I am having a really hard time getting motivated to exercise. I have a treadmill that I use once a week (big deal huh), but I get extremely bored after 10 minutes. I was thinking or joining Curves. Has anyone had any sucess with their program? I was also wondering what kinds of exercise you do, how you get motivated to do it, and how many times a week you do it for. When I was banded in August I was told by the Dr. that I only needed to exercise 3-5 times a week for 5 minutes a day. This seems a little absurd to me...how on earth can 5 minutes do anything? Any suggestions you have would be great! Thanks!

well, that 5 minutes a day is probably just to get you started.

I do crunches like a mad woman.

I belly dance 2x a week and do pilaties 2x a week. I really really want a pilaties ball too.

I'm still waiting for my surgery, but my thoughts are I need to just do this for my health and heart! I want to be in as good a shape as I can be for the surgery date. After the 26th I hope to continue because I know how hard it is to not do it.

Curves is GREAT! but I have back problems with it so I have to stop. Just be careful that you don't over do it there. It is a great place if you have ADD..lol..because you are only at your spot for 30 seconds then you move to the next.

I have joined the gym and seen the personal trainer who has made a prgramme for me to suit what I need. She is mainly working on my abs at the moment to try and minimise this hanging fat and skin from my belly. The scales had stopped moving until I got into gym again, so exercise does work!!!

I go each morning after I have dropped the kids off at school and work out for an hr 5 days per week. I was so unmotivated about exercising, but once you start it will be easy.

Good Luck

I find that I need to push it a bit to really enjoy it - I'm weird as I love the treadmill but cant really indulge at the moment because I have an injured foot. I love to shut the world out with some music and go for it. But I find I enjoy exercise more if I raise my heart rate quite high - I cant do it continuously for 40 minutes as I'm too overweight but I walk fast/alternate slow jog and it is enough to achieve for me that "runners high". For the first 10 mins it sucks and then something takes over and its absolutely exhilarating. Cant do it without music though.

But I find structured stuff at the gym keeps me honest - that's why i dont have a treadmill at home, I dont think I'd use it.

3 days a week I walk the kids to school - its 3km one way so a good walk for them, and a 6km walk for me which is a bit over an hour.

I'm also trying to look at stuff like vacuuming and mopping the whole house as a morning's decent exercise as in recent years I've gotten lazy about this type of thing. I'm also planning a wall/doorjamb/windowframe wash of the whole house and doing the windows too as regular events. Its tiring and quite hard work and achieves something too.

Because I've always enjoyed exercise to a degree I'm lucky that although I've gotten fat I havent gotten really unhealthy.

I started spinning 3 years ago and never looked back! You either love it or hate it - different for everyone. I love it cause my health club does it in a mostly darkened room (with purple lights - cool!) and uses really loud music....instructor's choice - we recently had an 80's rock night ~ Van Halen and Def Leppard - brought me back a bit! Another instructor did a female rock star night - another did a long haired rocker night -

I did it with a friend. I got on my bike, and my bottom was burning and raw within minutes. I had tears in my eyes! I was so mad that I had promised the beginners instructor I would give it 5 classes before deciding to give it up....I wanted nothing more than to get off that bike and go home.

But i lasted 40 minutes - my butt and nether regions were numb.....I tried not to cry......my lungs were on fire..........and I came back the next week and did it again. Didn't hurt quite so much this time! Came back a few days later this time - was able to actually do some of the 'out of seat' work in the class - (you don't just ride sitting down - you stand and run - you stand and jog - you can do jumps out to the horn, or handlebars - all this takes stamina and thigh strength.) Anyway, about 8 weeks later I was driving in my car, sitting at a light, wearing shorts, and had my hand on top of my thigh........I could not believe how hard my thighs were! I couldn't pinch an inch of skin on top of my thighs........lost a good couple of inches there too - pants were looser in the buttocks area. My husband, who isn't easily impressed, decided to take a class with me - next thing you know, we were going 3 times a week to the advanced classes! It is such a stress reducer. The nights we spin, we are in bed early and sleep the sleep of the dead!

If you think you'd like to try it, most clubs have a beginners class. You can usually borrow a bike seat - a gel seat - which many women will appreciate.

Can you tell I love it - just a little???

Spinning is fantastic isnt it? Unfortunately my gym offers it only once a week at a time that's not really convenient for me. I"m tempted to actually pay for it casually at another gym though - a couple of spinning sessions per week would get the weight moving, that's for sure.

Its also a great class for the overweight and unfit because its non weight bearing - you dont have to jump around and knock yourself out with your boobs and you can take it easier if you need to.

I did a Pump class once and came out and threw up in the rubbish bin, lol. I dont care for those much although I think they would be fantastic at reshaping your body. All those lunges, ugh, my least favourite exercise.

I'm just starting this exercise thing but my teen-age daughter and I do go to Curves 3x a week. It's fun and not too strenuous for me, yet she can make it work for her too.

Wow...thanks for all the help ladies....I hope I can be as motivated and inspirational as you someday!

