Energy

cherbetdream

I don't have the energy it takes to workout. I'm eating great! Food preparation, calorie counting and mindful snacking. I just can't get moving

Lietchi

First of all, in case you're worried about this: working out is great for health, but not strictly necessary for weight loss.

Also: you can increase your activity level without necessarily working out. You might want to check out this thread:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

Xellercin

Then do something that's easy. Exercise doesn't have to be hard to be beneficial. Do what feels good. The more you move, the more your body will want to move. But if you aren't used to exercise, it's not going to want to rev that high out of nowhere.

Start with something brief and easy, and do it often. Your body will build it's capacity for enjoying exercise shockingly quickly. If it doesn't feel great, don't do it, not until your body is ready for it.

shilpakapoorohri

I'm pretty much the same and. this time. just decided to make peace with it..am working on my diet..have. lost nearly 12 kilos since September..diet alone...plan to continue till another 13 kilos are gone

cwolfman13

cherbetdream wrote: »

I don't have the energy it takes to workout. I'm eating great! Food preparation, calorie counting and mindful snacking. I just can't get moving

You don't have to "workout". Moving and regular exercise is important to your overall health, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a "workout". Fitness is also something that is built up over time so it's usually a good idea to start slow and easy. Getting in the habit of going out regularly for a walk is a good place to start for most people.

Unless I'm training for a cycling event, the vast majority of my exercise is active recreation...cycling, mountain biking, walking my dog, hiking, etc.

AnnPT77

I agree that exercise is optional for weight loss, but good for health, can be fun (keep looking until you find the fun thing), and absolutely needn't be exhausting or miserable in order to be beneficial.

In reality, exhausting, miserable exercise is not even technically the best way to build fitness. What is? Starting with something manageable, but a tiny bit of a challenge. Then, as one gets fitter, one can increase intensity, frequency, duration, or type of exercise gradually, to keep a manageable challenge in the picture. It's challenging current capabilities that builds fitness: Overdoing for current fitness level just wears a person out, risks injuries, is discouraging, can lead to a bad relationship with being active, even giving up.

That said, I have a question that I didn't see asked: Is your current energy level fine, normal for you, but you just can't muster the energy to exercise? Or, are you feeling like your energy level is slipping below normal?

If it's the latter, consider whether losing weight a little more slowly might serve you better. Too-aggressive can be counter-productive for both weight loss and health. On the weight loss front, underfueling leads to fatigue, which reduces activity (maybe even unnoticed spontaneous energy, like fidgeting). That won't stop weight loss entirely, but it can mean that a person will lose more slowly on X calorie level than they expected, and feel bad alongside: Not helpful. It can lead to compensatory binges, or even giving up entirely because the process is too hard.

Sometimes, slow loss actually gets a person to goal weight sooner than fast loss . . . if that fast loss has breaks, interruptions, eat-backs, etc. It's hard to think about that when starting out, feeling gung-ho and motivated, but it's a fact. Losing any meaningful total amount of weight is going to takes many weeks, probably months, for some, years. A process that's sustainable for that long term is a better plan.

Many of us around here think that it's a good idea, if not under close medical supervision for adequate nutrition/fueling, to lose no more than 0.5-1% of current weight per week, i.e. half to one pound per 100 pounds of current weight (same idea if you use kg). There's a bias toward the lower end of that range,, especially for people who have less than 50ish pounds to lose, have more sources of stress in their life besides the food restriction, have some concurrent health condition, etc.

If it's that you don't feel like you want to exercise, but your energy feels normal, and you're not losing too fast . . . it's OK not to exercise. You may lose a little more muscle tissue while losing fat by doing it that way, but probably not dramatic as long as you're losing at a reasonable pace and getting good nutrition.

Wishing you success!

Onedaywriter

I agree with the comments above (especially that exercise has its own benefits but is not necessary for weight loss) but want to just add for clarity- it seems like maybe you just don’t like your own idea of a “workout.”

