So discouraged

First step to any successful journey is loving yourself no matter what. It's hard to find motivation within yourself when you're mean to yourself so much! You can for sure get to your goal size but you have to be kind to yourself on your journey!!

robynmichelle14 wrote: »

First step to any successful journey is loving yourself no matter what. It's hard to find motivation within yourself when you're mean to yourself so much! You can for sure get to your goal size but you have to be kind to yourself on your journey!!

Your post made me think of this that i saw recently

When I was a student I walked everywhere, and I had a bike so did a fair bit of cycling, and I left university a lot smaller than when I started!

University gyms here in England usually have much cheaper memberships. Gyms weren't so popular back when I started uni in 1996 so I didn't join one, but I did when I was doing my MA.

When anyone starts working out it's tough, but I'm sure your fitness will improve quickly, and soon you'll be able to complete much longer workouts. Keep going!

Don't ever feel ashamed for wanting to take care of yourself! Never! Make small goals for yourself that you can achieve over the next few months and set yourself a long term goal. So like, "I will run without stop for 5 min, then 10, and so on." Or like, "I will start with doing 3 pushups, then 5."
These may seem like nothing but it will add up. Make it a game that you play! Unlock achievements! (I'm kind of a nerd.) Get excited about looking and most importantly, feeling good about yourself. You are in the right place here on MFP to stay motivated!
*hugs*

All it take is little steps you can do this add me if you like for some support.

First, you sound just like so many of us when we started. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! Many people start their weight loss journey never having been active before and find it very difficult to start an exercise routine. If all you can do is 15 minutes, then do the 15 minutes and be proud of yourself. That's 15 minutes you weren't doing before you started. Also, if you want to get in 30 minutes/day you can try breaking it up and doing 15 in the morning and 15 in the evening. As the above posters have said, be good to yourself. We're all here to support one another. If you need an 'ear' send us a note. I'm sure there are many people on this site who have felt the way you do at any given moment.

Don't give up, slow and steady is the way to go. Pretty soon the changes will start to get easier.

We have a saying in the computer programming world that pertains to the completion of tasks that appear to be insurmountable at the beginning: "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

Just realize you didn't get out of shape overnight and you won't get into shape overnight. Take small steps, set small, achievable goals, and soon the progress and sense of accomplishment will become self-sustaining and motivating. As a personal example, I started cycling about 5 years ago at 41 years old, 70 lbs overweight and horribly, horribly out of shape. My first bike ride was an easy, flat 8 mile ride with friends that left me completely wrecked. Now, 5 years on, I've completed 22 bike races of various types over the last 8 months, my first race of 2016 is in 10 days, and I barely even consider an 8 mile ride a warm-up, much less a workout.

The first step is to start somewhere. You can do this. Just set yourself a small fitness goal. Even something as simple as 10 minutes walking up and down some stairs or something. Soon what feels difficult today will seem laughably easy. Just do a little more every time.

Good luck with your journey!

I totally am with you. I talk to myself so negatively that I end up just quitting and drinking an entire bottle of wine. Stay Strong - and if you have a bad day - there's always a tomorrow coming.

That was pretty much me in the beginning. I'd be winded within a minute of a workout.

Walking helped. I walked everyday. I couldn't do much in the beginning. And to be honest, I cried when I reached the 1 mile marker out my local park. But I kept going and slowly increased to 4 miles a day. Which eventually led to being able to run a 5k.

Start small. Don't feel ashamed. Everyone starts from the beginning. Just keep your head up and in the game and keep going.

I was exactly the same, when I first decided I was fed up of being overweight and needed to do something about it, a friend of mine suggested I try the C25K (couch to 5k) challenge, which is basically an app which introduces you to running by getting you to do alternate running and walking segments, and each week it steps it up a notch.

Well, I can tell you the first time I went out and did it I felt like I was going to pass out, I felt sick, dizzy, my legs were all wobbly, and I actually called my friend when i'd finished and told her I disliked her and she was a horrid person for trying to kill me (I was joking obviously but that's how I felt - like I was dying). Each time it told me to run I was so out of breath and sweating, and when I say 'run' I say this in the loosest possible term, it was more like an extremely slow jog, and it was only for 60 seconds at a time, and yet I still struggled immensely. But I did it, and I kept on doing it, despite the fact that I hated every second of that first attempt, and before I knew it I was finding it easier and easier.

One of the things that kept me going that first time was the fact that my friend who had suggest it was a lot heavier than me, and she'd just ran a 5k fun run after using the app to train, so in my mind I kept telling myself that if she could do it, so could I! You have to believe in yourself, tell yourself you can do it, don't let negative thoughts get in the way, and as they say, if at first you don't succeed, try again. Keep at it, and over time it WILL get easier.

15 min is a good place to start! Build up slow and steady. There's a great channel on youtube called FitnessBlender. They have hundreds of high quality workout videos from 10-90(!!!) min. Just do what you can, you'll eventually progress. There's a lot of trial and error, especially in the beginning. It takes time to find activities you will enjoy, and enjoyment is the key to being consistent (in my case anyway). Try sticking with 15-20min of any exercise, even just walking for 2 weeks. If you're watching what you eat, you will see a change, even if it's a small change, it is working. That can be great motivation too!

Like others said, choose what you like and stick to it. I understand how hard it could be, cuz I also spent a long period of time finding a workout routine I really like in the beginning when I just started. Have you tried Zumba or other dance-based cardio routine? I've seen a lot of those videos on YouTube and 30 min could easily be gone if you find those interesting!

Im 23, and started around 187lbs. and it's been about 6 weeks now, and I've lost nearly 6 lbs. You can do it! Just stick at it.