Day 5: Choose Your 30 x 3 Exercise | 30-Day Weight Loss-athon
Welcome to Day 5 of the 30-Day Weight Loss-athon.
Today we’ll be committing to — dun dun DUN! — an exercise program!!
Read the steps first, then take 10 minutes to complete them.
We only have 10 minutes, so move fast, act quickly and stop over-thinking. Just throw yourself in. Ready?
What You Need:
- Your diary.
Important Note: Get medical clearance if you need it
It’s a good idea to get the all-clear to exercise from your medical professional if:
- You’re new to exercise
- You haven’t exercised in a long time
- You’re significantly overweight
- You have a medical condition or concern
- You’re nervous about exercising.
Step 1
The first step today is to have a little talk with yourself and make peace with the idea that you are going to become a regular exerciser.
That might be something you’re OK with already. Cool – then this will be pretty easy.
Or it could fill you with dread and panic. In which case, take a deep breath because I’m going to let you in on a secret – one that anyone who’s ever lost weight will confirm if you ask them.
As you start to lose weight, you start to enjoy exercising. It may seem hard to believe now, but it’s true.
So comfort yourself that soon, a kind of pleasure will start to kick in. Maybe not a rocking good time, but a definite this-isn’t-so-bad-ness. You just have to get past the beginning.
Step 2
Next, let’s find out what you like and don’t like, workout-wise. Some questions can help:
- Do you prefer to be indoors or outdoors?
- Do you like to work out alone or in a group?
- Do you prefer high or low impact activities?
- Do you prefer a consistent or varied pace?
- Do you want to start easy or be immediately challenged?
- Do you prefer music, TV, or your own thoughts when you exercise?
- Do you feel most energetic in the morning, afternoon or evening?
Once you’ve considered your answers, you’ll find it easier to choose a type of exercise that will suit you.
Step 3
Bearing in mind those preferences from Step 2, you need to:
- Choose something active
- Be prepared to do it for at least 30 minutes at a time
- Be prepared to do it at least 3 times a week.
In total, that’s 1.5 hours a week. Less than a movie.
If you feel resistance welling up and find yourself formulating excuses why you can’t spare 1.5 hours a week, then gently remind yourself that:
- This amount of exercise is a small price to pay for looking good, feeling good and getting healthy
- If you don’t exercise, you run the risk of all sorts of expensive problems that will cost you a lot more time in the long run
- People with greater time pressures and more weight to lose than you have done it, and you can do it too
- There are wonderful rewards waiting for you, as you identified on Day 1.
Choose from the list below, or feel free to add something else. Just be sure your choice raises your heart rate and makes you sweat. Pilates, yoga and shopping can be added extras, but they generally don’t burn enough calories to be good weight-loss choices.
- Walking – brisk
- Walking – hills
- Running
- Jogging
- Skipping (with a rope)
- Cycling – outdoor
- Cycling – stationary
- Elliptical machine
- Treadmill
- Boxing
- Exercise classes – including step, combat, attack,
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Dance classes
- Sports that raise your heart rate and make you sweat – eg tennis, squash etc
- Exercise DVD.
Step 4
Now the part that makes all the difference.
Enter your exercise sessions for the rest of the month in your diary. Yep – put them right in there, at the times you’ll do them.
You’ve just made exercise dates with yourself. Please don’t be rude and stand yourself up.
Bonus Step For 52 Weight Loss Missions Members
Revisit Mission 9: Fit Exercise Into Your Life to remind yourself how to see exercise sessions as commitments. Prepare your answers for those times you’ve scheduled an exercise session and your boss/colleague/friend says, ‘Can you [stay late/attend a meeting/go out]’?
Check in!
And you’re done!
Be sure to leave your comment below to check in and stay accountable. If you’re reading this by email or in a reader then please click here to leave your comment.
See you tomorrow!
I started exercising a few Weeks ago. Still haven’t reached the”enjoy it” stage, but it’s defiantly not as bad as before. I like the idea of scheduling my exercise. That just may give me the extra kick I need to do it. I mostly walk but I try to vary my routines so it will be part of my lifestyle and I will not get bored with it. sometimes I add inclines, sometimes I add stairs, today I am adding sand. I am going to walk on the beach.
I’m adding 30 minutes on the treadmill 3 times a week, when my husband gets back from his run in the afternoon, to my current exercise program.
I’m a day behind, but catching up with two at once! I’m committing to riding my bike at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes or more. I plan to stick both kids int he bike trailer most of the time too to add some extra oomph to the workout!
