Having a hard time getting into a workout routine...

sarajane1205
sarajane1205 Posts: 3 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all - So, I used to weight 226 pounds back around 2008, for the longest time I have stayed around 160pds, recently I decided to drop some more weight and I am down to 144...now I am looking to get to 130 but I am finding it hard to stick to a workout routine, any suggestions? Help!

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Do something you enjoy as recreation and do it as exercise. I mostly cycle. I think "workouts" for the sake of workouts are lame and I'd never stick with any of that stuff. They don't seem to have any purpose other than exercise for the sake of exercise and I generally find that boring.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    So don't exercise. Diet does more for weight loss than exercise ever could.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Do something you enjoy as recreation and do it as exercise. I mostly cycle. I think "workouts" for the sake of workouts are lame and I'd never stick with any of that stuff. They don't seem to have any purpose other than exercise for the sake of exercise and I generally find that boring.

    Agreed. Find something you enjoy doing for the sake of doing it, or something that will reward you in some way.
  • mdcoug
    mdcoug Posts: 397 Member
    For me it's about planning. In the beginning, my plan was working out in the mornings, before everyone got up. To do that, I had to go to bed early. Before I went to bed, I'd have my clothes and shoes lined up and I knew what my workout was going to be. That got me in the routine and really solidified my habit. Now, fast forward 5+ years, I don't always work out in the morning and have been able to be a little more flexible with my workout options. But I still plan. I map out my week, book my exercise classes and write it down. Sometimes things come up, but it doesn't throw me because I know that I'll get right back to it.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Try new things until you find something that inspired you to keep coming back. Hula hoop, swing dancing, hiking, Wii fitness games...
  • mdcoug
    mdcoug Posts: 397 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Do something you enjoy as recreation and do it as exercise. I mostly cycle. I think "workouts" for the sake of workouts are lame and I'd never stick with any of that stuff. They don't seem to have any purpose other than exercise for the sake of exercise and I generally find that boring.

    Agreed. Find something you enjoy doing for the sake of doing it, or something that will reward you in some way.

    And this is true too. I love, love, love what I'm doing now. I (usually) walk out feeling accomplished and happy.

    A lot of it is a mindset. Set yourself up for success, and then go because you enjoy it and because you deserve that feeling.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    find a program or activity you like and set goals. 5K's are fun goals if you like cardio.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    edited February 2018
    congratulations - great progress!!!!
  • sarajane1205
    sarajane1205 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks for all the feedback!
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    Pick a goal, and then pick a program to support that goal

    run 5K(3 miles)
    or
    lift 1-1.5xBW in bench Press and 2-2.5xBW in Squat/Deadlift

    Are good starting goals.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    Congratulations on losing that weight - that's awesome! I managed to turn myself into a "fitness" person slowly and by keeping my goals small enough that it felt silly NOT to meet them. I read that three ten minute brisk walks a day provides basically the same benefits as walking thirty minutes at a time (source), so I did that thing everyone always suggests and I suspect many people roll their eyes at - I started parking ten minutes away from my building every day. I'm not great at exercise for exercise's sake, but I love games and data, so I started a spreadsheet and tried to get twenty minutes in every day. Then thirty.

    After a few weeks of this a crazy thing happened - walking got too easy! So I figured, why not try jogging every other block? It turned out that just 10-15 minutes of running in the morning gave me an awesome energy and endorphin bump, and again, 10-15 minutes was so doable that I had a hard time talking myself out of it. After that I was basically a lost cause - along with running I started doing body weight workouts in my basement, then discovered FitnessBlender.com, and now I'm the proud owner of a set of adjustable dumbbells and am starting a progressive lifting program this week. And I do yoga or stretching more evenings than not. My spreadsheet is bonkers.

    And seriously, this all started with just walking for ten minutes at a time. You don't have to like the gym, or running, or strength training (although it's a lot of fun and good for you and more women should definitely do it), and you really don't have to start big at all. Just pick a small goal, push yourself for a few minutes a day, and see where it takes you. Good luck!

Categories