Diet & Exercise Motivation for Men

How to stay motivated to exercise and diet.

Like a lot of guys, I'm a bit lazy. I'd rather be tinkering on the computer or watching my big assed television that working out. I'm finding better ways of staying motivated to exercise these days. Here's what I do.

MEET WITH A TRAINER

I'm an appointment driven kinda guy, so I've started using a trainer.

We keep a regular schedule, so I know each week at set days and times, I have an appointment to keep. This makes me go to the gym because I have made a commitment to meet my trainer. I like this better than a group class. In a group, it's easy to skip out and not be noticed. One-on-one is a different story. My trainer also helps keep my workouts varied and interesting.

WORKOUT MUSIC

When I'm not with my trainer (and that's over half the time), I use music to keep me motivated. My iPhone is loaded up with tunes that keep me pumped. I play a bit of techno and a lot of hard shit like Disturbed and Korn (not the singer/songwriter stuff I chill out with) -- the little box to the right has some of my current workout tunes listed. Heavy metal is great stuff to keep you pissed off in a good way. Trust me, Limp Bizkit's Break Shit is the best song to workout to ever! If you've got a music player with bluetooth, the Motorola Rokr Bluetooth Headphones are amazing. They fit real snug and have good highs and amazing bass -- and they get pretty loud. If you don't already have an iPod or other portable player, the Apple iPod Nano is amazing -- very light weight and you can clip it anywhere. There is no bluetooth, so you gotta worry about the cords. The best choice, I think, if you don't have an iPhone is the newest iPod Touch which is awesome. You can use it with the wireless Motorola Rokr Bluetooth Headphones and load it with fitness apps that will show you some routines and exercises.

RESULTS MOTIVATE

Dropping a few pounds and seeing results is VERY motivating. Once you lose some weight and look in the mirror after a workout and actually see muscles growing, that's a tremendous feeling. You've just got to stick with it until you start seeing results.

MAKING THE CHOICE

I'm a FIRM believer in the fact that we are where we are in our lives because of the choices we make. If you're fat and unhealthy, you chose that lifestyle.

If you're fit and trim, you chose that as well. With few exceptions, we get fat because we choose to eat poorly and not exercise. Unless your doctor has told you you have a specific medical condition which causes you to be unhealthy, all of your other excuses are simply bullshit. Plain and simple. 10 years ago, when I was 70 pounds heavier with back problems and a prescription for cholesterol medication in my hand, I was there because of choices I made. Tossing that prescription in the trash and deciding to get healthy was a choice, too. It's a choice I'm glad I made. It's not always easy and I've fallen off the wagon a few times, but I always choose to get back to it. Finally, I think I've found a plan that I can stick with for the long haul. Choosing a lifestyle of balancing fitness with the things I enjoy is working well for me.

Good luck to you on your way to health and fitness.

WARNING: CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY EXERCISE OR DIET PROGRAM