Hello to everyone:
Congratulations on doing exercising.
Terry Tip:
1. Exercising three days a week is wonderful.
2. Walking daily or five days a week is great.
3. Consider getting an exercise buddy so you have a reason to stay committed.
Each week you exercise and walk try for a longer period.
If the weather is bad walk inside of a neighborhood mall when the stores are closed.
Keep up the good work and keep posting to stay accountable. Good Luck and I’m proud of all of you.
I began walking about a year ago and love the outdoor exercise–great to see neighbors and soak up nature. On vacation this week, I’ve been more lax than my usual 5-7 30-minute walks a week, but I’ve gotten in three good days of exercise on the hills where our mountain cabin’s located and in Dollywood, also a park with hills.
I try to hit the gyms three times a week and do 12 nautilus machines or a body pump class and then doing anywhere from 3-4 1/2 miles on the cross trainer. Now that the weather has gotten nicer the family has gotten out their bikes and we try to do bike rides several times a week. When we bike to the local playground, which is 1 1/2 miles each way, I get the added bonus of pulling my two children behind me in the bike trailer. That really kicks my butt and I can’t wait for the day to come when I won’t be ready to pass out once we get to the playground.
All I can do is walk briskly. I haven’t exercised in a long time, I have a medical condition. I got the all-clear to exercise from my Doctor. Swimming would be the best for me however there is no where to go around me @ this time.
Oops I already learned on day 3 not to judge.So the 1st line needs to read:
I’ll be walking briskly 3 days a week now which is a great start for me.
I love zumba and combat classes at the gym. my sis and I have been meaning to make 3 every week but lately we have been letting excuses get in the way. its more difficult now that I work full time but that’s not a good enough excuse – we have worked out 3 classes that we can make so no reason not to do it!
and if for some reason we cant, I will replace the class with a 30 min walk. eg we are going away this weekend so will miss our classes but I will go walking instead to keep motivated.
day 5; I don’t write much when I sign in, but I thought id spend a few extra minutes writing. my little guy has a bit of the flu and I’m not feeling 100% either, I did about 15 to 20 minutes of my Turbo Jam dvd, but not as long as I wanted. but I did work out on days 2 and 3 for 30 minutes. yesterdays day (4) will be a challenge too, I normally eat small portions and healthy but between 7 and 10pm, well that’s really tough for me, the unhealthy snacks come out. anyway, I’m trying my best, I noticed ive lost a couple pounds cause my pants are a bit looser. I weighed myself on day 1 and I wont check it again until the end of the month. my goal: to fit into my summer clothes.
Well, I’ve dug up my old XBX exercise programme book. I remember in my dim dark past (at least 20 years ago!) really enjoying doing XBX. It’s 14 minutes a day (with the additional flexibility exercises included) done every day which I can see working for me. Trying to fit 30 minutes into my hectic/disorganised schedule hasn’t worked in the past but 14 minutes is doable! That’s actually about how long it takes my 9 year old to get all his school stuff organised for the day (we homeschool) so I can let him know it’s time to start and get active myself!
I’ve got this one down. I walk and jog on the treadmill for 45 minutes 3-4 times/week. Over the last year I’ve built up from walking for 15 minutes to walking and jogging 3.5 miles and 45 minutes. It I can do it, you can too!
Committed to dancing Zumba 3-days in a row! 🙂
My sister and I worked out for an hour with an exercise tape.
Committed! Already worked out twice this week, Yahoo!
I’ve just fallen love with the exercise bike again.
It’s a beautiful day, I’ve packed up my Avon books, taken my Advil and I’m just about out the door for my 30 minute walk! Won’t forget the sunscreen this time!
I have been walking everyday at lunch time for at least 1/2 hour and I try to get in an exercise video or another walk at least 3 evenings a week. I am really committed to this challenge. Still feeling the ache but the body feels firmer already and I feel great.
Due to health issues, I already swim 30 min 3x week but need to add weight-bearing exercise so will commit to head to the gym 2x week and start walking/riding bike more places now that the weather has warmed up.
This is the hardest one for me! I am a busy mom with 4 kids who I homeschool. I always get going strong but the life seems to take over and I don’t make exercise a priority. I know I need to put me and my health first but it just doesn’t happen. I am going to commit to this and put it in my calendar now!
Unfortunately I am still recovering from a knee injury and under Dr’s order to even walk as little as possible, so I can’t commit just yet. I will as soon as I am able though!