Being too unfit to do any form of excercise ?

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  • 1Fizzle
    1Fizzle Posts: 241 Member
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    As everyone else has said....Walk! Even if it's to the mailbox and back...it may seem futile, but you need to keep at it and be consistent. Try to "beat" what you did the day before. Also, focus on your diet, and you should start seeing results.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
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    I have failed at every exercise I have attempted in the recent past! :( I am committing to lose weight and reach a healthy BMI this year . I attempted Power 90 a while back , I huffed and puffed on day 1 !! really couldn continue any longer . I then attempted zumba , I I could just do it for ten minutes . Yesterday I tried day 1 of the c25k , could do it with great difficulty only about 20 minutes . But these 20 minutes were a such a pain . I was winded all the time!! Walking was ok , but the running was horrible ! I kept begging for it to end !!. Finally I gave up after 20 minutes .
    I always make these big plans to exercise and am always let down by my body .


    Please help me ... tips for exercise for an obese girl ??

    I think you are trying to do too much too soon. You aren't all that big, really. Your BMI comes out to 34.7. My current BMI is 38.7 and I started out at 43.8. I started with walking. I walked on my breaks and lunches at work and sometimes before work. Almost all of my current weight loss was done while walking over the course of last year.

    Walk at a pace that is comfortable enough to keep up with for 15 or 20 or 30 minutes or pick a route and walk it. Try to walk just a little faster next time and a little faster the next time, etc. When I started, 3 mph at a 3% incline or outdoors was kind of hard (and I have long legs). Just today I was walking at 4.0-4.2 mph with a 5-7% incline. Yesterday I was walking at various speeds 3.5-4.0 mph w/ various inclines up to 12%. I can walk outside 1/2 mile uphill and 1/2 mile back down in about 16 minutes. It didn't happen overnight, but it did happen. I just recently started back with trying to run and before I got sick was finally up to being able to run for 20 minutes straight, but that's after about 8 months of conditioning myself with walking and pushing myself to go a little bit further or harder each time.

    I don't do the exercise DVDs because I always feel like a klutz and really find them rather boring, but even when I was 60 lbs less than I am now and in pretty good shape I found many of those things very difficult. I'm wanting to try Zumba because it seems like it would be fun, but I accept that it will see much harder than my current routine does if simply for the fact that I don't have any clue what I'm doing and it will take me a while to learn. If you really want to do the vidoes, just pick one that you find the most fun and keep trying every single day. You'll eventually be able to do just a little more and a little more until you're doing the whole thing and getting better every day.
  • tam8374
    tam8374 Posts: 270 Member
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    Consistency is key!! If you keep trying something then waiting weeks or months to try again you are losing all of the benifits.

    Starts small and always progress!!
    So start with something simple like walking. Do it everyday. Every time you go on a walk challenge yourself to go a little farther, walk faster, seek out hills ...

    Once you have a month or so of consistent walking move up to C25k. Running is really hard when you are significantly overweight. You may have to repeat weeks on c25k and that is fine. The key is to keep moving forward, and not quitting

    I agree. I am currently doing the Cto5K as well. I am 115lbs overweight (which is about 50-52 KG) I have been on week 1 for two weeks. If I can't jog anymore, I just keep walking. When I can do all the jogging/running for the day, I will do that the three days then move on to the next week and I will repeat days if I can't complete them.. Like someone else said, 20 min is better than 0. Keep it up, slow and steady. Try not to do something so strenuous at first, but build up to it. You can do it.
  • emchip1983
    emchip1983 Posts: 80
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    try beach body mom on you tube,her workouts are low impact and very funx
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    Hello All ,

    Good to be on MFP . I love reading the success stories here . Gives me hope that I can lose weight too :)

    My weight s 86 kgs . I am 25 years old female . My height s 5 feet and 2 inches . . I am not a very athletic person . I do not remember having participated in any form of sports in my school life . I used to love dancing however .

    I have failed at every exercise I have attempted in the recent past! :( I am committing to lose weight and reach a healthy BMI this year . I attempted Power 90 a while back , I huffed and puffed on day 1 !! really couldn continue any longer . I then attempted zumba , I I could just do it for ten minutes . Yesterday I tried day 1 of the c25k , could do it with great difficulty only about 20 minutes . But these 20 minutes were a such a pain . I was winded all the time!! Walking was ok , but the running was horrible ! I kept begging for it to end !!. Finally I gave up after 20 minutes .
    I always make these big plans to exercise and am always let down by my body .

    I want to know how to move from this stage where I can exercise easily . If I just reach that stage I am sure I will lose weight easily after that . Just how do reach that point ??

    Does everyone start out this way ?? I would like to hear stories of you all , about how you struggled initially but n the end you achieved your goals beautifully ??

