Getting back to exercise and need a lot of help

GreyKnight120

This post is going to be long since I want to provide adequate background, but I'll drop a TL;DR at the end with my questions.

The long and short of things is that I am coming back to exercise after living a very sedentary life for too long. I have a number of obstacles that are going to make this even more challenging, but I am intent on overcoming all of these. Getting myself back into shape right now is my top priority.

Some background first. I am a 35 year old male, 6'1" height, 390 lbs. weight. Yes, 390 lbs. and morbidly obese. I work behind a desk where I commute to work two weeks at a time, then work from home for two weeks. I have found that my diet and exercise patterns are healthier when I telecommute than when I go into the office (less travel time means more time to prepare food and get adequate exercise). My job itself is very sedentary and in both settings I take periodic breaks to stand up, stretch, walk around the office/house.

Apart from being extremely overweight, I have no medical conditions apart from a concern of pre-diabetes, however I do suffer from social anxiety disorder. Whether this is a cause or effect of the obesity is hard to say, perhaps a bit of both. It is a pretty unforgiving cycle in that regards, but this post is not meant to be about that. Suffice it to say, the gym is not something I am prepared to consider at this time.

At home I have a recumbent bicycle set up in the basement that has remained unused for far too long and it's time for that to change. I have some adjustable dumbells as well. I also have ankle weights, and was having some success wearing those and taking walks through the neighborhood (generally at night).

As of right now I have not done any sort of regular exercise apart from the occasional swim. We have an aboveground pool in the back yard, but the swimming season is nearly over so I'm going to sort of make mention of this detail and then move on - I do love to swim, but I would not swim at a public pool right now and after another couple of weeks my backyard pool won't really be available until April/May of next year, so I'm looking at exercising primarily with my recumbent stationary bicycle, walking, and possibly some weights.

This is where my questions come in --

I want to make the most of my workout times, but at the same time I don't want to burn myself out. I am more motivated now than I have ever been, but I know at my weight I should not "overdo it". When I last exercised somewhat regularly, I was able to sit on the recumbent bike for a good 90-120 minutes at a moderate pace, or maybe a bit less doing interval mode and pushing hard for a short time and less hard for a slightly longer duration and repeating that. I'm not sure which is better, but I try to vary that up as well so that it keeps it "interesting" and I'm not repeating the same workouts.

I'm trying to establish just how I should work out, how often, and whether I should focus solely on cardio for now, or whether I should also lift weights and get started with that as soon as possible as well, or if it would make more sense to introduce weights at a later time.

I'm also wondering when I should work out. On days when I have to go into the office it's best in the morning, but it does take me a long time to stop sweating and sometimes I have to wake up even earlier to account for this. It does me no good to bike for 45 minutes, then shower right away after. I will get out of the shower and continue sweating for a good 15 minutes to the point that I need another shower. Is this a good time to eat breakfast, right after a workout?

Also is there any pro or con to splitting a workout up between the morning and evening? For instance, if I normally sit on the bike and pedal away for 60 minutes in the morning, but find that I can only do 30 one particular morning, and try to make up the difference by pedaling for 30 more minutes at night? I had heard somewhere that the first several minutes of working out aren't burning fat, so I always assumed it made more sense to dedicate larger blocks of time for exercise to get more out of it.




TL;DR questions:
1. Is it better to gradually build up to a regular exercise plan or is it better to dive right in and push hard from the get-go?
2. When is the best time to eat - just before or after exercise?
3. For a very heavy person like myself is it best to start weight training with the cardio right away, or introduce strength training after?
4. Is it better to exercise more often in smaller time increments or to block off a large amount of time for exercise once a day or once every other day?

I'm sorry that this was kind of long. I'm very serious about getting into shape and welcome any advice, constructive criticism, support, high-fives, etc. Thanks!

beemerphile1

Just Do It! You are making it way too complicated, the hardest step is the first one.

TeaBea

For me a gradual thing was better. I'm older. I had a co-worker that would start a "new" intense workout regimen every few months. She would continually need to re-start because of injuries.

The best thing you can do re: exercise is be consistent. I would start exercise when I started a diet, and stop exercise when I stopped dieting. The weight always came back (doh!).

