Anyone go from lazy - fitness freak? Share stories here!!

tatd_820

Ummm......ME! I love anything fitness that makes me sweat and burn!

missbp

I wouldn't say I am currently a fitness freak, but I work out almost daily these days.

I used to not be this way at all. The total opposite in fact. I like this me much better. I am happier and healthier in every way.

MB

YsanneIniss

Yes. I used to be a total couch potato, hating sports and exercise with a passion, except for the occasional hike. Wanna know what changed? Four years ago, I bought a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog puppy. Since then, my whole personality changed drastically - it's as if I finally found the nerve and courage to become someone I've always wanted to be, but didn't know how. I've always liked dogs, but to this day, I don't really know why I chose to adopt one, of such an extremely difficult breed no less, at that time of my life. All I knew was that I was 19, first year in college, and depressed beyond anything I'd ever experienced. I just needed... something radical.
Ysanne the wolfdog changed my life. I really got into dogs and training, researched everything so that I could care for my new best friend properly, and since many people have trouble raising members of this breed, I was determined not to fail and prove to myself and everyone else that I could do this. Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs need extreme amounts of exercise, and my activity levels soared. I got back into hiking and found a connection with nature I always knew was there, but had almost forgotten about. My hikes started getting longer and more frequent. Then I started feeding my dog raw meat and veggies, and had to learn plenty of stuff about proper nutrition for canines. That made me take a closer look at my own diet, but I ignored it at the time. Two years passed, and although I was still very overweight, I was also a lot more fit. Soon, one dog simply wasn't enough. Now I'm a proud owner of a working line sable German Shepherd as well. He is really hyperactive, and with two large, energetic dogs in the house, I started moving even more. Soon, I added swimming and biking to my lifestyle, all of it just to keep up with the dogs. I refused to be an irresponsible owner and wanted to give them both long, happy, healthy lives. To my horror, one day I realized I had actually started LIKING all the exercise.
It was April 2013 when I truly understood my exercise level were more than above-average. I had a hard time believing this, as I always used to be the fattest, slowest person in every group I found myself in. But that was no longer true. It was as if a halo of understanding suddenly lit around my head - I realized I didn't NEED the excess weight anymore. The kind of person that used the weight as a shield grew up, and was now confident enough to do without. I sat my *kitten* down in front of my computer, and for the first time in my life actually had a look at how much I was supposed to be eating per day.
Here I am, four months later. I've lost 12 kg, that's 25 pounds, and am still going strong. I took up running. I found a new job and will finally take the riding lessons I've always dreamed of. I actually have some muscles, despite still being overweight. The dogs are healthy and happy, and have trouble to keep up with me. They're 4 and 2 now, and I'm 23.
You can do it. It's fun. You only live once - don't waste your chance.

Samstan101

I didn't get to 303lbs through being active ;-) I started walking and swimming at the end of March. I now train 5-6 times a week Tues-Fri 30-40mins cardio or weights (usually weights on a Wed, cardio the rest) before work. Cardio can be elliptical trainer, treadmill (doing C25K slowly as to not kill my knees - upto wk7 session 2) or occasionally swimming. Sun will be a full body weights session and then 20-30mins cardio. Mon is almost always a rest day (bar a gentle walk at lunchtime if the weather is dry). Saturday can either be a rest day or like today I went out on the bike for 40mins, or sometimes I'll go for a walk or kayaking.

I now find sitting still makes me feel twitchy and about the time I got to wk5 of C25K I realised that I actually enjoyed jogging! I now have a number of fitness goals alongside my future weight loss goals inc running a 5k, 10k, and ultimately a triathalon and a marathon (although they are probably at least a couple of years away).

I enjoy the way exercise makes me feel, both feeling fitter and even the ache of tired muscles plus the beneficial side effects - I'm so tired most of the time that my insomnia has has not reared its head more than once since I started eating better and exercising.

PepperWorm

YEP! Right here.

luckyshilling

Starting to get really annoyed when things come up that make me have to adjust a workout I was looking forward to. Like quick do a workout video at home when I had a hike planned.

Does that count?

aarar

I wouldn't call myself a fitness freak but I'm currently training for a full marathon. 10 months ago I'd be out of breath and sweaty taking the garbage out from my office to the dumpster. I've always hated exercise and anything that involved hard physical work but I've always wanted to run. I started in January only able to do 20-30 seconds at a time, every week slowly increasing my mileage and here I am 2 weeks from race day. My longest run to date was last weekend at 37.2 km. Over the last few months I've discovered I love distance running which is why I switched to a full marathon from the original 10km I planned to do this summer.

Tstyles74

You just gave me mad motivation!

