In need of motivation, get me out of my funk.

[LinzersMH]

I find that everyday I wake up with a fresh start and plan out my day with eating clean and I think to myself "I'll workout later, after breakfast." Somedays, I find myself sticking to my guns and doing just that. Most days, I find myself doing awesome early in the morning, then I have a not-so-clean snack, and then by the end of the day, I have not worked out and have eaten horrible food. I feel sluggish, tired, and guilty for not sticking to my original plan for the day/week.
Another factor into this is that I live with my parents. My mom is the kind of person that says "Life's too short to watch what you eat! As long as you're happy, that's all that matters." While I agree with the second sentence, I would definitely say that the first one gets me somewhat irritated?...I guess you can say that. To me, life will be too short if you just sit back and eat whatever you feel like eating because it tastes good or brings back childhood memories and satisfies your emotional state. I don't think that you should never indulge in treats, but everyday is a little much. Maybe once a week, depending on your goal. I'm trying to eat clean (I even bought Eating Clean magazine and put it in the family room so my parents could read it), but my mom gives me crap for trying to live a healthy lifestyle and says I'm too much like my ex-boyfriend. Is that so bad? She's never cruel or mean about it, she's very sarcastic but I want her to be healthy, too. She's a carb addict, and she pulls me under sometimes. :-\ Of course, her treats and food she makes tastes delicious, but it's nothing I would classify as "clean eating."
Also, when I've eaten like s**t for the entire day, I say "screw the workout, that's not going to do anything for me, since I just ate two pieces of french bread, a couple glasses of wine, and mashed potatoes, and a slice of cheesecake. What's the point of working out, when I just ate all this junk food?"
I want to get my workout done and over with in the morning, which will probably help aid in my eating for the day, since I've noticed that if I workout earlier in the day, I will stick to eating clean and healthy. What motivates you girls/guys to get up every morning and get it done, and do it everyday? What was the moment you discovered within yourself that you just have to do it, day in and day out, no if's and's or but's? I am on the forums constantly, reading journals and transformations, and I'm truly amazed. Everyone here is awesome, and I want to be awesome, too! How do I join this club? hehe... :-P

For me, any little bit helps.

[Ever84]

Okay...I've been here before! So ill comment! Dont screw the workout if you've not eatten 100% clean, then you'll start to lose it all together. Ok you probablly are like me and you feel you need to execute your workouts and eating habits 100% plus or you feel guilty or feel like you let your self down. But I know the perfectionist in us can be wrong! Just jump right back on it even if you had a treat that day. I also highly recommend getting a trainer. Someone who 'had' to see weekly progress pictures, and you have to report to them on your progress. VERY MOTIVATING, id say. I also would recommend taking a week off if your burnt out. I mean sometimes it feel like your on a pertinent diet right? Plan to take a week off and do a semi clean diet with a few of your fav foods stretched out over the week and plan to stick to coming back full force the following week. After having my son I did do a weekly cheat/treat meal and it kept me sane. But I started to feel (at around 9 months of this) that I needed a break. I just did. Burnt out from dieting so hard and working my butt off. So I took a whole week off and then came back at it...that's really helps me!

[d15bt]

Think back to the first reason as to why you started training. Someone cut you down said "you couldnt do it", some boyfriend said something that pissed you off, or not being able to fit into those jeans. Whatever the reason why you started drill it in your head and DO WORK! At least thats what helps me get through workouts/eating although after like a week or two you realize this isn't hard at all 2hrs a day (for some might be less) i can look this good?!?! Awesome then after that its ez-mode. Then ez-mode turns into an obsession lol. Just stop and think before you grab that extra food "After this am i gonna be like Yaaaaa that was good or.. Dam i just ate that BS FFS!!"

Hoped this help a little heh..

