exercise: what if i HATE EVERYTHING?
Options
Replies
-
i'm 5'9" and about 155. i'd like that to be about 147. so it's not like i have a HUGE amount to lose, but i see the scale going *up* instead of down lately and i'd really like to at least maintain if not lose. weight watchers changed the way they do the "points" though, and it just doesn't work for me the way they're doing it now. i lost that 50 lbs by just eating differently and better, never actually added any activity. counting calories has not worked for me in the past, but i guess i'll try it again. it's just hard when i have 600 calories left at 3pm and have no idea what else is left for me to eat. i haven't got a clue how many calories a given item even is. it just makes me anxious and panicky.
i do like to walk... summers here in austin are absolutely unbearable, though, and i don't tolerate heat very well -- i can easily end up in heat exhaustion if i'm not careful. also, i need to be careful about plantar fasciitis. i suppose i could always join the ranks of the early morning mall-walkers. that's just depressing though.
I've visited ATX in the summer from up north. ATX has seasons it does not go from 65 degrees to 95 for an extended period overnight. If you say you like walking start walking now. By the time summer comes around you will be acclimated. If you have PF, look on line for solutions. Also, split your walking up into several sessions a day to limit stress on your feet.
Sorry, but from your comments it seems you are more concerned about making excuses and not finding a way to exercise. As others have said, for weight loss/maintenance you don't need exercise. Should you be exercising for quality of life, sure. You have to make the decision what your priorities are.
Best of luck.11 -
Have you tried keeping track of your steps with a FitBit or some type of device? It can be pretty motivating to reach a step goal each day and work towards increasing it, or join challenges with others. I do the 'inefficiency' thing when folding and putting away clothes just to get in more steps. I always park far away, partially for the increased exercise and partially because I don't like people dinging my doors.
I also live in a hot area and need to walk early in the mornings once summer hits. I've done the mall walking thing, I just listen to my own music and don't worry about other people. Listening to podcasts have really helped me be more active lately because I want to listen to the next episode.
We have a large dog and there have been days I wouldn't have taken a walk it it wasn't for her needing one. I still wish I loved getting out and exercising as much as my dog does. Even though she's old and has arthritic hips and knees she still wants to get out and walk.
I've met up with a friend to go walking before. Making that commitment to someone else helps me show up when I'm not motivated and talking to someone helps me forget that we're exercising.
Just finding something you're interested in, not necessarily exercise related can get you out and about. I spent time picking out plants for my yard the other day, and worked for a couple of hours yesterday to plant them. It got my heart pumping and used my muscles. I like checking out new places, taking photos and uploading them to Google maps, so I walk around a lot for that.5 -
i'm 5'9" and about 155. i'd like that to be about 147. so it's not like i have a HUGE amount to lose, but i see the scale going *up* instead of down lately and i'd really like to at least maintain if not lose. weight watchers changed the way they do the "points" though, and it just doesn't work for me the way they're doing it now. i lost that 50 lbs by just eating differently and better, never actually added any activity. counting calories has not worked for me in the past, but i guess i'll try it again. it's just hard when i have 600 calories left at 3pm and have no idea what else is left for me to eat. i haven't got a clue how many calories a given item even is. it just makes me anxious and panicky.
i do like to walk... summers here in austin are absolutely unbearable, though, and i don't tolerate heat very well -- i can easily end up in heat exhaustion if i'm not careful. also, i need to be careful about plantar fasciitis. i suppose i could always join the ranks of the early morning mall-walkers. that's just depressing though.
Knowledge is power. Calorie counting "hasn't worked" because you're not familiar with the calorie content of your food. Now is a great time to learn. Research the USDA nutrition site and get a food scale to help you learn portions. Yes, walk and be as active as possible but starting with accurately counting your calorie intake will benefit you greatly.11 -
i'm 5'9" and about 155. i'd like that to be about 147. so it's not like i have a HUGE amount to lose, but i see the scale going *up* instead of down lately and i'd really like to at least maintain if not lose. weight watchers changed the way they do the "points" though, and it just doesn't work for me the way they're doing it now. i lost that 50 lbs by just eating differently and better, never actually added any activity. counting calories has not worked for me in the past, but i guess i'll try it again. it's just hard when i have 600 calories left at 3pm and have no idea what else is left for me to eat. i haven't got a clue how many calories a given item even is. it just makes me anxious and panicky.
i do like to walk... summers here in austin are absolutely unbearable, though, and i don't tolerate heat very well -- i can easily end up in heat exhaustion if i'm not careful. also, i need to be careful about plantar fasciitis. i suppose i could always join the ranks of the early morning mall-walkers. that's just depressing though.
