MOTIVATION!!!

Ok, I know the ends and outs and have been told numerous times to just DO IT, but it's sooo much harder than that.  Two..maybe three years ago, I made a gym in my house.  I have a brand new spanken, one of the nicest bowflexes, a very nice recumbent bike, and my well...my decade friend..my treadmill.  :-)   Anyway I can't seem to put my fat ass in the room and start!!!  HELP!!  Where is your guy's motivation coming from?  Because I have close to nil.  I have thought about joining a gym for a while to get me inspired..(worked once before).  But why, when I have all this equipment I'm still paying on!  Instead I sit...on here...either typing a way at all of you, or play World of Warcraft.  That is IF my legs aren't acting up to where I can't sit.  At that point I can't even exercise, it's just laying in bed all the time. I need some help or words of wisdom or something.

Holly, If you arent' able to use your own gym, that s in your house, (talk about convenient), you certainly are not going to show up to a paid membership gym. DO NOT PAY FOR THE MEMBERSHIP, IT WILL BE MONEY DOWN THE TOILET... INSTEAD, TAKE THAT GYM MONEY AND GET WORKOUT OUTFITS, SNEAKERS, DVD'S, AND EQUIPMENT. As far as motivation..... Every time I think about my lab results, and having to deal with an underactive thyroid and an insulin intollerance, that pretty much kicked my ass off the couch. It sucks at fIrst, but you have to push yourself... T Take baby steps.. start at 30 minutes a day 5 days a week, and then build up. Don't let yourself feel like it has to be all or nothing, cause that is exactly what got you into the position you are in. Find a friend, or a buddy that would come over to work out with you, someone you feel comfortable with, or, just pop in a tape, and go to town.... BOTTOM LINE - YOUR MOTIVATION IS YOURSELF - GET OUT THERE AND DO IT .. I KNOW YOU CAN !!!!

When I started this a couple of months ago I felt THE SAME WAY!!!  I just had no idea where to start or what to do.  I kept starting every week with good intentions, saying I would work out and eat right and it just didn't happen.  I had to put the accountability in someone else's hand to start.  That was the only thing that worked for me.  Once I did that the other stuff fell into place.  Maybe it was the act of putting money out of my pocket, the fact that I had to be accountable for my actions the following week, or maybe I just knew I needed to make good on it and start.  I don't know. If you can't find the motivation within yourself, it might be a good idea to look elsewhere for the accountability.  There are good programs out there, it is how you use them.  Weigh****chers is great.  Or you could start a blog.  I have one on a site called extrapounds.com.  If it's out there for the world to see, you might make some progress that way.  I track my food on thedailyplate.com and everything else through extrapounds.com including my activity, measurements, weight and journal/blog.  Every week when I enter my weight and every month when I enter my measurements I see my progress and that becomes my motivation.  The hardest part really is getting start.  The results should keep you going, but I'm sure you already know that part :) Sometimes even just finding a buddy (in real life or online) that you check in with daily can work.  It's just a matter of finding what will get YOU going.  We all know how hard this part is.  You'll get through it and get on track.  I've got faith in you! Oh, one other thing.  I ended up getting dvds, Turbo Jam and later added Hip Hop Abs and an ABS ball workout.  I use the music to get me moving so these are great for me.  I tend to get a little bored with the equipment after a while (15-20 minutes or so is enough for me) Good luck and skinny vibes!!!! Beth

I should not be allowed to comment here - I do not exercise.  I barely move.  for real. Someday - when I have lost some weight I might be more comfortable with movement... but for now I am a slug... a shrinking slug... but a slug none the less.

Step one:  believe in the need for exercise (you seem to be there!).  I will "warn" you right now:  don't expect the pounds to drop off you the minute you do this. For the first three months, your exercise goal is to establish the habit. 2.  Set a goal for ten minutes a day walk outside. Pick a time, then begin puttin on your shoes ten minutes before, get a drink, go pee, walk at your own pace. Unless the house is on fire or the kids are bleeding, this is YOUR sacred time. NOTHING gets priority.

