Well, I’m going to give teh opposite advice from Bear_Nenno - this is what works for me. I had to have a schedule - “after class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I go to the gym” or whatever. Without fail, every time. After a while your body just comes to accept that it isn’t going to get out of it so it might as well go. The reason I’ve fallen off the gym wagon lately is that I haven’t had a schedule, so I think “I could go to the gym” and then I think “Or I could just stay here and sleep in”, and what do you think wins? Sticking to a schedule really worked for me, YMMV. (And generally I am not a big scheduling person, but I needed it for this because I hate working out.)
Another thing that’s a real big help for me is to have a workout buddy. Of course this can backfire if she says “Yeah, I can’t do it today” and you don’t go either. But it’s a lot easier to do it if you know there’s somebody on her way over to your house with her tennis shoes on. I also did better back when I had a friend hwo went with me - we had a rule that once we got in our workout clothes there was no turning back, and that helped too against distractions and diversions along thte way. Now my mom and I are going to try to do it together and come up with a schedule - having your ass kicked by a 63 year old lady helps too.
Although, I don’t have kids, I do have school and two parttime jobs. So I kinda know where you are coming from. Sometimes I am just plain too tired mentally and physically to work out. It helps if I go right to the gym after work/school and not go home. If I go home, I will stay there. Some of the friends I made at the gym help keep me motivated as well as coming back again to chat with them. I make little goals for myself each month as well. Trying to get one more rep at the end of the month or so.
I just want to make it clear that I wasn’t saying to avoid a set schedule or routine, I was saying that they’re not necessary. If a person has a very set weekly schedule already (like Class on M-W-F) then that’s awesome and it’s a good way to place a work out into that routine.
But when someone has an extra Part-Time Job with a sporatic schedule that changes every week, they won’t have the luxary of a routine. But that’s all it really is - a luxary. It’s not needed. But people will be discouraged from working out because they can’t make it a routine. I was just saying to not use that as an excuse. If one has a random, ever-changing schedule, then that person needs to just use their random time gaps to work out.
So we actually agree. A routine is nicer and makes it a little easier to stick with your program. But “I don’t have a stable, static weekly schedule with which to create a work-out routine” is not an excuse. Because it’s not needed.
It’s often said the key to weight loss is Diet and Excercise.
In my opinion, though, it is Diet, Diet, Diet, Diet, and Exercise.
I worked out at least 5 times a week for years, lifting weights, running, treamills, everything. But never lost the gut until I changed the diet.
For me, it was Atkins, and lost 40 lbs in about 6 months, still steady three months later.
I am a believer in excercise, still lift weights (but switched to Karate for the rest as I got too bored running up and down the street), but I gotta tell you that diet is they key. Especially in your case as you are so busy - you don’t need more time to change your diet.
Agreed. Exrecise will make you fit but diet is the only real way to make drastic changes.
Also, since you’re so busy, make sure you’re getting enough sleep. A recent study linked obesity with lack of sleep. If you’re running a sleep deficeit, I’d first make sure you get enough sleep and eat well. Than I’d start adding exercise.
Hey everyone. Thanks for all the tips and words of encouragement.
Bear_Nenno, you ought to be a drill sergeant or a motivational speaker. After I got done reading you post last night I said, “Sir! Yes sir!” and went out for a 45 minute walk/jog.
That is really the crux of my problem. I don’t hate exercise, but when I get off work and think about either working out or going home and sleeping, I get the whole angel/devil-on-the-shoulder-thing, and most of the time, the devil wins.
My secondary problem is I like to eat. I actually eat fairly well (lots of fruit and veggies/no chips or fast food), but I do like to eat…too much obviously. (Also, being originally from Wisconsin, I am genetically predisposed toward liking cheese, a lot.)
[Wallace]Cheese, Gromit! Let’s go somewhere where there’s cheese![/Wallace]
Ok, you said you’re already eating relatively healthy but I’m going to toss this out there just in case.
