This is something I have been wondering lately. I will do really good for a couple weeks, sometimes even make it a couple months, and then I'll slack off. I don't get it.

I will be 100% motivated, but something inside me won't let me break the cycle. My diet will be spot on, no workouts missed or even shortened/rescheduled, and then I will just not do it one day... and then the day turns into a week.... then a month... And by then I'll have done it all for naught, because I've gained back everything I'd lost. It just sucks. I don't know why this happens.

Anyone else have this problem?

No, I don't have that problem.

I'm rewards driven. It doesn't mean that I'm always 100% on my workouts or my diet or anything, it just means that when I'm not 100% on those things, I'm being rewarded in other areas, and I take the time to recognize what those areas are, so it makes up for it. If you're going to make the choice not to go to the gym on a particular day, you'd better make sure you enjoy the fact that you're not at the gym and use the time wisely to read a good book, relax with your family, recharge your energy, or learn a new skill. If you're going to make the choice to eat a juicy steak, some crispy onion rings, and a cold crisp beer, you'd better savor the flavor and appreciate the sacrifice.

How do you measure your success? If you're not celebrating every workout complete, every pound of body fat lost, and every pound of strength gained, then you're not taking full advantage of your potential motivators.

Have you tried bargaining with yourself? This was a rough week for me. There was no way I was going to squat to failure on Tuesday, so I said to myself that I could do the workout with no load this week, and perform another exercise instead that I liked better on top of that.

Well, I will tell you the truth. I was born lazy. Give me an excuse, I will slack off. I think it is the nature of man, most work in spurts with the minority in there working at near peak everyday.

The best that I can hope for is that we even out the response over time to achieve favorable results and maintain them. What is favorable results? Say, where you get an 85 on the course.:D

Anyone else have this problem?

TONS of people. :nod:

do you feel ur "slack off times" are shortening?? i found that over the last few years my time spent off the wagon would get shorter and shorter and finally the last year i didn't fall off at all.

guava's given you some good tips. :tucool:

in the end its just about looking in the mirror and being PROUD of ur choices. we're all working towards that in some way or another.

I totally agree with everyone. In fact, i've fallen off the wagon many, many, many, many times. And, i've also done things in "spurts".

Here's couple tricks-

1. Set shorter-term goals, when you reach one, set another one...and tell everyone about it to make yourself accountable.
2. If you've been super "strict" for a while, and find yourself demotivated, etc, then try taking off a week, and eating whatever you want (with some self-control) and do physical activity that you enjoy or wanted to try
3. Buy a new fitness equipment - for instance, i'm working on getting a sandbag.

Hope that helps!

:( Sadly i have this problem too.....but it is mainly to do with my diet ...i can be 100 % bang on then crash................3 weeks ago i was 5lbs away from where i wanted to be ...then i had one stressful day which ended in binging on junk and now three weeks later of day in day day out binging....im 13lbs heavier and feel like crap!!:(.....

i find working as part of a group or challenge normally stops me from slipping...if im on my own i have a tendency to slip up a lot easier.

This month has been a prime example of me doing it.. These forums are pretty well the only thing that have kept me honest. Recognize the failures and continue on the proper course.

I have "greater" and 'lesser' days in the gym...but I don't beat myself up over it.

In other avenues of life I will do the 'slack-off" thing though.

Like in music....I will work like a maniac on compositions and songs for maybe 2 months straight...and then the day after I have completed them----I may not touch the keyboard again for 3 months. Although I can feel new ideas germinating and festering in the back of my mind.It's like I reach a point where I absolutely must break from it for the duration....or I will burn out.

Actually I'm more on the addictive side when it comes to working out.

I absolutely HATE missing a workout.

I would rather work out than:-

Travel
Drink
Eat fast food
Visit people
Watch "Dancing With The Stars"
Go to any sports event (except MMA).
Talk to a relative
Sit in a lawn chair
Walk around a mall
Do yardwork
Watch "Dr.Phil"

Im the same way. I will be motivated for about a few months and then I will start to get less motivated and the motivated again etc. Im pretty motivated now though seeing results often.:tucool:

I absolutely HATE missing a workout.

I would rather work out than:-

Travel
Drink
Eat fast food
Visit people
Watch "Dancing With The Stars"
Go to any sports event (except MMA).
Talk to a relative
Sit in a lawn chair
Walk around a mall
Do yardwork
Watch "Dr.Phil"

Got a yuk out of this one HM. I'm like you in that I'm paranoid about missing a workout. As for your list, about half of those things I would rather do just about anything than some of those. :lol:

one word: ritual

if their is something really important that u need to get done to accomplish a goal and u are absolutely dead set on making it happen, create a ritual around it. IN WRITING, set a very specific time that you will perform the activity during the week, write down what you're going to wear, how you're going to do it, make this as detailed as possible. Set out a certain time of the day to do it and include 20-30 mins of time to account for preparation and reintegrating back into your other activities for the day (i.e. 10-15 mins to put on your gym clothes, shoes, get ready for the gym and another 10-15 mins when u come back from the gym to change clothes, shower, reintegrate yourself back in your day). Be as specific as possible in your writing. Then follow-through without fail no matter what. Eventually, usually after about a month (sometimes more) it will become a habit/ritual.

If you find that u start to deviate, immediately review what u put down in writing and get back on the horse and be as consistent as you can for as long as possible.

For me some of my workouts are better than others, but I look at myself in the mirror and say " at least your doing it ". So if you don't feel like working out, like someone else said here just do something. Go for a bike ride, or a walk.
Check out the words below. In my 51 years on this earth those words are the as true as any I've ever heard.:tu:

I have "greater" and 'lesser' days in the gym...but I don't beat myself up over it.

In other avenues of life I will do the 'slack-off" thing though.

Like in music....I will work like a maniac on compositions and songs for maybe 2 months straight...and then the day after I have completed them----I may not touch the keyboard again for 3 months. Although I can feel new ideas germinating and festering in the back of my mind.It's like I reach a point where I absolutely must break from it for the duration....or I will burn out.

Actually I'm more on the addictive side when it comes to working out.

I absolutely HATE missing a workout.

I would rather work out than:-

Travel
Drink
Eat fast food
Visit people
Watch "Dancing With The Stars"
Go to any sports event (except MMA).
Talk to a relative
Sit in a lawn chair
Walk around a mall
Do yardwork
Watch "Dr.Phil"

SPOT ON. Some people have it, some people don't. I have it for working out... sometimes I wish I had it for other parts of my life--like school or even nutrition.

I never miss a workout unless I am injured. I don't care if it's 11 PM and I have been up for 36 hours. I will go to the gym and throw some weight around or go for a run. I've been like this since January 1st 2006, even though I have only been lifting for a little over a year. I used to be obsessed with running. E.G-- in the summer of 2006 I only missed one day of running. There are negative consequences of this addiction like burnout or injury, but in my mind they are so tiny that I don't even consider them most times.