Need a little motivation

jenbstevens

I am getting married in ten months and originally had not planned to go on a wedding diet. I am a bigger girl and truly felt comforable getting married without losing a ton of weight.

My fiance on the other hand has been feeling self conscious about weight he has gained in the last year of our relationship. So, a few weeks ago he came to me and said that we should go on a diet and I readily agreed. We COMPLETELY changed the way we are eating and that has been great so far. We've been eating lots of fruits and vegetables and cooking more and I've been trying to stick to 1600 calories per day.

My problem on the other hand is exercizing. I have never been able to stick to an exercize plan for more than a few weeks. I always feel self conscious and I hate going alone and I never stick with it for long enough. I have joined countless gyms over the years to no avail. There is a really great YMCA near me with tons of classes and lots of machines and I have been saying I will join since I moved three months ago.

 I really need some motivation to go and join tomorrow and someone to hold me accountable if I don't... Also I know I'll be needing motivation down the line too

Thanks in advance

Sarah5200

Good for you both for doing this together. When you're working hard with someone else, it really helps to keep you motivated.

Go join that gym! Is your FI going to join with you? It's really fun to work out together, even if you're not actually next to each other at the gym!

There are other ways to exercise too though without it being "gym time," in the case you don't like the gym all that much. If you find a sport that you like, that's a great way to get exercise (a rec softball team, playing tennis with FI, etc). Even just going for a nightly walk with FI could make a difference for you. A word of advice though, don't push yourself too hard too soon. Injuries from being too aggressive at the start of a workout regime can be really detrimental to your attitude and motivation (I know from experience!)

You say you're sticking to 1600 calories/day, are you using a site to track? Or how are you tracking? I recommend MyFitnessPal, it's a great site and has an app for your iPhone in the case you've got one of those babies. If you join up, you can add me as a friend - my username is smiller52.

Good luck!

Starqueg

I second what Sarah said.  Joining the gym together is great, but make sure you go together as well.  Find times during the week that you can both go, even if it's just twice a week.  Put it in your calendar.  Is he the kind of guy that will push you to go even when you don't feel like it?  If so, all the better.  If he'd gladly cancel for no real reason, then this might not be helpful.

If you fiance isn't available to workout with you, tell him when you plan on going anyway.  I hate it when my fiance know I had planned to do something, he comes home, asks how it goes, and my response is "I didn't do it".  Do the same for him.  

You could also find a friend who would go with you.  I honestly wish I had a workout buddy.  I go to the gym (when I go) by myself, talk to no one, and leave.  The elliptical would be a lot more fun with a friend.

jenbstevens

In Response to Re: Need a little motivation:
Thanks for your reply! FI is not really interested in going to the gym but we will try and hike together or maybe play a sport? Neither of us are athletic at all but hey we could learn

I am using MyFitnessPal and it's great. I have done WW many times in the past so I am used to journaling and tracking etc (luckily). I use MFP on my iphone and I will definitely add you

jenbstevens

Thanks! unfortuately he works nights and isn't around to go to the gym or motivate me to go. I used to go with some girlfriends until my fiance and I moved a few hours away. But, I will make him ask me if I went when he wakes up. Thanks for the tip

wrigleyville

When I first started, I weighed 253 pounds. I was embarrassed to go to the gym, so I walked around my neighborhood until I felt more comfortable.

Do you like to dance? I used things like the old Richard Simmons tapes (cheesy as they are) or an iPod list of my favorite dance songs to create my own little routine in the living room. It doesn't really matter what you do as long as you move and get your heart rate up.

Ashleigh828

PP's have said it all! Start slow and find something that you enjoy doing so it doesn't feel like something you "have" to do but it becomes something you "want" to do. The one thing that I would add is that you and your FI look at this as a forever lifestyle change. If you both are thinking about this as a "wedding diet", most likely all of the hard work you put in and all of the weight you lose will come right back after you're married. Think about this as something that you both want to continue to live forever and it'll be easier to lose the weight and keep it off.

adent1019

I have a WII and I do the Zumba Fitness 2 and I love it. Its fun and its like playing a game. It doesn't matter how slow you go as long as you get there and you feel good about yourself. I also love to walk. I take my music with me and I clear my head. This is a great tool to use while under wedding stress. Good Luck to you

sparent2010

Working out at home is good. If you have a friend or 2 in the area looking to lose weight as well I would ask them how they feel about personal training. I know this is what worked best for me.

