Should I Start exercising?

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  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited August 2015
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Here's another thought. Weight Watchers brings up exercise on week two or three. I think this is because they want the participant to get that initial blush of success, losing weight by restricting calories. Exercise is wonderful and I enjoy it much more than dieting. I find the results are much more tangible and direct. That is, if I work out today I'll be a little more sore tomorrow, and by the third day, a little stronger! Win!

    BUT

    Suddenly adding a lot of exercise bumps up the appetite and also may result in temporary weight (not fat) gain as the muscles swell a little from water weight (repair). So the poor dieter, who has eaten "clean" for two whole weeks, worked out like an insane person every day for an hour, sees a GAIN at the scale, and, hangry, is ready to QUIT. That's it; poutine, ice cream and sugar soda in front of the TV.

    I say approach exercise slowly. Try lots of different routines, clubs, sports, and classes, and find something you really enjoy. Make sure it's not just about weight loss but about increasing your strength, mobility, health, and fitness.

    All great points, although I expect nothing less from @jgnatca. Poutine, FTW!

    I started out walking in January, then walking more, then gave Couch to 5K a try in April although I've never been a runner (and 3 months earlier would have said I hated it!), ran my first race (10K) in October and my first half marathon almost a year to the day after I simply started walking. If I had started out that January deciding to just run because I wanted to burn calories, while I still hated running and being sweaty, I know I would have probably quit about 3 or 4 weeks in when the running got hard. Because it was a natural, slow progression, 4.5 years later I'm still running and enjoying it.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    natgetittogether wrote: »
    Question, is insanity a good workout program?


    I wouldn't do insanity, even if they paid me to do it.
  • NJDad
    NJDad Posts: 37 Member
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    natgetittogether wrote: »
    Question, is insanity a good workout program?

    To follow up on what others said-- it is kind of nuts. I borrowed a DVD and couldn't do it at all, at least not yet. But I know people that like it.

    BUT I just started Focus T25, also from Beach Body. I like it a lot. It's super hard, but it has modifications. By the end of the workout, I'm dripping in sweat even with the modifications. A few friends have tried the P90 line. You can start with original P90 (it might be called Power 90. NOT P90X, which is more advanced) or P90X3, which is a 30 minute workout and is easier than X.

    By the way, I am not a coach. Coaches are basically a combo of coach and their salesforce, so if you go the Beachbody route you want to make sure you are aware of that and that your person really is looking out for you. The woman that was assigned to me to be my coach is great. She has helped me a lot in a short time. If you want a Beachbody coach, I recommend her.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    If you want to start exercising then start exercising. If you don't want to exercise then don't exercise.
  • mommyvudu
    mommyvudu Posts: 99 Member
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    Oh my god PLEASE start working out. I quit smoking after 15 years (started when I was 15) for my 30th birthday and put on a solid 50-60 pounds, after being angry as hell for a month with no good reason other than nicotine deprivation. Best decision I ever made though! Working out will help you curb the aggression you will definitely feel upon quitting and help you if you replace the oral fixation with food like I did. Count those calories and break a sweat daily!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I waited 2 weeks, personally, to get the eating under control first. Let's say I went through that before and exercising made me SO HUNGRY that I never lost anything...
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    natgetittogether wrote: »
    Question, is insanity a good workout program?

    I did it over a year ago. I just jumped right into it. Over a year later and I'm still dealing with the plantar fasciitis, and developed some awesome heel spurs too. I always had bad feet, but THIS had caused it to go crazy, and I still can barely walk when I first get up in the morning. So please, be careful if you do it. Don't push yourself too hard.
  • ValerieS1122
    ValerieS1122 Posts: 23 Member
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    I started insanity when I was considered obese. I'm now overweight. I LOVE insanity. To see your numbers improve on the fit test is fantastic. ;-)
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Everyone should exercise, though you don't have to. It can help improve your lung function as you quit smoking. The only way to "get your body ready" is to start easy and increase difficulty incrementally. You can do that with a gym or without. Up to you.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    RockstarWilson wrote: »
    If you are trying to quit, however, I think you should forego calorie restriction. I quit cold turkey, just gave it up one day. I tried quitting about 4 times before, and 3 of those times, I was dieting. The other time, I wasn't, but I was not working out.

