(Sorry for all my posts tonight—can't sleep and feeling inquisitive!)
Right now, even climbing the stairs to my 3rd-floor apartment feels like ****. I keep eyeing the treadmills in the workout room, but I haven't gotten my butt over there.
Did you guys start exercising right away, or did you wait to feel healthier? Of course I want to wait until I've lost more to start because I'd like not to be miserable, but is that sabotaging myself?
When I started at 389, it was hard enough to walk 2 flights of stairs to my apartment and to work and back everyday. The first thing I did was join a gym going 3 times a week with a personal trainer. Didn't really like the trainer, but I stuck it out for a few months. When I moved in July of last year, I took up doing the WATP videos, Richard Simmon dvds, and Biggest Loser dvds in my home. Then this past March when I hit 310lbs I joined a new gym and go 5 times a week (3 with personal trainer). I love this gym because its female oriented and I don't feel super self concious!
Start with something! I thought the WATP at home were a great started, and wow did I sweat like crazy to them!
Maybe start by taking some "baby steps"? Park your car in the furthest spot when you go to shop or work, take a walk outside or in the mall, things like that. You could even get some small dumbells and lift while you watch TV. (There are plenty of places online, books, or magazines where you can find some simple toning excercises.) If you wait start moving more now, you may feel healthier faster.
I think that Shan84 gave you some excellent suggestions. There will be things you just can't do yet, but there is a lot of merit to starting the exercise habit now.
I was too heavy for our treadmill at home when I started! I began by doing as fcmonroe suggested for the first month or so -- baby steps!
I'd park further away in parking lots. Rather than "yelling up" a question to my husband I would walk up the stairs. I tried to take extra trips up and down stairs rather than one big trip carrying stuff. After a few weeks I started taking my dogs on walks around the block (one block!)... it slowly built from humble beginnings!
Well....I think Heather would agree with me, I'm like the black sheep of exercise. I have trouble with it lol, but saying that, I think baby steps is the way to go for me. Getting myself moving again, because I start and then I just burn out or get bored.
Like in just a bit I'm do a workout OR go walking..i haven't decided yet. I think I might do both. Go walking tonight and do a workout now. I do also walk as fast as I can when I'm out and about and I also try to take big strides now as I feel more productive when I walk from the parking lot to the store entrance.
I started before dieting. I started walking 1 mile a day, then within a week and half doing 2 miles a day and then 2 weeks later bumping it up to 4 miles a day. I did this a whole month before making any dietary changes. I lost 3 pounds and that was it... bit frustrating!
I now walk 4 miles (2 in morning and 2 at night) about 3-5 days a week and then either 1 or 2 miles the other 2-4 days a week. I try to at least get in 1 mile around our neighborhood no matter what.
Since changing my diet I lost 10 pounds in like 2 weeks so I do believe diet is everything but exercise sure makes you feel powerful and helps too!
Both times at my heaviest I started working out right away. It helps with the inches and just makes you feel better. I cant post links yet but go check out on blogger The Anti Jared. He was 400+ pounds has lost 200 in a year. His first time working out was 42 seconds on a treadmill and now he is doing 99 minutes on stair steppers.
The general idea here seems to be that I need to get my big butt up and start exercising. There's a gym downstairs that's almost always deserted—it's really a waste for me not to use it, as much as I need to exercise. I'm going to go down there tonight and do something and see how I feel.
For me, it was pretty much the same time as I changed the way I ate. I found out my mom was diabetic, went on Kijiji right away and started looking for a stationary bike for cheap, found one and the next day had a friend take me to get it. I was literally scared into action.
Turned out I needed a key to get in, which I have to get from the office, which is closed Sunday.
But I did go for a long walk with my dog around a lake, which is more exercise than it seems because she has typical dog curiosity and pit bull strength I took some pictures along the way and got my heart going, so not a total failure!
Exercise is definitely a personal thing. I waited until 7 weeks after surgery because I just had no energy. However, I know that exercise will help with that. So, I'm getting off here right now to go to a yoga class!!
When I started, there wasn't any "real" exercise I could do, but I did try to be more active and do things that I found a little difficult more often, and I started looking for fun ways to be a little more active. It really was a while before I realized that WAS exercise.
One of the best things I did was clip a cheapy pedometer on my everyday shoes (it's easier to put it there and leave it there, so unlike the waistband, it doesn't have to be a conscious decision every day - unless I want to change shoes).
I used a pedometer that counted steps, and my plan was to try every day "beat" my step record from the day before. In reality, I forgot to check the pedometer a lot, but just having it (hearing the click, click) helped me do more while I was wearing them.
I got out of the habit (and I think I did walk less because of it), so I bought a new one, a couple days ago, and am going to try to write down the step count every day in my journal to get back in the habit.
Good for you!!! The long walk will be good for your dog as well.
I tend to be lazy and take her to the park most nights where I can read while she plays with other dogs, but I'm going to try to keep up with walking her at night, too, so I can get some exercise. Plus it's fun to show her off
Kaplods the pedometer is a good idea. I think moving more in general will be easier for me than trying to commit to going to the gym or doing a workout video.
When did you start exercising?
I do also walk as fast as I can when I'm out and about and I also try to take big strides now as I feel more productive when I walk from the parking lot to the store entrance.
I took some pictures along the way and got my heart going, so not a total failure!
