340 pounds high blood pressure and a long journey ahead, need as much advice........

JosephBlackstock

ok here is the scoop

im 38, 5.10 and 340 pounds, here is my story in a nut shell

8 years ago i was 160/170 pounds, well under wight i would assume as i was suffering from a rampant drug addiction

i found recovery, and right away started to gain weight, in the first 28 day program (which was in my first 90 days clean) i had gained 32 pounds.... probably where i should be for my frame, but it was not muscle gain, the difference in what type of gain i think is worth noting

slowly over the following 5 years i continued to put on weight, 10 pounds here another 20 there, before i knew it i was just under 300 pounds

i was a hairdresser and stood behind a chair all day, very little movement, and even less attention to detail regarding how i eat

i finnally decided i wanted to try and change things, i got educated about diet and started making an effort

3 years later, and a lifestyle change regarding work im now behind a computer screen or in a vehicle most of my day, so im even less active

ive had a ton of yo yo dieting and learned most every thing i feel i need to know about diet, (which i now seem to have under control) and im now prioritizing the effort needed to be prepared and armed with healthy snacks all day, eating mostly green and getting proteins and fats at the right times and the right kinds... and using this tracker im doing ok monitoring my routine, im not perfect by any means and if you look at my meal planner you will see ive slipped a bit more this week than average but you can see my trend at any rate

so here i am, with a reasonable diet lets say, hitting my calorie goals most days, but with my mass amount of weight to loose i really want to step my game up a bit.

ive joined a gym and im less than impressed with the service ive gotten, the 250 dollars i spent on time with a trainer was time spent listening to this guy telling me why i need him.... or i wont succeed, after todays session i was in tears, and ive had it, he really hasnt shown me how to be independant at all and i just cant afford the 700 dollars a month he wants from me to "meet my goals" this year

im sure there must be another way

i have a good understanding of the machines in the gym, i have a reasonable understanding about stregnth building and cardio, and flexability training, but at my size i keep hurting my self and suffereing from DOMS so bad im walking funny for 5 days that i cant keep a routine going... or i just dont feel like im actually achieving anything

i just dont know where to start, or what i should focus on.

my weight is all through my calves, thighs, rear and belly, ive got extremely low muscle mass at 45% body fat, according to the machine this guy had me on yesterday

my blood pressure is 128 over 83 ... i think lolol im trying to remember off the top of my head but that seems right....i think .

any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated,

I HAVE DECIDED THAT ITS TIME, AND THIS IS MY PRIORITY IN LIFE NOW, AND IM NOT GOING TO LET SOME BEEFCAKE WHO ONLY WANTS MY MONEY GET ME DOWN, BUT I NEED SOME HELP FAST, I NEED TO GET BACK ON THIS HORSE RIGHT AWAY BEFORE I LOOSE MY NEW FOUND DRIVE

PLEASE HELP

JOE

jgnatca

You are totally right. That coach was wrong for you.

I am sure one of the heavy lifters will be by to suggest a simple heavy lifting routine.

There are different levels of pain. You should not be hobbling five days later. The appropriate weight to lift is a bit of a struggle to do a dozen. You can increase the weight as it gets easier.

Everyone starts where they are at and progress from there. It really doesn't matter how weak you are now. Slowly, progressively you will improve.

shor0814

First, realize that the process will take time to do right and won't happen overnight and you will probably have setbacks and successes. Second, find a doctor and make sure you are healthy enough to exercise and get your medical conditions under control. Third, you should find a new trainer who you are comfortable with and who understands your needs and situation.

You might need to spend a bit of extra time with your trainer now in order to get used to different exercises but you should be able to wean yourself off the trainer and do things on your own with the occasional "check-up." At first you might want to work with the trainer 3 days a week and then slowly work it to 1 day a week and then maybe 1 or 2 times a month. Make that clear up front.

Exercise doesn't have to hurt, my first training session had me doing simple things like sitting on a box and standing back up so I didn't hurt my ankles or knees like when I tried doing my own workouts. Exercises should be done in such a way that you are getting resistance training and pushing yourself but not so far that you can't come back for the next session. You might want so split between cardio and weight training with ellipticals, recumbent bikes, and swimming pools become your best friend. Let your diet help your weight loss and your exercise improve your fitness.

