To those who had/have 100 lbs to lose

driab106
driab106 Posts: 22 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Exercise - Where did you start?

I would appreciate it if those who have lost or are in the middle of their journey would share what they started with.

I am an out of shape, 47 year old female. I don't want to die in the process of trying to get healthy. Where did you start, what kept you motivated to keep up with the exercise? What got you to push through and not give up until you decided that you loved to exercise? Or did you lose first then add exercise?

Thanks
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Replies

  • ChelleDJM
    ChelleDJM Posts: 161
    I'm 37 and have 100 pounds more to go and have lost 50 so far. I started with the elliptical at the gym. I have plantar faciitis and a bad knee and the doc said biking or swimming. I didn't do well on the bike and the elliptical doesn't hurt my foot, so I do that. I now do a water aerobics class and a spin class and like both of those. I know others start with walking, but I can't do that or I will not be able to walk for a few days. I have young kids at home too, so I do move around a bit with them too.
  • cinemafromage
    cinemafromage Posts: 26
    I'm down 64lbs so far, got about another 75 to go.

    For me, I started out walking. It was slow and only about every other day, but I did it. Give it about a month and you'll start to look forward to it and liking how you feel when you're done!

    To start with, I only walked about 15 minutes every other day. You push too far, too fast, it'll hurt and you won't want to do it. Make sure you stretch before and after really well. Keep doing the 15 minutes every other day until it doesn't hurt. Then, add some more time! make it 20 min, then 25!

    The key is doing what you can handle. This is the same with any exercise! The walking sucked me in though. I've done a lot of time on the stationary bike too, parked in front of the TV watching Netflix. Find a TV show you like, only allow yourself to watch it when you're on the bike. Need your 'Supernatural" fix? Gotta get on the bike!

    To give you an idea on a time frame, It was a solid two months before I started walking every day. By then, I was looking forward to my quiet to by myself every morning and raring to go. Before too long, I was looking forward to that quiet time at night too. Heck, I even read a book while walking before! Probably not for everybody, but I liked it!

    To spur myself on, I really got in to watching the Miles add up. Get yourself an app for your phone to track your distance, or keep it in a notebook. You could do time too. But early one, when I could look at my phone see that I had walked 10 whole miles that week? Pretty huge motivator!

    Then a couple months after that? Your walking or exercise bike? Might not be enough anymore. Then the next thing you know? You're buying dumbbells and running shoes :)

    That's a lot of words, I apologize! The down and dirty version? Slow and steady wins the race and stay positive.
  • Holly1019
    Holly1019 Posts: 43 Member
    I Have probably close to 80 or so to lose yet. I have already lost a little over 40. When I first started to exercise I just started with walking. I was over 300lbs, and could only go about a half a mile. I advise you to do anything that gets you moving. Small changes that you can do for a lifetime. Good luck to you.

    I agree with Chelle.... If your going to a gym you should try some different things and see what you like.
  • locomokeman
    locomokeman Posts: 8 Member
    I started out at 255; having lost a lot of this weight with P90x, only to gain it back once school started. This was very difficult for me and very depressing. It wasn't just that I stopped exercising, I also began to eat bad again, which sped up my weight gain. I was at a family event and there were pictures being taken which later ended up on Facebook. I was obviously tagged and at that point I saw myself for what I was, obese. I then realized, when I weighed myself, that I was only 50-some pounds away from 300. That was the defining factor; I needed to lose this weight again and keep it off.

    I joined a gym ( I knew what P90x was like and was too scared to try it again) and began to lose weight. I lost 5 pounds (probably mostly water weight) but stalled. I then did some research and realized that I needed to begin eating healthy again. The problem was that I had a hard time knowing whether I was eating good or bad (besides the obvious Big Mac meal). So I decided to add a Calorie Counter app to my phone. I looked for the best rated one and added it; it was MFP. To my surprise it was a whole community with a social support structure. This was the best surprise ever!

    I began to lose more weight, but not to say that my weight did stall a few times. I weighed myself every day, but not I am to once a week even though it is very tempting. I have lost 8 pounds in addition to my original 5. It feels great, this has help me so much and I hope to lose even more weight to, eventually, get to my high school weight.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    I joined a gym and began using it, but knew I needed to track food to see real changes. I sucked it up and weighed myself, then joined MFP. I started off using the elliptical and stationary bike at the gym 3 days a week. Within a week or so, I wanted to start strength training, so I got a trainer and worked with him using free weights and body weight exercises. I did about three 45 minute sessions a week of cardio, and three hours a week of strength training.

    After awhile, I moved beyond the elliptical and began taking classes (zumba and bodystep at the beginning). Strength training progressed gradually.

    What got me through? I wanted to be fit, not just lose weight. And for me, exercise has always kind of been the glue that holds everything together. When I exercise, I find it easier to eat better. It helped me remember that my body wasn't an enemy that needed to be punished, but that food has a relationship with activity and it all works together. Gradually I made friends at the gym, became a regular in classes, and now it's just part of my life, a part I miss very much if I'm away from my gym due to injury or vacation. I've seen my body really transform and though of course nutrition is why I lost weight, exercise is why I love my body.

