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Scrungy, you need to make it a lifestyle change, not just a "I need to lose weight but I don't want to and I hate working out, blah blah blah..." Honestly, most of us don't want to go to the gym 3-4 times a week, but we do it in order to maintain a semi-healthy weight and lifestyle. Your motivation should be when you start to lose the weight. It doesn't happen quickly, you are going to have to work at it for at least 6 months to notice a big difference. And on top of that, you have to keep it up. Do it for yourself as a goal...it sounds like you don't have very much confidence either..losing weight will help that. It's not impossible..start out slow. Walk a mile 3 days a week. Then after a week of that, mix in some jogging. Jog for a minute, then walk for 3 and repeat for a mile. Do that for a week. Then the next week run for 2 minutes and walk for 3...etc...pretty soon you will be able to run for a mile without stopping. You just need to do it for yourself...bottom line. That and stop eating crap food. If you are going to eat it, why not try and limit it to only once a week? Eat well during the week then have your one day of eating crap food, just try and limit that and make it a reward and not overdo it. Also, drink tons of water....this totally helps too.
This problem has plagued me for almost all of my adult life.
I have no interest in and am not motivated to lose weight even though I have to and have had to for many years.
Practically I know what being overweight does and how it limits my life but I can't seem to get from that point to making a change.
I find exercise/sports soooo totally boring to participate in and previous attempts at exercise this have yielded little success or results, despite lots of effort.
I don't feel any better or have a "buzz" when I've done exercise and often, I end up sleeping afterwards as I am so tired.
When I have used a gym in the past, the only part I looked forward to was when it was all over and having a shower.
Does anyone have a successful formula for this or any ideas I could try?
(Please note I am not working).
Get some good music. An iPod or something.
Get good shoes.
Get a gym which you can afford at this point.
Step 1 - get used to the habit of visiting a gym. Bike or walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Persistence is key. Go to the gym all days of the week
Step 2 - once you are in the habit, start increasing the time to 45.
Step 3 - reduce food intake, increase veggies and cut down on oily/fatty foods.
This three step process is something that you must do. Remember, you can change who you are. Think about 48 months later, dream of a leaner you, don't you like what you can imagine? That should be the target.
This problem has plagued me for almost all of my adult life.
I have no interest in and am not motivated to lose weight even though I have to and have had to for many years.
Practically I know what being overweight does and how it limits my life but I can't seem to get from that point to making a change.
I find exercise/sports soooo totally boring to participate in and previous attempts at exercise this have yielded little success or results, despite lots of effort.
I don't feel any better or have a "buzz" when I've done exercise and often, I end up sleeping afterwards as I am so tired.
When I have used a gym in the past, the only part I looked forward to was when it was all over and having a shower.
Does anyone have a successful formula for this or any ideas I could try?
(Please note I am not working).
I'm like you, I hate exercising. But that's the key...if I know I'm "exercising", forget about it. If I think I'm having fun, I can do that all day long.
What I got was the Wii. Maybe you've tried it but I find it to be FUN and I don't feel like I'm exercising, (but that's because I'm competitive and have to WIN! against the computer opponents.)
Another one that works really, really, really, really well...but is HARD...is Chico Metrics. You only have to do it two times a week. That's it. Two little tiny times a week.
However, those two times are grueling. BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will see results almost immediately! THAT should get you motivated.
I decided to get that one year when I had gained some weight and was not liking it. I had never been "fat" and this was just not going to be acceptable to me. But the gym? Walking on a treadmill? Running?!!?!? Are you out of your mind!? UGH!
I changed my diet, (as was mentioned by another poster...just don't eat that processed crap and cut your portions. You know those plates you get at the store? They have humongous dinner plates, smaller plates, bowls and sometimes mugs? Use those smaller plates. THAT is really all you should be eating for each meal, not filling up that gigantic dinner plate.), and did the Chico Metrics twice a week.
Within two weeks, no lie whatsoever, I saw amazing results. If you can hack it two...only two...that's not a big number...you do it once and you only have to do it ONE more time after that week....two times a week, and change what and how much you eat, you will see results.
And then? When you do start seeing those results? You will have a big fat motivator to keep at it. But pick something that is fun. If it feels like work, (except the Chico Metrics, it is work but it just works so dang well it's worth it), you're not going to keep up on it.
Huh? You're only like 18 years old , right? I can't imagine anything sadder than hating ALL forms of exercise. I mean this in kindness and concern - I really think that you need a professional evaulation for depression. It's not well, "normal" (I'm looking for another word here..) for an 18 year to prefer watching other people participating in sports or watching other people live their lives (via "reality tv) rather than getting out there and living YOUR life...
(*sigh* youth is really wasted on the young isn't it?)
I don't see why not liking exercise is 'not normal'? "Living your life" is not exactly synonymous with exercising. I'm 28 and have been exercising fairly regularly for the last 10 years, but I've hated it with a passion ever since I can remember, from childhood, and still do. Especially any kind of team sport or endurance/outdoors adventure type stuff...ugh, still shudder from memories of gym class. I've also never felt the endorphins everyone talks about ...I don't get a 'rush' after exercise, only tiredness and extreme relief that I'm done for the day...the real endorphin rush is what I get when I go shopping, lol So everybody is different...just because a person doesn't enjoy something doesn't make them abnormal or depressed. I do know however that I need to work out to keep in shape, and that's huge motivation for me since in spite of how much I hate exercise, I hate gaining weight more. For myself, I've found that exercising either at the gym or at home on my exercise bike works best for me, I make sure to always have something entertaining to distract me - watching TV or having a good book or magazine is great, or at least some good music, otherwise the time just drags on and on. I'll even have a certain book or show that I won't read or watch outside of working out, to give myself something to look forward to. But I still do hate it and resent the time I lose to do something I actually enjoy...but I just look at it like a necessary evil, just a routine chore that must be done, like cleaning
I was just like you, very overweight with NO motivation to do anything about it... then I had an epiphany one day, and decided "that's it, no more!" So I got a dog (which I'd been wanting to do forever), joined Curves for Women, bought some cool exercise videos, and less than a year later I'd lost around 55lbs - and have kept it off for almost 7 years now. I'd still like to lose a bit more, but at least I'm no longer at a point where it's necessary.
