Why excercize??

[PrayerWarrior]

Hello all,
I am a teenager. I'm Autistic. However I DO want to loose weight, but can't. :wah: My mom does Oxycise. (http://www.oxycise.com). Anyways, everytime I say I am going to start excercising, I loose interest AUTOMATICALLY. Can y'all give me reasons why I should excercise and suggestions on how I can keep my excercise committment?


Also, how do I stop over-eating? I'm doing that WAY too much.....:( :wah: :( :wah:

[selah]

Hi Jesse,

First of all, let me say I feel your pain! I will offer some suggestions because they worked for me, and hope that you may benefit in some way!

One of the hardest things to do in the world when you're not motivated is exercise. What I did for myself to get "into it" was just to do it. I found something I enjoyed doing (which I think is key) and that was walking/jogging around a beautiful lake near where I live. There is a trail around it that is 2.6 miles long so it's perfect for a nice walk or a challening jog. Anyway, find something you like and do it as soon as possible (today if you can). then, make a goal of when the next time you will do it (2-3 days from the day you first do it). Just go step by step like that. Don't let the prospect of exercising every other day for months and years and decades overwhelm you. Only look to the next time you will exercise. One time is more manageable than thinking you have to do it forever.

Once you get into the habit, you will find that it is easier to get motivated to do it. not only that, but believe it or not, when you don't do it, you'll start to miss it!! :eek:

As far as eating right, I would suggest exercising first. That's what worked for me. Somehow, my body is better at knowing what I need to eat when I exercise. I said in a previous thread that when I don't exercise, my body wants pizza and coke. But when I do exercise my body wants halibut and broccoli! When I don't exercise, I always want to snack, but when I am physically active I don't feel like eating when I'm not hungry. So that's what worked for me, and maybe it will work for you!

With both eating right and exercise, a lot of it has to do with habit. Breaking the bad habit and starting the good habit is the hardest part. If you can go a whole week exersizing 3-4 times and eating right, you'll find it's much easier the second week, much easier the third week, etc.

The last thing I'll say is that I'd strongly caution you against any strict diet that restricts completely a certain food or foods that you really enjoy. I also would really caution against putting restrictions on yourself. If you, say, decide not to eat sweets anymore, by the end of two weeks i'll bet you've had a binge! Moderation really is the key. If you want chocolate cake, eat it, but maybe have half a slice, with cool whip instead of real whipped cream. Does that make sense?

Let me know how things go for you!

peace,
Kathryn

[PrayerWarrior]

Thank you Kipepoe!:angel:

[Michele]

Hi! I just recently started exercising on a regular basis about three weeks. I can tell you that it is hard. But, it's worth it, simply for the health of your heart. You just kind of have to decide within yourself that you want to be healthy and you are going to do something about it. I would suggest that you get into a routine, doing the same exercise the same time each day at the same place. Also, exercise with friends or family. I exercise with my mom and it's a lot more fun.

About the eating thing, I suggest that you slowly give up something that's not good for you. For instance, give up coke one week, cookies the nest week and so on. Also, try replacing the things you might usually eat with some type of fruit.

It takes a while and it's hard work, but you can do it! :)

[selah]

About the eating thing, I suggest that you slowly give up something that's not good for you. For instance, give up coke one week, cookies the nest week and so on. Also, try replacing the things you might usually eat with some type of fruit.


Michele, were you able to do this? I definitely can't just give up the foods I like completely, because what happens with me is that when I restrict myself from things I want, I end up obsessing over it. And, eventually I'll end up binging. What I do instead is just decrease the amount of sweets and not-so-good for me foods. I suppose different things work for different people!

[Michele]

Well....it's really really hard.

I gave up coke about 3 months ago. Then I didnt do anything else for a while. Now I've given up drinking anything but juice and water.

I'm on a low carb diet now and I've given up bread and pasta for two weeks and after that I can have them sparingly (like every few days). I'm supposed to be losing 2-3 pounds a week. I go to get measured and weighed on Friday so we'll see!

Giving up stuff has alot to do with willpower. Once you get to a healthy weight it's easier to maintain it by cutting down on some things. But, when you've got weight to lose like I do you have to make a commitment. Right now, I am craving a brownie so bad I could scream! :D But, I have to think: what will be better? Eating a brownie in for five minutes or being healthy and fit for the rest of my life? Another thing I suggest is that if you decide to give something up, dont have any of it in your house and avoid going to places where it is served the first few days til you stop craving. Cause you know as soon as you cant have something, you will want it! ;) It's hard, but it's got to be done! :)

[selah]

It's hard, but it's got to be done!


That's the part I disagree with. I think if you crave a brownie, you should have a (small) one. Everything in moderation. Everything is bad for you if you have too much of it, and I also think it's (psychologically/emotionally) bad for ME if I try to cut it out completely. I have had no problem getting healthier, losing weight, and lowering my blood pressure by simply lowering my intake of certain things.

I also believe I can't possibly give everything up that's bad for me, because ultimately everything is "Bad for you" if I eat too much of it. I'd rather see someone eat less sweets then try not to eat any and end up on a binging cycle! I think it's sort of a pendulum swing, and I want to stay in the middle. I admire people who abstain completely from certain things but it's not for everyone and no one should be made to feel guilty if they simply cut down on the amount of sweets or "Bad for you" stuff that they have.

:)

[arielgirl]

Well I hate exercise. And kip, you said you miss it when you aren't doing it. Not me, when I'm not exercising it's like a relief. My problem is that I have lost weight by just my diet, so I can't seem to make myself exercise. I have this rationale that since I am losing weight then I dont need to. Which is not true I know.

I tend to agree with Kip on the dieting thing. I have done the low carb thing and it worked for awhile. But I just cannot give up something entirely and know that I can never have it. It got to where I would want cereal so bad that I would cry. I also agree about the eating a brownie. I usually have some kind of low calorie cookie, or dessert or low calorie ice cream sandwich in my house for when I crave a sweet. I am a big sweets person. If I alowed myself I could eat chocolate, M&M's, Reese's cups, and all that all day. But having the low calorie, low fat sweets around really help me. Most of the time just knowing it is there if I want it is enough.

Michele good luck to you! I hope you are very successful with your program. If it works for you and you can live with it on a day to day basis then that's awesome.

~Amy

[Michele]

I completely believe that everyone is different. I am the kind of person who has to jump into something at the extreme or I'll never get around to doing it right. The diet that I am on is not just for losing weight, but for resetting your metabolic rate. You eat strict low carbs for 2 weeks and then you double your carbs after that to trick your body. After you gain three pounds eating more carbs you start at the beginning with stict low carbs again. You follow this cycle until you reach your weight goal. Because you are changing in this time with your eating habits, your metabolic rate increases helping you to be able to stabalize and lose weight faster. Because of this, you dont have to diet forever. And when if you ever start to gain again, you just start at the beginning. I have had some pretty bad cravings but I get over them after a while. It's not too bad! ;) I was certainly not trying to tell ya'll what to do...I'm sorry if it sounded that way! :o