How do you stay motivated?

[Fit2bLarge]

TweetI'm in such a funk lately. I don't feel like eating, im sick and tired of egg whites and chicken breast. i want cheese and pizza damn it!! I go to the gym and half-fast it, hurrying to get out of there. I feel weak and fat. I just can't seem to get out of this funk. Unusual because this time of year is when I normally spring to life.

How do you guys do it for so long? Maybe im burnt out, need a break. take a month or two off from the gym, sit around and get fat.

I dont know...

[kite]

TweetMan, I get burnt out sometimes too especially with the food. A break usually takes care of it and other times ya just gotta push through it. My inspiration comes from several sources. Some of it is just me and my personal goals, other times it comes from other lifters, my family and sometimes I don't know where in the hell it comes from it just comes.

[Fit2bLarge]

TweetI'm thinking maybe if I switch my goals. My goal for the last 2 years has been bulk, put muscle on, not worrying about strength so much. Maybe a switch to powerlifting? concentrate on the big 3 and thats it, worry about getting strong and everything else will come? I thought about maybe getting a personal trainer for a few weeks. It doesnt help I dont' have a good partner. I workout by myself most times.

[crombie09]

TweetAhhhhhh that guy on your sig drives me nuts!!! It takes me forever to read what you post b/c I concentrate on him.

I would just think about why youre working out in the 1st place. One of my main goals is to look good so I'll go look at myself in the mirror and then get online and look at the guys that I want to look like. That pushes me a lot. Oh and go have a damn cheese pizza or whatever you want, its ok to cheat just not all the time. I try to eat my cheat meals earlier in the day. I dont know if its true or not but in my head I assume that I'll burn it off before the day is over.

[Phreak]

Tweetwhile i do eat a cheat meal on sat and sun, if i cheat more than that i start to feel guilty. it's just the time of year when you need to look good. i work to hard to blow everything on the transient satisfaction of a binge.

avoiding the guilt makes me feel better in the end i guess.

i just need to hold out through fall and i'm good to go lol

[a-bomb83]

Tweeti hear ya dude. its hard to stay motivated for a really long time, at least for me anyway. i think after x amount of time, our bodies/minds need a break. maybe take about 2 weeks off or so from even training/dieting period. just take it easy and relax, have some fit time. just do some shit around the house, or some stuff that you wouldn't normally do cuz you were too occupied with eating at a certain time or worrying about getting into the gym. i think that would help. eat at every restaurant you've wanted to eat at for the longest time. hit them all up, then getting back into the swing of things won't seem so bad, actually after the first few funky ass meals you eat, you'll actually be ready to start eating clean again. my roomate does this for a living, after his compition last saturday he said "i had some pizza and am ready to start back to eating right again" i was like "wtf, only a pizza and you're ready to start eating healthy again?!??" lol. he said he'd take a week off training after his show...he went like 2-3 days without training,lol.

needless to say, i think a good overindulgant break would do you well, imo.

[supasaiyan99]

TweetI just keep looking at the fat around my waist before I get in the shower and then think about all the ripped up guys on the cover of the magazines and that keeps me motivated!!!

[kite]

Tweet

I'm thinking maybe if I switch my goals. My goal for the last 2 years has been bulk, put muscle on, not worrying about strength so much. Maybe a switch to powerlifting? concentrate on the big 3 and thats it, worry about getting strong and everything else will come? I thought about maybe getting a personal trainer for a few weeks. It doesnt help I dont' have a good partner. I workout by myself most times.

I train right by my damn self most days too, and it does make it much more difficult. I think you're right, if you put most of your focus on the big 3 for 8-12 weeks, then switched back to bb type training the mass would come. If you need any help with it let me know before you spend $ on a personal trainer.

[a-bomb83]

Tweetsome online trainers would be a good choice. SB, IA, DC just to name a few.

[Fit2bLarge]

TweetI thought about IA. Someone gave me a copy of his workout once, I don't remember who. I'm taking the rest of the month off, I havent gone to the gym all month.

There's a new gym opening by me, I may walk in there today and check it out. Maybe a change of scenery.

[T-Man007]

TweetIt's different for everyone! I go through slumps all the time. I've been lazy as hell lately too. It just comes and goes. Me personally, I love training when it's cold more than when it's hot. Luckily I live in Colorado where it's cold most of the year. What usually does it for me is my clothes. If my pants/shorts start getting uncomfortably tight, I get motivated. Then, once I'm back in it I stay in it for a while. However, I usually take about 1 - 1 1/2 months off a year. I usually take a break every 8-12 weeks depending on my training type. I have found that if I stay at it for too long, I get burned out and the next thing I know I've been out for 3 months. I think the smartest thing to do is schedule time off just like you do time on. Take an intentional week or two off every 12 weeks and it will make you want to go back so bad. As far as teh eating thing, I never kill myself with dieting. When I 'really' want to work of fat loss I do more hiking and mountain biking and tweek my carb intake. I basically cut back on carbs except for post exercise. Most of the carbs I will eat the rest of the day will usually come in veggie and fruit form. Unless, I just start feeling really drained, then I will eat some more carbs. I have found that fruits and veggies will give you enough carbs to keep your glucose level balanced without over doing it. For instance, in the morning I have a shake and a piece of fruit. I only eat low glycemic index fruits, that way there isn't a spike in glucose followed by a spike in insulin. Stuff like apples, peaches, plums, nectarines, oranges, apricots. Stuff that grows on vines (besides grapes) are the highest on the glycemic index. With this approach, I can eat pizza or a hamburger and not feel guilty. Also, with chicken, I can eat chicken every day when my wife makes it because she has a ton of receipes and it's never the same. Get some receipe books and get creative, that's the only way to eat good and stay sane.

[daved150]

TweetI'VE ONLY BEEN AT THIS ABOUT 3 YRS, SO I'M NOT BORED YET. I EAT PIZZA EVERYOTHER FRI, WITH THE KIDS, AND I CHANGE UP MY FOOD-SHAKES TOO KEEP IT INTRESTING. AS FAR AS MOTIVATION FOR THE GYM, I JUST LOOK AT THE MIRROR, AND LOOK AT THE MOFO'S AROUND HERE!! THATS ALL IT TAKES FOR ME

[pigmeat]

Tweeti dont get burned out, because i dont torture myself like you guys do eating nasty ass shit like egg whites, lol...if it doesnt taste good, i aint eatin it. You have to make your BB lifestyle enjoyable...not torture yourself eating shit and shooting crippling gear

[NATE]

TweetI stay motivated by training hot chicks wearing next to nothing....

[Stout1]

Tweet

I'm thinking maybe if I switch my goals. My goal for the last 2 years has been bulk, put muscle on, not worrying about strength so much. Maybe a switch to powerlifting? concentrate on the big 3 and thats it, worry about getting strong and everything else will come? I thought about maybe getting a personal trainer for a few weeks. It doesnt help I dont' have a good partner. I workout by myself most times.

Getting stronger then you'll get bigger. You had it backwards. Hell, sign up wiht IA if you got some money laying around rather than a gym PTer