To make this a lifestyle change I started with a small no-brainer goal that I could meet. 60 minutes a week. I logged it in a spreadsheet. I rented workout videos from Netflix (by mail) and tried something new every week. This also helped me figure out what I liked to do. After 60 minutes became easy (a normal routine)....I added more minutes. The internet is great for this too....so many different resources.

As time went on my spreadsheet included percentages for cardio / strength / yoga....I knew left to my own devices that the cardio percentage would be too high. So now I have a well rounded program that I hope to do for many years to come.

Beemerphile is right too!......Just start with something.

hcself71

1. Is it better to gradually build up to a regular exercise plan or is it better to dive right in and push hard from the get-go?

It's really best to start gradually. It's tempting to just throw yourself into hardcore exercise, but you run the risk of injury, fatigue and burnout if you do that. Start reasonably--your goals should always be "SMART": specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time- bound. If you rush the process your body (and your mind) doesn't have the chance to acclimate.

3. When is the best time to eat - just before or after exercise?

There are many schools of thought on this as which is better--snack before and or after, just before, just after--go with what you feel you need to do and what works best for you. What you need may vary from day to day.

5. For a very heavy person like myself is it best to start weight training with the cardio right away, or introduce strength training after?

Weight training can be started at any time. Muscle weight also burns more than fat, so that helps with your goals. Again, start SMART.

7. Is it better to exercise more often in smaller time increments or to block off a large amount of time for exercise once a day or once every other day?

This is personal preference. You could do an easy 20-minute walk every day in conjunction with your main routine. You also don't need to do a large amount of time for exercise. There's no need to block of 60-90 minutes. There are many, many great workouts you can do that are shorter and very effective. Do some poking around on the internet for short and effective workouts. This will also help keep you from burning out.

Then, when you've reached your goal, set your MFP goals to "maintain" so you can stay within a reasonable number of your goal weight. You will naturally fluctuate.

I'm sorry that this was kind of long. I'm very serious about getting into shape and welcome any advice, constructive criticism, support, high-fives, etc. Thanks!

kami3006

beemerphile1 wrote: »

Just Do It! You are making it way too complicated, the hardest step is the first one.

^This. The first thing to do is to manage your calorie deficit in the kitchen. Weigh and log your foods and get a handle on those calories.

Then just move. Unless you're an athlete in training, most of the little details like when to eat are a nonissue. Do what you enjoy. I will say that weight training is ideal while losing though because it helps minimize the amount of muscle your body burns while losing fat.

I have found it's much easier to lose by focusing on eating for weight loss and exercise for fitness. Eat the way you plan to for the rest of your life and just manage the portions to fit your goals.

rsclause

I was overweight but I gain in my face neck and beer gut. I tried weight lifting but that makes me bigger and my gut stays about the same. My kids got me a fitbit and Aria WiFi scale. The fitbit site was lousy for tracking food calories. Thats when I found MFP. So about the time I started really counting and logging calories I also started walking alot. I love being outdoors and my thing is to get it done early before sunrise or other things get in the way (procrastinate). The weight was starting to come off and I started playing a GPS based game (ingress.com) in the mornings. The OCD in me started kicking in and I began to run between points. It started with walking, then short runs, longer runs and after a several months I was doing up to seven miles. Weird thing is when I would start running with a no pain no gain and do three miles my knees would be so sore that I though I have bad knees and can't run.
Starting slow and building on it was the answer. What ever you do start with a set weight, time or distance even if it is too easy and build a little each day. You won't get hurt and the increases will motivate you to stay at it. Another suggestion is to make your lunch the night before you go to the office. You will do better knowing what is in it calorie wise and avoid making bad choices. My favorite is a low carb wrap with some grilled chicken and guacamole on it (Costco has single serving cups) Good luck and stay with it!

whiteblossom14

GreyKnight120 wrote: »

This post is going to be long since I want to provide adequate background, but I'll drop a TL;DR at the end with my questions.

The long and short of things is that I am coming back to exercise after living a very sedentary life for too long. I have a number of obstacles that are going to make this even more challenging, but I am intent on overcoming all of these. Getting myself back into shape right now is my top priority.

Some background first. I am a 35 year old male, 6'1" height, 390 lbs. weight. Yes, 390 lbs. and morbidly obese. I work behind a desk where I commute to work two weeks at a time, then work from home for two weeks. I have found that my diet and exercise patterns are healthier when I telecommute than when I go into the office (less travel time means more time to prepare food and get adequate exercise). My job itself is very sedentary and in both settings I take periodic breaks to stand up, stretch, walk around the office/house.

