If you went from being unfit to fit/toned...

[Sundaysundaebananasplit]

What did you do?

40 year old, 'skinny-fat', eg I fit into small sized clothes and look slim when I dress for my shape but I'm actually extremely flabby.

I hate exercise, which I think comes from a combination of going through puberty very early and being very uncoordinated. This made PE feel like a humiliating experience, especially as our PE teacher was a bully. Exercise brings up awful feelings of Shame as I was an overweight teenager and just so painfully self conscious. In my 20s I realised I could keep my weight down with diet alone, to my delight!

However, now I'm starting to see the holistic picture. I need to exercise for my health but I would like to tone up too. I also want to be a good example for my kids.

I'm so scared of the emotional response I get when I exercise. Classes are a no-no, for this reason. I justvfeel so stupid and weepy in these situations.

I have young kids and work full time, so it needs to be short. My youngest is an awful sleeper so I can't get up extra early and squeeze a workout in before everyone gets up: I need every minute of sleep I can get before the alarm goes off.

I don't want to do swimming or yoga, but am pretty much open to everything else, so long as its not overwhelming.

Basically, I want something effective and not scary. Can I get some advice please? Even if its a mental revelation you had, or how you talked yourself up?

Had a look at Caroline Girvan. I don't think she would judge me through the screen lol.

Realistically, how much exercise would somebody need to get a body like hers? If I know that, then I can work out what fraction of that amount I need to do to look less blubbery 😄

I hear that part of me thinks I'll never get fit because thats how I felt at school. They didn't make me feel good about exercise.

That is then and this is now. I have all my adult choices that I didn't have then. I can choose the exercise I enjoy most and that will make me feel good.

Once I start exercising I can start to enjoy how it makes me feel and then I will start to believe I can get fit and toned and really love my body.

If I don't manage to exercise one day then I will start again the next day with motivation that I love the feeling of my body working well and feeling strong and good.

I might imagine it is boring but once I get into a routine I will look forward to how the exercise makes me feel, so it will be enjoyable not a chore.

I meet think I won't stick at it but there are many things I have stuck to in the past and I am very able to stick at things.

I am proud of myself for starting this thread as this is the first step to getting fit and leaving behind the shame that poor games lessons at school made me feel that no longer serves me and that I didn't deserve to feel.

*might not meet!

am proud of myself for starting this thread as this is the first step to getting fit and leaving behind the shame that poor games lessons at school made me feel that no longer serves me and that I didn't deserve to feel

Amen to that!

Somebody mentioned movement nutrition. Am very interested in this. Basically maximising on your time to squeeze in micro workouts?

Following

My leisure centre does virtual classes(basically projecting a video that you follow along with) only a few people go to each session. The lights are dimmed and it's very relaxed. I've found the body balance class genuinely life changing. Les Mills might have a home membership thing where you can do the videos at home?

I have super bad anxiety and the gym is the most supportive and genuinely relaxed, non judgemental place I go to. It's become a real safe zone.

PP have lots of good resources (I'm a fan myself) but the important thing for me is to find what works for you, and build a routine!
I put on some great music, it was hard at first but i just kept going.

At the start... if you miss one day it pretty much spirals. It's better to at least do a bit and give up if you're tired, rather than not doing anything at all. Soon it'll be a habit and become much easier!

https://try.lesmillsondemand.com/best-value-premium/?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwgqejBhBAEiwAuWHioAWg9NLTzMx-FFLUJBsaV0ziPOmX36sJCA5qlnDO18aM-ShY5dS9jxoCtMMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

It looks like they do a free trial! I really can recommend Body Balance. It's easy to adjust it to be for a beginner up to advanced. It's a mix of Yoga, Pilates and Tai chi. Helps you feel in control of your body and empowered. It focuses on toning and strengthening. I've heard the pump is good for toning. The combat ones are tough but a great cardio workout.

Re how long would it take to have a body like CG
It seems to be the wisdom that 3 years of ideal training, consistency and nutrition is needed to fulfil genetic potential so it's a slow process to look like CG
I do weighs 3x a week - and tons of protein. After being completely deconditioned after an RTA, I took me about a year to have all my muscles fairly defined. Bear in mind though, I look so different when I'm pumped from gym or flexing to normal life. I also don't go around half naked most of the time!
You are a lot younger than I am so you'll see results faster I would think

Exactly this for me!

