I feel awful!
0400772
Posts: 80
I have recently decided that enough is enough and i now need to lose the weight. Im just underr 14 stone and 5ft 1 so as you can imagine im OBESE!!
I joined the local gym so i can go to gym, swimming classse etc.
Well i went to the gym yesterday and i feel awful.
I cant even go on the eliptical trainer for 5 mins im that unhealthy. I feel awful.
I love swimming but i feel like tis not doing enough to shift the weight even though i plan on going 3 x a week for an hour each time.
Has anyone else had this and how did you over come it? Im thinking about going back and doing my 30 day shred dvd because even though i couldnt do it all the first time i felt like i had a workout?
I joined the local gym so i can go to gym, swimming classse etc.
Well i went to the gym yesterday and i feel awful.
I cant even go on the eliptical trainer for 5 mins im that unhealthy. I feel awful.
I love swimming but i feel like tis not doing enough to shift the weight even though i plan on going 3 x a week for an hour each time.
Has anyone else had this and how did you over come it? Im thinking about going back and doing my 30 day shred dvd because even though i couldnt do it all the first time i felt like i had a workout?
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Replies
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You don't say how long it's been since you started trying hard to lose, but it sounds a little like you're not seeing immediate improvements and losing morale because of it.
If your activity is as limited as you say, then that's probably the main problem. Don't push yourself too hard, but keep at it. Make sure you give your body a break, and within a few weeks you'll start to build some muscle which will help burn the fat off as your capacity to exercise improves.
An example from my recent experience: A few months ago I started cycling to work 3 times a week, which is 10 miles each way. The first day I tried, I managed 3-4 miles in 40 mins, and gave up, feeling absolutely shattered, like I could barely stand. A week later, I made it all the way, in 80 mins, still feeling wretched at the end. By the time I was knocked off my bike a month ago, I was doing the journey in 50 mins at a fairly steady pace. Now I'm not suggesting that you'll get the same results, but I could easily have given up in that first week, when I couldn't make it all the way, and people at work were criticising me for not keeping going, but by keeping at it, I improved, slowly at first, and that did a lot to kickstart my weight loss (also from 14 stone, incidentally).
You can do it, and it's frustrating, but if you want it, you will do it, just keep at it.
Also, I'm assuming you're operating at a net calorie deficit?
If I'm way off the mark, I apologise, but without being able to see your diary/activity, I don't have much detail to go on.0 -
Oh, and swimming is a great way to get started, because although it supports your body, that allows you to go for longer than if you tried running, for instance, which will yield much better results in the long run.0
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Swimming is really good exercise! Just do it all at your own pace. Dont feel like you have to start with an hour. Start with 20 to30min. Three times a week and go from there.0
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Don't feel awful. I think the gym is hellish! Don't do anything that makes you feel bad about yourself! I do have to say that swimming is probably the best way to get started. If you don't want to do the elliptical or treadmill then get a fitness tape for home use and build up that stamina! Get some free weights and do some squats (strengthens your core, legs, bottom, and arms!) You do what you can...five minutes of exercise is still great!! At least you are moving...and before you know it, you will be at thirty minutes a day and beyond! Good luck!! 
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All exercise is brilliant and swimming is a great one because the water supports your body and you're less likely to strain yourself, meaning you can go more often because you don't feel too achey the following day!
Rather than going for an hour, try to set yourself a distance target, say 20 lengths, and see how fast you can do it in. Then challenge yourself to beat that time each week. Once it gets easy, start upping the distance!!0 -
Please don't feel awful. Although I am a lot older than you I started at a similar weight with a similar target and I now only have 3lbs to go. It has taken 18 months but I am nearly there.
I have done most of this by calorie counting. I swim or go to the gym once a week and I do an aquafit class, that's all. The aqua is great fun....all women and most of them with a fair few pounds to lose.
If you would like some moral support (I am in the UK) then send me a friend request.
