Calling all couch potatoes--who wants to get fit with me?

[goldenpig]

The other thread about exercising inspired me to get off my butt and start getting in shape. But it's also quite intimidating hearing how much exercise all the other fitness buffs are doing, so I thought I'd start a new thread for couch potatoes who want to start getting in shape/getting healthier. I realize there's already a Couch to 5K thread but it's pretty long already and I'm not sure I'm planning to do that specific method so I wanted to be more general. And I'm posting this in the lounge, because we couch potatoes aren't necessarily hanging out in MommyFIT, IYKWIM? This is mainly for newbies (and maybe also people who have fallen off the bandwagon after getting pregnant/having kids). Check in once in a while, post your experiences, questions, encouragement, whatever!

Some questions to get you started:
1. What is your story? Why do you want to get fit? What are your fitness goals--diet, exercise, weight, short term, long term, etc.
2. How do you plan to get fit? Specifics, please (and start small!)
3. What are your obstacles/excuses, and how to you plan to overcome them?
4. Who can help you reach your goals? (DH, fitness buddies, trainer, etc)
5. How are you doing right now?

1. I have gotten back to my prepregnancy weight by 1 year both times (thanks to extended BFing and good metabolism) without any dieting or exercise (no flames--I know I'm lucky!) but I have been a serious couch potato--I have not exercised at all in ages! Like since I was pregnant with DD! I want to get in shape because DH and I are going on a diving trip in less than 3 months--our first trip alone since the kids--and I want to be in shape. Over the last few months DH has been losing serious weight (like 20 lb) and exercising because of this trip. Plus I want to be healthier for the kids.
2. We have a Nautilus elliptical at home that I got for free from one of the moms in our local mom's group (she was moving and wanted to get rid of it). I plan to do elliptical 30 min 3x/week. If I stick with it I may try to dig out my old Firm exercise DVD or do some situps or dumbbells. I plan to mainly exercise when they are napping or after they go to bed in the evening.
3. My obstacles/excuses are that I work FT and often long hours, and that I don't have lunch breaks at work to exercise. And when I get home the kids stick to me like glue (they're totally mommy's boy/girls) and I can't get anything done while they're awake. And DS is still not sleeping through the night so I just can't bear to wake up early/lose additional sleep to exercise.
4. DH has offered to watch the kids while I exercise (since the elliptical is in our garage, we can't hear the kids when we're in there).
5. So far I have done the elliptical twice in the last 3 days, on the "speed intervals" setting (similar to the high intensity training that LexyLou mentioned). The first time I took it easy, but today I pushed it to level 10 and am definitely feeling the burn in my legs! It feels good though!

Please share your stories and join in! I need some virtual fitness buddies to keep me going!

ETA: Here are the list of "virtual fitness club" members so far:
goldenpig
lhafer
niccig
elektra
brgnmom
DietCokeLover
MommyAllison
Melaine
mom2MandC
alirebco
plusbellelavie
moonsky

[lhafer]

I'll get fit with you!! And this - "And I'm posting this in the lounge, because we couch potatoes aren't necessarily hanging out in MommyFIT, IYKWIM?" =

Some questions to get you started:
1. What is your story? Why do you want to get fit? What are your fitness goals--diet, exercise, weight, short term, long term, etc.
I am at least 100lbs overweight. I need to loose it!! I started having cardiac arrythmias when DD2 was 3 months old out of nowhere! I am now on a betablocker to keep the symptoms under control. I have gone from 50mg/day up to 200mg/day just to manage. I see a cardiologist, but not sure what's going on yet. I just want to loose weight and get in better cardio shape. It's scary because when I was 14, my father dropped dead of a massive heart attack at 51. He was healthy, 6'5" and 200lbs. No one saw it coming.

2. How do you plan to get fit? Specifics, please (and start small!) I have an elliptical in my bedroom that stares at me. I can start doing that a few days a week. Today I just bought a new bike and recently bought a bike trailer and plan on doing that 3x/wk for more cardio. And I do pilates 2x/week. I am interested in adding in a yoga class or two to the mix.

3. What are your obstacles/excuses, and how to you plan to overcome them?
Seriously - motivation. I slip into ruts and it's really hard to get out of them. And my eating habits. Once I get a good excercise routine going, I will begin to work on the food intake/what I eat, etc

4. Who can help you reach your goals? (DH, fitness buddies, trainer, etc) My BFF goes to the gym with me, and that helps a lot! Virtual buddies would be great too! DH wants to loose weight, but he's not actively trying - and even when he does, he can loose 20 pounds very easily. Sucky.

