I have started WW again (3rd time) and I'm doing really good with the points part. I just can't seem to get up and exercise! The other times OP I exercised regularly and dropped the weight pretty fast. This time I only need to lose about 15 lbs and know if I exercised it would go so much faster. I also need to tone up. I know once I get started that it will be easy to keep going...I used to want to work out everyday. I just think all I have to do is 30-45 min of exercise not even everyday! I hear people all the time saying they want to lose weight sooo bad but don't even take that small part of the day to help. I know there are people with valid excuses, I understand that. I'm asking people like me , if you have any suggestions that got you started. I'm going right now to do my work out and I'm trying to want to...but I don't! What's the big deal?

Rachel

Rachel -
I feel the same way. I know that exercising greatly contributes to a steady weight loss, but can be hard to fit it into a busy day.

As you said, it only has to be 30-45 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week.

It helps to mix things up and do different types of exercise. In addition to walking, I do Tae Bo tapes and yoga.

I have also been trying to exercise during the work day - on the top floor of my office building is a long, looping hallway that many people walk around for exercise - 10 circuits= a mile. Also, sometimes I go to the mall and walk around for 20-30 minutes.

Another suggestion would be to check out your local YMCA or city/community center for individual classes. Our city recreation department features once- or twice-a-week classes such as yoga, volleyball, tai chi, water aerobics. The prices are really reasonable, much cheaper than joining a gym.

Howdy all,
A good topic! I struggled with this myself. And about a year ago decided to just DO IT! Started rolling out of bed early to walk. That way, it was done and out of the way. A little at a time, I worked up to 1.5 hours each morning plus gym time a couple of days each week.

Sometimes it is boring, but I really find that starting the day like this clears my head and gives me an energy boost. A co-worker has asked me if I had taken my walk when I came in grumpy. Eek!, it shows!

All the best!

I know.. you two are right. I just have to do it. It sounds great to get out and walk everyday. I have a 22 month old that stays home w/ me all day and he hates it when I do exercise tapes. I don't know why but he holds on to me and cries, making it impossible to do. My other 2 kids never minded, they liked it and would try to join in. So I have 1 hr in the morning after i get my 4 and 6 yrs olds to school, while Dora the Explorer and Blue's Clues are on, to do a tape. I do it downstairs and he watches upstairs. I do interval tapes and run up and check on him after each interval. Its not bad unless he catches me! On my hubby's day off he watches him, thats great!I think I may join a gym with a daycare center....that's a good idea! The last time I did the center was horrible and I wouldn't leave my baby there. I've seen some nice ones since then, I'll have to talk my hubby into after all the money I wasted last time! I'll have to find one that I don't have to sign a contract with. Anyone know of one?

Thanks ladies
Rachel

Rachel~

Start small- then build up to your goal of exercising 3-4 times per week for x-minutes. Find something you like- hopefully more then one thing so you can mix it up. Try different things just to do it. Is there anyone you can work out with? What about hiring a personal trainer- either by yourself or with a small group of friends? What about working working out into your daily chores- lunges while you vacum, toe raises while you fold laundry, knee squats at the kitchen counter- even walking with the little one- I am sure he will provide good resitance for your upper body. Have you looked into any of the momy and me type workout tapes that you could do with him?- I don't have kids but I know I have seen some, they tend to by more yoga-like but that can be helpful for toning and may help him get use to you working out.

I fairly limited by a very screwed up knee (5 surgeries on left, 2 on the right)- there are very few things I can, especialy when it comes to aerobic exercise. I never dreamed I would not be able to do things like riding a bike or taking a hike whenever I wanted- right now walking to the car without a cane is impossible and I am only 29. If it helps, think about how greatful you are that you can do the exercise tape standing, that you can do the stair climber, the long walks, the bike rides, etc.

Good luck~
Christine

Icandoit,

I too did not love to exercise and found all the reasons in the world not to. I too have young kids that are home on some days.. When I satrted WW more than 2 years ago, I explained to my husband that I needed some time for me. I made it a point to fit exercise in everyday. He was good about it and I eneded up with my own reward system. i payed myself for points saved and not used and for exercise points. Over time I was able to buy an Eliptical trainner for my home. This was great. I saved monry fast and it was a great way to pay myself for hadrd work..which exercize was then.

