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July 23, 2005 4:37 PM Subscribe
I've gained 30+ lbs due to laziness. What's gotten you motivated to lose the weight?
Ready for another stab at the gym (have done so twice over the last 5 years, losing those 30 lbs of lazyweight each time). I hated it, though. Has anyone adopted an exercise routine (strength and or cardio) that has worked every day? I have a method that's worked before but I really want to make this a daily routine to keep t3h fatness away.
Ready for another stab at the gym (have done so twice over the last 5 years, losing those 30 lbs of lazyweight each time). I hated it, though. Has anyone adopted an exercise routine (strength and or cardio) that has worked every day? I have a method that's worked before but I really want to make this a daily routine to keep t3h fatness away.
I've found that taking classes is more motivating for cardio than just boring myself to tears on an elliptical.
Also, I keep all my shower stuff at the gym and shower there, so unless I want greasy hair, I have to go. While I'm there I might as well get a little exercise.
posted by duck at 4:58 PM on July 23, 2005
Also, I keep all my shower stuff at the gym and shower there, so unless I want greasy hair, I have to go. While I'm there I might as well get a little exercise.
posted by duck at 4:58 PM on July 23, 2005
Holy cow, those pictures are amazing. If I hadn't seen the progression, I wouldn't have believed it was the same guy.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:17 PM on July 23, 2005 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:17 PM on July 23, 2005 [1 favorite]
Best answer: When I first started out I kept myself out of the boredom rut by bringing a book - this was the only 30 minutes of free-reading time I was allowed at the time, owing to work, classes, life, and that kept me going until I was at the point where I wanted to go even if I had other free time for reading.
posted by whatzit at 5:27 PM on July 23, 2005
posted by whatzit at 5:27 PM on July 23, 2005
nj_subgenius,
Your comment about hating your previous program says it all. My answer is to poke around and find an interest in which fitness plays a part, e.g. cycling, trail running, climbing, or even jogging. As far as I can tell Schaeffer Farms is in your town. You could always rent a bike at the local shop and give mountain biking a whirl.
My point here is that if you can get passionate about something that gets your heart going, you'll be inclined to do it often and reap the benefits.
(One more thing. When you start your mission, remember that you don't have to strain to the point of discomfort to get fit. IINAD, but sudden intense physical activity can make you hate working out and cause injury.)
posted by ArcAm at 5:31 PM on July 23, 2005
Your comment about hating your previous program says it all. My answer is to poke around and find an interest in which fitness plays a part, e.g. cycling, trail running, climbing, or even jogging. As far as I can tell Schaeffer Farms is in your town. You could always rent a bike at the local shop and give mountain biking a whirl.
My point here is that if you can get passionate about something that gets your heart going, you'll be inclined to do it often and reap the benefits.
(One more thing. When you start your mission, remember that you don't have to strain to the point of discomfort to get fit. IINAD, but sudden intense physical activity can make you hate working out and cause injury.)
posted by ArcAm at 5:31 PM on July 23, 2005
What's been motivating me lately is keeping track of the calories & fat. It sounds hard but I made it "fun" for myself by putting together an excel spreadsheet with a dashboard that gives me all kinds of neat realtime data on how it's going:
What makes this easy for me is that a) it's true what they say about small changes making a difference. As long as you're aware of what you're eating, it's trivial to cut out a few hundred calories a day here and there. and b) lots of days you come in under goal, and the spreadsheet shows you how those "free calories" accumulate (agg cal over/under). I can pig out a fair amount and not wreck the diet, because I have the big picture, which tells me i'm still doing fine.
Anybody wants this spreadsheet drop me an email, happy to share.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 5:32 PM on July 23, 2005
What makes this easy for me is that a) it's true what they say about small changes making a difference. As long as you're aware of what you're eating, it's trivial to cut out a few hundred calories a day here and there. and b) lots of days you come in under goal, and the spreadsheet shows you how those "free calories" accumulate (agg cal over/under). I can pig out a fair amount and not wreck the diet, because I have the big picture, which tells me i'm still doing fine.
Anybody wants this spreadsheet drop me an email, happy to share.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 5:32 PM on July 23, 2005
Heh...having a mandatory fitness program is what finally motivated me to hit the gym -- and I'm seeing results, too. For the first time in about six years, I have to wear a belt with my jeans, and people are starting to remark that I'm looking slimmer.
