What worked for you??

sjmn
sjmn Posts: 13 Member
edited December 21 in Fitness and Exercise
I am looking for some motivation.... Those of you that are having success in the toning and/or weight loss department and are regular exercisers, what are you doing? What was it that "clicked" for you and got you to start working out consistently? A specific workout? A kick in the butt? What do you attribute to your results?



Just looking for some ideas.

Thanks!!
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Replies

  • Skeena4
    Skeena4 Posts: 209 Member
    Jillian Michaels' 30 day Shred. I did it 30 days in a row, not a huge weight loss but def built some muscle and lost 10.5 inches thru my body. I never skipped a day... I was stubborn and relentless, worked through the pain and now am doing insanity dvds... after that, training for 5k and doing some men's health workouts :-)
  • TO TRY ON BATHING SUITS!!!! Try on some bathing suits in a well lit dressing room with all-angle mirrors!!! Ever since I tried on bathing suits about a month ago, since that day I have been FAITHFUL to my exercise program - never skipping a day no matter how tired I am. :)
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    The biggest thing (in my opinion) is just to find something you enjoy and keep doing it! Or find a bunch of things you enjoy and do them all.
    I need a lot of variety and challenge, so I take an advanced spin class, bootcamp class, lift heavy (for me!) weights, do a variety of workout DVDs (think Insanity, P90X, Jillian Michaels, etc), and I am now training for a half marathon.

    Spin class has given me killer legs (totally rocked some shorts and high heels Saturday night!) and the weights are helping my arms, legs, back, etc.

    But the biggest thing - I just keep sticking with it.
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
    I am looking for some motivation.... Those of you that are having success in the toning and/or weight loss department and are regular exercisers, what are you doing?

    I'm lifting heavy with New Rules of Lifting for Women (NROL4W). I started Apr. 16, and I'm half-way through stage 2 (of 7) now, and I've dropped 2 jeans sizes (from an 18 to a 14), and if I suck in, I've lost 2" off my waist (from 40" to 38"). I lift 3x/week, and do 1 hour moderate intensity cardio (usually elliptical) 2x/week. I also take a 1 hour/week dance class (tap & jazz).
    What was it that "clicked" for you and got you to start working out consistently? A specific workout? A kick in the butt?

    My wake-up call was finding out my cholesterol was over 200. Just barely, but when I weighed 160 in 2009, my cholesterol was approx. 170, so finding out it was borderline high (and off-balance bet. HDL & LDL), convinced me to join a gym to start exercising to reduce it. I did all cardio, all the time, for the first month, then started NROL4W to add weight-training. After only a few months, I'm already excited to have my cholesterol re-measured next winter. :)
    What do you attribute to your results?

    1. A change in attitude. Exercise is now non-negotiable for me. No excuses (except illness or injury, which haven't been a problem so far). I wake up, pee, and get ready to go to the gym. I'm trying to make it a habit, but there are still days I want to sleep in, but I push through, and I'm 100% always glad I went.

    2. Lifting weights. Heavy ones. It's a hard workout, but I feel sooooooo good afterwards. And I'm addicted to the competitive feeling of seeing if I can increase my weights every time I do a move. Even if it's only by 2.5 lb. I can't increase on every move, every time, but when I can, it feels amazing. Like pushups. I can't do them on the floor, so I do them on an incline (using the bar on a Smith Machine), and every time I go 1 rung lower, it makes me more & more certain I'll be able to do them on the floor (NOT on my knees) someday in the foreseeable future.

    3. Seeing results. I can SEE that I look different when I see myself in the mirror. And in how my clothes fit. And in how much easier certain activities seem. Like on May 5, I walked a 20-mile charity walk, and sure, I was sore afterwards, but I walked it faster than I ever had before, and I was MUCH less sore than ever before. And when my 45-50 lb. daughter fell asleep on the car-ride home after I picked her up from the sitter, I was still able to pretty easily carry her into the house and up the stairs to put her to bed. Even on sore legs. That felt pretty amazing, and I want to take that and build on it.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I started with Richard Simmons' Sweatin' to the Oldies and Bellydance for Fitness DVDs. I needed something fun and slightly ridiculous. I've since played around with a bunch of different things, but the important trick is to find something that you like to do, no matter how silly or hard or whatever it seems. If you don't like doing it you won't; it's as simple as that.

