Am I the only one that doesn't enjoy the healthy lifestyle?
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I'm one of those weirdos that likes to exercise. (I hope Jennifer Lawrence doesn't punch me.) I love how mellow I feel afterwards. I mean, I don't necessarily love strength-training and lifting, but I enjoy cardio. I look forward to my outdoor runs, because the lake I run around is gorgeous.
Exercise keeps me sane. I may not always want to do it, but knowing how great I'll feel afterwards is what motivates me.
Now before I get flamed, I HATE eating healthy. Hate Hate Hate HATE! I don't like vegetables, and calling them "veggies" doesn't make them taste any better.
I like fatty, salty (especially salty), sugary foods. But I try to eat everything in moderation. I eat okay, not super healthy but not super unhealthy, either. I can live with that.
I'm a "weirdo" too LOL...I love to run and do weights and my bootcamp fitness class, but I struggle with healthier eating. I love vegetables, but I love pasta and cheese more :blushing:
To the OP...it's a really hard thing to find balance and figure out what works for you...that I CAN relate to. I think we all want this to happen quickly so it takes a while to figure out that it doesn't have to be all or nothing, you don't HAVE to diet or never go out for a cheeseburger again, you don't HAVE to spend hours in a gym, etc. You might have to eat a little less and move a little more but you don't have to cut out everything you love. For me, that's not realistic, anyway.
It's hard to limit the foods you love that are not the healthiest for you, and push yourself to move more, if you don't enjoy it. I guess I would recommend that you try to focus on the positives of getting healthier (even if you only have 20 lbs to lose, you can prevent some health-related issues and look more fit.). Find something fun to do with other people, if possible. It really helps me to have people to be active with... I love to run, but I love to run with my running group more. And I've made a lot of new friends to support me along the way.
Good luck!
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You are 100% right, it is a chore... but the alternative is even less appealing.0
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i have good routines but i get tired of them so quickly then i want to give in. but i thin if you have the right support you will get to where you want to be. i made a few other life changes other than my healthy lifestyle and found it sank into place and now im happy. although id rather be at my goal by now. keep mixing things up so you dont get bored and remember to have fun as well. a few nights off here and there wont hurt. were only human and we want the good things in life.
keep going the best you can and only aim for what you know is possible not what you know is impossible but dream about. keep it small goals each time and find new things to do and go crazy once in a while. keep smiling though.0 -
I too Yo-Yo'd most of my adult life. I was a thin child/teen so I never realized how FAT I had gotten!! Then last year, light bulb!! I decided I was tired of being tired and FAT!! This is definitely a lifestyle change. Me and my husband are MUCH happier now that most of the weight is gone....I wish it didn't take so long to realize I was missing out on life!
That being said....
I hate any "organized" exercise so I have chosen to lose my weight slowly and without much exercise...once in a while, I will ride the stationary bike but mostly get out into the yard or scrub the inside of my house. ...so far so good. As for the food, I try new recipes and pick those ones I can have a lot of LOL! Good Luck!
p.s. It may help to get more MFP's so you get encouraged through their accomplishments. It sure has inpired me to continue.0 -
I workout so I can eat whatever I want. That's the secret. Find the workout that you like that you will always do. Personally, I'm addicted to working out, I love it. A year ago I would have laughed if I said it and never believed it.
I hate to say this, because technically it is SO WRONG, but I agree. I work out like a wild woman sometimes when I want to eat like crazy. It's not the way to do it, really, but it's the way I do it. Just not every day. Also, I actually posted the other day that if someone had told me a year ago that in a year I would be a fitness instructor, I probably would have choked to death on my cookie.0 -
>>. But I'm hungry much of the time, I don't enjoy working out, and inevitably the weight comes back. I was whining to my boyfriend about it, and he breaks out the 'need to look at this as a lifestyle change, not a diet.' Ya know what? This is not a lifestyle I enjoy. I hate limiting my food. I hate not being able to eat what I want. I don't enjoy working out.
