I started this journey ... again ... last Monday. I have walked everyday with the exception of Friday. I took Friday off because I just couldn't fit the time in.

Anyway... when I went to walk Saturday... I thought I was going to DIE.

My legs and feet are so sore... I literally had to cry.

My husband (who is also obese) went with me, and I swear if he hadn't been there pushing me.. making me do it... it wouldn't have happened.

We walked a mile and a half, and half way through... I basically had a fit. I said just kill me, I can't do this... it hurts to bad. I screamed and I cussed and I cried and I felt sorry for myself.... BUT....

I kept going.

I made it back to my car. I haven't been that happy in a long time... just to have actually done it and not stopped and made my husband go get the car and drive around to get me ... that was a huge thing for me.

I weighed this morning. I have lost 6.6 pounds since last Monday. It IS worth it... because it IS working!

That myth and lie that I tell myself.. you are destined to be fat... you can't lose weight... you don't eat that much... you inherited this from your family.... it's just the way you are... accept it...... those lies are going to be shut down. I'm not giving up.

Something has to click for this to happen. It clicked. It's happening

Fantastic! In another month, think of how much easier this will be! Keep at it you're doing a good job. I was the same way. My sister took me on walks to a convenience store down the way; there and back was exactly 1 mile. I hated it. I cursed and groaned and took frequent breaks; my fingers would swell. By the time I got to the store I was so tempted to call one of my parents and ask for a ride back. Once I even took a ride back by a friend who just happened to be driving down my road.

I haven't done that walk in a long while and won't again until spring, but when it comes around I'm excited to see how I've progressed.

Just DON'T give up, it's totally worth it and you can do it! Just don't OVER do it and burn out.

Great job!!!!

I hate exercise too. I can promise that it will get easier with time. I'll never be a gym rat, but I keep telling myself that walking longer distances will get easier the more I do it and the more weight I lose.

Great job! Come back to this post in a month and tell us how far you are walking! You will be utterly amazed at how quickly our bodies adapt to exercise. It's a wonderful, wonderful thing. Even when I can't reach weight goals as quickly as I'd like, I always reach fitness goals and it brings such a feeling of pride.

I'd back off. Walk half as far as you are right now, and stick with that every day. Then start increasing slowly. If you hate it this much, you'll start craving emergencies that make it so you can not go. Eventually you'll quit.

How much exercise you do today doesn't matter nearly as much as how much exercise you are doing in January. I started doing only 5 minutes at a time because , like you, I hated it so, so, so much--not only was it physically difficult, it was mentally impossible. I didn't know how to get my brain in an exercise place. I would be bored out my my mind, uncomfortable, and panicking all at once. Five minutes was all I could do without dreading it, so I did it twice a day every day. Then I started inching it up a minute or two a week. Eventually I was exercising over two hours a day, and those two hours a day bothered me less, were less painful and annoying, than those initial 5 minutes were. I'm down to once a day now (maintaining), but I do an hour every single day without fail.

Don't push yourself too hard at the start. It's ok to build up, and as long as you keep building, you'll amaze yourself.

I disagree with Shmead (which is rare ), but I'm thinking it probably depends on your personality. I got a big rush from pushing through something that was that hard for me. It encouraged me rather than discouraged. I get the biggest endorphin rush off pushing it hard.

I suppose if you're the type of person who thrives off hard work, keep it up! If you're the type of person to decide it's too hard and then quit, back off first.

So many of us have all or nothing mentalities. It's better to back off than to quit altogether.

Congratulations!!! It does get easier trust me. I would get exhausted walking my son to school 4 blocks. That was my wake up call when I would tell my son to stop for a minute. I would lean against a fence and catch my breathe that was at 300lbs!! Now we skip to school sounds silly I know but my kids love it..

I live in a high rise with 20 floors. I live on the fifth floor. I have been wanting to add a little more strength exercises to my routine and decided to go up to the 20th floor. Well my Dh joined me and he is 5' 10" and 180lbs he ran up those stairs like nothing. I was struggling once I got to the 13th floor. We began on our floor. Dh was like "C'mon baby you can do this" the whole entire last 7 flights. I was dieing, couldn't breathe, my thighs were aching but I kept going. Now 3 days later I am still aching from that but I went for my walk. It works...keep at it!!!

