Motivation Tips Anyone?? (please!)

katnia

Hi

I want to get fit, I am about 1.5 stone overweight. I play footy for an hour twice a week but would like to shed this stone and a half. I have went for the odd run outside of this footy and have successfully managed to run for 2.5 miles on these occassions (that's about my current fitness level). I have a rowing machine & cross trainer in the house but they really bore me & I'm struggling for motivation.

I read all the great logs on here & it has made me determined to try & get in real good shape, I ran cross country in school all those years ago and wish I could do that now.

Any tips for success/motivation would be greatly appreciated along with beginner training plans etc if anyone has these to share.

(I'm not city based & don't think there is a running club in my area)

Thanks

Sub430

Hi Katnia,

I was in a similar position to you this time last year and ended up doing the Dublin marathon!

Two pieces of advice I can give is to

1) follow a programme, this one is popular on boards and
2) register for a race at some stage in the future. Maybe a 10k in the Summer? That will give you 6 months to get there.

Actually 3 pieces of advice, get yourself a proper pair of running shoes - best to get your gait (the way you run) analysed before buy. If you're in Dublin, there are several places that do this.

The most important bit of advice is simply just get out there and run, the first step is the hardest. Good luck.

katnia

Thanks Sub430, I appreciate that advice.

Izoard

Katnia,

There are 2 parts to this: Diet ("6 packs are make in the kitchen, not the gym" etc...) & training.

For me, my weakness is diet, so the simple act of writing down a weight goal or event and putting it on post-its where temptation lurks (fridge, cookie jar, wine rack etc...), definitely helps.

Good luck!

MCOS

katnia wrote: »

I have a rowing machine & cross trainer in the house but they really bore me & I'm struggling for motivation.

:rolleyes:
Then why did you buy them? If you don't like them, stick them on ebay and use the money for gym membership or some equipment you will use?

Or better yet make a bargain with yourself like...

"if I lose x kg and complete y race, I'll sell those 2 machines and book a holiday with what I get for them..."

Motivation is simple
You must have an objective that MEANS something to you. No point in saying you will do a 10k or a Marathon just because those are the fad running things to do. The goal has to stimulate you in some way. If it doesn't your training will have no purpose.

Seconly you must ENJOY whatever it is you are doing or you will never do it. Hence, find a way to use those 2 machines you have or come up with an imaginative way of getting rid of them.

Lastly, eat less sugary sh!te, it just makes you moody:D

I did an experiment a couple of weeks ago where I ate only chocolate for a whole day. While I had little bursts of energy, they were shortlived and I spent most of the day moaning and craving fruit. By the end of the day I called into a mate and was told I looked wrecked and miserable!

Oryx

Think of something youd like to do in six months time. Anything from running a particular distance, to doing some kind of mad physical challenge. As long as its something that inspires you.. that you really want. Then set yourself a plan to achieve it. Set smaller goals along the way, like this week i will do a set of 20 push ups.. Next week 25.. And when you have to get up and actually do your training, or on days when you cant motivate yourself, remind yourself YOU want this. This person who pushes and trains and loves it is who you want to be. Yeah it feels hard. But hard feels good.

katnia

Thanks for all your replies above, all very sensible & logical, need to get my arse in gear & go do it!

Just need to set a realistic goal first...

Katnia

PVincent

Hi...First things first...Lets get rid of that negative word overweight from your vocab...Why not say that 'I WILL tone up and get fitter '

Interesting that you have already sub consciously given yourself a long term goal ...Hold on to that image you have of yourself enjoying Cross Country running in school ...There is absolutely no reason that you can relive those great days next winter .

