I know that I need to and I even dragged my walkfit out of the garage to do it but to no avail so far. I mean I do move with my job and the my daughter but I need to do more. We just got a puppy and she will be getting her last round of shots next week so we will be doing walks soon, maybe that will motivate me

I have no motivation to work out. I did "look at" my dvd's and took the clothes off my gazelle and even looked up the price of the ipod clip to use while walking but I haven't done a gosh dang thing y e t.

I am struggling with the weather change and being sick, but I feel better when I work out. I started very slow, just going for long, slow walks and it slowly morphed into more with time.

I just finally started yesterday. i am on LAWL and hit a plateu and i knew the only way to get past it was to walk, walk, walk on the tredmil. so i did that and lost another pound. but untill 2 days ago i was totally on board with you.

I hope you find the modivation to get moving and do what you need to to be healthy,,
Good luck and best wishes!!

I barely do. I've been going out to get the mail, which round trip is 1/5 of a mile, and at night I'll do some calisthenics but so far that's it. I'm planning to start riding my bike while it's still nice outside though in the evenings.

I try, and I'll do good for like a day or two... and then I'll not exercise for two weeks again and then I'll be good for a day or two... and then not exercise. I hate it and it doesn't make it easier the next time around, in fact, I always feel like the dvds or whatever exercise i'm doing was harder than the time before...

I hope you don't mind if I insert a little philosophical rambling into your thread ..

I have a theory about why it's so hard for non-exercisers to get started on establishing a regular routine. I think it's because exercise initially feels ... well, bad! The results of exertion are things like increased heart rate, sweating, increased respiratory rate -- the very same physiological effects as we experience when we are stressed out. We associate those reactions with negative events/feelings -- public speaking, fear, anger, job stress, arguments with our significant other (or children!), etc. The exertion of exercise is unfamiliar, the results of the exertion feels a lot like being stressed out, and often you end up sore the next day to boot. "Endorphin high" seems like a total myth! No wonder it doesn't seem like fun and people give up.

The only way to get through that, at least as far as I know, is to establish a consistent exercise routine and persist long enough to begin to associate those "exercise feelings" with something positive. Gradually, the exercise feels easier because you adapt to it and the sweating/breathing hard doesn't feel as unfamiliar. You start seeing improvements, which is positive reinforcement for the program, and most people do start feeling energized and more positive after the exercise session. The people who stick with it best are those who end up liking the exercise itself -- for the benefits and how it makes them feel during and afterward. "Endorphin high" isn't a myth, it's real, but it doesn't seem to kick in until some level of physical conditioning is reached.

So the only way I know to get started is first to decide to do it, then set up a routine that isn't too aggressive to start, and just persist long enough to get over that initial hump of "this is not fun". It really does get fun, eventually!

Sorry, don't mean to hijack your thread .... Do you think I'm off base?

I have slacked off exercise all week. I was doing great but have been doing alot of running around and working extra and by the time i get done i fall into bed. gotta exercise early in the day today!!

I recently started getting my act together once again. I have my eating plan down it's fitness that I stuggle with. This past week I've had to push myself to do something. I find that once I get my bum a moving after awhile I actully love it and miss when I don't do it. It's just starting up that is the struggle. Believe me I should be doing a workout right this very second but no I'm here... I even when out and purchased some cute matching workout closthes lastnight. Geez I can't wait for this to get easier.

My only exercise is trying to walk at least 1 hour each day. Most days I get this in throughout, some I don't. I am not interested in exercising. I know that my weight loss could have been faster and my inches lost could have gotten me into a size 10 by now but I am just interested in losing the pounds. I am one of the lucky ones that has never had to exercise to lose weight... I just have to cut my calorie intake.

I am an avid, avid exerciser. I love it.

However, I used to feel the same way that you all do. I hope I can help, by telling you all what helped ME.

~Firstly, you CAN lose weight without exercise. It is possible. However, it is going to be slower, because you aren't burning as many calories a day. You are also not going to end up as fit, and as firm and shapely as you would be if you were exercising. You can end up a size 4, but still have a flabby belly, saggy rear end, and jiggly thighs-and still not be happy with the way that you look in shorts or a bathing suit.

~I can say this...if my only available form of exercise was a Gazelle, I wouldn't do it, either. The thing with exercise is, if you hate it...you aren't going to do it.
I absolutely HATE HATE HATE any team sport that involves a ball. Seriously. I thought I was the most UNathletic person in the world at one time, because that is all you did in gym class in school. I hate volleyball, football, baseball, kickball, basketball...ALL of it. I would rather attend a timeshare seminar than play a team sport with a ball.
The key is finding something active that you actually LIKE to do...or at least find halfway interesting. Who says that exercise has to be a dvd that you hate, or a Gazelle machine?
Why not branch out a bit...and keep branching out until you find something that you enjoy???? If you like it, you'll be more likely to DO it.

