Anyone seen my motivation (to exercise)?...It's M.I.A.
dwendling63
Posts: 34
Had two surgery's last year. 1.) Appendix 2.) Gallbladder. Gained lots of weight in my stomach and mid section. My lower stomach is hanging down and I a mortified by the look of myself. Have experienced mood swings. My doctor took blood work three weeks ago and said I need to cut out sugars and carbs. I am 40 pounds over weight, I have high colesterol, & my insulin is high. Have already lost 9 lbs in 3 weeks but can't get motivated to exercise yet. I am spending quite a bit on medications so $$$ is a factor on gym's etc. Hoping to get motivated soon. Any suggestions out there...could use a nudge 
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Replies
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calisthenics can be done at home for free, thats what i prefer to a gym0
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Sorry all my effort goes to pushing myself. But I'll think about you as I get Hawt.0
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Walk, walk everywhere then when your done walk a little more.0
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Here's the good news: you've only got 40 pounds to lose. That's a comparative walk in the park. I've got 126 left to get down to a goal of 174. I'm convinced I can do it and if I can do it, you can easily do it. Begin your exercise in a safe and healthy fashion by aiming for 15-20 minutes per day of walking. You don't need a gym. While I do have a gym membership, I'm psyched about getting my brand-new-to-me bike out of the shop so I can hit the road. I'll bet that once you drop as little as 20 pounds, your medicine dosage will be reduced or you'll be off it altogether.
Oh and I don't have a gall bladder either. Welcome to the digestive phun! :bigsmile:0 -
If you live near any stores, you can get in some walking by leaving the car at home when you need to do errands. I walk to the grocery store all the time, as long as I'm not planning to buy anything too heavy. I like getting some exercise and getting something done at the same time.0
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Agree with all the freebie suggestions
I walk all the time & it's free. You can do it if you are really ready for a change!!! 0 -
Look around and join a walking club. Having someone waiting for you will give you a little accountability (most people hate to leave someone else hanging). If you have The Running Room around you, they have walking clubs as well as running clubs.
Also, check out some of the gyms close in your area. The prices differ so you might get different deals. Gives you multiple options, such as group classes. The more you actually use it, the less it works out to costing you. City Recreation Departments usually also run more affordable classes for short periods of time.0 -
I did a search on "hate to exercise" and was amazed at how many people feel like me about exercising. The two main themes were: stick with it because you have to and after a month you won't hate it any more, especially since you will see motivating results. Second, try a lot of things to find something you like.
The results had other responses too. You might try doing a search on "hate exercise" and "loathe exercise." You aren't alone.0 -
As mentioned, walking is good exercise! Start slow and build up to more over time. Get a good pedometer (I use FitBit because it syncs with MFP but any reliable one will do) and keep track of your steps each day. Gradually build up the total. Thirteen months ago when I got mine, a 1,000 steps a day was a really good day. I could not walk around the block by my house. Slowly I increased until now a year+ later I can do 10,000 steps and often more every day. I can take the dog for a 2mile to 3 mile walk (makes her really happy). In the early days I often marched in place BEHIND my recliner while watching TV. This was especially helpful over the winter when the snow was on the sidewalks or it was too cold to be outdoors long. Over a slightly longer period of time (16 months) I have lost almost 70 pounds. I also like the Leslie Sansome "Walk at Home" DVD's which I got in the sports dept. at Wallyworld for less than $15. Be sure to look for the beginner ones as some are really for much more advanced "walkers" which I hope some day to be able to do <g>. Give yourself some time, and you CAN do it. Just don't give up!!!!0
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Okay.. i disagree with just about everything thats posted here. Sorry guys! I hate exercising & i will never like it. I havent liked it in 312 days and i wont like it in the next 312.. It doesnt matter WHAT i do or how long i stay with it. I HATE IT. So, what's a girl to do?
Well, i dont. Simple as that. There are PLENTY of other ways to get movement in, without exercise and still lose weight. It's true that little things DO help. Take an extra trip around the store with your loaded buggy. Ask the cashier to let you bag your own groceries. Load your own car. Carry your own bags in, and only carry two at a time.. one per hand. Park at the furthest end of the store (yes, when its raining.. it makes you move quicker!) and walk to the mailbox (mine is far away). Also, stand while folding laundry, sway your hips while doing dishes.. plain & simple.. MOVE. Start from the time you wake up and dont sit down until its supper time! I didnt realize just how much i was sitting on my *kitten* all day! If you are sitting, you should be moving!
Does the floor need to be mopped? No? mop it anyway. Do you have time to facebook? Dust the house. Do you have time to watch your stories? Watch them while standing. Get tired? Sway back & forth & use a non motorized/manual vacuum! My grandmother had one & its the best thing ever for watching TV & getting your house cleaned! Want a really great work out? Dip a sponge with the green side (the scrubbie side) in vinegar & wash windows.. dry with paper towels for the cleanest windows on the block!