Try doing something you enjoy that involves moving your body. Could be dancing, walking while listening to a podcast, kicking or throwing a ball with a kid, shooting hoops etc. or it could also be weightlifting, running, cycling etc.

I sometimes get into a grind when I’m training for an event. I did my first marathon this past November and found myself procrastinating my training runs for hours sometimes. I guess I could have interpreted that as not having the energy those days, but in almost all cases I was simply sick and tired of running lol! I’m not as dedicated to a specific “workout” as many folks and really have to mix things up.

Too many people think a workout MUST involve a gym or barbells or run or whatever. Just do something (anything) you consider fun that gets you moving!! Could be golf today, dancing tomorrow and tennis the next.

Dianedoessmiles1

I agree with the others, if it's something you enjoy, you'll want to do it. After awhile when I started I WANTED to do more. Many do NOT call it "exercise" and we never did called it "exercise" when we were kids, out riding our bikes, playing games, it was called PLAY and for many just changing that word to a positive is what helps the most.

I am a leader on the 2022 Winter 5% Challenge. We work on healthy habits which it sounds like you are doing (HEY WTG!!) and we also encourage each other to play (Not using that "other" word on purpose!) because as a group on days we do NOT FEEL Like moving, we'll do it to be supportive of our team. It doesn't have to be much, even 10 mins a day or less than daily (but at the 10 mins in a row) in order to support your team. BEST of all we all need and GET the support. Here's what the 2022 Winter 5% Challenge is about:

Join this supportive team and let's have fun as we lose 5% of our weight, make new friends and improve our health! Race to Fascinating Places for 8 Weeks. JOIN us to write your own success story! Start date Saturday January 8th, 2022! What a great way to start the New Year.
Here's the link:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/141880-2022-winter-5-challenge-community

ash1864

Start by doing something gentle and build it up. Perhaps swimming or walking?

kelly101386

As stated, do gentle exercises and build it up. I used to do weight training with a personal trainer before I had my back injury. He recommended the best thing before a good work out was a nice big cup of coffee but obviously that doesn't work for everyone. He definitely didn't believe in the whole carb loading thing like some. Everyone works at their own pace!

californiagirl1969

Congratulations on what you're currently doing that is a success..

And do what you can do.and you seem to be doing that.

I hear you my days are jammed packed as a stay at home round the clock caregiver to my parent and I cook, clean and try to maintain myself and help family member with her little ones as I can, run errands, chores entirely to busy then exhausted for traditional exercise even though I have the equipment.

When I can get my.mom out the house on nice days, I walk the neighborhood to the park and walk short laps pushing her wheelchair. I jump rope and ride my exercise bike. It's so rare though because of all the other things I have to do in my day.

I've lost 48 lbs majority by diet alone. I have 30 more lbs to lose and I need to tone my body and exercise is really crucial at this point.

Build small increments of exercise into your life 10 minutes at a time and build on that. You can do it.💪🏃‍♀️🏄‍♀️🏌‍♀️⛷🏊‍♀️⛹🚴‍♀️🤸

cwolfman13

kelly101386 wrote: »

As stated, do gentle exercises and build it up. I used to do weight training with a personal trainer before I had my back injury. He recommended the best thing before a good work out was a nice big cup of coffee but obviously that doesn't work for everyone. He definitely didn't believe in the whole carb loading thing like some. Everyone works at their own pace!

Carb loading is typically an endurance athlete thing...like running a marathon or riding a century...not a session in the weight room. This is because you want your body fully topped off with glycogen for a long distance endurance event as you will burn through it during the event (which is also why endurance athletes carry gels and whatnot). You don't want to bonk riding a century...you aren't going to bonk with an hour in the weight room. Carb loading is something that is typically done 2-3 days before an endurance event.

elisa123gal

Give this a try: just start moving... walking down and around the street. I read once..that if you feel low energy getting up and walking will give you more energy.. and it is true. It works. Start with a ten minute walk and build from there. I find.. I like walking or exercising right after I eat so have fuel in my system and I always eat a small portion of a complex carb so I have that for fuel.