First hello to all! I am new to this board but am gaining so much information - it's a "one-stop-shop" for a healthier lifestyle!

I had LC about 2 years ago & was doing well. I had a group of 5 girlfriends that would go with me to the gym to work out. One by one they dropped & eventually I did too.

Fast forward (past all the excuses for not sticking with working out or LC ) to present. I have been LC for a month now, & yes, I have made this a life change. I am pleased with how it is going & have seen results plus learning more & more thanks to this wonderful forum & all the wonderful posters!

OK, now onto the next life change to a healthier life. I, of course, would like to implement working out back into my life. Unfortunately, at this time I cannot afford to go to the gym, but I do have some walking tapes, aerobic tapes, some hand weights & bands. So my excuse for not implementing working out due to financial restraint is falling on deaf ears!

I understand taking baby steps to work into a routine but I have barely moved the "big toe" by just parking farther at work, stores, etc. to add steps into my daily life.

Another side note confession - I am a smoker - working on quitting - of which I do better when working out. This all goes hand in hand with a healthier lifestyle.

So after all the above - my question to all of you - how did you personally start working out? What were your personal motivations to start? What are your personal favorite motivations to continue? Your personal rewards?

Any & all suggestions & feed back would be wonderful! Going back to read more posts!

Hi Bungee,

I first started working out about 8 or 9 years ago. At that time I had maybe 30 pounds to lose. So I started exercising mainly to lose weight. Unfortunately for me all the exercising in the world couldn't make up for my bad eating habits. So I fell off the exercising band wagon for the most part.

Earlier this year I was just fed up with being fat and feeling awful. So I started working out again. I just feel so energetic when I'm physically active. Plus, there is the vanity component. Exercise, particularly lifting weights, makes you look better. That's what keeps me going right now. Looking better and feeling better.

I agree there is nothing wrong with vanity for motivation!

I have been reading several posts about types of workouts, reading how you are all doing is a great motivation as well!

Maybe my posting was part due to I wanted to actually "see" my words instead of just playing them in my head. Maybe keeping a journal would help in that area.......

I know I do better when I have a "work out buddy" when there is someone else that I don't want to let down by using one of the thousand excuses that can pop into my head at a moments notice - but all my "buddy's" are not at the same place I am.

Just trying to connect the dots from my brain to my body (actually doing it! )

Bungee,

It really does help to check in with people, even online buddies. I know when I see that people have done their workout for the day, it really motivates me to do mine. Don't want to look like a slacker.

I just did it and never looked back again. You gotta do what you gotta do. And I did.