New memeber. Need help.

Hi yall. Im a 28 year old, 210 lb woman. My goal is to be around 150... im new to all of this and need some help. Ive made huge chamges to my diet so far and im getting my tush into gear to. I suffered a spinal cord injury 12 years ago that left me paralyzed and quickly gained 100 pounds....im no longer paralyzed by the grace of God and would really love to hear how i can start and continue this life journey. The weight puts strain on my back and i think the pain will go away once im not so heavy.
Thanks!!

Replies

  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
    Wow! Sorry to hear of your injury but what a blessing to get your mobility back! Definitely take advantage of it but start slowly. Just start walking. That's all it takes.

    Getting your calorie intake under control and making sure you are properly fueled and hydrated is the first step. After that, keep it simple: just move more each day.
  • SamanthasJourney210
    SamanthasJourney210 Posts: 17 Member
    I started about 4 weeks ago. I couldnt even walk a mile without wanting to pass out, but now i can walk around 2 1/2 before i feel like i need to stop. Also, i quit drinking sodas and i only drink water now. Around 100 ozs maybe a little more. I cant get to a gym , so im wondering how i can do weight training without the weights....thanks for the advice. God bless
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
    Good for you! Excellent changes so far. Google bodyweight exercises. There are countless ones you can do and they are very effective. I incorporate them into my workouts regularly and try to do a variety of them in the evenings when I'm watching TV.
  • huntersmom2016
    huntersmom2016 Posts: 185 Member
    I started about 4 weeks ago. I couldnt even walk a mile without wanting to pass out, but now i can walk around 2 1/2 before i feel like i need to stop. Also, i quit drinking sodas and i only drink water now. Around 100 ozs maybe a little more. I cant get to a gym , so im wondering how i can do weight training without the weights....thanks for the advice. God bless

    Get some exercise bands. They're cheap and store away easily. They can give you added resistance to help you build muscle.
  • Gena575
    Gena575 Posts: 224 Member
    Fitness Blender has some great beginner bodyweight videos on YouTube. Some moves are beyond me even in the beginner videos, so I just do the best I can with them. Some have push-ups and my arm strength is pretty much wet-noodle. So I do wall push-ups instead. Still working the muscles and gaining strength and I'll move to knee push-ups when I'm ready.
  • SamanthasJourney210
    SamanthasJourney210 Posts: 17 Member
    Thank you for the tips and advice. They are greatly appreciated
  • 777dawne
    777dawne Posts: 27 Member
    What about the toning bands? I use them for strength training. .Jessica smith has a really good one I Love it. Sure tone me up..helped my arms too :)
  • SamanthasJourney210
    SamanthasJourney210 Posts: 17 Member
    Never tried toning bands but definitely looking into them
  • awcforever
    awcforever Posts: 20 Member
    I started about 4 weeks ago. I couldnt even walk a mile without wanting to pass out, but now i can walk around 2 1/2 before i feel like i need to stop. Also, i quit drinking sodas and i only drink water now. Around 100 ozs maybe a little more. I cant get to a gym , so im wondering how i can do weight training without the weights....thanks for the advice. God bless

    I have to say calisthenics are the way to go. I'm a pretty big fella and I do all body weight exercises and it's great. The best thing is since it's your body you can adjust however you like to make your workout more comfortable.
  • SamanthasJourney210
    SamanthasJourney210 Posts: 17 Member
    Thank you! Best of luck to you as well!
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    I found small steps worked for me.

    As in don't go from couch potato eating pizza everyday to 7 days in the gym a week eating super healthy.

    I started by getting my calories under control first, regardless of what I ate.

    Then I started aiming for specific macro and slowly changed my diet to get this, finding what works and doesn't, what I can stick to long term.

    Similar with exercise, started walking, lifting some weights.

    Worked my way up to running.
  • daniGb
    daniGb Posts: 1 Member
    Resistance bands and ankle bands are great for adding strength training movements into your workout without actually adding the full weight. Also, when you are comfortable at doing basic lunges, you can add in a glider disc to add a bit more difficulty. I use them with planks too.
  • debrafm
    debrafm Posts: 38 Member
    I like to do intervals. When I first started losing weight, that seemed to help shed weight at a good pace. I made a playlist of rock/metal songs that were different speeds. The faster ones, I jogged. The slower ones, I walked. It also helped tighten my middle.
  • SamanthasJourney210
    SamanthasJourney210 Posts: 17 Member
    Merkavar wrote: »
    I found small steps worked for me.

    As in don't go from couch potato eating pizza everyday to 7 days in the gym a week eating super healthy.

    I started by getting my calories under control first, regardless of what I ate.

    Then I started aiming for specific macro and slowly changed my diet to get this, finding what works and doesn't, what I can stick to long term.

    Similar with exercise, started walking, lifting some weights.

    Worked my way up to running.

    Thank you! Great job!
  • mom2rpkp
    mom2rpkp Posts: 181 Member
    Wow! That's awesome you have mobility back! Yes, your back pain will get better. I started at 299 pounds, and it took losing only 30 pounds to see a reversal of several issues: joint pain, inflexibility, indigestion, poor posture. There is already lots of great advice here. I'll second the suggestion to take small changes and let each become a habit before adding a new one. I have lost 50 pounds and kept it off a long time; in a plateau but am recommitting. I started by changing to only drinking water and black coffee. After a month, I kept that up and added logging every bite. Next, I kept the first two and added a new goal of at least 5 veggies and 2 fruits a day. After a month, I kept the first three changes and started walking and moving more. Next I got a cheap pedometer and aimed for at least 60,000 steps per week. Then I started other small changes as my motivation and results dictated - increasing nutrient density of food, being more consistent with meal times, etc. My second suggestion is to make your diary visible to MFP friends so that if you hit a snag they can help you troublshoot. Best to you!
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    What everyone else said...and congratulations! That's really incredible!
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
    I'm just backing what everyone else said.

    I'm so happy for you that you came out of that. You can do anything! :smile: You've overcome a major ordeal. I'm sure you can do this too!
  • SamanthasJourney210
    SamanthasJourney210 Posts: 17 Member
    mom2rpkp wrote: »
    Wow! That's awesome you have mobility back! Yes, your back pain will get better. I started at 299 pounds, and it took losing only 30 pounds to see a reversal of several issues: joint pain, inflexibility, indigestion, poor posture. There is already lots of great advice here. I'll second the suggestion to take small changes and let each become a habit before adding a new one. I have lost 50 pounds and kept it off a long time; in a plateau but am recommitting. I started by changing to only drinking water and black coffee. After a month, I kept that up and added logging every bite. Next, I kept the first two and added a new goal of at least 5 veggies and 2 fruits a day. After a month, I kept the first three changes and started walking and moving more. Next I got a cheap pedometer and aimed for at least 60,000 steps per week. Then I started other small changes as my motivation and results dictated - increasing nutrient density of food, being more consistent with meal times, etc. My second suggestion is to make your diary visible to MFP friends so that if you hit a snag they can help you troublshoot. Best to you!

    I am not sure how to change it it to public???
  • SamanthasJourney210
    SamanthasJourney210 Posts: 17 Member
    What everyone else said...and congratulations! That's really incredible!

    Thank you, but all glory goes to God. I couldnt do anything without him. :)
  • SamanthasJourney210
    SamanthasJourney210 Posts: 17 Member
    I'm just backing what everyone else said.

    I'm so happy for you that you came out of that. You can do anything! :smile: You've overcome a major ordeal. I'm sure you can do this too!

    ThNk you for the encouragement! !! Best of luck to you!