Having someone weigh and measure you makes you feel like you have to be held accountable.

Trainers will generally give discounts if you are doing group sessions.

So just another idea. Couch to 5k is a good option, but there are also websites out there that help you find fitness/running calendars like active.com

runpipparun

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_need-a-little-motivation?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c7295222-1a32-4396-b0b8-b3c8b57b7549Post:239d1a74-f9af-41f9-9008-7f14fd6ae584">Re: Need a little motivation</a>:
[QUOTE]Why join a gym? There are tons of workouts you can do at home. I started Couch-to-5K last year, and now I'm running 4 miles at a time. I'm even doing my first half marathon in September! I also alternate running with fitness DVDs. I started with the 30 Day Shred and now I do Insanity. I use the gym at my office for lifting weights. But you could look into purchasing a small weight set or kettlebells to do it at home.
Posted by cfaszews25[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>I SOOOO agree with this. I'm a runner, and I will never understand why people feel the need to drive to the gym to get on a treadmill. Or a stationary bike.</div><div>
</div><div>If you can, walk or jog in your neighborhood, and take the money you would spend on a gym membership and spend it on a stationary bike or set of weights or other piece of exercise equipment. If you are concerned about safety, don't run with headphones and carry mace. At night I run with my anti-social GSD mix, Pippa. She's not mean, but she keeps an eye out for strangers and she barks at people who startle her.</div><div>
</div><div>When I was in high school and ran track, I did an entire workout of jumps, lunges, squats, push-ups, sit-ups, tri-cep dips, etc, in my backyard twice a week. You can save a ton of time in your car and gas money by NOT using a gym. Think of all the extra time you can spend working out.</div>

Mizzl52386

I started out with The Biggest Loser "Power Walk" DVD and each workout is only 15 min. I know that looking to work out for an hour can be daunting to anyone who isn't used to putting in the time to do it. The work outs are great to get you into a better level of fitness and when you feel like it you can do more than 1 work out a day. I started with this and now I am using 30 Day Shred and it is much harder for me but I have gotten so strong! It's a great feeling Good luck to you! I am sure no matter what you'll look beautiful on your wedding day!

Starqueg

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_need-a-little-motivation?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c7295222-1a32-4396-b0b8-b3c8b57b7549Post:be367fd3-35ee-4c7b-87eb-95d10e722437">Re: Need a little motivation</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Need a little motivation : I SOOOO agree with this. I'm a runner, and I will never understand why people feel the need to drive to the gym to get on a treadmill. Or a stationary bike. If you can, walk or jog in your neighborhood, and take the money you would spend on a gym membership and spend it on a stationary bike or set of weights or other piece of exercise equipment. If you are concerned about safety, don't run with headphones and carry mace. At night I run with my anti-social GSD mix, Pippa. She's not mean, but she keeps an eye out for strangers and she barks at people who startle her. When I was in high school and ran track, I did an entire workout of jumps, lunges, squats, push-ups, sit-ups, tri-cep dips, etc, in my backyard twice a week. You can save a ton of time in your car and gas money by NOT using a gym. Think of all the extra time you can spend working out.
Posted by runpipparun[/QUOTE]
Not everyone has the room to really workout in their homes.  I joined a gym because my ankles kill me when I run, so I use the elliptical.  I could go biking, but then I won't have a backup for rainy days or in the winter.  I can't do workout videos in my apartment due to space and I don't have a yard.

evoegeli

I am not an outdoor exercise kind of girl (unless I'm riding a horse!), so I have become a gym rat.  You really need to find what works for you and you will stick with it.  Also, don't be embarrassed to go to the gym.  Most of the time, people are so involved in their workout and what they are doing, they do not notice anyone else around them!  If they do notice you, they'll probably think, "Good for her!".  Also...good motivation for me is to bring a picture of my wedding dress and my favorite horse so I have something in front of me showing me what I'm working for!

sparent2010

Sometimes going to the gym is good just to see other people. I see other people in fantastic shape it motivates me. That and I don't have a pool at home, free weights, racquet ball court or yoga instructor. I ride my bike to and from the gym for some extra cardio, but I think people push themselves more when there is someone else there working out with them.

jenbstevens

I do LOVE zumba and I have a wii... I think i will go buy that with my next paycheck. thanks!

