how do i motivate myself into working out?

in high school, i used to do track and i was already in shape. but now that i'm in my sophomore year of college, i'm not working out as much and not eating healthy. i did little bit of working out my freshman year in college, but it didn't help me much. i only did the elliptical for 20 min. 3x a week. it made my legs stronger, but not my abs and hips. summer i don't usually work out, but i should have. i haven't worked out yet this school year yet b/c my school work has taken priority of my life and there isn't any gym classes available. i want to be able to eat healthier and work out to get the perfect abs, hips, and legs. how do i motivate myself into doing that again? i used to, but now i have a lot of stress and everything to deal with. sometimes when i get back from classes, i spent time on the comp. a lot. my schedule is that i have classes MWF 10-12, Mon. 4-6:45pm, Tues/Thurs. 9:30-10:45 and 12:30-1:45. and i might get an off campus job. so what should i do?

Anonymous2007-09-12T13:26:49Z

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Dedicaiton is key. Not only will you look great, but you'll feel great too. It's like studying for a test. You study hard to get that good grade. And it pays off too.

GjCh062007-09-13T16:56:03Z

I know exactly how you feel. I found it a lot easier to get into shape if i found somebody to work out with. That way you're not only working out for yourself but you have another person who depends on you. That pushes/motivates you at the same time.

If you're looking for some routines to work out your abs try some of these:

*Decline sit ups (be careful that you don't strain yourself. i pulled a groin muscle doing this) There should be a decline bench if you work out at a gym. I personally don't go all the way down just half way or until i can feel it. the first 5 i do normal and then the next set of 5 i will hold half way down for 5 seconds each repetition. Then a regular 5 followed by 5 held. i started at 15 and worked up to 30. doing 3 sets.
*Try sitting on a ball so that your legs are at a 90degree angle and do a simple crunch.
I hate treadmills and the stair stepper so i do the eliptical as well. Cardio although it's the best for your abs is just boring and repetitive. This is where a partner comes in handy. start at 15 minutes and work your way up. try to increase at least 5-10 minutes a week. if you don't have a partner bring an IPOD or a magazine. Something to take your mind off of the task at hand. Bring a towel and water as well so that you don't give yourself an excuse to get off and stop. If you want other ab work out's let me know i have more. I hope this helps you i know how hard it can be....

P.S. Try taking a kickboxing class. Depending on where you live there should be a variety of different ones. They're usually very fun and i promise you'll be able to feel every muscle in your body tighten. Usually they have pretty good music.

z2007-09-13T14:20:09Z

Hi,
No one can tell you what will motivate you personally, and that is the toughest part. It sounds like you have the desire, which is great. Get a couple sets of dumbells one that you can lift now and one that is challening to move into. Lift the weights tree sets of ten, focus on tripceps, shoulders, biceps. Do some lunges holding the weights, and some squats and calf raises. Finish with some crunches. Take a brisk 45 min walk every day. If it seems boring, try to walk somewhere with w purpose--like walk to the library to study etc. Make sure that you are eating healthy. Cut out white flour, sugar etc. Eat a salad with lunch and dinner. Avoid sodas, and sugary energy drinks. Do this for a month or two, and you will have probably toned up, lost several pounds, and you will have gottne your body ready to handle a more rigorous routine. You will probably be motivated to stick with it because you will see results. Maybe you have a gym on campus also. I do this very workout and I am a busy grad student and mom, who is frustrated with not being able to go to the gym 6 days a week like I used to. I have to admit that you get quicker results hitting the gym hard 6 days a week,but my clothes are already looser. Also remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so pay attention to inches lost if the scale doesn't show weight loss. Best of luck to you!!!

easymoney2007-09-14T10:29:10Z

Hello!?!? We're talking about your life here. That should be motivation enough! Don't you wanna live long and prosper??

I found an easy diet called "The Abs Diet". It burns fat (starting with your gut) while you're sitting still, but you have to eat 6 times a day and work out 3 days a week for 30 minutes at a time. The foods are good and probably not much different from things you eat already. Buy the book and check it out. I lost 5 lbs. in the first week. There's also a women's version, too.

amber122007-09-13T15:34:11Z

The best motivation for me for eating well is to post a picture of either a guy I like or a girl with the body type I want to have on the fridge, so every time I go to grab something to eat, I think about my goal to eat healthy. Also, you should stop buying unhealthy foods completely. If you bake, change the recipe so that if it uses flour, make a quarter to a half of it whole wheat flour- it gives healthy carbs and if you put less than half in and use all purpose flour for the rest, you can't even taste the difference. Have at least a small side salad at dinnertime (I love putting chicken on my salad- it makes it more restaurant style, but still healthy). Also, if you have a roommate or a friend that lives nearby, work out and diet together- that way, you have someone to remind you of what you should be doing. It's surprising how much weight you can lose just by going on a fifteen minute walk while talking with a friend. Also, about the job, just make sure that you don't work near any fast food stores, like in the mall right by the food court, because it is way too tempting. Good luck with your weight loss!

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