Used to love the gym but

Scorcherpants
Scorcherpants Posts: 32
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been going to the gym for several years now, I was going 4-5 times a week and lost 5 stone. I then had an injury and couldn't use the gym for 18 months only swimming. I gained most of the weight back and have been struggling to get back in to it. I weighed myself yesterday and I'm not the heaviest I've ever been, I feel so low and sad and desperately want to get back in to it but due to my size I'm struggling with exercises that don't put my body under too much strain that I get injured. I did 10 minutes on the treadmill and felt something go in my calf, that was Thursday and it still hurts. I have arthritis in my knees and everything aggravates it and I suffer from terrible back pain. I always take strong painkillers Ibuprofen 600mg and Tramadol before I go in the gym but it doesn't help a great deal. I'm going to the gym tomorrow and will do what I can but I want to do more to lose weight faster. I feel frustrated and trapped! I'm probably the heaviest on this site at 395lb / 28st 3lb and I hate being fat! Any help / advice regarding exercise is appreciated. x

Replies

  • Yvesigg
    Yvesigg Posts: 28 Member
    Hey check out Jillian Michaels. She is from the tv programme The biggest Loser. You can download her workouts free on you tube. 30 day shred is a good one. You may have to modify a few exercises. Have a look at before and after pictures on Mfp for inspiration. Good luck xx
  • angbieb
    angbieb Posts: 668 Member
    Maybe you could go on the bike for now until your legs are feeling 100%? So you don't put the added stress on them?:heart:
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    if you like walking then walk in the pool. it's a lot less strain.

    have you seen a doctor to see what they suggest?

    you might also be able to do some free weight exercises like deadlifts, squats, bench press, etc just make sure you get instruction on proper form.

    also if you had issue with your calf i'd also suggest making sure you are using the correct shoes that give you adequate support.

    good luck!
  • Scorcherpants
    Scorcherpants Posts: 32
    Thanks all, some great advice there. I'm going to see it as a fresh start tomorrow and go with an open mind. I'll definitely get there x
  • sunglasses_and_ocean_waves
    sunglasses_and_ocean_waves Posts: 2,757 Member
    I had lost 50 pounds and was in the best shape of my life when I got cancer. 5 surgeries & gross medication, and I kept fighting to get back. I gained 12 pounds that still wont go away. I got the approval after my last surgery to work out at max capacity again in January, and 2 months later I got tendinitis. So I started running, and I got shin splints. I'm pushing through all of it. You know why? Cause I know what it's like on the other side, and I'm getting back there come hell or high water. You will too. You look like a young woman. You can do this.

    I'm a New Englander, and watching those bombs go off at the Boston Marathon was crushing. But like Obama said, they will run again. They won't give up and neither will you.
  • twoboysnmygirl
    twoboysnmygirl Posts: 161 Member
    I kept injuring myself for a while when I had a lot of extra weight on me. I found the bike to be the least stressful on my body and I could spin REALLY fast and get a fantastic workout, which helped me drop enough weight that I could run without injury. Swimming is great too, I just never got into it.
  • JanieJack
    JanieJack Posts: 3,831 Member
    The number 1 thing I will say is DON'T GIVE UP

    You're NOT the biggest person on MFP (even if you were, so what? who cares?)

    It's NOT hopeless

    YOU can do this!

    You have to keep going until you find something that works for you. When I was injured and getting back into it, I found water aerobics and a body pump fitness class with a VERY understanding instructor (there's not many of THOSE out there unfortunately) to be essential. When I moved to where I couldn't find ANY fitness instructor who didn't seem to look at me with disgust, I got some tapes by Joyce Vedral (Bottoms UP and Easy Does it) that really, REALLY helped. Her tapes helped because I was building up muscle and strengthening my body until I was strong enough to get back out there and walk/run. The cardio is what really causes fat burn, but if you can't do that you have to do what you CAN. Even if it means starting out like I did with 1lb dumbbells for my heavy set and NO weight for my light set because just going through the motion of the exercise wore me out. The trick was to never quit.

    NEVER QUIT

    If walking is causing issues, then like Mesha said see if you can find a pool you can walk in. One of my friends dropped several sizes after surgery by holding a floater board with her arms and work just her legs for a few laps and then the gym had this other floaty thing that looks like an hourglass you put between your legs so you can just swim with your arms. This builds muscle and is also aerobic without stressing your joints.

    Other aerobic activities that are easier on my joints than walking/running on the treadmill are the recumbent bike, elliptical, and the exercise rower (you might feel like you can't bend your knees enough for these, but just working the arms will STILL get your heart rate up)

    Again, the number 1 thing is to NEVER GIVE UP. Pressing on when you feel like giving up is where you grow the strongest where it counts-on the inside.
  • aronao
    aronao Posts: 112 Member
    I know you might feel self conscious in bathers but pool based activities might be a good place to start, like aqua aerobics or as mentionwd, walking in the water. It should be much easier on your joints and muscles.
  • irishblonde2011
    irishblonde2011 Posts: 618 Member
    Been there done that shattered knee cap. Please give yourself time to heal. You could start out with things like swimming and aqua aerobics. You don't have to be a runner. You can do upper body exercises like boxing. What about lifting weights? I have only started getting into it and enjoy it more than anything. Do not give up. Time will tick away if you do it or not so why not give if your all? Remember losing weight is 80% healthy eating so they say. You can do it.

    Good luck :smile:
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    Maybe you could go on the bike for now until your legs are feeling 100%? So you don't put the added stress on them?:heart:

    This. Also I don't think you should be taking Tramadol before you start exercising.
  • irishblonde2011
    irishblonde2011 Posts: 618 Member
    I had lost 50 pounds and was in the best shape of my life when I got cancer. 5 surgeries & gross medication, and I kept fighting to get back. I gained 12 pounds that still wont go away. I got the approval after my last surgery to work out at max capacity again in January, and 2 months later I got tendinitis. So I started running, and I got shin splints. I'm pushing through all of it. You know why? Cause I know what it's like on the other side, and I'm getting back there come hell or high water. You will too. You look like a young woman. You can do this.

    I'm a New Englander, and watching those bombs go off at the Boston Marathon was crushing. But like Obama said, they will run again. They won't give up and neither will you.

    Great post :smile:

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