I need to get my ass back to the gym, but I really have no desire to do so.

Here's how I spiral into not going:

First off, I start to think it's too cold to go outside.

Then, I think, "oh god, I have to fish in my closet for my work out pants and dig up some gym socks and pick out a t-shirt and I hope I have clean gym shorts and, ugh, I'm really not in the mood to put together an outfit."

Then I reflect on how much my day has taken out of me, and think, well, I probably burned up tons of calories and got in lots of cardio just from being stressed out all day. If I relax for the rest of the night, I'm just counteracting all that stress.

And THEN I get all existential:

What's the point of spending 14 minutes on an elliptical machine? All that climbing and running, and where am I going? Nowhere. How will my mind or soul be enriched during this grueling half hour at the gym? I can't read when I work out. I don't have any work-out music I'm not sick of. There's no mental stimulation. No spiritual revelations to be had. Just sweaty people and dank lighting. Gross.

It's at this point that I have completely convinced myself that the gym is the wrong idea for the day, even though I know better.

MEANWHILE,

When I *do* go, just for one visit in a week, I feel better, I'm not as cold when I get home, I can tell all kinds of differences, all positive. When I go on a regular basis, my energy is up, my skin gets clearer, I find my mind is less jumbled with CRAP, and damn it all, I look GOOD.

So what the hell..?!? My gym's only two blocks from my apartment! What gives?

I need to find that elusive troll called Motivation and trap it in a cage. Anyone seen it lately?

I think your just scared of the "fan dude".

muirdo said:

mr. gym etiquette? you're probably right.

the last time i saw him, he was walking around completely covered in wet towels. he looked like a tusken raider with OCD.

I have got him only recently though. You just need to kick yourself. If you want it, you have to go out and get it, and not waste time pondering and procrastinating! which is what I spend far too much time doing.















Go on then!


Get off the org!

Anx said:

"ugh, I'm really not in the mood to put together an outfit."

Do you ever step back and marvel at how very, very gay you are?


When I'm out of the habit of going, I do all of that, but especially the existential thing. I'm struggling with that now. I spent my summer swimming and hiking and kayaking and wandering the city with my dog. . . now I'm like, FUCK the gym! "Gross" is exactly right. Bleh.

I've had a few weeks now of don't-know-what-to-do-with-myself limbo. I know I either have to get my ass a wetsuit and some snowshoes, or resign myself to winter at the gym, and instead of doing either, I've been. . . like. . . blogging.

susannah said:

i'm at work!

but i wanna go when i get home.

i've been thinking of things like:

leaving my clean gym clothes out in the open, like in a milk crate or a special shelf or something, so i can just grab 'em and be on my way.

i've also thought about taking a duffel to work with me so i'll go straight to the gym on the way home from work, instead of going home, changing, then going to the gym.

it's when i get in my front door after work that lethargy sets in. even on the train home i'm thinking that i'm gonna take the world by storm as soon as i get back to my apartment. yeah. right.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

Never!




to my credit, i did make the personal agreement that i'd step away from the gym during november in order to commit to NaNoWriMo and get 50,000 words written. okay. goal achieved. i think my mistake was in not forcing myself to keep up the gym schedule while writing every day, since that's really the bigger goal - to have that kind of structure to my free time on a regular basis.

and here's the thing - when i go to the gym all the time, i don't mind going to the gym at all. i create my own little private mental gym happy space, and it can be meditative, distracting, introspective, brainstormy...meanwhile i just like giving myself reasons to sit on my ass and goof off on the org and watch netflixes all night. SLOB!

one motivating factor: i'm not going to be able to pull this whole shaving my head/not shaving my face thing i've been doing if i go all puffy. i'll look like ernest borgnine. and not in a good way.

While being in optimum physical condition will not save you from the infinite nothingness that awaits us all at the end of our days, tell yourself that you'll just do a very light workout. Once you are dressed and on the floor, you will find that you have overcome many of the psychological barriers that stand in the way of you and "The Iron".

Ace said:

that's a great idea, actually - i'm pretty good at lying to myself, i just never thought to do it in a way that could improve my life.

