Anyone else NOT a fitness overachiever?!

[JuneAct2 0]

I don't run like Forrest Gump; can't ride a bike like Lance Armstrong; and have no desire to swim like Michael Phelps!

I've read threads on here from people running marathons, and doing triathalons, and just being super athletes, but it's kind of intimidating to me! Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that these people are so passionate about their sport. So, I thought I'd start a thread for those of us who work out to be healthier, but don't necessarily want to be the next fitness rock star! Feel free to jump in with comments.

I work out 3-5 days a week for about an hour each time. I try to make it 5 days, but sometimes life gets in the way. It would be great to keep tabs on each other and hold each other accountable to get to the gym!

Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way, so I hope some of you will join in and post your program!

[bignik 0]

whilst I feel same way , I also acknowledge the buzz one can get from excercising , ie the good feel factor , I know for me depsite my back issues and weight sometimes when I come out the gym after a workout and sauna , I just feel so alive as I walk into the fresh air .. kinda wooooohhh I feel good.

I reckon those that have suffered weight issues all their lifes and finally conquer their inner demons and body weight simply grasp a good well being , a feeling they never enjoyed previously. They find sport as a new hobby as such and work at it .. I say good luck to them and everyone to their own LOL ...

Now me ....... well Ive always been a couch potato in adult life , mainly due to always working and just never having any energy left after working 12-14 hour days ( self employed ), only last couple of years due to health issues Ive started to try make the effort.

I hope I do become an excersise freak and something happens to my inner being mentally as well as physically as nothing I would like more than to be physically active again just as I was in my youth and share with my two younger boys things I endured and thoroughly loved as a growing teenager..

This I would direct rather than marathon running etc would be Absailing , Canoeing , Hill Walking etc etc ooh I loved the outdoors and doing things that tested me mentally as well as physically .. and it would also teach my boys also the road to better health .. as well as the part of bonding a man wants to enjoy with his children. Working so much in past never allowed me to spend as much time as I should have , my eldest teenager daughters behavior of recent clearly showing I could have been a better father and had I given her some more time in her growing years perhaps wouldn't be such a pain in the ass right now * sighs * .

Anyway I know its gonna be a tough one for sure , 23 years bad habits to break aint gonna be easy , but its my goal ...

and yeah to sum up I will be one of these held accountable to get off my fat ass and go to gym for sure so I will keep an eye out for the thread in future and post when I can, as my thoughts are a mere dream at the moment but hey who knows if others following lap band can run marathons , why the hell cant I retrieve my youth

[Gone4Now 4]

Donna, I'm in!

I don't HATE exercising but I really don't love it. If there is a distraction to be had, I'm there!

I tend to make excuses (they're sometimes good) but I really don't like it and would like try to like it.

I've been good the last couple weeks going to the gym in the afternoons after work. I'm only there about 1/2 an hour, though, but it's all my mind can take!

I plan on going today, and doing my same old same old, which is run/walk on the treadmill.

Actually, if I'm being more honest it's more of a jog/fast walk on the treadmill. :thumbup:

I've read those super exercise posts too and I just feel so insignificant. But, like Lulu was saying, they all started somewhere, and we can use where they are now as inspiration.

So, maybe one day I'll love it. Right now...not so much.

[MacMadame 81]

I think it's great that you guys want to post too. I remember when I was posting my "30 min. on stationary bike" 3x a week and feeling SO intimidated by people doing hours a day.

But I think you guys should infiltrate the regular threads as well. It will help the pre-ops and newbies to see that you can exercise at all different levels. Otherwise, the triathlon and marathon people will seem like the norm!

Edited April 23, 2009 by MacMadame

[heartfire 4]

Oh. A gym? I don't even get that far. Granted I can't afford it right now but it's never been my favorite.

I have been very hit and miss with the treadmill here at home. I have discovered tho, that I enjoy walking my neighborhood. It's tough, I live in the mtns and it's all up and down and hardly any flat at all. I put DD in the stroller and leash the dog and out we go. It's about a mile and a half or so. And there is a road that I don't go down yet, the coming back is a killer hill so I have to work up to it. I'm hoping to be adding that road by winter.

I'd like to be more active. We've got lots of trails and day-hikes in the area that I'd love to do. We'd love to instill a love of the outdoors and activity in our daughter and I need to get this weight off and in better shape in order to help facilitate this.

I've only been walking the neighborhood for a month or so but I've discovered a difference from when I last had to use the treadmill. I had to up all my numbers and was able to walk faster/farther than I had the last time I'd used it, just before starting my walks. I hadn't thought that anything was changing b/c the walks totally kick my butt! But there is a difference!

So, I guess what I'm saying is, I'd like to join this thread. I think it will help keep me walking, especially as it gets hotter and I'll have to get up earlier in order to walk. And if it's extreme heat, I'll have to use the treadmill and I think this thread will help make me do it.

