Need Some Good Suggestions For Accomplishing Physical Goal

newdove

Hi,
I was registered on this site, but don't think I've ever posted. I need knowledgable help on how to accomplish this by July 2nd (this year)-LOL. I got a very bad weight problem. I'm about 200 pounds overweight. I know, that's horrid! Several years ago I got desperate and was tired of being fat so I put myself on my own plan and lost 140 pounds in about 8 months. I worked out and boy it wasn't easy. I'm not going to go into what I did cause at that point, it's not important, but let's just say, I've become wiser since then. I still had not lost it all and I was not happy with that fact. Over time I slowly returned to bad habits, slowly stopped exercising and threw in the towel when the truth is, the last 50 pounds are the hardest to lose. I didn't know that then or that probably would have encouraged me to press on and dig in and go harder at it. Doesn't matter now. I'm back up fatter than ever and I'm about 360 range. I'm 5'6''.

Okay, here it goes. If there's anyone that's gonna tell me I can't do it, please just don't post because I HAVE to do this. Have to--there are no if's and's or but's, I have to do this so I'm trying to think through this. Okay, my life's work puts me in an interesting position I never thought I would find myself in. I do a lot of singing as part of that work. Most recently the writers wrote a musical production. In previous times all the singers would just come out and sing. This production piece will require us to literally skip while we are singing. I got the singing part down, it's the skipping I'm having an issue with. I have not skipped in years. I tried last week and actually did two skips, but wow, that's a cardiovasular workout! Now hear me on this one, yeah, I'm out of shape and very obese, however, the others that are NOT obese and even thin, they were getting a little winded doing the skipping. I'm not talking about skipping rope, but skipping like, you know, little children do. It's really a neat song. It is required. I am in that group so they're not letting me off the hook - this is part of my job big or little.

With that said, I was trying to think... Okay, skipping is a cardiovascular exercise more than anything. People skip in all different ways. I think my biggest challenge is the cardio part - I'm not conditioned. I tried to remember back to when I first began losing weight and exercising - I began walking briskly and before long I walked faster and faster and faster, then adding hills and increasing my speed and pumping my arms. I lost a ton of weight. I did other exercises also - worked some with weights and cardio aerobics. It was amazing how my body changed and especially weights. Before I totally bore you all to death, to those that are knowledgable in working out and perhaps would have some good pointers, I really need to get a good game plan to make this work.

Since I have lost weight before, I do know how to eat right, drink adequate water, no eating late, but for those with the knowledge of what will work for what I need. Should I work on my cardio and getting into condition before I start trying to skip and save the skipping for just before dress rehearsal? Should I do a dual approach - work with weights and cardio and practice some skipping. Keep in mind us ladies are wearing long gowns so we may be wearing head mics and holding our dresses a bit up off the floor - I'm actually not sure how we're going to do this yet and that's the key. I have to be ready for whatever they plan on dress rehearsal. So if someone could give me a good idea for what to work on in the next 4 weeks to enable me to be able to do this so I'm not dying. Like I said, a lot of us work a lot at our desks, recording studio (sitting) and we're all really busy so many of us gotta work on this, but I've got a bigger challenge due to the excess weight.

It's funny, but this event has pushed me to now be in decision/action mode for my weight loss so it's not all bad. But this is a part of my job and I have to be able to do it. So whatever you can contribute, please do. I'm just not sure how to approach this. I want to be good to my knees, but it's the getting winded part that I need to overcome to the point where I can tolerate it and it's not so hard to do. When I first started walking, I got winded, but in no time I could handle more and more, but I have just 4 weeks to do it so I'm on a shorter time frame for progressing to what I need to do.

Thank you in advance,
New Dove

pwnderosa

Sounds like you've got a great motivation to get started! Do you walk currently? If you are still walking, I would say just do that and add some skipping into your walks, maybe just a couple skips at a time and work up to more skips each day.

I would think some leg strengthening exercises would help as well.

Maybe you could practice with your coworkers on breaks/during lunchtime?

rick_po

Wow. I don't think I could even sing and scratch my head at the same time.

Whatever you decide to do, definitely include skipping as part of your workout. That's the short term goal, and the most important thing in the next few months, and it's not a bad exercise! Even if you can only do it for few seconds at first. Just keep adding more every workout.

Practice skipping early in your workout, while you're still fairly strong.

If it were me, I'd probably put off lifting weights until after you've got the program down. Do the walking, skip as much as you can, improve your cardio conditioning, do great in your production number, and then add the weight training. I would be afraid strength training would get in the way of your short term goal, even though it's important long term.

Best of luck to you!