Check around at local fitness centers, gyms, and community programs. Check out a new kind of class: yoga, ballroom dancing or swing dancing with a partner or a friend, Tai Chi, some form of martial arts, belly dancing...the list goes on, and on, and on!

My father in law is in a square dancing and clogging group, and he LOVES it. Years ago, signing up for a beginning belly dance class paved the way for me actually becoming a performing (and teaching) professional a few years later! A friend of mine goes to a club every Thursday evening, where she does country-western line dancing! Another friend of mine meets her best friend once or twice a week, where they walk their local walkway in the park together (3 1/2 miles long both ways) and gossip and giggle the entire time!

How about taking a women's self defense course? Spend a few weeks learning how to fight off a potential attacker!

If you actually DO like team sports-there are plenty of churches and businesses who have adult softball leagues, etc. Check out local charity events-such as walks/runs for charity. My husband is in local run/walks every year. Our community does them for cancer charities, local animal shelters, etc. Maybe getting out there once in a while and exercising for a charitable cause will get you moving!

If you have a treadmill, set a tv up in front of it-and pop in a movie that you have been wanting to see...and the kicker is, that you have to watch it while walking on the treadmill!

There are lots of things that you can do...but you can't try 2 dvds, or one piece of equipment, and just assume that you hate all exercise.

I thought I would *hate* exercising - so I generally did nothing. Well, can't say "nothing" - I work in my garden, digging, hauling manure, cutting branches. Oh, and we heat with wood, so splitting wood for kindling, bringing up logs for the two stoves from the basement. Never been a great housecleaner, but it's livable - and the laundry room is in the basement - no dryer, so the clothes have to get put out on the line - up the stairs with the wet clothes! That' s the everyday stuff.

This summer, I found myself with the time to walk - most mornings, I'd get up before DH, get out there and *slowly* built up to 3 hilly miles in an hour. Even walked a 5K! Great feeling of accomplishment! And, yes, it kick-started the weightloss again, and tightened my butt and thighs. But, since school started (I'm a bus driver), the idea of getting up at (gag) 4:30 am and walking in the dark doesn't do much for me. So, I haven't been exercising. I would like to start with resistance bands - I bought them, and there they are - it will happen, just not sure when. Can't afford a gym (also, going to a gym exceeds my comfort level - prefer my privacy, no other eyes), so will keep watching my calories and keep the numbers down. And, next summer, I will start the walking again.

I think you are dead on! When I first started exercising I didn't like it, but I forced myself to keep at it for a while. After a couple of weeks I started to enjoy it more.

Today I love to exercise. It's weird! I look forward to hitting the gym after work and getting in my cardio and/or weight training.

It certainly isn't the most fun at the beginning, but if you stick with it you'll probably enjoy it after a while and start getting that high.

Yes, exercise doesn't have to mean only hitting the gym. Find a fun activity to keep you going! Good advice!

I agree with what MBN said above.

I tried to explain this to a slim, athletic friend of mine several years ago when she was talking about how her husband (who is extremely overweight) wouldn't exercise.

When you're heavy and you haven't exercised in years, not only does it feel yucky physically - sweating and getting hot and red in the face and out of breath - it makes you feel horrible emotionally and mentally.

When you're overweight and you can't keep your balance on the treadmill or elliptical. Or you can't keep in step with the people in the aerobics class. Or whatever. It makes you feel like a failure. It makes you feel like everyone is staring at you and you're clutzy and uncoordinated.

When you see someone who is your size or a little smaller breezing along on the treadmill and you can't go 10 mins w/out pouring sweat and gasping liked a beached fish ... you feel like a failure.

It's hard. You think you'll never get "there" - -wherever there is, whether it's keeping up with the class or being able to run on the treadmill or being able to lift the lightest barbell or whatever.

It *is* hugely emotionally discouraging and makes people want to give up.

But it's also amazing how QUICKLY you get past those stages. Even just a little exercise will make a huge difference in your mood, your emotions, and your abilities. The reason that person who is the same size as you can breeze along on the treadmill is because she kept going.

I also agree that w/out exercise you won't see the results you want nearly as quickly and it will affect how you look as you lose weight. The weightlifting forum I belong to talks a lot about people who are "skinny fat" - i.e. they are an appropriate weight for their height, but they have no muscle to speak of and they look saggy and out of shape.

I never want to be skinny fat. I want to be fit and muscular and in shape! I want to look GOOD when I'm skinny. So that's why I exercise.

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I am not exericising due to health reasons. I am allowing myself to go for walks but NO running or strenous weight training.