Will I genuinely feel brighter, stronger & more alert if I get fit & dump the junk?

[SplinterSplit]

Seems like a stupid question I know. I've never been fat my entire life until now, then wallop, I gain 2+ stone over the last year & I've zero energy. I look like I'm 6 months preggers. By belly sticks out further than my boobs!.. I've never had to try my whole life, I've always been naturally willowy - until now. Now I'm heading into Mamma June territory.. Will I really feel refreshed, energised & capable if I managed to dump the junk & tone up? Right now I'm so unfit I could probably only jog the length of 4 houses.. no, make that 3. Have you lost a shed-load of weight in your late 40s & found the energy of a 25yo? If so, tell me how you did it?

I've been thinking about this question since posting, and realized that one big reason why I have been able to stick to exercising regularly this last year having never been able to before is my partner's support. This may be relevant for you if you a) have very little free time, and b) have trouble sticking to an exercise habit.

DP and I have a very active 4 year old and both work full time. When I started the couch to 5K, we figured out where in the daily schedule we could both carve out an hour for me to get to the gym. And later, when DP decided to start too, an hour he could go. It worked out that I go to the gym at 6am every day and he goes after work every other day (his preference in terms of how often he wants to go).

What that means is that we both have to adjust other things in the household daily routine to make it fit. For instance

• we both go to bed a bit earlier so I can get up at 6am without wanting to die.
• If kiddo wakes up early after I've left, DP does breakfast and the morning routine on his own and/or tries to wrangle him back into bed for another hour of sleep. (hah! that never happens. But hope springs eternal)
• whereas before we randomly took turns doing kiddo's bathtime and bedtime, we now have a set schedule so that DP can go straight to the gym after work on his 'off days'.

The result is that we have an obligation to each other to actually go to the gym when we said we would! If either of us doesn't feel like going, it isn't just that we feel bad for slacking off, but we also know it will throw off the childcare rota for the other parent.

So if you want to make exercising a habit but are also super busy, I would suggest that you need to get anyone else you live with in your household on board to help you. Not just for support, but to hold you accountable. In really practical ways like agreeing to look after the kids each morning for an hour while you go run/recover/shower.

I am usually fat, but I've lost weight twice and been fit and healthy with a great diet for about 3 years each time. I honestly felt the same. No more energy, didn't feel any different.

You would think at least not carrying the actual weight around would make a difference (I lost 25kg) but it doesn't. I think it's because when you are bigger, you have the amount of muscle needed to carry the bulk. As you get smaller, you lose those muscles. Even if you work out - as a thin person you might work out one hour a day lifting weights (for example), but when you were fat you are lifting weight 24/7 without even realising.

I was actually a lot stronger when I fat, now I feel quite weak by comparison. I know I look better but that's it.

I'm not sure about the more alert. When I was fitter and exercised (haven't for about 5 months), I used to knacker myself so much on exercise days that housework never got done properly in one go.
But at least I looked better and didn't run out of breath from just running back to the car in the car park.

Yes. I am early 30s, but I stopped having refined sugar, starchy carbs, alcohol, fizzy stuff and started focusing on having lean protein and fresh fruit and veg instead. My goal is 8-10 a day. I aim to do 10k steps a day and I do 30-40 mins cardio every evening in the week. And drinking water. Its had a huge impact on my sleep. But it's down to dh changing jobs so now I can, exercise in the evening (he goes in the afternoon) and changing my mindset about food and deserving treats.

My aim is to lose 2.5 stone and tone up. I've been going almost a month and I'm 11lb down and feel much better in myself. My skin is clearer.and looks better. I have mor energy and I'm definitely not as grumpy. My end goal is to be able to wear gym leggings just out and about in the day without feeling like I have to hide in a big baggy knee length hoody over the top.