Lovedby2

No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

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Lovedby2
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Post by Lovedby2 » Wed Feb 04, 2015 6:01 pm

I have been hanging out on the Daily Check In board gleaning much needed wisdom from all of you! Thank you so much. I have a couple of questions that I hope to get some feed back on. I am so glad to be here and pray that this is my last stop on the dieting train. Forever sounds really good. I know I have a very long way to go and I tend to have a all or nothing approach to life in general, (not a good quality) so feel free to reign in the troops if need be. I wanted to get some feed back on exercise. Let me say, without reservation, I HATE exercise. I know the drill...you will feel better, which I don't btw. Would you share some of your expertise? I have yoga tapes, which I do like somewhat. I also live in the mountains, and I do mean mountains, so there is no walking to the store or anything like that. There is one messily flat road which will require me to get in the car to get to because starting out walking mountains has proved to be exhausting. It is also very cold in the winter, in the teens today. Am I making excuses? Probably. Well, here is another one, but it is legit. I have Fibromyalgia which does limit extreme exercise, but it is very good to get light to moderate exercise. I would love some "how I did it" feedback if at all possible.

The other thing I am contemplating is changing my S days to Friday and Saturday. I am afraid of making any mods but I am really struggling with Fridays. My mom and I hang out together which usually involves lunch and dessert. Also, DH and I stay up late and watch a movie and I have to battle the hunger demon. Sunday is kind of like a weekday because we go to bed at 10:30 and they are uneventful.

Thanks to all you old timers or new timers out there in No S land. I really do appreciate you!!!
Always learning.

gingerpie
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Post by gingerpie » Thu Feb 05, 2015 2:06 am

I wish I had a genius idea but I don't. Two possible approaches come to mind.

1) given that you are a hater of exercise perhaps you could manage it the same way you manage other unpleasant tasks. e.g. cleaning the bathroom. It has to be done. You do it. No enjoyment required. To sweeten the pot a little, you could schedule some amazing reward to be earned after you exercise a predetermined number of minutes or hours.

2)start with a goal you are sure to be able to achieve. It could be any exercise - maybe one yoga pose - and increase by 1 pose weekly or when you feel you are ready to increase. In 6 months you'll be up to 25 poses. It might even work on your mountain walk. Open your door (put your coat on first) and start with one minute of walking. (literally one minute) Walk up your mountain road 30 seconds then turn around and walk back. Increase by 1 minute weekly and in a year you will be walking 52 minutes. It sounds goofy but I'm a firm believer is slow but steady. The benifit of this method is that it gives you plenty of opportunities for success which increases your chances of learning to enjoy it.

One last idea. If you really just can't get out. There are "Indoor walking" videos that work in a pinch or to get you started. I used one by Leslie Sansome and it was pretty low key and achievable for beginners.but there are others. You could use the"increase by 1 minute" method with those as well.

As for S-days on Friday and Saturday: technically it is a mod but I do it and it works out fine for me. In my view, the important thing is to be consistent and don't waffle.

Good luck

ironchef
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Post by ironchef » Thu Feb 05, 2015 2:33 am

I used to exercise plenty, but now with a job, a toddler and 5 months pregnant I'm just not in the same zone.

Firstly, sometimes we tell ourselves things until they become true. You have a concept in your head of capital 'E' Exercise, which equates to painful, exhausting, boring - right? So right off the bat, perhaps start out with the simplest of changes from: "I HATE all Exercise" to "I would like to do some type of movement, but haven't worked out what suits me".

I agree with gingerpie about starting super small. I started a new routine of walking first thing a few months ago. I set out my walking clothes (even socks and undies and shoes) the night before and I put them on as soon as I get up. I drink a glass of water, then head out the door. Usually I am walking down the block before I even notice I'm doing it. I started out with 10 minutes and have worked my way up to 20 minutes most days. But, if I'm out of time / tired / feeling sick, I may just do 5 minutes. The trick is, I do it every day, like brushing my teeth or feeding the dog. Even if it feels like a stupidly tiny amount of time.

The other thing I try to do is pick out something that has to be done anyway (sweeping the yard, scrubbing the bath, whatever), put on some peppy music and do it a little faster than I normally would. I remember my grandmother (who would be over 100 if she were still around) laughing at today's trend of "exercising" and joining gyms - in her day, they didn't worry about heart rate, they just got down and scrubbed their floors!

Lovedby2
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Post by Lovedby2 » Thu Feb 05, 2015 8:33 pm

Oh wow, I really do like the idea of starting really slow and adding a minute at a time. Thanks Gingerpie!!My sweet little Terrier may be the one who does the trick for me. She is soooo bored being home staring out the window. I feel sorry for her. She needs mental and physical stimulation. And once they get used to walking they pester you to death. When I am ready to start on the exercise journey I think I might enlist her.

