The thought of exercise makes me sick

no, there are no sudden bouts of energy and motivation. it's about having a clear, distinct goal, researching how to get to that goal, having a plan of attack, and then working on that plan for many weeks. its grueling day in day out, but its whats needed if you want what you want

The way I think of it is kind of like inertia. (An object at rest tends to stay at rest, an object in motion tends to stay in motion). So if I'm vegging out watching Netflix, the thought of exercise can make me go "ugghh" as well. But knowing that's only half the equation, I talk myself into overcoming the inertia, and doing some exercise I know intellectually that I enjoy. Often I tell myself I only "have" to do 15 minutes, and if I want to stop at 15 I will honor that, but usually once I'm in motion I'm ready to keep going. Our bodies were made to be fed properly, and to move regularly - so it does actually feel good to treat it right. After I work out I make a point to notice how I feel good (my neck tension is looser! No indigestion! Feel thirsty and quenching that with cold water so satisfying! Post workout stretching as good as a massage! Etc). Then when it's time to talk myself into working out next time I remember all those good feelings and it's easier to make the argument. When you are just starting out you don't have that history to draw on, so it's a little more going on faith. I would say try just to do a tiny bit of moving regularly, make a point to notice what feels good about it, and you will really get the ball rolling so to speak. Good luck!!

I feel the same way. If you find something you love to do you will not think of it as exercise. I have a Wii and do Zumba at home. I refuse to go to the gym with all the "skinny people", so I stay home and dance. Zumba burns the calories, it's fun and you can just do one song, a short class, medium class or full class. You can also customize it with songs you like and can do. I think that is the secret. Find something you love to do and get moving. Remember it is mostly calories in calories out. Portion control is the most important part of losing weight. You can do this. Just find something you love to do. Good luck and never give up.

You just have to start where you are and not think that far ahead. Don't think that you have to go out and climb mountains. Just start by being about to walk for X minutes continuously. Even if it is a short walk and it leaves you huffing and puffing and you hate every single step of it, just get it done, cross it off your list for the day and move on. Start small and improve daily. Say you can only walk for ten minutes before you are fed up. That's great if the alternative would have been sitting for ten minutes. The next day walk for eleven minutes. Or walk the same distance you did yesterday in ten minutes, but do it in 9 minutes. Just strive to make improvements.

If you are creating a calorie deficit with your diet you will start to lose weight.

And, yes, as you lose weight, the exercise will become easier.

Remember, you don't have to like it, but you do have to do it.

I never thought that I would want to workout. Ever. I know where you're coming from.

I started working out because I know that its good for you. I know the health benefits and wanted to look better (and eat more food while still losing weight). So I started with C25K (a run training program if you don't know). It kicked my butt. I was dying by the end and swore that I would NEVER ever ever like to run. But I stuck with the program because I wanted to finish what I started.

One day at about week 8, I was heading to lunch and thought "OOOH its my running night!!". It made me do a double take. Where did THAT come from??? Who is that person? It really took me by surprise.

Now, some days I'm excited to work out, some days I don't feel like it. But I stick to my schedule because I always feel better after I do. I always beat myself up if I skip for no good reason (if I'm sick or something I don't worry about it). I look at it as something I do, like laundry or brushing my teeth. It's just part of my daily routine, so why would I not do it?

I actually enjoy exercising now. It made my life easier. I can walk up some flights of stairs without being out of breath. I like getting outside and getting some fresh air. If I've gone a week without a run, I'm itching to get outside and go. I'm a completely different person now and if you had said that to me 2 years ago, I would have laughed in your face.

You don't need to exercise to lose weight. A calorie deficit is all that's needed. However, I don't think I would have stuck with my calorie deficit for the year that I've been doing this without the exercise component in there. I can eat more calories because I burn more calories, which helps me work more treats into my calorie goal. But even more so, exercising has given me more self confidence and makes me feel better. The benefits far exceed the physical and it helps you mentally and emotionally as well.

You don't have to do a lot. But try something and stick with it. Try different things. There are more exercises out there than running and zumba classes (or whatever). You can swim or bike or hike or yoga or tennis or golf or rock climbing or skiing, etc. There are sooo many activities that there is bound to be something you will enjoy. You probably won't fall in love overnight, but eventually you will find something you enjoy doing.

I started with just walking. The first time I walked a mile I cried. Walking led me to hiking (low grade) and eventually that built up and I was able to actually sustain running. Did my first 5k exactly a year ago (3 days after getting a positive pregnancy test, haha, so I haven't ran since). I also did low impact swimming and Zumba.

