Exercise! Love it or hate it, let's motivate each other to just DO IT!

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Old 04-18-2006, 12:05 PM   #1  
Embracing My New Normal
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Default I can't help it, I just HATE exercise...

I don't get it. What's wrong with me?

I've been avoiding exercising lately because I really, truly HATE it. I was good for a few months. I kept trying to convince myself how "good" it was for me. I kept telling myself that I could "learn" to like it. It never happened. I was not able to fool myself. I hated it as much (maybe more) after a few months as I did when I started. As a result, I've fallen into avoidance mode in the past month. Why? Because I get absolutely NO joy from exercise at all. NONE. I absolutely HATE IT.

I've done everything I can think of to make it more enjoyable. I've done everything I can think of to eliminate the excuses. I don't have to deal with driving to/from or working out in public gyms (and all the nastiness that can be there), because I set up a bona-fide home gym in the basement. I have a TV, DvD player and IPod station down there. I have a big fan to evaporate some of the sweat. And I still HATE it and do everything in my power to avoid working out.

Even just going for a walk is pointless. If I have no destination, why go? I live too far from anything to walk to it. I'd rather drive anyway because I actually enjoy driving and I can get there (wherever "there" is) in the shortest time possible. And I don't have to take a shower after.

I think that's a big part of my avoidance. No matter what I do for "exercise", I always have to follow it up with a shower. It just seems like such a big waste of time. That, and the fact that I see no immediate, tangible results from exercise. No whopping 3, 4, 5 pound loss the day after. Perhaps if the scale visibly moved as a direct result, I'd be more inclined. Whether you agree with this or not, the scale is my motivator, since all my health indicators are already normal (and always have been).

To all of you who feel so great afterwards, to you who just LOOOOOVE to exercise, I just don't understand. All I ever feel after exercise is hot, tired and nasty-sweaty. None of those are good feelings to me. Do you actually like feeling like that?

What's wrong with me? Why don't I like it?

The whole concept of exercise puts me in an incredibly foul mood.
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Old 04-18-2006, 12:13 PM   #2  
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I'm with you on the sweating. It is gross and I don't necessarily love that aspect of working out. But I do get a workout high and it just gives me more energy for the rest of the day so I do like it. I like it a lot more in the morning though rather than taking a chunk out of the middle of the day where I then have to take a second shower etc.. When do you try to workout?
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Old 04-18-2006, 12:23 PM   #3  
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Oh Lena! I hate to see you in a foul mood. Let me see ... why don't you tell us what you do do all day and maybe we can just jazz it up so it uses more calories. Maybe right now formal exercise isn't for you.
We need to cheer you back up cuz you've come a long way already!
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Old 04-18-2006, 12:36 PM   #4  
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Lena, darlin', you've read my mind! I haven't exercised in MONTHS because I just plain don't like it. I know I should--believe me, I know aaaaaaaall the reasons why it's good for you. I used to exercise just about every day. There was even a point a couple years ago when I was doing cardio 6 days a week and strength training 4 days a week. I did this for months (and still got penty of sleep), yet I never felt more energized or anything like that. I fell out of the routine because, quite frankly, I didn't miss it

I've tried exercising in gyms (both co-ed and all-women) and at home. I don't really like working out with others because I always get frustrated if I can't keep up (even though I know we're at different fitness levels and I shouldn't compare myself to others). I've used machines (treadmills, ellipticals, recumbent bikes, weight machines), free weights, a stability ball, and videos (Tae Bo isn't bad--I like the kicking and punching!). But, like you, I hate that I have to change clothes and shower and yuck yuck yuck. It turns my 20-30-minute workout into this big routine. As it is, I get up at 4:45am--any earlier, and I might as well not even bother going to bed at night

Oh, and like you, my physical health factors are all in check--no major injuries, no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, etc., so if everything is working okay in there without exercise, then why bother? I know I probably won't be so lucky forever, but that's why I'm trying to lose weight now.