If I can do this, you can!0 -
It will take you just a bit to get back into shape. You are in the right place! I found I was pushed the most by going with a friend, we only attended group excercise classes because you tend to be motivated harder in comparison to trying to do something at home. I am a licensed Zumba Instructor now, and even as a fitness instructor I find myself "cheating" by not working so hard at home rather than if I am in front of my class or if I am attending some other sort of group excercise program. Most gyms have a schedule of classes and usually have 1 to 3 a day different times to target a variety of schedules. You need a plan. Going into the gym by yourself when you are already discouraged gives you more of a chance to get frustrated or feel out of place and leave. It is hard I know! I was mainly concerned with people thinking why cant this young overweight girl keep up with the class or why is that fatty here? In reality no one thinks that, and as a group fitness instructor no one is watching you either they are to busy trying to watch the teacher themselves they arent paying attention to what anyone else is doing. If you cant do all the moves first starting out do what you can and walk in place is what I tell my students. You are still getting your heart rate up even if you have to have a couple of minute break, and you will find accomplishment in seeing how much more your body can do each class! Try a buddy system you could help motivate eachother to workout and the main thing is to have a plan. My friend that I worked out with moved far away and she gained 7 pounds and I lost 10 pounds, sometimes it is just the initial motivation you need help with depending on your personality, the man in the picture with you is that your husband? Make it a hobby to go to the gym together and be healthy together this could help with diet at home as well! Until the last 2 to 3 weeks (finals and exams and research papers due for school no excuse i know
) lol I was attending a group class every single day. I find I burn the most calories, push myself harder (but only you know your limits and you will have to work up to when you are back in shape dont push yourself to hard because this can force you away from excercising as well), and feel better about myself because I am not trying to guess what I should do each day, and I am encouraged more because for most of the classes I went to it was full of women who had the same goals as me on wanting to be a healthy active person, and so we all helped and pushed eachother. The main thing is going to be to find something that you enjoy. I do not enjoy running and would rather literally be punched in the face than go run 5 miles (mud runs are a totally different story lol) When I found Zumba I was in love with the music, dancing, and atmosphere. This could be the case with you with Turbo Kick or a water Aerobics class (you said they had a pool and this can be better for joints and not as hard as a 45 minute cardio class just starting out). Find you nich, your plan, and stick with it. You have already went through the hardest part and that is deciding that you want to change to be a healthier you, and you joined a gym which is hard for alot of people to do! Feel free to add me but I have full faith you can accomplish your goals! You are definitely on the right track! 0 -
Congrats to the woman with only 3 pounds to go great job! How encouraging!!0
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It is super important to track EVEYTHING you eat everyday! If you eat less than you DID and workout more than you did you are going to lose weight. You won't show losing on the scale right away, but you will notice that your clothes are fitting you better!!
It also is important to go into the workouts gradually. You don't want to get so sore that you stop working out.
Along with calorie count. Eat at least 80 grams of protien each day. protein helpd=s burn fay, big time
Also add me to your friend list so we can talk now and then and you can let know how you are doing!
Basil A stone is 14 lbs right?0 -
I started at just over 13 stone, I am a little taller than you but I too was classed as obese. It hurt me to walk any distance, at any pace. The most important thing is to log everything you eat and just do what you can exercise wise. The weight will come off. Good luck, keep positive and don't expect immediate results.0
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YepA stone is 14 lbs right?0 -
When you begin an exercise program the most important thing is to not overdo it, and that at each session you do a little more. Set short term goals and meet them. In the long run it won't matter if you do 20 minutes or 30 minutes on an exercise bike if a month from now you're able to do 60 minutes, and a month after that you're biking outside for 2.5 hours. The key is to establish the good habit of exercising regularly.
