Wishing I could look forward to excercise

I'm doing it.  Today I walked 5.5 miles in 92 minutes.  Most days I burn 700 calories on combo eliptical/treadmill, and I've tried to add strength training.  BUT  I have to force myself to do this stuff every time.  I mean EVERY DAMN TIME.  I want it to be something I at least don't dread.  I would love for it to become second nature.  But right now I"m struggling with the constant battle.  I'm afraid that the war might be lost if the battles keep being so difficult to win.

Just complaining.  I have lost 81 pounds in just over 6 months.  So there's always that, but I have about 60 more to go.  I cannot let this get the best of me.  I'm looking for prophylatic pep talks please.

 How long you been doing it?  81 pounds in 6 months?  Sounds like you need to be giving other people pep talks!  

I have gotten to where I hate the elliptical/treadmill too, its pretty darn boring, no two ways about it.. but look at the result!  Its almost spring, so you can start doing more walks and jogs outside soon which will make it a lot more enjoyable I am sure!  

92 minutes on the treadmill? Ew, I'd be bored to tears, too. I do 20 minutes! Then, though, I go do weight work for 25-30 minutes, and that increases my heart rate too. Now that it's getting nice out, as someone else suggested, try going outside to walk, crank up your Ipod.  Maybe you could mountain bike or swim, too. You need to find something you'll enjoy or, you're right, you won't stick with it.

Good luck!

Jenny

We must first force ourselves to do something, after 6-8 weeks, it will become habit, it is NOT until after 4-6 weeks of the habit being ingrained until you begin to enjoy it, and with each small triumph or accomplishment, you will WANT to push yourself further, faster, stronger. STAY THE COURSE!!! 

Thanks, everyone, for the pep talks.  I should clarify that my walk yesterday,5.5 in 92 minutes, wasoutsidearound a lake.  Plus, I have been exercising 5-6 days a week since the srugery onSeptember 1.  I've really picked up the intensity since Christmas, but my complaint is that it has not yet become habit.  I go because I intellectually know I have to, but I want that muscle memory urge or "habit" or enjoyment to kick in.  I do  think that getting back outside will help, but, anyway, I will keep going and keep burning calories and keep losing, and probably keep griping.  I just appreciate this forum to get this off my chest. 

You need to change how you PERCEIVE exercising. If you see it and think of it as a CHORE, then that's just what you are going to have. A chore that you loath doing, but do it because 'you have to'. No wonder so many people don't exercise, they have the same perception.

Look at exercise as enriching your life. It's prolonging your life, it's helping to heal and strengthen your body that you have ravaged with carrying around massive weight and now the only way to help revive and re-energize your life is to exercise.

You can even go so far as to use positive reinforcements. For each week or day (however you want to do it) you can have a reward, treat (low cal/sugar free) for exercising or even do something special once you reach your goal weight (a special trip, purchase high price item, ect). Goals and rewards are GREAT motivators. Once I reach my goal weight I get to go on a shopping spree and not have to look at ONE price tag! hehe That's my incentive. Well one of them.

I look at my C25K program and walking my dog as undoing all those years of bad eating, and making my body carry around an extra 120lbs of weight as its reward for not bailing on me when I was so horrible not to care enough about my physical needs. I also have a goal of running 2 miles by May. Nonstop.

I have set other goals and mini-rewards along the way and have changed the way I think of exercising. It is a DAILY part of my life now. It is what is making my heart stronger and my body slimmer. It is what is going to keep me from maintenance meds and out of a nursing home having someone have to change my diaper because I took such poor care of myself. It is going to help me from dying.

I'd encourage you to take one to two minutes a day and think of exercising in a POSITIVE way. Think of it as now part of your life, an enjoyable part that is just for you and your well being. One that is going to sustain you for years to come.

Good luck sweety and peace filled prayers to you.
*big hugs*

I love rewards!
My friend gave herself $5 for every day that she exercised 30 minutes or more.  She wanted a new Coach purse - and she worked her butt off until she got that purse!

I keep entering races.  I hate failure, so I know that in order to complete the race, I have to train.  This motivates me!

What motivates you?  new shoes?  a pedicure?  filet mignon?  a vacation?

PS - CONGRATS - you are doing awesome!

Well, I think I'll go to NYC agian in May.  There are shows I need to see.  I'll have to work some overtime to afford it, but I really need that incentive.  I'ld like to be 10 pounds less (will easily put me under 200), and I am going to walk the city like crazy.  There's a three mile loop around Central Park, and I want to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and back.  So, I think that' s what I'll shoot for.  Thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions. 

So, on to the treadmill tonight.  At least there's a college baseball game on my computer to watch while I sweat!  Go Ole MIss!

SHOWS? You mean Broadway shows? Oh boy, we are kindred spirits! I love plays, especially musicals. I've been to New York three times and I've seen Guys & Dolls, The Phantom of the Opera (my favorite), and Cats. We see productions that come to Indianapolis whenever we can, too. That IS a good incentive, maybe I can talk my husband into rewarding me with a trip to NYC to see Miss Saigon when I achieve my goal weight. Great idea! This time I'll be able to walk the city instead of taking a taxi everywhere I go, too. That will definitely be a plus.

Jenny

Are you at all interested in throwing in some running intervals? I started out walking after surgery and I maxed out at 50 minutes on the treadmill before I started to dread it. I had pushed myself on my walking pace as much as I could without it being uncomfortable. Eventually I started throwing in some running intervals -- super slow at first. I would run 1 minute, walk 2, run 1 minute, walk 2, etc. When that got comfortable, I moved it to 2 minutes running, 2 minutes walking. Then 3 and 2, 4 and 2, etc. It breaks up the workout into smaller intervals and the time goes by pretty quickly. Then you can start challenging yourself with speed too. 90 minutes is a long time to devote to exercise every day, I think I'd dread that too. I'm not discouraging you to cut back on your workouts but running intervals will help you cover that mileage in less time (if mileage is your goal).

I agree with what Dan said about the time it takes to become a habit and the time it takes to start enjoying it. I've been at it for 4.5 months and today I just didn't feel like getting my run in. By mid-morning I felt "off" and I did it at lunch at I felt right again. I never thought the drive to workout would override my drive to watch tv or do nothing and I think (hope) I'm rounding that corner.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck and I think you're doing amazing! I hope I lose 81 lbs in 6 months!!