I NEED A GOOD HARD SWIFT KICK IN THE BUTT!!!

[OSuzanna]

My biggest problem is exercise, I hate it!

How did you get motivated to start exercising?

What made you finally actually start to like to exercise?

What kind of exercise do you do (minus any kind of equipment, which I can't afford)?

For you full time employed bandsters – when do you exercise (where do you find the time/energy?)?

I know this has probably been around the forum block a lot, but where can I find a good exercise journal – I'm hoping keeping a log of some sort will help me.

Thanks,

Suzie

[jhawkchick75]

Completely understand. Now that it's been long enough I really need to get to working out again. Most people don't like it, but they say it takes 2 weeks to form a habit, so if you can push yourself to work out for 2 weeks, I know in the past when I got in a good routine after a while if I missed out then I just didn't feel right the rest of the day.

Also, try to find things that you enjoy. I have found a few dance dvd's that I like that help the time go by faster. Also, for me I get on my treadmill which isn't so exciting but I watch TV while i'm on it and it makes time go by so much faster. But I do have to be careful b/c I am prone to trip on the treadmill if i'm not paying attention!

Another nice thing about watching TV on the treadmill is I am multi-tasking. There are times I don't want to work out, but I tell myself I can be doing the same thing (watching TV) but do it on the treadmill and that helps.

Again, find things you like and try to incorporate that. Good luck!

[nothereanymore]

Hello Suzie,

I really didn’t like to exercise at first and needed to have someone help me get motivated and teach me how to stick to a program, and how to exercise in a way that would most benefit my body type.

What I did was hire a personal trainer, it did cost a bit but like the band, I made an investment in it and I changed my diet with it. I then made an investment in a personal trainer so I could change the shape of my body and loose more by exercise. And it wasn’t that expensive, I think I paid about $30 per session and did 10 to get me started. (So I did invest $300) Once a week with the trainer and 3 times a week on my own. It wasn’t fun at first – but you really just have to make it a habit and do it. After a few months I was set – and could see the benefits so I didn’t want to stop. I also did not buy any equipment; I joined a club for $19 a month and used theirs. The reason, I didn’t know what I would like to keep me motivated – and didn’t want to invest in some piece I wasn’t going to use.

I exercise right after work – I just run into the gym and do 20 minutes cardio and 25 to 30 minutes on weights. I also dance once or twice a week on my own at home. Just to move my assl

I don’t keep a journal, I work out with a friend and its just part of my life now like brushing my teeth. If you have to give up something else to do this – do it. This will benefit your health in so many ways, mentally and physically.

You really just have to create the habit, whether you get into tapes, (which was hard for me at first – I needed someone to push my fat ass and my personal trainer did – I owe a lot to him)

All the best, but start as soon as you can, join one of those clubs to work out if possible, there’s so many specials going on right now that you can get in really cheap to many of them.

Lisa

[tnm75]

I haven't started working out yet, except for several small walks each day. But, I did just purchase a treadmill that should be here in a week or so. An option might be to look on craigslist... this time of year, there will be tons of people selling old equipment because Christmas brings new equipment. I have a full-time desk job. It's time consuming and my 7 hour contracted day can turn into 10+ hours easily. At lunch I have been walking around the building. When I can workout aggressively, I will make sure to put time aside each day to exercise. I figure that I'll have extra time because I won't be eating constantly. It is more of getting into the habit. Perhaps we could start an exercising thread where we can share ideas. Good luck.

Kristy

[Amanda2008]

the best thing about exercise is listening to music for me! If you don't have an iPod or mp3 player, get one immediately. It helps the time fly by.

I love to walk, mainly.

[bigali]

I started walking on the weekend about 1 mile then I increased to 2 miles and so on. Now I have been banded for 6 months and I am up to 6 miles but I also do exercises 5 times a week at 5:00 a.m at the gym. I guess what motivated me to do more and stay with it was watching the pounds fall off. I lost 84 pounds in 5 1/2 months. Now that is worth getting up at 5:00 a.m and going to the gym.

[CindyLou]

hey, we don't live too far from each other.. PM me if you'd like to meet up sometime to walk....

[JazzyJude]

My biggest problem is exercise, I hate it!

How did you get motivated to start exercising?

What made you finally actually start to like to exercise?

What kind of exercise do you do (minus any kind of equipment, which I can't afford)?

For you full time employed bandsters – when do you exercise (where do you find the time/energy?)?

I know this has probably been around the forum block a lot, but where can I find a good exercise journal – I'm hoping keeping a log of some sort will help me.

