I am 38 years old. I'm 6'3" and grew up an athlete. In my 20s I gained a bunch of weight and lost it all and got down to about 225 from 315. I had two kids and got lazy during covid. I am currently at 330 and want to get back down.
I know that a caloric deficit is my answer and I'm going to start counting calories every day. My problem is that I can't motivate myself to exercise in a routine. I play ice hockey on Fridays, and I want to work out 3 or so other times a week. I have a membership to LifeTime fitness for free through work, but it's 30 minutes away. I have a Peloton that I really love riding and doing HIIT. I also have dumbbells, a bench, and resistance bands for strength.
I try to wake up at 5:30 to work out. I tell myself that I'm too tired and go back to bed and that I'll work out in the evening. The evening comes and I want to hang out with my kids and then when they go to bed I want to be with my wife. So, I tell myself I'll workout in the morning. I'm full of excuses.
I know what you are going to say. You just have to do it and it if you want it so bad, you'll find a way. I've been telling myself this same thing for 6 years. I'm 4 weeks into sobriety and thought this would all fall into place, but it's not. It's too cold and snowy here to walk in the evenings.
Do you have any books that will help me figure this out? Advice?
Find something that releases dopamine and that has a cost to missing (it could be social, like hockey, or financial, like a class). A free membership 30 min away isn’t that. Home, with some bands and a bike, requires a mindset that’s often difficult to get into.
For me, CrossFit has an intensity and “I can do better” aspect along with getting to know the people in the class that helped me adopt a fitness regimen. Hockey players are irritatingly good at many aspects of that form of fitness so it might be fun for you. Lots of posterior chain work and short bursts of intensity, and a social aspect. None of that “sit on a fucking bike and stare at the wall/tv for an hour” (I now do this but that’s a longer story). Unfortunately, Crossfit(tm) is a steaming pile of shit, is full of born again Christians and thin X line people; I was fortunate we had none of that when I started and I was able to just get moving; since 2020 I’ve been doing it at home. My partner does it with me and that helps with accountability.
It doesn’t get better with the kids. When they’re older, the sleep schedule gets later and the activity schedule fills up. You’ll also get more prone to aches and injury. Now is the time to get after it.
The most expensive fitness decision you can make is saying “I’ll start later.” Your body doesn’t stay the same when you stop training. It adapts downward. Start small now.