I assume you are working with medical professionals concerning your chronic migraines, neurological symptoms, and endocrine problems. Any exercise raises your heart rate and blood pressure which would impact your migraine condition. With additional concerns about your safety in movement with the neurological symptoms you relate I would say these recommendations must come from the doctors treating you. Certainly movement and physical exercise could be a part of your life, but the parameters of what is safe and appropriate need to be defined by those specialists that understand your medical state.

http://alisonwithey.com/hypnotherapy/

This is a friend of mine, her approach is congruent with mindfulness and will help you in the direction you'd like to go.

This was also discussed in a recent ?land question about Chantix.

In short: lose fat. From what you've described, I bet the muscles in your thighs and butt are toned. You just have a stubborn layer of fat over the muscle.
So, if it's important to you, you have to adjust your calories in/calories out ratio so you have more calories out. Obviously you can do this by cutting some calories from your diet. You could also either work out a little longer or more intensely. If you've been doing the same workout for a significant period of time, you might consider changing it up - like doing squats instead of lunges, cycling instead of running - because our bodies get more efficient at movements we do regularly, which results in less caloric expenditure during those exercises. Of course, nothing will insure that you'll lose fat from the place you're aiming at.
A resource I've found invaluable is Lou Schuler's New Rules of Lifting series.

Absolutely those are lies. There is no known way, short of surgery/liposuction to spot reduce. Building muscle is one thing. Burning calories is another and you simply can't control from where your body pulls the calories it burns. There supposedly are ways to increase the probability that your body will burn fat instead of muscle for energy, but even that isn't clear-cut.

Aack. That sucks. I've definitely been there. THose shoulders and mid-upper back pains from hours at the computer are nasty. First, make sure you have good ergonomics so you don't actually end up with a reptitive stress injury from your work and school. Second, have you ever done any yoga? Just moving through a couple poses may really help those knotting muscles not to mention the eye strain. Third, if you can do 10 minutes 2-3 times a day of walking, climbing stairs, or push-ups it will help keep your weight stable and keep your fitness level from falling off completely. Can you walk or bike to work? Can you walk to a farther bus stop? Finding ways to stay active (as opposed to fitness-building exercise) has health benefits. Finally, if fitness is also important to you--and it is something that has so many benefits for health, sleep, mood, etc.-- then find a way to get to the gym a couple times a week, even for shorter workouts than you used to do. You'll feel the difference and you'll save on doctor's bills down the road (those lousy doctors may be needed sooner than you think if you're already getting pain! Plus, we'll probably just tell you to get some exercise anyway.). Good Luck!

Go the Zyban/Chantix route. worked for me and I smoked for most of my life and thought the only way I could quit was to die.

I couldn't get past the "this so fucking stoopit" part of hypnotherapy for it to be of much use to me.

If you're in the Seattle area your best bet is to go to the King County online listing of community health centers:

http://tinyurl.com/4ruu95n

Hope you're able to find some help.

Hard to say how well it really works. The little bit of research on the topic has been mixed - some showing it might work other suggesting it's not any better than just meeting with a general counselor.

There are so many things to try to quit, and it's hard to predict what will work for who. Best to start with what feels like it might be a right fit for you and go from there. Using bupropion (Zyban/Wellbutrin) or Chantix or nicotine replacement (especially the patch) have the best scientific evidence behind them, so I would say that they are probably better places to spend your money if you're not sure what to do next.

If you do think you'd like to try hypnosis for smoking cessation, here are the names and numbers of three local people in Seattle who have been recommended to me:

Tom Wall 206-325-5700
Ron Slosky 206-525-5700
Joseph Barber 206-328-2919

I went through hypnotherapy for other habit-y type stuff. It was not a cure-all but I think I did learn some good relaxation techniques. I think if you approach from that fashion (another tool in your arsenal to help you change behavior but not a nuclear option, so to speak) it could be helpful.

There happens to be a free hypnotherapy workshop through the Greenwood Library tomorrow, Thu, at 6pm in case a no-cost info session might be helpful.

