How can I force myself to exercise when I hate it???

Honey, I just looked at your food diary.

Do you really only eat 500 calories a day?

If so you are NEVER going to be able to do any exercise.

OMG RIGHT! You are starving yourself and why? Please get help.

Generally - I would rather clean toilets than exercise.

So I picked something I didn't completely hate, and started doing it. Then I got used to it. Then I started to kinda like it. Now I look forward to it. Funny how your perspective changes.

I don't LOVE exercise. I enjoy reading, sitting and watching bad reality tv, or playing games. If I have to walk, I'd rather it be because I'm shopping for fun stuff. But I also really enjoy food. And I've had eating disorders since I was 8. You can see where that got me.

I waddled into my gym at 370 pounds this year. I was sick. Not just because of my weight, but because I had spent many years doing exactly what I wanted to do rather than what I needed to do. I sat there with a lovely man who talked with me and did the requisite body fat tests and whatnot. I had almost no muscle. I was mostly all body fat. I made a joke that if I were a piece of Kobe beef, I'd be highly desired.

Knowing myself as I do, I made the decision to get a personal trainer because I knew that without someone to keep me accountable every week, and without someone to show me how to do things, I'd end up flittering my time away on the treadmill, not really accomplishing anything, until I eventually quit. I can't afford the trainer, but luckily I have people in my life who love me enough to want me to be healthy and they've chipped in. I owe it to them to do this because they can't really afford it either.

What I've discovered is that I TRULY love strength training. I'd rather pound my head against the wall than walk on the treadmill or use the elliptical, but I do it anyway because my trainer wants me to do cardio. But lifting weights? Doing squats? Oh honey, it pulled out the competitive side of me that I thought I'd lost years and years ago. When I stretch out my arm now and see the little beginnings of a muscle, or when I'm shaving my legs and I feel how firm my calves are, it gives me so much joy!

Do I want to go to the gym every day? Nope! And sometimes I don't! Now that I feel better, I stay pretty active just in my every day life. What you have to do is ask yourself how honestly feel. Don't look at the scale, don't look at your clothes. How do you REALLY feel? Do you feel strong? Do you feel healthy?

Try lots of different types of exercise. Don't limit yourself to just walking or running. Try weights, swimming, zumba, belly dance, yoga, pilates, kickboxing - there's a huge world of fitness out there. You just have to put yourself out there to do it! Best of luck!!

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm thinking I may try self hypnosis again to kickstart things because I do believe I have a psychological block. A lot of people run on the sidewalks around my neighborhood, but the truth is,I don't even remember how to run! I ran across the street so a car wouldn't have to wait for me at a stop sign and I felt like such a dork and nearly tripped! Also I've found most LA people who talk about working out all the time so boring and superficial and self absorbed that I'll try to change the subject to quantum physics or existentialism or something to see if they can keep up lol. To me, listening to people talk about working out is the equivalent of hearing about hair extensions and spray tans... In high school, where I went to school in NYC, we made fun of cheerleaders and football players (our school was too small for either and focused on academics --which is why it didn't bother me too much being chosen last in gym.) I may have a deep seated association of working out with being dumb or an airhead! So I realize I have to change my mindset first. I've actually taken classes in hypnosis and am technically a Certified Hypnotherapist although I don't really practice and work in creative fields for a living. I might just try some personal self hypnosis without CDs and see how it goes... But just thinking this through here, I think I've at least analyzed what the problem is! Of course it could be that I'm just lazy and making all kinds of excuses, but at least I think self hypnosis will help... But I have to want it badly enough first even for that to work! I think I need to fall in love. That would solve everything lol...

I really admire all of you who have learned to love it. Hopefully one day soon...

wow

I am already at a healthy weight but would like to be more toned and fit, and for me to stay thin, my calories have to be low, which for me is much easier to do than exercise. I just have a block against it. I've tried hypnosis CDs, subliminal CDs... I've been trying to walk a bit in my neighborhood, but all I do is think about other things I could be doing with that time that would be more creative or enjoyable. I really want to LIKE exercise, because liking something is the only way I'll do it. If it were something you could just do a few times and get it over with, I'd be fine, but the idea that you have to do it daily or regularly for the rest of your life is just overwhelming to me. I've always been more of an arty, creative, indoor type, never the outdoorsy, active, sporty type, and I don't know how to suddenly become one of those people who love exercise... I eat very healthy foods, take supplements, don't have any medical problems, but know I have to exercise to be truly healthy and get the body I want. Does anyone know of a specific hypnosis CD, hopefully one I haven't tried or SOMETHING, anything that will motivate me to do it? Or a good way to start that's not too time consuming? Also, I don't feel comfortable working out in front of other people and feel really awkward at a gym, especially LA gyms where everyone is obsessed and has perfect bodies and I feel like some kind of goofy sitcom character just trying to figure out what to do with the equipment or even goofier trying to follow yoga classes. I was one of those kids usually picked last in gym class, but I was really talented and successful at other things so I guess it just stuck in my brain that I'm not a sporty person, live with it... So I don't know if it's just laziness or some real block, but the "just do it" slogan does not work for me... Any suggestions? Thanks.