    I also bought myself a day planner and put a sticker in it for every day that I stuck to my plan. It gave me a little instant reward and let me track my diet so that I had a visual warning if I was skipping too many days. Don't discount rewards systems we developed in kindergarten :)
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Suspension training with jump rope.
  • Sharmender
    Sharmender Posts: 133 Member
    Never exercised in my life, when I decided that I wanted to lose weight I just bicycled everywhere, also I started the 30 day shred everyday. Now I've done a lottt of JM video's and Im on my bike at least 40 minutes a day. It's hard not to exercise now.
  • Kara_xxx
    Kara_xxx Posts: 635 Member
    I have just joined.

    I gained 30 pounds after a period of injury but was previously very active.

    In general, for me personally, the most important thing is that I actually ENJOY what I do. That way I stick to it rather than it feeling like a chore.

    Find something you LOVE that you actually think is FUN.

    It doesn't matter if that's spinning, running, swimming, Zumba, aerobics, Body Pump, joining a netball team, Wii Fit, play squash with a friend, go rollerskating, buy a bicycle... as long as you actually enjoy it. :smile:

    In terms of weight loss... when I lost weight a few years ago, the things that worked really well for me were:

    - any interval based cardio... like spin classes or Body Combat
    - strength training / weight lifting

    What doesn't work terribly well for me in terms of exercise:

    - pure 'steady state' cardio (like long slow runs etc)
    - not doing any weight training

    Best of luck. :flowerforyou:
  • kevin3344
    kevin3344 Posts: 702 Member
    I'm also a proponent of JM videos...loved 30DS...still need to finish Ripped In 30. For $9 at Target or Walmart it's like having a personal trainer.

    To answer your question though, I've always been a good eater (even before MFP) and a runner. I'm determined to stay in shape. You've heard it's calories in vs. calories out, and that's true, but if you don't have the willpower to say no when you need to it won't do you any good. There will always be something to get you off track: vacations, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries. You have to want it more than anything, and you can do it if you really want to. We all have it inside of us to make that decision, you just have to make it and decide you're not going back :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I started with Richard Simmons' Sweatin' to the Oldies and Bellydance for Fitness DVDs. I needed something fun and slightly ridiculous. I've since played around with a bunch of different things, but the important trick is to find something that you like to do, no matter how silly or hard or whatever it seems. If you don't like doing it you won't; it's as simple as that.

    I also bought myself a day planner and put a sticker in it for every day that I stuck to my plan. It gave me a little instant reward and let me track my diet so that I had a visual warning if I was skipping too many days. Don't discount rewards systems we developed in kindergarten :)

    This^ Keep trying different things and make yourself accountable.

    I started slowly .... 90 minutes per week and tracked it on a spreadsheet (you can use a calendar). I used 10 Minute Solutions from Netflix (lots of these are instant stream) .... tons more videos by mail. After I got consistant at 90 minutes .... I added more minutes.

    Eventually, exercise was habit ..... and I found what I exercise I liked. Exercise videos work for me because ... I have no excuses. My go to videos for cardio are Leslie Sansone Walk at Home. Pop one in (anytime of the day) and I'm good to go. Even if I'm in a bad mood, these "no brainer" workouts get me moving. For strength straining I really like Kelly Coffey Meyers 30 Minutes to Fitness series; her personality is great.
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    Well, learning to properly track and plan my food intake is the biggest thing, but after that? Weight lifting, hands down. I've been doing the StrongLifts 5x5 workouts for a few months now, and I've reached a point where I can really see results in each muscle group. I love feeling the new strength in my upper and lower back, abs and hamstrings, all areas that had been pretty neglected in my earlier attempts at exercising. My posture has greatly improved, and there's just this overall feeling of being very solid from head to toe.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Camera on a tripod with a self-timer, plus a bikini. Take photos from every angle, and compare every few weeks or once a month. It's easier to be objective when looking at photos than looking in the mirror, especially if you compare them side by side with last month's photos.