I have heard good things about NutritionWorks on Blakeley, a practitioner named Kathleen Putnam. http://www.nutritionworkseattle.com/about.htm
For me self awareness was the way out of this cycle, and you seem ready to work on this with the appropriate person. Yoga, for me, was the ultimate "cure" for my own eating disorder, after years of work within OA, great therapists, and a Women's Studies minor. Good luck finding the right fit for you and peace of body and mind.

Ditch the gym and start running outside. It's cheaper and less time consuming since you don't have to get somewhere before starting your workout.

However, I understand the allure of the sauna and steam room so maybe try going to the gym when you first get up in the morning. Get that shit outta the way before you think about it too much. I like to brew up a strong ass batch of french press coffee and chill it the night before. Then I drag myself out of bed in the morn and slam about 8 ounces of that fucker and hit the road.

The book Born to Run motivated me a lot. Reading about these Indians in Mexico who run 80+ mile ultramarathons (just for the hell of it) made me feel like a huge pussy about struggling through a three mile run. My attitude has changed and running seems easier and more fun.

Good luck!

I had to discontinue Chantix due to the aggression and depression issues. I tend to tilt to both of those naturally & unfortunately, but Chantix really put me in a dark place to the point where I was asked to stop by close friends due to my behavior changing. I would NOT advocate it if you feel those are issues for you normally.

Add weight-training. Adding muscle helps your body burn fat - you can't do it through cardio alone! A good blog with lots of workout ideas is www.stumptuous.com, and a good resource for vegans (me too!) who are also athletes (on my better days...) is Thrive, by Brendan Brazier.

Go with a buddy. Or sign up for some classes at your gym and make a buddy there. Having someone else to motivate you is such a huge help. Plus, then you (assuming your buddy is cool and you like them a lot) get to look forward to that time spend with your gym buddy.
So it's not like "ugh I'm going to the gym, that sucks" it's like "whoo hoo, I get to see so-and-so who is awesome! And hey, we just happen to be excersizing. Which is also turning out to be awesome! Man, I should do this more often, let's make a weekly date of it! Bi-weekly you say? Right on man!"

These are all great tips but I'd have to say that Urgutha Forka takes it: routine/habit. The other things are ways to make that easier.

I'm told via a friend of a friend (which is as reliable as you can get) that if you do something 21 times it becomes a habit. I can't give you the double blind studies, but feel free to run your own one-person study. It's only 21 days.

So take three weeks and create a routine which is feasible within your normal schedule. After those 21 days you should just be on automatic pilot. If not, well, you'll be in better shape then you are now.

I am sorry to hear that you haven't been able to find support for binge eating. Unfortunately, it isn't as widely discussed as anorexia nervosa and binge/purge behaviors, but I have yet to meet a colleague who does not work with clients who deal with binge eating. (It now shares the distinction of having its own diagnosis code). If you are looking for a (talk) therapist, there are quite a few in Seattle; you might want to try (if you haven't already):
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help-today/

I would also strongly suggest considering alternative therapies such as body work and energy medicine. Yoga is also a tremendous way to connect to our body and Self, physically, energetically, spiritually. Trying different approaches can help you to uncover what resonates most with you. From my personal experience, however, it's critical that the physical and/or energetic body is involved directly in one's healing Path.

Lastly, if you don't know her work already, Geneen Roth has written extensively (articulately, humorously, candidly) on binge eating and relationship to food issues.
http://geneenroth.com/index.php

Best wishes to you~

I don't believe there's a right or wrong answer here because different people are motivated to exercise in different way, so I can only give you my own motivation....

I dislike exercise too. I work all day... I'm often tired and just want to relax. Why should I waste precious time of my life running on a treadmill like some rat in a psychology experiment? And no matter how much I exercise, I already know I'm not going to be a beefcake.

But despite all that, I'm finally at the point where I exercise every day. How'd I do it? ROUTINE!

I completely concur with other commenter's suggestion of making it a habit, a routine, like brushing your teeth.

Find some time that you're fairly certain you'll always have free every day (weekdays and weekends both), about an hour. Force yourself to go to the gym. Bitch and moan all the way there but just go. Don't overprepare or overthink it, just go. I firmly believe just GETTING there is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome.

Once you're there, do something you think you won't despise. Try weights, try eliptical machines, bikes, running, swimming, jumprope, whatever. If you initially hate them all, give each one a few tries at least. After you've tried them, decide which one you dislike the least and stick with that. For me, it's running. I don't love running, but I find I can at least sort of zone out and just get it over with. But everyone's different.

