And it's official - I failed again

[White Horseradish]

I haven't been to the gym in two and a half months. I lasted for about three months.

I am displeased with myself. Not entirely sure what to do about it. I've got to find a way to make this stuff interesting at least for long enough to see an effect...

[charby]

I ended up falling in love with my bicycle again, took me a lot of various forms of exercise to find one I like. Maybe you just need to try a lot various things.

[vaskidmark]

Have you considered one of the 24-hr fitness centers and going at wierd off hours?  Or a smokin' hawt gym buddy?

stay safe.

[Monkeyleg]

As the cliche goes, BTDT. I was going religiously every day or every other day from February 2009 through April of 2012. Then I bought a guitar, and that consumed all of my free time.

Now I'm finally getting back to it. I'm waiting until 11:30 pm, telling myself that I'm done practicing guitar for the day, then head to the gym. I'm just starting out with the treadmill, but will go to the weight machines.

Don't know about you, but if I find myself not wanting to go, I really force myself. I take the same attitude about it that I would any other chore I do that has to be done, and that I do.

I had some outside stimulus, though. I was in an amorous situation, and the young lady said, "boy, you're really sweating." That was the signal for me to get my butt back to the gym.

[Balog]

I hate going to the gym, but a sport or other athletic pursuit has the same benefits and isn't a mind numbing chore.

[Fly320s]

I hate going to the gym, but a sport or other athletic pursuit has the same benefits and isn't a mind numbing chore.

Agreed.

What did you like to do as a kid? Ride bikes? Run? Soccer? Football? Basketball? Taking your dog to the park and playing with him?

[French G.]

I bought a house, really killed my gym time. Still trying to stay exercised, good thing is my job gets me some weight bearing exercise so I haven't lost much. Got a new plan though, not sure if I can pull it off. Have a white person midlife crisis without the crisis, hot young chick, or convertible. The most brutal 100 mile ultra east of the Mississippi runs through my backyard, I want to run it next year.

[lupinus]

My wife and I seem to be on the cycle of do good, get into a routine of going to the gym, and then life happens. Some family crap causes her to run out of town, one or both of our works goes crazy, she has a flair up of one of her issues, etc. etc. etc. BS.

I've come to the point of just saying *expletive deleted*ck it, and we're going to start doing a simple home routine with a couple free weights that wont take a large amount of time to go through so wont leave room for BS and excuses why we couldn't get to it that day. Not as good as actually getting out to the gym but it's better than apply ass to cushion all day.

[Doggy Daddy]

Exercise bike, History Channel, and fan blowing in face for an hour a day.  I might miss one day a week on that, and have been doing it for well over a year.  Wore out the pedals and had to replace them a few months back.

[Tallpine]

You could buy a farm 

[White Horseradish]

Have you considered one of the 24-hr fitness centers and going at wierd off hours?  

I have not. I wonder how their prices are compared to regular ones.

Or a smokin' hawt gym buddy?

I was in an amorous situation, and the young lady said, "boy, you're really sweating."

I like how you guys think. Let me run that one by my wife... 

What did you like to do as a kid? Ride bikes? Run? Soccer? Football? Basketball? Taking your dog to the park and playing with him?

I read books. :D
Seriously, I was a sickly nerd and never did anything sporty. I did ride a bike for transportation, though.

My wife and I seem to be on the cycle of do good, get into a routine of going to the gym, and then life happens. Some family crap causes her to run out of town, one or both of our works goes crazy, she has a flair up of one of her issues, etc. etc. etc. BS.

This.

You could buy a farm 

If I had the money and knew something about it... I've killed a cactus with neglect.

I do have to say, I've been in some of the best of my physical shape ever when I fixed up my parents house. I dropped enough from my waist to fit a K-frame IWB.

[zxcvbob]

The best shape I've ever been in my life was about 20 years ago, when I reroofed my house.  The whole tear off, haul off, carry-bundles-of-shingles-up, etc. thing, by myself.  It was a large "ranch" style house (30 squares) with a hip roof and lots of valleys; It took me all summer, working on it every day after work, and on most weekends.  I'll never do that again, but I dropped about 30 or 40 pounds, could throw those 75 pound bundles around, and was as browner than a dark-skinned Mexican at the end of it.

[French G.]

I have not. I wonder how their prices are compared to regular ones.

Mine is $35 a month.

[Nick1911]

I always wondered: Why is it that people pay money to go to a gym instead of getting paid to have a manual labor part-time job?  There's guilt/responsibility to not blow it off, you actually add value to the world, it's less monotonous, and you make some spending cash - all while burning calories.  I have to think it's cultural - college educated, white collar workers won't sink to being paid to burn calories, they must pay to burn them; then they are consumers of a service, which is far more socially acceptable.

[White Horseradish]

Wife said a hot workout partner is okay, provided I select from among the patrons of a specific local bar that is supposed to have lots of people interested in fitness. Turned out to be a gay bar.

 

I always wondered: Why is it that people pay money to go to a gym instead of getting paid to have a manual labor part-time job? 

Like what?

I'm serious. What would be a part time job that wouldn't take prohibitive amounts of time?

[Nick1911]

Like what?

I'm serious. What would be a part time job that wouldn't take prohibitive amounts of time?