[Trapstar4.4]

what pissed you off in life? no, I mean REALLY pisses you off?!
think about that, then think about how its not cool to dwell on things. For me there is only one way to knock all that negativity out. Hit the gym...and thats only a temporary fix, so of course that means you will have to go back again and again.

like for me its when I have bad days at work... gets me fired up everytime, then after I get out of the gym, I am too beat up and satisfied to complain anymore

[LinzersMH]

Originally Posted by Ever84

Okay...I've been here before! So ill comment! Dont screw the workout if you've not eatten 100% clean, then you'll start to lose it all together. Ok you probablly are like me and you feel you need to execute your workouts and eating habits 100% plus or you feel guilty or feel like you let your self down. But I know the perfectionist in us can be wrong! Just jump right back on it even if you had a treat that day. I also highly recommend getting a trainer. Someone who 'had' to see weekly progress pictures, and you have to report to them on your progress. VERY MOTIVATING, id say. I also would recommend taking a week off if your burnt out. I mean sometimes it feel like your on a pertinent diet right? Plan to take a week off and do a semi clean diet with a few of your fav foods stretched out over the week and plan to stick to coming back full force the following week. After having my son I did do a weekly cheat/treat meal and it kept me sane. But I started to feel (at around 9 months of this) that I needed a break. I just did. Burnt out from dieting so hard and working my butt off. So I took a whole week off and then came back at it...that's really helps me!

I do feel sometimes that I must be perfect with everything, or there's no use doing anything else. I have an "all-or-nothing" attitude. I must say that I never use the word "diet" because that makes me think temporarily and I'm looking for a permanent lifestyle change. It's not that I need a break from anything because I haven't fully started anything. Like I said, I have the mentality at the beginning of the day, and then it's gone by nighttime. Trust me, I would love to get a trainer, but being a college student leaves absolutely no time or expenses to get one.

Originally Posted by d15bt

Think back to the first reason as to why you started training. Someone cut you down said "you couldnt do it", some boyfriend said something that pissed you off, or not being able to fit into those jeans. Whatever the reason why you started drill it in your head and DO WORK! At least thats what helps me get through workouts/eating although after like a week or two you realize this isn't hard at all 2hrs a day (for some might be less) i can look this good?!?! Awesome then after that its ez-mode. Then ez-mode turns into an obsession lol. Just stop and think before you grab that extra food "After this am i gonna be like Yaaaaa that was good or.. Dam i just ate that BS FFS!!"

Hoped this help a little heh..

Actually, nobody in my life is negative about anything I do. Nobody has ever told me I couldn't do anything. I do have to agree with the jeans not being able to fit. My mom has the attitude that the way my body is built is genetics, and there is nothing I can do to change, so I'm just going to have to sit back and deal with always having bigger legs. I don't think this way...anymore! I can change the thing that gets me down the most--pants shopping. I work in an apparel store and I can't wear our jeans because they are made for people that have smaller/slender legs...something I definitely do NOT have. That's a motivation, but my biggest problem is getting the momentum going to make it through at least a week. AT LEAST. I just have to stop BSing around, and give up sugars/white flours cold turkey, and after breakfast, get my butt up, eat some oatmeal, and go down to the track for some HIIT. I just have to get moving. Thanks!

Originally Posted by blaqsand

what pissed you off in life? no, I mean REALLY pisses you off?!
think about that, then think about how its not cool to dwell on things. For me there is only one way to knock all that negativity out. Hit the gym...and thats only a temporary fix, so of course that means you will have to go back again and again.

like for me its when I have bad days at work... gets me fired up everytime, then after I get out of the gym, I am too beat up and satisfied to complain anymore

I'm generally a happy person, and I haven't been pissed off lately, like really pissed off. Of course we all get mad, but on a day to day basis, my life is pretty stress free and flows pretty easily. I should go because it makes me happier, but I must agree it is the strongest anti-depressent out there.

Thanks to everyone for your comments/advice!

[homerun16]

Everyone gets like that from time to time, i know i do. What keeps me going to the gym is knowing that every day i skip i can never make it up. If looking good and havein a nice body and being inshape was easy everyone would be walking around with that great body.

