exercise: what if i HATE EVERYTHING?
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rothko999
Posts: 2 Member
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.
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Replies
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walking is a fine exercise. find others who enjoy walking to go with to make it more entertaining.
and do little things like parking farther away to get more walking in just in your day to day life.12 -
If you don't like exercise, don't do it! Just mind your calories (eat in a deficit) and you'll be golden. You could passively exercise by parking a little further away at work/shopping/etc; taking the stairs once in a while; thoroughly cleaning your house; doing yard work, etc.15
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walking is a fine exercise. find others who enjoy walking to go with to make it more entertaining.
and do little things like parking farther away to get more walking in just in your day to day life.
This^^^ . Do you like to walk? It's just fine as exercise, doesn't cost money, you can do it anytime, can do it singly or with a partner or group, you can wear what you want ( just get a good pair of walking shoes), and you can walk as far and as fast as you want. Hard to beat.4 -
We are of similar age - so I will be straight here. I supposed the first question is what is your weight and height. After that it's math. You will keep getting bigger if you don't move more and/or eat less. But you HAVE been through the drill. You lost 50lbs, you watched your weight. If you don't actively watch it, and your habits are bad - you WILL gain. FREEWILL. If you hate everything about exercise, and choose not to do anything, and have bad eating habits you can accept the fact you will keep getting bigger. You "don't" have to exercise, if you don't especially then you need to eat a very low calorie diet and work with a nutritionist. I live a sedentary life at work (desk job and then I teach at my desk online or am a writer), I can only lose weight when I eat about 1100 cals a day, and swim/water jog 3-4 times a week for an hour. My metabolism is SLOW. I am working with my doctor, a wellness coach - so my intake is monitored - and this app religiously. I have started to add a 20 minute walk at night around the block on days I don't swim, its slow maybe 100 cals reduction. Also change how you view exercise - its too bad you don't enjoy being active (sightseeing, biking, hiking, laser tag, gardening, volunteering (earth day etc - that can all be exercise)), you may wish to talk to a therapist about your barriers to movement - especially if NOT physically limited. Why do you hate exercise? Did someone tease you when you were a kid in gym class? I have a spine issue I have to be mindful about, and that creates some limitations. Consider yourself LUCKY to be able to move. I had a friend who was in the MIL and became a quadriplegic - he said if he ever recovered his feeling (which he did not), he would run run run - I've always remembered that moving is a privilege that not everyone has. So get up and be thankful you can move, breath. You asked the question - I've answered.27
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Your headline made me giggle. But seriously, if you don't like exercise, don't do it - for now. Just concentrate on your calories. I do think that strength training / walking / balance work is ESSENTIAL as you get older. That's the way I feel any how. My goal is to keep active, because "move it or lose it", as they say. I'm sure you don't want to lose your mobility or fall & break a hip, etc when you're older. Maybe that's not motivating now, but imagine how you'll feel in the future - really put yourself in your body in that kind of pain... is that something you want for yourself?
For motivation, I would take it one day at a time. Each day, do something SMALL that you didn't think you liked and/or didn't think you could do - ie: 10 squats. 10 minutes of yoga. A few laps around the block. A short bike ride. 7 minutes of bicep curls and shoulder presses with light weights. Over time, those small gains will add up and I truly think you'll feel the benefits, both mental and physical. You'll also feel a certain sense of pride in yourself for pushing your body beyond what you thought it was capable of / what it likes to do. There's so much to be gained, even from gentle exercise - eventually, push through your dislike and just do it!7 -
So focus on logging your food and hitting your calorie goal. All you need is to be in a deficit to lose weight, or eating your maintenance calories to maintain weight.
You can resign yourself to eating at a lower calorie level because you are sedentary, or you can do more and eat more.
If "I want my heart and lungs and blood vessels and joints and muscles to be healthy and strong" isn't motivation enough, I'm not sure what else would be.
My exercise is pretty much much walking and weight training. I don't go to the gym. I find I am generally more energetic, less moody, and make better food choices when I'm active. YMMV. :drinker:8 -
Well first any exercise is good. So if yoga seems interesting to you, try it out. it can be great for weightloss because it activates muscles used for balance and you get a mild strength workout. If you are under stress and it helps to manage your stress eating that is also a win. You say you do not like exercise. Are there activities you do like? do you like art, or gardens. Fitting in trips to museums and new gardens can be great exercise. What about hiking. surely there is something you like that does not involve sitting still. It seems like you may need to redefine what you call exercise.8
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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.