    For you, I wouldn't discount walking right now. I was out of shape but I'm a bit younger and had no health problems, so I could start with something higher intensity. I do think strength training is extremely important though and I'm quite glad I've been doing it since the beginning.
  • lulu3561
    lulu3561 Posts: 85 Member
    I agree with most of the others I started out with the elliptical machine I also have bad knees and the foot issue. The elliptical will also help you burn more calories making the most of your time in the gym. I also got a personal trainer to do strength training with to build muscle to help burn calories when I'm not at the gym. Any start is better than not starting. Go slow and listen to your body.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    Bike, walking, swimming, and elliptical(which is a bear to get int he habit of).
  • driab106
    driab106 Posts: 22 Member
    Thanks to you all. I truly appreciate what you have shared with me.
  • JessyJ03
    JessyJ03 Posts: 627 Member
    I started with hiking. First it was an easy 2 miles (with lots of breaks) then it worked it's way to to 5-7 miles uphill with a 20lb pack on. It gets easier! Just find something you like to do and do it!

    Now that hiking season is over (I live in Arizona) I'm going to the gym 5-6x a week doing weight training and cardio.

    I've lost 50 lbs so far and have lots more to go!
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
    The only real exercise I did when I lost my first 80 pounds was walking. Occasionally I would do a DVD or something, but it was mainly walking. Started with walking around the building at work and just adding a little more to my walks over time.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Exercise - Where did you start?

    I would appreciate it if those who have lost or are in the middle of their journey would share what they started with.

    I am an out of shape, 47 year old female. I don't want to die in the process of trying to get healthy. Where did you start, what kept you motivated to keep up with the exercise? What got you to push through and not give up until you decided that you loved to exercise? Or did you lose first then add exercise?

    Thanks

    I started with simple walking and bicycling! I see no need to push terribly hard, especially at first. Most of the weight loss issue is dietary. If you eat enough carbohydrates from fruit, and you are not weighing yourself down with a high fat diet, your motivation to exercise will continue to rise as you get healthier.

    BTW I started at about 276 LBS, and i'm about 202 now, and the weight loss was really slow when it was just exercise, but after switching my diet to something better, (vegan, mostly raw, high-carb, low-fat) i started losing weight really, really fast.
  • BodyByButter
    BodyByButter Posts: 563 Member
    I started with wii dancing games.
  • geeniusatwurk
    geeniusatwurk Posts: 68 Member
    I'm about 2/3 of the way to my goal of 100 pounds, and I got started with the Couch 2 5K program. While doing that I wanted to not feel like crap while I was running, so I started eating better, and together the pounds started melting off. Weight loss is like 80% diet anyways, and the little exercise tolerance I had when I first started could easily be wiped out with 1 donut or cookie.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    I started out walking and slowly increased how fast and how long I'd go. after I dropped about 60lbs I did some running (did the couch to 5k program twice) then I added strength training, and when I hit the 100 lbs lost mark I did P90X (twice.....6 months total) and now I do strength training m-w-f with my trainer and t-th I do cardio or classes or bootcamp style workouts, and on weekends I try to get some sort of exercise in, anything goes (walking at zoo, or swimming or go to gym)
  • waldenlev
    waldenlev Posts: 102 Member
    Down almost 50 and I've got a good 100 to go. But I started when I realized that elliptical I'd purchased wasn't actually a clothing rack. :-) When I first started I would be dead after 3 minutes on the elliptical. I added a minute a week, then two, and it didn't take long to hit 30. The I added in some strength training and I was on my way. Whatever you select, the key is to stick with it regularly. It takes time, but the results come.
  • emily_can
    emily_can Posts: 24 Member
    I started with walking, DVDs at home and some Wii games. I did Pilates, Leslie Sansone walking, some dance DVDs and Walk It Out for the Wii. Really, anything is fine as long as you're moving. I didn't really worry a lot about it at first, just focused on my food plan.

    Find something you like and will want to do. That is key.
  • gertudejekyl
    gertudejekyl Posts: 386 Member
    In the morning go out the front door and walk 15 minutes and then return home. Do the same thing in the evening. = 1 hour a day walking ! (that's a good start) I like lifting weights on the machines at the gym. It seems easier than cardio...but I have used C25K and now can jog 30 min. :):flowerforyou:
  • Live4More
    Live4More Posts: 177 Member
    bump
  • KendaVSG
    KendaVSG Posts: 147
    the best thing to do is to get in the water. Start out just moving in the water, just walking back and forth. Then join a slower paced water aerobics class. You can do either shallow or deep water, or both. As you adjust and get more fit you can increase your time, intensity, and classes. I started out at 530 pounds. I am now down to 274.8 and the only exercise I've ever done has been in the water.
  • lois4468
    lois4468 Posts: 166 Member
    My husband and I started out with just walking and watching what we ate. Logged it all. In the beginning I only walked 20 minutes. The first 40 pounds came off pretty easy. When the losing slowed down I had to increase my time and walk more. I now do at least an hour a day and have added hills. In order to be "normal" I would have to to lose about 90 pounds. I don't have a goal of getting that far but you never know. Right now I am shooting for just being "overweight". I don't want to do any extreme exercise program that I can't keep doing even after I get to goal. If you like to exercise go for it but you can still lose weight by just cutting the calories and walking.
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    I was 32 and my idea of exercise was walking from class to class on campus prior to getting in shape.

