Honestly... how did you start to get in shape?

Lady_Bane

I was a cardio bunny, and became skinny.....then I realized that I was not satisfied with being thin, I wanted to be strong, so i started to lift.

mwgner

I cannot thank you all enough for the comments. I made it past my normal weekend hump and did some yoga again tonight. It is a start, and you all have motivated me and given me great ideas to incorporate in to the new healthy life I am working toward.

kealambert

see if you can find any friends to join you in an activity

walking, throw a ball, kick a ball, swim, or whatever

kimosabe1

I found this site and so many people on it have wonderful ideas regarding food and substitutions and whatnot.....

kimleroy

I make it fun! Three days a week instead of elliptical and lifting, I do a dance class! Either Hip-hop or Zumba for me. They're such great cardio and toning but they're so much fun that I forget I'm working out!

msbeeblebrox

I found a fitness goal that I really cared about, outside of losing weight. For me, I really love running - am interested in becoming a better runner, and running started to propel my other fitness decisions forward. Healthy eating became easier as a result. Lifting weights to become a stronger runner also became a goal.

abbsjhux

Ive always been unhappy with my weight and did some fad diets and on and off exercise but i guess one day i just decided that i had enough. I thought to myself if i want to meet the type of guy i want, if i want to attract the friends im looking for and if i want to be truly happy in myself this is what i need to do. So from that day i decided to cut out all junk food and fast food and only drink water and milk. I started going to the gym 3-4 times a week which has progressed to 6 days a week doing cardio, bodypump and weight training. It doesnt feel like a chore to me anymore. Eating healthy and exercising isnt a chore for me anymore it really is just a part of my lifestyle. Im losing weight instead of gaining it and i feel so much more energetic and focused. This was the best decision i have ever made.

But more to the question- The exercise was the toughest for me because i was so inactive beforehand. A real couch potato. I despised running and im still not a huge fan but i can actually do it now without being out of breath in 10 seconds. My favourite thing is weight training, i absolutely love it because you really notice how much stronger you get in how you feel and muscle definition. The hardest step is the first one out your door, once your in your gear ready to go- you just do it. You will never regret working out but you will regret not working out.

Katiedid717

I weighed myself on a Thursday night the first time, and my weekly weigh-ins have continued on Thursdays. Seeing my success from the week before keeps me from cheating on the weekend

I also started taking pictures from the front and side every week so that I can track my progress visually. It's helped me get past the 2 week point.

My food logs and my blog are open - I make a post every week showing my progress too!

meadowmail77

I am a single mom, full time student and a "three quarter time" employee at the university I attend. I'm beyond busy! Finding motivation to keep going can be really hard sometimes for me. I found for me, it works best when I literally write down my work out goals on my to do list. I do a new list every Sunday (runs Sun to Sat). On there I put all my school work, things I need to do for or with the kids (or want to do with them), cleaning around the house I need to do, and how many work outs I want to get done that week and what type. I think over what the week has in store for me and try to make my goals for that week reasonable to that. So this week I have listed 3 cardio work outs and one strength work out. Its not the best goals but if I put down more work outs that I would really like to do, I would be disappointed at the end of the week when I didn't have them done. Instead I go with what I know for sure I can do, then if I get even more in, I feel even better. I really love seeing my work out goals get crossed off my to do list by the end of the week. It helps me stay motivated. I was extremely tired after work today and had about 4 hours of homework to do, on top of cooking and laundry. I knew that I could not work out tomorrow due to it being Graduate preview night at the university and I have to attend it. So despite how tired I felt and how much I had yet to do, I got in a work out. I am so glad I did. I felt more energized afterwards.

Anyways, try to do lists Add your work outs to it!

bulbadoof

I picked exercises I liked, even if they weren't the best use of my time. I love to swim, cycle, and take long leisurely walks to myself, so that's what I do. I could probably burn more calories jogging or on an elliptical, but I wouldn't stick to it if I didn't enjoy it.

gauchogirl

I gave myself no other option. My husband and I used to work together and everyday we went to lunch together. Then his office was relocated to the other side of town. The day after they moved, I went to the closest gym and paid for a year membership. I go every day at lunch, pretty much no exceptions, because I don't have anything else to do. Don't want to sit at my desk any longer than necessary, can't afford to go shopping every day and going to lunch by myself is boring. My best option is the gym. I love going so much now that even on days when I CAN'T go, (like I have an appt or errands to run) I take an hour vacation time to still get to the gym.

kealambert

it should also be mentioned (if it hasn't already), that you should be cautious about starting too ambitiously at the beginning.

many people go into things with a head full of steam and want to do so many different things that they become overwhelmed and burnt out. keep it simple, have realistic and simple goals, and up those goals as you go

Shrelana

For me, it came down to realizing that I'm 3 years younger than my mom was when she found a lump on her breast, and about 5 years younger than when my grandparents discovered they had diabetes. I realized that I hurt as much as my mother who is almost to the point of needing a hip replacement (but too young, according to her Dr.).

