I cried at the park today

You can do it! You just need to keep trying. If you persevere you will definitely get there.

Every bit helps you get to your goal. I was the same way at one point and needed a cart to lean on in stores. I’m no where near my goal but I’m also no where near where I was. I’m halfway between and that’s great... you’re not where you started either. Congratulate yourself for making changes and for each small victory along the way. They add up. Don’t forget not to best yourself up either. You didn’t gain overnight and you won’t lose overnight either. I’m proud of you the same way that I’m proud of myself for making the decision and the effort to change our lives. One day at a time. We’ll have food and bad days but don’t give up.

appledawn0422 wrote: »

I'm 40 and morbidly obese. Im just tired of it all. Last week, I went to an amusement park with my teens and was afraid to ride anything. I was afraid I wouldn't fit! That's when I decided to make a change and start living. I've been researching and started meal prepping. I enlisted a work out partner for 3 days a week at the gym. I was all excited. Today, I went to the park to walk a mile. I could only make it a half mile 😭. I'm ashamed. How could I let myself get here!? My lungs hurt, my ankles hurt and my legs burned. I sat on my car and cried.

You've STARTED. That's where it's important. If you stay CONSISTENT, then things will change. Keep your expectations real. It's gonna be a tough road, but staying the course will prove it's possible.



A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Hi @appledawn0422

Congratulations on deciding to make the change. Don't forget that weight loss is mainly down to what you do with your food so if you focus on being in a caloric deficit of up to 500 calories a day then you WILL steadily lose weight.

You don't need to exercise to lose weight (your body mass means your BMR is already high so you can eat quite a lot of cals and lose weight). It is of course good for mobility and fitness. It's great that you are getting out and trying to walk and go to the gym. My advice would be to take it very easy - the last thing you want to do is injure yourself. You said that you found walking half a mile painful, particularly on your knees, legs and ankles. I would suggest finding a distance you can walk without this pain and build up slowly from there (i.e. 100m to start with and add on no more than 10% extra in one go i.e. 100m for x days, then 110m for x days, 121m, 133m, 146m etc). It sounds very tedious but you'll be able to increase it quite quickly (you could even do the walk twice a day) and you can be confident that you're not hurting yourself. Others have suggested lower impact activities such as swimming - these would be good to try.

Good luck with it all - don't be hard on yourself, you're doing really well.

Just look at all those encouraging messages and good advise from MFP members! That's what it is all about: MFP will do all the necessary calculations for you and what could go wrong with great member's support? I started 443 days ago and so far dropped 36 kg / 80 pounds, started on 170 kg / 375 pounds. I prepare a basic meal plan for the next day and take it meal by meal, day by day. Still a long way to go - but where would I be if I would not have started last year to do something for myself, something for my health?

you realized there was a problem
you came to believe you needed to change
and you are actively trying to enforce those changes.

a half mile is perfectly fine. a quarter mile would be too. just.keep.going.

Good for you for deciding to make a change. Go easy on youself. Don’t expect to go from zero to 100 mph overnight or you will discourage yourself. Make gradual changes in both nutrition and fitness and be consistent. You will be amazed at your body’s ability to adapt and change.

Sending major hugs your way.

Hello, @appledawn0422 !
It is so great that you have taken the first step. Many of us have had moments like that. Here's a great account of a moment like that by @The_Movie_Chair , who has chronicled her journey in an amazing blog here on MFP:
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/The_Movie_Chair/view/the-empty-chair-beside-me-909153

Weight loss is all about making small improvements, taking daily and weekly actions that add up over time. (Here's one of my favorite videos about this -- How to Get 1% Better Every Day by habits expert James Clear.)

You can't change the past or where you are at this particular moment. You can only change your trajectory and destination going forward. I retired last January (2018) after a long sedentary IT career, morbidly obese in my own right. The family bought me a new bike for Christmas 2017 in anticipation of retiring, with the encouragement, "go forth and ride." Riding is way easier on the body when you are older and oversized. Except up hills, of course, LOL. But its a great way to get fitter. It's my choice in preference to running.

I lost 35+ lbs last year, and this year I'm bouncing in a narrow range, but being measured by the doctor as gaining muscle mass. So, in his words, "you're getting fitter/stronger, you're feeling better, and your clothes are getting looser. You're doing basically the right things, keep at it." Of course, we want to accelerate the loss, and with summer now starting, my successful regimen of last year (riding to the beach - I live close to the shore in NJ) and swimming most days is ramping up. Swimming, by the way is another great low-impact exercise.

Exercise is not sufficient, however. Some sort of dietary regimen is needed. "You can't outride your fork," is a cycling fitness saying I picked up last year. For me, "moderation is key," and I'm not doing anything to wacky. Caloric control, fresh whole and home prepared foods, lower glycemic values, lower salt content all work for me.

All these changes will take time to manifest in a postive direction, and the direction doesn't always seem to be positive. You will have both imagined and real setbacks, this is life. I see you're walking. Much as you, I had difficulty walking when I began this last year; a mall was a strenuous outing. This past winter, during my "cycling off season," I joined a winter senior hikers group - and boy could some of those old geezers really walk LOL - I felt truly inadequate compared to them. But I kept at it, and it all got better. Time. Effort. Results.

You can do it. You've already chosen the path to embark on. You have motivation (your kids). Fighting you will be your brain - discouragement is always stalking around, waiting to get you. Just keep your focus. There will be both real and imagined setbacks, this is life. But you will prevail if you keep your focus. Good luck.

You can do this! Like others have said, the fact that you walked is still good! You may not have reached where you wanted to but you moved your body and that's better than nothing! In July I could walk about .75 miles before I felt like I was dying. Now I walk 3-6 miles at a time and often run 2 of those miles. Your body (and mind) will get stronger.