    A small calorie deficit worked best for me. Aiming to lose a half pound a week, and aiming for a minimum of 100g of protein a day.

    Running makes me happy, but strength training with heavy weights changed my body.

    What also helped was continuing to eat the foods I love, like pizza and bagels, but making sure it fit my calories and macros. Since I never felt deprived, there was never a need to binge or cheat. That said, I also took at least one day off a week where I didn't log my food and just ate normally. Sometimes those days would be higher in calories, sometimes not. But it was good to not think about, for instance, counting out an exact portion size of potato chips or pretzels. (And sometimes, I bet I ate less than I would have if I had counted out an exact portion.)
  • SBHWeav
    SBHWeav Posts: 89 Member
    Trying on a bathing suit. It was a little depressing. I used to wear bikinis all the time, but since having kids, my metabolism has completely plunged into the ground!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    not making excuses worked for me. when i finally read this: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/08/31/is-it-really-worth-it/ it completely changed my thinking.
  • BaileyBoo13524
    BaileyBoo13524 Posts: 593 Member
    Jillian's 30DS and the C25K program kickstarted my workout routine and after that I just kept going and trying new things. The key is to switch it up so you don't get bored. The other kick in the rear I needed was this website. Even though I was doing awesome working out I wasn't losing any weight until I started counting my calories and eating better, smaller portions. No one can decide this for you it takes dedication and hard work along with accpetance that this is a new lifestlye and not just a quick fix! Good luck!
  • xTenaciousJx
    xTenaciousJx Posts: 555
    mind was 30DS and running you can take a peek what 6 weeks of running has done for my legs here!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/627853-6-weeks-of-running-and-this-is-what-happens-pic
  • fatgirlslove
    fatgirlslove Posts: 614 Member
    I believe it was Zumba...it was just so fun...I WANTED to exercise.
  • sugarandspice27
    sugarandspice27 Posts: 521 Member
    I tried so many things but what is currently working for me is Couch to 5K (I like the structure of it) and alternating that with Pilates on Netflix. I tried a LOT of other things before this, but nothing clicked and/or challenged me in just the right amount like these 2 workouts do.
  • Strobins05
    Strobins05 Posts: 716
    What worked for me was just being consistent. I have to be accountable for everything I do in MY life. I was always a fit and healthy person but after I had my last child the weight just continued to go upward and this desk and computer only added to that as well. Last year I finally had enough with being inconsistent when it came to me going to the gym regularly. So I had a long talk with myself, docs and really said I have got to do better. Joined this site and have not looked back! Good luck:flowerforyou:
  • markpmc
    markpmc Posts: 240 Member
    I got seriously out shape while ignoring a hernia. Just didn't want to be bothered with getting it fixed. It was easier to ignore.

    Then I saw the Insanity infomercials. I was hooked. Got my hernia fixed, recovered and lost 40+ lbs in 5 months.
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    I started out doing Zumba. When that stopped working I moved on to spinning. I have always done two days a week of strength training.
  • ericachristie85
    ericachristie85 Posts: 69 Member
    "Chalean Extreme" really worked for me. I knew I wanted to lift heavy weights and tone up but honestly did not know the proper methods. She has 3 strength training videos and a bunch of cardio and abs videos in the package. She is motivating and great for beginners. I do the 3 weight lifting videos and pair it with 2 days of any cardio I enjoy. On Rainy days I do her cardio videos. As Chalean Says "Muscle is the fountain of youth, muscle burns fat."
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    First you have to WANT it. Not "it would be nice if I was smaller and fitter", you have to CRAVE it. I have several friends that look at my success and say "I just don't want it that bad" and they stay the way they are. And that's fine. Everyone has to get to a point where they WANT it really bad. I wanted it and went out to get it. First I had to control my food, learn to eat better foods, more balanced diet. Then I started walking, 20 minutes to 1 hour about 5 days a week. Then incorporating 30DS and weights. Now I'm doing C25K and starting a few more JM videos.

