Getting Back in Shape After 80 Pound Pandemic Weight Gain - Please Help!

CurvyEmmy
CurvyEmmy Posts: 225 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi,

I can't believe I'm posting this but I really need help... :'(

The pandemic really, really scared the crap out of me. They let us work from home and I was afraid to go out. I don't know how to cook and I ordered delivery from restaurants every night. I was already kind of sedentary before the pandemic but normally I would get exercise from walking during my commute or walking around stores... but then for months I didn't even get that.

There were a lot of days I barely got out of bed or off the couch. I was glued to the TV a lot watching all the news. I felt super stressed and food was a big coping mechanism and source of comfort for me.

I felt tired all the time and my productivity dropped but my work was super understanding because they knew everybody was under a lot of stress. They didn't check in on us a lot. I definitely started to feel lazy and I got used to taking a lot of naps.

Now, they are making us go back to the office and expecting a ton more productivity, like the pandemic never happened. I am really struggling to adjust because I still feel scared and feel weird about going outside without a mask.

I'm out of shape. When I started to put on weight in the first months of the pandemic, I didn't worry about it because I was trying to be kind to my self since I already felt stressed and worrying about weight would only add to that stress. I stopped checking the scale or my measurements until recently.

Now I feel shocked :'( I am 5'5" and was a healthy 160 pounds at the start of the pandemic. Now... 242 pounds. :o

I am noticing changes like not being able to walk as far without feeling out of breath. The first time back at work I felt faint and dizzy when I was going up the stairs, and had to stop to catch my breath. It was really embarrassing and scary. But I hadn't really done stairs in SO long so I guess I need to get used to it again. Now I feel afraid to do the stairs too much so I walk to the other end of the hall to use the elevator even though it takes longer.

I am always tired and after lunch time all I want to do is lie down. My muscles feel sore all the time even though I'm not even using them much.

I feel so overwhelmed I just want to quit. My friend said I should get a gym membership. But if I'm struggling this tired out walking around the office I don't feel like I can handle the gym.

I'm not an athletic girl - I've always been more of curvy and thick girl. I'm apple shape so I've always had a belly, but I used to carry my weight better and I could hide the tummy fat with spanx and high waisted pants. But now my fat is just really noticeable and I can't hide it. My waist is a lot bigger and I went up 4 dress sizes. I did a lot of online shopping when I was staying home but I can't fit into most of it comfortable anymore. I have rolls on my arms and back now. I am trying to accept my self and I am okay with how my legs, butt, and arms look... but my belly area is a big insecurity for me.

I have no clue where to start to get in shape again. I need something EASY because "just hit the gym" is not really do-able for me.

Here are before/after pics and the teal dress I wore to work. It's taking a lot of courage to post these so PLEASE be nice. I want to feel beautiful again but I'm really struggling.

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Replies

  • CurvyEmmy
    CurvyEmmy Posts: 225 Member
    itsbritneybetch91 wrote: »
    Girl I hear you! I gained at least 30lbs in the last year and 100 additional lbs in the last 5 years. It sucks. Start small. I find swimming as a great low impact activity. I joined LA fitness for the pool. Feel free to add me.

    Thank you!! :) Good idea but swimming is exhausting! :# I also don't have a swimsuit that fits anymore and trying to find one I'm comfortable with feels emotionally exhausting. Ugh :/
  • ravengirl2014
    ravengirl2014 Posts: 96 Member
    You poor girl... seriously...I feel it...I have put on about 30 pds or so after losing it about 3 years ago...I have issues with binging... anxiety and sugar/carb cravings too ..so if you want to add me I would be happy to share my journey with you..
  • thynnlynn
    thynnlynn Posts: 1 Member
    I also need help. I had surgery at 235. Thought I looked great at 104 but I was a 5'6" skeleton. My doctor was horrified and told me to gain weight and I did. I am good at 135-145 but got carried away and am 175!

    I need to get back to good weight. Here is what I am thinking. Breakfast of 3 poached eggs and a slice of whole grain, sprouted thin sliced bread, toasted. Lunch will be V8 with lemon and unflavored pea protein. Dinner is with my husband so it cannot look like diet food. I can use skinless chicken and lots of spices. He does like vegetables and mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes.

    How does this sound,

    My bypass was in 2013.
  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
    Sorry you are having such a tough time from the pandemic CurvyEmmy. A few things in your post stood out to me.

