I exercise enough that I am not in terrible shape, but not enough to be in great shape. I’ll get motivated and hit the gym hard for 2,3, or sometimes 4 months in a row, 4-6 days a week, and see some pretty damn good results. I’ll shed 8-15 lbs and drop 7-8% BF. At 6’2" my walking around, beer drinking weight is somewhere around 215-218lbs. My motivated weight is somewhere between 202 and 212 depending on the program I incorporate.
My problem is that as much as I enjoy the results and to some degree the routine, I cannot stay motivated. I’ll get a break in my routine with a vacation, or a rare cold, or a slight injury and that’s all she wrote. So anytime I get back to motivated I am back to out of shape and starting over again.
Back in the day I could stop working out and it would take 6 months to put the weight back on. Now that I am over 40 it takes probably a month and all the results are out the window!
HOW THE HELL DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED!!! Please don’t tell me to get a partner. I like working out alone. I can’t stand when people are yelling at each other to get “one more”! Anyone?
Change your diet, you have to eat less as you age because exercise isn’t going to keep you in shape as well. It’s always easier to overcome a good exercise routine with a poor diet, or even a good diet with too many calories.
Beyond that, find something to mix it up with exercise that’s different and challenging. Do you run? Try a triathlon, or a tough mudder, or train for something new and different. Get out of the gym a few days a week, change of scenery.
Find things that you enjoy that keep you active. If it’s a slog to be active, then you’ve got two things against you. Join a sports team, start playing racquetball, or take up a martial art or something more interesting than jogging in place. If you actually enjoy what you’re doing, it’s no longer necessary to stay motivated. You don’t need to be motivated to eat candy, do the horizontal dance, or enjoy a nice dinner because those are all things that are just fun. So do fun things. Most of them require physical activity.
And, of course, change your diet. Eat smaller meals, snack on foods that have fewer carbs (i.e., beef jerky instead of chips).
My shins kill me when I run on pavement. No matter how easy I try to take it they hurt so treadmills are my only option for running.
I’m thinking I’ll try the Body for Life program again. Its a 3 month program that I got great results from before. After that 3 months then I’m thinking I’ll switch to crossfit and give that a try.
When I’m motivated my diet isn’t a problem. I generally cook my meals for the week and eat 5-6 meals a day, including a protein shakes and such.
Plan regular breaks of decreased activity. Injuries and illness can be the first warning signs of overtraining or at least overdoing it.
The breaks don’t need to be long. After 2-3 months, take an easy week. Still lift, still do aerobic work but at an easy effort.
Instead of running every day, do some cycling or swimming.
You also need to have your shoes checked at a running shoe store. At your weight you would almost certainly need motion-control shoes.
Real running shoes only last 300-500 miles. At your weight I would go with the lower figure.