I finally found the motivation to lead a healthy lifestyle.

[Ilya]

I once wrote here that I could not find the motivation to engage in longevity, because it's boring to constantly do the same thing every day to maintain your health: https://www.seniorforums.com/thread...motivation-to-take-care-of-your-health.62304/
And no external motivation in the form of grandchildren or wife helped me (that's the kind of person I am).

But recently I still found a way to motivate myself to do daily exercises.

My lower back started to hurt. It's strange that knowing the doctors' quotes that it's better to start doing daily exercises now than to take medications and go to the doctor every day - I was still lazy.

But fortunately nothing terrible happened to the lower back, but with such a fright, I now perform daily exercises for my lower back and generally look for exercises for longevity, because I don't want to get sick later with something that will require the same daily actions from me.

I want to ask you, how did you come to the realization that you need to deal with your health often and how were you motivated?

 

[Don M.]

I want to ask you, how did you come to the realization that you need to deal with your health often and how were you motivated?

I was always quite active when I was working. Then, when I retired, and had little to do other than cut the grass every few days, I found myself gaining weight, and laying around far too much.

We decided to move to the countryside, and bought a nice piece of forestland....and I can see hours of work to do in any direction. I quickly lost that "flab", and all that outdoor work has proven to be the best health care plan I ever had.

Now, if I could find a "cure" for some minor arthritis, and these old teeth starting to fall apart, I'd be in great shape.

 

[WheatenLover]

I didn't like how my self-esteem had sunk into the pits because of how I looked. I didn't like choosing clothes to hide my weight (which doesn't work). I didn't like how my knees hurt and sometimes went out on me, I didn't like looking at my fat in the mirror. I felt like a beached whale and was ashamed of how I looked. It diminished me, oddly, like I was a fat lady, not myself.

So I switched to a diet of whole grains, 9 servings of veggies, 2 fruits, cut my meat consumption in half, ate a low fat diet, didn't eat foods with sugar, completely changed the way I cooked. That worked very well for me. I also had what most people would think was a very boring meal plan. Two choices for breakfast and lunch, alternated. Dinner was 3 veg, 3 oz meat, and 1/2 cup of grains (usually brown rice).

It wasn't hard, once I got used to eating oatmeal, and no longer wanted high fat/high sugar foods. I am lucky because I didn't have to get rid of a soda habit since I very rarely drink it, or a chips habit, since I very rarely eat them, or a sweet habit because I didn't have to get rid of a sweet tooth. All I had to do was swap sugar for Truvia in my coffee. I was actually lucky because my parents didn't have soda, sweets, junk food snacks, in the house. Snacks were fruit. We 3 kids shared a 12 oz can of soda once a year. I was raised on a very healthy diet.

My biggest problem was that I loved to cook, and the meals were nutritious but also higher in fat and calories than my body needs. They were delicious, though.

I will be glad when I can resume cooking regularly. Just cooking the turkey and stuffing at Thanksgiving put me in bed for 3 days afterward, with extreme fatigue (chemo side effect that is (too) slowly disappearing).

 

[Nathan]

I want to ask you, how did you come to the realization that you need to deal with your health often and how were you motivated?

Here's my story- I've told it here before so I'll be brief. In 2006 I was 292 lb.s, smoked and drank (at least) a 6 pack a day. I injured my right tricep ligament, was in a lot of pain and went to the dr. They took my blood pressure- sky high! Sent me to wait for the Dr. in the exam room. Was sitting there reading all the informational material they typically hang on the wall. I literally "saw the handwriting on the wall", knew I was at high risk for heat attack and stroke...both my dad and uncle had devastating strokes, lived in incoherent state for years. I didn't want to end up like that. Oh shoot, looks like I'm not being so brief so anyway I quit drinking and quit using table salt. In a few months I lost 40 lb.s, didn't change any other eating habits, wasn't really exercising except for what I did at work. Quit smoking in 2011, easiest thing I ever did, too bad it took 45 years to do. In 2013 was retired and had gone through a grueling 6 month treatment for Hepatitis C. I started going to the gym, lost another 50 lb.s through eating less(portion control) and doing weights and cardio exercise.
Still doing it every day, I enjoy exercise, I make it fun and have a wide range of variety. I have become a Silver Sneakers instructor teaching Taichi. Good for my Osteoarthritis, good for my inner peace.

