Getting fit - what's your motivation?

PS, I am assuming it's obvious, but that's me in the blue dress! My friend Christine is in black...

Its a case of being tough with yourself and being honest. If you really arnt happy then step away from the cake - simples ?

Follow a diet rich in protein and fruit and veg and lay off the carbs. The motivation will kick in when you scales going the right way.

You are still allowed treats, but what i tell myself is that i will only get to have the photographs once and it will all be worth it in the end. Also i cant wait to sit on honeymoon and put it all back on - nom nom ?

My new motivation as of yesterday is that My Dress Doesn't Fit!!!!!!!!

Back to the gym and no sweets for me!!!

I've put on weight since changing jobs as I am nowhere near as active and am sat (literally) 5 feet away from the fridge!

I have decided to run a marathon so that will tone me up no end! You're right with the eat less, move more bit though. I am always surprised at the number of people who don't get that equation!

In terms of motivation, if I were in your position, I suspect I'd just be thinking that I would want to be the right size for me in my photos. As it happens, I also think you look great in the second photo! Still, only you know if you're happy that way or not.

You have plenty of time left so upping your exercise and reducing your portions a bit will enable the weight to come off safely and you'll tone up with the exercise. Good luck!

sames :/ im like SO unmoitvated its unreal, i need someone to be my exercise partner and kick me into shape!I recently joined slimming world, and thats motivation to eat well its just getting of my office wroker bum and doing something!!

Motivation would be lovely lol. BUT my OH does the same with my figure - he doesnt want me to change it so my motivation tends to go out the window...

My main motivation is the fact that my dress doesn't have sleeves. I also want to feel lovely and slender in it instead of holding myself in so I gave up having sugar in my tea recently and have noticed a big difference already... I just need to tone up more so have bought some Rosemary Conley DVD's (not a fan of gym's) and have made a routine 3 days a week after work to do them. Once I get into it I actually enjoy it and it makes me eat nice healthy stuff after ?

Thanks for the quick replies!

I just sent a message to my H2B, and he suggested we do some bike rides/activities in the evening, and get fit. He plays a lot of rugby, and would also like to get fit after a 10 month hiatus (broken rib), so we can motivate each other.

Fortunately for me, cakes are not an issue as I don't really go for them, but I do love my bread and carbs!

I like the motivation of having a dress than doesn't fit.... But I don't think I could bear to purchase one too small just in case!!

Hello. I saw your post and was interested because I am curerntly studying to become a personal trainer and am now on my last module. (One day I would like to set up a business helping brides). Is there a way that you can integrate exercise into your daily routine without it being an "extra thing to do"? For example, could you cycle to work (hard to do in the winter - but can save money on transport and keep you fit without taking out a chunk of time from your day). What about small things which can add up over time - for example, parking in the furthest space away from the supermarket to make you walk that little bit extra? I managed to lose a fair bit of weight a few years ago, just by stopping drinking pints of beer (difficult because all my friends did). As far as dieting goes, I alsways found that hard - but what about reducing the size of your plate or eating out of a breakfast bowl - this can reduce portion size. If you try eating with chop sticks it also slows down the rate of your eating and allows time for the "full" sesnsation to kick in... Sometimes it is just about getting kick started and getting that motivation can be hard... I am sure you will look great for your big day - Good luck, I know you can do it!

Why dont you join weight watchers or slimming world?? Seeing other people achieve their goals and getting advise and tips is so helpful! Ive been doining slimming world since end of July, just under a year from my wedding & Ive 20lbs off. Im eating loads & eating healthier. i eat pasta, potatoes etc but have totally ditched bread. Ive always done the gym, 3 or 4 classes a week. For these dark winter icy nights coming in (which i wont drive in) Ive a Davina McCall dvd so ive no excuses. You just have to remember that you want to look back at your pics and think 'That was my most beautiful day' and do what it takes to make you feel like that. Gd luck!

I am going to put together a mood board to help me! Of photos of myself I loathe and love..

I am also going to get my size 8 ball gown out of my wardrobe to movitate me! So thats the size i'd like to be back down to - thats my fave pics of me, sadly thats about 2 stone, and 5 years away now!!