Basically, find activities that hold your interest and that you find fun. Exercise isn't supposed to feel like a chore. It should be enjoyable.

moledew wrote: »

I see so many users on here that were 300+ pounds before starting their journey and now they're mountain climbing personal trainers! I'm super jealous and want to have that too eventually but I really hate exercising. Is it just because of my weight and how physically and emotionally taxing it is for me right now? Will I too get this phenomenal burst of energy and motivation as the weight comes off? A lot of people say that they need and love exercising now but I just can't see myself being a 5am runner. I know I'm getting ahead of myself here but I'm really curious about what it is that makes a morbidly obese person all of the sudden become a body builder that enjoys workouts...? Is that just part of the mental side of weigh loss and a literal "total transformation"?

Nobody suddenly goes from morbidly obese to bodybuilder.

Maybe I am not the best person to answer this question because I have always liked exercise, outdoor activity and sports. I could not move much for several years due to illness, and these days I am very grateful to be able to use my body again. I wasn't a morbidly obese person who became an athlete--I was an athlete who got sick and had to fight back to being active again.

Here's what I think:
1. Do not start out with 5AM or with running. You will fail. Pick a time and an activity that are going to work for you. Pick something that you can already do, where you can increase duration and intensity over time. Something easily measurable is good. I started with swimming. Many people start with walking. It was easy to see my progress in both speed and endurance--that is rewarding. When I first got in the pool, it took me more than hour to go about half a mile--now I can do a while mile in a little over 30 minutes.
2. Do not expect extraordinary, phenomenal ANYTHING. You are setting the bar way too high and you will be disappointed. It almost sounds like you are setting yourself up for an excuse to quit.
3. Focus on habit formation. Do SOMETHING almost every day until it becomes normal for you. Repeat. Increase. If you fall off the wagon, climb right back on.
4. Do things that you like! You won't stick with it unless it works for you. I hate to run and it is very painful due to an injury. So I dance instead. I hike outdoors, I kayak, I swim--these things are fun for me, so that is what I do.
5. Even if an activity isn't something you enjoy a ton (example: weightlifting) you can make it more interesting with good music.
6. Does social connection motivate you? Try Zumba, try a class at your gym, join an outdoor group, take a dance class, etc. Sometimes making new, active friends and having people who expect to see you can be a good push in the right direction.

Why is exercise emotionally taxing for you?

I don't think I'm ever going to be that person that loves to work out or that hates to miss a workout. But I did find some types of exercise that I like, and I don't mind going to the gym now. I kept forcing myself to run because it just seems like you're supposed to run, but one day I said "I hate this. No more." And I don't run anymore. Just try to invite me to do a 5K with you, I dare you.

Bottom line: You don't have to do exercise that you hate. Just try a bunch of things and stick with the one or two that you don't hate. And if you don't workout every single day or if you don't become a fitness fiend, it's cool. You're still okay.

I think there is a tipping point where the benefits outweigh the pain. Here's a few things I learned along the way:

• I don't exercise for health mainly. That's too ambiguous a goal. I exercise for the next competition.
• I can pinpoint the day it all changed for me. My weight loss and modest walking had improved my mobility enough that I was able to keep from slipping on the ice. For the first time I had an inkling that I could have a different sort of life. After that, nothing could stop me.
• I do things I enjoy. If I get bored, I change it. It has to be fun to keep me going.
• I run at 5 AM because I am an early riser, and that is when I have my energy peak. I am a slug at night. So the lesson is, listen to your body and work with it.
• There are some exercises I must do (like my stretches) that I find deadly dull but I must do them to do the fun stuff. I grit through those, keeping the ultimate goal in mind. Which is the next competition.
• Here's a video of the first time riding my bike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noMyQh6HBZo I celebrate my milestones.

http://jgnatbuzz.blogspot.ca/2015/02/before-and-after.html

There's an endorphin high snuggled in there too. After running became my new routine, my most miserable days are my non-running days. My twitchy muscles want to be moving, and they aren't happy sitting still any more.

