Plenty of Excuses - need help getting around them
ralevin
Posts: 131 Member
Hi Everyone,
I'm back here (for the umpteenth time) trying to lose weight. Like many people on here, I've tried over and over and over again, and always either had no success, or had success that didn't last (I dropped 40+ pounds twice, just to put it - and more - back on). Either way, as it stands now, I have at least 100 lbs to lose, though if I want to get to the middle of the "normal" range on the BMI chart, I have about 140 to lose. Wow, that sounds daunting.
I have some excuses why it's never worked. Some are legitimate, others are more like traditional "excuses." Either way, I'm trying to work my way around them. The typical excuses of not finding time to workout/make healthy meals, I know I just have to get over and figure it out. However, I need help with one in particular:
In addition to all of the health issues that come with being 140 lbs overweight (always tired, always feeling run down, etc.), I also have Chronic Daily Migraine (this is an actually-diagnosed condition which means I have at least 15 migraines per month, though I tend to have closer to 25). I simply can't work around my migraines to find time to work out - I need to find a way to make working out work. The biggest problem is that many exercises increase my migraines. Anything high impact (running, especially) makes it worse, but more of a challenge is the fact that changing positions makes it worse. So if I go from vertical to horizontal (like I would to do a plank), it increases. Same thing standing back up. Along these lines, yoga is totally out of question (I've tried it many times).
So, with these restrictions, I'm trying to find something I can do (ideally at home) that combines both cardio and strength (intervals, for example) that doesn't impact my migraines.
Thoughts? Thanks, all.
I'm back here (for the umpteenth time) trying to lose weight. Like many people on here, I've tried over and over and over again, and always either had no success, or had success that didn't last (I dropped 40+ pounds twice, just to put it - and more - back on). Either way, as it stands now, I have at least 100 lbs to lose, though if I want to get to the middle of the "normal" range on the BMI chart, I have about 140 to lose. Wow, that sounds daunting.
I have some excuses why it's never worked. Some are legitimate, others are more like traditional "excuses." Either way, I'm trying to work my way around them. The typical excuses of not finding time to workout/make healthy meals, I know I just have to get over and figure it out. However, I need help with one in particular:
In addition to all of the health issues that come with being 140 lbs overweight (always tired, always feeling run down, etc.), I also have Chronic Daily Migraine (this is an actually-diagnosed condition which means I have at least 15 migraines per month, though I tend to have closer to 25). I simply can't work around my migraines to find time to work out - I need to find a way to make working out work. The biggest problem is that many exercises increase my migraines. Anything high impact (running, especially) makes it worse, but more of a challenge is the fact that changing positions makes it worse. So if I go from vertical to horizontal (like I would to do a plank), it increases. Same thing standing back up. Along these lines, yoga is totally out of question (I've tried it many times).
So, with these restrictions, I'm trying to find something I can do (ideally at home) that combines both cardio and strength (intervals, for example) that doesn't impact my migraines.
Thoughts? Thanks, all.
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Replies
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Can you walk and eat at a deficit by tracking your intake? That's really all it takes to start losing weight (and you don't even need the walking, I just think you'll get healthier faster if you add movement).
Once you lose some of the weight, maybe after a couple months you'll feel better and have the energy to add body weight exercises.0 -
Thank you, WBB55 - great idea. I'm actually not in as bad of shape as one might expect at 140 lbs overweight. I'm certainly not in good shape. I already walk an average of around 8,000 steps on weekdays and between 10,000-15,000 on Saturdays. Sundays are typically a crap-shoot. I'm actually looking for something a little more intensive than walking. I recently completed a bike race, for which the training consisted of several 3-4 hour rides.0
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You don't need to exercise to have a calorie deficit.0
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Then it sounds like all you need is a calorie deficit and patience. Though aiming for 15,000 steps per day is very doable and will add a lot of extra cardio.Thank you, WBB55 - great idea. I'm actually not in as bad of shape as one might expect at 140 lbs overweight. I'm certainly not in good shape. I already walk an average of around 8,000 steps on weekdays and between 10,000-15,000 on Saturdays. Sundays are typically a crap-shoot. I'm actually looking for something a little more intensive than walking. I recently completed a bike race, for which the training consisted of several 3-4 hour rides.
If you want to start adding some low impact strength before you've lost more, I recommend yoga. Seriously. Planks do wonders for the body.0 -
My daughter suffers from migraines and also had problems with exercise triggering them. Her doctor told her spinning (stationary bike) was the exercise most likely NOT to cause a migraine. So far it's been working for her.0
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Hey op! Personally I have cpm (chronic permanent migraine) as well. Well mine is slightly different as mine never had gone away due to some medical problem I have. But! I get what you are talking about. It really does hinder you physically. Personally, I keep my medication handy and take it so it's most powerful during my workouts if needed. On top of that, keeping in mind of my migraine, I modify p90x2 for myself. I test and feel for my Limits, and change moves I feel hurt my migraine worse. Like for me, pull ups are a no, so when they do them I do other moves like leg lifts or use light weights.
Not sure if that helps, just something I learned helped me. Good luck0 -
I can't help you with solutions to any of your excuses, but I do know that you can use your brain power tip come up with reason why you can't do things, or you can use that brain power to think about what you CAN do.0
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Thank you, WBB55 - great idea. I'm actually not in as bad of shape as one might expect at 140 lbs overweight. I'm certainly not in good shape. I already walk an average of around 8,000 steps on weekdays and between 10,000-15,000 on Saturdays. Sundays are typically a crap-shoot. I'm actually looking for something a little more intensive than walking. I recently completed a bike race, for which the training consisted of several 3-4 hour rides.
