concentrate on your work. When you know this is what you're going to feel like, it is bound to be hard to motivate yourself to lose weight. You have to take time out of your day to plan meals and to exercise and you don't even feel that much better for it. In the long run you can appreciate the benefits of being lighter, but when you're in the process of losing weight you can find yourself obsessing about food and weight, which may leave you feeling down.
Unsurprisingly, then, finding the motivation to lose weight can be extremely hard, as losing weight itself is hard. You have to make changes to your daily routine in order to lose weight and no matter how much support you have it is all down to you. You may well have had some experience of yo-yo dieting, which already puts you in a negative frame of mind. If you think you're going to fail to keep the weight off, it certainly becomes more likely and finding the motivation and staying motivated to lose weight becomes virtually impossible.
Indeed, it is tempting to just keep putting off dealing with your weight. You tell yourself that you're only a few pounds overweight and that it doesn't really bother you when you know, in actual fact, if you don't do anything the situation is only going to get worse. You realise that if you don't deal with your weight soon you may well keep piling on the pounds, which is definitely what you don't want. It is clearly better to deal with your weight when you're only carrying an extra 10 or 20 pounds compared to an extra 50 or 60 pounds.
The trouble is that even when you do decide to tackle your weight, you can't give all your energy over to it. You still have to go to school or to work, to look after the kids, meet up with friends, keep the house tidy and cook for you and your family. This can make it difficult to concentrate on what you need to do to lose weight. Even though you are aware of what action you have to take, trying to lose weight can leave you feeling hungry and as though you don't have much energy. This can obviously interfere with other areas in your life.
If you're constantly hungry and tired you may snap at friends and relatives and it can be difficult to concentrate on your work. When you know this is what you're going to feel like, it is bound to be hard to motivate yourself to lose weight. You have to take time out of your day to plan meals and to exercise and you don't even feel that much better for it. In the long run you can appreciate the benefits of being lighter, but when you're in the process of losing weight you can find yourself obsessing about food and weight, which may leave you feeling down.
Unsurprisingly, then, finding the motivation to lose weight can be extremely hard, as losing weight itself is hard. You have to make changes to your daily routine in order to lose weight and no matter how much support you have it is all down to you. You may well have had some experience of yo-yo dieting, which already puts you in a negative frame of mind. If you think you're going to fail to keep the weight off, it certainly becomes more likely and finding the motivation and staying motivated to lose weight becomes virtually impossible.
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