    "I am really struggling to adjust because I still feel scared and feel weird about going outside without a mask." - The best thing you can do to protect yourself is get vaccinated if possible. I was super scared about getting COVID before, then I actually got in anyway despite being really careful thanks to one person in our bubble, but I was really lucky to have a mild case. I was still worried since people have gotten it more than once, but being fully vaccinated has lifted that stress entirely. I might still get it again one day, but the risk of serious illness and death from COVID is now miniscule. It sounds like you seriously need to reduce your stress, so I'm suggesting you get vaccinated if you haven't already. If you have, look at the statistics and see how you are going to be okay. The other thing with having this stress lifted is I sleep better. Part of it is I'm not obsessed with the news. Sleep is so important for all of what you are experiencing. Sorry if what I've said here doesn't help.

    "My muscles feel sore all the time even though I'm not even using them much." - This is totally me and all about being tense all the time. I have gone for a couple of massages recently and I'm starting focus on stretching and using a massage ball/foam roller.

    "My friend said I should get a gym membership." Unless you solicited advice, your friend needs to shut up. Diet is much more important that exercise for losing fat. If you have been sedentary so long, like me, we need to really ease back into things to not get injured. Try to get moving a little and again, do some stretches.

    I had a tough time staying with my parents for 10 months of the pandemic so they could watch my girls (out of daycare) while I worked online. I teach university and work was grueling, so I was always exhausted and I ate what they ate - my father was constantly buying all kinds of high carb stuff that packs the pounds on me. I'm back at my house with girls back in daycare and in control again, so going low carb/keto. Having control over what I eat helps me generally. If you feel this is an area you can work on, maybe try it. If you still want lots of takeout (no judgement here), pick a time when you aren't hungry to meal plan and work out a list of possible takeout meals you can order that fit your goals - and look at what meals might need to be portioned out. I will sometimes get restaurant meals that are going to be divided up into 2 or 3 meals and I do that right while I am plating. Restaurants use a lot of fat in their cooking (that's why everything tastes so good), so you have to be careful if you are ordering out a lot - hopefully, it's a from places that have their nutrition information available online!

    Good luck!
  • CurvyEmmy
    CurvyEmmy Posts: 225 Member
    @Mellie289 Thank you SO much! Your comment was actually helpful and not judgmental like a lot of people I’ve talked to on here.

    I am fully vaccinated but it’s hard to just return to normal life like the flick of a switch. I was really, really scared by the pandemic and after feeling terrified for months it’s hard to just let that go. I am slowly starting to feel more comfortable. I still wear a mask around other people and I feel embarrassed because I’m the only one but it helps me feel safer.

    It’s hard to talk about this with people because people make fun of me, especially online. :(

    It really bugs me that everyone just acts like the pandemic was no big deal. For a lot of people it really shook their mental health but they’re afraid to talk about it.

    I still order meal delivery because I’m don’t have the skills or energy to cook. I am trying to choose healthier options.

    I am constantly stiff and have almost no flexibility. I can barely bend over lol. Stretching will be good and it will help me move my body more without it being too exhausting.

    Can I add you as a friend so we can keep in touch?
  • Lizard863
    Lizard863 Posts: 26 Member
    You’ve taken some important steps. That’s important!! The pandemic did a number on a lot of people.

    Feel free to add me!!

    I can help you with encouragement and help you learn how to cook simple things. My motto is if you can read, you can cook. 😀
  • karjoy58
    karjoy58 Posts: 4 Member
    I have 80# to lose to, and I have started logging everything again. I'm 5'1" and weighed 218# this morning! I'm on Prednisone every day for Rheumatoid Arthritis and lots of walking, etc. are out the door, because my feet can't take it and my Dr. advised me to not walk anymore than 10 minutes for exercise, so.... I've tried swimming and that was wonderful, but my hands couldn't take taking the wet suit off! So I really need to zero in on my eating. I am replacing chips, cookies, buttered popcorn, etc., with fruit and veggies and eating lean protein instead of deep-fried chicken, etc. It's going to come off slow because of being 62. and disabled, but it's best to have it come off slow. Lots of water and some diet pops. Good luck to you and I'm going to add you and root you on big-time. Oh, and I'm the one with the big tummy! Hugs to you!
  • BendableButMendable
    BendableButMendable Posts: 60 Member
    CurvyEmmy wrote: »
    @Mellie289 Thank you SO much! Your comment was actually helpful and not judgmental like a lot of people I’ve talked to on here.

