In need of inspiration

[BargainBucket]

Hi all. Late 40s and with a beer belly perfected over many years. It makes me look pregnant - not the usual wobbly belly - it's hard and rounded. Nice eh? My problem is that I love food and hate exercise - I guess my forum username sums me up perfectly. But I need to do something as I'm becoming frighteningly unfit. Trouble is, it's still kind of a "need to" rather than a "want to". Any encouragement gratefully received

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, BB

Much as we'd like to be able to magically motivate everyone and we do try hard to do just that, the essential oomph, has to come from within. Do you really like your hard and rounded belly? Is it a struggle to get your shoes on? Do you puff and pant at the least exertion? Would you rather those things didn't apply to you? Try and break down what you'd like to get out of this and decide if a little effort and some tweaking would, indeed, be a good idea

I'd like to invite you to join our Newbie Club, which we hope will be a good place for you to connect with members, who are also just starting out. If you just post a few words to introduce yourself and respond to others there, you'll soon break the ice. Here's the link

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

You'll find all the information you need to navigate the forum in the header, so please take the time to read it carefully.

Wishing you all the best

[VickyDLM 2 stone]

Maybe you should avoid exercise entirely and find a sport you're interested in? Maybe join a team? I can't say I enjoy exercise either, but I have found that I enjoying swimming and will do that 3-4 times a week. I think the key to motivate yourself to exercise for those of us that aren't keen is to find an activity you enjoy doing as you're never going to stick with it otherwise.

I would also suggest having a look at the NHS 12-week program as a great place to start. Many of us have found it helpful following it as written or just as a useful place to start. For me, I like that it's not a "diet" as such and is instead a guide to sensible, healthy eating. Nothing is off limits, but keeping an eye on the calories does help me to make better choices. Usually.

Welcome and good luck!

[BargainBucket in reply to VickyDLM]

Hi Vicky. I've tried various sports and was just no good at them. Anything involving a ball is just hopeless. Would snooker count (LOL)? Swimming - now there's an odd thing about me. I don't do lengths, I don't do widths. I do depths. Honestly - I don't float. All of my effort goes in to just keeping my head above water. If I try to float on my back, I sink with my backside acting like a torpedoed submarine and pulling the rest of me down with it. So sadly I'm not a very confident swimmer. But I know I need to do something - it's just finding something that I can be modestly good at and enjoy.

[Active_43 in reply to BargainBucket]

Going for a good walk is a good start? It's free and you should easily be able to fit in 30 minutes a day.

[VickyDLM 2 stone in reply to BargainBucket]

I wouldn't say I'm a great swimmer (though definitely better than when I started!) but as I enjoy it I keep at it. Sorry, don't think snooker counts!

But Active_43 has a great place to start, walking is great exercise and free (cheap is always good ). And there are some beautiful places to go in this country too.

Kind of an interesting thought though, I wonder how many sports don't involve a ball?

Good luck!

[Hidden]

My tummy is just like that. My waist is 40 inches!!! I take meds that increase my insulin levels and store fat there. Are you on meds? Try walking to start. That's what I did and it's not too difficult. Good luck!

[Itsbab]

Hi I’ve just started going to the gym ( doctors referral) and was so anxious when I first went but now even though I’ve only been a couple of times I’m looking forward to my next visit. When I first started my weight loss I just used to walk on the treadmill at home, dog walking too, also I used to put on Leslie Sansomes 1 mile walk on you tube and do that every now and again in my own home, anything that makes you move will burn calories, make muscles move and get you fitter even putting on a selection of songs that you like and dancing around ( on my own in my room wouldn’t want to put the family through that sight lol) helps also it raises the feel.good factor so aids against depression. Good luck 👍 is there anyone around you that can be a exercise buddy?

[Active_43]

Correct Hidden , you can't outrun a bad diet but the mood boost that exercise produces definitely spurs you on to look after yourself. Healthy body, healthy mind and all that

[BargainBucket]

Thanks for the replies. I was starting to type about how I never have time to walk (which I enjoy) due to pressures of work, kids etc. But then I realised that I was sort of making excuses. Yes - work takes up a huge amount of my life, and running kids here there and everywhere means I rarely get any free time until about 9 pm (by which time I'm pretty much done in). But one way or another, I need to make time for this.

The urge to snack is always there although I suspect it's more a diversionary tactic by my body to get me away from the desk and menial tasks. If I get really involved in something, I tend to forget about eating. So I need to find healthy snacks in the short term. I rarely eat confectionery as I don't really have a sweet tooth - savoury is my downfall. And beer, and wine, and curry, and Chinese, and......