ETA: I agree with Eliana. I, too, like to challenge myself. It definitely encourages me to go harder. Exercise does not have to feel like a chore. I use it to help with stress(huge for me) and as me time. You know us moms need me time! And btw, it is ok to give yourself a break.

This is really my point. She says she was literally crying, tears running down her face, as she completed the walk. That's pushing yourself too hard, IMO, if you are going to do it every day. (It's different to push yourself to that point once a week or so.) It's very likely that someone who breaks down in tears from pain will either quit or injure themselves. They aren't going to return to that point every single day. And, as you said, it's amazing how quickly one improves. If in 3 weeks she is back up to a mile and a half, it's all the same.

soon, it won't be so hard. It's amazing how quickly one can become more fit. Even still being 50 lbs overweight, I am in the best shape I've been on for at least 15 years! It's WILL get easier. Take time off when you need it, but only when you need it, and get right back to it.

Good for you for finishing what you set out to do! Kudos for showing the disruptive thoughts who was in charge. Maybe having a workout buddie would be a good addition to your plan. Sometimes when I'm sore from working out and I do it again while sore, the act of warming the muscles may stretch out some of the sore bits and ease some of the discomfort you had afterwards. If you continue to exercise you'll see improvements. In a few months your distance will probably double and perhaps your speed too. Some foods fuel me better for exercise than others. Maybe you will start to notice a pattern and can increase or eliminate certain things to support your exercise.

Edited to add: experiment with different things to find something that us at least somewhat fun so you will continue to do it. Dance classes for you and DH might make things seem mire fun than torture or tennis lessons, or kickboxing, or Zumba, yoga, or maybe you are more of a weightlifting gal. Explore and find out. To me walking or running to go nowhere for no purpose other than walking or jogging is boring. I will walk or jog to a store to run an errand though.

It will get easier. I promise.

Well done on starting walking!

And yes, it does get easier. When I first moved here, the walk into town to do the shopping killed me. (By the time I walk to the nearest bus stop, I'm almost there. I couldn't justify the cost of a taxi. The nearest place to park is my own front yard.) A 'hard' 15 minutes downhill, an agonizing 15 minutes back. Honestly, by the time I got home I thought my hips would explode; but it was either that or not eat, shower, wash my clothes. (Of course, to avoid being hungry and/or smelly, I often got the car out and drove to an out of town supermarket).

Now I walk a 60 minute round trip most days. If I run out of something, I 'pop' to the shops - those same shops that seemed a Trek away - and think nothing of it.

Walking is such a liberating activity! Glad you're getting into it.

Keep doing it, I know you don't believe it now but it will get easier and you will feel so much better!

I have one word for you: SHOES.

Are your shoes old, worn out, without enough support? It will hurt your feet, your knees, your hips, and your lower back if your shoes aren't right.

If you are crying after 3/4 mile, then I would look at getting better shoes. Athletic quality, supportive shoes. Go to a store where they can evaluate your feet and your walk, and try a good pair for awhile. See whether it makes a difference.

I have noticed that a lot of overweight people just don't think about foot support. They are either wearing teeny sandals with high heels (well, not the guys so much) or flip flops for everything.

So, GOOD LUCK! Hope you find out a way to be in less pain.

Jay

Thank you guys.... I appreciate the support!

Shoes... I did a no no that day and wore my croc flip flops, because my tennis shoes hurt my feet the last time, so I was trying something new.

Won't do that again.

I do have the new reebok runtones... and they for the most part feel great, but after a while of walking, any shoe hurts my feet. I just have to push through it.

I am a all or nothing girl. If I don't push myself...to do more than I think I can, I think I'm failing... and give up. So push on I will.

I am going to the gym today, to meet with my personal trainer/best friend and his girlfriend. I am going to work out with her first, and then she is going to show me how to do water aerobics... I'm so excited!

See ya'll after the workout... enjoy the day!!!