    Please show me there is hope ? I do not want to be trapped in this boday forever . I want to lean and healthy and beautiful :(

    Please help me ... tips for exercise for an obese girl ??

    there is hope! and you're looking at this all wrong/in the wrong light. you say you've never really been active well you did 20 minutes of c25k, 10 minutes of zumba. that's being active! congratulations on accomplishing these two activities.

    stop making BIG PLANS - you're just setting yourself up to fail. how about making little plans. 20 minutes of something/anything that gets you moving. you're not going to be this perfect athlete overnight and nor did you get to the point your at overnight so why do you think you can because lean and healthy in a blink of an eye. (notice i didn't include beautiful because we are all beautiful).

    fyi: i'm 4' 11 3/4" and 40 years old. check out my profile pic - that's 2 years progress.

    i started out slow - could barley lift 2lb weights over my head. now i'm using 10-15 lb weights. my mom told me 2 years ago you could set a coffee cup on my behind - not anymore.

    just because a program tells you to run doesn't mean you HAVE to do just that - if you walk 20 minutes you've accomplished something. stop focusing on what you can't do and focus on what you can. over time you'll improve. it'll happen i promise.
  • AnnaVee84
    AnnaVee84 Posts: 345 Member
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    Just don't give up! You did 20 minutes and that's awesome! So start with 20 and work up from there....You CAN do this, you are no unfit to do any form of exercise, it's your mind that thinks you are... :flowerforyou: GOOD LUCK!
  • leankaybee
    leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
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    ha ha ha ha :) looks like there are 2 of us ! :P
  • leankaybee
    leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
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    Since everyone gave great tips on walking and getting there... I will hit a different point (but really the same message)

    Did you like Zumba? The biggest point of Zumba is just to move... you don't have to do all the steps exactly or even at the same impact as everyone else... Just move... get those arms up in the air, your booty shakin', and your feet movin'.... like everyone else said you will get there. :D

    btw: my av is me and my Zumba instructor.

    hi , u have a very valid point ! :) Till now i used 2 feel very bad and give up if cant follow all the steps to the T . ! But you all are right ... if am doing better than yesterday ... thats a great improvement .... i will keep at it :) thanks
  • leankaybee
    leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
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    Don't try to jump in head first...start out small. Start out walking and increasing your time each day. Then try to tackle the C25K. I can just about guarantee it will be much easier if you are already used to walking for 20-30 minutes. I am starting it on Wednesday, and I have been trying to condition myself by walking faster & faster each day on my breaks at work. The first day of walking I thought I was gonna pass out because I could hardly breathe, but I noticed each day got easier. And I also broke it up....20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon. As long as you don't give up and keep pushing yourself a little more each day, I'm sure you will do great!!!

    hey am repeating week 1 of c25k again from today .. will be great to share notes ! :) hi five , good luck 2 the two of us !
  • leankaybee
    leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
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    When I first started riding my bicycle again last summer, I could barely make 1 mile. Now my average ride is closer to 10 miles. In July, I could barely walk around the block. Yesterday, I ran with my dog about half way around.

    Baby steps!

    great story !! thanks for the inspiration ! :) I CAN DO THIS !!!!
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    Yes - most of us start that way. My first time at step aerobics, I could only do the warm up. So I did the warm up ever day, then I'd do a side to side step-touch step-touch and watch the rest of the routine so I could learn it. I could exercise a little longer each time, and I would say it took 2-3 weeks before I could do the entire routine.

    I lasted 5 minutes the first time I got on the elliptical. Now I can do an hour.

    Be patient with yourself. Building fitness takes time, but the reward is worth it.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
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    I could barely walk 1 mile before I began 2 years ago. Down about 75lb since, can run 1 mile, an accomplished lifter, and a pretty good swimmer.

    Sure I have 50-60 left to lose and I keep taking breaks from weight loss to build muscle, but I am getting there. It did not happen over night by ANY means and I certainly have been despondent over progress so many times.
  • ihad
    ihad Posts: 7,463 Member
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    The key is to pick exercises appropriate for where you are at physically. I just started walking, then some light swimming. Now it's 50 laps of swimming, pilates, and weighlifting. Ramp up over time to keep challenging yourself, but don't feel like you have to start with the P90X Turbo Zumba Kettlebell Death Workout.
  • leankaybee
    leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
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    The first time I tried to work out I thought I was going to DIE!!! I got all out of breath and sweaty and my head was pounding and it was just awful. All I could think of was... My GOD, if there is a zombie apocolypse I am SCREWED!!! hahaha... I had to try a bunch of different things before I found something I could actually do without killing myself and settled on a work-out DVD called Hip Hop Abs. I couldn't do the whole thing, when I got too winded I would stop and just keep walking in place, but eventually got so I could do the whole thing (it took weeks, then months to move up to the more intense version). It's all dancing! Very fun & the guy is gorgeous :) You might try it, or maybe a video game that has dancing if you have a Wii or X-box or Playstation. We have Just Dance, 1-3 and it's REALLY fun, doesn't even feel like you are working out. Now I go to the gym and can do weights and cardio and all that good stuff, still get all out of breath and sweaty but I don't feel like a complete idiot doing it any more. Good luck!!! You can do it! Don't give up.