Ironchef, isn't it the truth! our grandparents never "exercised." That would have been ridiculous with all the work they had to do. Just plain slothfulness, as Reinhart puts it.
Always learning.

gingerpie
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Post by gingerpie » Thu Feb 05, 2015 11:34 pm

I thought of one more thing. I agree that making exercise a daily goal is key to building habits. But if that sounds a bit intimidating, remember that the default daily goal can be crazy easy. That way you can have a high rate of success which leads to greater motivation. For example, my walk/run default is to actually step out of the house and walk to the bottom of the driveway. Once I get that far, If I really, don't want to go due to weather or mood I can stop and still call it a success. But if I don't even go outside it's a fail. To be honest. I've never decided not to go once I get outside. It's the getting outside that is the hard part.

Lastly, I allow one rest day a week but it tends to float so that I can use really bad whether days as rest days or occasionally I just cant get out due to other family obligations. By allowing one floating rest day a week, I don't feel guilty if I have to miss a day but I can't miss too many.

I've also been thinking about your problem of just not liking to exercise. I wonder if, in addition to trying to re-frame your thoughts around it as ironchef suggested, if it would help to have daily conversations about it with yourself (or others if that sounds too crazy :) along the lines of "If I were to choose an exercise to do today, what would it be?" Maybe your subconscious will surprise you with an answer.

Good luck. I hope some of my ramblings strike a cord with you.

Dale
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Post by Dale » Fri Feb 06, 2015 7:48 am

I hate exercise too! I wish I could get that buzz of feeling great afterwards, but it doesn't seem to happen for me!

What about setting a timer and trying to do as much housework as you can done superquickly? If you're up and down stairs and dashing about, it's exercise. And gets some housework done, thereby killing two birds with one stone.

There are some websites like fitness blender that allow you to search for workouts by length of time (and ablility, type, etc.). Personally I feel daunted by the thought of an hour's workout, whereas a 10 minute one feels completely do-able!

I think it's worth doing some sort of resistance/strength training, whether it's heavy lifting, bodyweight exercise or whatever.

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MerryKat
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Post by MerryKat » Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:51 am

I have battled with the Exercise issue for years!

I have finally put into place everything everyone says above.

1 - I have stopped saying I Hate exercise. I rather say that I dislike the effects of exercise (sweating & over heated).

2 - After much trial & error I have found that I quite enjoy body weight exercises - done at my own pace (so I don't get over heated) & yoga. I found 2 easy routines to follow on the internet.

3 - I put out my exercise clothes the night before so I don't have to think or find anything in the morning.

4 - I have to get up & go through to the lounge & get on the bike to do my warm up - thereafter if I am really not able it will count as compliant. So far once I am going, I just finish my routine - some days slower than others but I do it.

5 - I have set myself a 6 Week Challenge and set small realistic goals so that I don't get discouraged. I started the body weight exercises at a point I was able to complete that number with the correct form and each day I add 1 more of each exercise. This means that things are changing slowly but I never feel that it is tooooo hard.

6 - Monitor & track your goals and your achievements (& failures) this helps with the encouragement.

My exercise is N Days and over weekends any exercise I get in is a Bonus.

Start small, track what you are doing, go at your own pace.

I also don't get that exercise buzz everyone talks of but after 2 weeks of achieving my goals I felt really stoked & so good about myself and with week 3 & 4 that feeling has just increased.

(((((Hugs)))))) You can do this!
Hugs from Sunny South Africa
Vanilla No S with no Sugar due to Health issues - 11 yrs No S - September 2016 (some good, some bad (my own doing) but always the right thing for me!)

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Blithe Morning
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Post by Blithe Morning » Sat Feb 07, 2015 12:32 pm

Regarding the exercise, I agree with starting small. Even 5 minutes.

Regarding Fridays, Have you asked your mother if she would be willing to give up desserts or switch to a fruit salad?

A lot of No S is just getting use to the new way of eating. It feels different and uncomfortable and threatening since deep down inside you may be worried about feeling deprived.

And you will feel deprived. That's ok. All you will be missing out on is extra calories, sodium, fat, sugar, and ingredients that were mined and synthesized instead of grown.

Also, it takes some people a long time to get this down. That's ok too. Give yourself a year of being mostly compliant to see how you feel before throwing in the towel.