I exercize at night. About 7:30. I have no interruptions and I love that time at the end of the day to destress.

My point is that as mothers we have to make time for ourselves. If it means running the stairs at home because your baby is naping or a nice walk in the neighborhood, we have to make the committment to ourselves to be the best we can be. You need to get your husband or a neighbor or friend to swap time with. Figure it out and do it.. you will feel better.

Ohh and good music really helps a workout!

-L

I have just started back to WW after reaching lifetime 3-1/2 years ago after a 34 lb. weight loss. I have since gained back 6 of those pounds and that is why I am here again--before that 6 lbs turns into 36 pounds I have to lose. During the time I lost that weight the only exercise I did was walking 20-30 minutes 4-5 days per week. I went from a size 18 to a size 8-10 just by doing this walking as well as following the points system. I have only put back about 1/4 of the inches I lost. I can still fit into a size 10 very comfortably but the size 8 is a bit of a tight fit. It really doesn't have to be a lot of exercise. Every little bit helps in the weight loss process.

Good luck to you.

Hi everyone!

Christine- sorry to here about your knee problem. I had one in my early teen yrs( not as nearly as bad as yours) and I know it was very difficult. Good luck with that. Thanks for the Mommy and me tapes suggestion, I haven't heard of those!

Backatit- 6 lbs in 3 1/2 yrs isn't bad at all. Its great that you are catching it before it gets worse. I lost 70 lbs last yr and have gained 17 back!!! I'm really on track now and I know I'm losing. I have to so I can fit into all the new summer clothes I bought last year. I went from an 18 to a 6 and I WILL NOT be buying any clothes this year in a bigger size!

You all have great suggestions, thank you. I think I figured something out. Every time I've tried to lose weight I have done the same workout videos over and over. I have several but there are 2 that I love! I think I was just so board with thinking of starting with them AGAIN. So I've been doing different things like walking. I put some good music on and did some of the exercises from the videos from memory( I know both tapes start to finish from doing them 100's of times). I've been using my weights, too. I feel great and I don't dread it at all, I actually am looking forward to it again. This should have been obvious I don't know why I didn't figure it out before! Oh well, hurray for me!... and you!

Three thoughts--
1. Any chance you can work out before the kids get up? Mine are late sleepers and this has worked well for me. I have a treadmill in my bedroom, so they can find me if they do happen to wake up early, but usually they don't.
2. My kids wouldn't do workout tapes with me, either, and their real objection to my exercising is that they want to be WITH me. Would your son be more content if you exercised in the room with him while he watches his 2 shows? With a 22 month-old, I wouldn't operate a treadmill, but my 5 & 7 year olds will sit on the bed and watch Clifford while I run. You could use a safer piece of equipment, like a stationary bike, stair climber, or elliptical, or do an audio workout tape using a walkman, or maybe even a picture-in-picture VCR would work? I'm considering that because I like to watch the news while I work out, and I can't do that while doing a toning tape!
3. Will he sit in a jogging stroller (I know, he's almost 2), a bike trailer, or a bike seat? You could include him in your exercise rather than trying to work around him. When he's a little older, consider a trail-a-bike, which is like a miniature bike stuck onto the back of yours (like a tandem). He needs to be more like 4 years old for that, though. For now he might enjoy a bike trailer ride.

Exercising
 

I hate exercising but DH and I joined a 24 hour gym in January that is practically across the street. My motivation for working out is the fact that I had to enter into a 1 year contract and I'm too frugal to be paying for something I'm not using. Two days ago I woke up around 6:00. I laid in bed and thought, "I can lay here for an hour and waste time thinking about how I could have worked in a work out and then feel guilty about not going or JUST DO IT and go to the gym". I worked out for about 40 min. Again today I did the same thing. I figure that 30 or so minutes every day is better than 1 hour of hit and miss. One of my co-workers mentioned today that I have been in a really good mood the past two days. I hate to admit it, but I think it's the exercise (relieving stress, etc.)

