Looking for exercise ideas/tips for beginners!

steph2740

Hey guys so I've started my journey to hopefully lose 100 lbs in the next year I have been off/on yoyo dieting my whole life but eventually I always slip back into bad habits and gain back anything I lost. My biggest struggle is finding the motivation to workout and what exercises I should be doing. Eating healthy and logging I don't mind because I feel most comfortable when I have a routine and a plan. I am looking for any suggestions on home exercises/gym exercises for beginners. My biggest issue is once I get to the gym i have no idea where to begin, what equipment should I be using how many reps what settings?! Ahhh! So any helpful tips on where to begin would be appreciated!! Thanks!

nordlead2005

First, exercise is not needed to lose 100lb. Fix the yoyo dieting problem if you want to lose 100lb and keep it off. Many people here just eat the same food they always did in smaller portions. Maybe they made some changes, but they are easy changes, not drastic hard changes.

As for exercise, pick your goals and then you'll be able to find a well established beginner routine that meets them and do them. Want to run a marathon? Start with a program like C25k (Couch to 5k). Want to be strong? Pick a program like Strong Lifts 5x5 (or similar, you can go with body weight routines or other things). Just want to burn as many calories as possible? Then pick your favorite cardio and just do that.

bri170lb

I started with 150 pounds to lose. I set up a calendar with a commitment to walk everyday for 15 minutes on the treadmill.

I kept track on the calendar and if I missed a day (or if I knew ahead of time that I would miss a day) I made it up on another day.

I quickly progressed to a 1/2 hour per day and then an hour.

Then I started jogging, progressing to longer times til I could jog 5k.

I paid for a trainer at the gym to show me a basic routine on the weight machines. I worked up to higher weights and reps the same way I did with walking and jogging.

Recently, a year later, I am slowly adding exercises for abs, butt, etc.

I only have 27 pounds to go and I really think that I will keep it off this time, because of all the great eating and exercise habits I have built up over the last year. I can't imagine that I will go back to my old ways because I am truly a different person now.

One big reason I always gained my weight back in the past is that I lost it by using someone else's plan, which was not something I could do for the rest of my life.

My point is, just start somewhere and work up. The right place for you to start is where you feel comforable. The right workout is one that works for you.

Set a goal for yourself, make the commitment and you'll do great! When you are ready for another challenge, repeat!

I really hope this helps you. I know you can do it!

TeaBea

I started with a really small (time) goal to get myself back in shape and to establish a habit. I've done the yo-yo thing too. I won't do exercise I don't enjoy (that's me). Other people will just do-it.

I started with 60 minutes a week (2x30, 3x20, 4x15.....whatever). I figured that was pretty excuse proof. I'm an accountant and used a spreadsheet for tracking. You can buy a pretty calendar and use smiley stickers ..... anything visible, or that makes you accountable.

To find something you enjoy - use the internet. There are tons of on-line videos. Your local library will have videos too. 10 Minute Solutions and Walk At Home are great for short workouts. Keep trying new things. You will figure out what your likes & dislikes are. Eventually the 60 minutes got longer. I'm not super-fit, but I know what losing range of motion, getting tired walking stairs, etc. is like. I do this for quality of life, and I get a bonus of calories burned.

Some_Watery_Tart

Exercise will not be effective in weight loss without caloric deficit. Read up on how to make sure you're in a deficit (search for the sexypants thread here--it's amazing!). Exercise is good for your overall health and well being. It can also help you feel more energized while you're in a deficit. So, don't misunderstand--exercise is awesome!

Step 1: find an exercise you enjoy. Step 2: Do it.

There is no "finding motivation". You won't always feel motivated. The difference this time must be that you will still make yourself do it. Those of us who have been successful at sticking to exercise programs will all agree that "motivation" isn't there all the time, but commitment is.

OhMsDiva

Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »

Exercise will not be effective in weight loss without caloric deficit. Read up on how to make sure you're in a deficit (search for the sexypants thread here--it's amazing!). Exercise is good for your overall health and well being. It can also help you feel more energized while you're in a deficit. So, don't misunderstand--exercise is awesome!

Step 1: find an exercise you enjoy. Step 2: Do it.

There is no "finding motivation". You won't always feel motivated. The difference this time must be that you will still make yourself do it. Those of us who have been successful at sticking to exercise programs will all agree that "motivation" isn't there all the time, but commitment is.

