It isn't easy staying motivated to exercise, especially if you're a beginner. In fact, most veteran exercisers would probably agree--some days they got it, some days they don't. If you're trying lose weight and make exercise a habit, you may be surprised to learn that there's not much difference between you and people who exercise regularly. There's no magic pill that brings discipline and motivation to your workouts. So what do they have that you don't have? It's all in the way you think.
With so many new people that starts exercising, there is some fairly regular trends: After about 6 to 12 weeks, the beginning inspiration disapears and that's when many of them quit. Something happens after that initial excitement of starting an exercise program. First, the enthusiasm fades. Second, most of them haven't seen significant results yet. The combination is devastating and, many times, this is the moment many people give up. What is frustrating is that many people quit just when they're about to touch the success... At making exercise a habit and seeing the weight moving down. Here are some of the mistakes that contribute to failure to exercise:
Focusing on the scale. Weight loss isn't going to happen right away. It takes time. For some people, it can takes months to see significant changes. When starting a program, it's best to set different kind of goals like getting a certain number of workouts each week or lifting X pounds of weight.
Working too hard. Newbies sometimes go at their new workout programs like veteran exercisers. Some even starts more than one program at the same time or do more thanone thing at a time. Give your body the time to adjust itself. Starting easy and working your way up to more frequent exercise makes your workouts more enjoyable and t will be easier for your body!
Not working hard enough. On the other hand, some people don't take their intensity high enough to really results on the scale. Learn the right way to Monitor your intensity
Comparing yourself to others. If a friend or anyone else is losing weight faster than you are, it doesn't mean something is wrong with you. We all lose fat at different rates. No one starts from the same points, no one got the same metabolism, age, intensity ect... Try to keep the focus on the gains you're making, not someone else's.
Giving up too soon. If you're not seeing results yet, giving up is the last thing you should do. If you've been working out consistently, you may be well on your way to weight loss. Whether you've seen results or not, you ARE getting something out of exercising regularly. Think better sleep, more energy, better quality of life...is any of this sinking in?
Aside from these issues, there are a few other things that stand in the way of you and success. As I mentioned above, the only real difference between a veteran exerciser and a struggling exerciser often lies in how they think. Check out the table below for a comparison on how a successful exerciser gets past exercise obstacles and how a quitter usually handles things.
New exercisers will say: I don't want to workout today. This workout is boring. I missed my last few workouts, why bother? I haven't lost a single pound ect... All good reasons to quit for them.
While the veteran will say: I'll just do a warm up and I'll see how it goes, Maybe I'll try a new activity--like running. I've gotten off track, but I'm ready to get started again. If I quit now, I'll never see long-term results.
"If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down." --Mary Pickford
Now that you've gotten some insight into the things that stand in your way to success, it's time to challenge yourself and your push throught. You can do it, you will do it!