Credit @dietitian.rachelgoodman“To be honest, I just really don’t like exerci…
Credit @dietitian.rachelgoodman ?
“To be honest, I just really don’t like exercise! I don’t feel energized after and I don’t get those endorphins.”
Movement is really the last piece of puzzle we are working on now. She has stopped binge eating, her hunger and fullness cues are back and stronger than ever (and she is honoring them!), she has been able to manage and lower her blood sugar (she was diagnosed with diabetes) while still enjoying food and feeling good (yes! You can eat intuitively and still enjoy carbs and lower blood sugar!)… she’s come SUCH a long way!
At first she couldn’t quite pinpoint why she was resistant to workout. She thought it was perhaps diet culture rules. Upon further exploring it wasn’t really about diet culture (although it may play a part), she just doesn’t like to exercise. Period.
So what would make you want to workout then? I asked her.
She responded that logically she understood that it would benefit her body, especially her blood sugars, and that she truly wants to care for her body so she wants to find a way to motivate herself to work out.
Her intentions were from a place of self care!!
We discussed 3 things (that may also be helpful to you! Take what speaks to you)?
⚡It’s okay to not like exercise. No shame in that!! Own that you don’t like it, it will be easier to figure out how to go about getting more movement in.
⚡Figure out what you are OKAY with.
⚡Stop waiting for motivation to come, it likely won’t. We are not motivated to do things we don’t really like. In this situation, she’ll have to self motivate and push herself a bit to get movement in. As long as the intention is coming from a healthy place, it is okay to lean into that as it is from a gentle, compassionate, and self care motivator.
Once she let go of the need to ‘enjoy’ exercise, she was able to clearly take the next steps to actually getting more movement in!
So if you don’t like exercise, it’s OK. Maybe with time this will change and you’ll ‘fall in love’ with exercise, maybe it won’t and you’ll never like it. YOU are not a better or worse person for it! Own it and lean into what DOES work for YOU!!