It doesn't necessarily need to be a mall. Are there other areas that are air conditioned and open to the public? Actually, a quick Google search gives these suggestions: https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/3k5o3t/spots_for_indoor_walking/4 -
Very good comments OP. All true. You seem intelligent, so think this through--there is always a way, if you want to find it. We have close friends a little older than us who also hated to exercise and had weight creep. Well, slowly but surely, they started to have health problems. Now, they both have heart problems, breathing problems and can hardly walk. We used to travel with them all over Italy--no more. It's so sad, and the husband told me once that he liked to eat and hated to exercise, and it was his choice. I never bring up that discussion of 15 years ago, but I'd like to know if he regrets that choice. Choose right OP.7
-
I am 64 and not particularly fond of exercising either, but I do. Why, I am a nurse. I could tell you the reality of little activity and extra weight and what that does to your senior years, and it isn't pretty. not being able to clean yourself, not being able to do what you want to do, becoming a burden on your family no matter how much they love you. I chose not to be that person. I chose to stay active and fit and have lost 84 pounds because I need to do it for my health, even if I don't care for it. Oh some days I do, I love a long bike ride, I love playing in the pool but I hate the treadmill and elliptical, but I do them. Because every single day as I am helping younger people get out of their chair and pushing them out on their wheelchair, wiping them after they go the bathroom because they can't. That day may come to us all but I am going to fight as long as I am able to put it off as long as possible, maybe forever.18
-
so i'm 47 and it seems like i'm gaining a pound every day lately. i know i need to get moving -- i'm a very sedentary person. but i HATE working out. i don't like sports. yoga doesn't seem like it would be any help in losing weight. i lost 50 pounds with weight watchers a couple years ago, and i was managing to keep it off... until i started grad school this past fall... then i started stress-eating and slacking on my habits and pretty soon ten extra pounds just magically reappeared. doesn't help that i'm going through menopause these days either. like i said, i know i need to get moving on a regular basis but i don't even know where to start since i really do hate exercise, and "just find something you like!" is not helpful. "you should do it so you don't get sick when you're older" is also true but very abstract and not all that motivating in the moment. uuuuuuugh.
Start by telling yourself, exercise is not for weight loss. Exercise is what we do for our health. Would you rather be placed in an assisted living facility sooner or later?
Yoga is great to de-stress, help you keep your balance, and a better range of motion longer. No, these aren't big calorie burners. Eating less is always going to be the main thing because it's way too easy to scarf down big calories.
Keep looking for your perfect exercise. You may not find it, but along the way you will find the least objectionable thing.4 -
Do you like any active activities that aren't necessarily "working out"? Like swimming, walking, hiking, dancing?1
-
Could you consider redefining yourself as someone who hasn't yet found an activity she finds fun, rather than someone who "hates everything". At least that would create a bit of conceptual room to move. Yoga is a good start, if that sounds like something you could do; or maybe Tai Chi or another thing with a mental side to it?
Beyond that, consider consciously increasing daily-life activity (non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT) as discussed in this thread:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss
This is difficult to measure, but some report materially increasing their calorie burn over time this way.
9 -
i'm 5'9" and about 155. i'd like that to be about 147. so it's not like i have a HUGE amount to lose, but i see the scale going *up* instead of down lately and i'd really like to at least maintain if not lose. weight watchers changed the way they do the "points" though, and it just doesn't work for me the way they're doing it now. i lost that 50 lbs by just eating differently and better, never actually added any activity. counting calories has not worked for me in the past, but i guess i'll try it again. it's just hard when i have 600 calories left at 3pm and have no idea what else is left for me to eat. i haven't got a clue how many calories a given item even is. it just makes me anxious and panicky.
i do like to walk... summers here in austin are absolutely unbearable, though, and i don't tolerate heat very well -- i can easily end up in heat exhaustion if i'm not careful. also, i need to be careful about plantar fasciitis. i suppose i could always join the ranks of the early morning mall-walkers. that's just depressing though.
Given your points regarding lack of interest in "working out" as such, coupled with diminished interest in calorie counting, and concerns about heat exhaustion, plantar fasciitis and the depressing prospects of mall walking, I'd guess that a shift in mindset would be helpful.
If you haven't read it, I'd suggest Charles Duhigg's "The Power of Habit". It explains why we do what we do, and how to create lasting positive changes. Reading this book provided me with insights into what was really driving my behaviors, which in turn helped me understand how to change the ones I didn't like.
16 -
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Everything may be hard or boring in the beginning phase. But after you learn technique you may develop passion to get better at your sport/activity. Pick something accessible and potentially fun and stick with it. Practice. Practice, Practice.5
-
counting calories has not worked for me in the past, but i guess i'll try it again. it's just hard when i have 600 calories left at 3pm and have no idea what else is left for me to eat. i haven't got a clue how many calories a given item even is. it just makes me anxious and panicky.
So don't count calories - eat what you usually like to eat, but just eat less of it! You don't have to eat any special diet foods or anything like that, if you don't want to.
And you don't have much weight to lose, so expect it to be very slow. Water weight and hormonal fluctuations can easily mask any loss, and it may take weeks for progress to show up on the scale. Take progress photos and measurements instead, and take note of how your clothes fit and whether anything changes.
Going through menopause will not prevent you losing weight - I successfully lost over 70lbs whilst navigating perimenopausal symptoms, and kept most of it off (gained a few pounds back over the winter through comfort eating).