Is there any reason you can't keep doing that? I do 3 spin classes a week and they're great for calorie burn. If you have a bike you could look at getting a turbo trainer to ride at home. There are plenty of cycling dvd's or downloads available0 -
I love your attitude and your enthusiasm to succeed despite the obstacles that come your way. You seem very motivated regardless and I think a real strong positive outlook will help you drop those unwanted pounds. Wishing you the very best of luck here. You've got this.0
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Exercise isn't needed for weight loss. It's good for other things, but you don't have to exercise to lose weight. I didn't. So if you're having trouble fitting that in, espically with medical conditions, concentrate on calorie intake first and get that sorted out. Weight loss is simply burning more calories than you consume. Some people do it by lowering the calories they consume, some by burning more, a lot by a combination. I did the first one. I have asthma, and it's frustrating to try and work out and my lungs give out before anything else does! So I didn't factor it in. I gradually lowered my calorie consumption and that worked for me.
With that being said, do you swim? Something like water aerobics or just swimming laps are almost no impact and can be good exercise. You might also look into yoga. I had trouble with it, but my mom enjoyed it, and as the movements are slow, that might be something that will help.0 -
Thank you all for your responses and advice! I really appreciate it!
In the past, I've tried just reducing calories, and other times just exercising more. One alone doesn't work for me, so I need to combine the two.
Yoga isn't an option, due to the change in body positions and increase in migraine.
Spinning is definitely an option. It's just that training for the bike race burned me out a bit from cycling. (I know, that's one of the excuses that I need to just get over).
Swimming/water aerobics may be a possibility, though scheduling may be an issue (my wife works out 6x/week, and one of us has to be home for the kids). I'll look into that.
Again, thank you all!0 -
Just start by logging your food on MFP.
I'm a huge fan of stationary bikes. Yesterday I didn't feel like going to the gym but just wanted to watch Netflix instead. So I did... while riding the bike. Burned 400 calories in 2 hours and got to enjoy my shows. Win/win. It cost us $100 on amazon 1.5 year ago... and there's really not any good excuse not to do it while watching TV (plus you can't snack while you're on it, so it's double win).0 -
Well stated. Im not exercising and have a deficit. One month in to mfp lost 8 pounds and have 20 more to lose. When I hit a stall closer to my goal then I will start exercising. I do like a good workout but know my body will retain more water and I will get discouraged not seeing the pounds dropping because it does make me hungry.You don't need to exercise to have a calorie deficit.
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I am probably gonna take a lot of heat saying this...so let me preface with everyone is different, what worked for me doesn't mean it will work for anyone else.
I used to have a lot of problems with migraines. Medication didn't do much to help with it, either. When I started to avoid a few common "trigger" foods, it helped a little, but I still got them regularly. Not fun. I have now been migraine-free for almost three months (makes me a little nervous even saying that, no jinx!) The single biggest change that I made was cutting out dairy, which was something that I once insisted that I'd never even attempt or consider. So glad that I did. I do not miss migraines.0 -
Ill o with the exercise isnt needed camp.
OP if you wnat to lose weight you need 2 things:
1.A calorific deficit.
2. Commitment to see things through.
Its number 2 you really need to make sure you cna achieve number 1. then you lose weight.
As for your migraines I went through a period of cluster migraines where I had 3 a week easily and as you know they can often last 48hrs+ so I was suffering an attack more often than not. I agree its debilitating and draining, but it doesnt have to stand in your way. You need to get a deficit and the first/ most importnat part of that is food control.
A journey to lose weight is more than likely to improve your migraines as it will reduce blood pressure, you should manage more hydration, better nutrition and more exercise. Walking is a good start but stationary bike, rower, water aerobiscs and just generally slow down the pace and you should be fine.
If you are doing 10000 steps then tbh its the food you need to get under control and not really more exercise.
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justrollme wrote: »I am probably gonna take a lot of heat saying this...so let me preface with everyone is different, what worked for me doesn't mean it will work for anyone else.
I used to have a lot of problems with migraines. Medication didn't do much to help with it, either. When I started to avoid a few common "trigger" foods, it helped a little, but I still got them regularly. Not fun. I have now been migraine-free for almost three months (makes me a little nervous even saying that, no jinx!) The single biggest change that I made was cutting out dairy, which was something that I once insisted that I'd never even attempt or consider. So glad that I did. I do not miss migraines.
Some people have odd migraine triggers. A friend in high school discovered that onions were her trigger. It took working with her doctor and trial and error to discover it. I don't see anyone giving you heat for cutting dairy if it is your migraine trigger. It'll be different for everyone.0 -
There are many helping books if you like to read. Two of them what really helped me was Sarah Willson-I quiet sugar or watch 'the Sugar movie' or read 'The sugar book. It's for the nutrition. And for workout Mark Lauren' you are your own gym' 4x10 weeks workout plan, im on week 17 and it really does work! Good luck x0
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I can't help you with solutions to any of your excuses, but I do know that you can use your brain power to come up with reason why you can't do things, or you can use that brain power to think about what you CAN do.
Ya, I have bad knees (official diagnosis "Pain with Activity" O_o) and have used lots of brain power coming up with work arounds.
I haven't run since I was in the military and had no choice in running, and have no desire to run, but there are lots of other things I do.
@ralevin sounds like you have a good attitude and you will get around your mental blocks!
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