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_need-a-little-motivation?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c7295222-1a32-4396-b0b8-b3c8b57b7549Post:ba11d08e-377e-4474-a2b8-9a623563b3c9">Re: Need a little motivation</a>:
[QUOTE]I have a WII and I do the Zumba Fitness 2 and I love it. Its fun and its like playing a game. It doesn't matter how slow you go as long as you get there and you feel good about yourself. I also love to walk. I take my music with me and I clear my head. This is a great tool to use while under wedding stress. Good Luck to you :)
Posted by adent1019[/QUOTE]

jenbstevens

I will definitely look into couch to 5K. A non gym alternative would be nice. I just always felt ilke actually going to the gym (especially to some kind of class, where I wll get asked "where were you?!" by a million people if I don't go) held me accountable but now I have the people on here too!

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_need-a-little-motivation?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c7295222-1a32-4396-b0b8-b3c8b57b7549Post:239d1a74-f9af-41f9-9008-7f14fd6ae584">Re: Need a little motivation</a>:
[QUOTE]Why join a gym? There are tons of workouts you can do at home. I started Couch-to-5K last year, and now I'm running 4 miles at a time. I'm even doing my first half marathon in September! I also alternate running with fitness DVDs. I started with the 30 Day Shred and now I do Insanity. I use the gym at my office for lifting weights. But you could look into purchasing a small weight set or kettlebells to do it at home.
Posted by cfaszews25[/QUOTE]

jenbstevens

I have been desperately wanting an eliptical. I have had two surgeries on my right knee and it still hurts A LOT at times so a treadmill can sometimes be too much for it. I am trying to save up (and find space in my apartment!) for one. Have you seen the ones with no handles, just the feet? I feel like I would fall and die but maybe that would be worth it :)

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_need-a-little-motivation?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c7295222-1a32-4396-b0b8-b3c8b57b7549Post:be367fd3-35ee-4c7b-87eb-95d10e722437">Re: Need a little motivation</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Need a little motivation : I SOOOO agree with this. I'm a runner, and I will never understand why people feel the need to drive to the gym to get on a treadmill. Or a stationary bike. If you can, walk or jog in your neighborhood, and take the money you would spend on a gym membership and spend it on a stationary bike or set of weights or other piece of exercise equipment. If you are concerned about safety, don't run with headphones and carry mace. At night I run with my anti-social GSD mix, Pippa. She's not mean, but she keeps an eye out for strangers and she barks at people who startle her. When I was in high school and ran track, I did an entire workout of jumps, lunges, squats, push-ups, sit-ups, tri-cep dips, etc, in my backyard twice a week. You can save a ton of time in your car and gas money by NOT using a gym. Think of all the extra time you can spend working out.
Posted by runpipparun[/QUOTE]

jenbstevens

Thank you starqueg, I am in basically the same situation. I have had surgeries on my knee so running is difficult. I don't know how to ride a bike (confession) so that's out too. Also, I live in a tiny apartment with no yard, so a gym is the logical answer.

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_need-a-little-motivation?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c7295222-1a32-4396-b0b8-b3c8b57b7549Post:f0c2db2e-a669-42b0-90da-b9f7b5fe9338">Re: Need a little motivation</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Need a little motivation : Not everyone has the room to really workout in their homes.  I joined a gym because my ankles kill me when I run, so I use the elliptical.  I could go biking, but then I won't have a backup for rainy days or in the winter.  I can't do workout videos in my apartment due to space and I don't have a yard.
Posted by Starqueg[/QUOTE]