Inactivity will not prevent you losing weight - I'm very sedentary, and also lazy, and did little to no purposeful exercise during my weight loss. It would have been better for my overall health and fitness if I did, but it wasn't necessary for the loss.
Here's a whole thread full of suggestions for increasing your activity level in small ways, without doing "real exercise". Perhaps something there will help you?
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1
Edit: also check out these threads:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10707575/not-quite-exercise-what-active-lifestyle-activities-do-you-enjoy-throughout-the-day/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10727124/how-to-not-hate-exercise/p1
2 -
I will just add that you don't need to exercise to lose weight but exercise does a whole lot more for your health than that, especially as we continue to age. Do you like to ride a bike for fun? Go ballroom or country-western dancing? Horseback riding? Tennis? There are so many forms of "exercise" that are just fun activities. What do you do to relax when you're not buried in the books?1
-
I personally enjoy exercise, but the reality is we all have to do things we’d prefer not to, because they’re important. I don’t like to floss, or do laundry, or get up early and go to work. But these are crucial activities, so I do them. To me, exercise fits in that category, so I just do it, even when I’d rather lay on the couch.
Maybe just try scheduling a 15 minute walk into your days. That’s not a lot of time, but would have real benefits. After some time, I’d bet you start to enjoy it. Bonus if you can go with a friend, but listening to music or podcasts is pretty great too.
PS I have plantar fasciitis too, and it’s really frustrating!4 -
You may want to see a mental health professional. Sounds like you HATE everything and need to talk to someone about being depressed. Cheer up, life is to short to HATE.7
-
I too live in Austin, Texas. I'm older and heavier than you are and I walk in the summer--all summer. Go volunteer at Austin Animal Center. They are chronically short of volunteers to walk dogs. Get some exercise and do some good! Don't like dogs? Do something else that will get you moving. You're making excuses and want validation. Go "be depressed" and walk at the mall like the other old people! It hasn't been hot for the last 8 months--how much walking have you done?9
-
texasredreb wrote: »I too live in Austin, Texas. I'm older and heavier than you are and I walk in the summer--all summer. Go volunteer at Austin Animal Center. They are chronically short of volunteers to walk dogs. Get some exercise and do some good! Don't like dogs? Do something else that will get you moving. You're making excuses and want validation. Go "be depressed" and walk at the mall like the other old people! It hasn't been hot for the last 8 months--how much walking have you done?
Good points.
We have an animal shelter near us unfortunately they are not a no kill shelter. I'd have 50 dogs at my house if I knew I was taking a dog on its last walk
.
7 -
How do you get to Carnegie Hall?.
Practice. Sorry, couldn't resist.
I was in the same boat. Stress was causing me to eat and not record. My son, who holds black belts in a couple martial arts, had equipment in the basement, including a punching bag and post. One day really discouraged and we'll, mad, I went into the basement and put in his gloves and gave that bag a workout. Not only did I feel much better but I stopped stress eating and the pounds did start dropping. Not a lot at a time and not overnight, but it did start working. And as a bonus, I started feeling better mentally. Now the basement visits have become part of my daily routine.
You CAN do it, but you have to be motivated and disciplined. Get a workout partner if you need to.
YOU GOT THIS!
5 -
There's a little device you can put under your desk to pedal while you work. It's not much, but it is something--and if you do it consistently over the course of the day, it will burn some calories.
Also, think about walking as wandering, not exercise. Wandering helps me get out to walk when I need to--I love jogging but hate "walking." So I head to a beautiful place at the right time of day (when the weather is hot, that's early am, even in Florida--where I spend part of my summer. And I jog after sunset), and give myself permission to wander--take my time, enjoy the scenery, and not worry about "exercise." I might take 50% longer than a simple, focused "walk" would take, but I enjoy it and am much more likely to do it again. And many times, I am up for walking (a steady, brisker pace of about 3-3.5 mph) which gives me a more concentrated cardiovascular workout.
I hate swimming laps, but I enjoy playing in a pool. I'm 60 and still do a lot of somersaults and handstands. Hanging out in the deeper water, treading water and fooling around for 30 minutes is a good way to burn more cals without really feeling it.
Try bowling or dance class, or anything that gets you out and moving a bit more. It doesn't have to be "exercise." My wandering keeps me out of the house--and away from food--for more time than a quick walk does. My swimming does the same. And, b/c I don't push myself at either, I often find I spend a lot more time and enjoy it more. It's a win-win. I think most people "hate" exercise b/c they won't give themselves permission to slow down and just enjoy moving, sunlight, and fresh air (if you are outside). But, that SHOULD be the way to start-slowly, enjoying it. Slow down, stop (take breaks); enjoy it. Maybe you will someday be inspired to push a little--maybe not. It won't matter b/c you will already be doing something that will contribute to healthier "old age."3 -
I love the gym, I love biking, hiking but not everyone is like me. If you are the intellect type, do that. Just cut back on what you eat. You are lucky you don't have much to lose.1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 389 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 919 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions