Advise on Exercisig

I get up at 5:15 to use my elliptical machine. My husband gets up at 6am and my kids get up at 6:45am. I also have a stepper in my living room that I use every night when I'm watching TV. I also keep track of my food on caloriecount.com so I don't overeat. Not to say I don't have dessert once in a while but it is logged and I eat healthy food so I eat dessert.

One of my motivators is being able to watch Neflix or catch up on shows on my tablet while I use my elliptical. I will stay on the machine longer when I want to watch the end.

We also go on a lot of bike rides in the summer as a family. I like to dance with my kids too. :)

Hi M.,
I applaud you for being interesting in exercising! Exercising is important, it makes you healthy and help you to live longer without aches and pains. What motivates me to jog or run is just being and feel healthy for my loved ones, my kids, my husband,( and I am not going to lie, I like to look attractive for him!). that's all. Besides, having an exercise routine gives you LOTS of energy and when you get used to it, it becomes part of your lifestyle.
I home school my kids (8am-1pm) and then we go to their activities/sports, but I do start my day at 6:30, I have a smoothie, lots of water and I go outside to run/jog for about 40 min while they get ready (treadmill during bad weather). Before having kids, I was working, so I would start my day normally and during lunch time I would go to the closest gym I had and step up on a treadmill for 30 min., and when it was not possible, I would run around the block with my husband after getting home and before dinner.
I know you can do it, just do not think "big", think of doing small steps and consider the following:

Getting a DVD about stretching (good start for beginners!) and do it every morning just 15 min every day, then you start with something more like walking, jogging or even swimming at least 3 times a day for 30 min. (not less than 30 min.)
Clean up your pantry and refrigerator; take away the junk and buy lots of fruits and veggies.
Eat 3 meals a day + 2 snacks and whenever you feel hungry, have almonds, walnuts or pecans handy and get a handful (just a handful!) of those with a glass of water and a fruit.
Replace milk with almond milk (vanilla, or chocolate flavor , these will satisfy your cravings for sugar)
Eat BEFORE you go grocery shopping or a party,
Go to bed early and have dinner 2 hours before going to sleep
Do not eat cereal bars, most of them are nasty for losing weight! They are full of sugar, sodium and ingredients you do not need to lose weight.
If you have the chance get any kitchen aid easy to clean (because that encourages you to use it!) and have smoothies, or natural juices, but do not have only fruit juices, always include greens (spinach do not taste if you mix it with other fruits and it is very good for your health!!).
You can have sandwiches when you don't have the time to cook, but choose just whole grain breads.
Have soups (from scratch!) they are filling and nutritious, you can find tasty recipes online but look for healthy recipes.
I wish you luck, you CAN do it!

A. :)

Yes, I exercise all the time. What motivates me? The glow on my face afterward and the positive feelings and good mood that exercising creates.

I am NOT motivated by the idea that I'm going to have a Victoria's Secret body. Never have, never will. I am, however, in pretty good shape.

If you are depressed, exercise is the first thing you need to be doing. Get off FB and work out instead. It will be worth it.

Kick start your exercise by doing it every day for one hour for three days, and I will be very surprised if your mood isn't a lot better after those 3 days. Then, 4 days/week minimum.

Good luck.

Try to take a walk every morning for 20-30 minutes.
Wake up, drink some water or tea, walk around the block, then hit the shower and get ready for your day.
It gives your metabolism a lift that stays with you all day and it'll will help you sleep better at night too.
When you drive anywhere, park further away so you have to walk a bit further to get where you are going.
Use a food diary (MyFitnessPal or SparkPeople - both are free) and track everything that goes into your mouth so you can see where your calories are coming from.
Then you can see where to make improvements - make small changes that you can live with (conquer one problem at a time then don't fall back into old bad habits) rather than trying to do it all at once and not being able to sustain it.
Drink lot's of water.
When you have carbs, make them complex carbs (steel cut oatmeal, whole grain bread, whole grain pasta) so they will digest more slowly and you'll cut down on the sugar peaks and valleys (which cause your cravings).
Don't look at the whole amount you want to lose - just lose 5 lbs at a time.
If you lose 2 lbs per week, it will be slow but steady and you'll be able to keep it off.
Don't do fast food more than once every 2 weeks and then after awhile cut it back to once per month.
When you do, look for the healthier menu options rather than going for the triple decker heart attack on a bun - try the unbreaded chicken sandwich.
Eat your meals slowly so you have a chance to digest and realize you are not hungry before you eat more than you need to.
See your doctor and ask his advice.
I don't know if you'll see 116 lbs again.
But just dropping 20 or 30 lbs will help you feel a lot better.