    I am fully vaccinated but it’s hard to just return to normal life like the flick of a switch. I was really, really scared by the pandemic and after feeling terrified for months it’s hard to just let that go. I am slowly starting to feel more comfortable. I still wear a mask around other people and I feel embarrassed because I’m the only one but it helps me feel safer.

    It’s hard to talk about this with people because people make fun of me, especially online. :(

    It really bugs me that everyone just acts like the pandemic was no big deal. For a lot of people it really shook their mental health but they’re afraid to talk about it.

    I still order meal delivery because I’m don’t have the skills or energy to cook. I am trying to choose healthier options.

    I am constantly stiff and have almost no flexibility. I can barely bend over lol. Stretching will be good and it will help me move my body more without it being too exhausting.

    Can I add you as a friend so we can keep in touch?

    I'm sorry that you've encountered judgmental people or comments on here, you shouldn't have to deal with that. I hope nothing in my previous comment came across that way, I certainly didn't mean it to.

    You shouldn't feel embarrassed about the pandemic affecting you or your continued use of a mask. People have tried (and to some extent succeeded) to make COVID an ideological or political issue when it's not, it's pure science. I'm speaking as someone who used to make a living in vaccine development, the pandemic was, and still is, a very serious issue. It's still hitting the unvaccinated population hard and is likely to continue doing so as we see more variants. If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask even though you are vaccinated, keep wearing them and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. I am no longer wearing them as where I live there is a high vaccination rate and low case count. But I'm keeping my eye on things and will join you in the "mask wearing vaccinated club" if I see case counts in my area rise enough, especially with the Delta variant. When I go to the gym or the grocery store I see more people wearing masks now than I did at any time except for the summer peak. You aren't alone in feeling better with a mask.

    If you want tips on easy cooking I'm sure there are plenty of people here willing to help, there are probably a bunch of threads on easy meal prep and things like that on this forum as well. I used to almost solely live on delivery pizza but I stopped when COVID hit because I didn't trust having anyone else make my food. Since then I have been eating a lot of oatmeal with peanut butter, rice and beans or lentils with hummus, baked potatoes with cottage cheese and salsa, and even pasta. It's nothing fancy but it's all easy to make and inexpensive. I can make most of it in batches so putting meals together is easy and it's simple to track the calories using my kitchen scale. I'm a vegetarian but I'm sure there are plenty of easy ways to batch cook meat if you happen to be more carnivorous than I am.

    Hang in there and don't feel pressured to get back to "normal life" before you're ready. Frankly, life isn't normal right now anyway.
  • yweight2020
    yweight2020 Posts: 591 Member
    CurvyEmmy wrote: »
    Hi,

    I can't believe I'm posting this but I really need help... :'(

    The pandemic really, really scared the crap out of me. They let us work from home and I was afraid to go out. I don't know how to cook and I ordered delivery from restaurants every night. I was already kind of sedentary before the pandemic but normally I would get exercise from walking during my commute or walking around stores... but then for months I didn't even get that.

    There were a lot of days I barely got out of bed or off the couch. I was glued to the TV a lot watching all the news. I felt super stressed and food was a big coping mechanism and source of comfort for me.

    I felt tired all the time and my productivity dropped but my work was super understanding because they knew everybody was under a lot of stress. They didn't check in on us a lot. I definitely started to feel lazy and I got used to taking a lot of naps.

    Now, they are making us go back to the office and expecting a ton more productivity, like the pandemic never happened. I am really struggling to adjust because I still feel scared and feel weird about going outside without a mask.

    I'm out of shape. When I started to put on weight in the first months of the pandemic, I didn't worry about it because I was trying to be kind to my self since I already felt stressed and worrying about weight would only add to that stress. I stopped checking the scale or my measurements until recently.

    Now I feel shocked :'( I am 5'5" and was a healthy 160 pounds at the start of the pandemic. Now... 242 pounds. :o

    I am noticing changes like not being able to walk as far without feeling out of breath. The first time back at work I felt faint and dizzy when I was going up the stairs, and had to stop to catch my breath. It was really embarrassing and scary. But I hadn't really done stairs in SO long so I guess I need to get used to it again. Now I feel afraid to do the stairs too much so I walk to the other end of the hall to use the elevator even though it takes longer.

    I am always tired and after lunch time all I want to do is lie down. My muscles feel sore all the time even though I'm not even using them much.

    I feel so overwhelmed I just want to quit. My friend said I should get a gym membership. But if I'm struggling this tired out walking around the office I don't feel like I can handle the gym.

