Needing Encouragement

sweatinit92

Hey, everybody.
I'm trying to lose weight after a long battle with depression that's left me mostly bed ridden for the better part of 2 years. I'm 5'9 and 215lbs. Today I went for a walk that lasted 17 minutes. I'm utterly embarrassed at how exhausted I feel right now. My calves are burning, I'm out of breath and drenched in sweat. After a 17 minute walk, lol. I've been truly sedentary for such a long time.. but I didn't anticipate being physically challenged by such a tiny bit of movement.

Anyways,

Did anyone else start at rock bottom as far as exercise goes? When will it get better? I just need some words of encouragement, please.

OhMsDiva

Been there and done that. I deal with depression as well. I was severely depressed for many years. Then I woke up on my 45th birthday and I was over 500 lbs. So imagine how much exercise I was able to do. I was lucky to get through a 15 minute walk video. But I never gave up and I still do not. I figure I will probably always have some form of depression, but I do my best to keep moving forward no matter what. I get down on myself for allowing myself to get so out of control, but then I have to remind myself that I made the decision to do something positive for myself.
It may sound simplistic but you have to learn to appreciate yourself. You should be proud that you go the initiative to get up and move and that you walked for 17 minutes. After being inactive for so much time that is awesome. We have to learn to focus on the positive, no matter how small it may seem. Every small step leads to a bigger goal.
God bless you. If i can do it, anybody can do it!

LaughHappy907

It will get better. At my worst, I was 230 at 5'5. I couldn't even walk to class without being winded. I use to have to pause and catch my breath before walking into a classroom so no one would know I was so winded. God forbid if I had to go upstairs. Now it's much better. I am still not in shape, but stairs and long walks/ short hikes are no problem. The best part about it is that I'm no longer embarrassed about being out of breath. Because being out of breath after running up stairs because you're late is normal. And it's liberating really, not having to cover the breaths your sucking in or be self-conscious about the amount of sweat you're producing. Especially at the gym, I mean, you're supposed to be winded/sweaty after a work-out yea? It's a sign that you did the right amount for that day, in a month when you can do what you did today with no problem you'll have to go further to be just as exhausted and that is a very good thing! I always look at it like this, even if I only walk for 5 minutes, that's 5 minutes more than I'm used to and that is progress. If you do it every day I think your progress will be quick.

76Crane76

Many many people are and have been in your position! I am one. I am currently fighting my depression with exercise. I log daily and have very supportive and positive friends here on mfp! Keep going it can only get better!

blondie_hammer

Keep at it every day. I will get easier I promise. I know from experience. I am walking almost 12 kilometers a day now and before I could barely make it 5 minutes.

sosteach

Oh my I couldn't even have walked for 17 minutes in April. Depression caused me to stop moving too. I started by saying I would walk 2 times a day...some days it was just around the block. I now walk about an hour a day (3 miles or so) and do Zumba 3 times a week. I have dropped 36 pounds and I am eating so much healthier. I feel so much better physically and emotionally. I still have 65 pounds or so but I always remember that my first goal was NOT to lose weight it was to feel better and that is happening

josephsjourney17

You can do it, and I also know how you feel I suffer from Anxiety and depression also.

beachpleaze

I'm in the same boat Let's paddle together! We can do this!

ShinyFuture

Talk to yourself like you would to someone you care about. Not, "omg you were tired after only 17 min", but "Good for you - you started! You did 17 minutes more than you did yesterday!". Depression sucks (been there done that) but YOU don't suck. Walking is great for healing from depression.

Sara2652

Yes. I started at 230 with panic attacks and depression. I could barely go around the block because I would start breathing harder and it would trigger fight or flight causing panic. Look into self compassion practices it feels very strange but I swear it helps.

elephanteee

Yes! I just started on July 2nd. I have lost a lot of weight twice before, but gained it all back both times. I never used exercise to lose weight. In fact, I hadn't really done much physical activity in almost 10 years. I would even go to the extent to pay for parking on my campus so I wouldn't have to walk far, even though I have a parking pass that would put me a little farther for free.

elephanteee

Not sure why my comment cut off. Anyway, I started small (15 minutes 3x a day on a stationary bike). I was just peddling basically but I was exhausted. I got easier after just a few days. I make a conscious effort now to park a little farther, use stairs instead of elevators, and get in at least 45 minutes of exercise a day. Your body adjusts. Just give it a chance to!

JDHayesBC

I can so sympathize - depression and all (although mine was not quite the point of bed-ridden but plenty bad enough).

I am used to my body performing at reasonable levels and I'm a runner by nature. So imagine my annoyance and embarrassment at having to walk rather than jog. Sure, I get it. I'm 53 and I've been almost entirely sedentary for two decades. But that changes nothing in terms of how I feel when a grey haired old lady goes bounding by me on the walking path. To make matters worse, I've decided to go minimalist for my running style which puts a HUGE load on your calf and achilles tendon. So even had I not been sedentary that would still be a slow, grueling process of training.

What's helped me an awful lot is that while my performance levels are still.... unfortunate... the weight has dropped off pretty quickly. Just today I hit my target weight of 78kg although I still have about 3% body fat that needs to be swapped out for muscle. My wife and I love our new high fat, low-carb diet. It feels wrong to put as much full fat salad dressing on my salad as I want. The numbers tell the tale however. The chef's salad, all in, was 285 calories. Any lunch I might've eaten before this diet almost certainly would've clocked in at 500 calories or more. Learning that fat is the off-switch for hunger and the on-switch for "satiated" was huge.

Still though, I am very much looking forward to when I can actually run. As it sits, I'm stuck with the elliptical for any serious activity. What I do is track how many calories I could burn in 48 minutes. I'm always looking to push that envelope and that's where I get my sense of accomplishment from. I was SOOO pissed when the last time I missed my record of 672 calories by 12

Kristine0513

Hi Sweatinit92 .... I can't say I know how you feel regarding depression. I've never been diagnosed with depression. I can tell you as a healthcare professional that depression is not typically admitted or discussed with physicians. You made several large steps .... you sought medical care for your depression and you showed up to your walk. Showing up to perform an exercise regimen can be a mental battle. It's so easy to talk ourselves out of it. So pat yourself on your back and admit your gains are more powerful than what you are giving yourself credit for. You focused on the negative and didn't mention the positive . Calves are burning? Your legs are holding you up and allowing your body to move a distance. Out of breath? Your lungs are allowing you to breathe to bring oxygen to your muscles. Sweating? Your body is perspiring to cool your body off. Look at these wonderful ways your body is assisting you to do what you want .... don't spin it around and focus on what you think you can't do.

Continue to lace up your sneakers and put one foot in front of the other ..... Go For It

sweatinit92

Thank you all soooo very, very much for all this incredible feedback and for sharing your experiences with me. It means a lot to me. I'm inspired by your stories and I can't wait to be where you all are on your weight loss journeys! Thank you all again for sharing. Fantastic.