Finding motivation and starting

Getting myself motivated was one of the hardest parts to getting started. It is also the most important factor when starting down the path towards regaining your health. Looking at the road ahead can be daunting and seem like your goals are so far away. The good part though is that your goals are attainable and you can get there. You just have to find your motivation and keep it to overcome the that initial speed bump of doubt.



For me a big part of becoming motivated was that I had recently just watched Expendables. I saw this movie and was amazed at all these old action actors that still look burly. For instance Sylvester Stallone is in his mid 60's and he is still in great shape and pumping out action movies. This really spurred me to want to be in great shape even into my later years in life and I set that as a goal of mine. Another big thing I used for motivation was that I would visualize a clear image in my head of what I wanted to look like when I reach my goal. In particular I visualize myself  getting a 6pack, the slim indents on my hips, and the "V" shape of my upper body from my back muscles. Setting realistic attainable goals is an excellent way to get motivated and to help keep you motivated. These are some good long term goals that I had set. It is also good to keep some goals that are short term. When I started my short term realistic goal was to lose 1 pound per week. These are important because it helps you focus on the small successes.


Another way to help build my motivation was what I like to call the "Nike" method, get out there and JUST DO IT!! It really does sound cliche but it is an amazing help. Getting started is the hard part, a lot of times you just need to grit your teeth and jump into action. After you get past that initial mental road block of getting started motivation winds up naturally coming to you as you do your workout. I know for a fact when I didn't want to work out but did it anyways I always felt great about it after I was done, never once did I regret it.


For me another big thing that helped in getting started was the fact that I came to the realization that I wanted to get back in shape and not ever fall back into being unhealthy again. This for me was going to be a lifestyle change. If I had approached it with the attitude that I would diet and lose some weight and then stop once I hit my mark I would have fell victim again to failure. A couple of times I had used extreme diets to lose weight, however when I stopped because I had lost the weight it would get put right back on. If you can shoot for a lifestyle change, rather than a quick fix diet, that is how you will best get results and keep them.

Despite what you see on TV there are no "shortcuts", miracle drugs, or gimmick diets that are going to get you results and keep you that way. It all boils down to hard work and being determined to eat healthy consistently. The best thing about fitness though is once you can wrap your head around the fact that you will have to put in some effort and use a little will power with your diet is that ANYONE can get healthy again.

The last method I employed to help keep me motivated was to keep track of my success. This gives you a good way to remember just how far you have come and allows you to celebrate your progress. It is much better to look at the road you have traveled and the progress you have made than to worry about the road that lies ahead and how long it will take for you to get there. In keeping track of your success using multiple methods is always best. The scale isn't always the most accurate way to keep track of how well you are really doing. The scale can give you a good indication of your weight loss but it can be misleading when you are getting stronger and putting on weight from building muscle. I still use it but I look at other methods as well. My favorite is taking pictures it gives an awesome visual of the progress you have made and how much healthier you look (and sexier ^_^ lol). Another good thing to notice when you are taking pictures is how much bigger the smile on your face will be as you get towards your goal!! I also like to take note of how my pants and shirts fit. It is fantastic to see your clothes size dropping and feels good when you go buy new slim clothes.