#workout advice

i got youuu

1. push-ups at home, do 50-100 a day. if you’re new, 20 a day to test the waters. the more the better. make sure they’re not lazy half assed ones, go steady and slow

2. spam shoulder exercises. buy dumbbells for that.

3. pull-up bar attached to your door (about 20 bucks on amazon). you don’t need a gym membership.

4. high protein diet. greek yogurt with little sugar, chicken rice, fish, salmon, beef, pork, lamb. protein chips, protein cookies, protein bars, protein shakes, protein coffee, protein up your bussy until you’re swole

To be perfectly honest, I struggle a lot with being disciplined. I find that instead of forcing myself to work out every day, I instead try to work out about once a week. I also try to make the exercise something I already am going to do. Going to the store? Walk or jog there. Need to pick something up off the ground? Do a deep squat. Standing in place for long periods of time? March in place.

Also, if push-ups specifically hurt, I would try some alternative push-ups. Instead of doing push-ups on the ground, try leaning against a counter or even a wall. If it's a steep enough angle, it's still a workout without hurting yourself.

It's about finding what works best for you. One thing you can even try is something like if you're playing a video game, stand and play. Or even every time you die or lose a level , do X exercise.

It's not about being perfect. It's about building a habit. Once you start doing those exercises every month, increase it till it's every other week, once a week, then twice a week, and so on.

That’s amazing! First of all—congratulations. Every investment you can make in your body is an investment in not just your physical health, but also your mental health and quality of life as you age. Keep it up!

I’ve been working out for over ten years now, I’m up 60 pounds and two shirt sizes in that time, and I’ll be honest: the progress can feel *sloooooww,* even when you’re seemingly doing everything right. Most people experience a burst of growth when they start (“newbie gains”) and after that it becomes a battle of consistency and experimentation.

To really see progress, make sure:

1) You’re sleeping enough. Ideally 6-10 hours of high quality sleep, depending on the person, each night.

2) You’re eating enough. No matter how much you work out, if you aren’t giving your body the materials to build new muscle, it can’t. And if you’re going hard at the gym but then not eating or sleeping enough to repair the muscles, you might go backwards.

1. Failure can lead to growth.

2. Great things are built over time with consistency.

3. Change is uncomfortable but it's necessary for growth.

4. What you do when people aren't watching is more important than what you do when they are watching.

and a lot of it. over the last ten years, i've been struggling with numerous issues with my body, all of which have revolved around anxiety + depression, stress, weight gain, and inflammation. i have a sneaking suspicion they're all related and rooted in psychosomatic responses to stress + anxiety. i've gotten a LOT of tests done and according to blood tests and physicals and allergy tests, nothing is wrong, which adds to a lot of frustration and imposter's syndrome.

still, i continue to experience issues with inflammation/puffiness/bloating, unexplained rapid weight gain, and a lot of stress and anxiety (are the latter the cause or the effect, or both? still don't know.) i have begun to experience dissociation and have been experiencing body dysmorphia for a few years now due to this.

i've been very reluctant to becoming a gym rat, in part bc i feel slow and lethargic and tired all the time. but also because it feels/looks like a lot of energy and resolve i just don't have. but i've realized that the only thing i have left to change is exercise and calorie burn (i've already drastically changed my diet from years prior to limit a lot of inflammatory foods, including coffee, gluten, dairy, sugar, and salt. i eat mostly vegetables, fruits, and fish now -- still to no success with weight loss).

i am trying to change my mindset on working out from one that is cumbersome to one that maybe i could eventually love? i've signed up for barre classes bc that mixes ballet and yoga and i love both of those. i was weight training for a month regularly (4-5x/week, 30-60 min sessions medium-high intensity), and while i gained muscle mass, i still never lost weight.

it's gotten to a point now where i refuse to gain more weight and i need something to work. i haven't lost weight for years. like literally.. i have only maintained or gained. i am thinking cardio is now my only option outside of maybe calorie limiting... but i think that could spiral quickly into obsessive calorie counting and that would not be good for me.