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

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.

soboss

I have tied my exercise to my TV watching. I was addicted to TV and there are certain shows I just don't want to miss. Now, to watch my TV shows, I have to be walking in place, or on my elliptical. Amazing how fast 60 minutes goes. Still not at the fastest speed, but I'm getting better.

Mighty_Rabite

Once upon a time, I used to "work out." I'd go to the gym, do a few sets of bicep curls, walk for a while on the treadmill, jog once in a blue moon..

What really got me going was P90X. It was baptism by fire. Walking column of pain I was for the first week or two. But it taught me how to really challenge my body and I haven't stopped since, even though I haven't done very many P90X videos in the last year.

Skinny_Beans

I hit rock bottom. I was overweight and depressed. I drank and smoke heavily and laid in bed all day. After two months I lost ten pounds from malnutrition, but it gave me the opportunity to continue losing weight. I started exercising to motivate myself to get out of the house. I got a job and started walking 80 minutes as commute, and started keeping track of my food by adding tons of veggies/fruits and water.

fun_b

I only got back into exercising regularly a few weeks ago. At first I was all excited and wanted to go all the time however this week I am finding it hard to stay motivated. I have enjoyed doing a lot of walking but I had a muscle strain so was taking it easy yesterday. The other day, I did have a lazy moment and thought I wouldn't do it but I suddenly had that niggling feeling and didn't feel relaxed until I actually did some exercise. I find that if I do it early in the day I don't have a problem but if I delay I end up feeling lazy and don't want to go.

alyssa92982

after i had my baby and was given the ok to start exercise again-looking at my pre pregnancy clothes that i wanted to fit back in to got me into my workout mode, and i have never turned back since!

sundrine

It was the summer before my senior year of high school, and I thought I'd try to lose a few pounds. So one day, I started with a routine I made up. I'd do 3 sets of lunges, planks, and push-ups, 2 or 3 times a day. That was it. I also just stopped snacking. It wasn't hard for me at the time because I wasn't stressing out about it. That was the year I became a vegetarian, too, so I suppose that helped. I didn't have a scale (which was also probably really helpful actually), but at the end of the year I stepped on a friend's scale on a whim and saw that I weighed 115 pounds. The last time I had been on a scale (maybe around a year and a half before that), I was around 130. I dropped a few pant sizes as well, going from a size 7-9 to a size 4. Since then I've explored a bit when it comes to different methods of working out. I have gained weight also, but I believe a good part of it is muscle. Unfortunately due to depression and generally being stressed out about my body, I've gotten a bit off track. However, working out is just a part of life now and I don't think that will change even if my body does.

manda1978

It started when a friend told me she was getting married in Thailand. The thought of wearing a swimsuit scared the crap outta me. I lost 10kg for the wedding and was 65kg.

A year later I got married, and got down to 60kg.

I floated back up to 65kg. A couple of years after that I fell pregnant. 10 days after our daughter was born I was back to 65kg. Losing those last 5kg has taken me 2yrs. I wasn't committed enough. Now I'm very committed. I ran at lunchtime in 32 degrees celcius. I am very consious of what I eat. I've finally bought into that mindset where I see junkfood as 'bad' and don't want to fill my body with fat, sugar, salt etc.

midschool22

How did you become an active person, one who likes to work out, or manages to work out every day. What is your motivation?

It was easy for me since my main hobby is bicycles. My motivation? Bike racing. In my first race last year, I got 90th out of 93 finishers. Since then I got on MFP, dropped weight and rode more. I did that same race last week and got 67th out of 93. Slowly but surely moving up.

mwgner

These are all so wonderful! I love watching my favorite shows in the evening (even if it is a re-run). I will definitely have to try this, as well as many other items to find something I love. I thank you all so much for taking the time to reply to my question.

pamelak5

1 - Remember that exercise is not a punishment for being overweight. My previous attempts to get into a workout routine failed because I saw exercise as a total drag. Now, I love it.
2 - Find an exercise you like doing. Genuinely.
3. Start with something manageable - say, 3 days a week. Commit to workout out 3 days no matter what.

Say, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Weekends are tough for you it seems, so I would commit to one weekend day to get into that habit. On those days, it's not a matter of "if" you work out, but "when". For the past six months, my workout days have been Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I plan errands, social events, etc around my workouts. During the week I try to work out at lunch. If I have lunch plans or a meeting, I get up an hour early and work out at home or, if something unforeseen comes up, I work out after my daughter goes to bed. Sometimes, I will do a short workout (20 minutes instead of my usual 50-60) but it's very important to me that I get some kind of workout in, so I am fine with a short workout - it's all about maintaining the habit! I didn't work out last week because I was sick and it was hard to get back into it.

_jk0g_

I have noticed that I start a fitness routine, and then about 5 days in (ahem, when the weekend hits) I find myself not in the mood to keep going, or telling myself that I will take a rest day and then I just can't get back in to it.

How did you become an active person, one who likes to work out, or manages to work out every day. What is your motivation? I am trying to get myself to be a person who enjoys to work out and/or find something that I want to do every day. I would love to hear your stories.

For me when I was 34 I thought I was having a heart attack. I has two very small children then and I know if I didn't get the weight off I would be dead by 40. It has taken nearly 2/12 years to loose 130 lbs. I still have more to go, but I will never give up.

I started working out a our local YMCA even at 350 lbs! I was nervous people would think bad of me. That never happened. The weight came off and I started to feel better. For me I hav noticed that if I don't workout I am miserable to be around. I now workout at home doing DVDs and love running. My motivation is to be healthy and keep a positive mental attitude. Plus making exercise a priority. My family knows that when I exercise don't bother me unless it is absolutely necessary. Scheduling my workouts helps as well. I workout at 6AM. My workout is done and out of the way.

Sorry for the long winded message.