Being too unfit to do any form of excercise ?

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leankaybee
leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
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 ??
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Replies

  • Lori603
    Lori603 Posts: 10
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    Everyone starts out this way. Do not give up, you may have only been able to do 10 minutes today, but push yourself to do 12 minutes tomorrow. You don't need to make large jumps when you first start out, just try to increase your movement by a minute or so every day and you will get there, I promise. As one of my friends on here says...if you can walk...you can exercise. Don't give up!
    Good Luck!
  • LizL217
    LizL217 Posts: 217 Member
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    Well, I have 3 pieces of good news and 1 piece of bad news.

    Good news 1: The first time you do ANYTHING is always going to be the hardest. Once you've done it a few times, it will get easier and you will be able to go for longer and longer the more you do it.

    Good news 2: Exercising for 20 minutes, or 10 minutes, or even just 5 minutes is not a failure. It is better than 0 minutes, and that is what counts. Any decision you make to do something healthy rather than do something unhealthy is a step in the right direction. Also good ol' fashioned walking is great exercise. A 30-minute walk every day will help get your body used to moving without putting too much strain on it.

    Good news 3: You can lose weight without exercise. Granted, it is BETTER to incorporate exercise so that you retain muscle mass, improve your metabolism, improve your bone density and heart health, etc. But there's no reason why you can't lose weight without exercising as long as you are eating at a caloric deficit.

    The bad news: Exercise should really never be easy. It can be fun and enjoyable, but it should always be at least a little bit hard. If it it isn't hard, it means you aren't challenging yourself. You'll never know what you're capable of if you stay in your comfort zone. Try new things, try hard things, huff and puff for as long as you can, and you will be greatly rewarded for it.

    Good luck!
  • bmstee03
    bmstee03 Posts: 119 Member
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    It is unrealistic to expect to be able to jump into exercise without any huffing and puffing. You are going to be uncomfortable and really sweaty. If you're not then you are doing it wrong.
    Stop giving up on yourself. You are capable of more than you are giving yourself credit for and giving up after one day or ten minutes or twenty and then never doing that exercise again is silly. No one is perfect the first time, so try again. It will get easier each day and before you know it you will be working out much more than you ever thought possible.
  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 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
  • JRaeZins
    JRaeZins Posts: 171 Member
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    If you have access to a pool and any water fitness classes(or you can look on line for a series of excercises you can do yourself in the water). Water walking/aerobics is a wonderful way to lead into land excercise. It is not just for old ladies!!! The water can help you build your fitness level without too much stress on your body.
  • ejwme
    ejwme Posts: 318
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    you're getting good advice so far, I second all the comments above.

    I'll add - I've been running most of my life. every time I put on my shoes it's hard. I huff and puff. But the difference is that is my goal. I WANT to huff and puff. I WANT to turn beet red and ooze sweat like a squeezed sea sponge I WANT to end the workout beaten and exhausted and trembling with weak limbs, panting and laying on the ground.

    The trick is just to let yourself recover, and go back and try it again. You've got a long list of things you've done once - try a second time. A third time. You may need to repeat day 1 of couch-to-5k for a few weeks, but I guarantee at some point it will be easier than it was the first time. Then you move to day 2, and it's harder again - but again, it will get easier. That's the amazing thing about the human body - it can learn, and adapt, and improve, just give it a chance.

    You can totally do this, just keep at it.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
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    Worry about what you CAN DO, before you worry about what you can't do.

    You can probably jog at a slow pace for some distance, start there.
    Within 2 weeks you will feel very different and go from there.

    Good Luck.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 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!!
  • RobinC37
    RobinC37 Posts: 242 Member
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    Unfortunately if it's hurting and you're winded, you're doing it right.
    That being said- exercise can't necessarily be categorized. You like dancing, right? When you hop out of bed in the morning, do a little 15 minute dance session. It will wake you up and get you energized for the day, and dancing is a great calorie burner. Set yourself little progress goals: Today on my lunch break at work, I will walk up three flights of stairs. The next week, bump it up to 5 flights.

    You don't have to be "hardcore" in the gym and doing Insanity to make a difference in your health. If you believe something is impossible, then it is. I tried P90X when I was 60 lbs heavier and there WAS NO EFFIN WAY. So I bought a cheap used bike and started going for rides instead. At first it was no picnic to ride to my friend's apartment 1km away. Soon, that friend and I were going on actual picnics in the countryside 10 or 15kms away by bike.

