so weak and huge where do i start

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avon1rose
avon1rose Posts: 2
in Motivation and Support
I am only 28 years old and i currently weigh 146kg, crazy heavy as i am really quite short. I need to get back to my former self when i was 59kgs. I was this weight when i fell pregnant with my son who is now 6. I developed blood clots and other complications while pregnant. I am still suffering many health issues but i know losing the weight will go a long way to making some of them better.
I have such a long way to go and after 6 years of on again off again bed rest i am so weak and so scared. I have no idea why i am posting on here and i am sorry to take up peoples time but i was always fit and healthy and i have never had to try to lose weight before. I was wondering if anyone had low impact exercise ideas. I can not afford to join a gym but any help would be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • NotGoddess
    NotGoddess Posts: 1,198 Member
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    1) You are not 'taking' anyone's time. If we choose to read your post, it's our decision to spend it that way. There are a lot of people asking for advice here. You are not alone, so please do not feel that you are wasting our time or that your need for info is less important than someone else's.

    2) Especially if you've had health issues, I'll tell you to make sure you get your doctor's okay before doing anything.

    3) For exercise, I'd say just start with walking and body-weight exercises (wall push-ups, until you can do girly push-ups, until you can do full push-ups). Walking does a lot of good and can help improve your cardiovascular help-get a pedometer and start measuring your steps, find out your average then each week try to raise that average a little at a time.

    Sometimes you need to take it slow and easy, but that doesn't mean you can't make progress. Keep it up and you'll get where you want to be.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Being here and asking for help is a great first step. Try starting out with casual short walks around your neighborhood.
  • literaryshots
    literaryshots Posts: 66 Member
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    Just remember, a little more every day. It will get easier and you'll begin to feel better and better.
    And don't beat yourself up along the way, it took you years to get here, it will take some time, just a change at a time.

    Find some good positive supporters on line and in life and lean all you need to!

    You can do this.
  • nicholettebell
    nicholettebell Posts: 414
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    I second that! You are not "taking" up anyone's time. That's what we're here for - to support and motivate and ask questions.

    Do you have a public pool that you could go to? I heard that exercising in the water is a really great place to start for low impact exercising.
  • joannezuk
    joannezuk Posts: 153 Member
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    Well, the good news is that you've already started! So congratulations for taking your first step and joining the community!

    Next step - start tracking your food every day. This site is fantastic and really helps you stay on track. For the first few days, it will feel like work. But it gets easier really quickly. Even within the first couple of days, I found myself trading off foods - if I wanted a glass of wine, I'd figure out the calories and then find a way to cut those out of what I was planning to cook for supper. More veggies, less cheese = a glass of wine! Don't worry so much about planning at first. After the first couple of days, you'll see where your big calorie hits are. When you see it in black and white, it's hard to ignore!

    Simultaneously, just promise yourself that every day you will do a little more than the day before. Whether it's doing a video at home (biggest loser has some great low-impact ones), or simply walking (the cheapest and easiest way to get in shape), start every day with a goal. Tomorrow, start with a 10 minute walk. Literally, go out your door, walk for 5 minutes, turn around, and come home. Stop as often as you need to rest, but don't count that time in your total. If that was tough, good. The following day, add a minute in each direction. If it was too easy, then do it 3 or four times during the day (ie. 30 - 40 minutes of activity still counts even if it's in 10 minute blocks). And the next day, just take one walk, but make it longer.

    Just promise yourself that every day, you will strive to be healthier than the day before. It will take time to see all of the weight come off, but you'll see improvement quickly in your endurance (ie. your heart strength). Set those goals daily, and set a longer term goal (eg. once you can walk 30 minutes in a row, treat yourself to a manicure). Just make sure you're rewarding yourself with good stuff and not bad food!

    And most of all, read the forums here. People are great, and you're sure to find fabulous ideas and friends!

    Joanne
  • tistal
    tistal Posts: 869 Member
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    Well, the good news is that you've already started! So congratulations for taking your first step and joining the community!

    Next step - start tracking your food every day. This site is fantastic and really helps you stay on track. For the first few days, it will feel like work. But it gets easier really quickly. Even within the first couple of days, I found myself trading off foods - if I wanted a glass of wine, I'd figure out the calories and then find a way to cut those out of what I was planning to cook for supper. More veggies, less cheese = a glass of wine! Don't worry so much about planning at first. After the first couple of days, you'll see where your big calorie hits are. When you see it in black and white, it's hard to ignore!

    Simultaneously, just promise yourself that every day you will do a little more than the day before. Whether it's doing a video at home (biggest loser has some great low-impact ones), or simply walking (the cheapest and easiest way to get in shape), start every day with a goal. Tomorrow, start with a 10 minute walk. Literally, go out your door, walk for 5 minutes, turn around, and come home. Stop as often as you need to rest, but don't count that time in your total. If that was tough, good. The following day, add a minute in each direction. If it was too easy, then do it 3 or four times during the day (ie. 30 - 40 minutes of activity still counts even if it's in 10 minute blocks). And the next day, just take one walk, but make it longer.

    Just promise yourself that every day, you will strive to be healthier than the day before. It will take time to see all of the weight come off, but you'll see improvement quickly in your endurance (ie. your heart strength). Set those goals daily, and set a longer term goal (eg. once you can walk 30 minutes in a row, treat yourself to a manicure). Just make sure you're rewarding yourself with good stuff and not bad food!

    And most of all, read the forums here. People are great, and you're sure to find fabulous ideas and friends!