Walk to get around, rather than driving. I take the bus into the city, but from there, I walk. I walk between work and uni and to catch buses and to shop etc. etc. It's easy to get anywhere from 2-5 km/day.
If you do drive, park some distance away and walk from there. Several of my coworkers park about 2 km from where we work and walk from there.
Take the stairs whenever you can. Climb a few extra flights when possible.
Be inefficient. When the commercial comes on TV, stand up, pick up one thing and put it away or clean one thing or fold one thing. I end up walking back and forth in my house many times in an evening.
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I'm going to be blunt and say it sounds like "attitude" may be your issue. The word HATE is a very strong word and if that is how you feel about getting active, I don't know that any suggestion given here is going to help you. You are in grad school so obviously you have to have some drive/ambition, and there are probably parts of continuing your education that you aren't fond of but know it must be done to achieve your goal; maybe try using some of that drive/ambition to try to achieve your goal of weight loss even if that includes things you aren't that fond of...22
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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.4 -
I actually enjoy working out but on those days I feel tired, or blah, or sick, or whatever I think of this. Every day this. Whether it's seeing an elderly person shuffle just to get around or a person in a wheelchair I think of this.
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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 sounds like you lack planning. You shouldn't have to put yourself in the position of ending up with calories at 3pm and not knowing what is left for you eat. If you plan out your meals ahead of time, there will be no anxiety. Make a weekly meal plan, prep all your food, weigh and log it AHEAD OF TIME into MFP. You will then guarantee you hit your calorie and macro goals. All you have to do is eat what you said you were going to eat, when you said you were going to eat it. Guaranteed weight loss.15 -
You mention that you don't have a clue how many calories a given item has - you can look almost ANY food up on MFP's database or by Googling.
Do you have access to a pool? Swimming is one of the best exercises you can do and even if you don't swim laps, just swimming around helps. Or water aerobics. I live in FL and walking outside during summer is unbearable but my pool saves me!
Good luck. I hate exercise too, but I like to eat and when I get moving, I get to eat more so that's the only reason I do!
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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.
You don't have to exercise if you don't want to, despite the many health and fitness benefits. If this is too abstract (bold) I suggest you spend time in a nursing home or help care for an elderly person who is in failing health. It would help out someone else and make this more real.11 -
What about walking. Make it a habit. Every evening after dinner, say, go for a 30 minute walk. Maybe find some nice trails to go on to get out in nature.
You can also just fake it til you make it. Most people don't like exercise when they start out but once you get into the habit you realize how good it makes you feel, and you know that you are taking care of your body, that you end up enjoying it. Use it or lose it. Watching different people age, those who are active vs those who are not, what a difference.4 -
I live in the deep South and I sort of lose the will to live when walking in the summer heat. Years ago I stumbled on exercise videos specifically geared as low impact. The moves consist of side steps, knee lifts, kicks, etc... no jumping. There are lot's of good workouts on youtube. Search for walking workouts. Leslie Sansone and Jessica Smith are good instructors. Invest in a good pair of tennis shoes. Have you thought of weight lifting? Plenty of workouts on youtube for that too. I started lifting weights because I wanted to be strong and it also occurred to me that I don't want to end up in a wheelchair like some relatives. Or if that is my fate, I want to at least be able to transfer myself from chair to bed or whatever with no assistance. I want to stay active as long as I can. Doing nothing means that slowly over time you won't be able to do for yourself. Use it or lose it is a real thing.
If you can conceive it, think of exercise as a "necessary evil." It's going to keep your heart healthy, it's going to strengthen your bones and joints and it will even improve your mood by lowering your stress level. You might even grow to love it.
Good luck to you,
Ann
P.S. Just remembered something that motivates me: A friend posted a quote: "When motivation fails, fall back on discipline." There are many times we have to do things we don't want to do. Just do it. Another one: "You never regret the workout you did."9 -
I think your mindset right now is just in a negative space, so you will find any excuse to not exercise (too hot, your feet hurt; too busy; too stressed) - that's all of us. Look at the positives that exercise brings: mental clarity (great for your studies); stress reducer; you'll meet new people. Try something new, try Zumba, pilates... you have a million options, you've just got to do it. Just Do It.10
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Mbierschbach wrote: »
I actually enjoy working out but on those days I feel tired, or blah, or sick, or whatever I think of this. Every day this. Whether it's seeing an elderly person shuffle just to get around or a person in a wheelchair I think of this.
Awesome! Thank you for this!2 -
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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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