How do i start- advice on exercise and making a start.
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oinkyoinkerer
Posts: 13
I am 30-35kgs (66lbs-77lbs) overweight and have no muscle mass, my joints, hips and knees hurt and I am exhausted all the time. These are all my excuses/reasons for not exercising. I know I should suck it up and exercise but I could cry, I am so tired and sore. Is it pointless to have a redbull or something to get me going? What do you do? I have tried to lose weight many times before and I guess this time I want to actually do it not just say I am going to but nothing has changed.
(reposted this here as I posted it in intros by mistake)
(reposted this here as I posted it in intros by mistake)
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Replies
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The odds are that your body hurts the way it does at least in part due to not moving at all. You have to make the decision that it's important to start moving.
You don't have to start with a long workout. In fact, you don't have to start with a workout at all. When you are truly 100% sedentary, your first step can be simply making sure you move more than usual. Walk extra aisles at the grocery store. Get up and move around the house during commercials. Set an alarm on your phone to make you get up every hour and walk around.
Red Bull and other energy drinks will not do anything other than pump you with caffeine and sugar, and some will have extra vitamins. They will ultimately make you hurt more and be more tired.
Big things about being tired and overweight... We often get there because we are missing important key factors for life. So try this on:
1. Get about 7 hours of sleep every night, and make yourself get up when these hours are done.
2. Drink approximately 1/2 your body weight in water ounces. This means that if you weigh 200 pounds, you should try to get at least 100oz in fluid. People will go back and forth on this, and you should adjust to need, but a big part of fatigue is dehydration for a lot of people.
3. Get your vitamin levels checked. Low Vitamin D is very common and can contribute to fatigue and pain issues a lot.
4. Focus on starting with 3 days a week getting 15 minutes of walking in. If this means 3 sessions of 5 minutes when you are starting, this is fine. The point is to get up, get moving and set a routine doing the easiest there is. If you are not ambulatory, then look for routines developed for non-ambulatory people.
5. Obtain a therapist. It's a very helpful aspect of discovering the root causes of the situation.
A lot of times, when we've lived a burdened life, we left pain and fatigue be the excuse to not do what we have to do, which can be the mask for fear. Don't be afraid of feeling better.
Truth? You aren't going to feel good right away. There is going to be a time of transition where you will hurt, you will ache, you will be so tired and it'll feel so hard but you push. PUSH! Because you'll notice, it becomes a different type of pain, different type of tired. Monitor your food, get moving, and don't step on the scale for a couple weeks. Just focus on being a bit better every day. Then after a couple weeks, step up on the scale.
If you need a personal connection, hit me up. I started at over 500lbs and have been up and down. I've a diagnosed chronic pain condition, and sometimes it feels pointless... but things do feel different. They do feel better. You'll start to lose, I promise. Just make sure you have your doctor and maybe a therapist there to help you along the way. With a doctor in on the plan, they can help you with vitamin issues and setting appropriate goals, and be able to handle any particular pain that isn't just body weakness.
Add me if you like.0 -
take a walk - round the block
each day go a little further
buy a pedometer eventually0 -
Thank you, I really appreciate all this. It is more than a good start for me.The odds are that your body hurts the way it does at least in part due to not moving at all. You have to make the decision that it's important to start moving.
You don't have to start with a long workout. In fact, you don't have to start with a workout at all. When you are truly 100% sedentary, your first step can be simply making sure you move more than usual. Walk extra aisles at the grocery store. Get up and move around the house during commercials. Set an alarm on your phone to make you get up every hour and walk around.
Red Bull and other energy drinks will not do anything other than pump you with caffeine and sugar, and some will have extra vitamins. They will ultimately make you hurt more and be more tired.
Big things about being tired and overweight... We often get there because we are missing important key factors for life. So try this on:
1. Get about 7 hours of sleep every night, and make yourself get up when these hours are done.
2. Drink approximately 1/2 your body weight in water ounces. This means that if you weigh 200 pounds, you should try to get at least 100oz in fluid. People will go back and forth on this, and you should adjust to need, but a big part of fatigue is dehydration for a lot of people.