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bonnieUK
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Post by bonnieUK » Sun Feb 08, 2015 4:42 pm

About exercise, I recently saw a documentary (can't remember where now unfortunately) where a guy did an intense bike workout and had his calorie burn measured. The next day, he attempted to get the same calorie burn (on top of his usual daily activities) by adding more natural activities - he did things like finding extra reasons to go up and down stairs, walking around town instead of getting the subway, using a hand held grocery basket instead of a cart, walking around while on the phone and generally making a point to get up every hour and do something physical for a couple of minutes, these little things add up apparently :)

osoniye
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Post by osoniye » Mon Feb 09, 2015 12:34 am

No exercise success stories here...
Just wanted to add about the Fri/Sat S days idea... it sounds like it would fit your lifestyle really well. I think the point of S days is to have a break on the weekend, and if Fri/Sat works better for you, give it a try. It doesn't sound like you will be tempted that much on Sundays. Consistency is the important thing!
-Sonya
No Sweets, No Snacks and No Seconds, Except (Sometimes) on days that start with "S".

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Mon Feb 09, 2015 1:36 am

I predict that after a few months of strict moderation of N days, your Fridays will feel different. If you eat a bit of a celebratory lunch and dessert with your mom, a small munchie with your hubby while you watch a movie could easily be both dinner and movie snack. Don't be afraid to eat less often on an S day if you're feeling full from seconds and sweets.

Good luck with this plan!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

Lovedby2
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Post by Lovedby2 » Mon Feb 09, 2015 4:33 am

Thank you everyone for all the great ideas. I am going to refer to this often!! I just need to get started and just do something.
Always learning.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:34 am

Regarding exercise, I've had fits and starts, and can claim only a tentative start. I was doing 4 minutes on N days for a few weeks at various times over the years then nothing. But since the new year, I've been doing minimum 11 minutes of various vigorous movements, mostly bodyweight exercises, also on N days. I've compiled a lot of them from workouts over the years. Once or twice a week I get in ten more minutes on a rebounder. Nothing stellar, but it's becoming a habit.

Here is a link I plan to explore at some time.
http://neilarey.com/workouts.html
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

Lovedby2
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Post by Lovedby2 » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:22 am

Oolala53, thanks for the tip. I think I stumble over the all or nothing mind set, which doesn't work. I have read a lot about rebounders. I think I would like it. Of course I read too much and surmised that only the $300.00 one is any good, couldn't afford it and gave up the idea. I am working on trying to change that.
Always learning.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Thu Feb 12, 2015 1:46 am

I found one of the alternate company offerings of bungee rebounders on eBay for less than a quarter of the price of the super duper expensive one. But I wouldn't say I've gotten my money's worth for it yet. Don't wait for one to get going!

I gently suggest searching on the net for 4-minute, 5-minute, etc. workouts. There's a ton of stuff for free. I have forbidden myself to buy any more fitness equipment until I've got a decent 6-month streak. I doubt I'll need anything more by then. I have videos galore, but somehow, they just don't move me.
I thought I posted a link to a site on which the proprietor had tons of workouts all shown on one=page links with stick pics, I think. and free!

I have done West African dance for over 20 years. Despite my consistent inactivity, I can still get out and do a few whirls.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Thu Feb 12, 2015 3:55 am

Don't mean to beat a dead horse, but I found this site and it looks like there's enough variety that it should be accessible at any point. Perhaps click on a workout, set the timer, and do what you can for that amount of time. Make it short to start. You can always add more.

http://neilarey.com/workouts.html
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

Lovedby2
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Post by Lovedby2 » Sat Feb 14, 2015 4:53 am

Not at all oolala53. Thankyou so much for the information. I love the stick figure website. Simple, I like and need things simple, then it seems doable. Thank you so much!
Always learning.

Mustloseweight
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Post by Mustloseweight » Mon Feb 16, 2015 6:07 pm

Oolala that is an AWESOME workout link - hoping I can print them off as A4 posters!
September 2017 - Starting weight: 19st 9lbs
March 2018 - 17st 2lbs
July 2018 - 16st 4lbs
July 2020 - 17st 10lbs 😟
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nbh76
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Post by nbh76 » Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:09 pm

Seriously Oolala you always have the best info! I have a rebounder btw and I love it. It helped me immeasurably last year when I injured my knee and side benefit my asthma improved...I should take it back out LOL...this year it's been more about my spinner. I LOVE EXERCISE and I am a fat girl. I digress. I have found since getting a jawbone 24 up ( fancy pedometer ) that just getting up every half hour or so and walking 5 or more "laps"in my house has greatly increased my step count. These are simple things to do that will make a difference.
Kindness is the only way.

xara
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Post by xara » Tue Sep 15, 2015 3:31 pm

I'm pretty much an indoor girl, and would be even more so if I lived in your climate and hills. I ride my bike when the weather is just right, but other than that I exercise indoors. I ride a stationary bike, walk on a treadmill, jog on a rebounder, and hula hoop indoors, ALL while either watching stuff on Netflix or listening to podcasts. The exercise itself isn't entertaining, and those things keep me amused while getting it done. Also I occasionally go to a contra dance, which is more fun than all the rest combined!

mitchelll
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Post by mitchelll » Tue Sep 29, 2015 1:35 pm

I have two suggestions that have helped me.

