Morning Exercise Habit - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

p7eggyc · 06-15-2009, 02:01 PM

Hey there,
I find that I really do well with am exercise but not so well with the actual getting out of bed to get it done. I was wondering if anyone else might be game for a challenge thread around building a morning exercise practice. I commute on T/W but would love to get my workout done in the morning on M, TH, F. I need some accountability though to make it happen.

Peg

MugCanDoIt · 06-15-2009, 02:46 PM

I cant seem to get out of bed lately. I set my alarm for 4:45, snooze till 5, then up and at it. But lately I just cant do it! I would be interested if anybody else is..................

Tracy · 06-15-2009, 08:43 PM

Maybe I will start to do it on a regular basis.Even though I still hate it

OK I'm in too!

p7eggyc · 06-15-2009, 09:44 PM

Yeah! I'm so glad you guys want to join me.

Here's what I am thinking. I am just going to tell myself I have to get out of bed. I don't have to exercise, I just have to get up. My guess is I will either start to get used to getting up which would be a good start or I will go ahead and do something since I won't have anything else to do. We'll see but for now, just going to tell myself I only have to get up and come downstairs. I will report back to you guys on Thursday about my success. I am going to move my alarm clock. I've been feeling like that is being "mean" to myself but I think I need to just banish that thought and look at it as a tool to meet my goals. The snooze button is just way too much of a friend.

What's your plan ladies?

Peg

Tracy · 06-16-2009, 10:56 AM

I don't know what my plan is yet.I am on vacation right now. I do want to start getting up early,and going for a walk outside. Right now,I am doing 10 min .on my elliptical.And I hate it

I hate any form of exercise.Hate,hate,hate!But, I know I have to do it.Maybe I will make myself get up earlier,and go on my elliptical for longer time.

I guess I am just lazy!I would rather go to, the dentist,doctor,or even get a pap done,rather than exercise. The 10min on the elliptical are like -ellfor me!

p7eggyc · 06-16-2009, 11:49 AM

Tracy,
Don't know if you listen to podcasts or not but this podcast has a 5 part series on Exercise Motivation. http://personallifemedia.com/podcast...ut-weight-loss You might find some nuggets in there. I don't really hate exercise but I often am not able to get out of the gate, especially later in the day, and thus my desire to get it over with in the morning. Other strategies that have worked for me:

I used to have a walking buddy and that took all the pain out of it for me. I enjoyed our walks and I would never stand her up so I got my butt outta bed. I moved and haven't identified a new buddy but would love to. I keep my eye out but it's not always easy to find someone. Even if you scheduled something a day or 2 a week would be worth it.

I wore a pedometer for a number of months. I tried to increase my steps by 10% each week until I got to an avg of 10k steps per day. I really liked this because it allowed absolutely everything I did outside of a chair to count. I did all sorts of things like park further away and use further bathrooms to get steps.

My very first foray back into the world of exercise after years away was via this book: 90 Day Fitness Walking Program. It's out of print but readily available in the used market for a couple of bucks.

One final tidbit that helped me out. The realization (yes, I did sleep through some science class somewhere

) that the # of calories burned is the same no matter how long it takes you to cover the distance. So if I walked a mile, it was the same as if I'd run that same mile. HUGE mental leap for me. I have always exercised for calorie burn vs. cardio (although I know cardio fitness is important, it just doesn't get me off the couch) so that realization made it so much easier to get myself going.

Peg

p7eggyc · 06-17-2009, 11:13 AM

Ok, tomorrow is day 1. I will get up at 5:45am. I will log in here to report that I am vertical. I'm in the Mountain time zone. Someone bust my chops if I don't appear at the appropriate hour.

Peg

ETA: I thought I had killed my alarm clock last night when I spilled a bunch of water all over it. You think it was Freudian??? LOLOL

Tracy · 06-17-2009, 06:24 PM

Peg,
I did exercise in the am today. I actually did 20 min. instead of 10!

I plan on doing it tomorrow too.I know won't be here that early.Y so early?

:

iaradajnos · 06-17-2009, 06:43 PM

I've been doing the morning exercise since January. I found inspiration from a Sue Grafton novel (can't say which letter in her alphabet run). Her character lead would tell herself that she wasn't going to go do her usual run but just walk, then drag herself out of bed and pull on her Saucony's (which I didn't even know what those were). Once walking, she'd say I'll just run a bit then stop when I don't want to anymore. By the time she'd be going, she'd just finish. I've used that one very successfully all year. And, there's a Saucony outlet near my house where I bought my shoes--which I really like. My little treat to myself once I get to my goal is new Saucony's in September.

Hello Nurse · 06-17-2009, 09:10 PM

I need to get on board with this too. Several times I have set my alarm for 5AM and snoozed until 6:30!!! That is really bad. I too hate exercise, so that does not help.

p7eggyc · 06-17-2009, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracy

Peg,
I did exercise in the am today. I actually did 20 min. instead of 10!

I plan on doing it tomorrow too.I know won't be here that early.Y so early?

:

Yeah Tracy! I have to start working at 7:30am and ideally I'd like to have a shower (although not vital because I work at home). Also, that's the very latest I can get up on my commute days so I really think it would be smarter to just get up the same time every day (or so the experts say.

)

Peg

PS) You can bust my chops whenever...no one needs to meet me here but knowing someone will be able to tell when I was up will help me immensely!

p7eggyc · 06-17-2009, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iaradajnos

I've been doing the morning exercise since January.....I've used that one very successfully all year. And, there's a Saucony outlet near my house where I bought my shoes--which I really like. My little treat to myself once I get to my goal is new Saucony's in September.

I wear Saucony shoes too! I had no idea they had outlets. This strategy is exactly what the podcasts I mentioned above talked about so my first baby step is I just have to get up. We'll see what comes from that.

Thanks for sharing!

Peg

p7eggyc · 06-17-2009, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hello Nurse

I need to get on board with this too. Several times I have set my alarm for 5AM and snoozed until 6:30!!! That is really bad. I too hate exercise, so that does not help.

Be glad to have you! Congrats on your loss so far! You are doing great!

Peg

p7eggyc · 06-18-2009, 07:56 AM

I'm up.

Peg

Tracy · 06-18-2009, 10:02 AM

Here I am!Later than I would of liked,but I couldn't get up for some reason. Well,thanks to my dog who knew it was time,woke me up.I t is still AM.I'll let you know later how I did.