At the beginning you will not be burning tremendous numbers of calories. But the more you do, the more you can do, and the more calories you will burn. For example when I first started exercising I could only go about 20 minutes and burned 200 cal. Today I can run for 1 to 2 hours and burn up to 1500 cal in one session. It's an investment in time and effort to build up your exercise endurance. But it really pays off in helping with weight loss and weight management!0 -
I cant even go on the eliptical trainer for 5 mins im that unhealthy. I feel awful.
I love swimming but i feel like tis not doing enough to shift the weight even though i plan on going 3 x a week for an hour each time.
Sounds like me 14 months ago.
What I did was go on eliptical for as long as Iould and take note of how long, hope off and go swimming till you had enough.
Record your gym session.
Congrats you just set yourself a personal best for beat next time.
Okay next time your in the gym go beat your record by whatever time you can do, second or minutes and record, did you beat your last time? Yes congrats again new personal record to beat next time or no you go back and match or beat next session.
Its all about progression you will get better, fitter and slimmer just set your personal goals and try to equal or better each time.
Record so you can see your progress.
I went from managing only 2 minutes on the eliptical when I started to a full 45 min session at highest setting.0 -
If you had trouble with the 30 Day Shred just make sure that you are not doing it on a hard floor or barefoot and think about getting some knee supports because it can be hard on your knees if you're carrying a bit of weight. But stick with it, I guarantee that 5 days into it you'll see your stamina improve...That's 5 days only 20 mins a day, give it a go! I'm not saying it's the best workout out there but it might give you a chance to see that you can do more than you think you can! Good luck!0
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I am pretty much exactly the same- the exercise will get easier and you will be surprised with that you can actually do. Feel free to add me if you want- 5 foot tall and just under 14 stone as well 0
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It is always hard to start. I walked and swam. I tried 30day shred but it was too hard for my knees. I have been on this journey since may and lost the same amount of weight as you. I have been stuck at the same weight for 3 months. I know this is difficult, just don´t give up and keep trying, it will get easier with time0
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add some strenght training to your routine so you are losing primarily fat when you lose weight, not LBM0
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I have recently decided that enough is enough and i now need to lose the weight. Im just underr 14 stone and 5ft 1 so as you can imagine im OBESE!!
I joined the local gym so i can go to gym, swimming classse etc.
Well i went to the gym yesterday and i feel awful.
I cant even go on the eliptical trainer for 5 mins im that unhealthy. I feel awful.
I love swimming but i feel like tis not doing enough to shift the weight even though i plan on going 3 x a week for an hour each time.
Has anyone else had this and how did you over come it? Im thinking about going back and doing my 30 day shred dvd because even though i couldnt do it all the first time i felt like i had a workout?
honey, you need to quit beating yourself up. I am almost 38 years old, a smidge taller than you, and I started out at nearly 16 stone!
The first month or so it was a struggle to do 30 minutes on the treadmill, no matter how slow! I would literally be stumbling and dripping sweat.
by the 4th month or so staff was starting to notice that I was there often, and that I was working hard...I also noticed that I didn't sweat nearly as much on the treadmill--and I could do an HOUR.
by the 8th month or so, I had lost 2 stone and found muscles I didn't know I had! The trainer knows my schedule, and chats with me daily. I am currently exactly the same weight as you!0 -
As great as work outs are (I'm something of a junkie) they really should be on the back burner at this point in your weight loss. MFP is designed so that you can lose weight without working out. Exercise and activity can be used to wrangle some extra calories to make staying within your goal easier. So for now, make building up your workout focus. Walk 5 min on the tread mill, hop on to the elliptical for 1-2 min, then go back to walking. Build up until you are active for 30 min straight. Then work to being able to do the elliptical 30 min straight (same principle goes for swimming -- which burns a TON of cals btw).
Build it up- everything in steps.0 -
first off, try not to beat yourself up. I decided one day to start running. I downloaded the C25K programme. The first one was run for 3 mins. I managed 1m 22s. I was devastated but kept trying. That was towards the end of August. Since End of November I can now run 4 miles / 6.5km!!!