If what you are doing isn't working, try something different. Did you try low carb with little excercise. High carb with a bunch of excercise. Intermittent fasting. High protein or vegetarian. I've lost 60lbs and got to a 6% body fat and there were times that it sucked, but for the most part it was fine.(high protein, weight lifting, no cardio and intermittent fasting). Keep trying stuff until you find something that clicks.
But time some harsh reality, no you can't do the same things that you did to get fat. You can't eat what you want when you want it all the time. Saying you don't like that is like saying that you want to be fat. Find a sustainable plan, but don't let yourself ***** out.0 -
Loving eating healthier but have a constant battle with myself about making it to the gym or exercising. I feel great afterwards, its just getting there that sucks.0
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Now before I get flamed, I HATE eating healthy. Hate Hate Hate HATE! I don't like vegetables, and calling them "veggies" doesn't make them taste any better.
Sorry, just browsing but I had to drop in. The word veggies is probably the thing that annoys me most about anything and everything to do with dieting and healthy eating. It doesn't make them sound any better and I don't even mind eating most!0 -
I hated running and all kinds of formal exercise. I also hated limiting my food. Then I realized that if I exercise, I don't have to limit my food. Or at least not as much.
Somewhere along the line, something clicked in my head and I realized that a "healthy lifestyle" wasn't punishment for a slothful life, but a way to treat my body well. And that there's a LOT of really delicious foods out there that are pretty good for me. I don't have to eat just salads. I might not eat everything I want, but I want everything I eat. I'm not going to stuff something gross down just because it's good for me.
On the other hand, I realize that there's loads of things I don't enjoy that I do because I have to as a responsible adult. Like paying bills, mowing the lawn or scrubbing the toilet. I think of exercise as basic human maintenance, just like toilet scrubbing is basic bathroom maintenance.
I really only wanted to be able to run a 5k as a personal challenge to myself, and having that as a goal made me stick with it long enough for it to become a habit. And kind of fun. It relieves stress for me. I don't enjoy strength training in the same way, but I love the results. The ~2 hours a week I spend lifting is something I consider an investment... or bill paying. I like looking a certain way, and exercising is the price of looking that way.
But... yeah, if someone told me two years ago that I'd run, on purpose, and enjoy it... I'd have laughed my *kitten* off, too.0 -
I sooooo hear you and I struggle too. I am quite alot older than you so I do this for many different reasons than some here. Believe me when I say I could care less about a clothing size or weight on the scale. I do it so I can have energy and flexibility and HEALTH to enjoy my children and grandchildren. I do it so I do not end up with a stroke and in a nursing home because I have high cholesterol like my mother in law did. I do it because my knees have begun to hurt and I know it will only get worse if I don't do this. I do this because I do not want to be a burden to my children someday. I do this so I can minimize the depression that has plagued me my entire life. I do this to stay healthy in body, mind and spirit. Would I rather lay on my butt and watch tv all day and eat piles of mashed potatoes with tons of butter.......you bet! But I don't because i will suffer and others around me will suffer too. Is it a life long struggle? YES!! I look at it like depression. I can minimize the outcome with choices I make....but only I can decide what is important. I hope you will continue to walk this road with me.......we NEED each other to continue to remind ourselves why we are here and why we continue to try. It truly is the only option for a quality of life that I want. Hugs and caring, Dyanna0
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I LIKE FOOD
And, I am a bit of an extremist, doing EVERYTHING in a big way.
So yes, I totally relate.
I have tried to vary the type of workout. Swimming, Tennis, Hiking, Canoeing - You have to adopt an always on the move lifestyle so you can enjoy the indulgences.0 -
What it boils down to for me: I hate counting calories and I hate exercise, but I hate being fat more. :grumble:0
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I don't happen to enjoy watching what I eat and having to exercise. I also don't like feeling like a slob and having to have an inner dialogue with myself about how much I'd like to be fitter, why don't I have self control etc etc.