Your soccer is something that you enjoy ,as you spend two nights a week at it . The banter must be good . Just by committing yourself to put in more effort each night will add to your fitness , add to your increased enjoyment and all without any extra time . Just a positive mental attitude to work harder...
and you know by spending about 10 mins warming up properly and a few mins warming down properly , that will add to your excercise time and your fitness level and it does not involve extra personal or family time . The fact that you are being more professional and serious about these night sets you in a postive frame of mind which is exactly what your aiming to achieve .
As for other training - well you CAN do 2.5miles , which is probably 25/30 mins . so focus in the short term on time rather than distance ...if that 25/30 mins is comfortable , there is no reason why another 5mins is not achievable ....as you finish each run , say well done to yourself and tell your brain that the next run will be 35mins ...I would only go small steps , keeping the increase blocks very achievable until the confidence in your ability and fitness grows and increases. Above all be proud of each run and keep a note of what you do and how you felt keeping it positive... No doubt there will be bad days ( you might be run down, had a late night etc ) but accept that we all have them and PARK them as a blip every now and again . Do not dwell on a bad run ..forget it immediately its over and look forward to the next day which will a good one ...
Diet - what you put into your body is the fuel to excercise ...if you put dirty petrol in a car its performance drops ...so eat properly and sensibly (veg, fruit , nuts ,brown bread, carbs , less dairy, less red meat , less processed foods, less treats ) ...always bear in mind that the more excercise you do the more fuel you need ...if the fuel is good ,dont be afraid to eat ...
Those machines will come in useful for toning other areas of your body ,and you WILL use them the fitter and more addicted to excercising you become ..
Good luck and see you next winter in a cross country race ..
dont rule out a running club either ...find your closest one ...wher do u live ?

katnia

PVincent wrote: »

Hi...First things first...Lets get rid of that negative word overweight from your vocab...Why not say that 'I WILL tone up and get fitter '

Interesting that you have already sub consciously given yourself a long term goal ...Hold on to that image you have of yourself enjoying Cross Country running in school ...There is absolutely no reason that you can relive those great days next winter .

Your soccer is something that you enjoy ,as you spend two nights a week at it . The banter must be good . Just by committing yourself to put in more effort each night will add to your fitness , add to your increased enjoyment and all without any extra time . Just a positive mental attitude to work harder...
and you know by spending about 10 mins warming up properly and a few mins warming down properly , that will add to your excercise time and your fitness level and it does not involve extra personal or family time . The fact that you are being more professional and serious about these night sets you in a postive frame of mind which is exactly what your aiming to achieve .
As for other training - well you CAN do 2.5miles , which is probably 25/30 mins . so focus in the short term on time rather than distance ...if that 25/30 mins is comfortable , there is no reason why another 5mins is not achievable ....as you finish each run , say well done to yourself and tell your brain that the next run will be 35mins ...I would only go small steps , keeping the increase blocks very achievable until the confidence in your ability and fitness grows and increases. Above all be proud of each run and keep a note of what you do and how you felt keeping it positive... No doubt there will be bad days ( you might be run down, had a late night etc ) but accept that we all have them and PARK them as a blip every now and again . Do not dwell on a bad run ..forget it immediately its over and look forward to the next day which will a good one ...
Diet - what you put into your body is the fuel to excercise ...if you put dirty petrol in a car its performance drops ...so eat properly and sensibly (veg, fruit , nuts ,brown bread, carbs , less dairy, less red meat , less processed foods, less treats ) ...always bear in mind that the more excercise you do the more fuel you need ...if the fuel is good ,dont be afraid to eat ...
Those machines will come in useful for toning other areas of your body ,and you WILL use them the fitter and more addicted to excercising you become ..
Good luck and see you next winter in a cross country race ..
dont rule out a running club either ...find your closest one ...wher do u live ?

Great post, thanks for the advice. Glad I posted here, starting to feel more motivated already, went back on the cross trainer this evening & done 20 mins, feel good after that, will take smallish steps though.

shan001

I think the key is to set up something general say, I would like to live a little bit more healthy life, and for that reason I try to avoid eating after 8pm, I'll try to work out 3 times a week for at least 35-40 min (burning "bumper" wouldn't start just around after 20-25 mins and only if it is an aerob workout as far as I know, pls correct me if I'm wrong), rather than aiming to loose 1.5 stones.

