I need some honest input - exercise related.

ejhayes

I'm with shed4wed, if you don't start, you will never do it. I have had three surgeries on my feet. I have to tell you they hurt all the time, I can't walk barefeet and I'm very restricted on the kind of shoes I can wear. When I work out, either walking my regular 4 miles or doing a class at the gym, I have to put that out of my mind. Please don't get discouraged, start a little at a time and before you know it, the weight will come off even faster. Also you can get a pedometer and it will tell you how many steps and how far you've gone. I love mine!!! I heard 10,000 steps a day, try it, your body will get to used to it!!! Good luck and feel free to request to be my friend

dlaplume2

Kudos to you for taking the bull by the horn and trying to make a change. I too had a desk job and a sedentary lifestyle. You do need to push yourself a little bit. Not enough to hurt yourself, but more than what you are doing now. You may surprise yourself by how much you can do with some determination and effort. Maybe start one week with a 10 minute walk and increase it by 5 minutes each week. Maybe you could go to a pool and swim, or do the Leslie Sansone for 10 minutes instead of the whole workout. One thing that got me motivated this year was watching the biggest loser. When I saw Arthur on the treadmill running, I thought, 'If he can do that and I can't, I'm in worse shape than I thought."' If you are working all day at a desk job and are having trouble walking, for 10 minute, that means you really need to push yourself to do it. Don't hurt yourself and be safe, but keep going you can do it, and you're off to a good start.

arschweiss

Hi there! First-congrats to you for incorporating exercise into your lifestyle! Weight bearing exercises are just as important as cardio. Also, just so you know, you can get in a little carido by lifting especially if you do lots of reps! Anyway, I would suggest group exercise such as Zumba because there are many options you can take. All group fitness classes have low impact options to cater to all fitness levels. Try looking for a studio in your area that have drop in classes where you pay by the class (usually 5-10) and you are not locked into a contract. This way you can also get the support from the group and other participants. I am a group fitness instructor and I never had the motivation to work our by myself on a treadmill because I found it incredibly boring and would usually quit after a short amount of time (due to boredom) . I found my passion in Group Fitness and never went back! You need to find what works for you-what you are passionate about. Everyone is different but hopefully this has helped. Good luck!

maureendonahue

You are off to a good start!

To me, this is not an excuse but a reason. Much like a child with ADHD will jump out of his seat in the classroom. There is a reason they do it. However, the reason can not be an excuse! They need to be told (and taught) what is expected. They can not sit still for long so a great teacher will make that part of the plan, get them up and moving regularly, and the child can experience success.

You can do that with your cardio too. You can't excersice for long. It's painful. But you CAN do small amounts at a time. Maybe 10 minutes in the morning, 10 at lunch and 10 in the evening. Still gets 30 minutes in and you will succeed! As you lose the pounds and you get used to it, it will become easier. If 10 min. is too much, go for 5!

Just don't let your reason become your excuse!

Good luck on your journey!

MsKittyCAT

I am a big fan of hydro-therapy, water aerobics, swimming - anything in the water so the impact on your body is less but you still get a good workout. Classes are fun but you don't need someone to tell you what to do. Just get your body moving in the water where your weight doesn't matter and you have water resistance working for you. Tread water, hang on the edge and kick your feet, run in place, do jumping jacks, do leg lifts and squats and stretches. Swim laps. You get the idea...just keep moving.

estevo66

There is a saying. "How do you eat an elephant?" One bite at a time. I think you have to find something that is successful to your weight loss. It may be that you have to go through some pain. Point is, if you find something that works go with it.

AHealthierRhonda

Congratulations for making this life changing choice!!!!!! Personally, if I were feeling like that, I wouldn't want to exercise either! For me, I have arthritis in my hips and walking long distances on the road kills me for the next 2 days. I can jog, run, walk, forever on an elliptical. My body can't handle the pounding pressure when waslking on a road or treadmill. What about walking on something soft or that has give to it like one of those small trampolines??? It takes the pressure off your joints and sort of molds to you vs you're feet fighting a flat surface.
Also you don't have to move your feet and legs to get a burn. The higher you get your arms and hands going the higher your heart rate will go. Just sitting and doing twists, bends, reaches,.... can get your heart going.
Good luck to you in this journey!!!!! Feel free to add me if you'd like!!!

daisieschase

I don't think you are making up excuses entirely here. Having experienced loved ones becoming active to loose weight after living completely sedentary, I've learned that if you can take the weight off your legs and exercise at the same time you'll do more for yourself without risking injury. Check Craigslist in your area or the local Goodwill/Thrift stores for a stationary bike. I think at this point you'd excel on one of those. You can get the cardio you need without all the pressure being on your legs, ankles, and feet. Then after you've lost a few more pounds and gained muscle strength in your legs - kick the remaining excuses (if any) to the curb and hit the streets baby! You've got this.

Don't despise small beginnings! You'll reap the benefits of this the rest of your life!

catherine1979

Maybe you need to look at making a smaller change first. Maybe you could park at the end of the lot and walk 5 minutes to work. Or if you use public transit, maybe get off one stop early. Or just walk around the block once after supper. Once you get comfortable with this, bump it up to 10 minutes and so on.