I would suggest setting a reasonable target - walking on a slight incline or elliptical trainer for 5 full mins each. do that each time for a week. Then, the next week, up the limit to 6 mins each. Do that for a full week. And so on and so on. thats the way the C25K works - just slowly build it up. i will guarantee within a month you'll have doubled what you can do now xx0 -
Just to start off a massive CONGRATULATIONS! You've started on here and you joined a local gym, which is harder than just trying to ignore the problem, so you must know deep down that you want to do something about your weight.
i know it can be hard to walk into a gym and just decide what to do. Maybe if your gym has trainers in it (the people, not the shoe) you could ask them to make you up a programme? It'd start you off really easily as the times and levels would be adapted to suit you personally. I also agree with the woman that suggested a group class. Although these can be intimidating at first, you'll find that a lot of the people there are in the same boat as you, plus the only people that I personally watch in classes are myself and the instructor, I don't know if that comforts you in any way.
As for swimming, it really is up there in terms of a complete body workout, but without the impact of running, so even though you feel like it isn't doing anything, it really is.
My last piece of advice for you is 'Mind over Matter' - if you can, try to say to yourself 'Okay, yesterday I did 5 mins on the elliptical trainer without stopping. Today I'm going to do 5:20 without stopping' it doesn't matter if you need to say 'I can do this, I can do this, I can do this' the entire way through that 5mins20 if you get your brain convinced that you can do it, then your muscles will follow. Yes, sometimes it hurts, sometimes you're tired, sometimes you just don't feel like doing it, but internally you just need to tell yourself that you aren't stopping until you've achieved your goal. i tend to find that I have some inner rage that I can channel to get me through really tough workouts.
Please, please, please don't be disheartened. No, you wont drop a stone overnight by going to the gym and eating less, but the more you do it, the more you'll want to do it and if you can find that mentality of wanting to exercise and wanting to eat healthier then you'll be able to achieve anything you set your mind to, you just have to appreciate that it takes time and grit.0 -
OK, I'm 5.4'' and 15stone, so I'm very similar to you.
Does your gym have trainers? Maybe they could put together a basic program for you? I still can't go for ages while doing cardio, so instead I put the incline at max and go as fast as I can for 250metres, wait till I'm recovered (even if it takes 5 full minutes) and do it again. Or else I keep my speed on the elliptical at 125-130 and put the level up by 2 every 30 seconds and keep going until I can't anymore.On the bike I see how fast I can go 500m at a high effort level (and note it so I can see the trends gradually improve) Rinse and repeat four or five times.
Mostly my cardio only lasts 15-25 mins (depending on how much recovery I need and how I'm feeling that day, some days I'm nearly dead after 10 mins, some days I can go flat out for waaay longer, I keep going when I can and stop when I can't). I use weights for 40 minutes or so, but my trainer worked out 6 or so different routines for me there.
The couch to 5k is also an option, you can do it around your neighbourhood, after dark if it's safe and you dont't want people to see you, it builds you up gradually and you ca run as fast or as slow as you like as it focuses on time rather than speed, speed comes later.
Lastly, try not to be hard on yourself, you're only starting out, everyone starts somewhere; keep at it and you will improve!0 -
Honestly five minutes on a elliptical the first time is FANTASTIC! Those things are hard.
Start small. You can't start anything and have it be easy straight away. Work at it and it will get easier.0 -
hey we all have to start somewhere - don't beat yourself up for being less fit than you want to be. Managing a short time is better than nothing, the more you do it the better you get.
I started off at over 21 stone (297lbs) and I could barely climb a flight of stairs, couldn't manage more than a couple of minutes on the elliptical (or any machine) - a year later and I am a different person.
Hang in there, find something you love - maybe the elliptical is just not your thing - mix it up, take little steps, check out classes, ask friends that are healthy what they are doing, there are so many roads to fitness out there, you will find some that are meant for you - just keep going.