For me, music was the key -- having an MP3 player is critical. Also changing the routine -- sometimes walking the track, sometimes elliptical, sometimes bike, sometimes treadmill.
posted by davidmsc at 5:56 PM on July 23, 2005
For me, music was the key -- having an MP3 player is critical. Also changing the routine -- sometimes walking the track, sometimes elliptical, sometimes bike, sometimes treadmill.
posted by davidmsc at 5:56 PM on July 23, 2005
Motivation to lose weight--Fear, vanity but much much more important--the crushing realization that I was not running my own life--One day I had an overwhelming feeling of despair and disgust with myself that I was making all these small decisions that I knew, at the very moment I made them, were conterproductive and sustained by denial and rationalization--I have no idea exactly where or what percipitated those feeling but I did an absolute turn around in terms of weight, exercise and smoking--I run or bike every day and have kept the weight off for 30 years--I think the secret to exercise is to commitment a certain amout of time (40-60 minutes) to it every day and then do it-whether you run,bike, walk play tennis, lift weights , swim and any combination do something every day--there is no excuse--Good Luck
posted by rmhsinc at 6:07 PM on July 23, 2005
posted by rmhsinc at 6:07 PM on July 23, 2005
What's been motivating me lately is keeping track of the calories & fat. It sounds hard but I made it "fun" for myself by putting together an excel spreadsheet with a dashboard that gives me all kinds of neat realtime data on how it's going:
This wheel has nicely been invented at
Fitday. There's a little extra work on the front end to log your calories, but after you've done it a week or two your recurring food choices are on "recent foods".
posted by Miko at 6:13 PM on July 23, 2005
This wheel has nicely been invented at
Fitday. There's a little extra work on the front end to log your calories, but after you've done it a week or two your recurring food choices are on "recent foods".
posted by Miko at 6:13 PM on July 23, 2005
Jeez...I am not playing well with "Live PReview" yet.
Let's try: Fitday.
posted by Miko at 6:14 PM on July 23, 2005
Let's try: Fitday.
posted by Miko at 6:14 PM on July 23, 2005
Have you tried Spin classes?
For me the key has been finding an exercise program I liked AND paying attention to my intake. As for motivation, once I got the momentum going, the motivation took over.
posted by konolia at 6:55 PM on July 23, 2005
For me the key has been finding an exercise program I liked AND paying attention to my intake. As for motivation, once I got the momentum going, the motivation took over.
posted by konolia at 6:55 PM on July 23, 2005
One of the major reasons that I've recently started a weight loss "program" is the dull routine of live with a 9-5 job and no family. I basically have nothing to do in the afternoon-evening so I hit the gym every day, that way I can feel like I'm accomplishing something even if it doesn't affect anyone else.
Another reason is that I hit my highest weight ever, and started noticing new stretch marks, which freaked me out.
I also have to ride my bike every where since my driver's license is suspended. I started noticing changes in my legs right away, and I wanted to see the effect every day.
My strategy so far as been to basically eat 1200 or so calories of pure junk food a day (like candy bars and shit) and then go for an hour on the elliptical, burning off about 1000 calories. I've lost about 22 pounds since July 13th.
It's probably not all that healthy, but damned if it's not working :P
Just sucks that it's been so hot around here the past few days making the bike ride to the gym and back a pain, and making me way less efficient on the elliptical. It should be cooling off a bit next week.
posted by delmoi at 7:40 PM on July 23, 2005
Another reason is that I hit my highest weight ever, and started noticing new stretch marks, which freaked me out.
I also have to ride my bike every where since my driver's license is suspended. I started noticing changes in my legs right away, and I wanted to see the effect every day.
My strategy so far as been to basically eat 1200 or so calories of pure junk food a day (like candy bars and shit) and then go for an hour on the elliptical, burning off about 1000 calories. I've lost about 22 pounds since July 13th.
It's probably not all that healthy, but damned if it's not working :P
Just sucks that it's been so hot around here the past few days making the bike ride to the gym and back a pain, and making me way less efficient on the elliptical. It should be cooling off a bit next week.
posted by delmoi at 7:40 PM on July 23, 2005
What I found was that any exercise program, no matter how motivating it originally was, eventually became stale - especially if it required leaving home. I finally decided to get a stationary bike (magnetic so that it is relatively quiet). I haven't been using it much during the summer because there is no air conditioning in the apartment, and it gets a little too hot, but I used it regularly in the fall/winter/spring - I just pull it up to the TV, and rather than being a couch potato, I'm a bike potato. It's pretty hard to say you haven't got time to watch TV when you watch a few regular weekly shows, so the lack of time excuse for not exercising wastes away. It's the one exercise program that I expect (hope) I won't have too much difficulty picking up again when the weather cools down.
posted by birdsquared at 7:42 PM on July 23, 2005
posted by birdsquared at 7:42 PM on July 23, 2005
Forget exercise. Well, not forget exactly, but don't worry about it. Try the South Beach Diet. It worked great for me; I've lost 65 lb. since Jan. 1 this year. I'm 42 and back to my high school weight. I didn't start exercise until I was 20-30 lb. into the weight loss thing.