Apart from being extremely overweight, I have no medical conditions apart from a concern of pre-diabetes, however I do suffer from social anxiety disorder. Whether this is a cause or effect of the obesity is hard to say, perhaps a bit of both. It is a pretty unforgiving cycle in that regards, but this post is not meant to be about that. Suffice it to say, the gym is not something I am prepared to consider at this time.

At home I have a recumbent bicycle set up in the basement that has remained unused for far too long and it's time for that to change. I have some adjustable dumbells as well. I also have ankle weights, and was having some success wearing those and taking walks through the neighborhood (generally at night).

As of right now I have not done any sort of regular exercise apart from the occasional swim. We have an aboveground pool in the back yard, but the swimming season is nearly over so I'm going to sort of make mention of this detail and then move on - I do love to swim, but I would not swim at a public pool right now and after another couple of weeks my backyard pool won't really be available until April/May of next year, so I'm looking at exercising primarily with my recumbent stationary bicycle, walking, and possibly some weights.

This is where my questions come in --

I want to make the most of my workout times, but at the same time I don't want to burn myself out. I am more motivated now than I have ever been, but I know at my weight I should not "overdo it". When I last exercised somewhat regularly, I was able to sit on the recumbent bike for a good 90-120 minutes at a moderate pace, or maybe a bit less doing interval mode and pushing hard for a short time and less hard for a slightly longer duration and repeating that. I'm not sure which is better, but I try to vary that up as well so that it keeps it "interesting" and I'm not repeating the same workouts.

I'm trying to establish just how I should work out, how often, and whether I should focus solely on cardio for now, or whether I should also lift weights and get started with that as soon as possible as well, or if it would make more sense to introduce weights at a later time.

I'm also wondering when I should work out. On days when I have to go into the office it's best in the morning, but it does take me a long time to stop sweating and sometimes I have to wake up even earlier to account for this. It does me no good to bike for 45 minutes, then shower right away after. I will get out of the shower and continue sweating for a good 15 minutes to the point that I need another shower. Is this a good time to eat breakfast, right after a workout?

Also is there any pro or con to splitting a workout up between the morning and evening? For instance, if I normally sit on the bike and pedal away for 60 minutes in the morning, but find that I can only do 30 one particular morning, and try to make up the difference by pedaling for 30 more minutes at night? I had heard somewhere that the first several minutes of working out aren't burning fat, so I always assumed it made more sense to dedicate larger blocks of time for exercise to get more out of it.




TL;DR questions:
1. Is it better to gradually build up to a regular exercise plan or is it better to dive right in and push hard from the get-go?
2. When is the best time to eat - just before or after exercise?
3. For a very heavy person like myself is it best to start weight training with the cardio right away, or introduce strength training after?
4. Is it better to exercise more often in smaller time increments or to block off a large amount of time for exercise once a day or once every other day?

I'm sorry that this was kind of long. I'm very serious about getting into shape and welcome any advice, constructive criticism, support, high-fives, etc. Thanks!

You have made the first step joining the group.

You can do this. Think of yourself and how good you will feel seeing the pounds disappear.
I was 99kgs I just started with going swimming then moved on to the gym. Then I surprised myself as I also suffer from anxiety issues I went along to a boxing club on my own and joined a group. I love it. I still have 17kgs to go but I will do it
You can do it too x

GreyKnight120

Thank you for all of the feedback so far!!

I agree that "just doing it" needs to happen and this post wasn't so much procrastinating as it was from boredom during a lull at work. If I could be sitting on my bike right now I would be, but unfortunately I'm stuck at my desk for the time being.

Based on the other feedback I think what I'll do is start once a day for a half hour on the bike at least 3 days a week. This will be a baseline and if I feel like doing more I will, making sure not to overdo it though.

I like the notion of tracking this in a spreadsheet. This appeals to my inner-nerd and I like the idea of being able to look back at the end of a month and see how many miles I pedaled, or how many calories I burned. I think that could inspire me to try to one-up myself the following month!!

I'm also very familiar with SMART goals (my father is a counselor) and will be sure to employ those qualities when setting goals, both short-term and long-term.

