I am a new listener to Fat 2 Fit Radio podcast and love it.
The idea of eating to be the healhy weight you want has changed the way I think about "Diets" and I have lost almost 10 lbs just by tracking my calories and being aware of my food intake.
My problem is that although I understand the health risks of being overweight, and ALL the various benefits of exercise - I can't seem to get or stay motivated to reach any fitness goals.
Knowledge does not get me off my butt and moving. The difference this time on my journey is I am not giving up.
I guess what I need from the support group is some tough love.
Any suggestions or support will be much appreciated.
Thank you,
Laura

Hey Laura, welcome to Traineo!
There's two aspects of a healthy being, being a healthy weight, and having a healthy body. So you're working on getting your weight under control by changing your eating habits, great! But now you need to take care of the rest of your body by becoming active enough to strengthen your cardiovascular system. Find some activities that you like to do, then make goals based on those activities. You can check out programs tailored to beginners like the Couch to 5k for an easy self paced training program designed to get you up and moving.

Hey Matt,
My problem is I have never been athletic and don't enjoy cardio at all. The thought of a 5K sounds like punishment. I like yoga and weight bearing exercise, but that doesn't help my cardio endurance or melt much fat. Typically after weeks of weight training I give up because I don't see results.
I noticed that you've lost a considerable amount of weight...can I ask what motivated you in the beginning and what kept you on track?
Thanks for the welcome and support

Laura you should do some body weight circuits. They help build muscle and build up your cardiovascular endurance. Do each of the exercises in 30 seconds and transition
immediately into the next movement. Rest for 1 min and then perform the set 2 more time for a total of 3 times.

Jumping Jacks
Jump Squats
Pushups
Crunches
Mountain Climbers
Burpees

Hope this helps and good luck!

Laura,

I also started out with a ton of weight to lose and never been very interested in exercising. I actually started with cardio and made myself a promise that I would go everyday for 30 days for 30 minutes. I hated it for the first few weeks, but it got easier and by the time the 30 days were up, it was a lot easier to do.

I didn't really see results personally for a very long time. Other people would see it, but I was blind for almost half a year. I ended up focusing more on the scale than appearance during that period. I think the key is to find something that is changing as you work out whether it be weight, body measurements, how fast you can run in a minute or any short term goal that shows the changes you made.

Good luck
Genevieve

Hi Laura!

Nice name, by the way. 5K does sound like a punishment, or it did to me, until I trained for it. I'm like you, yoga and weight bearing-ly gifted. While training for 5K takes most people 8-10 weeks, it took me more like 4-6 months. I could walk miles, but jog them? No way!

I used the Podrunner 5K interval training, with obvious repeats of the more horrendous weeks. As I progressed, I thought, "This is horrible, I'm never getting better at running and it's always gruelling. I hate this!" That is, until I had to use an earlier week's shorter podcast due to that day's time constraints. What seemed difficult during week 4 was easy in week 6. Progress!

I've not lost an ounce in the past year of running, but have run 4 5K races so far. My next one is October 4th. It'll be tough, since I'm letting my Achilles tendons heal a little and not training as much, but fun. I love always pushing to be even a second faster than the prior race. I'd never thought I'd ever want or be able to call myself a runner, but there you go!

Laura

"Training" and 5K's and treadmills all feel like torture to me too. The way I go about it is to listen to music while I go for a walk. At first I timed my walks so that when I simply went for "a walk" I would know that I'd gone as long as my goal was.
So, instead of "exercising" I went for a pleasant walk that happened to be 30minutes long (or 20 or 10min - whatever). Then I would use energetic music to help make sure that I would walk briskly. It didn't take long for the fact that walking made me feel better, even when I didn't want to go, to sink in and this made it easier to motivate myself because when I didn't want to go I could tell myself (and believe it) that I would end up enjoying it once I was going.
I also dance in my living room for "exercise." At first it feels weird and I may not feel like doing it, but if I use really lively music that I like, before long I am enjoying it. If I put on a cute dress (so that I will not overheat) and see myself in the mirror I feel even more motivated because I don't look so bad when I'm moving in a fun way wearing a flattering dress.
For me music is key - and there is a lot of evidence showing how music makes us move. Even having lively music on while picking up around the house helps me burn "stealth" calories because I can't help but move in an upbeat way and even add in a few dance steps along the way.
But if you're looking for a cerebral way to motivate yourself - there's always the "what would I do if there was a disaster and I was not fit enough to save myself (or loved ones)" That question is motivating for me - it brings fitness to the survival level.
But if you think exercise is torture I think tricking your brain is the way to go - find something active that you do enjoy - anything - and you will be on the road to better endurance and burning more calories.
My favorite is to go on hikes. Where I live there are gently rolling hills. I timed how long various trail routes at my nearby State Park take me, then I just go for a hike on the trail route that I have time for and I am not thinking about exercise at all but about the beauty around me. And if I stoop down to take pictures of flowers along the way I'm getting even more exercise.
My endurance and stamina increased over time as I continued walking, dancing and hiking (I don't need the music when I hike) and now I feel strong and able bodied which is a fantastic reward!!!
But I still loath the idea of jumping jacks, 5K's and treadmills!!!
Good luck. Be gentle with yourself and make it enjoyable however it works for you.
-terry

I second that hiking idea. Up hills and down. Rain or shine. It isn't exercise, it's just fun outdoors. I started out doing geocaching. Using a GPSr to find hidden containers outdoors. Kind of a treasure hunt. Then I wanted to find one that was really hard to get to. The next thing I knew I was hiking 8-10 miles on all day hikes and having lots of fun taking photos. Then I went on an overnight backpack trip in Yosemite. Now I am trying to lose the weight of my backpack so I can carry my pack more easily. Find a fun activity. Line dancing, hiking, swiming etc. Anything you enjoy doing is the way to go. You get exercise without even trying.