I realised that I was going to feel put out one way or the other, so I may as well look great, live longer and feel a sense of achievement.0 -
The point of making it a life style change and NOT a diet is that you can learn how to eat the foods you love. You don't have to cut ANYTHING out of your diet. You can eat whatever you want, just within moderation and learn how to fit it within your calorie goals. If you are always hungry then you aren't eating enough. Eating healthy doesn't mean being hungry and it doesn't mean eating lettuce and carrot sticks all the time. You can have very filling and delicious healthy foods. You can also still eat a delicious cheesy, greasy pizza if you want.
Just try walking 20-30 minutes a day. It isn't much but it is something and it is really easy. It gets you out smelling the fresh air. or maybe hiking sometimes. Or find a sport you like, tennis or basketball, swimming or something. Maybe you can start going out dancing every weekend or take a salsa class. Or maybe by a xbox 360 Kinetic and just find games that get you moving that you enjoy. You can being active fun. Working out doesn't have to be going to the gym or something really hard and strenuous. It is really all about just getting your body moving. So you can pretty much do whatever you enjoy doing.
Making a life style change is not giving up the things you love.0 -
I might not like this, but I'd rather run and eat vegetables than waste any more of my life being a fat slob.0
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What you are feeling is perfectly natural. I remember reading a quote from Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) in which she said "I'd like to punch the people in the face who say they LIKE working out".
Maybe what will help you is finding a physical activity that you do love. Are you an outside person Christy? Do you love the outdoors? Remember what it was like when you were a kid playing outside? What did you like to do?
In terms of nutrition did you ever work in a cheat day? On that cheat day you can eat whatever you want, obviously in moderation, for example I LOVE CHEESEBURGERS, on my cheat day I'll have one. Not some silly Mc Donalds cheeseburger, I'm talking about an awesomely big boy cheeseburger. Sometimes I'll eat whatever I want and not worry about it, for example during Easter weekend I ate candy, french toast casserole, sausage, and pizza. Do I feel guilty? Not one little bit.
A healthy lifestyle is not about limiting yourself Christy, its about making peace with the foods you love and having them responsibly. Since I LOVE CHEESEBURGERS if I desire to have one BEFORE my cheat day I'll make a Jennie-O Turkey Breast 99% lean burger so I can have my.... FIX.
This!
BTW - what do you have your calories set at? You might need to raise them! Also - are you meeting your macros? That can also make a diff between feeling full or not.0 -
Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels. My motto! Of course it sucks at first but I don't have cravings as much as I use to. It's, for me, very much, eat this NOT that. :flowerforyou:0
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bump.
I don't have any great answers, but I am really enjoying this thread.0 -
bump0
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Odd, I don't remember writing this!
Seriously? I feel the EXACT same way. I hate working out and I HAAAAAAAATE eating healthy. With a passion. Hate it. The only reason I am doing it is because I love my kids. I want to live as long as possible for them. If I didn't have kids I am pretty sure I would have stayed 224lbs, well no, I would have kept getting bigger than that. You aren't alone!
yep.. i feel the same way.. im much bigger than your 224 pounds tho :grumble:0 -
I know what you mean. A big pain in the bum. UGGGGGG0
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I enjoy going to the gym, but when I start losing motivation or start thinking 'oh I cant be bothered doing anymore' I just talk to myself in my head like 'you can do this! theres a reason you're here!' Sounds a little crazy but it works hahah xxxxx0
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Bump* 2 read later;-) enjoying the honesty!0
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Many things in life are necessary but not fun.
We would all love to drive fast, but you can't because you might kill somebody.
We would all like to ignore April 15th, but you can't because we have to pay for the government somehow.
Nope, you're probably not the only one who doesn't like to exercise. The point is that you still have to do it in order to reap the benefits. If you don't care about the benefits, then don't eat right or exercise.
