Hello there everyone!
I'm brand new to this forum and I have joined in hope that this might be a good place to start with regard to achieving some long-standing fitness goals and aims.
Having recently turned yet another year older... I have been reflecting on the fact that I have never been very successful in getting particularly fit and healthy for very long or a sustained period of time.
I have ONCE managed to maintain a healthy routine of exercising every other day, doing a variety of gym classes such as kickboxing, body combat, body pump along with some personal gym work on the treadmill and cross-trainer.
However this lasted for about 2 months or so and then I stopped this routine.
This occasion was about 6 or 7 years ago...
Over the past 5 years I have tried to go back to this routine (not as intense, but just trying to live healthier, exercise more regularly, get fitter... etc) - I have joined the gym, paying the monthly fees and all, but seldom ever making full use of it. So on the whole it's been rather unsuccessful.
I am tired of these constant failures, but I'm at a loss of how to turn it around and really engrain a healthier and more active being into everyday lifestyle.
I have taken up learning to salsa dance and I do this quite intensely and frequently, however I don't think it is quite enough as exercise alone. Salsa has definitely helped with improving fitness levels but it's not where I would like to be.
For someone who doesn't actually exercise frequently or regularly, I have surprised a lot of people in being as agile and athletic as I am... I think this is a 'grace' which i have been taking advantage of for all these years... eventually this will catch up with me and I will NEED to work hard.
Without turning first post into any more of an essay... I was hoping to get some advice, inspiration, motivation - anything on what I could do... I want to really take this seriously, but I've said that so many times in the past and track record of this is just poor. I don't know how to make this time any different.
Happy to provide more information to further the discussion if needed!
Thanks to everyone in advance!
Hi all, forum Newbie - in need of some encouragement please?
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
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mambo.rhythm
- STARTING OUT
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2011 5:31 pm
Re: Hi all, forum Newbie - in need of some encouragement please?
I can in some way relate to you. I started doing it 12 years ago, but the magic started to fade. It lost it's buzz / edge, but I found switching to 4 days a week instead of 3 helped, because then I was not having 2 off days that could become 3 or 4 or 5 or 2 weeks, I had 2 back to back days in the week helping to build resolve.
I had to force myself to do it until after 6 months it felt like a part of life, not some hobby; because it can't be a hobby.
If you build a model boat for example, you can leave it and it won't become partially disassembled when you get back to it in the future, it will be as it was, but a body that improves then is not given any way to improve more, or at least retain improvement, will slide back to a previous level of conditioning.
What you need to realise is, this is your life. You have realised before now, what many who haven't but should realise, is that you need to make good use of your one chance to live and try to make sure you start and continue, to give yourself a good chance of living a long well life, not just leave it to chance and hope you'll be one of the lucky ones, that makes poor lifestyle choices and gets away with it.
You CAN make this work for you, if you believe in it and yourself enough. Find a way of doing it that works and you like and make things easier on yourself. It's your life, but if you want to live a potentially long happy life, take control and do what is necessary, but do it in a way you will like and get more out of.
Good luck fella
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I had to force myself to do it until after 6 months it felt like a part of life, not some hobby; because it can't be a hobby.
If you build a model boat for example, you can leave it and it won't become partially disassembled when you get back to it in the future, it will be as it was, but a body that improves then is not given any way to improve more, or at least retain improvement, will slide back to a previous level of conditioning.
What you need to realise is, this is your life. You have realised before now, what many who haven't but should realise, is that you need to make good use of your one chance to live and try to make sure you start and continue, to give yourself a good chance of living a long well life, not just leave it to chance and hope you'll be one of the lucky ones, that makes poor lifestyle choices and gets away with it.
You CAN make this work for you, if you believe in it and yourself enough. Find a way of doing it that works and you like and make things easier on yourself. It's your life, but if you want to live a potentially long happy life, take control and do what is necessary, but do it in a way you will like and get more out of.
Good luck fella
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Re: Hi all, forum Newbie - in need of some encouragement please?
Welcome…
I like to read around and educate myself. If you have questions, post them. If you need some advice for your workout and/or diet, list them. It helps a ton, especially having someone to talk to and give advice.
I noticed you mentioned a lot about exercising… keep in mind it’s also a life style and eating healthy too. Maybe try setting a goal for yourself. It’s such a good motivate to aim for and it feels good when you reach it!!! I think about goals everyday and try to aim it so it pushes me to go to the gym and also makes me think twice before I put some cheese cake in mouth…
Good Luck and hope to see you around.
I like to read around and educate myself. If you have questions, post them. If you need some advice for your workout and/or diet, list them. It helps a ton, especially having someone to talk to and give advice.
I noticed you mentioned a lot about exercising… keep in mind it’s also a life style and eating healthy too. Maybe try setting a goal for yourself. It’s such a good motivate to aim for and it feels good when you reach it!!! I think about goals everyday and try to aim it so it pushes me to go to the gym and also makes me think twice before I put some cheese cake in mouth…
Good Luck and hope to see you around.
Re: Hi all, forum Newbie - in need of some encouragement please?
Howdy! I think you have to do a couple of things first (at least these worked for me).
1. Really take a look at yourself, objectively without being cruel. Decide what you really want to accomplish. In case when I started working out I was 5'7", 120 lbs and all the guys in tank unit called me stick boy or chicken boy. Enough was enough so I hit the weight room and went up to 192 lbs all natural over 5 years.
2. Determine how you want to what needs fixing; do you need a full blown gym or will exercising outside using a bike/walking/running do? As per #1, on Aug 29 I took a look in the mirror and decided it was time the love handles I gained when I pumped up to 192 just had to go and I set mind to it. And that is a key thing, you must set your mind to it. If you say "I have to" then you will fail, but if you say "I want to" you will succeed. I want to get rid of love handles and as of today they are 85% gone.
