For those days I try to talk myself out of exercising, could you please list for me some reasons why I should go out and just do it? Make it a loooooong list, please!

I jog/walk 40 min. a day, 5 days a week. Some days I have very little faith all this hard work will pay off and can come up with a looooong list of reasons NOT to exercise. I need your help!

I plan to come back here everyday and get a good dose of motivation!
Thanks!

Heidi

1. Because it will boost your metabolism so you can burn more fat throughout the day.

2. Because it will give you energy!

3. Exercise can release happy hormones.

4. Because it will give you nice muscles! Muscles burn calories through the day.

5. Because it might make you more flexible.

6. Because it will improve your cardiovascular strength, and improve your circulation, which reduces your risk of heart attack.

Hi - I know how hard it is to exercise when it's boring and tedious. Please try to find something fun to do that can be considered exercise. Go dancing, volunteer to be a dog walker, get out and hike or ski. Try water aerobics it is really great! Have you tried belly dancing, yoga, pilates, martial arts, self defence, climbing a mountain.

When I get down about exercise I think of all the things I want to be able to do. I started at 206 lbs and said to myself that I want to be able to climb a mountian. But I can not do that right now in this current physical condition.

So right now I am in training to be able to climb that mountain. I do the boring elipictal and treadmill workouts but not all the time. I mix it up with some martial arts, and the occasional water aerobics class. And always in the back of my mind I will climb that mountain one day.

Cheers I really hope this helps.

For me it has been really important and helpful to set fitness goals along the way. At first my goal was to become a runner, so I did that. Then I set a goal to run a 5k, a 10k, a half marathon, etc. Then I started setting time goals, like running a 5k under 30 minutes. Now I have a goal of running a marathon next year. Now that I've experienced how great it feels to hit these goals, that's my main motivation to get out there and run (of course, I fell in love with running so I want to do it anyway -- that's the other part, you have to find something you truly enjoy).

Ok, mine aren't quite so healthful as xtrisaratops' and maybe not as helpful as onexsport's, nor are they as ambitious as lisamarie's BUT this is why I do two walking videos a day and a firm up twice a day and why I am going to add an upper body workout every other day. It only takes me about 25 min twice a day to do the walking vidoes and firm up, each time. The upper body is only about 10 min. I am worth that.

1. I wanted to start toning up from day one. Easier to do a little at a time than a lot when I finaly got down to the weight I wanted to be.

2. My thighs are going to look great in the boy shorts my husband wants me to wear.

3. I am going to wear a bathing suit this summer that doesn't have a skirt on it.

3. I am going to wear stockings again and my thighs not rub together instead of wearing nasty pantie hose. I happen to love stockings and feel sexy when I wear them.

4. I am going to be able to look in a mirror right after a shower and say to myself, " You look as good as when you where thin the first time."

5. I am going to be able to wear long boots again and not worry will I be able to get them over my calves.

6. Clothes are going to fit much nicer

7. My body is going to be healthy not just because I have lost all this extra weight I have been caring around but because it is also strong and in good shape.

If you're exercising, you're not eating.

You'll get a burst of energy from it so you can get more done that you need to do throughout the day.

It'll help you stay healthier whether you lose weight or not.

As you get better at it, you'll begin feeling a sense of accomplishment.

It helps to tone and tighten skin for a more youthful and smaller appearance.

It gives you more endurance...in case you get chased by a street thug one day and gotta outrun em.

It helps you FEEL younger. And we're only as old as we feel, right?

It burns calories!!!

That is so true! Not only do I not eat while exercising but I have to stop eating at least an hour before I exercise. So that's two hours a day when I'm not eating.

A couple more reasons:

If you exercise, you can eat more. Exercise burns calories, and increases your metabolism. If you build up some muscles, your metabolism will increase even more. If you like to eat, then exercise is your best friend!

Exercise helps you control your eating. If I'm having a off-plan day, an hour of exercise really helps me get control of what I'm eating and get back on track. I'm not sure why, I suspect it is a combination of physiological and psychological responses, but it works.

Which brings to mind another good point...

If you're exercising, you're likely drinking more water, which is good for you.

You will be proud of yourself!!!

Now I'm hoping that since she hasn't said anything more here, that it's because she's so motivated that she hasn't taken the time to stop exercising and respond. LOL

This thread just got my butt to the gym...thanks guys!!

Sorry I haven't responded sooner. Sometimes I forget to respond to my own posts! Thank you all for the reminders! They worked!

Do what I do- let yourself listen to music you would be ashamed of otherwise without guilt.

Or take up a sport that requires finesse as well as fitness, so you have a goal other than just burning calories. If you're thinking about improving at your sport rather than just "getting exercise" it makes it a lot more fun.

And because it's never as bad as you dread it's going to be- if it were, you wouldn't be able to keep it up for forty minutes.

Good luck!