</SouthBeachShill>
posted by Doohickie at 9:14 PM on July 23, 2005
</SouthBeachShill>
posted by Doohickie at 9:14 PM on July 23, 2005
Wow, those pictures are freaky. And funny, when you see how dark or light he is depending on the season.
posted by randomstriker at 11:02 PM on July 23, 2005
posted by randomstriker at 11:02 PM on July 23, 2005
I'm with Doohickie about the South Beach thing. If you don't want to read the book (and diet books, as a genre, can be fairly off-putting) try a website like SB101. I had to lose about 30 lbs, too, and I found that just shaking myself out of a snacking rut by trying different grazing material made a HUGE difference. You may also discover that there are healthier, and tastier, alternatives to the things you consume out of habit. This site is also a good resource. Just remember to drink lots of water, and find an excercise you can live with. A friend gave me an old treadmill, and while I'm walking I catch up w/ the news on the radio or mp3. I hate gyms, too. But whatever works.
Hey Doohickie! 12 lbs to go-- thnx for the inspiration, man!
posted by maryh at 11:43 PM on July 23, 2005
Hey Doohickie! 12 lbs to go-- thnx for the inspiration, man!
posted by maryh at 11:43 PM on July 23, 2005
The thing that's worked for me: Large bets.
Seriously.
I'm down 20 pounds so far, and it's all been diet and exercise type lifestyle changes that will be easy to maintain long after the bets have been lost or won.
posted by mosch at 1:24 AM on July 24, 2005
Seriously.
I'm down 20 pounds so far, and it's all been diet and exercise type lifestyle changes that will be easy to maintain long after the bets have been lost or won.
posted by mosch at 1:24 AM on July 24, 2005
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for your advice. jamesonandwater's link is remarkable.
posted by nj_subgenius at 5:48 AM on July 24, 2005
posted by nj_subgenius at 5:48 AM on July 24, 2005
The fact that I've just found out that I have extremely high blood pressure and diabetes. Other than that..oh and the fact that I don't really want to die just yet....but that's it...
posted by damnitkage at 5:55 AM on July 24, 2005
posted by damnitkage at 5:55 AM on July 24, 2005
What motivated me was the onset of discomfort, while I was lying on my side (due to the 'spare tire' digging in). Vanity and health were factors too, of course -- I don't want to wind up obese, and it's a slippery slope, once you're fat. As I was already in an acceptable exercise program (every other day at the gym is fine; no need to set unrealistic goals) I knew the solution was less calories, so for me what it really came down to was learning to tolerate being hungry -- reading Barry Sears' "Zone" books helped also although I never actually followed that diet.
posted by Rash at 1:31 PM on July 24, 2005
posted by Rash at 1:31 PM on July 24, 2005
I found things that I enjoyed doing, and then did them alot. For example, I like biking. Now I bike to work whenever possible.
posted by drezdn at 3:47 PM on July 24, 2005
posted by drezdn at 3:47 PM on July 24, 2005
I guess the problem with negative weight gain is that you're going to have to either restrict caloric intake or spend more calories every day.
Can you locomote daily instead of using self-powered vehicles? Instead of taking the bus to work, maybe cycle or jog? For meals, instead of a burger, replace it with a sandwich or better yet, a salad? Instead of an afternoon snack, drink some water?
I figure that spending calories takes work, while not intaking them is a lot less so eating less, chronically, is going to be easier than making the effort to burn those calories.
I envy you people who can just stuff calorie after calorie into you. I'm trying to gain weight but it's been frustratingly slow because I.can't.stuff.enough.calories.into.my.gullet.every.bloody.day.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 9:02 PM on July 24, 2005
Can you locomote daily instead of using self-powered vehicles? Instead of taking the bus to work, maybe cycle or jog? For meals, instead of a burger, replace it with a sandwich or better yet, a salad? Instead of an afternoon snack, drink some water?
