Last month many of us set exercise goals for December -- and guess what? It's here!!!
In this forum, we're setting the number of MINUTES we want to exercise for the month -- whether it's walking or swimming or housework! Remember December is really 4.5 weeks long, but full of holidays, so plan accordingly!!
Hope you don't mind, but I started a new thread. When it get to 2 pages, it takes too long to load for people with dialup. So here it is
I think you mean me! No special program... I just didn't want to call it my "weight loss" program, as it was about health more than anything else... "becoming healthy" is the goal. And I guess I just like the word initiative.
I think the saddest part of the whole thing is that I don't even know exactly what day I started!
I would love to join! What a great way to hold each other accountable, especially the team goal.
I am committing to 30 minutes aerobics 4x/week and 45 minutes 2x/week and 1 hour on the exercise bike 6 days a week. In addition to my 1 exercise free day each week I am going to give myself 2 free days for the holidays and I promise that I will do no more than yoga on those days.
Sooo my goal is 2340 minutes in December. So far, I am at 735 to date. I haven't worked out yet today though.
Rebecca, WELCOME!!!! I think the team efforts have been a lot of fun! Feel free to add on whenever you like... I personally am fine if you want to add the minutes you've already done to the group total, but you decide what feels right to you!
I'm struggling a lot to fit the exercise in, and it looks like you have a real routine going (congrats on your weight loss!)... was it hard for you to develop the routine? Did you build up to what you're doing or start with that much?
I'm fitting in cardio now about 4-5 days/week (I'll have to check), but started at 3-4/week. The length of my workouts seems to be increasing as I have more stamina too. And I'm starting to work in some weight training, but I need a couple more things to fall in place before that really kicks in. So, I'm getting better. But I feel like I don't have a routine and I'm really struggling to do it. Setting monthly goals does help, but any advice about what worked for you might help too!
Wyllenn- What worked for me was really just committing. I started with 5 minutes of cardio each day and would do a magazine workout as strength training (about 15 minutes-I would do each exercise 1x). I would do 5 minutes until it got easy and then move up to 6 minutes. And then up to 8 and 10. I was afraid to hurt myself because walking up stairs would exhaust me, ****, rolling over in bed would exhaust me. I was just carrying around so much weight. After I lost about 30 pounds, I started to feel a lot better and have felt incrementally better and more able with each 10% I have lost.
I have found that working out in the morning gives me super energy and fuels my entire day (plus, you get a rush from accomplishing something that early. gets you off on a good start). I do at least 30 minutes in the am and usually do an extra 15 of Yoga in the am. Then I do an hour on a low-impact recumbent bike while watching TV at night. I love TV and would have extra energy to burn and would get lathargic just watching TV. But, like I said, I started super slow. I still do strength from magazines, but it is usually only 2x/week.
I don't want to get in a position where I can't keep up and my body gets used to it. When I travel, I make sure to stay in a hotel with a gym and I workout in my room and the gym. Also, when I travel, I land...get my rental car and go straight to the grocery store for energetic, healthy snacks. Otherwise, I get in trouble with the food.
Rebecca -- What you said sounds like what a lot of other successful "losers" say -- make a commitment. I think I haven't fully made that commitment yet regarding exercise. I feel I have made it much more solidly with food, so that's good, but I do think I have to up my commitment to moving it! I mean, I am setting higher goals each month and doing more, but I'm not sure that's enough...
Congrats to you and Leanne for getting us past 2500 minutes! I think I can commit to adding to that total tomorrow!
Wyllenn I just wanted to say thanks for being so encouraging to the others in the group, and did you realise you are 1/3 of the way already to your December goal? You are doing fine!
The Promised December Exercise Thread Part 2