    I'm not an athletic girl - I've always been more of curvy and thick girl. I'm apple shape so I've always had a belly, but I used to carry my weight better and I could hide the tummy fat with spanx and high waisted pants. But now my fat is just really noticeable and I can't hide it. My waist is a lot bigger and I went up 4 dress sizes. I did a lot of online shopping when I was staying home but I can't fit into most of it comfortable anymore. I have rolls on my arms and back now. I am trying to accept my self and I am okay with how my legs, butt, and arms look... but my belly area is a big insecurity for me.

    I have no clue where to start to get in shape again. I need something EASY because "just hit the gym" is not really do-able for me.

    Here are before/after pics and the teal dress I wore to work. It's taking a lot of courage to post these so PLEASE be nice. I want to feel beautiful again but I'm really struggling.

    c3pcxftz35fe.jpeg
    r0ess0qafpvw.jpeg
    2fixpmfmxspm.jpeg

    Love your tatoo, you can do this one day at a time. It's taken my 11 months to go from 243lbs to 191 lbs some would say slow but I'm older than you and given your young things might go a little quicker. But no rush take the good advice and utilize everything this site has to offer, specifically counting calories, logging and measuring your food staying hydrated with water and your well on your way to success. The pandenmic scared us all and it still scares me since my mom and I had it and our systems are a bit more vulnerable because of diabetes and other stuff, but we must live the healthiest and best life we can. So start here, as you can see plenty of people willing to offer a helping hand. Best of care you got this.
  • yrc_pr
    yrc_pr Posts: 204 Member
    Hello!

    I relate to your struggles in a lot of ways; weight loss is hard but we can do this. Here are some tips that I think has helped me now and in the past:

    1. As many people here have suggested, I too recommend logging your calorie intake; this really helps. I know you said you struggle with this, but no one needs to see it, this is just for yourself so you can evaluate and make better choices. The way I do it is I log the food the night before of what I think I'm going to be eating the next day and I try to stick to that as much as possible (meal prepping will help with this); I find that it helps if I already know the food/calories that I will be intaking upfront instead of logging as I eat because its easier to overeat when logging the same day as you go or at the end of the day.

    2. Preparing your meals really helps because you know exactly what's in it. If you are not that good on the stove, try getting an air fryer or one of those little counter ovens. Look up some simple recipes that only have a few ingredients; try 1 or 2 recipes and see how it goes. You can also aim for the no-cook meals; I do these a lot, it saves time and its easy, and most of the time they are pretty healthy. If you just need to eat out try to chose the best option available.

    3. Cravings are the worst, I know. But once you start eating healthier and making better choices with food, those cravings start to fade away; it takes a bit of time but you wont have them as bad or as frequent. My biggest tip here is don't keep junk food in the house. I know its hard to just stop eating those things so try little by little eliminating these items. You can even try to find healthier choices to replace the not so healthy things that you like. Remember its all about balance.

    4. As for exercise just start easy, you don't want to go hard in the beginning and injure yourself. If getting a gym membership does not work for you then don't get it; there is many other ways that you can exercise. Some things I'm doing is walking 20-30 minutes before or after work or some days I do a workout video; I like any dance workout videos like Zumba, I also like Kickboxing exercise videos, just any exercise video around 20-30 minutes that looks fun I'll try. Just keep it simple in the beginning and then move on to more challenging things as you progress.

    5. Don't drink your calories (sodas, juices, etc.) Instead try drinking unsweet tea (you can add stevia if you like that), sparkling water (you can add those zero calorie flavors to it) or even diet sodas.

    6. Drink lost of water and get your beauty rest every day.

    7. If you need to take a day to indulge because you are going to celebrate a special occasion like your birthday or a holiday like Christmas, just enjoy that day stress free and then the next day just get back on track.

    8. Don't give up. Some days will be easier than others but the important thing is to keep trying and to give your best. Don't strive for perfection because that does not exist, just strive for progress. I suggest you set yourself some short terms goals instead of focusing on the end goal (be honest with yourself and set realistic goals so you don't set yourself up for failure). This makes the ride more enjoyable and sustainable.

    I hope these tips help. Keep connected here with us; we are all here to support each other along the way.

    Take care :)
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,997 Member
    BABY STEPS
    You said it yourself.

    Baby steps.

    Habits take time to make, and they take time to break.

    I see you. I know you’ve got this.