3. Get your vitamin levels checked. Low Vitamin D is very common and can contribute to fatigue and pain issues a lot.
4. Focus on starting with 3 days a week getting 15 minutes of walking in. If this means 3 sessions of 5 minutes when you are starting, this is fine. The point is to get up, get moving and set a routine doing the easiest there is. If you are not ambulatory, then look for routines developed for non-ambulatory people.
5. Obtain a therapist. It's a very helpful aspect of discovering the root causes of the situation.
A lot of times, when we've lived a burdened life, we left pain and fatigue be the excuse to not do what we have to do, which can be the mask for fear. Don't be afraid of feeling better.
Truth? You aren't going to feel good right away. There is going to be a time of transition where you will hurt, you will ache, you will be so tired and it'll feel so hard but you push. PUSH! Because you'll notice, it becomes a different type of pain, different type of tired. Monitor your food, get moving, and don't step on the scale for a couple weeks. Just focus on being a bit better every day. Then after a couple weeks, step up on the scale.
If you need a personal connection, hit me up. I started at over 500lbs and have been up and down. I've a diagnosed chronic pain condition, and sometimes it feels pointless... but things do feel different. They do feel better. You'll start to lose, I promise. Just make sure you have your doctor and maybe a therapist there to help you along the way. With a doctor in on the plan, they can help you with vitamin issues and setting appropriate goals, and be able to handle any particular pain that isn't just body weakness.
Add me if you like.
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oinkyoinkerer wrote: »I am 30-35kgs (66lbs-77lbs) overweight and have no muscle mass, my joints, hips and knees hurt and I am exhausted all the time. These are all my excuses/reasons for not exercising. I know I should suck it up and exercise but I could cry, I am so tired and sore. Is it pointless to have a redbull or something to get me going? What do you do? I have tried to lose weight many times before and I guess this time I want to actually do it not just say I am going to but nothing has changed.
(reposted this here as I posted it in intros by mistake)
I was 70-75lbs overweight when I started....
Yes you have muscle mass...yes your joints hurt, mine did too...and I was tired all the time too...
No point in redbull...and no reason to be sore either...
You don't need to exercise to lose weight...you just need a calorie deficit.
But
If you want to exercise what I did was started with 20min walks, just slow maybe 3mph could have been 2.5mph...really it wasn't hard...then my husband got me Wii just dance and it was fun so I would do a couple songs
then I did the 30day squat challenge...I was a bit sore but nothing I couldn't handle because I had lost about 30lbs by that time, then I found MFP looking at pics of before and afters of Jillian Michael's 30 day shred...it wasn't easy but by that time motivation was there.
then I re-discovered heavy lifting...and I have been doing that ever since...along with much faster walks (4.5mph) HIIT workouts that kick my butt (and I love it) 40-60mins of Wii Just dance where I am sweating but having fun...
I have lost almost 60lbs so far..might go for another 5 after this.
I guess my point is this...if you want to exercise do it...start out slow, find stuff you love to do and that is motivation enough to keep doing it but remember
It's the calorie deficit that causes weight loss.
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Start with walking - whatever pace is comfortable for you. If you can only make it 5 minutes at a time then do that a few times a day. Then add an extra minute, or 5, as you can.
There are also simple body weight exercises you can do. If its uncomfortable you have to decide if its the sort of discomfort that you should work thru, or if its the sort of discomfort that means you should not do the action. I tried to do a squat challenge, each day increasing by 5. Midway thru the month my knees were screaming. I stopped the challenge. I am back to doing squats now (pain is gone) but no longer doing an insane # per day.