I figure that spending calories takes work, while not intaking them is a lot less so eating less, chronically, is going to be easier than making the effort to burn those calories.
I envy you people who can just stuff calorie after calorie into you. I'm trying to gain weight but it's been frustratingly slow because I.can't.stuff.enough.calories.into.my.gullet.every.bloody.day.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 9:02 PM on July 24, 2005
Getting engaged finally kicked me into gear. I've lost almost 30 pounds in almost 5 months and am aiming for another 20 by the wedding date in early November. I've gotten discouraged at times lately and I gotta admit, looking at pictures of myself from a) +29 pounds ago and b) 10 or so years ago, when I was thinner but still thought of myself as overweight, helps motivate me.
When it comes to sticking with it, I highly recommend giving yourself one day a week where you don't stick to your "diet". You'll appreciate those meals much more and you won't go insane from being deprived.
posted by JT at 12:59 AM on July 25, 2005
When it comes to sticking with it, I highly recommend giving yourself one day a week where you don't stick to your "diet". You'll appreciate those meals much more and you won't go insane from being deprived.
posted by JT at 12:59 AM on July 25, 2005
I recommend getting involved in races in whatever your cardio is. For me it's running, and I've been able to stick with my running for longer than ever before by pretty much always having a race a little ways in the future to think about. This moves the workouts toward something I'm doing for a purpose-training to race-that seems more motivating to me than just losing weight.
posted by OmieWise at 6:03 AM on July 25, 2005
posted by OmieWise at 6:03 AM on July 25, 2005
The main thing that motivated me to lose 45 lbs was that I began to get plantar fasciitis (severe heel pain) due to hauling around 175 lbs on a 5'3" frame. I also began to feel really, really unattractive. Also, it's difficult to shop for plus sizes when you're short. I began by cycling, which is something I've always enjoyed, 4-5 times a week for 45 mins to an hour. After I lost weight initially I began running as a change of pace, so to speak, and then, when I had lost enough weight to not feel self-conscious in the gym, started regular weight training. Oh, and I also quit smoking.
My experience is that it really does have to be a lifestyle change, which can be a drag if you like sitting around in bars. But hey, who wants to be just another fat slob sitting around a bar?
posted by scratch at 6:47 AM on July 25, 2005
My experience is that it really does have to be a lifestyle change, which can be a drag if you like sitting around in bars. But hey, who wants to be just another fat slob sitting around a bar?
posted by scratch at 6:47 AM on July 25, 2005
I third Doohickie and maryh on the South Beach suggestion.
My 6'1" self gained about 35 lbs of beer belly and manboobs in the past few years of college, mostly from not giving a damn about what food I ate, and eating when I was bored. Having always been pretty skinny, I just said to myself one day "screw it", and a friend at work and I decided to start the South Beach thing.
Long story short; I've gone from 190 to 172 in the last month, following the surprisingly tolerable confines of Phase 1 and 2 of the South Beach Diet. Save for moving, I've not engaged in any formal exercise yet, and I honestly don't even feel like I'm on a "diet". My goal is 160 lbs, with some sort of regular exercise thrown in for good measure at some point.
Dieting alone is never as effective as diet+exercise, but South Beach still rocks my ass off. Literally.
posted by porntips guzzardo at 12:09 PM on July 25, 2005
My 6'1" self gained about 35 lbs of beer belly and manboobs in the past few years of college, mostly from not giving a damn about what food I ate, and eating when I was bored. Having always been pretty skinny, I just said to myself one day "screw it", and a friend at work and I decided to start the South Beach thing.
Long story short; I've gone from 190 to 172 in the last month, following the surprisingly tolerable confines of Phase 1 and 2 of the South Beach Diet. Save for moving, I've not engaged in any formal exercise yet, and I honestly don't even feel like I'm on a "diet". My goal is 160 lbs, with some sort of regular exercise thrown in for good measure at some point.
Dieting alone is never as effective as diet+exercise, but South Beach still rocks my ass off. Literally.
posted by porntips guzzardo at 12:09 PM on July 25, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
As far as routines, I do three evenings strength and love it but found it difficult to stick to cardio because I hate running and other gym-based stuff. When I figured out that tennis and boxing count as cardio too I was all set. Just find something you really enjoy and can do with friends/family/other half and you'll stick to it.
posted by jamesonandwater at 4:55 PM on July 23, 2005