How do you all make exercise a part of your life?

Every day at work I say I am going to go home tonight pick the kids up and go to the gym. Every day I pick the kids up, feed them dinner and then lounge around the house. After the sun goes down a few days a week I go riding my bicycle around the neighborhood.

I am really struggling with making exercise a part of my day. My spouse is a work out fanatic but he can work out at work or on his way home occasionally and I cannot. I keep begging him to take me to the gym because I know if he were to go with me I would absolutley go. I should be able to do this on my own though and its aggrivating that I dont follow through.

Working out in the morning is NOT an option at all. I have two small children who cannot be left in bed sleeping and my spouse goes to work VERY early in the morning. And I have to pick up my children before heading to the gym.

How do you all do it?

Aussie

any form of movement is great. good job!

Making exercise a part of your life is really tough. I just think of it as I do brushing my teeth. I would never go a day without doing that or bathing and I have had to make it a part of my daily routine. It is really a part of your mindset. Stick with it and you and your family with reap the benefits. Remember a healther you will also set a great example for you kids. I come home from work a wind down a bit then I make it a priority to go work out for me. So far it seems to be working. I rarely miss a day at the gym and if I don't go, I do something at home in front of the TV. Every little bit helps you toward your goal. Don't give up on you, you are worth it.

Sounds like you've gotten the kick in the seat you needed. WTG.

But I'm going to chime in, as a single mom, working full time and going to school full time I could be full of excuses but they all ran out. I got surgery to not be fat anymore so my kid would have a healthy, involved parent. Knowing I must exercise regularly was part of that decision.

Not exercising with being banded seems very half assed. Don't you think?

(Now, if I hadn't noticed that you were newly motivated I'd had been more delicate in my word choices.) :eek:

Well I have been making it into the gym a lot lately. I hired a personal trainer who is fabulous. i cant wait for my body to get used to this punishment because some times the pain from lifting weights the day before is awful! My scale hasnt been moving in two weeks, I keep telling myself its because I am gaining muscle mass and that the weight will start coming off again soon.

I am eating right and working out so come on scale play nice!! Why is it that the boobs are the quickest to go? :eek: I have actually been looking forward to getting to the gym each day. Thanks for all your comments!!

The only way I can make exercise a part of my life is to do it FIRST before my day begins.

I do swim aerobics Mon. thru Fri. every morning, then I go home get dressed and face the day. I would be too exhausted to do it any other time of day. It starts my day off on the right track and I feel good about myself for having dragged my azz out of bed and to the pool.

Try getting up earlier than you normally do and go for a walk in the brisk morning air before you day begins.

Unfortunately, you have to make the time .. even for 10 minutes.

Instead of going to the gym, why not workout at home using your bodyweight using supersets - exercises like the squat, burpees, spiderman pushups are great for the body. Or try the outdoors.

But try to get your nutrition in order first - this will account for over 80% of your fat loss.

Here's an article to read up on - Natural Ways to Boost Metabolism

I make it first priority and that sometimes means I feel guilty about the kids. At the moment I'm working full time, working a part time job and studying 4 units at uni, and I'm VERY busy. I have modified my expectations at the moment, its impossible run for an hour every night, but I've still got two weekend days and have dragged myself out once or twice during the week. I'm soooooo tired and stressed at the moment, but to let myself go would only add to the stress and exhaustion, running makes me feel better. I'm not much of a morning person either, but for me it is an option.

There's a few things help me: my kids are old enough to be left for an hour while I run, we dont eat dinner till about 7, 7.30 anyway, we've never gotten into that young children rountine of a 5.30 dinner, so I have a good bock of time in that late afternoon, and being a teacher, i can work really close to home.

DH on the other hand has long commutes and long hours and really finds it hard to execise. Yet he has a great gym across the road from work that he doesnt use. If I were him, I would be getting up earlier and avoiding the traffic and going to the gym before work, all that takes is a bit of sleep time, its not encroaching on family or relaxation time at all. Or I'd go at lunchtime, he doesnt generally take a lunchtime but he could. To me, to have that and not use it, and then complain you cant exercise is nothing but pure laziness. You have to choose the option that is doable for you. Gym would be for him, running is for me because it takes the least amount oime.

I have also made it very hard on myself to back out. I have a treadmill at home in the family room and even if I wimp out at 5.30 and dont head out for a run, there's just NO excuse for not getting on the treadmill in front of the television. Even at 10 or 11 pm. Although I dont consider a treadmill run as "good" as an outside run - treadmill is easier than road running, I never got as far due to the boredom factor etc, at least its something.

Edited September 3, 200817 yr by Jachut

Hey Ladies,

I'm not banded yet - hopefully soon - but I sympathize with all of your struggles and successes. I get up every morning at 5 am and walk with my family and the dog. It's only a mile, but it's something. The dog needs the walk and we go rain, shine, snow, ice, no matter what!:thumbup:

If it's not raining at work, I also go for a walk at lunchtime. Prevention magazine's website has a great walking route mapping function that lets you map out your walks (work, home, 'round the neighborhood, etc) and tells you your distance. You can save walks, see walks other people have entered, etc. I love it because now I KNOW how far I'm walking! My regular lunchtime walks are just over a mile as well.

I drive and take the commuter train to work, so working out is a challenge. I leave my house at 6:30, get on the train around 7, get to work around 8:30. Same in reverse when I leave work - get out at 5, get on the train at 5:30 (the express) get to the station at 6:00 ish. There is a gym at my train station so I joined there - I leave my gym clothes in the car, and when I get off the train, I grab my gym bag, leave my work bag and my purse in the car, and off I go.

The struggle for me is to not stop at the fast food places on the way home! By then it's 7 pm or after, and I'm hungry...I've gotta pack something for after my workout. I may go back to getting Protein shakes - I love those, and after I'm banded, I can use them to keep my protein level up. Then I could plan a small meal when I get home, since I know the shake won't actually "fill" me up...

Hang in there, ladies - we all know the exercise is good for us and we just have to make the decision, then make it right every single day!:party:

I told my wife back in December that if she supported me fully in this phase of my life it would be better for both of us. I was an over weight dad that couldn't do anything with the kids and I was sick of it. I asked my wife for 6 months from start to finish to get in shape and for it to be all about me. I worked out 3 times a week at the YMCA and then played organized sports at churches and rec centers 3 days a week. The 7th day I rested which depending on different things in life would be different days. Mom let the kids stay up past 9:00 so I could spend a little time before bedtime with them. I went to a sports store and bought a speed bag and hung it in the garage. I worked that bag every night to my family's disgust. Nothing like a bag knocking against the wall all night but they understood the risk I took with this surgery and supported me.

I now have reached goal and my wife sees how it has improved both of our lives. I take the kids out on my own leaving her at home to relax. I no longer avoid taking them because I don't have the energy. I no longer eat like I could get stranded on the way home and might need the extra food. Working out doesn't have to take place in a gym. Park in the last parking spot at work and walk it in. Take the stairs and always walk and eat at lunch. It is hard to stuff your face when your walking.