How do you keep pushing in the beginning stage of getting healthy?

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NoreTil
NoreTil Posts: 12 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I start, I stop, am motivated for a while and on bad days just no energy to keep pushing. How can I keep moving forward? I have Fibromyalgia and some days I am just out of energy. How can I increase this and stay focus on being healthy. I have reduced intake on consumption of sweets, started eating more fruits and vegetables also been watching what I eat. I added walking and now a bit of cardio too for a 30 minute workout. Can anyone advice me on how to keep going?
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  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Kee[ it simple, manaheable and sustainable. Thats small targets an small changes which you can achieve. You then need to be realistic and patient. Slow steady and consistent will help you keep going longer.
  • louubelle16
    louubelle16 Posts: 579 Member
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    I agree with what has been said, as setting realistic targets will help. Perhaps try making one new change each week, rather than trying to do it all at once? Also, don't beat yourself up over a few tired days - it doesn't mean you've failed or fallen off the wagon, it just means that you're taking a break! This is especially important as you have a medical condition, you will just need to listen to your body. Good luck with it!
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,862 Member
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    I make a commitment to "turn on the TV" for a DVD workout, or get on my treadmill and turn it on. I don't commit to miles or minutes but once I've started I usually do what I set out to do. But in my mind, that isn't a requirement. Get your training clothes on and get to the living room or gym and do the best you can do that day.

    Don't set the bar so high that you bail. You'll get to raise the bar later, once you've developed some good workout habits and don't quit (very often that is). We all take breaks in life's workouts for many reasons but if your good habits are in place you'll start again.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Besides logging food, it is handy to set weekly or bi-weekly behavioral goals and record your success along those lines. Review your progress and adjust as you go along. This way you can slowly build new sustainable habits that you can maintain for a lifetime. This is how great mountains are climbed; never all at once, but in stages, with all the equipment and supplies you need to ensure success.

    SMART Goals

    These days having a run to prepare for keeps me going.
  • cyndit1
    cyndit1 Posts: 170 Member
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    When I first started my fitness journey I registered for a 5K and told everyone. It made me accountable and gave me a focus to keep going.
  • shrinkingletters
    shrinkingletters Posts: 1,008 Member
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    Small targets, as mentioned above, and patience. You're going to have setbacks along the way, but you gotta just take the experience and adjust. Aim small, miss small.
  • IILikeToMoveItMoveIt
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt Posts: 1,172 Member
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    5f7mzl56tl3l.gif

    All kidding aside. Just do your best. Take it one day at a time. Forgive slip-ups and fit in whatever you can whenever you can. Even if its only 5 heel lifts or twists. It'll take time, but will figure out what's best for you, I figured out (tmi) during ovulation I have a whole week of awesome energy and low appetite. I use it to my advantage and just do what I can do whenever I can. If the mood hits to just get up and walk to the otherside of the house, it's still better than nothing! You can accumulate alot of those moments... Hope that helps...
  • ScreeField
    ScreeField Posts: 180 Member
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    How about looking into an activity-focused Meetup group in your area (a walking, hiking, or bicycling group). Or, try a yoga class and if you like it, sign up for a membership. Or, what about training for a race? like a 5k and finding a running group to train with.
  • NoreTil
    NoreTil Posts: 12 Member
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    That's an awesome idea...been wanting to try running, and proper way to do yoga...will look into that. Thanks for the tips.☺
  • NoreTil
    NoreTil Posts: 12 Member
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    999tigger wrote: »
    Kee[ it simple, manaheable and sustainable. Thats small targets an small changes which you can achieve. You then need to be realistic and patient. Slow steady and consistent will help you keep going longer.

    Thanks for the positivity
  • NoreTil
    NoreTil Posts: 12 Member
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    cyndit1 wrote: »
    When I first started my fitness journey I registered for a 5K and told everyone. It made me accountable and gave me a focus to keep going.

    Hmmm! That's great
  • NoreTil
    NoreTil Posts: 12 Member
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    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt wrote: »
    5f7mzl56tl3l.gif

    All kidding aside. Just do your best. Take it one day at a time. Forgive slip-ups and fit in whatever you can whenever you can. Even if its only 5 heel lifts or twists. It'll take time, but will figure out what's best for you, I figured out (tmi) during ovulation I have a whole week of awesome energy and low appetite. I use it to my advantage and just do what I can do whenever I can. If the mood hits to just get up and walk to the otherside of the house, it's still better than nothing! You can accumulate alot of those moments... Hope that helps...

    What an awesome way to look at being healthier. Oh! The ovulation thing now I def got to check and remember that. Thanks a bunch
  • NoreTil
    NoreTil Posts: 12 Member
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    shrinkingletters wrote: »
    Small targets, as mentioned above, and patience. You're going to have setbacks along the way, but you gotta just take the experience and adjust. Aim small, miss small.