 

[Jeni]

In as little as 21 continuous days things can become a habit
pick an activity and it gets easier
In march of this year 10,000 steps a day seemed out of reach i now average 20k
the weight just came off i did not do too much else some hand weights and some toning stretches
i cant sit still and snack like i used to. i walk in place during commercials if i do watch TV i make extra trips doing housework just for the steps.
i have one of those step counters was a gift but found out most people can do the same using a cell phone and a free app.

i watched a neighbor drop 75 lbs in a year doing the same thing ...... taking walks rain or shine and sticking with it. seeing results is inspiring and in honesty i did not see them in me for almost 7 weeks into it.

 

[caroln]

I got motivated one spring when I was planting some flowers and needed help getting from a kneeling position to standing up. I just said to myself, enough is enough. Time to go to the gym and get some muscle back. When I started at the gym I saw lots of older people lifting weights, using the resistance machines and walking on the treadmills. I thought if they can do it, so can I! I've been going for 3 years now and although I have a lot of rock hard muscles now, I still haven't lost any weight! That's disappointing, but at least I can get up by myself now!

 

[Lara]

... how did you come to the realization that you need to deal with your health often and how were you motivated?

By body tells me and I listen. If I don't act on what my body is telling me then I know I'll pay the natural consequences.
Weightloss, Walking, Water, and Watching What I Eat, and enough rest are miraculous remedies that Work for me.

 

[Knight]

I want to ask you, how did you come to the realization that you need to deal with your health often and how were you motivated?

I retired at age 54, a few weeks after retirement we moved to our new home. Took a week to settle in. Knowing if we wanted a lot of years in retirement we had to improve our lifestyle. Took a year & 1/2 to be as fit as we were ever going to get. Now 26 years later we still are motivated to stay vertical. Our meds are minor our doctor visits are semi-annual.

Nothing like enjoying good health because the opposite in technical medical terms Sucks

 

[Ruthanne]

Good for you! I need to be inspired to get back to it! I was eating healthy and doing exercises and I've backslided. I hope I catch your motivation.

 

[Mr. Ed]

I finally found the motivation to lead a healthy lifestyle. Finally you got the memo

 

[palides2021]

In as little as 21 continuous days things can become a habit
pick an activity and it gets easier
In march of this year 10,000 steps a day seemed out of reach i now average 20k
the weight just came off i did not do too much else some hand weights and some toning stretches
i cant sit still and snack like i used to. i walk in place during commercials if i do watch TV i make extra trips doing housework just for the steps.
i have one of those step counters was a gift but found out most people can do the same using a cell phone and a free app.

i watched a neighbor drop 75 lbs in a year doing the same thing ...... taking walks rain or shine and sticking with it. seeing results is inspiring and in honesty i did not see them in me for almost 7 weeks into it.

I tried that 10,000 steps a day and also took aerobics, but I kept getting aches and pains. When I was younger, it was easy and I used to run a lot and play sports. Now, I can't. I have to pace myself. I seem to do well with less. I invested in a treadmill 8 years ago, and have been using it faithfully ever since, plugging away at least 1 hour a day (when I don't walk outside).

 

[rgp]

Well here's my conundrum ...... If exercise is all that good for us ..... why do I have the problems i do ?

From the time I was 14 until I was 65 .... seven years ago , I followed [pretty strictly] a boxers routine of exercise.

I now have pretty damn severe arthritis, spinal stenosis, ankylosing spondylitis, heart disease & am pre-diabetic.

I have an extensive home gym, that has sat idle now for most of the last seven years ...... definately the last three. At this point in my life & all things considered ..... I just have little belief in in the overall exercise theory.

Again I'll note Jack LaLane exercise guru supreme ...... died at 96 .......... versus George Burns ...... drank,smoked, never exercised etc ......... lived to 100.

Not trying to discourge anyone ........ I just can't hang my hat on the all positive effects of it anymore.

 

[JustinCase]

Best things I started doing was changing my diet & getting a little more exercise. I cut out mostly processed foods (anything prepackaged) reading labels cutting down on bad carbs & walking. Lost weight, was able to sustain my walking distance. Received an atta boy for the results of my labs. Sleeping better.