Exercise...some motivation required...

lauriemeridith83

What motivates you to get up and moving? Do you prefer working out in the mornings or the evenings? Are you uncomfortable working out at a gym? What exercises do you enjoy? What exercises to you loathe?

halforc80

Personally, I don't do the gym thing. I used to, but found it actually demotivated me, because of all the extra faff involved. having to sort out a gym bag and sweats, drive down there, do the session, have a shower, drive home... blaahhh!!!

Now I'm just trying to walk at least a mile a day, which only takes 20 minutes, and if I can find 20 minutes in my day to go for a quick walk around the streets surrounding my home with my music playing in my headphones then there's something seriously wrong!

We find enough excuses not to do exercise, so I find the best way is start doing something that you can fit around everything else and that you don't need to make special time for. Once you see results, then you can make time for the gym, but let's get ourselves moving first.

lauriemeridith83

I agree. I feel like people in our position try to put too much pressure on themselves when they first start trying to lose weight.

While planning to go to the gym 2 hours a day sounds like a good plan, most of us got here because of our lack of activity (and overeating). I am a supporter of small steps. I think the Couch 2 5k program is a great idea. Some of us may need to stretch it out a little longer than 6 weeks, and we may need to start off a little slower than the program does, but it is all about baby steps.

Increasing your walking by even 5 minutes a week, or your distance my a quarter mile a week, while may not seem like much at first, will have you doing 3 miles a day in 2 months!

FHerndon01

I work out in the morning and evenings. I don't do strength training in the morning but I do hit the bike for an hour and get some stretching in. Evenings we hit the weights and more cardio (30 min elliptical, 30 min treadmill). I honestly feel like crap if I don't do something in the morning. Evenings really helps me sleep well. Mornings I do at home - evenings at our local YMCA. We did the Y since it has a lot of options for our daughter as well to be active.

My husband and my daughter have been my biggest support and motivators. I work out with my husband every night and he pushes me to points I didn't think I could go. I can see and feel the changes so far. That is what keeps me going. For me if I have any chance of getting pregnant again I have to lose the weight. Not being able to have the family my husband and I both want has devastated me. I'm grateful for my daughter (she was a huge blessing!) but we both want 2 more.

I'm just under a hundred pounds to lose (I started with 110 to lose). I only recently gained a lot of my weight (within the last few years) that getting back into the gym wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

lauriemeridith83

"For me if I have any chance of getting pregnant again I have to lose the weight."

I am in a very similar position, except we don't have any children yet. After 6 years I have just about given up, but I know I can't give up completely until I have done what I need with my body to be able to get pregnant. I am determined to lose 180 more pounds! Then if we are still not pregnant 2 years after that, I will admit defeat.

I haven't started working out yet (today is day 4 of my weight loss journey), but you are definitely motivating me to get active! I can literally throw a rock and hit the gym by my house, I joined in October, went the next day, and I haven't been back. That is just ridiculous!

I'm really bad about just researching what I need to do, instead of actually doing something! That changes today!

FHerndon01

I am so happy I could be even a little motivating! It was a rough start - but at this point I want it even more than when I started. I always used my PCOS as an excuse and I refuse to do it anymore. It made weight loss hard. I hated to cook (that has definitely changed now!). My husband has always been in shape (he was in the military and has a very active job now) so I love that we can do this together. Funny thing is I can find myself keeping up with him and that is awesome.

Keep it up. You can do it!

(Feel free to add me. My food diary is private since I tend to be bad about updating it (I eat a lot of the same things and so I know what the stats are. haha!) I -LOVE- the forums and groups. It has really helped keep me motivated as well as give me ideas for food and different stuff. I love all the information!)

lauriemeridith83

I love to cook too! Unfortunately, I don't know HOW to cook healthy. I purchased the Dukan Cookbook since I'm on the Dukan Diet, but his recipes are kinda blah for me. He uses Non-fat greek yogurt a LOT, and even the smell of it makes me gag.

I'll be turning on the grill tonight though! I love me some grilled chicken!

FHerndon01

Skinnytaste.com is an awesome website. Check out the recipe forum here too. I'm a picky eater and I've found quite a few recipes that ended up being fantastic.

We still eat a few things we did before but changed the ingredients.

For example - I made a burrito casserole that was awesome.

Low carb tortillas
can of fat free refried beans
2% milk kraft shredded cheese
jar of salsa (16oz)
lean ground turkey w/ low sodium taco seasoning

I don't know the exact calorie amount but I believe it was something between 3-400 calories for what I ate. It was awesome

lauriemeridith83

That sounds amazing, except that the only thing in that I can eat on this diet is the ground turkey and the salsa (on protein/veggie days)...lol.

My husband really really wants to be on this diet, and he doesn't have nearly as much to lose as I do, so I figure once I get him to where he wants to be, I can finish out my weight loss with a much more realistic diet plan. Here's what I can eat:

This is the big safe list, you can eat anything on this list as much as you want. Just remember to alternate Pure Protein days and Protein & Vegetable days.