Overall though weight loss begins with how much you consume. Careful weighing, logging of food.0 -
Thank you, I only started today and have logged everything at the exact weight using kitchen scales. It is about now I feel hungry and do until I go to bed. It has become to worst habit to eat everything and anything in the house while making dinner and after dinner. I am about to go and pick up my daughter from school so should take my mind of it haha0
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Go see the doctor. Rule out physical problems, get a target weight and daily calorie goal, find out what foods you should and shouldn't be eating, discuss your joint pain and get cleared for exercise.
Swim! Swimming is sooo easy on the joints and it burns calories like crazy. If you're that fat, you probably have more muscle than you know. It requires a good deal of muscle to haul all that weight around! Swimming gives you resistance and tones the muscles. You also don't feel like you're working hard. My out aren't all sweaty and hot.
Swimming is perfect. If you don't like how you look in the suit, get a one-piece jogger. And get over yourself. You're going swimming to DO something about that fat. So go with the attitude that people can look at your fat thighs all they want because they won't be fat for long.
If it doesn't hurt, try walking. If it does hurt, don't do it until you discuss it with the doctor.
That's my $.02
Good luck!0 -
You are not too overweight to workout. I started running at over 100 lbs. overweight. I'm still at over 80 lbs overweight and doing 15 minute miles. You will get more energy as you exercise. I was thrilled this weekend when my two friends who are lighter than me were exhausted after doing much less than I was doing.0
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You can do this. I started at needing to lose around 165 lbs and am down around 22lbs right now. Get up and move, even if its for 5 minutes. And tomorrow do just a bit more. Don't set a workout standard that is too difficult for you. Right now, I try to walk 4 or 5 days a week with a friend, 5 to 6 miles a day. The most important thing is to just start moving.0
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walking is a great start.
swimming is easier on the joints too.
do you have access to a gym? you will get best advice there.
g luck.0 -
oinkyoinkerer wrote: »I am 30-35kgs (66lbs-77lbs) overweight and have no muscle mass, my joints, hips and knees hurt and I am exhausted all the time. These are all my excuses/reasons for not exercising. I know I should suck it up and exercise but I could cry, I am so tired and sore. Is it pointless to have a redbull or something to get me going? What do you do? I have tried to lose weight many times before and I guess this time I want to actually do it not just say I am going to but nothing has changed.
(reposted this here as I posted it in intros by mistake)
1) Walk - but start off really slowly. Just walk 5 minutes away from your house and then 5 minutes back. 10 minutes, that's it. That's how to start. Then, make a tick on your calendar to note that you have done it.
This video is really worth watching. It will tell you the value of walking/medically. It's 10 minutes long but it's really worth the time. Keep this video in mind and mark it so that you can play it back and remind yourself of the tremendous value of "just walking".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo
2) If you can afford to, buy a good pedometer. Fitbit is top shelf and it will keep the records of your walks - steps, distance, flights of stairs.
3) Don't expect benefits to show up right away. Just start with 10 minutes. Do that as many times a week as possible. When it really becomes a habit - say three months from now - add a second 10 minute walk at another point in the day.
4) Eat sensibly and in a moderate amount - set your program at no more than 1 pound weight loss per week. Realize that feeling good and having energy is dependent on good nutrition, activity - and proper sleep.
5) Make an appointment to see your family doctor for a comprehensive physical where they take your blood, urine, blood pressure etc. (Sometimes you can feel tired all the time because you are anemic - for example. So, this will ensure that your general health is okay. Sometimes feeling tired can also be a sign of depression - so just a chat with your doctor is a great idea)
Realize that it really does take time to change habits and lifestyle. So, small changes, like a 10 minute daily walk and moderate change in your eating habits, really get you a long way over time. This is often why programs fail - people make major changes and those only last a few weeks because the changes are too drastic.
Think about this - a 10 minute daily walk from Monday to Saturday is actually an hour of activity every week! Then, after 3 to 4 months, or when you really feel it's become a habit - add a second walk. If you approach things this way, by spring of 2015 you will be a "daily walker" and reaping many benefits because of it!