That. To answer your question, I started out with over 100 to lose. I began, and still do, Walk at home with Leslie Sansone. I started with one mile, progressed to 2 and now I do at least three a day. I get my 10,000 steps 6 days per week. I do not always feel motivated, but I am focused. Plus I feel 100% better than I did this time last year.

steph2740

bri170lb wrote: »

I started with 150 pounds to lose. I set up a calendar with a commitment to walk everyday for 15 minutes on the treadmill.

I kept track on the calendar and if I missed a day (or if I knew ahead of time that I would miss a day) I made it up on another day.

I quickly progressed to a 1/2 hour per day and then an hour.

Then I started jogging, progressing to longer times til I could jog 5k.

I paid for a trainer at the gym to show me a basic routine on the weight machines. I worked up to higher weights and reps the same way I did with walking and jogging.

Recently, a year later, I am slowly adding exercises for abs, butt, etc.

I only have 27 pounds to go and I really think that I will keep it off this time, because of all the great eating and exercise habits I have built up over the last year. I can't imagine that I will go back to my old ways because I am truly a different person now.

One big reason I always gained my weight back in the past is that I lost it by using someone else's plan, which was not something I could do for the rest of my life.

My point is, just start somewhere and work up. The right place for you to start is where you feel comforable. The right workout is one that works for you.

Set a goal for yourself, make the commitment and you'll do great! When you are ready for another challenge, repeat!

I really hope this helps you. I know you can do it!

Thanks for the advice! Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the long term goals that I forget to set some short term goals for myself. Maybe setting smaller achievable goals to start will help keep me going. Congrats on your success though that's great, and inspiring!

lorrpb

steph2740 wrote: »

bri170lb wrote: »

I started with 150 pounds to lose. I set up a calendar with a commitment to walk everyday for 15 minutes on the treadmill.

I kept track on the calendar and if I missed a day (or if I knew ahead of time that I would miss a day) I made it up on another day.

I quickly progressed to a 1/2 hour per day and then an hour.

Then I started jogging, progressing to longer times til I could jog 5k.

I paid for a trainer at the gym to show me a basic routine on the weight machines. I worked up to higher weights and reps the same way I did with walking and jogging.

Recently, a year later, I am slowly adding exercises for abs, butt, etc.

I only have 27 pounds to go and I really think that I will keep it off this time, because of all the great eating and exercise habits I have built up over the last year. I can't imagine that I will go back to my old ways because I am truly a different person now.

One big reason I always gained my weight back in the past is that I lost it by using someone else's plan, which was not something I could do for the rest of my life.

My point is, just start somewhere and work up. The right place for you to start is where you feel comforable. The right workout is one that works for you.

Set a goal for yourself, make the commitment and you'll do great! When you are ready for another challenge, repeat!

I really hope this helps you. I know you can do it!

Thanks for the advice! Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the long term goals that I forget to set some short term goals for myself. Maybe setting smaller achievable goals to start will help keep me going. Congrats on your success though that's great, and inspiring!

Yes, small goals, maybe only 5 lbs, or 2 lbs at a time. That's all you can do anything about today. It's too overwhelming to think about the ultimate goal, but knowing its there keeps you going. Never forget where you started or how bad you feel at max weight. I don't want to go back there, so that keeps me going too.
SW 301
CW 171
GW 150

liznotyet

In Gretchen Reynolds' book "The First 20 minutes" she presents the case for working out in your pajamas before your first meal, in order to have the most fat burning impact. In the beginning any new effort is going to change the energy balance. I would work on pushing yourself through basic moves - squats, lunges, walking in place, dancing, push ups or modified versions of push ups - until you have the exercise habit. Go gently so you do not hurt yourself and get discouraged, but hard enough that the last few reps, you have to make yourself do them. I used tomato cans as weights for my biceps/triceps until that was too easy, then I graduated to 5 lb weights. Now the challenge for me is to not eat back my exercise calories. After 4 weeks I feel much stronger. Exercise alone will not be enough for me to lose weight, though, I am still working on reducing food intake.

ElizabethOakes2

I don't know about your gym, but ours has personal fitness people that you can hire for a single hour session where they can walk you through the machines and advise you on how to use them and what exercises are best for your goals and condition. You might see if yours has something like that. It can help you feel like a pro your first days in.

For home workout, I like Dr. Joyce Vedral's "Fat Burning Workout" book. With my back screwed up, I can only do about half of it now, but it's a great program.

7lenny7

The key to sustainable exercise is to find something you really enjoy doing, be it running, biking, zumba or whatever. Try out as many different types of exercise as you can and when you find something you enjoy, keep doing it.