We all have choices.0 -
I workout so I can eat whatever I want. That's the secret. Find the workout that you like that you will always do. Personally, I'm addicted to working out, I love it. A year ago I would have laughed if I said it and never believed it.
there ya go. work out to eat out.
no reason to not eat the food or foods you like. you just have to probably eat less of many of them. otherwise, work out more and fit them in your day.0 -
It's all about finding a happy medium.....
I feel better now that I'm exercising and eating better...I'm not as tired or lazy....I smile in the mirror more and I love how my clothes fit....I've found I LOVE running and have pretty decent endurance
and if all this means I can't eat McDonalds every day so be it.....I've seen the light and I'm not going back0 -
If you're not enjoying it, then you're not doing it right.0
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What you are feeling is perfectly natural. I remember reading a quote from Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) in which she said "I'd like to punch the people in the face who say they LIKE working out".
Maybe what will help you is finding a physical activity that you do love. Are you an outside person Christy? Do you love the outdoors? Remember what it was like when you were a kid playing outside? What did you like to do?
In terms of nutrition did you ever work in a cheat day? On that cheat day you can eat whatever you want, obviously in moderation, for example I LOVE CHEESEBURGERS, on my cheat day I'll have one. Not some silly Mc Donalds cheeseburger, I'm talking about an awesomely big boy cheeseburger. Sometimes I'll eat whatever I want and not worry about it, for example during Easter weekend I ate candy, french toast casserole, sausage, and pizza. Do I feel guilty? Not one little bit.
A healthy lifestyle is not about limiting yourself Christy, its about making peace with the foods you love and having them responsibly. Since I LOVE CHEESEBURGERS if I desire to have one BEFORE my cheat day I'll make a Jennie-O Turkey Breast 99% lean burger so I can have my.... FIX.
I'm in complete agreement with this! I also NEVER enjoyed a healthy lifestyle, and have yo-yo'ed for about 20 years now. This last year, it actually did click for me. But I approached it as MY lifestyle...not for or by anyone else's rules. I have found a couple of activities that I really LOVE...hiking with my family in the warmer months, and during the week, I do Kung Fu...I get to beat the crap out of something (and sometimes, someONE); work out my agressions, and have one helluva calorie burn in the process! I've done the gym, weights, walking, dvd's, etc..etc...etc...For me...this is what works.
As for food...just like Antoniosmooth...I've also learned how to make it work for me. I don't have a cheat day, per se. But I've found ways to make my favorites more healthy, or have learned how to plan for them better. I love me my burgers as well! So, I look for ways to take that crazy calorie burger and slim it down a little (guac instead of mayo; thin wheat buns instead of white sesame; leaner and smaller sized beef patties - as I've not acquired the turkey burger tastebud!). And I've experimented wihth healthier foods that I never would have thought I'd enjoy - and they are now some of my new favorites. And some days...I just let myself have the real deal. You're absolutely right in that you can always sacrifice to lose it, but you have to find a way to make it your lifestyle so you can keep it up for the long haul.
Good luck on your journey...play around with it...see if you can find your niche...and feel free to friend me or look at my diary. It's not a shining example of perfection...but that's not my intent! It's mine...and reflects my choices, and what has worked for me over the past 18 months! 0 -
I haven't been at this long enough to have earned a "cheat day". But when that day comes, I will indulge in the Twinkie food group. You know, donuts, Zingers, pie, etc. Is that a bad thing? I assume that it is okay to have a binge day once in a while. I'm not sure that anyone really, truly enjoys the lifestyle change. A necessary evil though . . . at least for me.0
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I totally understand what you are saying. For me, the only thing that has made me really like the healthy lifestyle is working out with a personal trainer (was doing 3 days a week for 10 months, just switched to 2 days a week). While I am working out with him, I feel like I have some control for once over my health and I consider it 1 hour of week of just "me time" that I actually now enjoy. He is so good, mixes up my workouts constantly. I hope you can find something to make you stick with it and happy too! I know how you feel, it is not a great feeling and in fact very depressing.0
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