So... how do YOU stay motivated? Many moons ago I used to be pushing 360, I'll lose 20-50lbs, then gain the bulk back when I lose motivation, but always come out of it a little lighter... right now I'm around 275 and about to start another losing phase... motivation though, she's hard to come by!

Sometimes you realize you haven't been and want to again.

Since I started school in March I have not been in the gym. I have worked out very few times on my own. I have regained over half the weight I lost when I was motivated. There are clothes that are a bit tight and some I have to admit I can not wear.

Staying motivated is easier at times.

Yeah I was doing great at the gym then we went into mandatory OT for 4 months, had 3 weeks of mandatory OT being over and I got back to the gym then BAM back into mandatory OT past few months... Going to work when it's dark, working 9-11 hours then having an hour of sunlight if lucky before I go home means no desire to go to the gym at ALL.

Having been in the military... if I am going to work out it has to be in the morning. Coming home and working out? Yeah... not that likely. When I have things going right I take time in the morning to work out and the day is better as a result.

Okay, my motivation tends to be as follows... I decide what it is I want to accomplish, i.e. quitting smoking. I first make sure that I really want what it is I need motivation for. If you want to lower your cholesterol and you have to do that by giving up cheese burgers. Yet deep down inside you just don't take it seriously, or you think you can put off any serious work for a few more years... If you have an excuse, no amount of motivation will overcome the fact that you really don't wasn't to do what it takes to obtain your goal. As long as I enjoyed each drag of a cigarette, each time I sighed satisfaction in after a morning coffee and first drag. Any time I supported "not quitting" was further evidence that I wasn't ready to quit.

Motivation is complicate, but to start with you must actually desire your goal. Anything you can to do to reinforce good behavior and punish bad will help (think pavlovs dogs). On a personal level, I would force myself to acknowledge the state of my health and body, consciously telling myself each time I saw myself in the mirror or had to be weighted or any other activity in which I would normally just ignore my weight issue, I would tell myself that I am this way because of the choices I make, when I would go to McDonalds, I would consciously force myself to think that the food I'm about to consume leads directly to where I am, and I can have both. I think it's really easy to start finding excuses for yourself even if you don't realize it.

A motivation I've also used, I slightly tweaked for a friend. Take whatever random dream hottie you would like (seven of nine?) and ask yourself this, if you were in a relationship with her right now, and she asked you to get into shape, would you do it to keep her? (Now I don't think anybody should do anything to "keep" someone, they should be happy with who you are). So just extend that, if you desire to be with a certain caliber of physical being in the opposite sex, why wouldn't you do what it takes to get it? Yes you can "get with" a Katie Sackoff (I'm not gong to bother looking up how to spell that), and really by "get with" all that means is you will have an easier time talking with someone because of your increased confidence and attractiveness to strangers.

Also, have fun. I started getting into shape by an activity I love, biking. Once I started loosing weight other activities which I don't love became easier to do on a regular basis. But it took me a couple months of just biking to get to that stage even.

They started offering a PB/banana/honey sandwich at my gym. I really love those, and so now I got for 'lunch' three times a week to the gym. As long as I'm going, I might as well take a class or something. Oh, and my gym is near the local yarn store, a bar I like hanging out at, and a really good grocery store.

Probably not the best method of keeping myself going, but it's amazing what keeping a pair of shorts and sneakers in the car will do if I'm within a mile.

Working out with a buddy or two definitely keeps me motivated. I'm also part of a Naval ROTC Battalion and going into the USMC. I'm up early PTing almost daily. The nice thing about that is I have the rest of the day to look forward to, which keeps me motivated. Music helps; I myself like chanting the USMC running cadences in my head. Just think about something you love and it'll give you that little extra push you need.

Hope this helps,

Maverick