Any FORMER couch potatoes on this forum?

                                            What did it finally take to make you change?
 

I say I am still a couch potato.  I spend a good chunk of my free time with the remote.

I just balance that time with some good exercise.  I like feeling accomplished, I like patting myself on the back for doing hard stuff.  i trained for/ran my first 5K on a dare.  Then I got hooked.  I'm competitive, so I go out, run hard, walk hard, whatever... then come home and watch something on the DVR.  

not sure if that helps you.

I was I was!  And im proud to say im NOT as bad as i used to be LOL I love working out, strength/interval training is my passion now as is Zumba and Zumba Funk!  The eliptical is my bestest friend too.  And beleive me if I can get off the couch ANYONE CAN!!!!!!!!!

I signed up for a half marathon to raise money for a disease which both my kids have. We have a trainer and everything. Now I am not only exercising for me, but doing something to help my kid. And having a team to train with and a goal (I'll be walking 13.1 miles in July!, 4 months ago I had trouble with our first 3.1) is a great motivator.

Fear of dying...

oh, and there is something to be said for a body in motion stays in motion.  Once you get started, it's not so hard to keep doing it.

 

and the fear of dying.  and joy of living!

I broke the couch. I mean, I seriously broke my roommate's $2500 couch - apparently it wasn't built to take 467 pounds just flopping on it...who knew.

And I couldn't ride roller coasters.

Or fit in airplane seats.  That sucks, especially when you LOVE to travel.

And I got winded walking up the stairs to my second floor apartment.

All those things made me want to change...and I also realized that I was 28 years old and would probably be dead within 20 years if I didn't do something. 

It was the hardest thing I've ever done, I made the decision 100% on my own and informed everyone (friends & family) AFTER I'd already made my decision and had gone through with the process outlined by my hospital.  And I'd do it again in a heartbeat because I am FINALLY the person I've always wanted to be - fit, healthy, confident and happy.

I got hooked on triathlons and endurance sports. Otherwise I might have end up being one of those people who only exercises enough to get the weight off and then stops doing it.

 Just couldn't get that eye of the tiger song out of my head.. had to start running.  

I got tired of always being tired and feeling like I was watching life go by. The hardest part is not just the initial starting, I think it is the initial follow through for those first couple of months. For me anyway I had to continue to force myself to exercise and under my breath I was cursing all the people who talk about how good you feel and how addictive it becomes and how much you want to exercise once you start because it elevates your mood and you physically feel better with more energy etc. Well having been exercising for the last year I can now say all those things are absolutely true and I can't imagine going back to that sedentary, tired and sad lifestyle but it took me several months before I felt the positive changes from exercise both physically and mentally. Try to find something you like or at least can tolerate, start slow and just force yourself to keep going, adding little bits more as you go and you will get to the point when yes, you actually enjoy it! Good Luck!