Well, going from personal life experience: merchandise receiving for just about any retail store.  Often a second shift type position [with stocking being third shift], heavily manual labor unloading semi's, palatalizing the freight, and moving the skids to the store floor via pallet jack.  You would want to make your availability schedule known from the get go, and that those are rigid, fixed terms so you don't end up getting sucked into working more then you wanted to when there are "problems".

I worked 5hr/day, 3 nights a week at a Walmart for a few years.  Got about $100 take home per week, and a great workout.  At the time I was a poor student doing it for the money, however it always stuck in my head as being a rather good workout.  In the few years I worked that job, my upper body became notably stronger and I lost fat.

[MechAg94]

If you like to read, an exercise bike is likely the only thing I can think of that allows you to read.  I guess an elyptical machine might work also. 

[Jamisjockey]

I always wondered: Why is it that people pay money to go to a gym instead of getting paid to have a manual labor part-time job?  There's guilt/responsibility to not blow it off, you actually add value to the world, it's less monotonous, and you make some spending cash - all while burning calories.  I have to think it's cultural - college educated, white collar workers won't sink to being paid to burn calories, they must pay to burn them; then they are consumers of a service, which is far more socially acceptable.

Um, because I can earn more than one month's gym membership in an hour of work in my job. 

And I've met plenty of outdoors workers who are in deplorable shape.  Outdoor work isn't always a guarantee to be anything besides hot, sweaty and dirty.

Gym partner helps.  Someone to keep you accountable.  Mine's a dude, though.

I mix my workouts.  I hate sitting on a treadmill, so I'd rather ride outside.  I do both traditional weights and active core weights (Cleans, lunges, medicine ball etc)
3-5 days a week.  I have my routine and I stick to it.
Actually cinching down my diet again.  Primarily, less to no beer 

[Waitone]

I would love to just take a 3 mile hike every day.  Not possible after my knee blew out.  Just be thankful you can opt NOT to exercise.

[Perd Hapley]

I always wondered: Why is it that people pay money to go to a gym instead of getting paid to have a manual labor part-time job?  There's guilt/responsibility to not blow it off, you actually add value to the world, it's less monotonous, and you make some spending cash - all while burning calories.  I have to think it's cultural - college educated, white collar workers won't sink to being paid to burn calories, they must pay to burn them; then they are consumers of a service, which is far more socially acceptable.

I would guess that very few people think of that as an option. Besides, there are plenty of downsides to the job vs gym. The job will have less flexible hours. It won't let you go at your own pace. It won't be as understanding if you want a week off to go on vacation. Also, and I don't know how long most people spend at the gym, but I doubt most people want 4 or 5 hour workout sessions. Harder to fit in; more exhausting.

Besides, hot gym girls.

[Monkeyleg]

Well, going from personal life experience: merchandise receiving for just about any retail store.  Often a second shift type position [with stocking being third shift], heavily manual labor unloading semi's, palatalizing the freight, and moving the skids to the store floor via pallet jack.  You would want to make your availability schedule known from the get go, and that those are rigid, fixed terms so you don't end up getting sucked into working more then you wanted to when there are "problems".

I worked 5hr/day, 3 nights a week at a Walmart for a few years.  Got about $100 take home per week, and a great workout.  At the time I was a poor student doing it for the money, however it always stuck in my head as being a rather good workout.  In the few years I worked that job, my upper body became notably stronger and I lost fat.

I had all sorts of physical jobs when I was younger, and was in good but skinny shape. I doubt today that a manager would let a 62 year-old take too many breaks because his back bothers him. That's probably why shipping and receiving departments don't hire too many 60-somethings.

[vaskidmark]

Wife said a hot workout partner is okay, provided I select from among the patrons of a specific local bar that is supposed to have lots of people interested in fitness. Turned out to be a gay bar.

 

I fear that the wife has misunderstood the concept of hawtness involved here.  That is unless she is describing the "gay bar" from her presumed sexual orientation, in which case you would most likely refer to it as a lesbian bar.

And a hawt lesbian gym buddy would perhaps be one of the most powerful motivators for you to get into a different shape than the one you are in currently.

For what it's worth, hanging out with the mostly lesbian strippers in Longmont, Colorado while attending an extended training program at the National Institute of Corrections facility was second only to dating the excommunicated nun in the "this will cause the guys to wonder what a shlub like you has that they don't" world of guy status.

Like what?

I'm serious. What would be a part time job that wouldn't take prohibitive amounts of time?

Inventory/stocker - but it usually involves middle-of-the-night hours.

Check with some of the day labor brokers in your area for part-shift second shift work loading/unloading at a warehouse.  Sometimes the ability to get someone who will show up on time every time is more important than keeping them slaving in the salt mine for a full shift.

Ask c&sd about the physicality of a morning paper route.  If nothing else, it should make you appreciate the 9-5 salt mine gig a lot more.

stay safe.

[RoadKingLarry]

You could buy a farm 

Big garden in the summer. Keep a wood stove fed in the winter.

[280plus]

The hardest part of going to the gym is the first step out the door.

[gunsmith]

what worked for me was dropping wheat.
I quit eating wheat and loosely followed advice from
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

Losing 8 or 9 pounds really fast, like two weeks...that motivated me to go further

Another "trick" is to do push ups everywhere, if all you can do is three at a time - do 3 before you go on line, when you wake up, before you have a snack.

& its ok to miss a few days.