The issue with blocking off time for workouts and the preference for doing one bigger workout rather than smaller ones has to do with the amount of time it takes afterwards to cool down and clean up. I would generally prefer to block out larger blocks of time spread out a bit more often, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't hurting my progress. If there are opportunities to work out twice a day I'm looking forward to taking those. Some days it just isn't practical.

I have also set my goal to 350 lbs (or to lose 40 lbs.) but have not set any specific date for this. I'm not going to be satisfied at 350 lbs, but I would think that the goals are malleable. Once I reach that goal, I can set another for 300 I would imagine, then 275 maybe, etc, etc. until I reach a final goal weight where I am happy. I still need to give this some thought but there is no big hurry.

I will probably also introduce weight lifting right away but keep that very slow and managable at first until I get a better feel for what I'm capable of, and so that I don't get hurt or overdo it. I might alternate this with cardio days so that I am doing something each day.

Thank you for the tip about making lunch the day before! Even today I find myself busy at work in the office and unable to get a proper lunch. That little bit of foresight would go a long way. The last time I lost weight (about 5 years ago I dropped from 355 or so down to 306 lbs.) I had been grilling boneless/skinless chicken breasts on Sundays for the entire week's lunch and cutting them up and keeping it in the fridge and making wraps and salads with them. I'm going to start doing that again. I had also found out about a soup that was mostly just broth with vegetables (I love mushrooms and onions) and was virtually no calories and could be eaten like an appetizer before meals to curb the appetite a bit. Drinking more water seems to be a good cure-all too. I know particularly on those weeks where I am in the office I am not drinking enough water (because frequent restroom breaks are counterproductive and I am a little bit OCD about public restrooms anyway).

One of the most frustrating obstacles is that constant change between being home and being in the office. One way or the other I feel I can find it easier to fall into a healthy rhythm, but having to switch back and forth can trip me up sometimes.

Thank you for all of the input so far!! It is very much appreciated!!!

nordlead2005

GreyKnight120 wrote: »

TL;DR questions:
1. Is it better to gradually build up to a regular exercise plan or is it better to dive right in and push hard from the get-go?
2. When is the best time to eat - just before or after exercise?
3. For a very heavy person like myself is it best to start weight training with the cardio right away, or introduce strength training after?
4. Is it better to exercise more often in smaller time increments or to block off a large amount of time for exercise once a day or once every other day?

I'm sorry that this was kind of long. I'm very serious about getting into shape and welcome any advice, constructive criticism, support, high-fives, etc. Thanks!

Ok, I read everything. The goal is to lose fat and not lose muscle. Diet is more important than exercise for losing weight and I am a big fan of lifting heavy things to maintain muscle. Cardio is secondary to lifting weights and shouldn't get in the way of lifting.

So, focus on diet first, introduce lifting and cardio as you see fit (don't take forever to do this, but you don't have to do it all in day 1 either). Plug your stats into MFP and set your goal. 2lb/week is easily doable for you, but if it makes you feel too hungry, then go slower. Make sure you eat back at least 50% of your exercise calories. Staying on the program is more important than a quick loss. You can always try going back to 2lb/week later.

1) I would hope you could just go straight into a Strong Lifts 5x5 type program with an empty bar, or even lighter (kettle bells or a standard bar instead of olympic bar). There is no reason to start lifting super heavy things, but a progressive program will add a decent amount of weight fairly quickly. Focusing on form at the beginning is more important than moving heavier weights. If SL's isn't an option (no access to equipment), then find a beginner program that you can do with what equipment you do have access to.

I would also just go for 20-30 minute walks or use the bike for 20-30 minutes on non-lifting days (so 3-4 days/week). I wouldn't worry about getting 60-minutes per day right off the bat. Build up to it. As you lose weight you can increase the cardio to meet your endurance goals.

2) It doesn't matter. Whatever works for you. I sometimes eat before I lift, sometimes I don't.

3) Start weight lifting as soon as you want, and I think it is more important than cardio.

