I'm having a problem staying motivated to continue going to the gym and to continue running. I always feel great afterward and I love it......i just have a problem getting there and not creating excuses. any help with ways to stay motivated would be greatly appreciated.....thanks in advance for all your help!

Set a goal for yourself with a date. That way you work towards something instead of just to lose weight. Get a training partner. An Ipod helps me do cardio. Take progress pictures, get fat calipers and measurements are all good motivators. The scale is a lair.

Thanks for your help

dont forget to document your progress. write how far you ran, how much weight you lifted, how many times... seeing progress will keep you progressing. also like deadst73 said, try to get a training partner that is at the same level as you or maybe slightly better and push each other.

Training partners are great, but it's sometimes hard to find one that you jive with, or one at all. Recording and tracking is a great suggestion. Also, keep reminding yourself of just what you said - you know you always feel great afterward. Fix that idea in your mind when you are dragging, remind yourself how mentally and emotionally uplifting it is; make yourself hunger for that feeling, and then go make it a reality. After a while you will become naturally addicted to the cycle, just like any other reinforced behavior. Best of luck.

keep in mind that when your not training, some one else is! You see all these idols that the media puts in front of us? you people whine about "normal people don't/can't look like that." Those are the lazy people who don't want to work hard to look good, those are the people who don't have any great achievements under their belt. Do you want to be normal? Those idols are what we can all be if we are willing to put our selves through the work. Do you want to be like the majority of Americans, fat and lazy? Look back 50-60 years ago, we didn't have crap in the food that made people fat! being healthy was normal then. Now we have problems because you have to work to stay healthy. You have to be willing to not give into that cheap easy drive through meal. Don't be normal, be an idol. Do you want to keep wishing you looked like that guy or this one, or do you want to be that guy and have people wishing they were you?

I agree that a quality training partner is key in getting the results that you want. Pushing each other consistently to improve will help increase that level of motivation. For me I like to set very short term goals. Only about 1 - 3 weeks out. This way I am constantly aware of my improvements/gains and I do not get defeated when looking in the mirror. If I am reaching my goals I must be doing something right.

- Adam