Any non or little exercisers out there?

ladybg81

Before I had my son and got FAT, I used to run/ walk on my treadmill everyday without fail, no matter what I had going on. Now, I've reached my goal weight without doing hardly any excercise. I just can not find the motivation to do it. What is wrong with me? I already know the answer, get off your *kitten* and do it but geesh, I don't want to. Any one else NOT exercise? Any one have any advise other than just get off my *kitten* and do it?? :indifferent:

BlessedMomX2

I hate excersise! Even when I was thin (before pregnancy) I never excersised. I just cant find the motivation either.

LessMe2B

I walk...sometimes on my lunch break for 20-30 minutes, sometimes in the evening (treadmill or walking path depending on weather), sometimes both, sometimes neither. I'm just not that motivated either. I spent a small fortune on workout videos, and they're still in the shipping box :sad: I know everyone will say "JUST DO IT!!!" But sometimes I "JUST DON'T WANT TO!!!" Good Luck:happy:

nikki91950

lately, all i've been doing is walking for exercise, and it hasn't been in extreme amounts, and i'm still losing weight.

NuttyBrewnette

I can totally relate. I hate to exercise, but I LOVE the effect/results of exercise. And I'm not just talking about weight. I'm talking about an improved mood, better sleep etc. I consider it "me" time and it's become a form of therapy for me.

By getting off my butt and "just doing it" I was able to make it into a habit after about 2 months.....now, I miss it when I don't do it. physically, emotionally etc. I had an injury that kept me out for a bit, and I started to struggle with insomnia. I think of exercise as stress relief now, and I most certainly need that. I focus on working out to be healthy, not to lose weight. Then I don't get as frustrated when the scale does not move.

Don't know if that helps or not, but it's what comes to mind.

Congrats on losing the weight without much exercise. :drinker:

mdesider

we might be in the same path... lol
i havent reach my goal weigh but i was having positive sucess with my weight lost:happy: , but now i haven't done any exercise in a month!:huh: and i havent even write down what i put in my month. I am sure i havent even intake the amount of calories that i am supposed to.

Now i have time because i am off from school but now is when i feel more laZy:yawn: . What;s wrong with me??? PPL FROM MFP WE NEED YOUR HELP!:sad:

Mindful_Trent

Exercise is critical for true health. Perhaps it might provide incentive if you look into the benefits of exercise:
http://www.busywomensfitness.com/exercise-benefits.html
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/health/index.html
http://o2fitnessclubs.com/pdf/101-benefits.pdf

It's hard to get started, but once you start exercising regularly you'll find your body craves it. I haven't worked out since Monday due to illness, and feel like such a slug. I can't wait to get back out there!

At the end of the day, if you can't find motivation to exercise, then just stop thinking about it like an option - it's not an option, it's a necessity. Some weeks I don't feel like doing my laundry or doing dishes, but I do them anyways. Same with exercise.

Edited to add - the poster below picked up on something I meant to say but missed - most people can find some kind of physical activity they enjoy, even if it's not traditional exercise. The point is to get your body moving! Even if it is non-typical exercerise.

dave4d

There are some physical activities that you can do that don't feel much like exercise, but still burn a good amount of calories. Find something you like to do; shopping, hiking, going on walks with your child, Taking your kids to the park, and playing with them, hiking, biking, golfing, soccer, basketball, baseball, anything that gets you off your behind, and moving.

milaxx

My knees are too bad for a lot of exercise, but I've been doing water aerobics and love it. I also do a little mall walking but at a slow pace.

I guess I'd say just do it. Set a small goal to start with like 2 x's a week. Try and think of ways to incorporate it in with activities you do with your son.

Atlantique

Compared to most people on MFP, I don't exercise much. I run 3x per week and that's about it outside of a lot of dog walks.

I need to get back into doing some strength training, which I am much more likely to do when I have a gym membership (can't afford that at the moment). I need to drag my dumbbells out of the basement and get cracking!

Lozx87

I used to hate exercise with a passion. i couldnt understand why some people did it so often but now ive got a nintendo wii i use the wii fit, just dance 2 and zumba, i also use a ab circle pro and i cant get enough i go on all these nearly everyday now when i can and i feel so much better when i have, my mood has improved cause ive let out all my steam on the games and my 2 year old daughter joins me so that gives me the motivation. Just take it one step at a time an find something you will enjoy again.

c2sky

Not sure wht you're asking. Are you asking for advice on how to keep losing weight, even though you don't exercise, or are you asking for people who DON'T LIKE to exercise to help you find the motivation to do it?

I don't like a lot of kinds of exercise, but I definitely like the way I FEEL once I get out there. So I'm not sure you want advice from someone like me, but I do have lots of ideas. I'm a trainer, and while I do help some people in your situation learn to find something they enjoy and can keep doing, I would be making lots more money if I could figure out a way to help everyone love it.

I will say that when weight loss is the main or only motivator, it's not enough for most people. They find, like you, that they can lose weight through just reducing their calories. So my question to you is, what are motivations would you have to exercise i.e. better health, sleep, less chance of getting injured, more stamina, stronger bones and muscles, better mood, fighting stress, being able to go up and down stairs easier....I don't know, or do you just want to lose weight? Because, yes, you can do that by reducing your calories.

So I guess we need to know a little more.

aamb

i walk... with dogs that are owned by my disabled employer,i don't have to do this task, but i do. i dance sometimes if the mood takes me but i find i am looking for something else.... so on monday i am going to my first swimming session in over 2 years... hope the suit still fits :embarassed:

rachrach66

I love to walk around in my neighborhood. I start saying it'll just be a quick lil 15 min walk. But once I get going I add more time because I'm already in the groove. Just start out slow take a walk around the block you'll enjoy the fresh air and you'll feel great. Cleaning burns a lot of calories too. If you spend like 30 mins or more cleaning the house you can log that as calories burned.

dave4d

Another motivator is to set goals. If you are already at your weight loss goal, try setting goals like, " I want to run this many miles in this amount of time", or I want to be able to lift this much weight for this many reps.