NovemberJune

Until 2011, zero exercise. First half of 2011, regular exercise but it was just a chore i did for results. Since mid/late-2011, regular exercise and I love it!

Weebs628

Yes! I started dancing about 4 years ago. Got my diet in check a year ago and have been adding in other exercises. I have to like my exercise though. That's the key for me. I workout 5-6 days a week. Come September, I'll be dancing 6x a week and lifting weights 3x a week. I'm addicted now.

beastmodekittyx

Used to sit on my *kitten* 24-7 now I can barely respect my rest days

guessrs

Yes, total couch potato munching junk food to fitness monster, run 20 miles on the weekends, feel amazing.

MercenaryNoetic26

Yes, after my second pregnancy and well after! But once a fitness freak, it's always easy to roll back into it when you're ready. Least for me anyway.

CyberEd312

I went from being trapped in my own home barely able to stand let alone try to walk to working out 6 days a week with Sundays off.... So yeah I guess I would say that would be a big yes!! :drinker:

sarahrbraun

I don't know about "freak", but my level of activity has increased, and so has my level of physical fitness.

2 years ago I spent 90% of my day sitting around, watching TV, crocheting, or reading. I wasn't happy with my weight, and my self image was in the toilet. I knew I could get in shape if I got a gym membership.

So I joined the gym, determined to lose some weight. I busted my butt doing cardio, and a few weeks later I ventured into the weight machine area. Within a few months, the trainer normally on duty took notice of my dedication and started talking to me when I got to the gym in the morning. We got to be friends. After about 8 months I took one of his orientation classes, and he started giving me a few tips here and there...guiding me towards more challenging workouts. In February I paid for a few sessions with him so I could change up my workout a little. To my surprise, I loved working with him! he could convince me to try pretty much anything.


fast forward 6 months....I'm in the gym 4-5 days a week, 90-120 minutes at a time. I've tried every piece of demo equipment they have had in there the last 4 months. I've climbed up to 30 flights of steps in one day as PART of my cardio workout. I've done stuff that makes the muscle guys stare with jaws dropped. I've had gym regulars come up and tell me that my trainer is training me like a man...or come up and ask MY opinion on demo equipment.

Jaystuddaz

I did as well. I remember reading this line in a book. "You are whatever you think you are."

I used to always think I was the kind of person to work out a bit and fall off course. Once I changed my mind, and became a role model for my nephew, it all changed.

mspoopoo

I think I am more ashamed that I was a very active fit person and let myself get lazy and obese not once but twice.

A desk job with long hours and before I knew it I was skipping lunch and eating the vending machine diet.

Add a lot of stress and insomnia and high cortisol levels and the weight piled on again. Add a bad shoulder injury to the mess.

I'm a lot older now and I'm starting off much easier with the exercise.

Not sure if I will end up a fanatic again. We'll see.

tdotali

I grew up in a house where phsical activity was not encouraged and there was a tremendous amount of food. Both my parents are obese. They don't eat a lot of junk food - they just eat alot and don't move.
I never played any sports and was quite bad at them. My father also owns a fine foods store so there was always soooo much amazing food in my house. I call my parents house the vortex of eating and doing nothing lol

It wasn't until I was diagnosed with high cholesterol at 18 that I started to take action.

Slowly but surely I found ways of eating that worked for me and I found physical activities that I love - mostly aerobics and yoga.

I've seen what inactivity and obesity can do to one's lifestyle. My mother has suffered needlessly for years. My father fortunately hasn't suffered but he is on a crap load of medications to monitor his diabetes, cholesterol and angina.

Growing up I thought I was destined to be like my parents - I have proved myself wrong!

fierydeluge

Had that. I joined a gym on November last year but started going regularly February this year. After that it's just a matter of motivation and consistency .

lustergirl

I joined MFP back in February, lost 32 pounds. Went off the wagon for a few months and gained some pounds back. I wouldn't call myself lazy as I was active in work and around the house. For about a month now I am back into the gym and it has become addicting the past couple of weeks. I have my hormone levels and metabolism under control and am finally losing again. What a great feeling!!

dazzer1975

I am about to start walking how did you start off, I need to start slow due to knee pain

Not seen pages 2 or 3 yet so maybe already answered, but for me, I went out at night (avoid the abuse of strangers) and knew a good few local walks suitable for me from previous activity and weight loss etc etc somewhere I could lean against a wall or have a sit down and it's a long slow process of baby steps from there but over time you can build up what you can do.

At the start it is a real mental battle not getting too disheartened with what little you think you are doing, if you can get past that, the improvements can come really quick, easily within the first week.

Obviously that is my situation and you may be at a different starting point from me, but that is how i started off.

benefiting

Me, for sure. I started on the 3rd and my mum thinks I exercise too much now. Lol.