Is exercise really the key?

Hi ...for me personally exercise is the key ...it keeps me motivated and on track ...and after using all the energy to exercise in the gym or fitness class i think to myself ..all that work ...i dont want to spoil it by pigging out !! ..thats how it works for me anyhow

I wouldn't go as far to say that diet is 90% and exercise is 10%. Yes, you can lose weight by just eating right... but are you building muscle or are you just becoming "skinny fat?" Exercise is crucial to a healthy lifestyle.

For me exercise is important :happy: If you are having headaches so bad it interfears with your day, I'd see a Dr. As for the motivation thing... Heck yeah there are days I really just don't want to workout!!!!!!! I almost throw a fit my first 5 mins of working out :laugh: Then I think of how geat I'm going to look when I reach my goal, then how great I'm going to feel when I get to go new clothes shopping, hiking, swiming... etc. Best of luck to you :flowerforyou:

I think it all depends on what your overall goal is. Weight loss can be accomplished without exercise yes, however exercise does so much more for the body other than just burn fat. Exercise strengthens the heart, strengthens lungs, helps build and strengthen muscle for an overall stronger body, helps eleviate stress, helps flexability and can even be used to control depression. So I guess in my opinion exercise leads to better overall health and well being plus weightloss.

Exercise is important! We'll just get that out of the way. However, I also deal with migraines, which are not just a simple headache...making that clear, as well.

I exercise daily, in some form or fashion. But...when I sense a MIGRAINE coming on...I decrease my activity and prepare to rest for awhile...watching what I eat and sticking to about 1200-1300 calories.

We are all made differently and our metabolisms function at a different rate.

Medical conditions of any kind can be hinderances to losing weight but they don't have to be. I deal with more than MIGRAINES. I take medications that can potentially cause weight gain, which is not good news to a person like myself trying to lose weight. But I have learned to take advantage of the days I feel really good and kick things up a notch in the exercise department. And, on days when it is not going so well...again, I really focus on my caloric intake.

May you discover what works for you and have good success!

(Migraines are diagnosed by tests and a physician...we don't just decide we're having a Migraine because we have a headache: this is a little side NOTE for those who do not understand the debilitating effects of MIGRAINES).

It depends - what is your goal? To lose weight? To feel good? To look toned? You could lose all the weight you need/want to with diet alone.

For me though, exercise has been key for my back and neck problems. I no longer have constant pain from them and no longer battle with headaches each week. I am off my anti-depressant/anxiety meds and I really give a lot of credit to exercise though I'm sure good nutrition is good for that too.

My goal is to have a healthy lifestyle and feel good and BE healthy. So, for me, exercise plays a huge part in that.

Losing weight is near impossible for me without exercise. Even when I'm eating healthy and staying within my calorie range, my weight won't seem to budge. Add even just a little exercise, and it just starts melting away.

Actually this is me (sally) that is...i didn't realize i was in my husbands fitness pal...=-)

I use to think exercise was a curse for dieting. I lost quicker when I didnt do it. But then again, I gain just as fast. This is my last diet this time, and exercise has been a big key for me. I feel better, clothes are a lot looser, and weight may not be dripping off at 4 lbs a week but I am losing. I hit the elliptical at the gym for 40 minutes 3 times a week now, started at 10 minutes. I am now walking also on my off days. I cant stress enough that although losing weight is great, exercise will make you feel great.

Migraines - I feel your pain. I used to get them a lot, and what the people posting here may not understand (except that one person) is that if you have a migraine, you are NOT going to be exercising. Or talking. Or eating. Or moving. You will be in a dark room with a cold cloth over your eyes, in complete SILENCE for however-long-it-takes. Sometimes days - in misery. Many times I said, "I would rather be dead." They are that bad.

I was diagnosed at a good neurologists practice after ending up in the hospital dehydrated and feeling like I would die. You can't eat or even drink water - you will just throw it up. Immediately . I had a five-day migraine, and really did think I was going to die.

That said, the original poster stated that she doesn't know why she gets the migraines. You need to get a good diagnosis and cause as your first priority. It could be a food you eat that triggers them. Common trigger foods are Chocolate, Citrus, Cheese, Caffeine, and Nuts. It could be the dental thing, and night guards work. It could be hormonal, and you can get treated. It could be a brain chemical imbalance,also treatable with inexpensive medications. It could be a heart defect (migraines are vascular), it could be a serious medical issue related to your brain or eyes, and you need to know what the actual diagnosis is. It could be a different type of headache. You said you don't know, so I would start there.

When I got migraines, I couldn't exercise at all. Couldn't even get hot, and I had to move away from South Florida where I grew up because the heat kept me indoors all the time. The sun on my face would trigger a migraine.

So now that they are medically under control, I am able to go out in the sun, exercise, and I have my life back. But I had to get the right treatment, and it was a long process, sometimes involving a lot of trial and error, and many years of searching for help.

Godd luck to you.:flowerforyou:

FLORIDA??? I am in cold Ohio :sad: We are heading down on spring break to orlando for a week...yes, going to Disney for only 1 day ($$$$ stops more)....Will be glad to get down there! Anyway, do you have a dog? My husband has our dog in a habit of taking a walk every day. I took her out today for 15 minutes. I know you said you have headaches, but maybe on good days? I am sorry to hear that. My older sister gets them and they are pretty devastating :sick:

We received a free 30 day trial to a local little gym we signed up and are going our first day tomorrow....yey....

Glad you sent a message...I know I can use all the help and support I can get. I have only been on here about 1 1/2 weeks. I would like to lose 50 lbs.

I have never been officially diagnosed with migraines...so I always call them "one of MY headaches" around friends and family that know what I mean. It is completely different than the stress or migraine headaches that I get also, to where I can't move without teeth jarring pain, have to put a cold rag over my face and lie in a dark room, and even then it feels as though my skull may split open and the whole bed feels like it's going to fall out from under me. Sometimes it is accompanied by nausea or vomiting. I didn't realize how serious migraines could be though, so I'm very glad some more experienced have posted on this topic. I think maybe I should get them checked out. I was wanting to share with the OP that exercise did decrease the frequency and duration of these headaches and that since my headaches usually hit in the afternoon to evening hours, if I got my exercise in early in the morning it was done and over with before one would strike. I absolutely agree that you would be completely unable to exercise during a migraine, and it's possible that exercise could trigger a migraine, but luckily it's helping mine so far. And if heat is a trigger, I started out with moderate step or low-impact aerobics and an oscillating fan to ease into exercise, so maybe that would help to get started with SOME sort of exercise?