I don't want to be a flabby, disgusting 150 pounds when I get there, so I know I NEED to do some exercise to tone up. I just don't WANT to do it

So yeah...I don't have any suggestions. I don't have any magical thing to say to motivate you or inspire you to workout. I just have a firm understanding of where you're coming from and a kindred solid hatred for exercise But I also realize that it is a necessary evil in order for me to achieve my personal physical goals, so eventually (soon), I'm going to have to just suck it up and deal! I mean, honestly, I'd rather eat McDonald's every day for dinner instead of cooking (my, how I hate cooking!), but I don't because that woud be a step in the wrong direction, and NOT exercising certainly isn't going to help any, either.
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Old 04-18-2006, 12:39 PM   #5  
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I tried working out first thing in the morning. Not doable. I'd have to get up at 4:30am, which is just not sustainable for me. I already get up earlier than I would like. I think it's criminal that the morning people have decided the world must get up before dawn just because they do.

After I get my shower and get going for the day, it's hard to work in exercise because of the required shower afterwards. An hour workout ends up taking a minimum 2 hour chunk out of the day once you add in prep time before (changing into workout clothes) and after (shower and yet a third change of clothes). And since I already took a shower, it just seems like such a waste of time, not to mention all the additional laundry from 3 sets of clothes a day.

At night, I'm just not in the mood. I want to relax, not get all hot, tired and nasty-sweaty.

I just don't know what to do to get out of this frame of mind.
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Old 04-18-2006, 12:47 PM   #6  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Less of Lena
I just don't know what to do to get out of this frame of mind.
I don't think I'll ever get out of this frame of mind--just have to learn to deal with it. How did you get out of the state of mind for overeating or eating too much junk?
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Old 04-18-2006, 12:49 PM   #7  
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I guess i'm some where in the middle. I really do like exercising for the most part. I've been doing 1 hike a week once the weather turned nicer because it is challenging, gets me some fresh air and lets me see things I wouldn't normally see while sitting at home. I like going to the gym and doing weights because I can see an improvement in my strength. I like doing cardio at the gym because I can see an improvement in my ability. It also translates well to my ability to hike.

I like the challenge that exercise presents and I like seeing an improvement in my body and in my abilities. I enjoy getting sweaty and taking a nice hot shower afterwards. I love showers.

I know what I don't like and that is working out at home. I don't know why but it is so boring to me. I'll try sometimes when I know I can't get exercise otherwise.

Exercise likes and dislikes are very personal. Exercise is healthy for you more than the fact that it helps you lose weight. Muscle built helps increase your metabolism. Cardio exercise keeps your heart and vascular system healthy. In general, it helps you stay mobile and limber. I exercise today because I want to be able to exercise tomorrow. I don't want to end up with mobility issues in my old age nor do I want to end up with conditions that could've been prevented if only I had incorporated some exercise into my life. My weight loss has stalled ever since my most recent start. Its frustrating but I continue to watch my portions and exercise. I'm not perfect but I'm better.

Those are my reasonings and that is my thought process. I know you have to find your own.
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Old 04-18-2006, 12:50 PM   #8  
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I don't like it either, for all the reasons you list. Sweaty--ick. Shower--time consuming (plus, I have majorly dry skin and it dries me out even more and my dr. told me to only shower every other day--how gross is that, especially if I'm working out).

But I'm trying to force myself to do it anyway. I know that to get my body into the shape I want it in, I MUST exercise, no if, ands, or buts about it. I WANT buff arms and legs, defined abs, all of that, and therefore I HAVE to exercise. Dieting can help you lose weight, but muscles require movement.

I tell myself that all that sweat is melted calories running off of me, never to return.

I do visualization (this is going to sound really silly) of little... umm... "creatures" in my body (if you've ever seen Shrek 2, my "creatures" look like the magic factory workers) shovelling fat into a big furnace. I imagine all the little fat cells screaming as they burn up in the flames. And then I laugh a wicked little laugh and sentence them all to burn!

Yeah, so I'm a big weirdo. I know.

Really though, I use the scale as my motivator too. I do have high cholesterol, but you can't exactly walk into the bathroom and check your cholesterol on a daily basis. But as for seeing immediate results on the scale... well, you can't expect that with anything. You said you won't see a 3, 4, 5 pound loss the day after an exercise session. That's true, but you also won't see a loss like that because you avoided a cheeseburger and had a salad instead.

I say do whatever you have to do to talk yourself into it. You don't have to like it; you just have to do it.

~Elisha
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Old 04-18-2006, 12:59 PM   #9  
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One of the amazing things for me this time around was finding out that I really enjoy exercise. It has totally changed things for me. However, when I started I could barely walk up the stairs to my house - I knew I needed to increase my fitness or I just wasn't going to be able to live my daily life.