My motivation is that I want to tone up my arms a lot so that they are okay for photos. I have recently started bootcamp training three nights a week - sounds horrible but it's good fun. They do a mixture of strength training and running so hopefully will tone up as I lose weight. I have only been doing it for a couple of weeks and I don't want to start weighing myself just yet - I will try and go by my clothes and how they fit instead. I tried going to the gym and dieting before, but I felt as though I was denying myself little treats and ended up pigging out

My OH comes along with me which is great fun doing it together but he keeps telling me that he doesn't care what I look like as long as I am healthy. I have also started to cut down on my portions and having cereal instead of a sausage/bacon bap and little bits at a time for me

I have a year and a half (ish) to go towards my target of 2.5/3 stone so i hope that not having a tight timescale will help me as well

Good luck and don't forget if you need motivating, us Hitched girlies can help

Jxx

I know exactly how you feel, i used to have a lovely figure until i reached my 20's and then it started to go downhill, i blamed it on the pill a little but the fact was i wasnt doing nearly as much excercise i used to. I am trying to sort myself out now, im getting married abroad and not only want to look lovely in my dress but also in a bikini! Even though i am getting married in just less than 4 months i am still struggling to get the motivation going to start excersising! This week i took my measurements and have started to go on the tredmill once a day and then do some stomach excersises after, also TRYING to eat a little better but i agree it is deffinatly excersise that works best. Each weeek i can check my measurement and hopefully notice the difference. Good luck x

In the run up to the wedding I was at the gym and excercising at home however this was my normal routine before we decided to get married. I wasn't really losing weight - more maintaining it.

I got hitched more or less the same size I have been for years which I am really happy about. That said post wedding I moved jobs and lost my local gym and gained a stone so decieded to change how me and oh eat - we now eat smaller portions but more regularly; we still eat out (probably too much) and enjoy a drink but I feel loads better for it and did lose the stone - only wish I had done it a year ago when I was at th gym lol. So having seen both sides - I say for best results look at food and excercise.

I have a t-shirt that says "Bride 2012" which I wear to the gym to motivate me. I think it works, I work out that bit harder now

That's great Greenfae - If I see that on someone I'll know it's you. I live in Tyne & Wear too!

For me, I work behind a desk but for 2 years now I've been cycling the 7 miles to work and back. If I get lazy, I put the bike in the back of the car and drive half way then park up and cycle the last half.

Can I just say when you run/jog/cycle in winter, yes it's cold, but you tend to burn more calories to keep warm at the same time. I lose more in winter because of this. I eat what I like to be honest and make sure I cycle everyday. I hurt my ankle and couldn't cycle for 2 months I had to eat less as I could feel the difference, calories not getting burnt etc. In July I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid - quite severe - and the doctor couldn't believe my weight was as low as it was. All through cycling every day. Diets don't work long term you have to get moving and every day!

My motivation is just wanting to look my best on the day, i want to loose a bit of weight and tone up as had a baby 15 weeks ago, going to make a proper start after christmas ?

I would highly reccomend if any of you have a Zumba class local to you then go along, it is fab! i started going about 4 weeks ago and its the most fun i've ever had exercising, and a really good workout aswell especially good for hips/bums/tums/thighs (my bad areas)

My motivation is seeing the model picture of my wedding dress and really wanting to look as good as that! Not gona get that small but its worth trying. I've joined the gym again and am going about 3 times a week. i find going to classes are better than going to the gym on my own.

I have totally lost all motivation-the diet plan is always going to start tomorrow!!

if anyone finds mine can you please send it back??

I'm exactly the same. My wedding is 10 days away and my dress fits, but not perfectly like it should. i just cant seem to get motivated and go out and walk/run. Doesnt help that i'm full of a cold at the moment. My eating isnt too bad to be honest. We had to go shopping last night after work so H2B called at McDonalds for tea afterwards. I declined and came home and had a bowl cereal instead. I tried hypnotherapy and to certain extent, it worked - for a bit. But now, as the sessions have finished, i'm starting to relapse and introducing fatty foods.

Just keep picturing you in the dress and im sure thats big enough motivation for anyone to want to lose weight/tone up.

My dress and the photos are my motivation. If I stay at my current weight it will fit (but I'll need an industrial strength basque to hold me in) or if I lose a little bit of weight, it'll be fine. I hate photos of myself, and always think I look podgy.

My job can be quite inactive, so I try go for a 3mile walk every lunchtime (I don't go when it's raining) and I walk home from work. I also use the stairs where possible.

I'm trying to cut down on the junk I eat - to be fair I'm not always eating McDonalds etc but I love biscuits, chocolate and pizza. It's tricky though, because my partner needs to put on weight and I'm trying to loose it.

My motivation is my slightly too tight dress and the thought of how gutted I'll be if I don't look the best I can in it! My OH doesn't really help because although he's very hard on himself he thinks I look great and don't need to lose any weight.

I take the dog out twice a day - he's getting on a bit and just ambles but I make sure I power walk while he's sniffing about so I'm not just stood around. I work in an office over 3 floors and make sure I run up the stairs every time. I go out on my bike twice a week and try to do plank and sit ups at home too. Think all these little bits are easier to fit in than gym sessions every day.

I've also stopped drinking in the week and only really have a couple at the weekends and I'm pretty strict on what I eat in the week but let myself relax a bit come the weekend.

Failing that, spanx could be my saviour! x

Actually a no of people who try to lose weight before the marriage and how ever they succeed as efforts are so high. Keep doing that efforts you will be succeed there is no doubt. keep going