It came to realizing that if I did not change, NOW, I would not be happy in 3 years...let alone 5. On the days that I skip the gym, I go walk around a store (Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) for at least 45 minutes. I also feel immensely guilty on the days I miss the gym that I could have gone (so I don't feel guilty when I work a split shift at work - 4 hours on, 1.5 off, 8 hours on - and don't go to the gym).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it comes down to how badly you really want to stay with it? Like others have said, you don't have to go to the gym every day, you CAN switch it up, and the longer you keep doing working out, the easier it becomes to stick with it My husband and I started this journey 8 weeks ago...and it's becoming second nature to us that we either go to the gym or go walk around a store somewhere (winter's setting in, or we'd walk outside ).

Good luck with your journey!

Enigmatica

I just started walking. Kept walking more and more - as much as 3 hours a day towards the end of my serious "lose it" efforts. Lost over 90 pounds just walking and eating more intelligently. Now that I'm light and bouncy I mostly jog. But either way, I keep going.

kramalicious

I really enjoy weight lifting because it is easy to measure your progress and you look and feel better the longer you do it. I went through dance lessons as a kid, on into college, so I enjoy dancing, and now take Zumba. You get a great workout and burn lots of calories, plus it goes by so fast. I also bought myself a pair of adult tap shoes and still do that in the privacy of my own home. Something I read helped me- it asked, " what did you like to do as a child?" I think that holds a key to what exercise you like as an adult. Bike riding, hiking in the woods, swimming, whatever you enjoyed as a kid you will probably enjoy now. If you like to collect things, go geo-caching! I have a partner who trains with me and my personal trainer, and that is a lot of support, too. If nothing else, just start walking - first for 5 minutes, then add 5 minutes each time and work up. Listen to music while you do it. Good luck finding something you like, think about what speaks to YOU!

chicadejmu

I got a fitbit. Seriously, that's it. It's this little nagging thing driving me to take 10K steps every day. And I feel like crap when I don't move enough to get them because I REALLY want to move at least 10K steps.

mindyalbert

A few years ago I stepped on the scale and realized that I weighed well over 200 pounds. So, I joined Weight Watchers and bought a set of Walk Away the Pounds DVD's. After I finished those and started losing weight, I moved on to more challenging workouts. I walked further, and worked harder at other things. I bought some fitness games for our Wii and played them often along with walking 3-4 miles a day. The more I lost and the fitter I became, the more I wanted to keep challenging myself. I have hit a few bumps in the road along the way, but I have kept 55 pounds off for over 2 years and I am still working at the last 15-20. I recently joined Jazzercise and I have a lot of fun there. I would love to take up running, but my schedule and family life just doesn't allow at the moment. I think when you find the activities that click with you, it just becomes second nature and you look forward to it. And before you know it you look and feel completely different.

nothing1994

Bump

Beezil

Working out can be fun, but most of the time it isn't for me. I have to psyche myself into it, and sometimes it takes a lot of effort to get myself into gear. I do really like the Turbo Fire program and Zumba 2 for the Wii - so I would recommend those for something "fun" to do as a workout. They are also very effective! Wii fit has some fun games as well that give you a decent workout, and since it's a game, I don't really feel like I'm working out as much as I'm playing and having fun. I do like running outside too with some good music - but that won't be something I do come winter.

When I first started out, I just wanted to lose weight and look better. That's been what has motivated me for the most part to keep working out. I don't want to go back to my old ways, and certainly don't want to lose the body I've worked so hard to get. Whenever I don't feel like working out or feel myself slacking, I just tell myself how long it took me to get where I am and how quickly I could go back to the way I was before. It's too easy to give up, and I don't ever want to be the girl that just gave up on everything ever again. It helps to remember how good I feel after working out too.

Gallowmere1984

I made a solemn vow to myself to stop sucking. Since then, I have been lifting as heavy as possible, four times per week, elliptical on two days, and I dropped my calories into the low 1500s.

It's only been two months, but I'm down 20 pounds, and all of my lifts are still climbing, and I haven't had the slightest urge to falter.

Iron will and hatred for weakness goes a long way to keeping you in the game.