Michael Gerrish, MS
Biography

	I have lost weight three times. How do I stay motivated? Is it worth the money to hire a personal trainer? How can I lose 10 lbs as soon as possible? I need to gain energy, not lose weight. What works?

Did watching all those amazing Olympic athletes have you inspired to get in shape? Or were you just feeling guilty about sitting on the couch while they ran, jumped, and kicked? Either way, explore these tips for staying on track with your fitness goals, from fitness coach and psychotherapist Michael Gerrish. He joined us on Aug. 26, 2004.

If you have questions about your health, you should consult your personal physician. This event is meant for informational purposes only.

MODERATOR:
Welcome back to WebMD Live, Michael. We all know we have to move it or lose it, but so many Americans don't get any exercise or don't get enough. Why are we such couch potatoes?

GERRISH:
For those of you who are unfamiliar with my work, it's all about determining the hidden underlying obstacles that are preventing us from following through on an exercise program, sticking to a diet, or finding the energy to exercise consistently. I call these obstacles UFOs, meaning unidentified fitness obstacles. These are things most people don't talk about or don't know about, even a lot of medical professionals.

Examples are things such as:

• Hormone imbalances, which could include cortisol, DHEA, low testosterone, or thyroid candida, which is basically yeast overgrowth
• Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD
• Food allergies and intolerances
• Snack amnesia
• Insulin instability
• Sleep apnea
• Toxic relationships
• Perfectionism

Now, you can see when you look at this list that getting motivated to exercise has more to do with identifying the underlying blocks that are preventing you from finding the energy and motivation to exercise than it does with finding the right exercise or the right means of getting motivated.

MODERATOR:
That's a lot of obstacles! How do we go about determining which factors are relevant to our own struggle to get fit?

GERRISH:
The first thing I recommend is reading my book, The Mind-Body Makeover Project . In the book there's a 58-item test that will help you determine what it is that is holding you back. People can also start by keeping a journal in which they record their moods, their feelings during the day, whether they are mental or physical, their energy level, and their diet tendencies, anything that would help them get clues about patterns or trends that are sabotaging their success. With this information, they can approach an appropriate health professional who will help them to determine if there really are any of these UFOs keeping them from being successful.

So many people think that being motivated is about finding ways to overcome the fact they are inherently lazy, when in fact I believe this is very rarely the case. I don't believe people are by nature lazy. I think, instead, that there are reasons they feel lazy. For example, if you have SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, and it's not being treated, you can try every kind of motivational idea in the world and it's likely not to work. You need to treat the source of the problem, not the symptoms.

The same would be true if you have an underlying problem with depression or you're not sleeping well and failing to address it. Or if you have a hidden sleep problem, like sleep apnea, which will prevent you from having the energy that you would need to exercise consistently or well on a consistent basis.

"So many people think that being motivated is about finding ways to overcome the fact they are inherently lazy, when in fact I believe this is very rarely the case."

MEMBER QUESTION:
I am so depressed and can't seem to get moving on anything. I know if I get out and walk it improves my mood as well as my body. Even knowing this, I can't get started. Then I feel worse. Why do I sabotage myself?

GERRISH:
It could be that you are suffering from a low-grade depression, in which case it would be a very good idea for you to consult with a mental health professional. The depression could be related to environmental factors such as lack of sunlight, emotional factors such as difficult or stressful relationships at home or at work, nutritional factors such as food allergies or intolerances, or even something as simple as a history of bad experiences with exercise.

The key, once again, is determining your individual underlying blocks. Until you do this, no amount of forcing yourself to exercise is going to work in the long term.

The opinions expressed herein are the guests' alone and have not been reviewed by a WebMD physician.