5. How are you doing right now? I was doing great for a couple of months. But lately I have fallen off the wagon of going to my Pilates class, or doing anything. Then this week my DD2 had a bad reaction to her vaccinations and I couldn't take her because she was rashy all over. She's better now, and I plan to start a new routine this next week.

[niccig]

I'll join. I started a regular exercise plan 5 weeks ago, but still closer to couch potato status than others that posted in the exercise thread.

1. I went back to school, and have put on the freshman 8, would be 15lbs but only half way through the year. I'm hypothyroid, which is managed well, and I need to keep my weight stable so medication level stays the same. I'm yo-yoed up/down 10-15lbs for the last 3 years. I'm also going to be 40 in 2.5 years and I want to be forty and fit and not forty and fat....a friend really got into shape for her 40th, better than she was at 30, so that's my inspiration.

2. I started slow. I started 2 pilates classes a week, as had gift certificate from DH to use up. It hurts. I'm finding muscles I've never found before. 3 weeks ago I added in 1 zumba class a week, and I'm going to add another class or do zumba wii more consistently. Today I did eliptical, and I want to do that 2 times a week. So 2 pilates, 2 zumba (class or wii) and 2 eliptical is my goal. But I'm adding in each new class or increasing number of times slowly.

Diet wise, I read the threads about increasing protein and good fat - and for the last 10 days or so I've been having a protein rich breakfast instead of my usual cereal, and I'm feeling less hungry through out the day, so snacking less. I'm also not eating after 7pm (some people don't think this matters, but my endocrinologist is big on this, he also says you should try to eat at some times every day as body gets in a routine,). Also increasing water - so far today I've had 50oz and I can not stop peeing!

3. Now that I've started, I think I can keep going. Main obstacle will be keeping it up. if I get out of the routine, it's difficult to get back into it. That's happened before. I had a goal of vacation or something, get more in shape for it, then afterwards, I go back to old habits.

4. DH is supportive - he wants to lose weight too, so we can help each other. I also think I've found exercise I like. I really like the pilates class I go do, and zumba is fun. I've gone to 6.15am class w/o complaining. I did the eliptical as high intensity today and nearly died..but I felt good afterwards, I'm hoping that feeling will get me on it tomorrow again.

ETA - we moved the eliptical from the garage to the family room so in front of the TV and that has helped us do it. We got wireless headphones so you can hear the TV over the eliptical. I got in shape for our wedding by watching the first season of 24 on DVD.

[goldenpig]

lhafer and niccig--how are you doing?
I did the elliptical twice last week. I have also been trying to use the stairs more instead of the elevator at work, even though it's only a couple floors, it's better than nothing. Over the weekend, we left the kids at home with the nanny and went kayaking (for the first time ever since we had kids!) for our anniversary. That was so fun! (We used to kayak a lot pre-kids but since then the kayaks have been sitting in the garage gathering dust). This week I kind of slacked off and did nothing for the first half. Then yesterday and today I got back on the elliptical, mainly because I knew I had started this thread and didn't want to be embarrassed if anyone asked about me!

One problem is that I've been exercising at 9 pm right after the kids go to bed, but when I do exercise late at night, it's often hard to fall asleep and I end up awake till 1 or 2 am. But I really don't want to wake up early--DS often gets up at 6 am and I have to watch him. I can't imagine waking myself up at 5:30 intentionally just to exercise! When do you all exercise?

[elektra]

I am in a similar boat so I will play along.

1. What is your story? Why do you want to get fit? What are your fitness goals--diet, exercise, weight, short term, long term, etc.

I have always hated exercising, even when I was an athlete. I loved skills training, but cardio or lifting weights- hated it. Especially cardio. So I had really put on the pounds since I weaned DS. It was also a stressful year for me and I coped by stuffing my face. Right now I want to lose weight and look good in clothes. And be healthier.
I was really not able to start on this weightloss/fitness journey until I was in a good place mentally and work-wise. I had been staying up til 2am on a regular basis finishing work, but when they finally hired an extra person, was when I knew I could find some more time to do other things in the evening like exercise.


2. How do you plan to get fit? Specifics, please (and start small!)

We got an elliptical machine and DH and I both use it. He goes in the morning and I do it at night after the kids are in bed. I do need a good 1-2 hours to wind down afterwards though.
I am also on WW. I have lost 15 pounds so far.