So when you see that person with the great body remember it did not come easy. You just have to stay at it.

Good luck

[LinzersMH]

Originally Posted by homerun16

Everyone gets like that from time to time, i know i do. What keeps me going to the gym is knowing that every day i skip i can never make it up. If looking good and havein a nice body and being inshape was easy everyone would be walking around with that great body.

So when you see that person with the great body remember it did not come easy. You just have to stay at it.

Good luck

Thanks, I completely agree. Sometimes we lose sight of what we really want, and then something sparks us to keep going. I just have to turn that spark into a fire.

[homerun16]

Let us know if you get out of the workout funk. Keep us updated

[MysticVenom]

I have the exact same problem with my "all or nothing" additude. If I eat anything that I think it unhealthy I just get so frustrated and give up until the next day. It gets old really fast but I can't seem to get out of the habit.

I really try to focus on my goals though, try to remember that no matter what I need to finish what I have started. It also helps to have a partner in eating healthy/working out. Maybe find a friend who is a health nut that can help. Tell your parents that this is something you would really like to accomplish. Tell them you need their support and to maybe even help you out a little bit.

[Kymn]

It's too bad that you couldn't talk to your mom and explain how important it was to you, maybe she'd be a little more positive and hold her tongue more if she knew how hard it was and that this was something you'd really like to do. Maybe it's worth a shot? Also finding someone to work out with is really great too. Find a girlfriend that has similar goals so that you'll make plans for the next day. It helps to keep each other pumped up. : )
Also sometimes it just takes getting sick and tired of NOT doing it.

It helped me when I saw a picture of Janet Jackson and her amazing abs when she was really working out a lot. LOL!

Hang in there! : )

Kymn~

[houstonheather]

This is going to sound really selfish and horrible but it's what works for me.

My husband was in a terrible accident several years ago. He was very badly injured and had a stroke. I spent months with him at the hospital and swore I would do whatever it took to spare HIM that pain.

I didn't do very well, but I'm back on track this year and I'm already within 50 pounds of my goal. I get up early to go workout, I love having it over and done with before I start my day.

As I go into the garage, I'm faced with the sight of his wheelchair (he needs it to go more than 1/3 of a mile, he can barely walk), and the commode chair (which is thankfully retired).

That always gets me going. Or days like today that almost made me cry. He got up early with me, and said "Would you mind pushing me in the wheelchair when you go to the park to run? I'd like to spend that time with you." He got in the wheelchair and I pushed him the 1/3 mile to the park. I parked him and he listened to the birds while I ran (he was already blind before the accident). We had a great talk to and from, I had a wonderful run, and let me tell you, staring at him in that wheelchair everytime I passed kept me motivated.

It is so easy to lose the use of our bodies! I am doing this for my health!

[Amanda76]

Life's too short to deal with the side effects of not taking care of yourself. As much as it may seem like food rules your world when you're healthy, food proves to have a lot more control over people who don't know when to put down the fork.

When you think about it, going to the gym is easy. Commit yourself to one hour 3 times a week. That's all you need to make a difference.

Diet. Now that's a 24/7 committment (well, minus the hours you sleep). You're going to have tons of little habits you'll need to change to become closer to "perfect" (whatever that is, exactly) with that one.

Concentrate on the easy things first. Make sure you get to the gym 3 times a week. Some meals will definitely be easier for you to "perfect" than others. Breakfast is important so try to get that meal down. Give your mom a break and cook something clean for the family 2-3 times a week and make enough so you'll have a healthy lunch option the next day. Work on those kinds of things first and give yourself a pat on the back for what you're doing right instead of always kicking yourself for what you're doing wrong.

The more your body improves, the more motivation you'll have to continue. You really don't have to make a complete 360 all at once. Little tweaks to your lifestyle will eventually add up. And nobody is perfect. Don't frustrate yourself trying to be so.