A little help with starting to workout- Motivation Needed!
Hello everyone. I could use your advice/hints/suggestions on beginning to workout. I haven't started going to a gym yet even though I am 9 months out. But of course I am at a stand still in my weight loss and want to get to that next step. I could use some support just to get myself out of the house and my normal pattern to go to a gym. my head knows I need to do it but I think some of the old me is still here, telling me to kick back, flick the channels etc. It's like it's right on the tip of my to do list and I just need to get out there and DO IT. What's holding me back? I 'm not sure at all. Lazy? Fear? Both.... I just know that once I start it will be great. I'll feel so much better. But am dragging my feet... HELP!!
thanks, I really appreciate your input and your time.
mary ann
PS. I do think you all scare me a bit with all the running and marathons and tri's... and working out twice a day and every day and it all seems so overwhelming...
thanks, I really appreciate your input and your time.
mary ann
PS. I do think you all scare me a bit with all the running and marathons and tri's... and working out twice a day and every day and it all seems so overwhelming...
Mary Ann,
There's not one of us here who didn't start just by taking that first step. I do a lot now, but I'm nearly 5 years post op. I had been active most of my life, so going to a gym wasn't anything new to me - I like it. I just couldn't lose weight doing it pre-op.
Try to think of your time exercising (doing whatever it is that you like to do) as an investment in your long-term health. It doesn't always take off the pounds, but it does improve your overall health. It's also that one thing you do for yourself that you can be selfish about because it's for your health.
I do a lot of what I do because having goals helps keep me motivated. I love spin classes and would do them regardless, but I truly enjoy the races as well. So... training is required and having a plan is necessary.
You know, surgery is only one part of improving your health and your life. The rest of it also takes a commitment. People who are healthy and live long eat well and exercise.
Mostly, it helps to find things you like and stick with it. Try all sorts of things and see what works for you. There are so many things out there that I'm sure you can find something.
Linn
There's not one of us here who didn't start just by taking that first step. I do a lot now, but I'm nearly 5 years post op. I had been active most of my life, so going to a gym wasn't anything new to me - I like it. I just couldn't lose weight doing it pre-op.
Try to think of your time exercising (doing whatever it is that you like to do) as an investment in your long-term health. It doesn't always take off the pounds, but it does improve your overall health. It's also that one thing you do for yourself that you can be selfish about because it's for your health.
I do a lot of what I do because having goals helps keep me motivated. I love spin classes and would do them regardless, but I truly enjoy the races as well. So... training is required and having a plan is necessary.
You know, surgery is only one part of improving your health and your life. The rest of it also takes a commitment. People who are healthy and live long eat well and exercise.
Mostly, it helps to find things you like and stick with it. Try all sorts of things and see what works for you. There are so many things out there that I'm sure you can find something.
Linn
MeanMom,
I started walking for 5 mins. That progessed to 15 mins, then 30 and eventually 2 hrs at a time. No gym needed.
As the weight fell off and the muscles toned and I could breath better, I started jogging some on my walking route. Then I signed up to do a 10K. I've been jogging ever since. 2 yrs since WLS and 51 yrrs old.
Start at your own pace and work up from there. The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. If I can do this, you can be successful too.
I had swollen feet, ankles and calves. I had foot, ankle, knee, hip, and lower back pain. It has all gone away as I continued to exercise and progress. You can do it!!! Just go at your pace and don't worry about how you look or whether you are the fastest or coolest looking,...you will become both after time.
Do it while you can. We never know when the party is going to stop as none of us is getting any younger and exercising is the best medicine to keep us healthier as we age. And the compliments you'll get for how well you look (sometimes how well you look for your age may be a sidways compliment but it still feels good). And honestly,...I didn't remember how good feeling good felt until I got active,...especially the feeling of accomplishment from jogging miles at a time when you get to that point. tt doesn't have to be running wither. pick something you enjoy or are interested in and see where it takes you.
We get carried away as we tend to binge on life and activity once we get started,...kinda like we use to do with food. Its ia s fair exchange,...because nothing tastes as good as being thin..
Go get'em tiger!!!
I started walking for 5 mins. That progessed to 15 mins, then 30 and eventually 2 hrs at a time. No gym needed.
As the weight fell off and the muscles toned and I could breath better, I started jogging some on my walking route. Then I signed up to do a 10K. I've been jogging ever since. 2 yrs since WLS and 51 yrrs old.
Start at your own pace and work up from there. The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. If I can do this, you can be successful too.
I had swollen feet, ankles and calves. I had foot, ankle, knee, hip, and lower back pain. It has all gone away as I continued to exercise and progress. You can do it!!! Just go at your pace and don't worry about how you look or whether you are the fastest or coolest looking,...you will become both after time.
Do it while you can. We never know when the party is going to stop as none of us is getting any younger and exercising is the best medicine to keep us healthier as we age. And the compliments you'll get for how well you look (sometimes how well you look for your age may be a sidways compliment but it still feels good). And honestly,...I didn't remember how good feeling good felt until I got active,...especially the feeling of accomplishment from jogging miles at a time when you get to that point. tt doesn't have to be running wither. pick something you enjoy or are interested in and see where it takes you.