If you are losing weight without it and you don't care about the other benefits such as increased fitness and endurance, why force yourself to do something you hate? All my life growing up I always felt like exercise was punishment for being fat. My mother was always signing me up for something else to try and help me lose weight. I was never introduced to anything just because it might be fun and I might actually enjoy it. Therefore to me exercise was always fat people torture that I must endure because there was something wrong with me.

Somehow that has changed now and I am excited to get fit enough take a martial arts class. You never know - you might find something you like, and at that point it would provide reason and incentive to increase your fitness. But why torture yourself about it?

The only other thing I can think of is to learn how to sneak it in. Park a bit further from your car, take the stairs, etc. Also, you could design some mini 10-minute workouts, which might be enough to get you going but wouldn't get you all sweaty and nasty. Sure they aren't as effective as a prolonged workout, but in building fitness something is better than nothing.
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Old 04-18-2006, 01:04 PM   #10  
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Elisha---I love your visualization routine! I sort of know how you feel... When people ask me "have you lost weight?" I think to myself, no, i didn't lose it at all... I know EXACTLY where it is... on the floor at the gym, where I left it.

I agree with Elisha, though. I know it sucks to have to budget time to exercise daily, but it really is worth it. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, so if you can increase your muscle while you're decreasing your fat, then the pounds will come off that much faster!

What about trying things that aren't "exactly" exercise? I mean, I really enjoy going mountain biking and I enjoy riding my bike to school each day. I don't think of this as exercise, even though I know I do get some benefit from doing it. If you can find a similar activity that you enjoy, it will feel like less work, maybe?

I work out at least an hour a day, and sometimes I do that during the middle of the day. This does mean that I have to shower afterwards. But, I don't let it turn into a huge ordeal. I run into the locker room, change (less than 5 minutes), workout (about an hour to 1.5 hours), run back to the locker room to shower (less than 7 minutes), get dressed and comb my wet hair (less than 5 minutes) and I'm out the door on the way back to my regularly scheduled day.

I realize that going back to work with wet hair might not work for everyone. (I'm still a student so no one cares what I look like, fortunately.) Wish I could be of more help. The thing I like about exercising is that it makes me feel like I'm "paying my dues" so to speak. I really want a body of a certain type, and I know it's not going to come to me if I'm not willing to work for it. When I've worked out hard at the gym, I feel proud of myself as if I'm doing everything in my power to get the body that I want. And I do find myself energized after working out. Wish I could be of more help.
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Old 04-18-2006, 01:13 PM   #11  
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Lena -- You just need to find the right exercise or activity that works for YOU... There's so much out there exercises wise you just have to keep trying to find the right activity ... Keep us posted on your progress....

I just found this quote: "No one said it would be easy, they only said it would be worth it." and it is worth it ... In the long run, eventhough you are very healthy right now, eventually your BP, cholesterol, etc, will change, then it may be too late...
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Old 04-18-2006, 01:16 PM   #12  
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I am in this group of hating to exercise due to sweat, getting too hot & then getting headaches. But now that I have been consistant for over a month now it is easier, I breathe easier, I have more energy in the day, I want to be toned and not flabby when my weight is gone (which really makes it worth it), and if I don't I feel crabby and not as upbeat. Mind you it took me a couple weeks to get there cause I sure hated it and cursed it in the beginning.

--I agree with Ilene, once you find exercises you like, you sill stick with it more. For me, I do the stairs, I walk around campus (it is so pretty right now) and I do my tummy tape & weights alternating with my Bowflex
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Old 04-18-2006, 02:02 PM   #13  
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I've been exercising regularly since September and I don't really like it. As a girl and young woman, I managed to stay active and slender without doing any "intentional exercise" and just really hate the idea that now I need to. As kind of an aside, it just seems funny to me that we have so many devices, etc. to make life easier, then we have to exercise because life doesn't burn as many calories.

Anyway, I have many of the same issues as you. I don't like getting up in the dark to exercise before work. When I get home, I want to enjoy my family and dinner. Don't like to shower in the middle of the day, etc. What is working for me now is to not shower first thing in the morning, but shower after my workout. When my schedule changes, I may have to re-think that. But I like what exercise is doing for me, so I will find a way to fit it in my day forever.

The only exercise I really like is biking with my family, hiking with friends and/or family, and lifting weights. I tolerate cardio and do as much variety as possible to keep from getting bored. I also do a lot of intervals because I find it much less boring than just plodding along at the same speed/intensity.