    Cigarettes are an appetite suppressant, so when you quit, your metabolism speeds up.

    I disagree, as my metabolism went out the door when I quit smoking. Even though upon quitting smoking, I stopped drinking wine every night and started eating at home instead of eating at greasy spoons and such, my weight exploded until I started to exercise. Then it finally started coming down.

    So yes, exercise!!
  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
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    Yes to exercise. But you are better off identifying a few things you might enjoy and experimenting, rather than trying to find "the best" exercises. You want do some strength work and some cardio, but there's a large range of options in each bucket. It doesn't matter whether walking, running, biking or the treadmill is "better," if you find the treadmill unbearable. Likewise, although there are many passionate advocates of lifting heavy on MFP, there are other forms of strength training that you might find more sustainable.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    Exercise is great for sure! But imo do so carefully. I went kind of nuts trying to run and do lots of lunges and things from nothing, and it's 2 years later and I'm still paying the price with what I did to my knee.

    Not everyone has those issues just jumping into exercise, but I did so I'd just suggest being careful & get someone else involved, like a personal trainer or a physiotherapist to make sure you're doing things correctly (I'm having to relearn squats bc I've been doing them wrong & putting pressure on my knee and IT band *facepalm*)
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    If you want to start, start.
  • RockstarWilson
    RockstarWilson Posts: 836 Member
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    ValerieS1122 wrote: »
    I started insanity when I was considered obese. I'm now overweight. I LOVE insanity. To see your numbers improve on the fit test is fantastic. ;-)

    Yes, but you have to know your limits. If high impact exercises are extremely difficult, one coukd get hurt
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    RockstarWilson wrote: »
    If you are trying to quit, however, I think you should forego calorie restriction. I quit cold turkey, just gave it up one day. I tried quitting about 4 times before, and 3 of those times, I was dieting. The other time, I wasn't, but I was not working out.

    Cigarettes are an appetite suppressant, so when you quit, your metabolism speeds up.

    I disagree, as my metabolism went out the door when I quit smoking. Even though upon quitting smoking, I stopped drinking wine every night and started eating at home instead of eating at greasy spoons and such, my weight exploded until I started to exercise. Then it finally started coming down.

    So yes, exercise!!

    Ah. Good catch. I had it mixed up. A faster metabolism doesn't explain weight gain. Just as not being able to gain weight while smoking doesn't explain a fast metabolism. I could eat entire pizzas while smoking, and not gain a thing! Lol.
  • Treasureslide
    Treasureslide Posts: 42 Member
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    I have only just started exercising again, I think that the Fitness Blender low Impact Cardio for beginners (on you tube ) 30 mins. is a great way to really begin to work out, mix that in with walking, and a beginner yoga session a week. I brought a cross trainer and I am loving that too, will work out cheaper than a gym and I do it in my pjs before my morning shower!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I find it crazy to start with Insanity, personally. It's like deciding to start running with a marathon... Find something easier to start with. Heck I started with slim in 6, which is completely low impact and easy, and I couldn't even go through the warm up the first time.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    exercise and/or regular activity is important to overall health and well being...so not sure why you wouldn't.
  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
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    If you haven't been exercising, high-impact programs like Insanity probably aren't the right place to start. Even if you can handle it cardiovascularly, remember that your tendons and joints do NOT react well to being shocked into a hard-hitting program. That's one if the reasons most progressive running programs limit how much you increase your distance/time each week even though you may feel like you can do more. I would personally advise you start with a variety of low-impact exercises -- walking, strength training, yoga, swimming, various cardio machines -- and see what you like. While you're testing the waters, you'll be protecting yourself from injury and also be preparing your body for higher impact options should you choose to go that route.

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