    Solidarity! You will get there. Eventually. I promise. Just don’t give up no matter what!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    CurvyEmmy wrote: »
    sollyn23l2 wrote: »
    One of the main reasons logging works is that it does exactly what you said... it forces accountability and makes you stare how much you're eating straight in the face. Uncomfortable? Yes. But it's only when you're faced with the reality of once again having to acknowledge how much you're actually eating that you will eat less and lose weight. Denial will not help you, even though it's more comfortable.

    Honestly I struggled a lot with logging because I felt SO uncomfortable with it. I stopped for awhile but I’m trying to start again.

    I’m used to just eating whatever I feel like having in that moment and not giving a crap about how much… I did a lot of mindless snacking throughout the day because it felt good. I didn’t wanna deprive my self of a treat whenever I felt like it because I need it for my emotional well being. I always felt like I deserve to indulge my self every time I felt a craving.

    I knew I didn’t eat healthy but I honestly had clue just how MUCH I ate until I started logging.

    It feels really, really uncomfortable to realize that you consume in 1 day:
    • 5 cans of soda
    • 4 bags of chips
    • 7 bags of M&Ms
    • 32 Oreo cookies

    And if I wasn’t logging it I would have told you “I only had a few cookies!” If you mindlessly eat and if you’re not paying attention 32 can fly by and feel like only a few!! :open_mouth:

    This has been a massive wake up call for me… it is super, super uncomfortable for me to talk about this so please be nice.

    I’m embarrassed to talk about how many calories I have per day… but it’s usually over 4,000… I feel so ashamed when I see the numbers :(

    Someone told me I gain a pound of fat for every 3,500 calories so it makes sense why I gained so much because I’m putting pounds of fat into my oft every week :(

    That is so gross and uncomfortable to think about but it’s STILL so hard to change :(

    I’m not even close to a calorie deficit but I’m trying to make baby steps… my problem is my stomach has gotten so used to getting all the snacks and big meals every day, anything less than what I’m used to feels like a huge shock :(

    The snacks are on top of my meals which are bigger now than a year ago… my portion sizes grew a lot during the pandemic because I felt so stressed and so depressed and I was at such a bad place emotionally I just felt like “I deserve this and I need this as a pick me up” and I gradually ate more until I was ordering two cheeseburgers when normally I would have one (for example).

    Food is SO emotional for me and it was my biggest coping mechanism during the pandemic. And now it’s SO hard to reduce my calories because I feel hungry so easily and I feel the biggest cravings and I just don’t feel satisfied at all if I don’t get what I feel like having….

    Like I wanna lose weight but I can’t just feel hungry and unsatisfied all the time.

    Please be nice because this is a very, very sensitive embarrassing topic….

    Logging sure can be eye opening! I went through that when I did WW in the 90s and saw just how many points wine had :(

    I've had my ups and downs with emotional eating since I was 12 ish, 32 years ago. I can normally manage my stress with regular exercise, and increased exercise in times of increased stress, but the pandemic was too much for me. I reached out for therapy in March 2020, and got in for video visits very quickly.

    I didn't care for my first therapist, who was an intern. (Note to self: no more interns. This was my second suboptimal experience with interns I realize they have to learn on someone, but it doesn't have to be me.) Now I'm with a PhD, and she's wonderful.

    I'm sure you realize you are not satisfying a PHYSICAL need with the Oreos, M&Ms, large potions, etc., but an EMOTIONAL one. So step 1 is to find ways to satisfy your emotional needs with something other than food. Working with a therapist could be the fastest and simplest way to do this.

    Meanwhile, this book on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for overeating was available in my library system, so perhaps yours as well.

    The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person

    Can thinking and eating like a thin person be learned, similar to learning to drive or use a computer? Beck (Cognitive Therapy for Challenging Problems) contends so, based on decades of work with patients who have lost pounds and maintained weight through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Beck's six-week program adapts CBT, a therapeutic system developed by Beck's father, Aaron, in the 1960s, to specific challenges faced by yo-yo dieters, including negative thinking, bargaining, emotional eating, bingeing, and eating out. Beck counsels readers day-by-day, introducing new elements (creating advantage response cards, choosing a diet, enlisting a diet coach, making a weight-loss graph) progressively and offering tools to help readers stay focused (writing exercises, to-do lists, ways to counter negative thoughts). There are no eating plans, calorie counts, recipes or exercises; according to Beck, any healthy diet will work if readers learn to think differently about eating and food. Beck's book is like an extended therapy session with a diet coach. (Apr.)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    CurvyEmmy wrote: »
    itsbritneybetch91 wrote: »
    Girl I hear you! I gained at least 30lbs in the last year and 100 additional lbs in the last 5 years. It sucks. Start small. I find swimming as a great low impact activity. I joined LA fitness for the pool. Feel free to add me.

