Please help to motivate me to exercise :(

I have been struggling on and off with depression for a good number of years. I am also overweight, I am around 200lbs and 5'4'' in height. I would like to lose weight but I never know how to because I can't afford the gym and when I get home from work I feel quite lethargic and down in the dumps and tired. So I thought to myself last night that I need to get out of this slump so I would like to start walking to work. It would take me about an hour to walk there and then an hour to walk back. I would save £40 a month because I wouldn't have my bus card as well. I was going to start riding a motorbike but that wouldn't really do me any good, weight-wise.

The thing I'm having trouble with is motivating myself to get started. I am going to walk back from work tonight (got the bus in this morning) to see how long it takes me. But when I start to think about it, I get depressed because it seems like a lot of effort and I will need to keep it up if I want to lose weight. The thing is, I know what I'm like, I get down about things and when they actually happen they aren't as bad as I thought. So I'm pretty sure if I actually do the walking that it won't be as bad as I think, or at all difficult. I just build it up in my mind, like I do with a lot of things.

I wish I could stop my negative thinking patterns but it's hard. I had cognitive therapy when I was 18 (24 now) for my OCD so I know I could look into that. I haven't had much luck with counsellors and can't afford them now anyway. I am on 30mg of Citalopram to help with my depression.

I guess I am just looking for any techniques to motivate myself and to make myself feel happier and more positive. I have a goal of dropping 2 dress sizes in 12 months starting this week. It doesn't help that I am also tired quite a lot, and with the walking I will have to get up quite early for work (I start work at 8am, finish at 4pm). I am keeping an eye on the other thread which is talking about how to wake up in the morning.

Any help much appreciated.

First, you need to get an iPod or CD player. You can listen to music while you walk, or even better, listen to Books on CD. You get quite into the story while walking, and the time just flies by. So you will look forward to your walk because you are getting back to your book. Get mysteries or things that are exciting that really get you involved with the story. You can get book CDs at the library.

If you are walking two hours a day, i can guarantee you will start losing a lot of weight very quickly, and shape up really nicely. Your legs, thighs, and hips will look great from that kind of activity. You will see the results fairly quickly too, and that alone will help motivate you.

Also, start a program where you give up all junk food, sugar, or high fat foods you eat to excess (except for a treat day once a week). You will be surprised at how fast the weight falls off if you give up your problems foods.

When i needed to lose some weight, i gave up all junk/sugared food (like candy, potato chips, cake, cookies) and implemented a 'eat half' strategy. So i ate all the other 'normal' food i would have eaten (with the exception of junk food), but would eat half of what i would have before. So if they served food for lunch at work that was a sandwhich, potato salad, i would just eat half the sandwhich, and half the serving of potato salad. If i went out to eat, i'd eat only half of what was on the plate.

This way you don't feel too deprived, and the weight still falls off because you are controlling your portions.

2 hours of walking a day is quite a bit in regards to time etc...Why don't you start getting off the bus a few stops early...the thing with working out is its best to start small and as you see the effects and reap the benefits you will want to increase your activity. So maybe try walking for 20 min on the way there and 20 min on the way back...do that for a couple weeks...

Also try adding some resistance exercises using your own body weight. So either before you go to work or before bed or when you get home from work try doing 3 sets of 20 push ups (start on your knees if need be) 3 sets of 20 squats, lunges & plies and do that every other night along with some ab stuff and see how you look and feel in 2 weeks...

start small and work your way up...be patient with yourself and your body.

I would take some time to journal before you start and get a really clear picture and idea of WHY you are doing this. Journal out how you feel now with the extra weight, with the lethargy etc...and journal how you want to feel and what your life would look like if you didn't have the depression and tiredness and extra weight...

You can do this, i know you can but be graceful with yourself to start and have patience with your body.

One last note no matter how much you work out around 90% of losing weight is to do with diet...

