How do you make exercise not about weight loss?

[tmorey7788]

@uticus I know that when I exercise regularly, I feel better. Both physically and mentally. I also like being strong so I can move my heavy pots around in my yard in case of bad weather

 

[tobymagmire]

@uticus Not having a scale in my house. Well, I do have one because my husband is trying to lose a little weight, but I pretend it’s not there, and I don’t weigh myself. Because it doesn’t matter. I want to look better naked, feel better in my clothes and be stronger, that’s what matters at the end of the day for me.

 

[dawn16]

@uticus I like seeing my resting heart rate go down

 

[hangingout]

@uticus I started biking to work almost 20 years ago, and my goal was just to save money for a car, but I ended up loving it so much that I never got the car, and I eventually started to ride for fun on the weekends. The only worry about calories I have when I do a long bike ride is how to get enough into myself on those days.

Then, when my husband got me into weightlifting, I really took to it, and it gives me goals that don’t have to do with my weight. The only weight I worry about is how much I’m lifting.

 

[dontconfusehimwithhorus]

@uticus Heck since I’ve started weight training I’ve gone from 100 pounds to 130 pounds. Weight loss? Not the muscle I’m building

 

[cityofdavid]

@uticus I worked out consistently for a year or so and didn’t lose any weight at all. But I started noticing that I could do more. When I tried to practice sports with the kids, I wasn’t out of breath. I could run and keep up with them. Doing yard work, I noticed I was easily able to do specific things that I previously had to ask my husband for help with. I want to be able to do things now and also in 20-30 years (or more). That has been enough motivation. I just had to change my mindset from working out for weight loss to working out for health. I’ve changed how I eat to lose the last of the weight from having kids, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that working out isn’t going to make me lose weight. Also working out is good for preventing osteoporosis so that’s another reason.

 

[jen9417]

@uticus I got a Peloton. I love it and have never exercised so consistently in my life. It’s a big plus that none of their instructors or pitches focus on or even mention weight loss. So refreshing.

 

[eshaun92]

@jen9417 I think a peloton purchase five years ago helped me a lot. I was a calorie counter and about five pounds lighter than now. After two years of peloton I realized a mental shift was happening, and I wanted muscle and didn’t care about being tiny

Now I don’t count, I don’t weigh myself (I have a decade of daily scale readings recorded), and I am fitter and stronger than ever

I sleep better, my moods are more stable

 

[jen9417]

@eshaun92 That’s so great. I’ve had mine since 2018 and people are always shocked when I tell them my husband and I both still ride it every week. The high quality content real does make it different than any other home exercise equipment. Just like you, it has helped me take the focus off weight and put it on strength. It feels so much better and healthier that way!

 

[twallacejolly]

@uticus Love this! I find having performance goals is super motivating for me. Right now I’m focusing on strength, trying to bench, squat, and deadlift my body weight. I can now actually deadlift 1.2 times my body weight actually! And I’m almost there for the other two lifts! Maybe a few more months.

But I’ve also done cardio focused goals before too. I’m thinking after I achieve these strength goals, I’m gonna try to get faster at running, I would love to be able to run 5k in under 30 mins.

 

[5babies]

@twallacejolly Okay I’m stealing your goal, the bodyweight lifts is it! I did the 5k under 30 last fall for a fitness goal and was JUST trying to come up with something succinct for a strength goal this year!

 

[lynmorg]

@uticus I started rock climbing, and got really into it, so now all my fitness is meant to support that and help make me better at it. Yoga and Pilates for strength/range of motion/body awareness, lifting to get stronger, hiking for cardio and so I can eventually do mountaineering type stuff, and then of course climbing because it’s fun

 

[fliphkd06]

@lynmorg Same here! Climbing has been the most motivating factor

 

[mart1994]

@uticus You may choose to focus also on what exercise does for you - easier to move your body, feeling fit, better sleep, better digestion, that feeling of having accomplished a task.

And when you get super fit, your goal also changes. Now its a lifestyle for you

 

[jdeds]

@uticus I'm an avid walker, too and I do a 2.5 mile walk every morning before work. The thing that made it less about working out and more, for lack of a better term, personal was changing my intention and music choices. There's a walking trail near my house that cuts through a few subdivisions, so it's super convenient. I started using those walks as a way to work through work problems or if I was stuck on a story I was writing. Once I did that, I started looking forward to how productive they could be. I added some relaxing music, personally, I have a forest soundtrack that I love. Now, my walks really aren't about fitness, yeah, it's nice, but that's not the main reason I do it.

 

[vanztyn]

@uticus I like being strong enough to do i myself and flexible enough to avoid most injuries. I also just love to partner dance like swing dancing so it's an easy cardio I don't have to think about.

 

[jayblue1]

@uticus Endorphins! Get that runners high. I want to lose weight, but that’s why I watch what I eat. My biggest motivation for exercise is the mental health benefits.

 

[chrissy98]

@uticus Find competition

 

[backcountry23]

@uticus I focus on fitness goals that aren’t related to weight loss. I see fitness and weight loss as separate things, although they often help each other out. Some examples of fitness goals I have would be getting a certain mile time on my runs, or lifting a certain amount of weight. Obviously it varies depending on the activity.

I’ve lost weight as a side effect of focusing more on fitness goals because I tend to eat better from it. Eating healthily helps properly fuel me for those goals. However, I’ve had the most success by focusing on my diet more specifically. I don’t recommend having fitness be for weight loss since it makes it less enjoyable, but it is definitely helpful for increasing caloric burn. At this point I just focus on maintaining my weight, but my fitness routine is easy to maintain because I focus on achieving fitness goals.

So I guess for me, reaching a weight that I was the happiest at and was no longer hindering my athletic performance was what allowed me to get to a point where I just focus on fitness for fitness’ sake.

 

[dmarie]

@uticus By being aware of my “triggers” and strategically removing them.

The scale can lie to you and there is too much emotion attached. So I no longer weigh myself, and rely on mirrors or the fit of clothing to gauge improvement.

Calorie-counting is so nerve-wracking. So I stopped and instead have just been writing down what I eat each day, without judgement. I eat with common sense and intuition — but I have to admit this approach is not bullet-proof either, since I tend to just under-eat and not consume enough protein…You need to find what works for you.

Focus on how you feel after a challenging workout. That empowerment and joy.

…and part of it is also getting older and caring less and less about what other people think.