exercise is fine and dandy, but if its your weight you want to fix, you will need to focus on the food part. I recommend an 8 week plant based diet (only fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and limited fats) No dairy, meat, sugar, processed foods or oils, to get over cravings, then from there count calories.
But all of what i've mentioned takes commitment. Some sort of support system and accountability would be good.

I do exercise. Once I got the thumbs up from my doctor after having baby #2, I slowly got back into it. I am not a skinny Minnie and I am 100% fine with that. Before I got pregnant, I was doing high intensity workouts and weight training and was in the best shape of my life (even with cellulite!). Do I struggle with motivation? You bet I do. I too work full time leaving my kids at daycare at 6:45am and picking them up at 4:30. I always felt better after working out. My biggest motivation is my kids and my husband. I want to be the best possible version of myself not only for me but my family. I want to run around with my kids and not feel winded. I want them to remember how involved i was with them. And like you, I struggled with depression for decades. After years of therapy and medication, I found the proper balance in my life and am no longer taking medication.
Like you, I LOVE FAST FOOD…..but in moderation. Saturday is our free for all day. If we go out for dinner, that is the night to do it. If we are having ice cream, it is on Saturday night. that is it. I feed my craving once a week and surprisingly, I rarely splurge because I just feel awful afterward. Being healthy doesn't mean you have to punish and deprive yourself. It means you have found balance in most areas of your life. You don't have to eat grilled fish/chicken and steamed veggies with brown rice every day you just have a thinner hamburger or instead of chicken nuggets get a veggie chicken pattie. If you want French fries, bake your own. You certainly can eat food that is yummy & healthy. It shouldn't be punishment. Best of luck!

I totally agree with the post below that food is central. If you don't have that resolved, no amount of exercise will help. Seriously think about Weight Watchers. It's a sensible approach to weight loss. Exercise is also important, so here are my thoughts on that:

Go for walks during your lunch break. Start small. Mention you plan on walking and I bet you can round up coworkers who'd also like to go. Even 15 minutes as you start off can be worth it.

Get a couple of quick and motivating exercise DVDs. There are a lot out there that are less than 30 minutes. Start your day with one of those.

Then on weekends, make exercise a family activity. Go for a bike ride together. Take a walk or hike for an hour. Find ways to make exercise fun.

What motivates me is how I feel when I exercise vs. how I feel when I don't. I just got diagnosed with plantar fasciitis (and I'm actually on here to post about that), a foot problem, and it's killing me not to be able to walk our dog 30 min/day and do all of the exercises I used to at the gym. I feel so "blah" when I don't get daily exercise. I'm much more limited now, but I'm still finding ways to get in something or I start to feel like a Weeble.

You can do this! Small steps and you'll get hooked.

Is there a health club on your way to work or on the way home you can go to? Also some park districts have a work out room and it is an inexpensive option. If these don't work, some of the normal stuff around your house can be used for exercise. You can walk up and down your stairs. Start with two times a day for a week. Every week add one more time. Do weight lifting with two soup cans. Put a soft blanket on the floor put your legs in the air and "bicycle". If you'r e like me, the first few weeks you will be very hungry. But as you add on more exercise, you will lose some of this ferocious hunger. Lock up your sugar, carbs and soda. Don't buy anymore of that. Only shop on the outside aisles, lean meat, vegetables, complex carbs (nothing white). Do not eat fast food - there is a ridiculous amount of sugar, fat and salt in that. At your height and weight, and your diet, you are in danger of being pre-diabetic. And remember that you are the example for your children. Certainly you want them to have healthy habits. You will not feel good at first but eventually you will start losing the weight and everything will become a bit easier. Please start and good luck to you.

