Hi All,
I am having a hard time getting motivated to exercise. I am 50 pounds over weight, have sleep apnea along with other sleep issues, a demanding job, and a family of 4 still at home.
Finding the time and the energy is a real chore. Any suggestions?
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Perhaps you’ll feel more motivated in the New Year, I know I will! I have one of those sit up exercisers which is really easy to use and certainly works.
If you don’t like to exercise then walk! I do that too, I love to go to my local park and it’s even more enjoyable as I can feed the ducks and the squirrels so it’s easy exercise and I enjoy it! 
Join a gym or get yourself a personal trainer.
You need somebody to urge you on…
I had a gym membership for quite some time but I found it boring, it’s best to find some kind of exercise that you like such as walking, I do it regularly and I found it easy to climb the Great Orme in Llandudno which was both a shock and delight as I never thought I could do it but I did!
Whatever you decide it has to be enjoyable otherwise it wont last
Its all about the will power. Don’t look for outside forces for support, your answer lies within. Its upto you and you alone
You need to feel motivated in whatever exercise you choose, simples
When I retired I joined our local gym but found it so boring. Then we took up walking in the countryside - much more enjoyable.
For walking to be exercise, it has to be done at a certain rate of knots, and continuous. At 135 paces per minute, a speed of 4 MPH is achieved, Power Walking, is classed at about 150 paces per Min.
Exercise is a secondary factor in trying to lose weight.
The main and most important factor is quite simply to eat less.
Easy to say, I know, but all the exercise in the world will never ever remove a few pounds. Unless you curb your appetite exercise is just a waste of time…
Exercise alone won’t help You lose weight,so a change in Your eating habits must be included,try cutting down on the bad carb’s and leave the car at Home and start walking as much as You can,also get the Family involved so You all can live a healthier Lifestyle…there’s no quick fix I’m afraid just determination to change how You live Your life…good luck.
You won’t lose weight through exercise but you will feel fitter.
I still think a gym or personal trainer would work because if you’ve paid for something it will make you want to use it …During the winter time anyway.
Come spring, you should be feeling fitter and able to plan some lovely country walks.
There are loads of books showing easy circular walks to long hilly hikes.
What Honey says is true! I hate doing sport activities and the gym, but show me an animal that needs looking after and I would be there in a shot! Try to find somebody who takes part in an activity , that you would enjoy, because it will be difficult to say no if you are letting somebody else down.
On the food front, try having a smaller portion of bread, potatoes or rice because, with the exercise, weight will start to reduce.
Make a point of weighing yourself every week and tell the family how you have done. Every pound you lose, and the encouragement you get from them, will motivate you to continue! On New Years day, tell the family how much you aim to loose, because the risk of being seen as a failure will make you try harder.
Good Luck
Hey, you could start a thread where you tell us how you are doing each week. I am sure we could encourage you… or even tell you off:lol:
Must be hard for you but my youngest has sleep apnoea and is very much like you although he doesn’t have 4 still at home!
First of all you have to face up to the fact that you over-eat.
It’s going to be hard but you have to re-educate you stomach - basically your brain - into “accepting” less food.
It’s not easy I know and I’ve never really had the problem myself but I have a number of conditions too that are quite serious and you just have to face up to it.
I had a good appetite and I enjoyed my food but I had to cut out a lot and it took time; a lot of time!
What I did to cut my food intake was to deliberately leave a certain amount on the plate.
This waste bugged me so I’d have less after about a week but then I’d do the same again; you’d be very, very surprised at just how little you actually need and drinking water before eating will fool the brain into thinking your stomach’s pretty full.
Get all that as part of your daily life then think about exercise but it’ll take time.
It took time to put it on so don’t expect miracles.
Think about how often you use a car or some other form of transport when you could have walked.
I know time comes into this equation but just think about it because walking you can fit around your life, even walking for pleasure.
Don’t bother to look up just how many calories walking burns up, just accept that it’s not that much BUT you’re cutting DOWN on those calories you take in - right?
That means your little walks are burning off just that little bit more and you can be proud of yourself for that.
Once you have made these changes to your life, hard though they may be, your motivation to lose weight and get fitter will increase - you’d be really surprised at that.
I have a higher risk than average of developing Diabetes so I gave up sugar completely about eight months ago - I still lost weight and I was only 180lbs to start with!
Good Luck. stevmk2
Great post Steve 
Steve you are right, I totally agree with you exercise the brain then get down to the physical.
Whilst you’re dieting do some gentle exercise, probably chair exercises, you can do sitting down workouts on Youtube, dieting will make you feel hungry, then drink plenty of water it will keep you feeling full up.
When walking you need to do cardio walking, walk at a good pace hard but you must be able to talk, then a steady easy walk for the same amount of time you did the fast walk, keep this going till you feel you have done enough.
You need to wear a watch for timing, carry your mobile phone but not much more, when you feel stronger you can load a backpack a bit only which you can carry easily, but always carry more than enough water with you.
I noticed you live in the USA, we are led to believe that americans love the fast food outlets like Macs, I suggest you avoid these on your walks.
Someone mentioned a personal trainer, a very good idea if you can afford it, but they don’t come cheap, minimum here would be £25 an hour, but sometimes you can negotiate a cheaper rate if you can get a few buddies together to make a small group, no more than 4 otherwise you don’t seem to get that personal touch.
One important thing I haven’t mentioned, please make sure you are well enough to do this, have a heart check eyc. if you have a mobile heart monitor you can wear on a wrist would help.
May I suggest that you put your weekly weight loss on here, so that we can give you encouragement .
When choosing an activity its important you enjoy it, i used to jog it bored me stupid, but swimming did not, yet both are similar repetitive actions.
Finding what suits you will depend on many things, do you want to do something as part of a group or on your own, setting realistic goals, small but achievable, one thing can lead to another and not often in the direction we expect.
I wish you well.
I found gym work boring, too, and not very sociable … 
My doctor referred me to the local council “Health Walk” scheme, where walkers are led on an hour’s walk (2-2.5 miles), usually in the countryside and in all weathers, most days of the week. These walk are not competitive and should walk at the pace of the slowest walker, to give them confidence, although there may be variations for faster walkers (such as a longer route). Most councils run a similar scheme, although the walks may not be in the countryside.
The “Health Walks” turned out to be very sociable, as the walkers chatted en route and usually stayed for a cup of tea afterwards. Eventually, I gained enough confidence and stamina to do regular 5 mile walks (organised privately) and the occasional 7.5 mile (further afield and usually with a picnic lunch!).
What a great idea Omah
I hate gyms they are soooooo boring .
But walking with other or a lively dog is better .
Could you enlist the family as your personal trainers ?
Bribe them to come out walking with you every evening .
( they have to be cheaper than personal trainers)
Also eat your food off a smaller plate .
Think airplane meals .
They are tiny but filling .
Exercise /walk before you eat exercise diminishes the appetite .