I know both are equally important and one does not work without the other. But which if the 2 requires more motivation in your case? Which do you think works best for you?

For me starting exercise requires more motivation but later keeping up with the diet requires more motivation...I think diet works best for me!

exercise...I have such a hard time motivating myself to do it...but once I do it I feel great...as for diet I would have said that, but now I've made it over the hump and I'm doing well

My thoughts exactly.

Diet, for me. I've always been pretty active, though right now even that's suffering for various reasons. But I am a lot more likely to walk six miles than I am to pass up that chocolate...

I'm like monstermama. Exercise comes pretty easy for me but passing up my favorite foods? Hard, hard hard!

Personally I think it is important to eat right AND get exercise if one is to really become healthy and in shape.

As for exercise the best way is to just go do it even if you don't want to... after a while your body really does start to crave more of it.

Exercise is harder for me. I still do it 4 - 5 times a week, and I love the feeling afterwards, but it is so easy to talk myself out of it. The food has gotten to be pretty easy by now. I don't have a lot of cravings, and it's pretty easy to not have things that aren't on plan.

BUT, I have to keep making myself do the exercise. I'm just a couch potato at heart, I guess.

I know exactly what you mean, Tammy! I could easily talk myself out of exercise too especially in hot weather, which I absolutely hate. But since I want the results I pay the consequences. And once I get out there and get started I actually enjoy it.

That must be hard for you Mel. Do water exercises help? I know we have water exercises in our pool for people with arthritis and such.

I am glad you lost weight though!

I'd rather exercise than diet. 5 years ago when I about 40 pounds lighter, I was really involved in martial arts - I think that one class burned about 1000 calories. One of my roommates who was also in the class with me and I both had terrible sweet tooths, so we would always have something sweet around the house and we would go out for dessert all the time. Unfortunately when we stopped going to the martial arts class, we also had to change our eating habits and stay away from sweets because without the exercise, they are a big no-no.
Going to the martial arts class three times a week was so much easier than staying away from sweets!

I personally think WL is 90%diet.
I find it easier to stay motivated with diet

I think they're both equally important, and for me, both equally as tempting to break. I tried just eating right and lost weight, but once I added exercise, it doubled my weight loss.

I'm a born lazy person. Born with heart defects requiring surgery at an early age, mom would NOT allow me to do anything strenuous. Even phys. ed. teachers made me sit out at times when my face turned red. So I was taught to be lazy early on. I have to continually motivate myself to exercise by reminding myself of how I used to look and feel, and how I feel after exercise. And because I continue to exercise, and change my routine when one exercise tends to get boring, I subconsciously exercise daily, by walking more, by getting up and moving because I find myself bored with sitting too long. IE: I'm more apt to walk while I talk on the phone now instead of just sit like I used to.

I was also taught to eat junk food. Growing up in a poor household, beans and potatoes were a staple. And something I'll NEVER tell my child that I heard a million times..."If you don't clean your plate it will rain and you can't go outside to play." What kind of B.S. is that to feed a child?!?! LOL Also I'm a chocoholic...of the worst kind. I have to work around it. I just had every intention of buying one candy bar at the grocery store and count it into my calories and have a lighter dinner to make up for it. But I was going to get it at the checkout, and by the time I finished my shopping, I completely forgot. Oh well...guess I won't be having that Snickers. ::snicker:: Sometimes I'll get the Smart Ones mud pies for a chocolate boost. If I go out to eat, the very FIRST thing I do? Turn the dessert cards backwards or lay them upside down on the table, cover them with something. If I'm not seeing you, you aren't tempting me.