My first take on your post is that you have an "all or nothing" approach to getting fit. It doesn't have to be a sufferfest. Before I started my journey 2 1/2 years ago. I spent some time thinking about why I'd failed in the past. A pattern emerged. My goals where too shortsighted. I was thinking in days and weeks instead of months and years. A typical "fitness assault" would last about 3 months and then something would happen (relationship failure, injury, time demanding work ect...) and I'd quit. This time I tried a new approach. 1.) No new girlfriends 2.) Work was now a second priority. I'd turn down any contracts that would take more than 20 hours/week. 3.) I'd limit myself to 20 minutes of walking 3 times a week for the first 6 months. I'd also not attempt to diet the first 6 months. No weighing in.
So Aug 1 2009 I began. Somewhere above 425#. Going to the Y Mon-Wed-Fri. First thing after I got up.This is the number 1 thing to do. All else is a lower priority. You have to walk in. You have to start walking. You don't have to walk 20 minutes but you don't ever exceed 20 minutes. The first couple of weeks were hard as I worked up to 20 minutes. I think the first day I did 8 minutes. I was that far out of shape. Even after I did a whole mile in 20 minutes some days I'd just show up and walk a few minutes and say "I'm just not into it today" and leave, Showing up was a success. After a few months I really looked forward to going in and doing my walk. I felt better leaving the Y than when I entered. I'd formed my first good habit.
Six months finally came and I was able to add a few more goals. I decided to walk 20 minutes/day 6 days a week and work on my bad eating habits. No more fast food ect... A month later I was eating 1800 C a day and walking 20 minutes/day. I then added some elliptical machine work to the walking 3 days a week. Slowly but surely at the end of year one I was walking for 40 minutes and 20 minute elliptical workouts 6 days a week. Some days I had a "Just not into it" day but I showed up. Showing up was a success in and of itself. Sept 2010 came and I was thinking that Jogging was the next step but it was too much of a jump for my bad knees. I decided that a bicycling was a good compromise and bought a Trek 7300 Hybrid. A whole new level of fitness opened up for me as time went on. I was hooked big-time.
3700 miles last year. Down 200# Possibly in the best shape of my life at age 55