Just wanted to add that I joined Planet Fitness - check it out if you have it in your town. I pay only $10.60 per month!!! No classes, no frills, but also NO JUDGEMENT!! They have tons of different equipment and weights. I use the treadmill & eliptical trainer, but they have bikes, etc. and the best part is that they have Television Sets you can plug into at nearly every station . . . that's what helps me stay interested! I watch TV and set myself on a 45-60 minute workout 3 or more times per week. I'm so happy to say that I see improvements in my endurance already!!!

I'm big into exercise...but over the summer months my routine isn't the same and well the workout usually suffers. The little one LOVES going to the gym, she gets to play with her friends. The oldest hates it...and I begged and begged her to go this summer. Ah well.

Today was just a cardio day so no weights today. I did a class called Zumba...its alot of fun. Too bad its only once a week. Then I did 40 minutes on the elliptical, so total I did 1 hour and 40 minutes of cardio. My heart rate got a bit high some of the time in Zumba..some of the songs are pretty fast tempo and high energy stuff. I wear a heart rate monitor when I'm exercising just to make sure I stay in the right "zone". When I do weights which is usually 4 days a week, I can usually keep my heart rate in the zone most of that time too. Going to try interval training soon, one of the trainers at the gym swears by it. Will have to let you all know how that goes.

I did spin class for a while in the spring. I really liked it, but was a bit intimidated by some of the more "athletic" participants. But it really is a fun class. Pilates is also great....I did it 2 times a week for a few months about a year ago, and noticed a difference in how I felt over all. The instructor left that I liked so I haven't gotten back into it yet. But recently bought a dvd to do at home.

Another fun exercise, that will cause your kids to make fun of you is dance dance revolution. Its a video game, you can get it on playstation and xbox...but you have a pad with arrows on that you dance ...or in my case stomp on. Most of the games have a workout mode too, so you don't even have to be good at it, but it will tell you how many calories you have burned and such. I liked it so much that I bought a metal pad.

Anyway...I love to exercise...I'm hoping when i get my band it will help me control how many calories I consume...that combined with my exercise regimine I have GOT to loose weight!

Melissa

I play tennis (for the big breasted gals-you MUST invest in an Enell bra-does wonders and holds them puppies down so you can enjoy game)

I run/walk on treadmill at least 20 minutes a day every day-try to pull off 45 but Im lazy when it comes to this stuff.

I swim but not so much so since looking for new gym-our 24 hour gym is no longer 24 hours?!?!?!?

I make myself run up and down my stairs 10 times every day minimum-no excuse why I cant do that-have our roofing office phone downstairs in his office and did away with all our corless phones so I have to run from my office upstairs to get other office phone since machine will get it in 3 rings-lol.This has actually worked well for me.

I am also big into exercise. You might be like me...if I have equipment in my home, I don't use it. I have to get out and go to the YMCA for a workout. Currently, I do spinning 3 times a week and kickboxing 2 times a week for an hour each. Two days a week, I lift with a trainer and one day on my own. On the sixth day, I either ride my bike/run/or go the Y and do elliptical or run on the treadmill. Not only will you feel PROUD of yourself for working out, but your heart and wind will improve dramatically!! You'll probably sleep better, too, so there are tons of advantages to working out. Lots of people like Curves, but I've never tried it. I need variety or I get sick of it. I'm a slow loser, too. I've only lost about 37 lbs since my surgery.

Rose

367/296/185

banded 9-21-04

i do the treadmill at least 30 min everyday even the weekend...and when i am really motivated i will do it 2 times a day which happens about 3 times a week... i feel the amount of exersise i do has definatly helped with my weight loss!! it makes me feel good too... you will see once you start you will want to do it and if you dont you will get nuts...it is a really good high!! just get started and never give up it gets easier and you will find yourself doing more and more as time goes on.

I actually sold my treadmill I had at home to pay my surgeons evaluation fee and first nutrition visit. It seems kinda of irnoic to some....I'm opting to have weight loss surgery but selling my exercise equipment to do it. But it isn't really since like Rose, I don't exercise very well at home on my own. I NEED the accountability of going to the gym. I make myself go every morning after dropping the kids off....even if I don't feel like it. 9 times out of 10...once I'm there...i'll do my whole 1.5 -2 hour workout. Today was just one of those days it didn't happen. I think I'm nervous about meeting the new surgeon tomorrow or something because I had the worse yucky stomachy feeling today...so I cut myself some slack and only did 35 minutes on the treadmill. I think I'm going to try to get back into spinning after surgery...because I think I got the best workout from that.

Melissa

I've worked out in the past and know I have good form in lifting weights so rather than getting a Personal Trainer, I signed up for a service on the Web where I get a new workout every two weeks. It's a good idea because the workout is balanced and the trainer makes sure that you work all your major muscle groups. The Trainer gives you an Abdominal set, Upper Body, Lower Body and stretches. Just print out the pages and take it with you to the gym.

I also try to walk at least 30 minutes a day in the AM, and when I go to the gym I make sure to use the ELLIPTICAL machine because it allows you to exercise the muscles of the lower body without stressing the joints or feet from your extra weight. I find that doing the elliptical allows me to exercise more because I'm not stressing my feet as much as just walking.

Also, if your feet start to hurt, make sure you get new shoes. I invested in a walking shoe from Ryka which makes shoes specifically for women. Look them up on the web...they also make shoes in wide sizes so you can get something which actually FITS your foot well.

Good Luck