We get carried away as we tend to binge on life and activity once we get started,...kinda like we use to do with food. Its ia s fair exchange,...because nothing tastes as good as being thin..
Go get'em tiger!!!
Gracies
on 12/19/08 1:34 pm
on 12/19/08 1:34 pm
If there is anyway you can afford a trainer at least to start I would highly recommend that. She/he will help you feel comfortable in the gym and that way you are more likely to go. With a trainer you can develop a good workout for you and your goals. Again, even if you can just afford once a week for a month I think that would be SO worth it.
For me, well I hate exercise and I always will. I will struggle with it until my dying day. But I don't have to like it I just have to do it. I know that now and accept it. For me I found that weight loss was not enough. I still looked like crap. I was still flabby and unhealthy. I was more healthy simply by dropping the weight but the weight loss did not make me healthy. No one can be truly healthy without regular exercise including at least 3, 20 minute cardio sessions of some sort and weight training each and every week. I believe strongly that minimal cardio and heavy weights are the way, the truth, and the light and that plan has certainly worked for me. But everyone needs to do what they think is right. Weight training has done more to give me a body I can love more than anything else including my weight loss. The incredible shaping it gives you is not to be believed. I mean, of course I am happy with my weight loss but the weight training is what gives me a body I feel comfortable with and comfortable in. Oh and MUSCLE BURNS FAT!! Pack on the muscle and it will do more for your fat loss than any amount of cardio you can do.
The best day of my life (well, almost) was when a woman who I admired greatly (well I admired her BODY greatly ) said to me "If you want what I have then just do what I do." Ok. I thought. That makes sense! What she did was eat a low carb diet with plenty of fresh, whole foods and she worked out every single day or her life. Not too much cardio but lots of weights . It's a concept I had heard of before (Find someone you admire or someone who has something you want and then do what they do so you can have what they have...) but it really sunk in with this woman. I pretended I was her until her life became my life. Well, her life is becoming my life. I am far from looking like her but I'm on my way. And I feel great both physically and mentally. The feeling of self-mastery is better than anything!
So clearly you are thinking about this and wanting to make the change so go do it. Go to the gym and sign up if you haven't already. Again, if you can get a trainer for a bit that will serve you well. If not, just jump in with both feet and know that you can have what you want to have. You just have to go get it.
For me, well I hate exercise and I always will. I will struggle with it until my dying day. But I don't have to like it I just have to do it. I know that now and accept it. For me I found that weight loss was not enough. I still looked like crap. I was still flabby and unhealthy. I was more healthy simply by dropping the weight but the weight loss did not make me healthy. No one can be truly healthy without regular exercise including at least 3, 20 minute cardio sessions of some sort and weight training each and every week. I believe strongly that minimal cardio and heavy weights are the way, the truth, and the light and that plan has certainly worked for me. But everyone needs to do what they think is right. Weight training has done more to give me a body I can love more than anything else including my weight loss. The incredible shaping it gives you is not to be believed. I mean, of course I am happy with my weight loss but the weight training is what gives me a body I feel comfortable with and comfortable in. Oh and MUSCLE BURNS FAT!! Pack on the muscle and it will do more for your fat loss than any amount of cardio you can do.
The best day of my life (well, almost) was when a woman who I admired greatly (well I admired her BODY greatly ) said to me "If you want what I have then just do what I do." Ok. I thought. That makes sense! What she did was eat a low carb diet with plenty of fresh, whole foods and she worked out every single day or her life. Not too much cardio but lots of weights . It's a concept I had heard of before (Find someone you admire or someone who has something you want and then do what they do so you can have what they have...) but it really sunk in with this woman. I pretended I was her until her life became my life. Well, her life is becoming my life. I am far from looking like her but I'm on my way. And I feel great both physically and mentally. The feeling of self-mastery is better than anything!
So clearly you are thinking about this and wanting to make the change so go do it. Go to the gym and sign up if you haven't already. Again, if you can get a trainer for a bit that will serve you well. If not, just jump in with both feet and know that you can have what you want to have. You just have to go get it.
********************* Don't go to Tijuana whatever you do*******************
I'm a lot overwhelmed by the peeps on this site, too. I just found this site today. My exercise plan is to walk on a treadill everyday. I bought my own for several reasons: convience to my schedule, weather extremes in my location make walking outside miserable half of the year, I live too far out in the sticks to make going toa gym feesible, and so on.
I have fibromyalgia so I started slow. Now, six months later I do a respectable walk 1 hour a day. (Or what I thought was respectable 'till I saw what people do on this site!)
I think though you'll have to find what it it within you that makes exercise click. What so YOU want from it? I know my fibro is less painfull and I have greater endurance. Plus I love the challange of seeing how much better I can do each week. I even made up a sheet of paper where I doument my spreed, incline percent and so on each day so I can see my progress.
Best wishes in your journey, let me know how it goes.
Hugs,
Deb
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