3. What are your obstacles/excuses, and how to you plan to overcome them?

I am lazy! It's hard to workout late when I have work to catch up on. I am really trying harder to get more work done during the actual work day (duh) so I don't have to stay up late at night. I try to keep focusing on the goal of doing this for myself and that I will feel better about myself if I can make it happen.

4. Who can help you reach your goals? (DH, fitness buddies, trainer, etc)

DH but he's not the best supporter. He has his own weight issues, and he has actually been hogging the elliptical machine! However, he really needs to get in shape more than I do, so I am being supportive of that and I let him ride (what do you call doing the elliptical machine anyway??) in the evenings if he wants to, even if it means I go really late or not at all.
He also does not like to eat healthy so he is not supportive of me in that way.
My dad spends a lot of time here and is losing weight himself by doing WW so we support each other on the WW thing.

5. How are you doing right now?

Not great. I was doing really well but then I went away on short vacation last weekend and then on a business trip this week. The breakfasts and alcohol are what do me in! At home I eat just a banana for breakfast, sometimes with yogurt, sometimes with peanut butter. But I have a hard time turning down a hotel room service breakfast if someone else is paying. Same with wine.
And I am nervous because we are about to do our 2-week family vacation. I will really have to try hard to be good.

[brgnmom]

I'd love to join! I haven't been able to make it to the gym, even though we live across the street from one now. I've been trying to stay active by hiking w/ my DS and 7-month-old DD (in the ergo) lately.

Here are my responses:

1. What is your story? Why do you want to get fit? What are your fitness goals--diet, exercise, weight, short term, long term, etc.

I used to swim competitively on an aquatics team (during elementary school thru high school), and I loved feeling fit. It made me feel balanced and healthy. When we had a membership at the Y, I swam laps while my DS was in childcare and I also swam during both of my pregnancies, although w/ my second pregnancy (w/ dd), I became more interested in practicing yoga. In terms of weight, I was probably the most toned and slim during high school and college. I also worked out often during med school and grad school, but I feel like my diet could have been healthier. Sometimes I would skimp out on the nutritious foods and the cafeteria food wasn't all that appetizing. When I got married, I ended up unexpectedly gaining weight and since I got pregnant a few months afterwards, I found myself to be 30-40+ pounds over my ideal weight by the end of the first pregnancy. Currently, I'm 7-months postpartum, and I've lost 5 pounds in the past few weeks - possibly due to the recent heat wave here, and I've been carrying my dd a lot and she's getting pretty heavy. despite my recent weight loss, I'm still 15 pounds over what I weighed before I got married. I'm okay with that, but I would like to feel more fit and energetic again.

2. How do you plan to get fit? Specifics, please (and start small!)

I'd like to come up w/ a long-term plan, but I don't think I can realistically stick w/ an exercise plan that requires a gym at the moment. there is one within walking distance, but right now Dh has been working long hours and I just feel guilty asking him to take care of the kids so I can work out. Plus, my kids are also clingy to their mom and I am unable to leave my dd alone w/ Dh. She was crying most of the time I had to leave for an eye dr's appointment, and my Dh couldn't bottlefeed her - she won't accept the bottle from him for some reason even though she drinks formula ok, and she will only let me bottlefeed her and nurse her at night.

So I've been walking a lot w/ a stroller and/or ergo for DD. lately, I've just been using the bugaboo cam b/c my DS has outgrown his desire to be in the stroller and he likes walking and exploring new places. we live near hiking trails so those have been fun and challenging. We also walk to many places - like to the library for storytime.

3. What are your obstacles/excuses, and how to you plan to overcome them?

(answered above)

4. Who can help you reach your goals? (DH, fitness buddies, trainer, etc)

accountability from Dh & fitness buddies

5. How are you doing right now?

I'm feeling inspired to create a more concrete plan about getting fit. Thanks, GP!

[niccig]

lhafer and niccig--how are you doing?
I can't imagine waking myself up at 5:30 intentionally just to exercise! When do you all exercise?

I did the high intensity eliptical last Sat. then I did my 2 pilates classes this week - 6.15am, so I have to be up around 5.30am. I normally do day classes, but had to do early mornings as DS was out of school most of this week as Summer vacation started. I couldn't go to Zumba as it's a day class.

For some reason, I can drag myself out of bed for pilates. Part of it is that you have to book ahead of time, and you get fined $25 if a no show. Partly, because I'm really enjoying it.