Thanks,

Suzie

For some, this is a real sore subject! BUT, it is one of the biggest contributors to losing weight. You asked what motivates me? I spent a lot of hard earning money for this surgery and I was going to focus on whatever it takes to get this band journey going smoothly, and exercising is part of it.

I use a daily journal. My one page (8" x 11") includes what I eat, how much water I drank, what my feelings are, my small reachable goals, and what exercises I've done for the day. This is what keeps me going and helps tract my record as how I am doing. If I had a good day, then I put a star on the top right hand corner of the page, for future reference.

I HATED walking...just plain hated it because it was oh so B-O-R-I-N-G! BUT, that has changed! I got me a iPod and listened to music (like Bigali) while I am walking at my own pace. I started with just 20 minutes and that was it...then i went to 1 miles, then build up to a minumum of 5 miles a day! I did this all within 2 weeks. I knew if I was going to have any success, I couldn't just sit and 'let it happen'...I had to do the work ~ plain and simple. BUT, I didn't want to spend oodles of money either! I did have a few light aerobics and dancing videos and just recently bought a couple of "in house" waling videos.

As a full time working bandster, I get up between 3 and 330 am and start my 'walking' in front of my tv with the video for about an hour. Take a shower and get ready for work by 630am. After work , I walk around the neighborhood/park for about 1 to 2 hours and then I walk again in my bedroom in front of the tv for an hour more. At work, since I have my own office, I do the Shapely Secrets exercises, which I saw on TV informercial. During my morning break or lunch, I do my pilate "Magic Cirle" exercises for the arms and chest. And in the afternoon break, I do the "wall or counter" push ups as well. These all takes less than 10 minautes to do...so to me, it was doable and it's effective since I've dropped from size 24 to 18 since Sept, when I signed up for the surgery.

The weekends, in addition to my walking, I do one of those videos on light aerobics and dancing (Richard Simmons has some good ones! LOL). It's fun and I can take my time doing it.

Eventually, I may get a personal trainer, but not just yet, but this is me. Also, I do belong to Bally's Health Fitness Club but right now, I don't feel comfy going there just yet. I am only a little over 2 months out from surgery and I can't do a full swing, hard core exercise program until after my 3 months post op. So, I will have to be patience and wait on that. Then I will get back to doing exercises on FitTV with Gilad in Bodies in Motions and Body Scupting, starting at 3am. Both these are 30 minute segments are really good and really get me the energy to start my day. Turbo Jam and some kick boxing, which are invigorating and really gets your heart going, are a couple of other ones I will do too.

So, really, everyone has their own way to exercies. I prefer videos and walking and that is within anyone's budget right now.

Hope this helps you!

[LoriBecky]

ok... Jude, may i just say WOW... =D> you are my inspiration! You go girl!

[SlimColaGirl]

Cycling is the best exercise EVER! I recommend it to everyone. I'm not talking about spandex shorts racing $6000 specialty bike cycling, but rather more practical urban cycling and bicycle touring. I started seriously a year ago and now have about 2 years under my belt. I can ride in the street along cars and everything now. I use it to commute to work, go to the museum on the weekends, run all my errands (laundry, light grocery shopping, etc.), and leisure. My husband and I got foldable bikes last year and we can pop them into the trunk and take them across the bay to ride around in another part of town. Foldable bikes are also legal to carry on most public transit and they're fun as hell. If you don't have foldable bikes, you can put different attachments on your car for transport. You don't have to spend a lot of money despite what you might think. A couple hundred dollars will get you a decent second hand bike, or even less. Or you can dust off that old bike you have in the garage and take it in for a tuneup. :-)

I love cycling. It's low impact, definitely NOT boring and you get better at it as you lose weight. It feels like you're flying and you get to see more of your neighborhood and all the great scenery. One of my biggest motivating factors in getting the band is so I can more easily tackle the San Francisco hills and take longer trips outside of town. Finishing a 150 mile scenic bike tour from San Francisco to Sonoma County (Waves to Wine) is one of my major goals for next year. I cannot wait! Sorry I know I sound like some kind of cycling nut/nerd, but I've fallen head over heels for it. You don't have to go fast and it doesn't even feel like exercising half the time, so it's a great way to get light/moderate fitness into your life without even thinking about it. If you want a heavier workout, just go faster or find the nearest series of hills.

Our car culture in this country works directly against us lapbanders and other overweight people. You could say it's the single biggest contributing factor to our problem, right beside HUGE portions we eat. They are making strides across the country to improve bicycle lanes and bike commuting safety for people that want to live healthier lifestyles and stop driving their SUVs a half mile to the fast food drive thru. Get ridin! :-D