For me it was mostly internal, followed by finding healthy activities I actually enjoyed. I love my dog and learned to love walking/hiking with him, also found that yoga and swimming were pleasant & low-impact forms of exercise. In addition to the increased activity, I stopped eating all meats except poultry (would eat fish if I didn't hate it), and cut back on the fried & processed foods. No diet, just caring more about what I eat! But nobody can say what will work for YOU, we can only share what worked for US... take those ideas, pick what sounds do-able or intriguing, and try to gradually incorporate them into your life. The key word being gradual, as "crash diets" rarely work. Good luck!
I don't see why not liking exercise is 'not normal'?
Don't worry, you're not alone! There are forms of exercise I can tolerate, in fact I even used to ice skate competitively... but I've never actually liked exercise, especially since my arthritis has gotten worse over the years. It's difficult to truly enjoy something that hurts, ya know?
I don't see why not liking exercise is 'not normal'? "Living your life" is not exactly synonymous with exercising. I'm 28 and have been exercising fairly regularly for the last 10 years, but I've hated it with a passion ever since I can remember, from childhood, and still do. Especially any kind of team sport or endurance/outdoors adventure type stuff...ugh, still shudder from memories of gym class. I've also never felt the endorphins everyone talks about ...I don't get a 'rush' after exercise, only tiredness and extreme relief that I'm done for the day...the real endorphin rush is what I get when I go shopping, lol So everybody is different...just because a person doesn't enjoy something doesn't make them abnormal or depressed. I do know however that I need to work out to keep in shape, and that's huge motivation for me since in spite of how much I hate exercise, I hate gaining weight more. For myself, I've found that exercising either at the gym or at home on my exercise bike works best for me, I make sure to always have something entertaining to distract me - watching TV or having a good book or magazine is great, or at least some good music, otherwise the time just drags on and on. I'll even have a certain book or show that I won't read or watch outside of working out, to give myself something to look forward to. But I still do hate it and resent the time I lose to do something I actually enjoy...but I just look at it like a necessary evil, just a routine chore that must be done, like cleaning
Like I said, "normal/not normal" wasn't exactly what i was looking for.... however, I wasn't speaking just to TJ's disinterest/hatred of exercise but a general tone that comes across in her posts. Not everyone enjoys running, or walking or lifting weights but most people at least enjoy something
Step 1 - get used to the habit of visiting a gym. Bike or walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Persistence is key. Go to the gym all days of the week
This might not be good advice for the OP. I don't like to exercise, either, and if I had to go to a gym, I'd never ever work out. I hate the gym environment. OP can walk or run around the neighborhood. Buy some DVDs and work out at home. Set up a treadmill in the basement. S/he just needs to find something they can stick with.
This might not be good advice for the OP. I don't like to exercise, either, and if I had to go to a gym, I'd never ever work out. I hate the gym environment. OP can walk or run around the neighborhood. Buy some DVDs and work out at home. Set up a treadmill in the basement. S/he just needs to find something they can stick with.
I hate the gym too, but still, I've found a gym membership to be crucial to me. The problem is, at home, there are 10,000 things I'd rather do than work out. At a gym, there really are no other options! I've tried working out at home because, in theory, it seems easier and just seems to make sense. In reality, I find it so much harder. Inevitably, I end up not in my home gym, but in my jewelry studio doing something I actually enjoy.
I don't know if the OP is like that or not, just sharing my experience. As much as I hate the gym, without it, I would probably never work out. I think the key is doing it immediately before or after work. If I go home, forget it, I'm not leaving to go to the gym. I actually work out in the middle of the day on my lunch usually. That's not always an option though... I'm very lucky that there is a gym in my office building and no one really cares if I am gone for 2 hours, as long as everything gets done. It takes a while to go, change, work out for an hour, shower, and then get back to looking presentable. If my job wasn't flexible, that wouldn't be possible.
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"Living your life" is not exactly synonymous with exercising. I'm 28 and have been exercising fairly regularly for the last 10 years, but I've hated it with a passion ever since I can remember, from childhood, and still do. Especially any kind of team sport or endurance/outdoors adventure type stuff...ugh, still shudder from memories of gym class. I've also never felt the endorphins everyone talks about ...I don't get a 'rush' after exercise, only tiredness and extreme relief that I'm done for the day...the real endorphin rush is what I get when I go shopping, lol 
So everybody is different...just because a person doesn't enjoy something doesn't make them abnormal or depressed. I do know however that I need to work out to keep in shape, and that's huge motivation for me since in spite of how much I hate exercise, I hate gaining weight more. For myself, I've found that exercising either at the gym or at home on my exercise bike works best for me, I make sure to always have something entertaining to distract me - watching TV or having a good book or magazine is great, or at least some good music, otherwise the time just drags on and on. I'll even have a certain book or show that I won't read or watch outside of working out, to give myself something to look forward to. But I still do hate it and resent the time I lose to do something I actually enjoy...but I just look at it like a necessary evil, just a routine chore that must be done, like cleaning 
