Motivation

Former Member · April 2011

I've found myself becoming very lazy, very bad diet and no exercise.

I understand about getting into a routine of getting up early and jogging and stuff but i'd really like to know how other people find ways of staying motivated.

I suspect I have a type of dyslexia/attention disorder which really impairs my ability to stay focused and I have an extremely bad memory. (this is not diagnosed by a doctor but i feel i know enough about the subject to self diagnose and I don't want to pay the £££ for a test)

I've used the steroid anavar to help trim some belly fat which was nice and it perked me up a little.

I find coffee makes me feel awake for a while but I get extremely bad tempered when I drink too much and I feel it has a knock on effect of sending me into a worse unmotivated slouching state.

I work from home on my business so i dont go out as much as i used to.

Former Member · April 2011

Hi Thepinksponge,

The key to staying motivated is finding something that inspires you and keeps you interested....If jogging isn't your thing, perhaps a martial art, riding a bike, yoga or dancing classes? Same with your diet - make small, healthy changes - swap white bread for brown bread, make more of your own food. Some of the tips here might be useful for you?

If you feel that you have dyslexia or ADHD, it really might be worth checking out with a GP rather than self-diagnosis - this is somehting that we would never recommend and it is always best to see the professionals. That way if you do get a diagnois - they may be able to suggest new ways of coping and getting around difficulties.

Working from home, as I understand, takes a lot of discipline and to make it work is to stick to a routine. Do you have a daily routine? If you manage your own day, perhaps you can take a longer lunch (1 1/2 hour?) do some exercise, go for a walk so that you are breaking up the day and perhaps able to concentrate better.

Good luck and keep posting

Former Member · May 2011

Try nutritional supplements instead of coffee, Nature's Plus "Source of Life" is top notch, I strongly recommend it. You can get it for a decent price online. A capful of that stuff and you'll be energised all day with none of the ups and downs you get from coffee. Having the energy to do stuff is half the battle when it comes to getting motivated and this stuff definitely helps.

Former Member · May 2011

Are you lacking motivation in general or just when it comes to sticking with a healthy diet and exercise plan? Not having motivation to do much of anything could be a sign that something else is going on, but if the trouble is just getting started (and then staying on track) with getting healthier, you're not alone.

Setting a routine is a good idea. Plan your workouts so you do a certain thing on a certain day of the week, and make yourself do it at some point in the day whether you feel like it or not. Once you get started it gets easier, and that feeling of accomplishment after a good workout just can't be beat. It may feel like you're forcing yourself at first but as you get used to moving more it'll be easier. Also, it may seem backwards but moving around more in your daily routine actually gives you more energy than if you sit and do nothing all day.

It may help to think about the results you want to see. Try to find pictures of people who have the body type you're going for and use them as motivation, or take pictures of yourself every week or so so you can start to see your progress. It can be hard to notice changes because they happen gradually, so keeping a record can help you to look back and say, "Hey, look how far I've come already, I need to keep this up."

Now, the ADD thing... ADD/ADHD can impair your ability to stay focused on tasks, but most of the people I know with it do have motivation to try to get things done. The issue is that they can't focus long enough to actually do it and do it well, and this tends to apply to reading, schoolwork, and other things that aren't exercise.

Your problem sounds less like you're losing focus partway through and more like you're not even starting. Boredom while working out is actually common enough among people without any sort of ADD-like problem, if you are noticing that, so it may not be a sign of anything. And no, reading articles on the internet does not make you qualified to self-diagnose any disorder, just like my knowledge doesn't make me qualified to tell you for certain that you don't have an attention deficit problem. What I will say is that it doesn't fit what I've observed and what people with ADD have told me. It is also worth noting that dyslexia is not a concentration problem, but a reading disability. It would have absolutely no effect on your ability to eat well and exercise.

It's so easy to make an excuse, I've done it a million times, but in the end all that does is make you feel bad about yourself because you're not reaching your goals. The only way to reach them is to just do it.

Post-Script: Sorry I type so much.

Motivation

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