    Thank you!! :) Good idea but swimming is exhausting! :# I also don't have a swimsuit that fits anymore and trying to find one I'm comfortable with feels emotionally exhausting. Ugh :/

    I got to your weight while in an abusive relationship. I love to swim, but yes it is exhausting when out of shape. These days, I only swim in fresh water, so struggle at the beginning of every season. I start for shorts amount of time, but do work up to 50 minutes by the end of the season.

    Re suit shopping, yes, it can be awful. I have two criteria - it fits, and it has cross straps, cuz I'm not going to fuss with straps while I swim. I was swimming in a simply HIDEOUS suit from Walmart, but it met those two criteria and allowed me to get into the water. When my stomach is uncomfortably large, I feel better in a "swim dress." My sister likes swim shorts and belly-covering swim tops.

    But this is for ourselves, no one at the Y cared about my hideous suit :lol:

    I love this:

    efpdpvah7sad.jpg

    Which I got from here many years ago:

    https://www.womanwithin.com/w/swimwear/swim-dresses/
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    My OH "doesn't really cook" either, but as he can make various egg dishes, tuna fish sandwiches, tuna melts, hot dogs and beans, and is great on the grill, if he had to or wanted to, he could certainly feed himself from meals he cooked. (I would want him to add veggies.) He lacks the desire though. Fortunately, I have more than enough for the both of us :smiley:

    For visual people who want to learn how to cook, I recommend Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals.

    https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/30-minute-meals
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_Minute_Meals
    ...The show specializes in convenience cooking for those with little time to cook.

    For those who prefer to read: "The Joy of Cooking," which is available in my library system, so perhaps yours as well. I love to test drive cook books before I buy them, and the library has been a wonderful resource.

    Speaking of libraries, we hosted a party last night and were talking about the movies "A Quiet Place" and the sequel. My neighbor said she got it for only $20. I got it for free from our library system :)
  • AlexandraFindsHerself1971
    AlexandraFindsHerself1971 Posts: 3,106 Member
    I have fibromyalgia and so moving hurts if I don't do it regularly. What has helped me a lot is yoga. Some of the poses I do on the bed because my sacrum is way too sore to lie on the floor. But just lifting my legs straight up in the air and then lowering them to the bed has, over the years, become the ability to hold my legs at a 45 degree angle for 45 seconds. (I'm working towards a minute.) I have a surprising amount of core strength, and the stretching aspect of yoga helps me not tighten up and ache. Given that I've been in a car accident and have arthritis and unequal leg length, I have to push back against that tightening up full time.

    There's a lot of videos on line that will show you how to modify the poses to work around having thick thighs or a fat belly (I have that too) and are not demanding or woo.


  • CurvyEmmy
    CurvyEmmy Posts: 225 Member
    AlexandraFindsHerself1971 wrote: »
    I have fibromyalgia and so moving hurts if I don't do it regularly. What has helped me a lot is yoga. Some of the poses I do on the bed because my sacrum is way too sore to lie on the floor. But just lifting my legs straight up in the air and then lowering them to the bed has, over the years, become the ability to hold my legs at a 45 degree angle for 45 seconds. (I'm working towards a minute.) I have a surprising amount of core strength, and the stretching aspect of yoga helps me not tighten up and ache. Given that I've been in a car accident and have arthritis and unequal leg length, I have to push back against that tightening up full time.

    There's a lot of videos on line that will show you how to modify the poses to work around having thick thighs or a fat belly (I have that too) and are not demanding or woo.


    Is this good? https://youtu.be/zUnjJdJitPw

    I am usually really intimidated by workout videos because I can’t keep up with them and then I just feel bad. I think I might be able to do this one tho!
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    When you're in the fog like you are... just repeat your behaviors and habits that you had when you snapped that "before" photo. I advise this.. because I've been in your shoes.. we all have.. when you really can't believe what has happened to the old better me?!!! It is confusing and we start grasping at straws. Don't try new stuff. Thats just a waste of time.. wheel spinning.
    You mentioned how you never ate take out every night before the pandemic.. So.. start there.. You're not working from home.. so no more naps and zero activity .. that's good. Get back to cooking or eating what you used to eat. Get back to your old eating and movement patterns. The weight will come off.

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