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Thursday? Early morning, mid-morning, after work? These details may seem insignificant, but they’re perfect opportunities for the whiner to step in and say, “Exercise is too much trouble. Too many decisions. Let’s just forget it.”
    There are a couple of ways to dispense with such details. One is to find a class, as I did with Jazzercise. It wasn’t up to me to decide what time to exercise or how often; there was a set schedule to follow. I didn’t have to entertain myself during class; I could leave that to the teacher, my classmates, and (obscure disco reference alert) Gloria Gaynor.
    Another is to find a walking or running group. That may not be as hard as you think: YMCAs, neighborhood centers, and even fitness footwear stores and employers often have groups that tend to be pretty low-commitment. All you do is show up at the appointed time and place, and you’re in.
    The problem with both of these approaches, of course, is that you have to be somewhat of a joiner to take the first step. But remember: I wasn’t exactly what you’d call the social type. If you’re a loner, as I was, or you just don’t feel good enough about yourself to be all chatty with a group of strangers, a class might be better for you. After all, you can’t exactly be expected to share the details of your life over the thumping from the sound system. And everyone is usually focusing on trying to get the movements down, so there’s really not much opportunity to share recipes or anything.
    The walking and running group types, on the other hand, tend to gab to help pass the time while they lope along. (Some people do have the lung capacity to talk and run simultaneously!) If you go that route and want to keep to yourself, here’s my advice: Exchange a few pleasantries during warm-up stretches so that people know you’re not a total jerk, then strap on your MP3 player and go. I doubt you’ll offend anyone.
    Stay workout ready.
    One of those details you can’t delegate but that will give your whiner one less thing to gripe about is keeping your workout clothes clean and your bag packed and ready to go. First things first: Make sure you have enough sets of fitness clothes to get you from wash day to wash day. That way you’ll never get caught without a clean pair of shorts or bra the morning of a workout. (No excuses!)
    Second, the workout bag. If you’re following this Former Fat Girl’s advice, you’ll be changing somewhere besides your own home, so you’ll need to carry your clothes with you. To save you from packing and repacking completely the night before or the morning of every workout, keep whatever you can in your bag at all times—your shoes, for one, and any toiletries you might need to freshen up afterward. The minute you get home from one workout, swap out your dirty duds with a complete set of clean ones; then you won’t have to rummage around for a runaway sock or a decent T-shirt when you’re in a hurry.
    The Obstacle: Exercise Just Plain Hurts
    Have I mentioned my bunions? If you’re lucky enough not to have them or even know what they are, let me explain. Bunions are bony knobs located on the side of your foot, at the base of your big toe. Not only are they particularly unattractive (I’ve said in the past that I’d rather show my bare ass than my bare feet), but they tend to throb after long periods of standing. Repeated jumping or pounding? I’ve been known to snack on Advil like it was popcorn to get a little post-workout relief. I know pain, and I’ve figured out several ways of keeping it to a minimum.
    Former Fat Girl Fixes
    Forget “no pain, no gain.”
    It’s tempting to throw yourself into the type of workout that’s going to give you the maximum calorie burn in the minimum amount of time. You have so much too lose, you think, and you want to lose it as fast as you can. Remember, though, that