I HATE exercise, but have turned my calorie burning into kind of an OCD cleaning frenzie... i figured if i had to burn calories.. i might as well have something to show for it! Now, im killing two birds with one stone, and when im whooped, i dont have to worry about cleaning the house later! I also manage to get supper made for the family! The *KEY* is just to never stop moving! On my average day (8-10 hours) i burn upwards of 2500-2800 calories! THAT is only from the time that i actually start "working." I put my fitbit on after my wake up, my breakfast, my shower, my morning walking of my dog... i take it off before i sit down to supper, before i clean my kitchen, before i wash the dishes, before i do the laundry..
Just remember that whatever YOU do.. all that matters in the long run is calories OUT versus calories IN. YOU are your only motivator. No one else can make you move. You are responsible for yourself. Either you are going to do it, or you arent. Dont pass blame on someone else by coming here & saying "motivate me" and when you cant find enough motivation here for yourself.. using that as an excuse. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR EXCUSES HERE! Now either get up off your butt and MOVE or stfu!
Motivation is simply DEDICATION hiding under fear! Do you have what it takes?0 -
Had two surgery's last year. 1.) Appendix 2.) Gallbladder. Gained lots of weight in my stomach and mid section. My lower stomach is hanging down and I a mortified by the look of myself. Have experienced mood swings. My doctor took blood work three weeks ago and said I need to cut out sugars and carbs. I am 40 pounds over weight, I have high colesterol, & my insulin is high. Have already lost 9 lbs in 3 weeks but can't get motivated to exercise yet. I am spending quite a bit on medications so $$$ is a factor on gym's etc. Hoping to get motivated soon. Any suggestions out there...could use a nudge
You do not need a gym to lose weight. You do not even need to exercise to lose weight. You have to consume less calories than your body uses. That is about simple as it gets. Thanksgiving I weighed 306, Christmas 296. March 4th When I started MFP, I weighed 287. I have lost 30 lbs in the last 9 weeks on mfp with very litle exercise. Not even walking regularly. Lots of water. Cut out processed foods, they contain tons of sodium. Add salt to NOTHING! A pinch = 295 mg of sodium. Lots of boiled or steamed fresh vegetables. Fruit contains a lot of sugar so try and limit fruit to 1/day. Make your own no-salt salad dressing. When you get your calorie intake down to an average of 1200/day and your sodium intake under 1200 mg/day. The lbs will come off. When the swelling in your legs and feet goes down it will be easier to walk. When you start walking every day more weight will come off. Finally one morning you will wake up feeling good and ready to start lifting weights or whatever you like to do. I got a 105 lb set of dumbells Friday and am geittin' with it. Looking for a bench press and squat rack. Go on craigs list. A friend got one of those multi thousand dollar gym machines just for hauling it off.
Oh yea you are woman. Well my wife is doing this @ the same time and has lost 22 lbs doing the exact same thing as me. She even started lifting today. Oh yea, just 3 weeks on mfp I had to cut out 7 different blood pressure pills, some of which I had to take twice/day.
Just take it one day @ a time0 -
You do not need a gym to lose weight. You do not even need to exercise to lose weight. You have to consume less calories than your body uses. That is about simple as it gets. Thanksgiving I weighed 306, Christmas 296. March 4th When I started MFP, I weighed 287. I have lost 30 lbs in the last 9 weeks on mfp with very litle exercise. Not even walking regularly. Lots of water. Cut out processed foods, they contain tons of sodium. Add salt to NOTHING! A pinch = 295 mg of sodium. Lots of boiled or steamed fresh vegetables. Fruit contains a lot of sugar so try and limit fruit to 1/day. Make your own no-salt salad dressing. When you get your calorie intake down to an average of 1200/day and your sodium intake under 1200 mg/day. The lbs will come off. When the swelling in your legs and feet goes down it will be easier to walk. When you start walking every day more weight will come off. Finally one morning you will wake up feeling good and ready to start lifting weights or whatever you like to do. I got a 105 lb set of dumbells Friday and am geittin' with it. Looking for a bench press and squat rack. Go on craigs list. A friend got one of those multi thousand dollar gym machines just for hauling it off.
Oh yea you are woman. Well my wife is doing this @ the same time and has lost 22 lbs doing the exact same thing as me. She even started lifting today. Oh yea, just 3 weeks on mfp I had to cut out 7 different blood pressure pills, some of which I had to take twice/day.
Just take it one day @ a time
Nothing could be truer. It's more or less how I started. I got really really really sick for a week. I lost a lot of weight during that week. That was my little "jump start" so to speak. But much like quitting smoking, I couldn't give up my foods cold turkey. So I started to slowly move the bad foods out and the good foods in. I used the calorie tracker on here to hold myself accountable. After a month of slow changes I found I had lost a good bit of weight. Then I plateaued out. So I spoke with my Doctor. He laughed saying that I've done as much as I can as far as food goes. Now was the time to add exercise.