Eating hasn't been as good, as had an exam for my summer class - and it's an intensive class...so I raided DS's easter basket. Yes we still have chocolate in the house. But no more, I threw out the rest today.

I haven't weighed myself, I think our scale is off, but I did wear a pair of work pants, that were too tight at Easter (had to wear a long top to cover tushie), and they weren't as tight. I wouldn't say they were loose, but they fit much better. So that is progress...

DS is in camp for next 3 weeks, so the plan is
High intensity eliptical Sat or Sun
Pilates 6.15am Monday
High Intensity eliptical Tues
Zumba Wed
Pilates 11am Friday

I might throw in another normal eliptical session.

I've been pretty good at doing 2 pilates and 1 cardio (elptical or zumba) for the past several weeks, so I'm now focussing on increasing cardio to 2-3 times a week. I think I'll really see progress then. I do feel much better, and have much better tone in arms, back...and maybe just maybe a hint of muscles in thighs..real small hint though!

[goldenpig]

DS is in camp for next 3 weeks, so the plan is
High intensity eliptical Sat or Sun
Pilates 6.15am Monday
High Intensity eliptical Tues
Zumba Wed
Pilates 11am Friday

I might throw in another normal eliptical session.

Wow, niccig, that is impressive! You will be so fit!
And welcome to the virtual fitness club elektra and brgnmom! It's nice to have some more company! Elektra, I am the same way--DH needs to lose weight more than me so I let him take priority on the exercising (he often will exercise while I'm giving the kids baths and getting them ready for bed). Brgnmom, I totally hear you about the mom clinginess issue--we have the same issue here (I am going to a fundraiser gala for work tomorrow and DH is nervous about watching the kids for the 3 hours or so I'll be gone--he's worried that DS will cry for me the whole time). But have you talked to DH about it? If you live just right across the street from the gym maybe he'd be willing to watch them just for an hour once or twice a week?

Does anyone like to do exercise videos? Dang it, I can't find my two Firm steps anymore (they're called the Fanny Lifter system )--I wonder if I donated it during one of my purges. It was a good workout, but the exercise video is useless without them . I checked ebay but for some reason used ones are selling for $50! So, any other suggestions for good exercise videos you like? Zumba sounds interesting, but I have two left feet!

[lhafer]

Excercise just doesn't give me the "high" that people talk about. It just plain wears me out. I loathe excercising.

This past week was bad. Bad weather, extreme heat, my DD2's reaction to her DTaP vaccination (rash all over), and DD1's summer camp have severely interferred with my normally scheduled program!! But I plan to get back on the horse this week.

I also plan on starting a new diet that will be grueling this next week (DH is joining me on this venture). We've done it before and it really worked for us. It's just horrible the 1st 2 weeks, so I want to apologize NOW for grumblings/b!tchiness/complaints I will have in the near future!!

Even though I was bad at excercising last week - I did put together my DD's sand box under her swing set yesterday. So that was lifting 200lbs of sand (4 50lb bags) out of my car, pulling it around to the back yard, lifting 100lbs of mulch out of my car, pulling it around to the back yard, prepping the box with a weed liner, laying down sand in the wading pool, and then adding mulch to the rest of it!!! THAT was a workout!

[DietCokeLover]

Can I try to join in? I WANT to lose weight, look better, feel better, etc... but our situation is so strange and I am so limited on opportunities, I may end up being the slacker in the group, but I want to try.


1. What is your story? Why do you want to get fit? What are your fitness goals--diet, exercise, weight, short term, long term, etc.
I need to lose weight. I am the heaviest I have ever been, non pregnant. I can tell that my body is generally unhappy with me and I can't stand the way I look. I also need to set a better example for my children.
2. How do you plan to get fit? Specifics, please (and start small!)
I have no real good ideas about this. I have no gym, no child care and no money. ha! So, I did invest in a Jillian Michaels' DVD and will try to do this without the children crawling all over me. I'm also going to try and do some water aerobic type activities when I am in the pool with the kids.
3. What are your obstacles/excuses, and how to you plan to overcome them?
Obstacles: No gym. No break from the children from the moment they wake up, til they go to bed. Excuses: I am just so depressed these days, it's hard to motivate myself to even start.
4. Who can help you reach your goals? (DH, fitness buddies, trainer, etc)
I've got me.
5. How are you doing right now?
I've bought the DVD, but it's still in the celophane packaging it was wrapped in.