4) It makes no difference. Weight lifting should be done in a single block on a given day, otherwise you have to spend all that time warming up again. 20 minutes of cardio 3x/week is just as effective as 60 minutes of cardio 1x/week. In fact, 20 minutes of cardio where you give peak performance is probably better than 60 minutes if you are going to tail off after 30 and the last 30 are at half effort.

lithezebra

Since you have a desk job, is there any way that you can do part of it standing? I rearranged my desk/studio so that I can work standing up, and moving around. It's made a big difference in my calorie burn. (At your current weight, you might want to gradually increase the time you spend standing, rather than switch to a standing desk all day long, to take it easy on your joints).

In answer to your questions:

1) I would let your heart rate be your guide to cardio exercise; as you become fitter, you'll be able to work harder at the same number of beats per minute.

2) It doesn't matter too much when you eat.

3) Do both cardio and lifting.

4) If you can get 150 minutes of cardio per week, you're meeting the recommendation for cardio-respiratory fitness, whether you do it in big blocks or small increments. If you also increase your non-exercise activity, you'll make losing weight a lot easier.

GreyKnight120

Thank you!! I am in agreement that the diet part is more important than exercise, but I do want to approach it from both. I have begun tracking my food intake and will be continuing to monitor that and hopefully build some positive habits that way as well.

My takeaway is that both cardio and strength training are important and that I should ease into it rather than diving full-on. I like that 150 minutes of cardio per week baseline. I've heard 30 mins a day 5 days a week, but this sort of allows me to spread it out more if I do more in a day and still gives me something of a "minimum" to aim for. After a couple of weeks I'll try to step it up a little and just keep doing this.

I confess I don't know much about lifting and what sorts of strength exercises I should do, but I will google around or if anyone has any recommendations for dumbbell workouts, I am all ears.

In the office our desks are new and can be elevated so that we can work standing up. I haven't done this yet, only because when I am in the office I seem to be up and away from my desk often anyway - but on slow days where I'm at my desk more I think it's a good idea and will make it a point to switch back and forth more regularly! I work IT support and my two week spans in the office are usually spent at customers' desks whereas my two weeks at home are usually spent remote connecting. You would think my office patterns would be healthier for this reason, but I am up and down a lot more often at home and can exercise more easily on my lunch hour (nobody cares how sweaty I am over remote connection in the afternoon when I'm at home so it's easier to be more active).

Thank you for taking the time to answer all of my questions and share your ideas and thoughts with me!

LKArgh

As you said, you are currently facing the basic problems of beign very obese and completely sedentary. You need to lose weight, which is irrelevant of how much you exercise or not exercise, and you need to become more physically active, to improve your health.
So, for weight loss, focus on diet changes. Do not expect to build an exercise routine that will really help much, or one that can help you lose a ton of weight without diet changes. 90% of the work will be changing how you eat.
For exercise, honestly, where you are, it does nto matter what you do. You can overanalyse it, worry about maintaining muscle, perfect splits etc, but it is all pretty much irrelevant at this point. You need to move. How you move, is a minor detail at this stage. Just find something to get you off the desk. Do you like walking? If yes and think you could handle it, then just schedule a couple of short walks per day (e.g. walk to the next train station, or walkto the next bus stop, or park your car a few blocks away). Or schedule a longer evening walk after work. Or use a stationary bike. Aim for 20-30 minutes per day and work from there. Do nto overcomplicate it.

Oldbitcollector

1. Is it better to gradually build up to a regular exercise plan or is it better to dive right in and push hard from the get-go?

Just get started. Begin now where you are. Do what you can, listen to your body. If you start to get sore, take a small break (a couple days). If you start feeling pain, ease back and make sure you have variation in your fitness routine.

2. When is the best time to eat - just before or after exercise?

I can't eat before I exercise because I can't stand having anything on my stomach during my cardio. Lately, I'll take a protein bar and eat it between my cardio and my strength training.

3. For a very heavy person like myself is it best to start weight training with the cardio right away, or introduce strength training after?

No! Don't wait. Start the weight training as soon as possible. As you lose weight, you'll loose muscle so weight training will minimize that and also make you feel great about yourself as you start seeing muscle definition. You'll need that little boost to keep you going and in the game.

4. Is it better to exercise more often in smaller time increments or to block off a large amount of time for exercise once a day or once every other day?

That's your choice. Do what fits your schedule and lifestyle. I try to get in a little exercise every day (walking), then blast the gym for a couple hours twice a week.


Friend me up. I've been where you are and also work a very sedentary job (fellow IT guy here). I'd love to follow your progress and will always encourage.

Jeff