Too big to exercise?

Try water aerobics. It's a lot safer on your joints and it works!

I started at 254lbs, and started with walking. You will be surprised how good you feel just doing that. Then slowly start adding. I started by doing a few crunches, then wall push ups. My arms were too weak & my body too heavy to do real ones, even the girly ones. But I can do them now! Not very many, but it is a huge improvement for me. Start slow, and go from there. Just keep moving. Do baby steps. I have found it is a life change for me, so I just have to keep moving everyday. :happy:

I'm 5'6 so i guess my body fat would've been lower, but I started off at 220. That was 8 weeks after my 2nd baby had been born.

I did a bit of exercise in pregnancy, and I was going for walks right up until my daughter was born, and she was 12 days overdue, so I guess I never lost my fitness properly, although I did put on a LOT of weight. Maybe i'm lucky but I never hurt from exercise even then.

So I went right back to working with a personal trainer doing strength and weight training as well as lots of cardio. Obviously I started off gently but it didn't take me long to build up fitness.

You are young (I was 33 then) so you should be fine. Just build up to it slowly. Maybe try swimming and aqua aerobics and lots of walking. You could also try aerobics. My instructor always shows low impact alternatives for people with knee problems or whatever.

As for people judging you....seriously, no-one cares. I mean that in a nice way. I went to the gym a lot on my first pregnancy and I don't think anyone looked at me! To begin with I probably just looked bigger rather than pregnant!

Quoting you just because I wanted to say I LOVE the dress you're wearing in your pic.

OP - I agree with all the others. You'd be amazed how different you will feel in a month with something just as basic as walking. When I started I just added 1/2 hour lunchtime walks to my daily routine. A month later I was doing zumba and (mostly) keeping up with the skinnier girls in my office. I haven't lost anything in a while because I backed off a bit from my routine, but I've maintained my 35 pound loss from last year (I started at 260 and I'm 5'5"). I just bought my first bike since junior high and I'm looking forward to getting out there. Don't stress about the how, just get out there and move!

Go to youtube and search Leslie Sanson. It's a 1, 2, 3 or more mile walking video. It definitely gets your heart rate up but it's not too strenuous. I like the program a lot. And there is a 1mile walking one a 2 mile, 3 mile and 4mile maybe more. But I just bring it up on my laptop and do it. It's fun and I also add some hand weights too.

I have problems with my left knee and was doing Jillian Michaels for awhile, but it just isn't good on my knee so I tried this and I have no knee problems.

Also walking is good too, try different speeds to see what works for you

I started walking at 296. You can do it!

Walk,do arm circles with weights, swim, jump rope, jog, whatever you can do. I'm a bit taller, but our high weights are pretty similar. I suck at exercise. It hurts, I get winded, I get tired, etc. But, I've seen people twice my size on here push themselves to just walk down the hall, and that was their start, so I feel I have no excuse for not at least getting out there and trying. You can do it!

I don't think that it is so much about how much you weigh as it is about your fitness level. When I started out, I was 338 pounds and could barely walk a mile. i strarted out with just walking a mile, and still laid in bed every night with my knees aching. But now I am at 220, and I am taking long hikes (8 or 9 Miles), riding a bike, doing yoga etc. and am completely pain free. So even though you and i weigh the same thing, our fitness levels are different because i have been at this for a year now.

Just start out doing whatever you can. I lost the biggest part of my weight 'just walking'. Some people don't think that it is exercise, or that it accomplishes much, but it does. There is likely to be some discomfort or achiness at first, and some of that is normal. Just listen to your body and do not push youself too much. Oh, I am also 42 years old, so I am not a spring chicken anymore!

I'm 223 and 8 months pregnant and I squat/deadlift all the time. Not sure how everyone's belly is "getting in their way".:huh:

Thank you to EVERYBODY for all your encouragement and support. I will definitely be looking up Leslie Sansones when I get home!! I purchased a 30 Day Shred DVD a while back ( Actually now that I think about it... it was a year ago ) And I never even took it out of the plastic because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to do it, and didn't want to feel like crap because I wouldn't be able to keep up. But after all your posts and positive reinforcement I will slip it in to my DVD player and give it a try after a couple of weeks. c: Thank you all again, I will remember you when I'm making MY Success thread.

Heck 30 day shred scares me too, so I found other things. Don't let that get to you. When I was bigger (5'1" 200lb) I used to fret over what people thought or about not being able to complete or even do some of the things in classes or videos. I thought people were staring at me waiting to see me fail. Truth is most people are just impressed that you are trying to change your life.

I'm smaller now, but I still get in my head sometimes that "Ican't" or "i'll look stupid", these are just mental blocks you have to push past to achieve what you want. It can be difficult to get the standard gym equipment set for shorties. For exercises I can't get the equipment adjusted properly I started using free weights, now I almost exclusively use them because I don't have to make them fit. When I started I didn't know enough to go to the free weights, and it took me a while to work up the nerve to ask for help, but it was so worth it. Most people at the gym (even the pretty people) haven't always looked the way they do now. They understand more than you think and are almost always willing to lend a hand if asked.

Also to prevent rubbing, and umm bouncing/jiggling during cardio...buy a good bra, one that is sized and doesn't go over your head. I actually like Champion ones that are for high impact, they have a back closure and underwire for good separation/fit/support. I also always wear a compression tank and tight thigh/capri length bottoms with a looser type t-shirt so as not to feel so exposed. It just makes me feel better, even now.

Good luck, and don't let yourself accept the excuses. Challange yourself to be bettter today than you were yesterday, and before long, those small changes will add up. It's okay to be sweaty, it's aokay to be tired, it's even okay to be sore, but you should always recover within a day (2 at most) or you are pushing too hard.

Start small and work your way up to more intense exercise! Be sure you are eating healthy and within your calorie goal if you are looking to lose weight. It takes a lot of time and patience. Good luck!