Like you, I hated exercise. Hate sweating. I decided it was time to grow up and be an adult - at 50 years old. I still don't love it but I don't like feeling old. Exercise helps. I started with walking. All you need is shoes. Any place out of your front door will work! I got a dog to walk with me. I got a jack russell mix because he is an active dog and I am a dog lover. If I don't feel like walking for myself, I can't punish the dog by not walking him. Only good if you do plan to be motivated no matter what, or else don't try the dog approach!

In a nutshell, make a decision to grow up. Have your tantrum. It isn't fair. You shouldn't have to exercise (even though most people who what to be healthy do). Whatever. You can't expect to live a long and healthy life without exercise. When you turn 50 or so you will start feeling it or sooner depending on how much over weight you are. You can wait until then if you want or you can start today. It is completely up to you. You can sit in a chair and rot and it will only hurt you. In the end, it won't reall affet the rest of us. We don't really care if you do or don't exercise, but don't want to see you suffer needlessly either. You have to find a way to succeed for your own good health. Excuses are enablers of failure.

Go volunteer a few hours a week at your local stroke center. Being around those that can't is often enough motivation to appreciate the gift that you can.

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I don't have to. My mother just had a stroke. I visit and help her all the time.

I am sorry to hear that. Well that's even more reason to need to find a way to motivate yourself because you may be more likely to inherit the possibility of having a stroke. Hope you can find something that motivates you.

You are arty and creative and like to exercise alone...what about dance?? Dance videos or dance-type video game??

If you don't like working out for long periods of time just do short 10-20 minute exercises. Both p90x and insanity are weight loss programs that have more of a mini version of the full thing. They're not time consuming at all. Plus, you won't have to go to a gym, you can do them at home.

to get myself motivated i usually picture google search "reasons to be fit tumblr" and it brings up a ton of fitness motivation pictures! It made me get my lazy butt off the couch!

On days that I'm just not in the mood, I pop in a 15 minute low-impact workout video. 15 minutes is so short a time, there's just no way to hate it. And at the end of 15 minutes, I usually discover that I'm in the 'zone' and I'll pick up some weights and do some more. Or, sometimes, at the end of 15 minutes, I find that I really do feel like I'm done and that's enough. And at least I know that I got that 15 minutes in, because 15 is better than 0. And I ALWAYS reward myself with a nice stretch at the end of any workout. I love stretching so much, that it really is a reward and something to look forward to. So when I'm dragging through a bad workout day, I can tell myself "Only 9 more minutes until stretching time!"


But...I'm seeing that your calorie intake is so low. You're losing muscle mass and possibly doing damage to your organs. That's not the way to maintain a healthy weight.

your title tells me Ive got something in common with you. I have hated it all my life. Since I've been on mfp I have seen, heard, read and done. After 4 mo. I have something that works for me: First, don't look at it as forcing yourself. Just do it. Give yourself a couple weeks to start this habit. I guarantee no matter what level you're at or how little or how much exercise you do. Try everything that you've even remotely been interested in. You'll find the one(s) that you love. I do curves 3-4x a wk and the other days I do walking (either outside or inside w/Leslie Sansone's walking video.)

I use Leslie Sanson's videos too! I have several on DVD. And there are about 15 of them on YouTube. I love that they're low impact but still very intense. And there's such variety in length. That's what I was talking aobut earlier...she has some that are 30, 40, and 45 minutes. But she also has some that are 15 or 20 minutes. Good stuff.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm thinking I may try self hypnosis again to kickstart things because I do believe I have a psychological block. A lot of people run on the sidewalks around my neighborhood, but the truth is,I don't even remember how to run! I ran across the street so a car wouldn't have to wait for me at a stop sign and I felt like such a dork and nearly tripped! Also I've found most LA people who talk about working out all the time so boring and superficial and self absorbed that I'll try to change the subject to quantum physics or existentialism or something to see if they can keep up lol. To me, listening to people talk about working out is the equivalent of hearing about hair extensions and spray tans... In high school, where I went to school in NYC, we made fun of cheerleaders and football players (our school was too small for either and focused on academics --which is why it didn't bother me too much being chosen last in gym.) I may have a deep seated association of working out with being dumb or an airhead! So I realize I have to change my mindset first. I've actually taken classes in hypnosis and am technically a Certified Hypnotherapist although I don't really practice and work in creative fields for a living. I might just try some personal self hypnosis without CDs and see how it goes... But just thinking this through here, I think I've at least analyzed what the problem is! Of course it could be that I'm just lazy and making all kinds of excuses, but at least I think self hypnosis will help... But I have to want it badly enough first even for that to work! I think I need to fall in love. That would solve everything lol...

I really admire all of you who have learned to love it. Hopefully one day soon...

Don't get me started on quantum physics unless you're ready to wave functions and wave particle duality.

Don't think about it, ponder it, get ready for it.. don't think about it whatsoever, when time comes to do it, just do it, start the motions, do it 'till your done then after you're done, stop thinking about it again completely. Get on with your life, when the "time" comes again, just do it again.

Nevermind.