    " My GOD, if there is a zombie apocolypse I am SCREWED!!! hahaha.. " ROFL .... ha ha i completely get what ur saying ... i am at that point these days !! :D;)

    yea even i tried hip hop abs ... was SCREWED lol... but i know i must keep goin till it becomes a cake walk fr me :) !
  • leankaybee
    leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
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    Yes - most of us start that way. My first time at step aerobics, I could only do the warm up. So I did the warm up ever day, then I'd do a side to side step-touch step-touch and watch the rest of the routine so I could learn it. I could exercise a little longer each time, and I would say it took 2-3 weeks before I could do the entire routine.

    I lasted 5 minutes the first time I got on the elliptical. Now I can do an hour.

    Be patient with yourself. Building fitness takes time, but the reward is worth it.

    great inspiration .. thanks !! :)
  • leankaybee
    leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
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    I could barely walk 1 mile before I began 2 years ago. Down about 75lb since, can run 1 mile, an accomplished lifter, and a pretty good swimmer.

    Sure I have 50-60 left to lose and I keep taking breaks from weight loss to build muscle, but I am getting there. It did not happen over night by ANY means and I certainly have been despondent over progress so many times.

    I CAN DO THIS toooo :D .... am feeling very good reading all your replies !!
  • Sassyallday
    Sassyallday Posts: 136 Member
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    Well said, LizL217! Everything you said is what I was thinking. Only better worded. :)

    Enjoy the accomplishment of making the start and lasting for 10-20 minute spurts. With continued effort, you will gain increased stamina. Don't stop or you'll lose the momentum you've gained.

    I would also add that any healthy movement IS exercise. Wearing a pedometer may give you a chance to see that you are moving more than you think. For a few days, I have not been feeling well enough to swim and I was devastated about it. But I found that Fitness Pal gives me credit for the light housework I am able to do. When I walk to catch a bus or train or even down the corridors of a hospital for a visit to my doctor, I count it! Seeing the calories burned motivates me to do more and gives me a sense of pride.

    Walking, cleaning, stretching- - -all movement is exercise. Give yourself credit. And enjoy your healthy, exercise ready body!
  • leankaybee
    leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
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    The key is to pick exercises appropriate for where you are at physically. I just started walking, then some light swimming. Now it's 50 laps of swimming, pilates, and weighlifting. Ramp up over time to keep challenging yourself, but don't feel like you have to start with the P90X Turbo Zumba Kettlebell Death Workout.

    WOW .... you have lost a lot of weight , from wat i can see on ur ticker ! :) your an inspiration ! thanks a lot !
  • leankaybee
    leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
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    Well said, LizL217! Everything you said is what I was thinking. Only better worded. :)

    Enjoy the accomplishment of making the start and lasting for 10-20 minute spurts. With continued effort, you will gain increased stamina. Don't stop or you'll lose the momentum you've gained.

    I would also add that any healthy movement IS exercise. Wearing a pedometer may give you a chance to see that you are moving more than you think. For a few days, I have not been feeling well enough to swim and I was devastated about it. But I found that Fitness Pal gives me credit for the light housework I am able to do. When I walk to catch a bus or train or even down the corridors of a hospital for a visit to my doctor, I count it! Seeing the calories burned motivates me to do more and gives me a sense of pride.

    Walking, cleaning, stretching- - -all movement is exercise. Give yourself credit. And enjoy your healthy, exercise ready body!

    hey :) awesome ... so my 2 hours today "wasted " on cleaning my room does really count towards excercise ... that is awesome
    !! :)
  • SyntonicGarden
    SyntonicGarden Posts: 944 Member
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    Walk, walk, and walk some more. 30 minutes a day should get you there and then you gradually increase you time and/or pace and before you know it, you are much more capable and don't hate it anymore. You can do this!!

    I concur. Start with walking. If you can find a nice safe place to walk (a school track for example) and put some good music on. Just walk.

    Jumping into high intensity programs like the P90X and even C25K is probably not going to work because 1) your body's not prepared for it yet and 2) you'll get discouraged because you're not ready for it yet. Doesn't mean you'll never be ready for it. Just means you need to build up to it.

    I tried doing 30 Day Shred and by the end of the first week and a half, I stopped. My knees hurt and my shoulder was angry with me. I'm going to do some more gentler conditioning and see about revisiting it again. I did C25K in the fall. You'd think that when I started back up with it yesterday, I could do it again, no problem. Yeah. I got about 15 minutes in to it and was was beat.

    The other thing is consider taking a look at what and how you're eating. At your current level, 1200 might be a recipe for failure. If you do a search for "in place of a roadmap" that might help you figure out where you're supposed to be eating it / how much.

    So OP, please continue to be motivated and focused, but consider changing your starting point so that you stick with it. There are several people on here who've had success starting with smaller steps like walking or even yoga, to help with flexibility. There are lots of free videos on youtube and on digital cable. There are so many success stories on here too. Don't give up. :)

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