1. For more formal exercise, in my case walking, I started with only 5-10 minutes per day, focusing more on doing it daily than the time limit. At first, I occasionally only was able to force myself around the block. I gradually increased it to 45 min/day, but in very small increases, and still, to this day, about 9 months later, I focus on the action of going for a walk rather than focusing on whether or not it lasts for the fully 45 minutes.

2. I also realized that one of the major reasons we need to exercise is because technology has replaced most of the work required for daily living; therefore, I try to do as much physical busy work as possible. I was also inspired by my fitness pal when I realized that you can burn a significant amount of calories through housework. I am inefficient doing laundry, meaning I bring each load up and down to the laundry room individually; I hang clothing out to dry, piece by piece from a central location rather than moving the wet clothes. I walk to run all the errands I can, and when I have to drive, I park as far from building as possible. I also try to get in extra steps by leaving my cart in an unobtrusive location and bring items to it.

RAWCOOKIE
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Post by RAWCOOKIE » Tue Sep 29, 2015 5:06 pm

I just came to this thread - and spotted that link to the exercise site - what a brilliant site! so good to be able to download just an A4 workout sheet - and such a variety of stuff on there - thank you so much oohalala!
I love Everyday Systems :3

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catservant
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Post by catservant » Sat Oct 31, 2015 3:12 pm

Great link which includes lots of other information in addition to the workouts. Thanks, Oolala!

Sarah-lara
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Post by Sarah-lara » Mon Nov 23, 2015 1:27 pm

There is probably some kind of exercise you like, though you haven't given yourself permission to call it exercise because it wasn't grueling (do you like frisbee? gardening? learning the steps to the Thriller dance?, pretending to be in a light saber fight with your absentee dark lord father?).

I have a friend who realized she just liked pacing up and down her hallway while she thought about her day. By the end of the year, she'd lost 40 lbs. Eventually she got a job at a gym where she did lots of structured exercise but she found it too hard to keep up. She wound up gaining a lot of weight so she just does her hallway again now and loves it. I actually have taken a cue from her and pace around my garage some days, while I listen to music.

I also saw a kid on TV who liked to go up and down his stairs throughout the day.
I know a woman who just plays Wii's Walk It Out for her exercise. That's just marching around your living room while you play a little game.
The Zombies Run app is another game you might like for use on treadmill or outside (though I see you have some challenges with outdoor walking).
A lot of people like the gentle walk & dance programs on youtube from Jessica Smith.

After spending a lot of time in my mom's assisted living center and seeing how lack of muscle tone eventually translates into a state of helplessness, I do hope that eventually you get up to using some kind of weight program when you can. There are plenty of free workouts on FitnessBlender.com. Some of them are body weight only if you don't have weights. Some are harder or longer than others, so you might look around on their site to find what works best for you. Many of them are around 10 minutes. You can probably talk yourself into doing one that length.

BTW, if you have it at your library, I highly recommend a book called The Exercise Cure by Metzyl. It's very motivating on why you should be working out (for health, not diet reasons).

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NoelFigart
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Post by NoelFigart » Mon Nov 23, 2015 2:13 pm

The people who are saying "Find something physical you like" are so very right. Most of my hobbies are really sedentary. Reading, knitting, sewing... you don't move around a lot doing that. But the body does need to move, and it's as much about keeping up strength and stamina as it is about weight loss.

In fact, ignore anyone who talks about "The best exercise to lose weight." It's crap and nonsense and nothing works if you hate it and are miserable.

Don't push yourself to the point of pain. Just move with something that feels good.

Ferinstance, running is supposed to be the be all and end all of fitness. I hate running with a deep and bitter passion. Even walking, if I am very out of shape, kinda hurts. Oh, I'll take little short walks, but I refuse to call them exercise. It's Urban Rangering, darn it. You can totally just meander until your body picks up the pace on its own.

And swimming. Oh my lord, swimming.... Put me in the water and I'll go for quite literally hours, happy like I had good sense. Is it the best exercise for weight loss? Well, no. Marathon swimmers actually tend to be on the chubby side (cold water. You could die if you tried that stuff skinny!)

FWIW, before my son took it off to college with him, I really enjoyed the WII Fit.
------
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sun Dec 06, 2015 10:23 pm

Any luck with regular exercise, lovedby2?
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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