Since you are very busy, you'll need to make most of your health improvements through diet.
Cravings are a sign of a nutritional imbalance, so food quality is just as important as quantity. Make 80% of you choices high quality, this leaves room for a small "fun" food.
The timing of consumption is more important that previously thought. Eat a big breakfast, moderate lunch, small snack if necessary, then finish with a small dinner. Eat dinner off a lunch plate. NO cals after dinner. Avoid alcohol on an empty stomach.
At you height and weight, eat about 1500 cals per day, this will start you on a slow, steady weight loss.
I'm 5' too. When you're petite, you need to eat petite.
This month's issue of Scientific American is all about food, and explains how fast food changes our brains, over-rides our perception of satiation, and causes obesity. Worth a read.
BeFit-Mom

Borrow, adopt, buy or foster a dog. A dog needs to be walked 2x a day. Someone has to do it, rain, sleet, snow or sun. That person should be you. They are always eager to go an extra block.

A dog doesn't pass judgment, talk back, and is generally happy to see you. They do good for your mental health too.

As you increase your exercise, your mood, health, fitness and perhaps even diet will improve.

I hope you are getting help for your depression.
Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

Find an easy exercise that you can do daily.

I live on the 9th floor of a 19 story building. Every day I ride to the 19th floor and take the stairs down to the ground floor. It's very easy on me to do that,

Initially, I tried to walk up the stairs once a week, but could on,y get to the 3rd floor so I started the walking down. It's extremely non taxing on me.

I found that when I started to eat "right" and exercise a lot of my cravings went away. sometimes I slip up, but I drag myself back on the wagon at the next meal (or the next day). Not everybody can do that I know! But if you eat right for awhile you will see that you feel better, and that can be a great motivator. Exercise will likely help with your depression too. Start slow and make time. I used to get up at 5:00 a.m. so that I could exercise before my husband left for work. I met a friend at the school and walked the track in the dark for 1/2 hour. Home before the kiddos even woke up. At other times in my life I walked on my lunch hour. Took my walking shoes to work to change into. I used to jog at night before I had kids. I belonged to a gym at one time. HERE'S MY POINT. Find time and be flexible. Do something you can tolerate for an amount of time that you can handle. If 20 minutes is all that you can do.....OK! Swim? Walk? Jog? Bike? Walk during the week, but give yourself time off on the weekends. Or walk 3 days a week and 2 on the weekend. Mix it up and do what works for that week or that season.

I used to need a exercise buddy, but now I don't. It's faster if I just go, do it, and am done.

I get dizzy too if I don't eat right, but are you getting dizzy because you are trying to starve yourself. That will backfire for sure. Eat three meals a day and a snack, but keep the portions small and be sure to have a decent amount of protein at every meal and snack. That will help you keep your energy up and hunger down. Protein shakes saved my life. You might try those. Or protein bars.

Good Luck. I know you will feel better mentally and physically if you learn to eat right and exercise. It's a battle for you and I know it's rough, but sounds like you are getting ready to take the plunge! Go Girl!

Its time to take care of you!!!! You need to find out what bothers you and then deal with it in a healthy way. No more fast food!!! Dark chocolate is good for you (limited.) Mind over madder....

I had a thyroid issues, and now am ok, then had knee surgery, but am a emotional eater. I work long hours, but me fitting into my jeans motivates me to get moving more. Walking my 157# gentle giant gets me motivated too. If we do not go, he will bark at me, bring me one of my sneakers (full of slobber.) After I walk him, I usually go again by myself and walk about 6 miles. Time is limited, so I power walk and takes me an hour. This is me time, and I listen to music. Walking has helped me a lot (40 pounds!) Just a small walk a day will help! For dinner, I do not eat meat anymore, and have a veggie wrap. I limit myself to 1 treat a day(CHOCOLATE) only water, sometimes OJ, and green tea really helps with appetite suppression, food craving.

After my second son, I made a resolution to REALLY get in shape. That was 4 1/2 years ago and I first did Jenny Craig, which helped with portion control and I started going to the gym 3 times a week, 4 if I could. Just this past 5 months I signed up for a personal trainer once a week and a nutrition counselor, yes it was pricey, but I was determined to get to a certain weight. I am now at my smallest I've ever been. Exercising is a habit, just like anything else and you have to make it a priority. HOwever, exercising is not going to give you the changes you want if you don't also change your eating habits. I still eat fast food once in a while, maybe once every couple of weeks, I have chocolate every day, and I eat well at least 5 days/week and then not so strict the other days. It really has to be a lifestyle change not just a short term thing! Good luck