    If you want to start doing balance and core strength, try practicing yoga. Vinyasa (flow) yoga is great for working out. Yoga can teach you how to control your breathing, which has crossed over to running for me. It increases your flexibility which helps prevent injury. It improves your balance and builds up your muscles with very low impact. If your legs can hold you up, you can do yoga. Just YouTube "Yoga for Beginners" and you will find hundreds of videos. Try for one that is 10-15 minutes to start. It is not strenuous and you can adjust poses to your ability, but you want to do the whole set of movements to really get the benefits.

    Can you do wall sits? With your back flat against the wall and your knees at a 90 degree angle? These are easier than boyweight squats but work the same muscles. Try holding a wall sit for 10 seconds. Work up to a minute. Same with a modified plank. Can't do a pushup? Try pushups off a wall.

    Keep your head up! It's not impossible. If you really really feel like it's too much though, it will get easier when you lose weight. Your range of motion will increase and your center of gravity will shift. Like another poster said, you can lose weight without exercising. If you are just overwhelmed at this point, give yourself 20lbs. Go for a 20 minute walk 4 times a week and watch what you eat closely. When you are down 20, try working out hard again. I bet it will go a lot better.
  • Mjhnbgff
    Mjhnbgff Posts: 112
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    I'm the same height as you but I weighed more than you when I started exercising. Granted, I used to be quite active in the past so I was not new to exercise. I started out walking a lot and using the elliptical machine. I walked 9 miles every Saturday or Sunday for 6 weeks. You don't have to walk that much but even a brisk walk will get your heart pumping and burn calories. I am used to walking a lot so maybe the walking was easier for me, but I did not even attempt to run until I had lost 50 lbs since running is hard on the joints and I knew that I would have issues if I tried running at my heaviest. When I started C25K, I was able to start with week 2 with no problems because I was in much better shape from all the walking and my gym workouts.

    Start out slowly and give it lots of time. I highly recommend lots of walking and take the stairs whenever possible. When I start to get fatigued and I think I can't go on anymore, I just make myself push through and finish because I know how good I will feel when I finish.
  • leankaybee
    leankaybee Posts: 24 Member
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    Awww .. I am overwhelmed by all of your replies . :)

    I am letting it all sink in :) Thank you sooo much !
  • 5stringjeff
    5stringjeff Posts: 790 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!!

    This. I walked for the first three months I was on here - that helped me lose 20 pounds. It's a good exercise to start with because it will make you realize that you CAN do it!
  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
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    Adding another vote for walking.
    When I started, I would get on the treadmill and set it for 3.5 mph, with occasional "sprints" of 5 mph. If I was lucky, I'd make it 30 minutes.
    That was a little over 2 years ago. I'm now lifting heavy weights and running 5ks (I could run further but I prefer lifting).
  • Faithenfire
    Faithenfire Posts: 6
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    walking is a good start. park far away from entry doors, take stairs for 1 or 2 flights

    I would suggest looking up "lazy girl" exercises, or doing a little yoga. Nothing too intense but start to build some flexiblity and strength which will help as you get more fit
  • halee60
    halee60 Posts: 1
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    Download the app Striiv on your phone, it's an excellent and FUN way to keep track of the amount of steps you take and gives you mini goals and levels to achieve. I LOVE IT
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
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    Everyone else has already given you such great advice. From what you've described, you're not too unfit to exercise. It really is 90% mental. The biggest eye opener for me in all of this was the surprise that I experienced when I realized how MUCH my body could do if I only asked it to. Just ask it to. When you're huffing and puffing, congratulate yourself for doing something right. Appreciate your body and what it is able to accomplish. If you can only manage 20 minutes today, try for 22 minutes tomorrow. You'll be surprised at how quickly your endurance improves.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 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

    This ^^ You listed some pretty intense exercises. Start slow but always keep increasing. When something gets easy, move to something harder.

    At any weight, walking is good exercise.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Just keep going and add a little more each day. It took me two weeks to get through "week 1" of the couch to 5k, but I slowed my pace down and kept at it. I didn't have to repeat any weeks after the first one. GO SLOWLY! It's about endurance, not speed.
  • foodistani
    foodistani Posts: 3
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    Omg i thought I was the only with with no upper, lower or any form of any body strength to do these crazy workouts!!!!
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
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    You are never too unfit to just get up and walk.

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