You might achieve to loose wight, respect for it, but it will come back if you don't change general approach to work out and eating. I'd say to manage your weight is matter of lifestyle.

Mick Rice

....but the most important single step that you could take to provide yourself with support, motivation and expert advice for years into the future, is to ...

join a club !

...good luck!

HardyEustace

1. find something that you love, and if you're not sweating by the end of it, it doesn't really count as exercise (and the steam room doesn't count).
2. join a club/get buddies to participate with
3. track your calorific intake (try fit day)

Sub430

HardyEustace wrote: »

1. find something that you love, and if you're not sweating by the end of it, it doesn't really count as exercise (and the steam room doesn't count).

Some training logs could make interesting reading :eek:

HardyEustace

Sub430 wrote: »

Some training logs could make interesting reading :eek:

What ever works for people!

Some may consider dragging your mind out of the gutter sufficient weight training, others may not

Also meant to say,
4. pick a goal and tell EVERYONE about it so you can't chicken out.

Remember you'll get back whatever you put into it. No effort - no reward.

katnia

Thanks again folks, more good advice.

I was thinking about doing some exercise in the morning before going to work. Maybe 20 mins on the rowing machine or cross trainer, I, like most people I assume, find it very difficult getting up in the morning especially when it's still dark.

What's you view on exercising first thing in the morning? Does is set you up for the day? I know it's probably individual choice but any feedback on individual experiences would be helpful.

girvtheswerve

I think running first thing in the morning is a great way to start the day. Personally I find it sets me up for the day and gives me a boost of energy.

Obviously its good for training too. You can get your training done first thing in the morning before the inevitable distractions of life get in the way.

RayCun

katnia wrote: »

What's you view on exercising first thing in the morning? Does is set you up for the day? I know it's probably individual choice but any feedback on individual experiences would be helpful.

During the week I run first thing in the morning. It's the easiest way to make the time, and I find it harder to motivate myself to go out in the evening. I get my gear all ready the night before, so all I have to do is get up with the alarm - after that I'm following the path of least resistance.

HardyEustace

katnia wrote: »

Thanks again folks, more good advice.

I was thinking about doing some exercise in the morning before going to work. Maybe 20 mins on the rowing machine or cross trainer, I, like most people I assume, find it very difficult getting up in the morning especially when it's still dark.

What's you view on exercising first thing in the morning? Does is set you up for the day? I know it's probably individual choice but any feedback on individual experiences would be helpful.

Don't set yourself up for failure.

If you're not an early riser now, that's not automatically going to change. All that will happen is that 1. you haven't gotten out of bed 2. now you haven't exercised.

Crap way to start the day.

Go for a walk/run the minute you get home from work

Have your trainers in the porch. Don't watch tv or sit down for a minute.

Throw on your stuff and lash yourself out the door as quickly as possible.

When starting from scratch I followd th mini-marathon training plan.

It might be a good goal for you to target. Running the mini-marathon...

katnia

HardyEustace wrote: »

Don't set yourself up for failure.

If you're not an early riser now, that's not automatically going to change. All that will happen is that 1. you haven't gotten out of bed 2. now you haven't exercised.

Crap way to start the day.

Go for a walk/run the minute you get home from work

Have your trainers in the porch. Don't watch tv or sit down for a minute.

Throw on your stuff and lash yourself out the door as quickly as possible.

When starting from scratch I followd th mini-marathon training plan.

It might be a good goal for you to target. Running the mini-marathon...

Thanks HardyEustace, this makes sense to me, although maybe the early start might be a good kickstart to the day, might try it & see.

Would you happen to have a link to the mini marathon training plan? Unfortunately my family life doesn't lend itself to me going out when I get straight home but I should be able to get out at some stage in the evening.

In Some of the earlier posts it was also mentioned about a complete change in eating habits etc in conjunction with a training plan & I have a feeling this will be KEY but potentially a tough(ish) nut to crack.

