Article: Motivation - Recommitting - anyone with me?

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Article: Motivation - Recommitting - anyone with me?
I started a few weeks ago trying to lose about 40 pounds. Did pretty well for a couple of weeks - drank lots of water, enjoyed salads with miniscule amounts of dressing, snacked on fruits...

Then somehow I misplaced my various big water bottles, the weather got too hot to do much outside, got a few invitations to dinners (including a great Greek buffet)... Well, you can imagine what the scale told me this morning.

So I'm taking another run at it. Time to get back with the program. There must be a water bottle around here someplace.

So, who's with me?
Linda

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I'm with you. What are we going to do about exercising in hot weather, though? If we don't have a plan, we're not going to do it.

Denise

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Hi Linda!!
Yes...I need to recommit as well. I was doing well for the first few weeks on my treadmill, but when its really hot, I just don't have the energy to do it, so I say..ok I will do it double time tomorrow, and of course its hot again and don't do it.
I think I am up to owing 3 hours of walking now And my reason for walking is mostly to increase my bone density.

I see my gyn tomorrow...and I know she is going to ask how the walking is going I can't lie to her. I will just have to pray she doesn't schedule me for another bone density test too soon.

So..yes Linda, starting tonight, I will do my walking, and I vow to keep it up again.
Hugs!!
M

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HI! everyone

Can I join in on getting started once again I started out gung hole for about 2 weeks even drinking all that water putting up with going to the bathroom constantlylost about 8 lbs but started to slip back to my old self not watching what I ate to complaing it is too hot to walk so got to get into some kind of a plan once again so what are we going to do!!!!!!! we all need some motivation

Rita

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Okay, what if we promise to go outside and dump a glass of ice water on ourselves? Once we're wet, we might as well walk.

Denise

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Denise!!
sounds great!! Does it hafta be water??? Couldn't it be hysteritas???? Better yet......we could all take a thermos full of hysteritas on our walks!!! Hey when its hot...ya gotta do whatcha gotta do, right??? Sure we will still be hot......but we won't care!!!!!!

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I rode my bike today. Still hot, but at least it comes with a built-in breeze!

Denise

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Still can't find that quick fix

Went grocery shopping and bought only healthy food, lots of veggies and fruits and some salmon. Exercise is still a problem. I am not even going to look for an easy answer. There isn't one. Just think how great I will feel as I get healthier.

Sheri
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I'm signing the pledge too

I wrote a long thread on why it struck me today too, but yeah I think making the decision over and over is exactly what it's going to take.

Trish

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Wow, ladies. What a lot of positive energy! I'm inspired.

Denise - great idea about needing a plan to deal with the heat. I love to swim, and I'm a member of gym 3 minutes from my house - it has two pools and a spa. Hmmm... let's see... how could I deal with the heat? I keep thinking I should go (duh!), but I feel to fat and mushy. How's that for stupid reasoning - I'm too fat to go the gym.

I just got hired for a part time job, but it doesn't start until September. I'll need to be at work at 7:30 a.m. So I need to get used to getting up early. So either I can get up early and go to the pool, or get up early and walk before it gets hot. And you're not kidding about pouring water over ourselves! I do that whenever I work in the yard - I wear a lose, dark t-shirt, and soak myself down every so often.

We have a exercise bike, too (with a great fan in front of it) - you'd think I could just ride that. But I keep thinking that if I'm going to be that active I should do something productive, like mowing the yard, or cleaning the horse pen. Perhaps I should get over that silliness, and promise myself that if I don't do some other form of exercise during the day, then I need to do a few miles on the bike, as a last resort.

Maria - be careful about feeling you need to do double-time - don't de-motivate yourself by setting your goals too high. If that gets you going, then do it, but don't do it as a way of beating yourself up. One of my main goals is to improve bone density too - what a great reason to work out.

Rita - Sounds like you were doing great! Of course you can join in - we need all the help we can get. Maybe you could try my walking-early-in-the-morning trick, and see if that works for you.

Sheri - Y'know, it's the shopping (or lack thereof) that got me. When I have a bowl of cherries handy, there's no reason to eat junk - but I ran out of good stuff, and went right back to eating everything else. At least, my idea of bad food is whole wheat pasta with sun dried tomatoes in olive oil - not so bad for health generally (I mean, it's not Twinkies...), but I still eat too much of it.

Trish - Great point. You know, some days I think I wake up and go crashing through life, having completely forgotten my commitment to losing weight and getting in good shape. A few days later I snap out of it and wonder what went wrong. Maybe something really simple, like a post-it note on the bathroom mirror, would be an easy way to remind ourselves to make that decision to be healthy every day. I used to have a battery powered plastic pig that you'd put in the 'fridge - it had a light sensor, and whenever you'd open the door it would grunt and oink. I need another one of those.

Sounds like we've got a good (re-)start on it, Sisters! Keep going!

Linda

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Remember Fernando, he is wrong

"It is better to look good than to feel good". Maybe instead of concentrating on how we look we should think about feeling better. I have worked in the field of aging for 20 + years and have seen both good and bad aging. I am so beat down when I think of how awful I look that I just can't muster what it takes to look good again. But if I think about wanting to feel better, no stiffness, creaking bones, or shortness of breath that is more motivating for me. Vainity gets me everytime. I can avoid mirrors and buying clothes but there is no denying how I feel. So I think I will concentrate on getting healthy. Good luck and good health to us all.