Have had a look at Caroline Girvan and even with much much lower weights, or no weights at all, I just couldn't do the movements. Same with Growingannas.

I needed something that you do before you do these I thought I'd like Pilates or Yoga with Adriene but I just got bored, and I was so unfit some of the movements triggered my tennis elbow - basically I had no muscles to support my tendons.

Team Body project were genuinely for beginners and have been going 6 months now (which is about 5 months more than any prior attempts to get fit) without injuries.

As has been mentioned Caroline Girvan, so many programmes free on YouTube and she’s recently released an app but you didn’t need it.

Changed my life as I was pretty sporadic in my weight training & I’ve never been fitter or stronger in my adult life (now 50)

I think to motivate yourself to actually do exercise, you have to do something you enjoy, or at least tolerate.

For me, that means absolutely no running (have done Couch to 5k, and some charity runs, loathed every minute 😂). I also disliked Joe Wicks and that Girvan woman (who uses such god awful music, although at least you can mute it, if you like her style).

I like Lucy Wyndham Read, Hasfit, BEAT fitness (or something like that, she's on YouTube) and Get Fit with Rick.

I am in the same boat OP, I’m on week 3 of Caroline Girvans Iron series and I also do 30 mins of cycling/cardio.
I’m starting to feel a difference but not really seeing it just yet but I try to remember that it usually takes 3-6 months plus to see any big changes but my fitness is definitely improving as I’m able to do certain exercises better than when I first started.

If you have an apple phone and Apple Watch get the apple fitness app. It tracks everything and you can do any type of class and stream it to your smart tv. I'm currently doing Pilates and strength class and I do the odd spin class.

Oh I also loathe exercise! I do enjoy lifting weights though, I’m only doing 10kg (x2 5kg dumbbells) at the moment and hoping to slowly increase this.
I also pop a cycling video on the TV via YouTube so I don’t get bored or distracted!

Agree with this. I've just in the last couple of weeks downloaded Caroline Girvan's new CGX app and I'm doing her beginners programme. Each session is 25-30 minutes long and not complicated. I had been doing cross trainer and treadmill but recognise the need to build strength and muscle as I'm 48.

The only workout that has ever injured me! I just couldn’t hack it.

Speed walking and boxing

I do a mix of Pilates, barre and swimming so I don't get bored. I would say Pilates, especially if you can find a good reformer classes, is the best for toning.

I was similar to you - not overweight but also not at all fit. I'd always been to scared to join a gym because I thought I wouldn't be able to do anything. I did the couch to 5k - I saved my favourite podcast for the run so I had an extra incentive to go. I completed the 5k and although I still didn't really enjoy running it gave me the confidence to join a gym for the first time. I now go a couple of times a week and just do whatever I feel like on any given day. I feel much happier now I know I'm keeping my body ticking over and have a reasonable level of fitness.

Another thumbs up for Caroline Girvan from me. Someone mentioned it on here a while back and I’m skinny fat and my overall body strength was poor. Been doing the beginners epic on you tube and it’s brilliant how I went from wincing, shaking and having jelly legs/arms for a day afterwards to finding I was ending the same workouts feeling amazing and finding I could complete every set fully (I’ve been repeating them over and over till I feel ready for something more challenging). Now I’m doing the beginners programme on her app and loving it. Already seeing changes in my shape, I’m loving my increased core strength and definition. She’s so encouraging throughout the workout.

Like you, I was skinny fat and took up weight lifting which built muscle which makes the body looked toned. I worked with a PT three times a week for four months and did a body recomposition programme.

It really wasn't difficult, the endorphins and sense of achievement was incredible, and far more enjoyable than any other exercise I tried previously. No longer have a PT but still lift weights and do resistance training two-four times a week.

PS. OP, like you I'm uncoordinated and hated PE at school. I did no exercise until my 40s. I wish I had discovered weight training sooner.

There is no easy route, you need to put the work in, but if you take up weight listing and resistance training, do it consistently, as well as eat more protein, you will see start to see results in a few months.

Check out Kari Pearce power abs. Loads of different programs, very cheap compared to other paid for ones, only 10 mins a day. I've had great results in only 10 mins a day. The Facebook group is fab support too. Good luck! I've lost a stone, many inches and toned up after two children.