What do you guys mostly comsume as part of your healthy eating regime? I would imagine you would be very limited with carbs & try & take plenty of protein? Maybe I'm wrong....

Completed 25 mins this evening on the cross trainer, plan for a break tomorrow & footy on Thursday again, still motivated

--amadeus--

katnia wrote: »

What do you guys mostly comsume as part of your healthy eating regime? I would imagine you would be very limited with carbs & try & take plenty of protein? Maybe I'm wrong....

The fitness forum have some great stickies on nutrition that are well worth a look. Don't cut back too hard on carbs - they are the fuel that your body needs to excercise, you want to be in calorie deficit but not by too much.

HardyEustace

katnia wrote: »

Would you happen to have a link to the mini marathon training plan? Unfortunately my family life doesn't lend itself to me going out when I get straight home but I should be able to get out at some stage in the evening.

Should be a link on the web site, just google flora mini marathon. If not I think the couch to 5k program is meant to be good.

katnia wrote: »

In Some of the earlier posts it was also mentioned about a complete change in eating habits etc in conjunction with a training plan & I have a feeling this will be KEY but potentially a tough(ish) nut to crack.

What do you guys mostly comsume as part of your healthy eating regime? I would imagine you would be very limited with carbs & try & take plenty of protein? Maybe I'm wrong....

Ok, this is a common trap that people fall into. New Year rolls round, you sit down and make a list
1. I'll get up early
2. I'll give up drinking
3. I'll give up smoking
4. I'll start running
5. I'll eat nothing but raw cabbage and bean sprouts and be really healthy.

Problem: too much to take on.

Just pick a race, get a training program and do that first. Most training programs are about 12 weeks long (I'm guessing). Do the training for the race and do your race. Achieve that goal. Don't focus on anything else. Eating healthier will just fall into place. Remember just to have one goal first. Achieve that and then maybe expand to two goals (another race and eating five portions of fruit and veg each day).

Don't take on too much. Define an achievable goal, put a realistic training plan in place, keep only that goal in mind, achieve that goal. Then and only then expand.

katnia

Thanks again for all your sound advice folks.

Since I last posted I have been on the cross trainer again for 25 mins (Wednesday), played footy for an hour the next night (Thursday), had a break on Friday. Ran 2.5 miles again (first time in ages) on Friday - managed this in 26 mins, then done 20 mins on the rowing machine later in the evening. Ran 2.5 miles again today, this time in 23 mins. Will have footy again tomorrow night, so it's starting to build up nicely now, although I don't want to burn myself out by doing too much.

So, as I was running I was thinking I should have a goal to work to as suggested here. Is it madness at this stage to be thinking about a marathon? Or should I opt for a 10k? I think I might also get myself a Garmin 305 for extra help & motivation & maybe keep a training log too.

I suppose what I'm really asking is;

1) Marathon or 10k? - bearing in mind my current fitness level
2) Should I keep a log?
3) Any thoughts on getting a Garmin Forerunner 305?

Believe it or not I CAN make a decision myself! However, as always I value opinions from others who have been were I am & done all this before. Just looking now to make the right next move...

Oryx

Do a ten k. Then do a ten mile event. Then a half marathon. All that will lead you towards the ultimate goal of a full marathon, but you do it in smaller more manageable chunks. Yes, absolutely keep a log, and I just got a garmin, they are a great tool but they wont do the run for ya.

dinneenp

Put your name down fir a ten km run. Get a sponsorship card and start collecting now, then you're less likely to pull out.
Jog a bit before football, that way you'll keep going until football starts. Whereas if you run after you can just stop anytime.
Why not buy a pair of Nike + withbtge bracelet. Or just get the unit and put it into normal runners? Nice novelty and nice to keep track of distance, speed etc.
Cycle a bit instead of walking....
Drink White, green tea or hot water with lemon, good for digestion.