Sheri

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such great ideas to get us motivated Trish post really inspired me today as I knew someone else that wouldnt give up and I really needed thatI have made up my mind that I am going to do some kind of exercise every day as I really have a mini gym here(hubbys) I walk in the mornings after working nites but on my days off I want to sleep until nine so then it is too hot but will walk in the mall I decided since I am so close to it I am slowly building myself up at 30 minutes walks a few minutes on the machines at least I feel better about myself now then what I did so gang lets get going whatever works for you do it!!!!!

Rita

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A thought on exercising in hot weather...

I joined a gym because it has swimming pools. But then I was surfing the web and found out a bunch of the local high-schools have pools, and some of them have public hours after school. There are also municiple pools in a lot of places. There's one near here that charges something to get in (like $3-5), but has an annual pass for $100 that would be really economical if you went several times a week.

It's still early here... guess I'd better go out and do something before it gets hot!

Keep up the good work ladies!

p.s. Sheri - You are so right about focusing on health, and how we feel! I know everything I do will be easier without this extra 40 pounds hanging around. And my joints, feet, ankles, etc. will feel better. And then there is my horse - wouldn't it be a nice surprise for her to find she has 40 pounds less to haul around? Guess I'd better go get on that exercise bike, and clean the horse pen (good upper body work!).

Linda

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We Can Do It!

I am with you! I lost 35 lbs. 2 years ago and have kept off 25 lbs. I have an additional 35 to 40 lbs. to loose. Yes, we do have to concentrate first on are health and feeling better. When we loose the weight we will feel and look better. I know that I have to really be aware of what I put in my mouth. I am going to start writing everything I eat down and eating more vegetables, fruit, and drinking the water. I am going to make it a point to walk an hour a day at least 5 days a week. We can do it!

Patty

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Hi Patty,

Good for you. Nice to have more company...

I'm doing merely OK in my fitness quest - drinking plenty of water, eating the right stuff (still too much), but not exercising enough. I've had trouble for years with pain in my hands, wrists, feet, and ankles, which I've assumed (and doctors have told me) is tendonitis. It's been worse lately, so it's hard to get up much enthusiasm for being active. I went to my new GP, but she was useless - just told me to do less and take NSAIDs - no help on *why* I'm having trouble, or if there's any hope of fixing it.

<sigh>

Oh well, there's still plenty of good stuff to do. And I'm looking for a new doctor. Meanwhile, might be time for a nap.

Linda

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me too! me too!

Thought I'd drop by today and low and behold this thread! I want to recommit myself to exercise, eating right too! I have to take antidepressants and am on Paxil. The Paxil works great, but I am one of the rare people that it causes weight gain in. So no matter how much walking, water, portion control, you name it I do; I still can't seem to loose weight! The best I seem to get is a stalemate: no gain, no loss. I know the benefits of exercise, but I keep getting in the "won't work anyway rut!" If all of you can do this in spite of mental obstacles so can I! (And tomorrow I am telling dr. to change my meds! This part is the pits!)
Thanks! Here's to lots of water and a good walk after dinner tonight!
Warmly.
Pam

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Hi Pammy,

You're so right about our minds stopping us. My biggest mental obstacle right now is the distance from here to the "light at the end of the tunnel". It's like, I could have a burrito for lunch *now*, or work hard at losing weight and exercising, and be in great shape by the time I turn 40 (1 year and 8 days from now). Somehow the burritos have been winning out this week...

I guess I need to set much smaller goals. (Achievable ones!) Like losing 5 pounds and walking every day between now and when I start a new job at the start of September. Yeah, that sounds like a good one.

Guess I could start by talking my horse out for a walk right now.

Thanks for the kick in butt.

Linda

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Hi All.

I'm ready to recommit. I have 25 lbs to lose, from when I quit smoking. I'm going to eat fruits and veggies and cottage cheese during the day, and have a lean cusine or a light meal in the evening. I hope I can do it. I've really had trouble losing the weight, and my Dr. thinks I may be hypothyroid (I'm getting tested this week). I exercise 3 - 4 days a week, and have been trying to watch my food intake.

I think I eat for an emotional pick-me-up. I'm just going to have to find other ways to get that gratification.

Carol

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Well I have been a good girl since my last post, and have faithfully been on my treadmill everyday for at least 20 minutes. I know if I don't keep at it I am just going to say forget it, and summer will turn to fall and fall to winter and I will be no further ahead with my bone density issues when I have another test in January.

I really want to see some improvement over last Januarys test, so I just tell myself how lucky I am to have such good doctors who are only recommending this for my own good so that I don't end up all hunched over before I am 50!!

Its still really hard when its very hot, and not alot of us here in Canada have A/C so that makes it worse....unless.....I move my treadmill to my office where it is A/C'd.... Now there's a thought. I could do my walk on my coffee break, and have it done for the day!!

I just wish it wasn't such a chore and was something I enjoyed doing rather than something I HAVE to do.

But I am keeping my pledge to recommit and am very grateful for the support here!!
Keep up the good work ladies....we can do this!!!
M.