Don’t drink your calories. Ever. No non-diet sodas, no sugar in your coffee, no orange juice. Limit beer to a “special treat status” if you currently drink it frequently. Don’t drink anything with calories in it, period. Replace all caloric beverages with water and non-caloric beverages (try to focus on water, but it does get boring from time to time).
If you are a man, and accustomed to drinking a couple caloric beverages per day, you could drop 5 lbs over a couple of months without any other changes.
Can I get in on this? I’m trying to get to the gym 4-5 times a week, and I have headphones so I can listen to the tv while I’m striding on the elliptical machine, but I haven’t lost much weight, and I’m getting a bit discouraged.
I don’t really want to get into a religious argument about Atkins, as I still believe the jury is out on the health or even the science of the diet, but I will say this - I didn’t change much at all in my diet to loose the 50 lbs I lost. I exercised a lot more, but the only dietary change I made was to eat smaller amounts more often and never to eat anything less than 3 hours before I went to bed.
I didn’t even cut out ice cream or candy, and still have a hell of a sweet tooth, but I have lost the pounds and kept them off for a year now!
Exercise was and is the key for me, both in keeping weight off and in keeping more healthy and happy overall.
Good on ya Bear_Nenno. I just did 10 pushups and am walking home most of the way after this.
I fell off the wagon about 18 months ago. I need to get back on.
I started boxing again after the last break two weeks ago, only once a week for now, and I feel better aleady.
While working out I always said to people that it was amazing what just 10 push-ups and sit-ups a day could do for someone. Even more if you simply doubled that. Even more if you simply doubled THAT. Even more if you…get the picture.
I seem to have forgotten that advice.
Not anymore. Thanks for the kick in the pants.
The Atkins diet worked for me, but I realize that it is simply a tool, not an answer. I am on it again to get down to my desired weight after gaining back a bit, but know that once there I will simply have to modify my previous diet and continue to exercise. Going back to the way you ate previous to your diet, after finishing your diet, is silly. That’s how you got that way (YMMV)!!!
Distractions: If you can find an old Walkman, and check out some thrillers on cassette tape from your library, you won’t even notice how much your excercise is hurting. It will also make that run/walk go much more quickly.
Small, measureable goals: get a pedometer and set a target number of steps. Don’t sit down at the end of the day until you reach that.
make your excercise have a point: I live by myself, and so I don’t keep a lot of perishable food in my refrigerator. I need to go grocery shopping at once or twice a week and since my grocery store is about 2 miles away, I can bike there and back. Same thing with the library, produce market, and even video store. Between those four destinations, I can get in at least four hours of biking per week.
For me it’s a goal.
I started working out regularly when I set one (triathlon), told everyone I knew that I’d set one, and then I needed to go out and get ready to do it so I wouldn’t face the public humiliation.
Fear of public humiliation is a wonderful motivator, if you’re a certain kind of person
Of course, I’ve also learned since then that when I don’t have a regular goal, I don’t work out. So, I have to keep pushing myself. (e.g., my next big goal is not until next August. I think I worked out 3 times last month - but now, it’s absolutely time to start training again - so I’m back at the gym.)
I’ve never needed to lose weight, but I’ve decided to gain weight during my wife’s pregnancy as a move of solidarity. Of course, all the weight I intend to gain* will be pure muscle (Ha!)
I’ve done both the regular routine thing, and the random workout whenever I can. Both work, but regular classes are much easier motivation-wise, especially if sexy slim classmates abound. If the notion of wasting money disgusts you, you’ve got great incentive.
If your biggest problem is time, you’ve got to sneak workouts into your day a la delphica. Hit the stairs instead of the elevator. Park far, far away from the mall and walk a couple extra blocks (it’s easier to find a spot).
Also, forget about diet initially. You don’t want to start cutting back on calories until you’ve started putting on more muscle mass, because you’ll send your body into famine mode and make it harder to lose fat.
[sub]*Knowing me, this will be 1 pound if I’m lucky ;)[/sub]
Now my mom and I are going to try to do it together and come up with a schedule - having your ass kicked by a 63 year old lady helps too. 