I would just like to ask if anyone else has suffered from really bad fatigue when they have started exercising. I joined a gym a few weeks ago and was going 3 or 4 times a week, for about 45 minutes of cardio. I went on Monday and only managed 15 mintues because I was physically exhausted. Its Wednesday morning now and I still feel really tired. Does this get better?

I would appreciate any help or tips from anyone!

Phoebe :)

icandoit You just need to DO IT. Many people, me included, find that first thing in the morning works best because it's done with before any excuses become available. Also, find something you LIKE. If you like it, you'll more likely do it.

phoebe You might just be having a bout of "too much, too soon." Try 15 minutes 3 times a week IN YOUR HEART TARGET ZONE and work up from there, a minute at a time. I don't know how heavy or out of shape you are, but if "very," 15 minutes might be too much to start. After awhile, you will find that exercise does give you more energy.

Drink lots of water and take a vitamin. Some people feel better eating before exercise, some don't. You'll need to experiment.

Exercise
 

I started walking 2 mornings a week before work. Then my office moved to a new building, I can walk down 7 flights of stairs to the break room or out on errands. A friend needed me to dogsit, so I was walking her 2x a day. Once I was earning points I could eat, I got more interested and started watching tv while pedaling the stationary bike in the evening.. The "points for exercise" has been a big motivator for me. Hope this helps.

Michelle in Maryland

Everyone has made good suggestions here. I was reluctant to start any sort of
program because I thought I looked silly running, biking or stair climbing. I joined a gym on a three month promo and picked one that was close to my house, work and drycleaners :). It has worked out great for me- I usually go on my way to work, though I go through spurts of evening work outs. It just depends on my schedule. I guess its so ingrained in my routine that I don't even think about it.

If I'm in a rut, I will hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to try and mix up my routine. If I can't get in a 50 min workout, I try to do a 35 min one that is much higher intensity.

I have rewarded myself with foil stars on my calendar at work. Each day I work out gets a new star. Its nice to see at the end of the month.

I may not be at goal yet, but 1.4 years into my WW experience, I'm toned and looking better than I did 10 lbs lighter.

lala

I don't know if this will help or not, but I recently signed for for 3 months of karate lessons - which I love. On Monday night on the train home, I spent a good part of the trip telling myself the reasons why I should just skip the class that night. I then realized what I was doing and started telling myself I was going to go, no excuses. I did and I enjoyed myself. The warm-ups are incredibly rough - it's heavier than the karate itself, but it's worth it and I felt better on my way home. So my only advice to you is to tell yourself you can do it and you will do it.

Good luck!

I don't exercise. I train. I always have goals in mind: running in the 5K Race for the Cure, say, or backpacking across Eastern Europe. I guess it's just psychological, but exercising sounds like something you're supposed to do, while training is something that athletes (ha, me an athlete!) do because they like it.

You definitely have to find something you enjoy. Or, if you want to do something you don't enjoy (like me and weight-training, my constant nemesis) you have to define why you're doing it. For me, 'because it's good for you' is not motivation enough. But if I say instead 'I weight-train so that when I go rock-climbing next time I have an easier time' then I'm more motivated. I'm not exercising. I'm training.

Which isn't to say that it's always easy. I get lazy, I get busy, I get blah. I'll go a week without doing too much. Weight-lifting is a constant foe of mine, and I really need to stretch more. But having goals helps.

This same strategy is how I approach eating. I'm not dieting. Right now, I'm trying to eat healthy as a vegetarian. To me, that's just psychologically different than 'dieting', even if the end results might be the same.

I agree with Scuttle and dharma, you have to find something you really enjoy doing or you probably won't keep it up for any length of time. I belonged to a gym for a few years and thoroughly enjoyed the step aerobics classes they had, plus I actually enjoyed working out on the weight machines. It helped relieve so much stress.

A couple of years ago, my twin girls and I started horseback riding. I had ridden and had horses when I was younger and thought the girls might enjoy it. Well the three of us became really addicted to riding and a few months ago started working at the barn two nights a week for riding privileges, raking aisles, cleaning stalls, watering, etc... plus the riding we get to do. Good old physical labor and we love every minute of it!:D To me it doesn't seem like the dreaded word "exercise" but it is a great work out and I am seeing a lot more toned muscles and feel so much more energetic these days. We have also been taking bike rides along the canal road near us on some of the beautiful sunshiney days we have had recently and have so much fun doing it.