    Thanks. Patience is very key and slow and steady so right... Will keep these tips in mind.
  • NoreTil
    NoreTil Posts: 12 Member
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    louubelle16 wrote: »
    I agree with what has been said, as setting realistic targets will help. Perhaps try making one new change each week, rather than trying to do it all at once? Also, don't beat yourself up over a few tired days - it doesn't mean you've failed or fallen off the wagon, it just means that you're taking a break! This is especially important as you have a medical condition, you will just need to listen to your body. Good luck with it!

    You are so right, on Don't beat myself up...I didn't look at it that way as taking a break hmmm that's a much better way to look at it. Thanks very much ☺
  • Abakan
    Abakan Posts: 361 Member
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    I found when I lacked motivation in the early days I would play mind games with myself. If I didn't feel like going out for my daily walk I'd tell myself that I'd just go out for 10 mins, if I still didn't want to carry on walking after the 10 mins then I could turn around and come back home. Not once did I turn around and come home, once I was out of the door I was fine. You may find that with your medical condition , after a few minuets you can't carry on but at least you did a few minuets more than you would have done if you hadn't tried. As others have said , don't beat yourself up about, doing some exercise no matter how small, is better than doing nothing. Good luck!
  • dangerouscurvs
    dangerouscurvs Posts: 56 Member
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    NoreTil wrote: »
    I start, I stop, am motivated for a while and on bad days just no energy to kee p pushing. How can I keep moving forward? I have Fibromyalgia and some days I am just out of energy. How can I increase this and stay focus on being healthy. I have reduced intake on consumption of sweets, started eating more fruits and vegetables also been watching what I eat. I added walking and now a bit of cardio too for a 30 minute workout. Can anyone advice me on how to keep going?
    There's a thread on here that's called "just for today" I think its a wonder idea, to help keep your goals focused...I know I get overwhelmed when I think of the daunting task of losing 170 lbs...but if I look at bit in the small "just for today " sense, its not so scary! And if I mess up, then I can just start over again tomorrow! Good luck!!
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
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    When I first started running last September I couldn't even run 1km without stopping, wheezing, multiple times. But I still logged my runs in Strava and posted them to Facebook. My thinking was that if I made a point of noting on Facebook that I was starting to run again, I couldn't stop.

    It worked... partly driven by not wanting to fail in public, and partly driven by a bit of data obsession (staring at Google Fit on my phone in those early days), I was motivated to pick up my activity level each week. From September 2014 through December that year I only ran about 250km but I made sure that I went out regularly regardless of weather. In fact I'd pick the worst weather to go out in if I had a choice. Making it regular and accepting no excuses and making it public was more than enough to ensure I was hooked.

    I don't bore friends and family with my run log now; I save that for the monthly running challenge thread here but the feeling in that thread is of course mutual! :smiley:

    If you do take up running, join us in that thread. It is motivating. You may find yourself addicted.
  • KittensMaster
    KittensMaster Posts: 748 Member
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    Make new friends with similar goals

    Get a new hobby or two

    I have my friends that are hard core cyclists

    I'm a sprint triathlon person. That is an entire community of people

    There is the walking group.

    Gym rats of course

    T is about making it an enjoyable part of your life

    If it was easy everyone would be in shape. Some days you run on determination and discipline. You have to make up your mind if that is you
    Mate you that person that sticks to your goals and tougjs it out?

    If you do, you will feel better about yourself.

    The next time you feel down you have that to look back on.

    Make a lifestyle out of becoming that person you want to be. And in time...

    You do become the strong person you desire to be.

    Nobody can hold you back on this journey. Except you.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,392 Member
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    Great advice above. I think one pitfall many experience is trying to change their lifestyle quickly and go from one extreme to another. Take it in small steps with realistic goals. Find support that works for you. And don't give up on yourself when you have a bad day.

    My wife started a walking group with local friends. They go out three days a week and there has been many a day where people show up when they didn't really feel like walking. But they show up because others help keep them accountable, and the talking/social aspect sometimes overcomes that want to not walk that day.

    I prefer to bike over walking, but when my schedule allows I often go with them. To me the social aspect makes it more of a relaxing thing and I don't even really look at it as exercise.



    Once you find things that work for you, you actually start to enjoy them and look forward to it. I started getting on my bike to get rid of some weight. Now when schedule or weather makes it hard to do I really miss it, and sometimes go out in the dead of night, or even ride in the rain.
  • KittensMaster
    KittensMaster Posts: 748 Member
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    @robertw486

    That is funny

    Last Saturday it started raining at mile 26 of a 40 mile ride

    It was a quick cool off and that was all I thought of it

    I agree that when fitness hobbies become a part of relaxation and staying centered, at that point it isn't exercise.

    It is just part of who we are.

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