I'm 45 years old and I have been on the yoyo diet plan for 20 years and then I started having health issues because I'm obese. Yeah my doctor warned me years ago but besides wearing fat clothes I didn't really have any other issues. But then I was diagnosed with diabetes and high colesterol and then I herniated a disc in my back lifting something that wasn't even really heavy.
At that time I said that's enough and I made a complete lifestyle change. I began doing research on the healthiest foods to eat, a proper exercise plan to be tone when I do lose the weight and I joined MFP to be able to track and hold myself accountable.
When i first started within 10 min on the treadmill I thought I was going to die. It was not easy. But now it's not so bad. I watch TV while I do it and the time goes by real fast. But the best part is how you start to feel the next day. Yeah you might be a little sore but a few days later it gets easier and easier. When you start seeing results makes it all worth it. I have now added weight training to my routine To build strength and muscle tone.
Don't be afraid to start off slow. Maybe just a moderate pace like 2mph. Do 15-20min if you can. Get some small dumbells and work your arms. I actually started my workout plan when my back was injured and most of my exercise came while laid up in bed. Just get a routine and as you lose weight you will get more energy and you'll like how it makes you feel. Who knows maybe some day you'll be the mountain climbing trainer. Just fake it until you make it. Eventually it gets easier.

I notice you keep using phrases like "all of a sudden," "total transformation," and "burst." No, it doesn't work that way.

I started at 335 pounds, and at first I exercised so I could eat a little bit more while losing weight. It seemed like sweating some every day was a fair tradeoff to get to have a glass of wine with dinner or a square or two of chocolate, and I'd be able to stay on the diet longer and lose more weight before giving up. I started with lower-intensity, low-impact stuff (in fact, the first couple of weeks I just did stretching). Very very gradually increased the amount of time I was spending, and my intensity.

At first I hated it. I dreaded it. Every. Single. Workout. I worked out every day because I found that if I took a day off, then coming back to it was even harder. I didn't have a lot of variability in what I was doing, but I stuck with it doggedly. For wine. And chocolate.

That went on for about 4 months. After that, I had built up enough of an aerobic base that I realized that I felt more capable, and started trying more new things. I gradually started to enjoy challenging myself. Beating my past self at things. Getting better balance and coordination, then more endurance, and more strength, and then getting faster.

At some point, exercise stopped seeming like something other people do but I wasn't made for. I kept trying new things. Sometimes I hated the new things. Sometimes I liked them and added them to my routine. Sometimes I went back and tried things I had hated before, to see if I hated them less: often I did hate them less. Sometimes I started loving them. Probably about 15 months into having started exercising, I tried running (for the second time in that period). Weirdly, I loved it this time. A LOT. Still do.

The thing is, it takes time and determination. Progress is gradual. If you stick with it, at some point you'll have a "holy crap who have I become" moment but it won't be soon, and it won't be when you're thinking about it. You need to be patient and accept that transformation will not be instantaneous. Start gently and be forgiving of yourself at first: you're not an athlete YET. You've got room to grow.

And you have to find your own why. If you are exercising because you are "supposed to," you're not going to stick with it. But if you choose to exercise to work towards an achievable goal (achievable =/= "becoming a mountain climbing personal trainer"; at least, not at this point. Keep your goals much smaller at first) that you actually really want and believe can be achieved through exercise, it's easier to stay focused through the crap times. And you may surprise yourself. People do change.

i think its different for everyone. I've accepted for now that I'm just not big into exercising. so i don't force it and try to make the little things count. like actively playing with my kids, parking far, walking when i can or taking the long route. I've lost 50lbs and not much has changed in my feelings about exercising. i haven't ruled it out forever but i accept that ill just have to make the small things count. and its ok.

I think the trick is finding some type of activity that you enjoy, or at least don't hate. You don't have to get up at 5 a.m. or run or lift or take a class or go to a gym. Take a walk or a hike, play a sport, swim, bike, dance, garden, toss a frisbee or play catch with the kids.

Climbing a mountain or running a marathon is great if you enjoy it, but neither is necessary for weight loss, fitness or health. Mental health is important too. Enjoy your life.

My reason is simple--I have to. I wake up with pain all over, since I have OA. Since I'm stiff and sore I get up before everyone else and do stretching for 45 min at least 3 times a week. Once I'm limbered up, I feel better and can function. Then I go to the pool 3-4 times a week. I've done this for 20 yrs now. The truth is, I feel like crap if I don't exercise. I am also a creature of habit, so I don't leave something once I've started. I may change things around, add new things, but I'm always moving. Doing this makes a difference in everything else I do all day--cleaning, shopping, walking,gardening, etc. These things are all easier since I'm in great shape for my age. No one realizes that I have OA. Exercise is good for your quality of life and can become addictive.