When you've found your thing: Force yourself to go to the gym every day. Do your thing for some good minimum amount of time/distance you feel is a workout. For me, I started at running (more like a jogging-somewhat-faster-than-a-wak) a mile. I think I gave myself 20 minutes to run one mile a day and I just forced myself to keep going. I'd complain but I'd still go.

After I got more used to it, I upped the run distance and lowered the time, in REALLY short increments (like, a mile plus 20 feet), but it was all about getting it into a routine. Slowly increase whatever you do and make it your new baseline. Go a mile and a half, make it the new "regular workout." If you go less some days, well, so be it, but the next day, shoot again for your standard.

I started at one mile in 20 minutes and now I run four miles every day in forty minutes. Every day, including weekends, and it's such a habit I don't even have to convince myself to go anymore, I just do it.

I RARELY skip a day. When I do, the only thing going through my head is: "this is the time I usually go running... how come I'm not running?" And I swear to Buddha I feel guilty. You'll almost never see me post on SLOG between about 4:30pm and 6:30pm pacific time, because I'm at the gym - running. I still don't love it, but it's just a habit. It was hard to get there, but now that I'm there, I can't just dismiss it. I come home from work, put on my workout clothes, go to the gym, run my four miles, and I'm done. Habit.

Some people suggest a workout partner, but that never worked for me. I like to suffer alone.

My comment here might make it sound depressing or bad, but honestly, at this point, it's been a habit so long that it doesn't even bother me anymore. I just do it and forget about it almost immediately afterwards. It didn't take all that long for it to turn into a habit either, but you've gotta start somewhere.

I guess this is as long winded as the others, but it's a difficult motivation to achieve.

Habit, habit, habit. Just get your ass to the gym every day, even if you feel you're wasting your time there, just get there. Same time every day. Don't think about it, just go. Get it into your routine. That, above all else, is the biggest step.

Best of luck!

Seek out public assistance. Find clinics that work on a sliding scale. Wait until you're critical, and then go to the ER.

Or you can do what my mother ultimately had to do when she lost her business and was stricken with cancer: Go into immense debt. If she had gotten better, I'm sure she would've had to declare bankruptcy at some point.

I lost 30 pounds (my freshman/sophmore weight gain) in three months in college by doing kickboxing three days a week. It was crazy! I didn't even change my eating.

I also lost five pounds in one week playing Wii boxing obsessively. I think the moral here is, air punching and kicking can get you in shape really, really fast. Good luck!

I'm a big fan of sitting on a yoga ball rather than a chair. I like to excercise whenever I notice thought or emotions of resistance such as "I hate doing paperwork!" Major muscle group movement is also a great antidote to getting triggered emotionally.

I second the running suggestion, and want to add that doing a program like Couch to 5K or similar (5k 101 is a free podcast that tells you when to run/when to walk) is really, really awesome. I started one 5 1/2 months ago- and ran a half marathon back in November. I had never run a mile in my life and have bad knees and asthma. But enough about me!

I think any cardio is good, as long as you'll actually do it.

The ideas below are great. I would add finding a workout buddy that will meet you there. I'm much more excited to meet a friend for a bike ride than just hitting the road to train. It's also harder to flake when you've committed to a friend.

On the other hand I'm a fan of baby steps. On the days I can walk to work I count that as my excercise. When I have a minute, I'll do some pushups and situps. Where are there places in your day that you can make a small change that will help you toward your goal of getting in shape? These things add up, but then again I'm chubby too:)

Finally, the mindful way to the gym is about noticing more. What do you get when you choose to stay home? Is that better than working out and hitting the sauna? I've always like Joseph Campbell's slogan "follow your bliss". He's not talking about a snickers or Grey's Anatomy, but rather who do you really want to be? and what do you really care about deeply? Often there is some bitter work involved in getting there, and we have to forgo some of the small comforts. In the end, the hard part is that you are in charge of you, so the main thing is just getting there if that is what is important to you.

If your approaching healthy food, then I recommend cutting most processed foods in favor of making them at home.

This has been a fantastic book with tons of recipes that are easy with accessible ingredients.