    Now that I'm where I want to be I have to WANT to maintain it. I bought a pair of size 6 Jennifer Lopez "going out" shorts from Kohls on Friday - they fit AWESOME, my legs look a mile long and I'm proud of my body in them. They remind me what I have to do to keep wearing them. I started out in a 16 and I never want to go back there. I'm finally, after lots of years battling, comfortable with my body. I'm proud of myself and that keeps me motivated...
  • sparkie51
    sparkie51 Posts: 98 Member
    I just wanted to be healthy. I follow a complex carb eating plan,I eat in moderation so I never feel deprived and I walk,weight train,or do yoga everyday for 45 mins at least and I am on this "plan" everyday because I am a thin person both inside and out now and I will live my life as such. I feel so good especially about summer clothes and bathing suits and of course ME. Good luck eventually it becomes habit and you do it without thinking.
  • lauralizzy829
    lauralizzy829 Posts: 215 Member
    The C25K program. Started out easy enough that I could do it without taking a break or stopping (I never ran before). Has progressed nicely with raising the difficulty level. I'm on week 5 now and for the first time I enjoy working out and get really annoyed if the "real world" interrupts and I have to cancel/reschedule my run. I have the app and its such a great achievement when I finish. It offers to post to facebook which I do every time, even if I have to redo a week/session. While I feel accountable here, I really feel accountable on FB.
  • tuffytuffy1
    tuffytuffy1 Posts: 920 Member
    What worked for me was hiring a personal trainer that used to teach a class at my gym. It has been exactly a year since I started. I have only lost about 18 pounds in the past year, but I never feel deprived like I am "dieting". I eat what I like, drink beer still, and enjoy my twice-weekly personal training sessions. I also added in walking 2 miles one or two days a week in addition to the training sessions (30 minutes each). My body shape has completely changed from these small modifications to my lifestyle.
  • tarapickett
    tarapickett Posts: 34 Member
    There have been a few things:
    1. Pilates! I really like Ellen Barrett's videos and have done quite a few of them now.
    2. Realizing what was in my food and how many calories things were. I was amazed at how unhealthy some of the "health" foods I was eating were.

    I don't workout every day, but I do keep strict count of my calories and try to exercise/stay very active at least four times a week.

    Good luck to you and feel free to add me.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    What's worked for me is short term results from doing something that I've always wanted to do. In my case, I've always wanted to learn martial arts, so at the beginning of this year, I enrolled in a local Ninjutsu dojo. It's something I've always wanted to do, and it's something I can learn while doing (instead of just doing the same things over and over). I also saw my mood do a 180 after the very first class (I deal with Depression), which helped a ton.

    Once I got that habit in, I also added some complementary weight lifting. I've never been much of a gym rat, but my Ninjutsu provided me with a purpose for weight lifting (so that I would be strong enough to contend with the guys while sparring), which keeps me motivated.
  • jenbridges
    jenbridges Posts: 213 Member
    there was a post on another board here full of pictures. there is one man who went from something like 500 lbs to a very muscular 250ish. any time i need motivation, i think of him! i think of how much more work he had to do to get where he is (i only need to lose @ 30 pounds) and if he can do it, so can i! not that i want to be super buff, but i have to remember i am not going to get anywhere if i don't do the work.
  • sjmn
    sjmn Posts: 13 Member
    Thanks everyone for your thoughtful replies! You are all very motivating and I am going to have to try out some of your suggestions. Thanks again!
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