Again, it's been slow. I'm lazy. I won't lie about it. I recently joined a gym. Was going two days a week doing some cardio. Now I go three times a week. I'm doing a little research to switch from just cardio to strength training.
People who can go from how they were one day to a different person the next, I envy. I can't do that. Change doesn't come easily for me. So I approached healthy eating and living the same way I quit smoking. One day at a time.0 -
Don't rely on motivation, it's a fickle friend that regularly walks out when you don't want it to and can't be found anywhere... instead try to make small changes and get into new habits. And also, make these small changes things you know you'll stick to. Exercise does not have to be done at the gym, you can find any reasonably active hobby that will get you moving around, e.g. walking, gardening, cycling, any sport that you enjoy. Healthy eating shouldn't involve forcing yourself to eat foods you hate, there are a lot of delicious meals that are lower in calories and higher in protein and vitamins. You also don't have to give up any foods, just have the unhealthy stuff less often and in smaller portions. Start tracking your calories on here, to begin with just track so you can see what you're eating, then you can look at it and see where you can make healthy substitutions and if there are any particular foods or meals that are really bumping up your calories... substitute and/or portion control those ones first... keep making the small changes. Although tracking calories may seem like a real pain to begin with, it's a great tool for knowing how much you can get away with of the unhealthy treats you don't want too much of, for example if you've eaten enough protein and plenty of veggies in a day but have 200 calories over, you know you can safely eat 200 calories of ice cream (or whatever you fancy) and it won't make you gain weight... if you're not counting, you don't know that.
Start with just one or two things, try to stick to those, and make them a habit, and as you go along you can add in other changes. Try to avoid all-or-nothing thinking, because this can make your motivation make a bolt for the door and not be seen for dust. You don't have to have a perfect diet or perfect exercise routine to lose weight and improve your health. You just have to find ways to be more active and make your diet healthier, and have the unhealthy stuff less often and in smaller portions.0 -
I'd suggest you gain confidence in your ability to exercise by walking around your neighborhood (or at work on breaks) several times a day, just for a few minutes. You will see very quick improvement in your balance and mood and you'll be able to do more each week. This WILL build your confidence for the next step, whatever that may be. You'll find yourself wanting to do more and more. Even in bad weather, there might be a mall near you that opens early for mall-walkers. My daughter and I have been mall-walking since November -- and we love it. Good luck to you!0
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I don't like to exercise and I don't have motivation either.
I just "do it anyway"
I started by walking (slowly) out my front door and kept walking (slowly) until it was 5 minutes (I used a timer) and then I walked-slowly back home.
Do that every day or every other day until it starts getting easier (might take 2 weeks or 4 weeks or 2 days, doesn't matter)
Then go out the front door and walk slowly for 10 minutes, then turn around and walk-slowly back home.
Do that every day or every other day until it starts getting easier (might take 2 weeks or 4 weeks or 2 days, doesn't matter)
I still had to take a nap afterwards at this point.
When the above is easier,
You can do it twice a day, same 10 minutes out and then come home.
When that is easier (might be 2 weeks, that's okay), then walk out your front door and walk slowly 15 minutes and then turn around and walk-slowly back home
And so on and so forth, twice a day, adding only 5 minutes "more" out at a time
Dietary modifications can be made one at a time, and very gradually.
I only succeed taking BabySteps and in very small increments so that it remains quit-proof
:-)
You can do this!
What do you think you will start with??
:-)0 -
Walk. Its free. But I too need motivation to get my A** up and moving... I lack motivation. But when I was walking regularly, that difference I see in my appetite, legs, and butt, and overall stress--NOW that was excellent motivation. I just need to get it going again. It is better once you start, push yourself. This weekend I will begin my PUSH. No excuses. Cooler weather, perfect for walking!!!0
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I've just joined, and like you I lack motivation. Here's a tip I've been doing for a while now: when you go grocery shopping, park as far away as you can/want from the entrance and make a few trips through the grocery store while you go through your shopping list.0
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there is a girl on my friends list that ran a 5k today. she's recently had brain surgery.
what were you talking about?0 -
She's pretty freakin awesome too!there is a girl on my friends list that ran a 5k today. she's recently had brain surgery.
what were you talking about?0 -
Do the charlston for no reason at all. :glasses:0
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Get up. Put on some loud music.
Walk for 5-10 mins outside or on your treadmill ( loud music!)
increase that time gradually...you will build up a routine and then love it :flowerforyou:
This might sound pansy to you...but it was how i started....and my wonderful friends on MFP who kick my butt regularly0 -
If you live near any stores, you can get in some walking by leaving the car at home when you need to do errands. I walk to the grocery store all the time, as long as I'm not planning to buy anything too heavy. I like getting some exercise and getting something done at the same time.
Wish I could do this. :sad: I'm living close to a grocery store right now, and it's across a six-lane road. We're about to move, and then the closest grocery store will be about six miles away.0
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