Staying motivated is one of the hardest parts of running, especially when everything feels uncomfortable and the progress on the scale just isn’t matching the effort you’re putting in. It’s normal to feel frustrated. It’s normal to wonder if you’re doing something wrong. And it’s normal to go through dry spells where you simply don’t want to work out.
1. Understand that progress isn’t only about what you see on the scale.
Weight loss will fluctuate, it doesn’t mean you’re not improving, but focus on some non-scale wins to keep you going when the scale doesn’t tell you what you need to hear. Are you feeling better? Are clothes fitting looser? Are other indicators going the right direction? I mentioned these and more in the Check posting, they’re not all going to point the right way all the time, but if things are generally feeling better, it’s okay, even if the scale isn’t agreeing. Remember that the scale is also measuring muscle and water. Muscle should be slowly building, though if you’re overweight, you still hope to see weight loss. Water is a bit of a wild card, it’s hard to tell how hydrated you are, it’s also important to remember that if you’re sore from a recent workout, your body will hold on to more water so don’t expect results overnight.
2. Focus on the small wins including just getting outside.
In a lot of unpleasant activities, the hardest part is just getting started. Often times, if I get my shoes on and get outside to try a short run, I will end up just doing it or at the least, go further than I said I would to just try. Occasionally I don’t even get myself outside and sometimes when I do, I know right away it isn’t working out, but I have better luck when I push myself to try it than if I were going to give up from the start.
3. Identify the shift that happens around the middle of a workout.
On most workouts, I feel a shift about halfway where my mindset changes from it’s so far to wow, that wasn’t so bad. It reminds me of going up a hill; going up is rough, you keep going up but the top always looks like it’s far away. Once you get to the top, you can look around and get some perspective. Lastly the way down is generally easier, even if your activity is not set up that way, it feels like it.
4. Build your identity as a runner.
It can be hard to consider yourself a runner, especially when you see so many people that fit the description so much better. If you get out and run, you’re a runner, that is all it takes. Once you stop listening to your inner imposter syndrome and identify with this, you can turn it around to help yourself out, a runner is someone who gets out and runs.
5. Consider rewards if they work for you.
This can be a slippery slope because if you use food as a reward, you will likely not be losing the weight you hope to unless you’re motivated by healthy foods, which few of us are. If you’ve ever noticed those disappointing calorie burn numbers, you’ll quickly see why this doesn’t work. On the other hand, use some rest, recovery or another activity to use as a reward. It could be taking a nap, watching a TV show (streaming sitcoms works for me) or even flipping through TikTok. Find what works for you and consider using it as motivation.
6. Understand that there will be ebbs and flows to your motivation.
Your motivation will change at times, sometimes you’ll feel great, sometimes you won’t want to do anything. Play this to your advantage so you’re getting the most out of it when you are motivated and maybe lightening the load when you’re not. Though the more you push through, the easier this will get.
7. Remember it’s about consistency.
I like the concept of not missing 2 in a row. We all still need recovery, we all have things that come up and miss a workout, but once you miss 2, you could be starting to build a habit in the wrong direction. Overall, you can miss one, miss a couple, miss a week but the longer you go without, the harder it’ll be to get back on track. While it’s written about eating, I recently heard a great expression that I think highlights the importance of consistency, “It’s not what you eat between Christmas and New Years, it’s what you wat between New Years and Christmas.”