The other approach is to use smaller plates so you cut your portion size.

http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Kitchen-Healthy-Family-Cookbook/dp/1933615567/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294790124&sr=1-3

I second the personal trainer. Having someone to coach you along the very difficult and arduous process of getting back in shape is much easier than going it alone.

Another suggestion is to schedule it into your daily routine. If you just have it up in the air that you should go sometime today, you'll have reason to put it off. If you make it your daily routine to go to the gym at 7:30 every morning or 6 PM every night, it's much easier to stick to your guns.

Lastly, you could sign up for a race. Have you ever ran distance before? There's honestly nothing like a huge road race to get you motivated. Sign up for a half marathon taking place 6 months from now (maybe the Seattle Rock n Roll?) <-- I'll probably be running in this if you want a slog/qland high 5 to start the race.

But honestly, the only way I keep myself running and working out is by periodically signing up for these races. Nothing says motivation like dropping 50-150 bones on the right to run with a bunch of other suckers.

I'm going to offer this: do some cardio that is not inside a gym. Take up running (running outside is much different than a treadmill AND you get a better cardio burn) or take up biking outdoors.

Give yourself a better reason to be there. Right now, you don't have one beyond, "I know I should" and "I'm paying for it." That puts gym time up there with eating broccoli.

If you can make it fun, that will make it easier to get there when it's cold and gross and wet and all you want to do is sit in front of the TV and eat popcorn. So, sign up for tennis lessons with another person. Take a swimming class. Join the basketball league at the gym. Hire a personal trainer.

Actually, if I could recommend one thing, it would be the personal trainer. I didn't realize until I started working with one that I could make my workouts more efficient (ie, shorter), and that some simple exercises could make a dramatic difference in overall strength and health. Doing it regularly has also helped me build a better repertoire of possible exercises, from cardio and strength training. The best thing though is that I don't ever feel like a doofus for not knowing how to use the equipment AND I work harder because my trainer is encouraging me. I won't need it forever, but it's been really important for developing the routine and being consistent about it.

The other thing about getting into the gym regularly is to think about what doing that will let you do outside the gym. That is, set a goal for something you legimately want to accomplish. So, regular time in the gym for me means that I can actually start backpacking next summer. For you, maybe it's doing a bike trip over Highway 20, or whatever. Just make it realistic, attainable, and rewarding in itself. The working out part of being in a gym can really feel like a chore, but if it gets you to a goal you would really, really get pleasure out of, it can help to keep you going.

And finally, build it into your schedule until it becomes habit. Like, every night at 5pm, you're at the gym after work, and that's just how it is. Once your body gets used to it, you'll start to feel twitchy when you DON'T go. At that point, you'll more than likely have the inertia to keep going.

Good luck!

Myrna,
You are awesome to have made this commitment to fitness and it sounds like you are doing great! You sound patient AND committed, which is golden.
I will say that I am partial to yoga and have found for myself that it provides an amazing amount of strength and endurance while balancing our metabolism. I have never been someone to promote yoga as a practice for weight loss, but it is a practice that gets us in touch with our bodies in a deep way. For me, over time yoga did contribute to a lower body weight. Yes, it takes time, and you get that
I am also going to give you the same advice I gave Anne - check out Ayurveda (local practioners include Kerala, Life in Balance, AYU, Dr. Virender Sodhi). There are many books about the ideas behind it, and Deepak Chopra's Perfect Health is a great one to start with. I have an ED past and am also pretty anti-diet/restriction. I have found that learning about Ayurveda is incredibly self-empowering. There are very simple practices that just our body find balance, which sometimes leads to weight loss. The body wants to be efficient, able to run fast (we were designed to escape predators in the wild!), and feel great. If we learn what our dosha (constitution, similar to "body type") is we can learn practices (eating, sleeping, exercising) that bring it into balance. My guess (since you have demonstrated patience and commitment) is that you are a kapha and for you what is important is to stay consistent (which you are doing) and work vigorously but without great strain.
Re foods, I am no nutrition expert, but my experience has been that the more healthy fats I get (flax oil, avocado, walnuts), the less I crave the others. When I am living in harmony with my dosha and the season, I eat to live, and have fewer cravings.
Good luck!