I have been having a real hard time lately being motivated to exercise. Here are some of the thoughts that go through my head and besides just saying to myself "get over it" does anyone have any advice or can relate?

I am able to do so much more than I ever could before, I am 13 months out and I would love to lose another 20 pounds, but it's not going very well! I have lost 115, so that is awesome, but it's becoming more of a struggle to exercise and I need to get over it!

#1 I signed up for a 5K on labor day but I feel like I know I won't be able to run the whole time, so why bother?

#2 I keep comparing myself to other people and of course I fall short! My brother runs 8 miles a day and it's nothing to him! I can't imagine running that long, far and I just feel like why bother, I am never going to be a "runner" so why even try?

#3 when I am exercising, I can be doing good on the treadmill, but then I look down and see how far or how long I have ran and for some reason I lose motivation and just can't go on

People say it's mental, so how do I get past it??? I think that for me it seems like having that goal of the 5k is actually making me LESS motivated! It is the opposite of what everyone says! But, I feel like it's true! I wonder if I should just forget it and focus instead on exercising every day or 5 days a week?? Obviously having this goal in front of me is not helping me! I avoid exercising because I am so discouraged that I KNOW I won't be able to run the whole 5k and will need to walk some....

It's been a hard summer in other ways to and it's just been hard to stay focused on this. I know I have came far, and I appreciate that, but I need to figure out how to get past this mental block.

For me anyway, running and walking goal setting has not been all that different. Go out and run or walk to a location that is comfortable. Keep that up for a couple of days, then add another block or lap on the track or whatever (wherever) you are. Once comfortable with the new distance repeat, add a little more. Eventually you'll be going farther than you ever thought possible when you started. The hardest part is that first step, you have to take those first steps and get going...

Do you enjoy running, or are you just doing it to lose weight? If it's the latter, maybe you could find something you do enjoy. It's no fun to keep beating yourself up doing something because you HAVE to, not because you WANT to. If you find an exercise that you do enjoy, I'll bet you find you don't have a problem with exercise motivation.

Find something you like to do and the motiviation will take care of itself. Water Aerobics, Zumba, Crossfit?

I don't enjoy running at all! But, I don't have access to classes where I am ( not cheap if I can find it) so I am using the equipment where I am exercising. They have an elliptical, treadmill, bikes and then the resistance machines.

I can do a lot more active type things than ever, but not really doing anything that is programmed "exercise" if that makes sense? The nutritionist at the doctor's office says as long as you are doing more than you did before and are being "active" and I am doing that. It's just that I have totally turned off of going to exercise because of this 5k thing! I feel like a failure before I even start and am psyching myself out of doing anything! I don't mind exercising as much as I mind not being able to do as good at the running as I want. I know I don't need to run the whole 5k, but in my mind, anything less is a failure....I know I need to change that, but I really think if I was just exercising because I wanted to lose weight and boost my metabolism I would do better than exercising to get ready for the 5k. I don't know if that makes sense? I don't want to make excuses, but, the 5k is something I thought I should do and if it's messing me up, then maybe I should just forget it???

thanks for all the replies, I really don't like running and I don't understand people that say it makes them feel good!

Check out www.jeffgalloway.com

He teaches a run/walk/run method for people who can't run the entire time. There is absolutely nothing wrong with not running continuously. I've done a couple half marathons, a couple of 10ks and a 5K. And I have seen people walking within the first 2 minutes of the start each and every time. It's perfectly acceptable, and you should feel no shame about it. You should embrace the distance, not the mode of propulsion. Your brother is obviously a runner. I guarantee he didn't start out running like he can now.

And I can't speak for you, but I spent my whole life overweight. I didn't start running till I was 43 years old and I still weighed close to 300 lbs. So my body has been abused from all those years of carrying around that weight, and it's not conditioned to run like a deer all day and night. So running is a struggle, but I enjoy it. I'm getting better. And when I need to walk I do it and don't feel bad about it.

The worse thing you can do as a runner is compare yourself to other runners, because there will always be faster, better runners than yourself. Forget them...just find peace in your own ability to move from here to there.