Thanks for starting this. I appreciate it.

[Gone4Now 4]

:rolleyes2:

Okay, here's my duplicate posting of exercise yesterday:

-walk at work 20 minutes

-jog/walk on treadmill at gym for 30 minutes (more walk than jog last night)

-rode bikes with dogs (around block 3 times.)

I was also under 1000 cals yesterday and that with the exercise I lost 2 pounds. :tongue: I really needed that - I'd been at a plataeu forever.

[MacMadame 81]

re: the gym... we have a free one at work. That makes a difference. :thumbup:

[tapshoes 2]

I don't run like Forrest Gump; can't ride a bike like Lance Armstrong; and have no desire to swim like Michael Phelps!

Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way, so I hope some of you will join in and post your program!

:thumbup: You are my twin, you must be!! I made a commitment when I got the band (almost 16 months ago) that I would NOT do stupid dieting etc with the band, I would eat 'real' food (none of this living on Protein shakes stuff), and would exercise a minimum of 4 times a week. This was a LIFE time and lifestyle commitment, not a whim of moment decision. I was NOT going to set myself up to fail by saying I would exercise 2 hours a day 7 days a week for example, because I KNEW the first time I didn't, I would just say 'eff it' and stop altogether. So, 4 days a week was something I said I could and would do. And I have.

I joined the Y (which took a lot of courage as I thought there would be all these latex clad buff bodies sneering/scoffing my pathetic attempts), and started going before work. I'm still going - a minimum of 4 days a week. If I do more, great. But I do not get upset when it is 4 and only 4 days.

My routine: 30 min 'body work' (working with free weights) and then min 30 minutes of aerobics per session. For the aerobics I alternate days between swimming, cycling, treadmill, elliptical, wave. The 'body work' - I spent the money and had ONE session with a trainer to give me the 'how to's' for about 20 different exercises (form is VERY important) and to give me a shedule of how many reps/set/exercise. Then I alternate: upper body one day, lower body another. I have gone back once for more exercises (was getting bored with the same ones), and to monitor that my form was still correct; at that time she updated the routine/frequency schedule.

I can say exercise has undoubtably been an important factor in my success (albeit slow) to date. I can also say I have NOT started to love it; I have NOT wanted to add extra time etc. I don't feel good that I do it, I do it to feel good. I do it because I have to.

So, I guess I will post here....

today - upper body work plus 35 minutes tm. at speeds of 3.8 to 4.2.

[JuneAct2 0]

Welcome everyone!

Heartfire, I wish I could trade places with you and have room to walk outside. I live in a small town where walkers are target practice for motorists!

Gloucester, that's great! 2 lbs down! And you did a good amount of exercise.

Mac, I think this is a great place for the newbies and pre-ops to start. Once they are comfortable posting here, they can branch out and run with the big dogs so to speak. I do venture into some of the threads if something looks interesting, but not often, as I generally don't have anything to add.

Bignik! Get your behind to the gym! We're going to hold you accountable now!

I did join a different gym yesterday, so I did 25 minutes on the elliptical, then got on the treadmill for another 30 because it's positioned where I can see the rest of the gym. I wanted to scope out the machines. They have all new equipment and I wanted to look at it first, then I'll go when it's not so crowded and figure out how to work them.

Once upon a time I did get excited about exercise, but as my girls got older and harder to corral, I let my program slide. Now, they are grown and out of the house, it's time for me to be first again.

[NurseMelly 0]

Hi Ladies!!!

I have a love/hate relationship with exercise. I love how I feel afterwards and the way it shapes my body but I hate dragging myself out of the bed to do it. I started trying to fit exercise in after work and I found myself making too many excuses (ie. I'm tired, need to cook the kids dinner, my hubby has school, etc.) So, now I'm waking up at 4:30 am :thumbup: to do Slim in 6 before I go to work. I'm doing that DVD 5 days a week and on the weekends I take my baby out in the stroller and jog. I can definitely tell I'm getting stronger. I took all my measurements last month and this month I'm down 12 total inches on my body!!

We can do it!

[JuneAct2 0]

Taps, same here. I was a self-pay for my band (my husband gave it to me as a gift), so I don't want to waste it! I am determined to lose the extra weight!

I do okay with the cardio part, but I haven't done as much body work as I need. I plan to get with one of the trainers at the gym for a run through. And, I'm going to start swimming laps 2 days a week. Those will also be my sauna/steamroom/hot tub days!

Melissa, good for you! I wish I could convince my body to wake up that early! It rebels violently! Taking the baby out is a great idea. When my daughters were little I'd put the baby in the bike carrier. We would ride several miles every day. I was in good shape back then! Way to go on the measurements! I need to go re-measure at the gym to see where I am. Keep posting!