Anx said:

You're right, you should do whatever it takes to make it seem easier to go. Because when you get in from work tired, even going to find clean clothes is too much hard work, as you say

Good luck I am getting running shoes and *ahem* a sports bra from Santa Claus because I really want to start running. But we'll see how that pans out! Right now I have visions of getting up extra early every day and going for a run, then going to work or uni....

susannah said:

if i don't get to the gym soon, i'll need a sports bra too!

when i worked nights and even when i moved to working days, i got into the habit of waking up early and going to the gym around 6:30am or so. it was rough the first couple of times, then i got used to it and kinda even looked forward to it. now my work hours are so early that my gym is closed in the morning when i have to get up and around for work. if i belonged to a 24/7 gym, i'd like to think i'd still get up super early and go.

Anx said:

me too, you should look for one! there must be one you can join, surely

The best I have got so far is doing sit ups in the morning, and even then its only "most" mornings! But even just that makes me feel so much better, so Im hoping Im addicted to that feeling enough to give the running thing a shot, and then that will be my motivation!

fingers crossed!

Anx said:

It was a noble cause, and congrats again.

Yep. Happy gym headspace. I know. Once I'm there, I seriously don't want to leave. And the mental health benefits cannot be overstated. But deciding to go there. Whoo, boy.

The carry-a-duffel method does help, actually.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

i'm thinking i'm going to attempt the whole duffel thing soon, maybe even starting tomorrow. the ridiculous thing is, my gym is about a 90 second walk from my apartment. i SHOULD be able to run home, change, then dart back over to the gym. but the gravitational force of my couch is just too strong.

Anx said:

Anx said:

Do we have the same couch?

HereToRockYourWorld said:

i think it is a universal couch.

Anx said:

but yeah, I think I have the exact same conversations in my head. exactly.

but yes, I feel much btter once I go. its just getting myself there.

Oh, can I relate to this feeling. I went to the gym today for the first time in about a month. I hate working out, but I haven't had a smoke in a few weeks and I am eating everything I see. Maybe I will feel better tomorrow, but right now I feel worn out and I really, really want a cigarette.

i'm in the process of writing a letter to bob saget to persuade him to make a really hot workout video. but for now, tae bo martial arts master and workout video guru billy blanks helps me motivate myself without having to go to a gym. plus, billy is not hard to look at.

Anx said:

I agree... when I'm not in the workout mood I try to just go w/ whatever I'm feeling - take it slow, listen to my dismal shit, just get out there & do a little something at least (once I'm used to the routine of just doing it, it gets easier). I usually get motivated midway & push myself a bit despite my mood - who knew you could get a good workout listening to love songs & suicidal melodies

Another thing that keeps me from talking myself out of it as quickly is having designated spaces for my workout clothes, etc. The mere thought of having to look for clothes is enough to put me off it forever. My shoes & hand weights stay near the front door @ all times, my workout pants are stacked next to my jeans so I'm always reminded, my longer t-shirts are kept separate from the little raggedy ones I sleep in, etc.

Keep in mind, this is all from the girl who has worked out ONE TIME all fall

and when I finally did get motivated last week I hurt my fucking leg

So get motivated Anx! I'll be on the couch Netflixing

Anx I so feel you. I pay my gym membership every month but I'm not getting any fitter. Next step is to actually start going.

Reincarnate said:

Same here I haven't been there the last 2 weeks but I need to kick myself in going this week! It's only 4 weeks before the LA invasion

i hate hate hate running. i'm doing it, but i hate it.

right now i'm drinking my coffee & trying to get motivated enough to pick up the andy warhol diaries, yet again, and finish my notations... and all this other stuff to read that has to go back to the library tomorrow.

Reincarnate said:

i finally went last night! and it felt so good, i stayed almost double the time i usually stay, and did twice the cardio i usually do. i forgot how important the gym is when it's cold and dark and wintery.

Anx said:

Oh you too? It's hard for me to even make a cup of tea for myself.

novabrkr said:

i have that problem sometimes...often times...most times

there was going to be more to this, but why bother

Wow you described exactly how I feel. I used to go religiously and now I make up so many excuses not to go.


M

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

i tried something new last night. i used to tell myself, "okay, i can putz around the apartment till 5:30, then i MUST go to the gym."

last night i tried playing this mindgame: "okay, as long as i get home from the gym by 7, i can putz as i please."

it worked!

So much of what's been posted on this thread goes through my head on a regular basis.

Anx, I'm glad you found the troll.