To me the key is to find something, anything that is fun and keeps you moving so you don't feel it is a chore. Mowing the lawn, working out in the garden, taking a hike, swimming, playing volleyball or some other kind of sport. The people with little children, I used to put my oldest daughter on a child seat and take a long bike ride. She loved it as much as I did or when she was real small, I would put her in a Gerry and take long hikes with her, she usually fell asleep with the rhythm of my walk and the fresh air.

I had some trouble last Fall when I hit menopause and was getting really irritable and started gaining a lot of weight. It seemed the more I gained the less I wanted to move. I was totally miserable, cranky and not too great to be around at that time. I wasn't hardly exercising at all just horseback riding once a week. When I realized I wasn't doing myself any good, in fact I was creating a vicious cycle, miserable, weight gain, lethargic, etc... I decided to get my act together and I feel like a different person these days, exercise is such a mood lifter and stress reliever I realized I can't live without it. It is literally saving my mental health and my quality of life. I am so much more limber, confident and happy when I exercise. Wow, I sound like a preacher here and I think I wrote a book. As you can tell I am a little passionate on this subject because I think it is so important for us and it has helped me so much. I am a totally different person when I am exercising and feeling good about myself.

Take care everyone! :D

Beth

I ride too!
 

Hey Beth!

I just read your post and was happy to find a fellow "horse crazy" person! I re-started my horse passion about a year ago after being a young horse crazy person 15ish years ago. It never goes away, does it? ;)

Anyway, I agree that when you find an exercise that you really enjoy, it's a lot easier to keep doing it. Besides the horse activities, which right now I can only do on Fri, Sat, Sun- I love to put my headphones on and walk to music. Gives me a lift! Granted, sometimes during the week, I have to walk really early before my hubby leaves for work (6:30) or after I get home from my job at night (9 or 10). I have a 6 yr old and almost 2 yr old. I also walk my 6 yr old to kindergarden every weekday......I have no choice in that, no 2nd car...but unless it's rainy or whatever.....I "hoof it" LOL!
:)

Hey Ally-oop!

It is nice to see someone else on the message board that likes horses also. I think you are right, once bitten by the horsecrazy bug you never totally get over it no matter how long you stay away from horses. I know a few ladies up at our barn that were away from riding for a while and are now back enjoying it again. I noticed you are living in New Jersey too. Where do you ride? I am riding up in Hillsborough at a stable called Blackhorse. It is very family oriented and there are lots of nice people up there.

Take care,
Beth

Hey Beth--

I ride in Shamong Township, Burlington County (southern NJ). Our barn is called Tails and Trails. (cute, huh? ;)) It's in the Pine Barrens not far from Atco Raceway, if you've ever heard of that. Anyway, I know where Hillsborough is because my SIL lives there. What a nice area! The drive up there for us goes right through Princeton and it's so pretty.

How neat that you share this activity with your girls! I have 2 boys, 6 and 2.

I actually got the confidence to go back to my horse-passion after I lost 30 lbs on WW. I still have much to go, but my instructor is/was so cool with it. I told her right from the get-go and she's been great. I lease one of her horses. I don't own my own. (someday....) She told me she would help me get back those muscles. I remember feeling those @#$%* muscles after I rode the first time! LOL! :eek: It's great exercise, isn't it??

I was like you Ally-oop, I lost a lot of weight about three years ago and decided when I checked into riding for my girls to ride myself and I have never regretted it. My weight went up for a while and is now going down again, but I never stopped riding, it has helped keep me sane. Yes, it is good exercise, I remember the day after my first lesson, I could hardly walk. I think every muscle in my body ached. ;) The girls and I don't own horses right now either, but hope to someday. I love the name of your stable, very creative!:)

The canal road that goes along the river through Princeton and on towards Trenton is a great place to go with bikes or to walk. Sometimes I see horses along the trail. I bet your boys would enjoy it!:D

Hope you have a great weekend. We will be heading up to the barn soon!:wave:

Beth