LLaDonna

I'm saying what Dave said: increase your movement. Everything you do that's more than you normally do is progress. I haven't exercised in 15 years. I tried a couple workouts on ExerciseTV and felt so weak and defeated that I gave up. When I started MFP (10 days ago) I gave myself to permission to start small. The first two days I just walked for 10 minutes once a day. Then I walked for 20. I log it all and I let myself feel proud of the progress.

Walk to the end of your street and back. Walk around the block. Watch your favorite Tv show standing up, and do a few jumping jacks at the commercial, clean house while listening to music (you WILL dance, trust me). Get creative with the ways you can add more movement into your day...and give yourself credit for any bit of accomplishment you make. This will build your desire to do more and more. Good luck!

carlajp18

I hate to exercise but lost weight tracking my food intake here on MFP. Yes I lost the weight and got into skinny jeans BUT I am dreading swimsuit season. I do not look fit, I look thin. There is a difference.

And since I hate to workout I have been on MFP trying to extract motivation from others and that didn't seem to work either. I finally met with a personal trainer and BINGO! that is what I needed!!! He is really nice and kind but still pushes me beyond what I would do on my own. I'm hooked after one session!! I can't wait to work out with him next week but now I'm actually motivated to work out on my own in between sessions with him. I'll follow back up with you in a month to let you know how I'm doing.

My advice is try it all until you figure out what you love to do! I've tried water aerobics too and that was a great workout but it's too far of a drive so just keep mixing it up and you'll find something you actually like.

Good luck!!!

:flowerforyou:

ladybg81

Thanks for all the posts, you guys are awesome!!

I did want to add a comment that I do a lot of physical activity but not traditional exercise. I shop, alot :blushing:, I play with my son and dog's, am always moving at home doing laundry, chores. I do not define those as excercise though, but I did want to add that I am not a total slug, I do a lot. Also, I walk up and down very STEEP steps, about 20 steps, 10-15 times per day. They used to kill me, but now I litterally run up them depending on how high my heels are!

The reason I want to excerise is because I know I need to. I might would be defined as "skinny fat." I'm thin, but not very toned. I want to be toned. I know it is best for your body and I also want to keep my very active son active his whole life. I have to be a good example. Wow, just saying this makes me want to go run some laps. I like the idea of committing to just a small amount per week and going from there.

Thanks again for everyone's comments and advise. You guys are really the best!

previn84

I hate exercising too. I don't mind walking, but I hate not having anything to look at. So I've gone "window shopping" before just to get moving. Last weekend I went to Walmart, BabiesRus, Sam's Club, Target, and Kroger. I spent maybe $30 that whole day. I just made it a point to walk up and down each aisle regardless of what I wanted to look at or buy. It gets me out of the house and on my feet, but I'm not bored out of my mind.

TeaBea

This was me too. I hated exercise. I always lost weight without it (I REGAINED it too). Finally I figured -something has to change.

I do exercise on a regular basis now. You have to find something you like. Start with small goals - like 10 to 20 minutes - 3 times a week. You will like how you feel, and appreciate the suble changes in your body (sleep, energy level, etc). You will gradually want to build on.

10 Minute Solutions DVDs worked for me - I would pick 2 (out of the 5 workouts) . Easy to build on. Now I find what I like most are walking DVDs (got sick of my treadmill) and pilates.

johnwhitent

My entry into exercise was finding something that I enjoyed. I can't "make" myself exercise just because it is good for me. But then I tried mountain biking and it was so fun that I just couldn't wait to do it again. I didn't even care if it was exercise or not, it was fun!!! Then I wanted to get better at mountain biking so I bought a road bike to build aerobic fitness - but still my goal was to have more fun. After a few years I realized that I was losing too much in the winter so I wanted something I could do year round. I took up trail running because I love the outdoors and hiking (again for fun) so trail running was a natural fit for me. Strength training always repulsed me, but when I got into my fifties I knew that I needed to do something or I might wind up being one of the older folk who fall and break shoulders and hips. Along came P90X and I found that I enjoyed that. Tony makes it (almost) fun! So my whole point is that there are activities out there that most anyone will enjoy, and that makes it easy to stick with it. And that also leads to a desire for better diet. I am 58 and more fit than ever - but it is because I found a way to enjoy working out and eating well. You can too. Hiking, biking, canoeing, treadmills, Zumba - there is a world of stuff out there for all ages, genders, and abilities. Look at it as adult play and have fun with something! You will love how it changes you.

airplanes00

I feel you on this one. It is hard to get motivated to work out, I have had my battles where I go for two weeks with nothing but walking, I am now down to my last 15lbs and it is getting harder to lose. So I joined here for starters to really be accountable for what I eat. And I have told myself you just have to do it, but I have decided to do things I know I will really commit to and actually do. I am not a gym person at all, so I started running outside with a goal of a 5K, and it worked I am running twice a week now. But it still is hard to get out there and run somedays, and I missed one here and there, but the idea is to not beat yourself up and give a little wiggle room to yourself, the 80 / 20 rule. Also find things you like to do. I play tennis with my boyfriend an hour passes like nothing, I swim once a week and set a new goal each time, I also joined a beach volleyball league for the summer. How about bike riding or other sports? There has to be something you like, and with summer around the corner you should be able to get a good routine going so by fall its just another day for you. Also check your local park district they usually have cheap classes, maybe get a friend or family member to do one night a week with you, it helps to have someone that is counting on you to show up.

Hope that helps and good luck