3. Get a friend to exercise with you. Make sure the friend is one "who want's to" so that they motivate you to show up every day. Many a time weight lifting partner or I would show up not wanting to pump iron but we would motivate each other and get it done.
4. Do something that you love to do; I tried kick boxing, and while a fantastic workout I didn't enjoy it, so after a month I dropped it. However, it has now been 17 years and I still pump weights because I enjoy it, being an old fart of 46 I just use lighter weights now is all.
5. Try to set a scheduled time for your workout that is comfortable for you and you know you can accomplish. I find if I bounce workouts around, especially weights, that I will tend to say "ahh, get it tomorrow". But if I do exercising each morning between 9 and 10am body looks forward to it, and brain is saying "hey man, shouldn't we be out doing a fast walk right now?". The old Pavlov's dog theory kicks in and soon you will find if you miss the workout you feel disappointed and that you have cheated yourself.
6. Don't over due it. Too many people go nuts and try doing 2 hours of cardio followed by 1 hour of weights, then go home and collapse. This was down fall when I started weight lifting, I would do a 2 hour work out 5 days per week thinking I was doing great but I made little gain, and was falling asleep do to exhaustion, plus going to the gym became an effort. Cut back to 45 minutes and the sky was blue and the sun sparkled.
I guess that is it, sorry for the rant. Hope you have great success because you want to!
1. Really take a look at yourself, objectively without being cruel. Decide what you really want to accomplish. In case when I started working out I was 5'7", 120 lbs and all the guys in tank unit called me stick boy or chicken boy. Enough was enough so I hit the weight room and went up to 192 lbs all natural over 5 years.
2. Determine how you want to what needs fixing; do you need a full blown gym or will exercising outside using a bike/walking/running do? As per #1, on Aug 29 I took a look in the mirror and decided it was time the love handles I gained when I pumped up to 192 just had to go and I set mind to it. And that is a key thing, you must set your mind to it. If you say "I have to" then you will fail, but if you say "I want to" you will succeed. I want to get rid of love handles and as of today they are 85% gone.
3. Get a friend to exercise with you. Make sure the friend is one "who want's to" so that they motivate you to show up every day. Many a time weight lifting partner or I would show up not wanting to pump iron but we would motivate each other and get it done.
4. Do something that you love to do; I tried kick boxing, and while a fantastic workout I didn't enjoy it, so after a month I dropped it. However, it has now been 17 years and I still pump weights because I enjoy it, being an old fart of 46 I just use lighter weights now is all.
5. Try to set a scheduled time for your workout that is comfortable for you and you know you can accomplish. I find if I bounce workouts around, especially weights, that I will tend to say "ahh, get it tomorrow". But if I do exercising each morning between 9 and 10am body looks forward to it, and brain is saying "hey man, shouldn't we be out doing a fast walk right now?". The old Pavlov's dog theory kicks in and soon you will find if you miss the workout you feel disappointed and that you have cheated yourself.
6. Don't over due it. Too many people go nuts and try doing 2 hours of cardio followed by 1 hour of weights, then go home and collapse. This was down fall when I started weight lifting, I would do a 2 hour work out 5 days per week thinking I was doing great but I made little gain, and was falling asleep do to exhaustion, plus going to the gym became an effort. Cut back to 45 minutes and the sky was blue and the sun sparkled.
I guess that is it, sorry for the rant. Hope you have great success because you want to!
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splashangel
- SOCIAL CLIMBER
- Posts: 53
- Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:17 pm
Re: Hi all, forum Newbie - in need of some encouragement please?
Hey there! Welcome. I think you will like it here. First of all, I don't like working out. I don't. 
I do,however, enjoy the benefits that come from it. At 43, energy is through the roof. Here's what works for me. I read reliable imfo on diet.( NOT DIETING) I eat right. I ask questions. I have online relationships with healthy minded people. I help others with what I learn. I have a friend who started out at almost 400 lbs. 5'5". She is now down 65 lbs. It's incentive for me to eat healthy because I cook for her once a day and she's watching me. By helping someone else,you help yourself.I love to play. Like, I don't mind body surfing or ditch jumping with boys but I don't like the structured stuff.However, I have learned that I can not rely on playing daily. So... I have a schedual. Same time every morning.The biggest thing for me is to just "show up" for workouts! Once I make it to the treadmill or weights, I got the worse part done. I rest 2 days. I do not go to a gym. I use cds sometimes. Workouts I have printed from the computer. Or sometimes I just wing it. I try to mix it up when I am bored. I hope this helps you and I will be looking to see your progress.
I do,however, enjoy the benefits that come from it. At 43, energy is through the roof. Here's what works for me. I read reliable imfo on diet.( NOT DIETING) I eat right. I ask questions. I have online relationships with healthy minded people. I help others with what I learn. I have a friend who started out at almost 400 lbs. 5'5". She is now down 65 lbs. It's incentive for me to eat healthy because I cook for her once a day and she's watching me. By helping someone else,you help yourself.I love to play. Like, I don't mind body surfing or ditch jumping with boys but I don't like the structured stuff.However, I have learned that I can not rely on playing daily. So... I have a schedual. Same time every morning.The biggest thing for me is to just "show up" for workouts! Once I make it to the treadmill or weights, I got the worse part done. I rest 2 days. I do not go to a gym. I use cds sometimes. Workouts I have printed from the computer. Or sometimes I just wing it. I try to mix it up when I am bored. I hope this helps you and I will be looking to see your progress.