You have taken the first step by wanting to get healthier, don't let it get you down that things are a bit difficult to start with- use that to push yourself forward and build it up slowly - next time try and add on an extra minute or 90 seconds...
Food will help you lose weight, but exercise is the magic bullet for giving you your health and well being so its absolutely worth it to stick with it - you won't regret it.0 -
We all started where you are. Baby steps and you will get there.0
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Want to say a massive THANKS to everyone who has commented. yours comments are really helping me.
I absolutely love swimming and it doesnt feel like a chore to me. So i have decided to do my 3 x hourly trips. I also might try going to the gym before hand and aim fro 15 mins before my swim that way i can build up.
I only started exercising again after nearly 2 years. I had my daughter 19 months ago and honestly my weight has just ballooned. I lost ALOT of weight the year before i became pregnant but thats was just by not eating and being unhealthy and working all the time, but now i sit at my desk i want to snakc.... so that has to stop.
I eat roughly 800-1000 calories a day when im being "healthy" and not eating junk food. But im too scared to actually eat more in case weight goes on. Since the birth of my daughter i have put on 2 extra stone on top of preganncy weight and my ideal weight is 4 stone lighter!, thats where i look my best.
I find i cant run on the treadmill so i walk as i get bad shin splint hence why i went to eliptical trainer. Im going to try again tonight and see how i go.
I can do anything at home as i just genuinely cant be bothered once i get home at 6pm (since being on the go since 5am) so i need to go out so im actually having to do it rather than just do something else..
Im definately going to do swimming and try add in 15 mins of gym time two times a week see how it goes.
thanks for all your cmioments0 -
Swimming is an excellent full body cardio workout. You don't think you're doing much because you're not actually seeing the sweat like you would out of the pool. Just be patient with yourself and realize it's going to take some time to see change.
If you can do Jiliian Michael's DVDs, they are definitely great at improving physical fitness. I was going 40 min on the elliptical most days and when I added in JM Ripped in 30 I saw a huge difference in my fitness level.
You can do it! And very important: don't let 1 mistake or bad day make you give up. Just do better the next day.0 -
I've been told by someone who had a lot of weight to lose (60 pounds, i think) that her personal trainer/nutritionist both agreed that her best way to begin was to eat healthier and do moderate walking. They both told her to NOT workout vigorously to start. This may be true with you as well. Perhaps you should start with eating better and doing some walking (build from 30 minutes a day to 1 hr a day). Once you lose weight (for her it was 20 pounds) then you can slowly build your workout routine.0
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I just dont cease to be amazed at the support this forum provides ! One cannot help but stick on:)
You guys out here rock!
Thanks to each of you who have taken time out to respond with genuine care....just wanted to convey that it helps a lot of other people apart from the one who initiates the message!
Am so thankful I found this site and got to meet so many wonderful people!0 -
As plenty of folks on here will agree, the weight didn't come on suddenly, so it's not going to fall off easily. It takes patience and persistence.
Pool doesn't always equal lap swimming. Instead of swimming, maybe your pool has water aerobics classes, which might be less intimidating, since you don't find yourself stuck, exhausted, in the deep end of the pool. During an open swim, I stay in the shallow end and walk back and forth across the pool. I really feel it in my legs. I'll also go into the deeper end, near the edge, and do leg lifts.
I've seen a lot of people have success by incorporating walking into their routine. I think the previous poster has a valid point about not jumping into things head first, gung ho. You haven't built up the endurance yet, so it'll only seem discouraging at best, which in my experience, doesn't lend itself to being successful. A 30 minute walk is better than 5 minutes of working out and then giving up, out of frustration.
Drink enough water. Not too much though or else you'll flush out the essential salts minerals and whatnot that your body actually needs.
Set small, yet attainable goals at first. I've been at this for a while and well, I can say that I'm NOT at the point where I've burned 3500 cals in exercise in any given week. I've set that as a goal and will eventually get there.
And build a strong peer network. Add friends who will encourage you.
Good luck!0
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