3. After a month, increase to 20 minutes.  You don't feel like exercising because you never do it.  And you never do it cuz you don't feel like it. It is a vicious circle, so you need to stop the buck, start slow.

My time for exercise is when I can think straight, and look at trees or rain or the sky.  My other advice would be to get all kinds of mags on health and trade around with your friends:  SHAPE, Prevention, Weigh****chers, etc. I try to go to sleep reading one article right before sleep.  I hope that it helps me to embed the ideas and motivation.  Cruise a used book store and buy an exerise book or two - read them! Also, go online or to a local meeting and see if you can buy some Overeaters Anonymous periodicals.  I keep mine - they are many years old now, but the advice is timeless.  Such comfort!

Well I did get off my butt and did some today.  I got on my bike (I LOVE my bike) and rode four miles.  Probably should of done more, but I wanted to get on the bowflex.  Then did that for about ten minutes.  Lol, think I hurt my back already.  I need to learn how to use this thing right.  Or I wonder if I should wait on the bowflex? Hmmm  As for outside..it's cold!ha  I'm staying indoors where it's warm! :)  My chest actually starts getting tight and I can't breath outside, something to do with my asthma.  Indoors it is for now!

I have also thought about checking out the OA meetings around here.  Just something I keep putting off.  Guess the time is now.

Just take your time, do a little bit and then add to it periodically.  You'll get there in no time.  Once I get started I want to do more so that I get results but I have to admit that it is so much better to take it slow so that you stay healthy.  If you injure yourself then you'll be out of commission. Great job, though.  Keep up the great work!  I'm working out inside too, but b/c it is too hot and humid outside!  I'm in Florida, LOL and it's really nasty out.  Every time I walk the dogs the sweat just pours off of me.  It is gross!

Nice visual there Beth.ha  No jk, ughh..I couldn't handle it in Florida, that's wayyy too hot for me.  I actually do excise from time to time, just not daily or even weekly.  It's pretty spuratic atm.  Think Im gonna stick with my bike and situps this week.  Next week I'll start on with intervals with the treadmill probably.  I need to do some adjustments on it.  I forgot how to get the band thingy in the center of it again.  Got to figure that one out.  I did eat more carbs tonight than I should have.  Mmm actually three biscuits  (dang stress sat in).  :(    It could of been a LOT worse, so I'm not gonna beat my head over it.

Talk to you tomorrow!

Holly

Just forgot the main reason why I responded!  I was gonna tell you, I am actually good on not expecting any results from excercise.  To me that is to improve my over all health.  To get my body moving, my heart beating..not actually only for weight loss.  So I'm in the right mind frame there.

My 'Motivating' 'get your butt moving' idea:

MAKE IT FUN!

Confessions from a lazy person who finally found motivation:

I have a low tolerance for boredom.  Just exercising is often too boring for me- so I am inventive. OK- here it goes....

Ummm... I didn't confess to this but- laptops are great- I can now balance one while I use my stationary bike! With a bit of practice maybe you could play world of warcraft while you work out?  The time would sure fly then!

Oh, and a favourite TV show. For me it's Dr Phil- I love the show. My rule is "No bike= no Phil"- I bike and watch.

The other tip- sad what I am admitting to here... but you CAN bike and play the Playstation.  I park the bike near the controller and play games- my favourite at the moment is Tetris.

So I guess my motivating idea is build the exercise into what you DO like doing.  That's what works for me.  I feel a bit embarrassed confessing my weird workout secrets- but you never know it might work for you too so that's why I have shared them.

Em

PS Jealous of you new gear- mine is an ancient 15yo stationary bike with a chain- it's really noisey and the timer and distance features broke, then my DD literally broke the bit that changes the resistance by mucking around with it. Kids!