Confused, Exhausted and Discouraged:(

MIMITIME

Don't be discouraged. Any exercise is better than no exercise. You are at a wonderful place to find your own way when it comes to exercising and calories. There was a thread on here the other day from a poster that has physical limitations and can not do a lot of exercise so they were asking if they would be able to lose the weight. I was surprised to find a lot of responders that say they don't exercise, just stick to the calories and still lose weight. So no, not everyone exercises 2 hours a day 5 days a week. You will find what is good for you so it doesn't matter what someone else is doing - just you.

geekymom57

Set your personal goal for what you think is attainable AND sustainable. Going from nothing to 45 minutes is still SOMETHING and you should feel good about taking that step. I set my MFP goal at 30 minutes 3 times a week because I was pretty sure that I could find the time to do that, even with work, family, volunteer obligations, etc.

I was out of shape and hadn't exercised regularly in at least 3 years. The first couple of weeks, even 30 minutes at a snail's pace on the elliptical wore me out and near the end, I usually needed to help myself by using whatever you call those things you grab on to and move back and forth. :0) (it's the end of the day and my words are gone.) This week I noticed that I can now go through one of the programs that goes up and down from one to four levels of resistance and rarely need to use the bars except near the end and for the four level resistance.

You'll find the same kind of small, incremental progress that will help you get to your long term goal. Stick with it and congratulations on taking the first steps!

kmbrooks15

One other thing--I am working out for an hour at the gym because it gives me some time to myself without my kids or work responsibilities. I put my favorite music on my iPod and just enjoy the time. My job allows me to take my lunch break later in the day, so I go then (gym is two minutes away!). I am able to unwind. You may find that as you are able to increase your workouts, your mind is clearer; then when you sit down to study, your study time will likely be more productive. If you try to start with too much, though, you'll just want to go home and crawl in the bed. Start with what helps you feel good, then increase the time gradually.

I agree with the other folks here that have said not to compare yourself with others. My sister is a dancer and runs half-marathons; my 65 year old father does them with her. If I compare myself to them, I'll just get discouraged. I have to compare myself now with where I was a week ago, or a month ago, or a year ago. THAT will show progress.

Hang in there!

andersoketawm

Thanks all for your responses, they were a lot of help. I will Most def stick to what is good for me an add more excercise as I go along. I really appreciate the motivation. A lot of the time I find that I don't give myself credit for the small accomplishments and simply focus on what I believe I'm not doinng properly. I know thats not a great way of lookig at things and I need to make a change overall in my way of thinking because its unhealthy.

katherines2230

Please don't be discourages!! You have to start somewhere and it looks like you are off to a great start. Any exercise that you are doing now is an improvement if you were previously sedentary! If you feel comfortable increasing it to 30 minutes 3 times a week, try that and just continue to increase as you can handle it. If you try to start with too much, too fast it could be a disaster. I am in the gym 5 days a week every day for about an hour but I can guarantee you it was a gradual process, as in months so please don't give up! Feel free to add me!

Oh yeah, I'm sure someone has already mentioned it but what/how much you eat is more important than how much time you spend working out!

CakeFit21

Please do not compare yourself to others. You can only compare who you are today to who you were before. In those terms you have already had MANY successes. Everyday, just TRY to be better. There will be days it won't happen, but positive forward motion is the best we can ever hope for.

nelson6500

I don't really focus on time, more distance. I started like you a little at a time. I started with 1 mile and didn't care if it took 18 or 30 minutes. I am now up to 3 miles most days. Some days are slower than others. I have a couple different paths so it changes. As long as you are doing something everyday it helps. I found that I had more energy and then I wanted to go farther and faster.

Don't get down on your self. Just set monthly/weekly goals and go from there.

Good Luck,

jackiejax1981

GIRRRRL puhLEAASE!!! You are AWESOME because you took the initiative to start doing SOMETHING rather than NOTHING! Don't sweat it hunni.....you can do whatever you want when you put your mind to it. You can add me if you want and i'll totally encourage you!!! I was an athlete, fell off, joined the military, got an injury, now i'm back to working out and this thing is helping me stay motivated and pay attention to what i'm eating etc. The best advice...NEVER focus on others, focus on yourSELF!

sunkisses

Try not to compare yourself to other people. I know it's inevitable, but switch it off when you hear it starting up in your head. Compare yourself only to yourself. As in "yesterday I was unable to jog from here to that tree over there, but today I passed the tree and jogged to the house around the corner." Not "the lady in my neighborhood goes around the block 4 times easy." You're not her. You're you, and what you're doing is good.