    Joanne


    This sums up perfectly what I was going to say! Welcome!
  • reneegee23
    reneegee23 Posts: 233 Member
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    Walking! Walking is great, make an upbeat playlist and go for it. It's also a great way to clear your mind after a busy day. Agreed that you should check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

    Also, keep a consistent food diary and a consistent calorie deficit - that combined with walking will help you lose weight.

    Here's a link to get you started (courtesy of another MFP member who's posted some very helpful information on the forums.)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map
  • desirae500
    desirae500 Posts: 146 Member
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    Sounds like lots of good advice already. Track food, walk, do a little more each day. You will see steady improvement!:flowerforyou:
  • FeelingFroggy13
    FeelingFroggy13 Posts: 66 Member
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    Isn't it awful that starting this journey takes such a large leap of faith in your own self, when you are usually at one of the lowest points in your life and your faith in your own self is so shaky?! We have been there, many of us, more than once. (I lost 90lbs, only to let it slowly creep back on over the years, and now here I am again.)

    It might seem like a daunting and impossible task, but remember, EVERYONE has to start out by saying, "Let's just see what happens when...". Don't get caught up in the big goal weight or the big goal measurements. Instead, set a goal that this week, you are going to take a 15-30 minute walk everyday. The scale might not move as quickly as you ever want it to (mine never does!), and you can't always control that part. However, you can control what you do to work towards it, you can push to be successful at small weekly goals. And it will feel so great when you are successful!

    You don't have to have a lot of money to start this. There is so much information out there at our fingertips now. Of course, this site, YouTube tutorials for low impact exercises, websites, blogs and more.

    The most important thing is...you are not alone in this, and you CAN do this!
  • abberbabber
    abberbabber Posts: 972 Member
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    You're here, looking for advice, so that's a great first step!! Figure out what you enjoy that's not too hard for you at first and go with that. You can do it!
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    Getting started is the hardest toughest part of this, so I applaud you for coming here and wanting to do better in your life :smile:

    As for exercise, just get moving. Start walking more, even if you get winded easily now. Just keep moving. Try to find ways to incorporate more activity in your daily life. Examples would be walking to the corner store to get something instead of driving.

    The real key is to get your eating under control. To me, this was much harder than exercise and activity. It's hard to control that, but just work as hard as you can. Remember to forgive yourself if you screw up as well. You're not perfect, and you will make mistakes along the way. What determines if you succeed or fail is whether you get up and get yourself back on track or not.

    Don't ever give up! :flowerforyou:
  • LovingLisa2012
    LovingLisa2012 Posts: 802 Member
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    if you have your doc approval, check out leslie sansone walk tapes .. i have added a link on you tube, you can check out her desk workouts

    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=desk+workout++leslie+sansone&oq=desk+workout++leslie+sansone&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_nf=1&gs_l=youtube-psuggest.3...2649.7898.0.8096.20.20.3.0.0.0.73.925.17.17.0.

    same link shorter = http://tinyurl.com/7on6kmk


    you can also do the same moves on your own
    her moves are - walking in place, side steps, knee lifts and kick backs (some dvds have variations, to make it fun and or add intensity)

    ETA: if you can't move much right now, what about walking in place during commercials, ( it adds up)
    feel free to friend request me (message not needed/optional)
  • Gr8ChangesAhead
    Gr8ChangesAhead Posts: 836 Member
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    If you have access to a pool walk in the water really good nonimpact and use your arms to push the water burns great calories and won't be as bad as walking on your knees. We can be friends and we can support one another befriend me. You have made the first leap of faith just believe in yourself.....
  • jpe71
    jpe71 Posts: 50 Member
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    To a certain extent, I'm right there with you. I had a setback after my last good start (in which I lost 12 lb and kept them off for most of a year) due to some health issues and other stresses. I'm back, having gained back most of what I lost, but ready to keep slugging. I have fibromyalgia, two painful knees, a shoulder that needs surgery, and another pain condition that will require surgery to correct this year.

    Catalogue your weaknesses - ONCE. Then figure out what you CAN do within them. Then get creative to figure out ways to squeeze a tiny bit more out of each session - even if that bit is not your best effort.

    For example, I've been swimming because my doctor recommended it for fibromyalgia. Problem is, I have a bad shoulder that will not tolerate a lot of overhead-type motions - such as crawl stroke or breast stroke. I've learned I can do a full lap of crawl before resting, and a half lap of breast stroke per day. I also am pretty short of wind yet - two laps and I'm out of breath.

    So what I do is this: One lap of crawl stroke, followed by one of backfloating, kicking my way across. Rest and breathe, while stretching in the pool. This also allows me to stretch deeper, since I'm not having to fight gravity. Half a lap of breast stroke, followed by backfloating on the return. Then I might jog a lap, followed by using a kickboard to kick across on my stomach for another. Time for another lap of crawl stroke, and more rest. I continue in this vein until I'm satisfied I've done what I can for the day - I'm up to 10 laps from just two a few weeks ago.

    Walking is simpler - I go the first time and return as soon as I start to get tired. That's my baseline. Then I try to do a tiny bit better each day - faster, or more hills, or longer distance - anything. Here again, I've gone from lately being able to only do a mile before I'm tired to walking up to 2-1/2 before my lunch break ends and I have to return.

    Good luck!
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    Nothing to add....except welcome. You've taken the first steps by being here. You can do this. Remember its a marathon, not a sprint. Take it one day at a time and be kind to yourself along the way. You CAN do this!
  • avon1rose
    avon1rose Posts: 2
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    thank you so very much everyone it is so lovely to have support
    I am sure day by day i can do this

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