How do I build motivation to exercise?

1mrsmouse
1mrsmouse Posts: 7 Member
edited September 27 in Fitness and Exercise
:sad: New member, motivated to loose weight but can't be bothered with exercise? Any tips?

Replies

  • NancyAnne1960
    NancyAnne1960 Posts: 500 Member
    Start small and simple and built to a real work-out.
  • amymrls
    amymrls Posts: 1,673 Member
    I just make myself do it. Later it gets better, sometimes now I even want to do it.
  • RNewton4269
    RNewton4269 Posts: 663 Member
    Start out slow and build up. Do 5 or 10 minutes here and there. It all adds up. Eventually you will be addicted..it sure happened for me like that. When I can't work out..I get very frustrated..and have withdrawals now. Good luck to you!
  • sunnygal1
    sunnygal1 Posts: 39
    Keep trying new things everyday until you find something you like. Try yoga, biking, walking, Zumba, water aerobics, fitness DVD's... try it all and you will eventually find something that works for you. And at the same time, you will be developing the habit to do something active everyday. Good luck! :)
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    When I started, I chose a class to join (Capoeira) and treated it as a job that I had to show up for every class. For a long time it was a real chore that I would barely recover from before the next class. Slowly it got better until after a few months I was looking forward to the next class.
  • NWfluffy
    NWfluffy Posts: 48 Member
    Welcome -- this site is really helpful -- just be honest putting every morsel that enters your mouth into your daily food & you'll be amazed. I particularly like the line at the bottom of each day that says "if every day was like today in 5 weeks you'll weigh . . . "

    As for exercise, I'm motivated by knowing that you are supposed to eat back your exercise calories. It was explained to me that if you are supposed to eat c1200 cal./day and you exercise 300 cal. worth, you are actually only eating 900 cal. If you eat too little, your body goes into starvation mode, burning calories extra-efficiently, and you actually lose less weight. So exercising allows me to eat more !!

    Anything you do that's more than normal counts, incl. heavy housework, taking a walk, etc. I logged a bunch of slow walking minutes chaperoning a field trip.

    Good luck!!
  • Luthorcrow
    Luthorcrow Posts: 193
    @NWfluffy great tips.

    Definitely start small. Walking is a great way to start. Particularly if you have never been athletic. Also, try to find activities you like doing. Never do an exercise program you absolutely hate just because you think you have to. A great example is running. A lot of people think they have to do it to be in shape but if you don't like, don't do it. Try to find something you can do with a partner or other people because that lend support and commitment. Try to find something that feels more like play than exercise. Keep in mind kids are often in great shape because they play. If something you enjoin you eventually get better at it and intensity will just follow naturally.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    The best motivation...is results.

    Only...you can't get results without doing it!!

    Sooo...here's a thread where you can see some of our results...and think about how to gain your own:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/244570-before-and-after-pics-please

    I'm telling you...you can most certainly lose weight without exercise...losing weight is 80% how you eat...but the difference in how you'll look at your goal weight with, and without exercise...is pretty pronounced.

    For my own contribution...this was me, just under 210lbs at the start of April:

    7434194_4705.jpg

    This was me a month later, 189lbs:

    7434194_7689.jpg

    And this is me now, at 187lbs (plateaus SUCK!!):

    7434194_7213.jpg

    I know the difference isn't absolutely staggering...but taken in context...look what a short month of exercising (NO CARDIO! And NO WEIGHTS!) did!! And trust me...diet alone would never look like that.

    Hope that helps!!

    Cris
  • AdventuresInHealth
    AdventuresInHealth Posts: 3
    Some good advice on this post http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/253848-motivation-to-exercise

    Have any of these comments been useful so far? You've not been back to reply yet, we'd love to know your thoughts.

    George SuperBootCamps
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