Blessings,

JK

my advice (as a fellow person who has to motivate herself to exercise) is definitely to start small. you don't have to get a gym membership, i lost 30 lbs without stepping foot in a gym. like kuiks said, it can be as simple as getting off the bus stop a few stops early.

look into exercises you like - i like dancing, so that is a main component of my exercise. i think the gym can be dreadfully boring. i also invested in some adjustable weights, a resistance band, and i have a lot of home DVDs, i just work out in my living room. it's easy to adjust it to your schedule, and even doing exercise 20 minutes a day can really help. if you go to the library, or if you have netflix, or any other DVD service, you can pick out exercise DVDs that way.

a main thing about motivation - i've read many places that you should aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. it's for your health. i think about other things that i don't always want to do (like comb my hair or pay taxes), but it's what you have to do, to be healthy and a part of society. when you think about exercising as something that you need to do to be healthy, like brushing your teeth or flossing, i think it can get easier to make it a priority.

I agree with Annie if you can focus on the health aspect more than the societal aspect it is a lot easier to stay motivated...I know for myself a big motivator is the increased energy and well being I have from working out. I get a real sense of accomplishment from working out. I love seeing how hard i can go and how much I can do and I love how my body looks and feels after a really good work out...and that can just be from walking...walking has been the greatest thing I have ever done for legs and booty

Regular physical activity will help with your depression. It does so in a couple different ways -- 1. It gives you a sense of accomplishment -- You feel (both mentally and physically) like you've Done Something. 2. When you're physically active, there are certain chemical changes that occur in your brain. Some of the chemicals your brain starts producing are ones that bring about feelings of satisfaction & well being (ever hear of "runner's high?" that's all it is), these are likely some of the same brain chemicals your depression medication is trying to boost and regulate. 3. If your depression is of the sort where getting enough sleep is a problem, regular physical activity will wear you out and make sleeping easier. 4. Physical activity gets you out of your head, and into your body...sometimes people who have depression are too much in their head and it just feeds on itself.

Depression is a wicked thing, though. I tend to think of mine as a separate entity, because I know I am more than that. Anyway, as a separate entity, it will fight for its existence. Anything that threatens its existence (like exercise) is "the enemy" and will be fought against and avoided at all costs. Your depression will give you very valid, logical, "I'm really taking care of myself" sounding reasons for not getting active. Learning to NOT to buy into them is the key to finding your motivation.

Our bodies are made to be moved and physically exerted on a regular basis. It not only benefits us physically, but mentally as well. Even knowing all this, I still have to struggle with it sometimes myself...but then I remember: The truth is not "I feel too crappy to exercise." The truth is, "I feel crappy because I haven't been exercising."

Wouldn't the fact that being over-weight can kill you young be motivation enough?

When overweight, the first thing is definitely to not work out like crazy. I think the suggestions about walking are really good, and you could go from walking to jogging when you are at a healthier weight. I am almost addicted to running- it keeps the dark thoughts away (depression has been my friend for a long while too), it keeps me fit, etc. Most importantly, it's free and you get to be outside.

But a lot can even be done by simple adjustments in your routine. Take stairs instead of elevators. Yes, get out of the bus a stop too late.

Also for eating habits, a lot can be done by small changes:

* Don't eat while you are moving, but take the time for your meal. I always see people eating on the street here, and I think it's part of the problem (if one is used to that). Eating is integrated in everything you do that way. In fact I think you enjoy food much more when you take the time to have a decent meal (cook it yourself), and then move on to do other things.

* eat a good and nutritious breakfast and don't skip meals. Be aware of the trap that I think a a lot of people find themselves in: the one where you don't eat meals but see that as an excuse to eat calorie-rich but non-nutritious other things. In between meals, eat fruits and low-fat crackers with a bit of hummus or a granola bar.

* if your meals are big, divide your dinner portion in two and first eat the first bit. Then think very hard about taking the second one.

It's too easy to get caught in the depression trap and I hate it. I love running, it relates directly to my diet and my energy level. I feel so much better when I run and workout regularly.

I eat so much better when I follow a regular workout schedule and that in turn affects everything else in a positive manner. If I get down or depressed I tend to get away from that. Try to set goals for yourself but be realistic; maybe 5-10 pounds, or a certain amount of days exercise. Have fun with it, there are so many things to do and you will feel better about yourself!

Thanks for all your replies everyone, they are very helpful. I am walking to and from work now and I will how that helps, and watching my diet too. Thanks all as usual xxxxx