Couch Potato 56 years old and way overweight

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flokettle2098928
flokettle2098928 Posts: 1
in Fitness and Exercise
I am 56 year old women who has always been more of a couch potato for most of my life. I want to change but being overweight with fibromyalgia gets me down. I do have access to an elliptical and something like a as well as weights. I just don't know how to start or how to progress. I don't wish to hurt myself or overdo it to the point that I hate it and lose my desire. Any trainers out there that know what to do with an old couch potato wanting to change?

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  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
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    You should sign up at a gym and get a trainer. Seriously, it will be so helpful! Not only will they teach you how to workout, but you have a standing appointment that guarantees you'll show up. I never exercised a day in my life before MFP and if I didn't have a trainer, I would've never kept going.
  • camground2
    camground2 Posts: 41 Member
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    Also. To start set a goal of just going outside or to a mall if it bad weather and walk! Just start :-)
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
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    The most important thing for losing weight is calorie deficit - you don't have to exercise at all to lose weight. Of course, it helps body composition and health to do so, but losing weight is usually achieved by controlling your calorie intake and not by exercising a lot.

    I would suggest getting more in shape before you start the intense stuff - start going for (energetic) walks, say 30-45 minutes (or work your way up to this). When you're in better shape, then start with more intense exercise. You don't want to risk injury. This is what I did, and I think it worked out well.
  • njm328
    njm328 Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm a 58 yo former couch potato- and also second find a gym. I recommend one with more than machines, one with trainers & classes. I started at a gym 14 weeks ago- they had silver sneaker classes (geared for the over 65 set) that are open to anyone- great way to start, low wgts and many modifications. I met with a personal trainer and now are taking other classes. I have friends who have just done machines to lose wgt but with some wgt work- you get toned as well. Also log you food- weigh everything, eat clean- less processed food. It takes more work but it works. After 14 wgts I'm down 40 lbs & over 19 inches - just between my waist, hip & thigh.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I’m a trainer and I’d like to start with one phrase I use a lot: patience, persistence, and progression.

    Start with something small (even if it is just 5 minutes on the elliptical). Do what you can, rest sufficiently to recover, and do it again. Add a small progression and build on what you have.

    Educate yourself. Figure out what type of fitness you want to accomplish for yourself. Early on, cardiovascular (via the elliptical) might just be it.

    Fifty-six years in one mode, don’t expect to be something else until you’ve invested the time doing something else (measured in years, not months). Keep at it. Build on what you’ve done, slowly improving.

    Patience, persistence, progression.
  • Carryhandy
    Carryhandy Posts: 1
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    3 years ago I was overweight and fed up. I joined a gym and hired a trainer. I still train with him now and have lost 2 1/2 stone. Motivation was the key for me. I wanted to look good for my 50 th party. Start with small goals like try to lose half a stone and see how much better that feels then go for the next half or do it in whole ones depending on how you feel. Generally eat less and move more. I now love to exercise and enjoy looking for healthy foods to eat. Finding a class I enjoy also helps. I now am braving a Bootcamp ! Good luck I'm sure you can do it. Just go for it what's stopping you? You will feel and look better and healthier.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Start by walking. I would not start with a gym and I would not start by experimenting with equipment with fibromyalgia. Just put on some comfortable shoes and walk. Start with small goals, like walk at a very comfortable pace for 15 minutes or whatever feels easy and work your way to longer distances. Or if walking is painful, see if you can get access to a pool, for swimming or water aerobics.
  • pnzekio
    pnzekio Posts: 6 Member
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    I would start by walking and changing the way you eat. To lose weight is to eat less and move more, however diet is number 1, and you can never out work out a bad diet. Make one small change at a time. Once you are used to the change and it becomes normal to you, then move on to making the next change and so on.


    You can start by reducing your portions. Eat slower (putting down the fork when you eat). It takes about 10-15 minutes for our brain to receive the signal that we are full, so by doing that you'll prevent yourself from over eating.

    Drink more water. The first thing you should do when you wake up is drink water. Drink water before you eat anything. Many times our body reacts a certain way and we think it's hunger or a headach or whatever, when in fact it's dehydration. Drink water before you eat will fill up your stomach a bit and you won't eat as much food.

    Then you can move on to substituting some of your snacks with fruits and vegetables. Gradually remove ALL snacks from the house. I have poor self control in my home, so I don't buy junk food AT ALL; Certain food I'll buy maybe once a year when I want to indulge, because I know I have ZERO self control around them. For me that's cashews, Nutella, chips, cheese, and chessmen cookies. So if you have chips, ice cream, donuts at home, stop buying the ice cream first. In 2 weeks or a month, stop buying the chips... and so on.

    Do all this while you incorporate a walk; say 20-30 minutes a day. If you listen to podcast, you can dedicate that time to catch up on your podcast. I do that with TedTalk and Wait Wait don't tell me. I catch up on these show while I take a stroll in my neighborhood.

    As you get comfortable with it, increase the time to 45 minutes, one hour.

    I hope this is helpful.

  • nkovacs1954
    nkovacs1954 Posts: 64 Member
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    Go walk. A block, then two, then more. Not the same day. My wife and I decided that we'd like to be together for awhile and walking together is great. She is now jogging/walking 5-6 miles with spurts of 10 and I'm doing 4-5..it all started with the first step.
  • tiffaniedemayo
    tiffaniedemayo Posts: 38 Member
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    I'm 50, and a couch potato in the winter. During the warm months of the year, i do a lot of raking/gardening, walking, and kayaking, but once it get's cold out, it's the recliner, a good book, and munchies! :neutral:
    I'm trying to change this also, but don't want to join a gym. I have a treadmill, rowing machine, and an original power rider. I started with just getting in the treadmill for 20-30 minutes, then after a week i plan to go up to 45 minutes. It wasn't easy at first (i'm only on day 5), and 30 minutes only burns about 100 calories( at a normal pace), but 100 calories burned is more that 0. Plus i have lost about 1 pound in 5 days. I also changed many things in my diet, i went from whole milk to almond milk, fried potato chips to veggie chips, and when i want to munch, i grab carrots, or celery for that "crunch".
    I'm no expert, but i think by changing one thing (like whole milk to almond milk) a week, and adding 30 minutes of movement a week is a good place to start. 15 years ago i weighed over 200 pounds, and i'm 5'5''. I started roller skating (of all things!), and changing one food item in my diet every week. a year later i was down to 135 pounds. A car accident & surgery turned me into a couch potato, but i'm back on track. Slow and steady is what worked for me....i hope it works again, at 50!! Good luck to you!!

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