Very Protein-Rich Foods

Meat and offal

Beef steak
Fillet of beef
Sirloin steak
Roast beef
Rump steak
Tongue
Bresaola, air-dried/wind-dried beef
Veal escalope
Veal chop
Kidney
Calf's liver
Pre-cooked ham slices (without any fat or rind)
Pre-cooked chicken and turkey slices (without any fat or rind)
Fat-reduced bacon
Game (venison, pheasant, partridge, hare, grouse)
Rabbit/hare

Fish

Bass
Cod (fresh)
Crab/ocean sticks (surimi)
Dab/lemon sole
Dover sole
Grey mullet
Haddock
Hake
Halibut
Herring
Mackerel
Monkfish
Plaice
Pollock/Coley
Rainbow trout/salmon trout
Red mullet
Salmon
Smoked salmon
Sardines
Sea bream
Skate
Swordfish 39
Tuna
Turbot
Whiting
Fish roe (cod, salmon, herring, nitillet)

Seafood

Calamari/squid
Clams
Cockles
Crab
Crawfish/crayfish
Dublin Bay prawns
Lobster
Mediterranean prawn/gambas
Mussels
Oysters
Prawns
Scallops
Shrimps
Whelks

Poultry

Chicken
Poussin
Chicken liver
Guinea fowl
Ostrich
Pigeon
Quail
Turkey

Eggs

Hen's eggs
Quail's eggs

Non-fat dairy products

Non-fat cottage cheese
Non-fat fromage frais
Non-fat,Greek yoghurt
Non-fat quark/non-fat yoghurt (plain or flavoured with aspartame)
Skimmed milk

Vegetable Proteins

Tofu

Vegetables

Artichoke
Asparagus
Aubergine
Beetroot
Broccoli/purple sprouting broccoli
Cabbage: white/red/Savoy/cauliflower/Chinese leaves/kohlrabi/kale/Brussels sprout (all types of cabbage)
Carrot
Celery/celeriac
Chicory100 Natural Foods That Keep You Healthy
Courgette
Cucumber
Fennel
French beans/string beans/mangetout
Leek
Mushrooms
Onion
Palm hearts
Peppers (sweet)
Pumpkin/marrow/squash
Radish
Rhubarb
Salad leaves: all types of lettuce/rocket/watercress/alfalfa/curly endive/sorrel
Soya beans
Spinach
Swede
Swiss chard
Tomatoes
Turnip

mamaking2012

I have about 140 pounds to lose....yes weightloss helps with pregnacy...was told I would never have kids...first diet lost 75 pounds and got pregnant with my daughter....2nd diet...lost about 35 pounds..after being told it would be harder to get pregnant and ended up with a boy. Doctor said something about the chemical change in body from diet makes it a bit easier for your body to accept a pregnancy..good luck.

bajomo

Don't have any rigid plan for exercise and don't go to the gym, but I walk my older daughter to school and from school every day, which gives at least 60 min. of walking a day for me and if I have opportunity and time (after I do all the chores and my baby is sleeping), can do some exercice at home or go swimming with my older daughter on Saturday morning when my husband stays with baby.
From exercice that I hate the most must mention running even if it is best for weight loss and keeping muscles on legs and bum in good condition. Tried it before I had children and I stopped after 2 weeks, because I always had to force myself.

steph2606

When it comes to exercise, for me i have to have fun with it.

I've tried the whole rigid workout at the gym and just found it really hard to stay motivated! :yawn:

So now i have made a few small changes which seem to be working well! I walk home from work everyday rather than taking a bus that stops literally outside my door and i love dancing!

I love going to Zumba classes (which i would highly recommend to everyone who hasnt tried it! it's just so much fun!) and i dance to "Just Dance" on the Xbox kinect. I usually choose the "sweat attack" option which is really good fun because it tallys up sweat points which unlock new songs to dance to!

I think exercise and how you go about it is definately a personal thing, but for me...it has to make me feel like i'm having fun aswell as getting healthy and that is what keeps me motivated :happy:

FHerndon01

I agree that when it comes to exercise and diet it is important to do things you enjoy, otherwise it becomes a chore.

I'm fortunate that I have a built in workout partner at home. He's a big part of keeping me going. My daughter has gotten addicted to walking with us so after we go to the gym we go across the road and walk another 2 miles. They definitely keep me motivated.

Most important thing any of us can learn is to keep it up we need to have FUN.

jhunt313

What motivates me to get up and moving is my 3 1/2 month old son. Knowing that I need to lose this weight to ensure I live a long healthy life not only for me, but to be there for him is important to me. I'm not a morning person, but I'm willing to get the workout in at any time. I am comfortable working out a gym (and I have a membership), but it's hard to get there without having anyone to watch my son. My husband works odd hours so it's a challenge having no one to watch him. I do workout a lot at home, which is convenient with the baby. I love all kinds of workouts, i.e. running, calisthenics, kickboxing, dance, weigh training, etc. I currently loathe pushups! lol

jenscoggins81

Know that at the end, after I reach my goal and get in shape, I can do all the things I want to that I can't do now. Running, sky diving(I will do this Summer of 2014) and being able to shop at a clothing store that isn't for people size 14 and up.