jethro56 

I have a few motivational phrases that I use to help me in "The Journey"

When I have an urge to overeat: Do you want to ruin a month's worth of hard work?

When I am debating whether to exercise: Showing up is a success.

thestoutdog

Late it has been, "you have got to be joking!" Okay, not real motivating, but usually helps the situation for me.

BHOFM

First you have to want to do it, then you have to do it!

Eat less, shift down, go farther faster.

Get off your fat ass and go ride your bike.

I don't want to go ride, I have to go ride.

Get off your fat ass and go ride your bike.

The school where I taught was going to spend a bunch
of money on motivational posters and I objected to it.
I thought we could make some for next to nothing, and
we did. I did some for the reading classes.

Sayre Kulp 

htfu

RollCNY

When I was hiking, a fellow hiker told me, "A slow pace beats no pace." This was great on long climbs, and would keep me moving instead of resting.

I tried it on big hills on the bike, but found it too complicated. Now when I am down to the slog I do the Finding Nemo seagulls: "Mine. Mine. Mine."

Sayre Kulp 

Seriously?! Does the forum now have a filter that prevents CAPS lock?!?!?!

Whose super-sensitivity button are we messaging now?

CraigB

Like Sayre, I'm also fond of HTFU. And when I'm tempted to be bad, "is this consistent with my long-term goals?" Not very catchy, I'll admit, but it often does the trick for me.

jethro56 

CraigB: How about "is this consistent with my HTFU goals?"

Neil_B

The forum, filled with overweight people, is suffering a circulation problem. Hence the cap lock prevention. When the circulation problems are resolved then we can use cap locks again. :-)

Neil_B

I tend to overthink things, especially about riding. So Bautieri's phrase "just ride bikes" is something I sometimes repeat.

Some others:

"Weighing 400 pounds was a living death. Now I live every day." - "The Historian" on Bike Forums. :-)

"I have always been of the opinion that, of the two evils - under-estimation and over-estimation of one's own strength- the former is much the more harmful." - Grandmaster Mikhail Tal, World Champion

Presume not that I am the thing I was;
For God doth know, so shall the world perceive,
That I have turn'd away my former self...." - Henry IV part II, by William Shakespeare.

"WWSD - What Would Sayre Do?" - a few people I know on Bike Forums.

snowdog650

"Because you are a disgusting fatbody." That is what I think of.

NOTE: Some adult language in the clip attached:

steve85

"Pain is only temporary."

monkeydentity

i like htfu...i might have to write that on my hand...

kenoshi

Quit whining and man up. Tell myself that everytime before I work out, and I end up pushing myself harder...

Berta

I don't remember where I saw it; it seems like it was from somebody famous and quirky and maybe I saw it posted here. Anyway, I said it to myself a lot last year because of the bike I was riding: "Push those pedals, you little brat!"

ETA: Hmmm, maybe it was "you little punk." I used "brat" though.

Itskabibbles

I look back to when I was in better shape as motivation. From July '06-June'10 I worked telecommunications construction, since I've been unemployed and have gained about 30lbs. When i started said job i was a sleek and sexy 290lbs at 6"4 tall, when i got laid off i was 220lbs of work anyone else straight into the ****ing ground.

When I'm out riding and I choose to push up a daunting hill or top my longest ride, I think back to how i used to feel after a hard days work and the benefits that stacked up after 4 years.

Unless you've got a debilitating bodily condition, a lot of the ability to go the extra mile is mostly mental imo. Obviously there are physical limitations, but I know for me that when I've got a "Bring that ****" attitude, I'm able to push harder and work longer.

And fwiw, sometimes i find that a lot of the disparaging things i've heard over the years run through my head when it's time to push myself.
Use all that negative to make a positive. Once you really start seeing results, it's a lot easier to want to keep on improving.

Hope this helps. If not, go **** yourself. =)

edit: also fwiw, i ride single speed on a not so light 27 lb bike.

cyclezealot

As Nike says , Just do it..
OK, so I go out on do it.. If the climb is hard enough and the switchbacks look terrible , usually my less vulgar chosen phrase while riding is sob.

jethro56 

From snowdog650's video I've gotten another one "You owe me a ... " (substitute some food I ate)

DaHaMac

I heard this on MyFitnessPal and have since adopted the saying. "Pain is weakness leaving the body."

10 minutes till my first attempt at a continous 10 mile ride. I believe alot of weakness will be leaving my body

ill.clyde

even though I live in the flatlands, I like, "Hills hurt, couches kill."

Seattle Forrest

Moving forward, we'll go after the low-hanging fruit at the end of the day.

Neil_B

Reminds me of a chess quip. Off the top of my head it's "Why hurry? The fruit will ripen on its own."

Homeyba

I've never found motivational phrases to be particularly useful. I usually just try and keep in mind just why it is I'm out there on the bike. That's motivation enough for me.

Seattle Forrest

snowman40

Yup - a disgusting fatbody I am. And that happens (people stealing food from chow hall.....), it doesn't end well for them or platoon.