Read things on here, ask questions, participate and you will get plenty of advice from people who know exactly what you are going through. Keep at it and you can do it.

datsundriver87

I was 280 pounds in January of this year, had been that weight for years, and 10 months later I am 194 pounds. Start small but weight loss needs to become your obsession. There is no magic, there is no special pill, count everything you eat including condiments and burn at least 1,000 calories a day more than that if you can. Weigh once a week always first thing in the morning and watch the weight disappear. Personally I would say no cheat days for the first couple months until you are on a good track and are confident in yourself that a cheat day won't send you down a wrong path, but others will disagree with that. Any specific questions you have feel free to ask.
Ps I did 8 months of no strength training at all nothing but cardio 4 times a week, started off at an 18 min mile that about killed me and now I can do 4 miles in 45 mins than start my day, still by no means great but one hell of an improvement. For me I needed to see the numbers drop, my weight, my waist, my mile time. That was all the motivation I needed to push myself harder.

LKArgh

Based on what you have written:
1) Lose the trainer, he sounds terrible
2) Focus on diet, this is where weight loss will mainly come from
3) Do not push yourself to do exercises that are painful or that you do not enjoy. You do not need the stress and it will not help you. Find something you enjoy and that you can do. Walking is good exercise, and it is very effective, it does not have to be complicated. Or try swimming, cycling, or perhaps a class? If you do want to use the machines at the gym, or lift, then start slow. Low weights, focus on form and if something hurts, stop. It is a slow process.
4) If you are having blood pressure issues, talk to your dr about what forms of exercise are safe right now. There might be restrictions at the moment.

Working2BLean

Sad story with the trainer and gym.

I assume you have been Doctor cleared for certain exercise levels? Certain levels of exertion? You may have max heart rate levels to consider with weight and blood pressure issues. Basically, don't give yourself a heart attack exercising.

You have a good idea of calorie intake and a reasonable diet. That is a big deal.

Cardio and heart rate targets are not rocket science either.

A lower end heart rate monitor you wear for steady state cardio can be your best friend. You don't need to spend a ton on that

There are lots of online resources for workouts

Muscle fitness has a great site and many workout ideas.

Your trainer situation was bad. I have used a few trainers that were good and seen a few that were bad.

Anyone can claim to be a trainer. It isn't like they carry around a transcript. I have heard some fairly outlandish things on MFP from some claiming experience as trainers. Proceed with caution.

Just get past that and know you can find good programs and do it yourself

The only comment that seemed notable that you made was about looking for a way to speed things up.

It will take time and consistent effort with a good diet and adding some exercise. It will absolutely work and you will lose weight on a calorie deficit. So I would say there are no good shortcuts. You are on the right path.

Stick with it. Calorie deficit and a bit of added exercise that you enjoy doing works.

And seriously, if you are not cleared for strenuous activity, don't do it with the weight and blood pressure situation.

ilovecoffee

You could try walking once a day. Rather than seeing it as exercise use it as "me" time. Listen to your favorite music or audiobook, forget about everything else and try to enjoy some time to yourself. It can be very therapeutic and relaxing. Eventually you could start adding some speed walking and or jogging. Best of luck as you embark on this journey to better health. You can do this!

michael_jordan7

In October of 2014 I weighed 330 lbs at only 5'6". Today I weigh 220 lbs and still losing, how did I do it? I asked God for the strength to help me do what I had never been able to do before. I started walking every day, just one mile per day at first, then building up to longer walks, and as the weight came off I started being able to jog.
Diet is the most important factor, log every bite you eat, learn what healthy food you enjoy (greek yogurt, apples, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, peppers & onions are some of my favs). Stay under your calorie goal for each day and eat only about half of the exercise calories that MFP says you have earned.
You will be amazed at how quickly the weight will come off!

DvlDwnInGA

Go to the gym, get to know the elliptical by it's first name. This is your new best friend. Go hit it hard for as long as you can. Keep doing this.

If you want to start lifting weights that is great as well. Stick with the old tried and true compound lifts. Bench, dead, squats, rows, over head press.

If you are looking for a good lifting program, bodybuilding.com forum has a great lifting program called Allpro. It is in the workout programs part of the forum.

If you don't want to lift right now, you need to get moving and make the gym your new favorite place to be. Get in and get that cardio done. You will be surprised how much you can accomplish in a year and you won't even recognize yourself in a year from now.

Go get to work.

JosephBlackstock

thank you all for your posts i really appreciate the advice