I have lost 84 pounds, 30 of those since joining MFP. When I started I weighed 301, so I know it can be overwhelming and uncomfortable. Small changes, at least in my experience, are what will last. Good luck!!

jb_2011

You could try doing some upper body aerobics like punching, arm circles, swinging arms, twisting torso, fwd and backward bends, etc. You can log in these things using the database, by choosing "Aerobics, Low Impact". You could use an exercise DVD but don't do the jumping or jogging in place, for example do the jumping jacks just using your arms. Yoga would also be excellent to slowly help get your muscles loosened up and moving again, and it's also listed in the database.
I'm not able to run a marathon, either, but I've been doing 45 mins of stretching and 30 + minutes of walking every single day for the last few months, and although my calorie burn is usually only around 300, I find that I'm getting stronger and I'm able to spend more and more time on my feet. Writing this reminds me I need to get back to doing my upper body aerobics, thanks for reminding me.
My advice is to start with 20 mins a day of Yoga or stretching, and 20 mins a day of upper body aerobics. Doing some sit-ups every day would be great, too. I do 30 a day, but I can't get my torso off the ground yet, so I just go as far as I can to start building up the abs. Start slow, keep track of your exercise every day and take notes daily of how you're feeling.
It seems like such a long road, but believe me, it will work. I fully expect it will take me a year or two before I'm feeling fit. Take baby steps and treat yourself well, increase exercise a little at a time. Don't cause yourself too much pain, it only adds to feeling discouraged. Go Slow.
It's great that you posted and congrats on deciding to make a change, you can do it!! Keep a journal. Go slow. Give yourself some time to heal. Most of all stay focused and do some movements every single day. Eventually you'll look back and see how far you've come.

Earthboundmsft

My friend's mother is very heavy (but she used to be heavier), and she started by getting one of those things that is like bike pedals that you can use while sitting in a chair. It was very cheap at walmart, and very low impact....because her feet weren't carrying the weight of her body while she used it. She started with a few minutes a day (sitting in front of the tv, with the ac on), and week by week, added a few more minutes at a time, and now she is able to walk around the block once a day (which she hadn't been able to do for years!).
Because she set small goals, and made it as comfortable for herself as possible, she was able to stick to it.
I don't think your reasons for not walking are excuses...they're perfectly valid reasons...but you do need to push yourself a little
Good luck

eamconnor

First, congratulations! Keep going. Everyone else on this thread has some very good suggestions for easing into cardio, and I second them. Please realize that very few people would want to get home after a long day of work and head out into the summer heat for cardo; very few! You DO have to push yourself, though. Before long, you'll get to recognize the difference between your body's inertia and your body's signals that something is wrong.

You said you had PAIN. If you haven't already, please see a doctor to make sure the pain you're feeling is just inertia and not something more serious. If it's just the former, good luck with your first steps, literally!

RhonndaJ

Thank you to everyone who's responded, I truly appreciate the answers. It's good to have outside perspective.

I've gone through the whole medical gamut prior to starting to work on my eating etc. and the outcome was that I am perfectly healthy aside from my weight. So the pain I have in my feet/legs is purely from carrying this weight around. I do have quite good shoes or I wouldn't be walking as much as I am.

It strikes me, after reading the responses that while my reasons are valid, I'm also using them as excuses for doing nothing when I should be pushing myself to do something. Past experience has shown me that I can usually do more than I think, but it comes with a price. I need to balance the effort against the price so that it's not all or nothing, but a slow progression.

nikkirosem

First of all good job on the 15 pounds! As far as the excuses go, I use to do that too. However, I don't think anyone can say for sure. Only you can tell us if you are making excuses. Maybe a quick 15 minute walk around the block or do it first thing in the morning so you are not so sore from the legs at the end of the day. Is it possible to go to your local YMCA? Most of them have scholarships which help you afford a membership at the gym not only that they have water aerobics which is very easy on the joints and still very effective.

Good Luck and way to go!

jmgj27

Get it checked out by your doctor. If he gives you the all clear then get going on the cardio!

As some of the other posters have said, we all have days when we're tired and don't want to do cardio but exercise truly will make you feel better. I work full time (and a lot of overtime as well) and I get to the gym 5 days a week. If I fancy doing something extra I might go out for a run when the gym's closed.

Also - swimming and cycling are excellent exercises if you suffer from joint pain.

I would add that I have suffered from severe knee and hip problems for 17 years and let it stop me doing cardio for years. The doctor told me that only I could decide whether it hurt too much to do cardio. When I started I weighed around 230 and gritted my teeth. Every step hurt and it sucked.

Now I weigh 165 and I run all the time and love it. It still hurts, sure, but I'm used to it and I know I'm not doing myself any permanent damage.

So - get the all clear (and some tips from your doctor - in the UK they will often subsidise gym membership for people with a high BMI - don't know where you're based but you might well want to ask around at gyms and check with your doctor to see whether they'll do this for you) and then go for it. There are always excuses not to do it but you have to remember that you are in control of your body and you can choose whether or not you want to exercise and therefore whether and how fast the weight comes off. Good luck! :bigsmile: