AuntMeredith is an unhappy camper...

I think first thing you have to do is change your mindset and unfortunatly no one can help you with that, it's something that has to come from within. You will never lose weight if it's not something your are completly excited about!

It happens to all of us. I've gain weight the frist month then started to lose. Why so little calories maybe your not eating enough calories and your body in stravation mode. You'll get there. Make excercise fun!

You may be gaining weight cause you definitely aren't eating enough. You should be eating at least 1200 calories a day and that's with no exercise. The average body needs 1200 calories a day to function correctly.

At 1000 caloires, you're running on fumes. Gaining weight on such a large deficit is a sure sign that your metabolism is in need of some healing.

Bump up to 1200 calories and start eating your exercise calories. And be sure you're dividing up your foods so that you're eating something every 2-3 hours. If you don't fire up that metabolism, it's going to be a constant battle.

First of all you're not the only person in the world who despises working out. When we were younger our activities and metabolism helped to keep most of us looking good but as age and a more sedentary lifestyle entered our older years the weight didn't come off as easy. In fact, food took the place of exercise and complicated the picture.

You're probably happy with where you're at but I sense a tone in your note that indicates that you are struggling with some new realities -- my perception not yours -- and that may be the fact that if you don't make some changes as your doctor indicates you are slowly killing yourself.

I will add this, my wife was eating healthy and working out for three years and seeing no changes in her physical self. She was frustrated to say the least. She finally found a doctor who did some tests and discovered that her cholesterol was through the roof. The doctor put her on a statin and within a month the weight started coming off rapidly. I'm not an advocate of drugs to help one lose weight but I am saying that you need to be aware of your total physical condition as you get started in this effort.

You're going to have to find your own balance in both your personal and medical life. Work with your doctor and try to get into a two way dialogue of how you feel about all of this. You probably should be looking at activities that you don't feel is exercise but that you enjoy doing. Working in the garden, mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, and so on. But your biggest battle is going to be your mental attitude and struggle with food and getting a handle on your eating habits.

Many of us have had this same struggle when we started and we had the same arguments. Some of us are still here plugging away trying to reach our goals while others have decided to quit and I suppose go back to what was the least resistance in their life -- their old lifestyle.

You sound like a survivor so I expect you will whip this in the backside and be around for a long time.

Hang in there!

I don't think you are eating enough calories. Try walking with a friend-it doesn't feel like exercise but you're moving and burning. I don't love exercising either - I do it because it's healthy-
Best wishes

My doc thinks I should lose weight in order to lower my blood pressure (avg 130 / 83) BUT she will not prescribe phentermine to help me do it. She just talks to me as if I am a child who has never heard of a calorie or that one has to burn them to keep them from turning to fat. So, here I am being told to lose weight to lower my blood pressure but I can't have the one thing that helps me lose weight because I have high blood pressure. IS THERE ANY WONDER THAT I HATE BEING TOLD TO EXERCISE BY SOMEONE WHO JUST PUTS ME IN A CATCH-22?!!!

It sounds to me like your doctor is being responsible. Phentermine is not a miracle pill. It’s to help reduce weight in patients when used short-term and combined with exercise, diet, and behavioral modification. It is not the ONLY way you can lose weight. Yes it will help you but 1st you have to help yourself…

Hi AuntMeredith-

Just a silly question, but I was wondering if perhaps you're sleeping okay. As in, do you perhaps have sleep apnea? From what I understand, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, too.

I can COMPLETELY understand your aversion to exercise--especially since you mentioned PE. I absolutely HATED PE when I was in school. To me, team sports really sucked! People on teams in school PE can be so mean when you're not the most coordinated individual in the world (which would completely describe me).

At the beginning of this year I nearly had to be dragged, kicking and screaming to the gym by my hubby. I really hated the thought of exercising (especially since I had an exercise metabolic rate test done and it showed that my body was really efficient at burning calories--as in, my body doesn't burn a whole lot while working out). And, due to a fitness program at the gym, I developed Achilles tendonitis (which hurt like heck!). I was tired of the stupid machines, the stupid people, and the idea of getting sweaty.

That being said, it's amazing what a difference a half a year can do. I am now going nearly every day and for the most part really liking it. What changed? I decided to just walk around the track. I couldn't get on the treadmills, because it hurt my Achilles tendon. Shoot, nearly everything EXCEPT walking on the track hurt my Achilles tendon!

I ended up really falling in love with walking. Now I walk a lot and I'm with the group on here that posts under the "beginners walking challenge". I hope to be able to help other people stay motivated with a simple (and cheap!) exercise that nearly everyone can do.

I really feel for you and your aversion to exercising and I'll agree with the person who said something to the effect that it's hard to do something that you REALLY don't want to do. All I can say is perhaps you can just start out walking and listening to music or an audiobook on headphones. Heck, walk around the block talking to someone on a cell phone. Double Heck, be like the lady I see in the gym who has headphones on and is actually READING a book as she walks the track. Do something to occupy your mind as you walk and perhaps you won't equate it with exercise. You know what? I once saw a woman walking on the track crocheting or knitting!! I kid you not!! I'm not sure how much intensity their workouts had, but at LEAST they were moving and maybe it's starting them on to something more intense.

So, perhaps start with walking. Then tell your doc that you're walking as your exercise. If she wants you to run a marathon or something, you can tell her that it's best for you if you start small.

I hope that I come across positive and helpful here--I don't want you to think that we're all exercise Nazis on this page, because very few of us are!

Cheers! :drinker:

P.S. How about getting a version of your scriptures on tape/CD/digital?

First of all, you shouldn't get so defensive. People are trying to help you and make suggestions. Change is not easy for people and rather scary for some. Maybe you should take things one step at a time. Modify your eating so you get enough calories during the day. Then work on exercise. There is no need to rush change since it doesn't happen overnight.

We understand you don't like to exercise, however, maybe if you don't think of it as exercise, but as getting out and doing something different, it will become something you like. If you choose to walk, you could get books on tape and listen to your scriptures that way. You also said that you got Health Rider so you could watch the birds from your window. If you decide to walk, you can look at the birds and other wildlife out in the open instead of just out of your window. You can still do all the things you love and still exercise. You just need to change some things around. Also maybe you shouldn't call it exercise but call it an activity you are doing. Sometimes a simple change of word can create a whole new mindset.

Finally, taking a pill really won't help. It could be what has messed up your metabolism and preventing you from losing weight. In addition, taking it and with elevated BP, could elevate it even more. Your doctor is only looking out for you and wants to see you be healthy.

Just be patient and you will begin to lose weight and also find that walking or other kinds of activity that you can gradually incorporate into your life.