    I started by playing wii fit games and just dance and doing a little stair stepper I got from Target 3-4 nights a week. I really only did about 5 minutes the first few times on the stair thing but I would add a minute per time I used it. Then I started walking my dog for a mile and still doing the other stuff. After a few months I started using the gym on campus bc it was part of my tuition anyway.

    After awhile I started taking classes at a gym I got a trail membership on groupon for. Groupon is also how I found the classes I do now. But I would say my exercise was really light for about the first 40 pounds. Now I just kill it =) good luck.
  • Tishy78
    Tishy78 Posts: 108 Member
    I also have knee issues (even before I was heavy), so I started with 15 mins on the eliptical every other day. As I've progressed, I have added time or resistance and just keep going as hard as I can.
  • Primrose1960
    Primrose1960 Posts: 55 Member
    bump
  • remisenforme
    remisenforme Posts: 180 Member
    I started on the exercise bike. Then I added the elliptical and weights. It was tricky to go for 20 minutes when I started (in August) but I just did an hour on the elliptical yesterday (October) with no problem... and felt amazing after! It really does build up quickly once you start :) Good luck!
  • babeinthemoon
    babeinthemoon Posts: 471 Member
    I'm almost a third of the way through my journey to lose 120 pounds. The first 20 or so I did with almost no "exercise." Then I started walking a couple of days a week 20-30 minutes at a time. Now I'm up to exercising 6 days a week. I'm walking 30-60 minutes most days, and have started C25K (On day 4).

    I have not done a whole lot of strength training yet, not because I don't want to, but because I have not built it into my routine yet.

    Now that the winter rainy season is upon us, I'm probably going to start going to Jazzercise a couple days a week instead of walking outside.
  • amateurdude
    amateurdude Posts: 44 Member
    some audio books and alot of walking.
  • rjcelmer
    rjcelmer Posts: 431 Member
    I didn't start exercising until I was about 45lbs down. I wasn't able to really do anything for more than 5 minutes before I was winded and worthless.

    When I was about 45lbs down, we bought an elliptical and I worked out on it in the comfort of my home. I also picked up a cheap set of resistance bands and used them to start out.

    Now that I'm where I want to be, I work out at a gym four days a week.
  • loner_nell
    loner_nell Posts: 17 Member
    Well I started with walking the first few times I was trying to lose weight.
    I'm trying again and now there's a , shall we say, dog problem. Neighborhood dogs loose everywhere that chase everything, I'm leery since I saw 8 of them all circled around a horse being ridden, barking and nipping, so I am not doing that.
    On Discovery Fit and Health, every day Bodies in Motion with Gilad comes on. I am trying to work out with that, I can generally, but I used to do every day and got burned out, so this time I figured 3-4 times a week till I am doing better. I know it's only 20 minutes if you fast forward commercials, or just sit though commercials(I'm not), but it's hard for me, and people always tell me I'm not doing enough, which is discouraging. My doctor said it's good though...
    I just tell myself to do it, I have not found a fun exercise yet. Dancing isn't fun for me, walking isn't bad, but also not fun and there's other problems. Biking has the same problem as walking on this road. No pool and I loathe public pools, I don't like people to see me in not many clothes :/
    It's all work for me, so it's just try and keep myself doing it.
  • IslandDreamer64
    IslandDreamer64 Posts: 258 Member
    I still have about 100 to lose. When I started trying to lose weight 3 years ago I just walked. At first I couldn't do more than 15 minutes without having back pain, but I very quickly worked up to walking an hour, 4-6 times a week.

    When the weather isn't suitable for walking I will do a low impact aerobic DVD or walking DVD. I'm also looking into starting with some weight training.
  • Marie294
    Marie294 Posts: 304
    I have lost almost 60 pounds with 40 more to go. I started by counting calories and watching what I ate, then I slowly started eating healthier foods and learning a lot more about what I ate. (Lost about 30 pounds that way) Then after about 4-5 months I started walking... 15 minutes at first, then longer when I could.... Just signed up for the gym a couple weeks ago, and I am finally (for literally the first time in 29 years) starting to enjoy exercise. It took me a long time to get to the part where I can now enjoy it :)

    My advice is to start slowly, don't try to do everything perfect at once. :) It takes a while to learn whats best for our own bodies and it can be a trial and error process. The most important thing is to just have patience and hang in there, don't give up! You CAN do it, you can absolutely do it :)

    Best of luck to you :)

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