Hope this helps.
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I was in a similar situation. Walking regularly has really helped... and being lighter does too.
Walking and swimming are both good for improving strength and fitness without pounding the joints.
To get motivated - go with a friend (or better still, for walking, take a dog!) -join a group at the swimming pool. Music and laughs help with ignoring pain.0 -
I think this is a bit of a ridiculous post, if I am being frank. It's kind of like the little kid being told that he has to sit on the naughty step, responding 'oh do I have to'.
No you dont have to drink a Red Bull. How do you think people lose weight before the 1990s? Besides, you would have to run a mile to burn of the Red Bull calories in the first place.0 -
I started because basically I could no longer walk. I had aqua therapy, then water aerobics and swimming. Also MFP showed me I did not have to starve to lose weight, just make better food choices. Walk if you can, but until everything stops aching so badly get in that water and move!
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I hear you - I'm 100 lbs overweight and have used my body pains as an excuse (plantar fasciitis is just horrible). However, here are my thoughts for you:
1) You can exercise all you want, but if you don't eat right, you won't lose. I have a seditary job, so I try to do both.
2) The more I move, the less I ache. Believe it or not...
3) I have found success in learning to swim laps. Start slow, do what you can. Once you are ready, add walking, biking, etc.
Good luck!
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Okay, so this is how it was put to me when I started. Losing weight is 80% diet and only 20% exercise. MFP is all about calorie counting... And the easiest way to lose weight is to eat at a calorie deficit. Do this, and even if you don't exercise, you'll still lose weight.
I only drink water (and I try to drink 2 litres a day), I eat 1200 calories a day, and I do my best to 'move more'. I also take a multivitimin because I'm a pescetarian and I don't always make the best food choices!
Dieting is easy, you can take part! You just need to decide you want to. 0 -
For exercise, start small. Pick an activity you like. Anything that will get you moving, walking, a bike ride, even just dancing around the room if you want. Time how long you can go; do this time limit for a week; every week add another minute or so and just keep going.
Every time you don't want to exercise, remind yourself that you never regret it when you're done, only when you don't do it!0 -
You've already gotten great advice, I just wanted to throw my support for you and this advice into the ring.
And I wanted to tell you, even though I've never faced the problems you are facing, every single healthy choice you make means you can make another. And you are already doing that. You are doing it right now when you carefully weigh and measure your food.
Take a look through these forums - weighing and measuring and logging your food and drink properly is probably the #1 thing that members try to convince others to do when they are stuck, stubborn, confused, etc because it's THAT important and it's probably the hardest lesson to learn (for me, too). And some people seem to go to all kinds of crazy mental exercises to avoid it and explain poor food logging away.
And you are already doing it. Lookit you. Being all loggy and measurey and stuff.
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Agree with the start with walking part, plus its free. Alternately at the Y or a local gym, water aerobics are a great start.0
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I could not jump in with both feet (so to speak) when I started. I approached my "start" as changing one habit at a time. I picked one thing and found a way to improve on it. I would only work on that one thing until it was a habit.
I enjoyed sweet tea, I changed to artificial sweetener, then to just lemon and tea, and then I moved to water with lemon. Each time it took me about a few days to several weeks to change.
It has always been little changes for me, whether it was exercising or food selections.
The new habits are way to many to list now. But examples would be such as no more fried chicken, but baked or grilled. Less beef, more fish. Less showers more Epsom salt baths. Less television, started yoga and zumba. Much of it adaptable to my own personality.
I think most people change everything at once. I did that in the past and I was just overwhelmed with improving on all my bad habits and became disappointed with struggling with the drastic change.
So that's how I decided the one habit at a time . . . so far so good. And there is always room for improvement so I never feel trapped in any dietary restrictions or activity. I just keep making improvements in small increments.
My biggest problem is how to answer someone when they ask how I have lost my weight so far. No fad diet . . . just changing one habit at a time.
Best to you in your efforts0
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