[heartfire 4]

Got back out in the neighborhood yesterday and it felt great. Had to go a little slower as it'd been 2 weeks since I'd been able to get out there. Got out there again today. Both days did a mile and a half. Feeling really good about it and totally re-committed to it. (The 2 weeks not going weren't up to me, 1st week was weather related (heavy rain & snow), 2nd week was due to my emergency unfill.)

I do miss swimming. When I was a kid we had a pool available and we lived in that thing all summer. Plus to get there, sis and I had to walk a mile! Parents would pick us up when they got home at night.

Our HS has a pool that they open to the community during the summer but they may not do that this year b/c of the budget. :crying:

Okay, here's my duplicate posting of exercise yesterday:

-walk at work 20 minutes

-jog/walk on treadmill at gym for 30 minutes (more walk than jog last night)

-rode bikes with dogs (around block 3 times.)

I was also under 1000 cals yesterday and that with the exercise I lost 2 pounds. I really needed that - I'd been at a plataeu forever.

Congrats! I know that plateau was driving you crazy!

re: the gym... we have a free one at work. That makes a difference.

That helps a bunch!!! :thumbup:

I can say exercise has undoubtably been an important factor in my success (albeit slow) to date.

I didn't get serous about exercise until just recently. I know better but was in denial! LOL!

Good for you for getting out there whether you want to or not!

Heartfire, I wish I could trade places with you and have room to walk outside. I live in a small town where walkers are target practice for motorists!

Oh, we're targets too! The roads have no sidewalks, lots of blindcurves and people driving WAY too fast! We almost got tagged a few weeks ago. A gal was in the middle of one road, turning onto another road, completely against the wrong corner! It was close! We were on the side she shouldn't have been. Luckily we weren't at the corner yet or she'd have taken all 3 of us out. If a car had been there, she'd have hit 'em head on. She didn't learn her lesson either. We saw her a couple of days later, luckily we were no where near her, and she was still driving way too fast and taking the whole road! I just refuse to NOT go out. I have noticed that the neighbors seem to be slowing down a little b/c we're pretty much out there every day.

So, now I'm waking up at 4:30 am. I can definitely tell I'm getting stronger. I took all my measurements last month and this month I'm down 12 total inches on my body!!

UGH! You are SO much better than I am! No WAY would I get up that early! So NOT a morning person! I'd be grumpy the rest of the day and need a nap by 10!!!

Congrats on the lost inches!! I still haven't measured myself. Just not something I think about doing!

We don't have a Y up here. We have a curves and a regular gym. Neither have pool facilities or I'd sign up for just that. Walk the neighborhood and swim and I'd be happy! I used to belong to curves and liked it for the most part. After awhile tho I couldn't go regularly and it was getting expensive b/c of that. Now I've got my DD and no child care so it's definitely out, even if I could afford it.

I'll manage tho. I love the walking and if the HS does open their pool to the public for the summer, then I'm all over that!

I never learned how to ride a bicycle and I'd like to do that eventually too. (I want a 3 wheeler tho! LOL) We can ride in Yosemite Valley and that would be nice!

Edited April 24, 2009 by heartfire
Oops!

[Jachut 487]

Just remember too that those who are exercise are not morally superior! Its just one of those things, something clicked for me and I happen to love running. Not so much that I would get up at 4.30 am though, no way. I got out at 7 am a few days this week and was mighty proud of that!

If you dont love it and you do it anyway, well personally I reckon you've got more grit in you than I do.

[kagoscuba 0]

Two of my favorite triathlon quotes:

"If it was easy, everyone would do it" -Macca: winnner of the Kona Ironman

"She's 72, how old are you?" Announcer at the 2008 Ironman, speaking about a 72 year old woman who competed and made the time cutoff (with two hours to spare) to finish.

Exercise is not something that comes easily, nor is it something everyone believes they have, but they do. I did my first 5k last May. I am doing a half-Ironman this May. It just takes putting one foot in front of the other consistently. Anyone who has started the lap-band journey has the ability - it is then just a matter of believing in yourself. I believe in all of us.

[MacMadame 81]

"She's 72, how old are you?" Announcer at the 2008 Ironman, speaking about a 72 year old woman who competed and made the time cutoff (with two hours to spare) to finish.

My goal is to be the oldest woman to do Kona.

But, of course, I didn't start out with that goal. I was happy with going to the gym a few days a week. A friend of mine who had bypass and does triathlons posts his goals on his web site. Right now his goal is to do an Ironman and he plans to do that next year. But his first list of goals, which is also up there, including things like being able drive his truck without his belly rubbing the steering wheel and being able to bend over to tie his shoes. Oh and to be able to run for 1 mile.

We all start somewhere, IMO. That's why it's important for people at all levels and at all different stages in their journey to post in the Exercise forum!