I can't guarantee you'll ever LOVE exercise, but you can almost definitely learn to like at least some kind of it. I used to loathe exercise of any kind; as far as I was concerned, there was exactly one reason to get all red-faced and sweaty, and it was NOT exercise.
Here's what helped turn me from an exercise-hater to an exercise-tolerator:
- I reframed my thinking. Instead of "I HATE exercise!" or "I look stupid" or "It's so undignified," I consciously re-cast my thinking: "I can spare an hour," "This stretching feels good," and "I wonder how good I can get at XYZ" replace the outright rejections. I even let myself think, "I like yoga" or "I'm looking forward to swimming."
- I cast about until I found stuff I enjoyed. Then I gave myself permission to not do the crap I didn't enjoy.
I like walking, swimming, yoga, and weight-lifting. I don't like running or being outside in the heat unless I'm in a pool, so I won't do those things.
- I paid close attention to how I felt during and just after exercise. I find I feel pretty good after a workout, so by focusing on that, I expanded my positive associations with exercise. This helps me out when I'm all, "Blehhhh, I don't wanna walk!" I can remind myself of how good I feel when I'm done and it gets me out of my computer chair.
- I looked for things to like about my physical abilities or my environment. I'm completely uncoordinated and would be lost in a Zumba class, but I am super-flexible and have taken naturally to yoga. Jogging makes me feel like a lumbering beast, but walking lets me notice how much I'm enjoying the park instead of focusing on how I might look to others.
I actually feel a lot less "sick, sad, and tired" now that I get about 4 or 5 hours of exercise a week. I could (and should) get more, really, but I still have some motivation problems. "Hmm, go for a walk or get some work done so I can earn a new pair of shoes?" Not a tough call for me.
Good luck with it, and I really do empathize. Congratulations on your weight loss thus far! You'll lose that 40 again, I'm confident that you will.