Someone mentioned visualization. I really used to hate getting sweaty. In fact, if I broke a sweat I thought I was working out too hard ... Now, I want to break a sweat and love it when my hair is all wet. Why? Because I imagine that it is my fat melting!
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Old 04-18-2006, 02:03 PM   #14  
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Thanks, everyone -- it helps to know I'm not just weird. Well, ok, maybe I'm still weird, but that's another story...

I do like to golf. I'm not very good at it, but I have fun trying. And I rarely take a cart, I almost always walk. And I don't mind having to run directly home to shower, because I've usually had a good time on the course.

But golf isn't "exercise". Last week, I proudly told a trainer I got out and golfed and was promptly told it didn't count as exercise. It didn't have any strength or cardio benefits, so it was just a nice activity. ((sigh))

In any event, golf is weather dependant and seasonal (I can only play in Spring and Autumn -- Summer is too hot). And besides, unless someone starts paying me to do it, I just can't afford to devote the time or money required to do it on a daily basis. Maybe once or twice a week, but that's it.

It's funny, NotThe Cheat -- I've always looked at exercise as punishment, too. Punishment for not having been born with a fast metabolism. Like I had some control over that...

I do try to "sneak" stuff in, like you suggest. Walking the parking lots, running up and down stairs more than necessary when at home, ping pong with DS a couple of times a week, mallwalking every now and then... But I always feel like the Exercise Police are behind me, screeching, " IT'S NOT ENOUGH, SLACKER!!!! You need to do MORE MORE MORE!!!!!" And then I shut down.

Jilly, I don't know how I got out of the fast-food mentality, it just sort of happened. I don't "crave" healthy food, but I can easily say no to non-healthy ones. Not really an effort, not sure why. Maybe because I never really had "cravings" of any sort to begin with. And I'm just trying to be more cognizant of portion sizes with the healthier alternatives.

Nelie, Aerotiger, your attitude is the one I keep thinking I'm supposed to have. But it isn't happening for me. I know I *should* feel like that, but I don't .

I'm extra dry, too, Miss Elisha. Maybe that's one of the reasons I don't like taking extra showers -- too much time lotioning up AGAIN, after. And drinking more water isn't the answer. I drink a minimum 72 oz a day and I'm still dry. But I run to the bathroom a lot.

I guess I wouldn't mind it not being easy if I could at least see good solid results... I just feel like I put in a lot more than I get out...
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Old 04-18-2006, 02:06 PM   #15  
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I used to hate it and now I love it. You need to change your attitude first of all as long as you are thinking I hate this I hate this I hate this, guess what, you will hate. You have to re-frame it in your head. I used to love fast food and hate vegetables. It took a long time but thinking about how disgusting fast food is, reading about it and the calorie counts and what they do to it, it all started to change my opinion now when I do eat that stuff I hate it.

It works the same with working out. At first I couldn't stand it and it was so hard, but I got obsessed with trying new videos and learning new things. Now if I have free time I will spend all day working out. My list of hobbies is ever growing and I just joined a gym. This summer I want to learn to swim.

Think about what kind of person you are and what motivates you.

Are you competative? Join an online challange where your workout so many minutes a day.

Do you like having a goal in mind? Start training for a mini-marathon. I know right now that seems probably like something you could never do, but you can, it just takes some training.

Do you care about different causes? Raise money for one of those breast cancer walks.

Do you have lots of stress and poor body image? Try Yoga. Feel too much rage to do yoga? Try kickboxing

Want to feel like a kid? Get a Bosu ball or a mini trampoline and a video to go with it.

Love animals? walk dogs for your local shelter.

Like dancing? Join a dance class, tap, samba, hula, bellydance, jazz, ballet, hiphop, they have classes for all of it.

You said you like your car- for strength start pushing it places!

Hate to sweat? start swimming or buy an aqua jogger to use in a pool or join a aquatics class.


I could go on all day! If this doesn't help tell me what you do like in your life and I am sure I can come up with something.

The best part about trying lots of new things is that while you are doing your experimentation you are still burning major calories and pretty soon you will able to do all kinds of cool stuff that you would never have thought of before.

And you will have more energy to do everything! That is the BEST benefit. It takes a while to get into it but I am sure you will eventually come around.

Good Luck!
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