I lost my weight (35lb) by walking for 40 minutes per day M-F, and then started to add a weekend day here and there. I stayed consistent and watched my calories. Now, 3 years later, I've kept the weight off (with fluctuations during stressful times), and I don't work out for more than an hour 6 days week. I would work out more if I had more time because I like to. But I just wanted to illustrate the points a) it doesn't take much, and b) you will probably end up enjoying exercise more as you go.

rbryntes

It's a process. You went from no exercise to three times exercising a week. Ignore other people and start small.

Lizzy_Sunflower

Well, I have been on my weight loss journey for about 2 weeks now. I started working out for around 15 min. for three days a week. I assumed I would be burning a lot of calories and was shocked to find that a lot of the members here work out for 2 hours, 5 days a week! I'm begining to feel discouraged because I thought I was doing such a great job with working out, and now, im unsure as to what I should be doing! Before I started on MFP, I was frankly sedentary and extremely lazy, I attend school online so you can imagine exactly how active I actually was. Can anyone help me to get on the right path as far as excercising goes? how many calories should I burn a day?

don't give up. you had the right idea of starting with 15 min per day. I was given this advice when I did a weight loss study this year. Here is a progression scale they gave me: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Lizzy_Sunflower/view/overcoming-exercise-barriers-138177 (and there is a lot more info to read there if you go back to the beginning)

Don't give up on yourself, and resist the temptation to compare yourself to others. They key is to avoid burnout. Do what you can. You won't regret it :drinker:

dlaplume2

Dont get discouraged! Everyone starts somewhere. I didnt start out exercising 2 hours a day. I started out with the 30 day Shred which is only about 25 minutes and I took breaks, lol. Also, dont compare yourself to others. If 15 minutes is all the time you have right now then be glad that it is 15 minutes more than you were doing before. You will work your way up to a longer workout if that is what you want to do...and the more you exercise the more you will want to exercise.

I agree I didn't start out exercising 2hrs a day and I still don't. You need to gradually add execise as you feel comfortable. I'm not saying it should be easy exercise, you want to push yourself, but keep in mind this is a marathon not a sprint. You need to give it time. I was working at home on my computer all day. I was sedentary too. I started out adding 20 min a day but I forced myself to do it every day for 45 days. Everyone thought I was crazy and I should take a day off here and there. I decided for me I wanted to do it everyday for that long because I had a sedentary life and I wanted to make exercise a habit. They say it takes 30 days to make or break a habit. I am a bit stubborn so I gave myself 45 days to make it a habit. It worked for me, but you need to decide what will work for you. Make a goal and stick to it, but don't make it one that will hurt you in the long run.
Don't worry about the calories you burn at first. You do want to count them, but as you get more fit you will burn more, because you will have the energy and stamina to do more.

Best wishes to you,
:flowerforyou:

SCR56

It's not easy in the beginning. Just keep doing what you're doing. You are starting a new phase in your life. It will not be easy to make changes. Do try to compare yourself to any one else on this site. You can go from a sedentary life style to super athlete in a week or even a month. It is not sustainable. Just keep doing what you can, and add to it each week. If you work out 15 mins try to do 20 next week. Baby steps to a healthier you.

luv2ash

Simple: Consume high quality calories and get some moderate exercise (a brisk walk) 4-6 times a week for 30-45 mins each time. No need to kill yourself at the gym if you consume high quality foods.

KiyaK

Don’t get discouraged! Everyone is at different places on their weight-loss journey and everyone starts at a different place too. Best not to compare yourself to others, and just do what works for YOU! (I’m sure people before me have said this same thing, but I just don’t have time to read through all the responses right now, haha)

My mom, who has her masters in physical education, says you should increase your workouts in three stages. First, simply increase the frequency of the workout. Sounds like this is where you started. Just begin working out more often. Once your body gets used to that, increase the duration of each individual workout. Keep going the same number of times, just make each workout a little longer. Lastly, increase the intensity. If you’re on the treadmill, start going faster or add an incline; Raise the resistance on the elliptical; Just push yourself harder at each workout. When your body is finally used to all these changes, start the whole process over again!

The key to these steps is to take it slow. Don’t jump to the next stage until your body has a chance to get used to the last change. Pushing yourself too hard too quickly can cause injuries or make you give up from exhaustion, haha!

Hope this helps! Good luck!!!

tladame

Dont get discouraged! Everyone starts somewhere. I didnt start out exercising 2 hours a day. I started out with the 30 day Shred which is only about 25 minutes and I took breaks, lol. Also, dont compare yourself to others. If 15 minutes is all the time you have right now then be glad that it is 15 minutes more than you were doing before. You will work your way up to a longer workout if that is what you want to do...and the more you exercise the more you will want to exercise.

Same here! I do 25-30 minute workout videos a few times a week, and have recently (many months later) added jogging. We all have to start somewhere, so don't beat yourself up about not working out like a madman. I'm at my goal weight and haven't set foot in a gym in several years!