[casakran]

Well Friends....i just had this horrific realization that I need to lose a total of 100 pounds. That is incredibly daunting! (I have technically "known" for a long time that I needed to lose a lot but...yikes! 100lbs?!).

The only way that i am going to be able to handle this is to take ONE DAY AT A TIME! I also know that Exercise is going to be the key (along with decreasing my food consumption).

My exercise history has typically gone something like this: I start from nothing to planning to run a half marathon, starting out by pushing myself too hard, getting burnt out quickly, giving up, failing at my goal, beating myself up, getting more depressed, then eating more.

So....I am going to try something new.

Regular exercise!!!! My mini-goal is to exercise 4 times per week. A total of 1200 minutes in April and I am going to start by simply WALKING (briskly). No point in hurting myself!

Here I go!!!!!!!!!

[jennykay]

You can do this! One thing I started 3 weeks ago was just going on a morning walk. I walk for 45 minutes and have included 3 hills It has already helped me drop weight because at least I do something almost ever day. Good luck finding what works for you!

[IanG]

Good luck and I hope you get to love it.

I started from nothing to working out twice a day.

I lost 60 pounds with diet alone. But thankfully someone invited me to the gym else I would have wasted away and looked terrible (losing muscle as well as fat). After some soul searching I discovered that that's why one of my previous diet attempts failed in my late teens because I ended up looking "gaunt".

So I started doing weight training. I lost another 10 pounds and then tried jogging. I did half a mile on the treadmill at first. I was about 220lbs I think, and was a sweaty mess.

I built that up to running 6 miles a day but have since scaled back to 3 miles a day so that I have enough energy to weight train as well.

So start small, and build up. You will find it's a two-way street. Exercise, especially running, gets way easier as you lose weight (I run so much easier at 160lbs than at 170lbs). But at higher weights running accelerates weight loss too.

Good running shoes saved my knees when I was running at 220lbs.

[nonameslob]

This is awesome! Good for you! Don't get down if you don't meet your goals. You're still doing more than you were before.

One thing I always have to tell myself is even if I really, really don't feel like working out, I KNOW I will feel better afterwards. It's a serious head game sometimes.

Enjoy, especially with beautiful spring weather on the way

[Donna34747]

Perfect start! I'm trying to do the same thing, just focusing on getting up and moving. I can revisit the marathon dreams at a later date. For the month of April I'm committing to walking/hiking for 3 miles each day. Hopefully by the end of the month I'll be able to get thru it quicker than the beginning of the month, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I'm just going to make sure I show up for it.

[Anonee_Moose]

Great plan, too many people rush out to run because they get this feeling of "I gotta change now!". Walking regularly for a start is definitely the smart way of going about it, take it from a guy who has had to rehabilitate several injuries by taking things too far, too soon. That being said the whole grinding knee thing makes for a decent party trick.

Good luck and take care!

[OneChillMama]

My exercise history has typically gone something like this: I start from nothing to planning to run a half marathon, starting out by pushing myself too hard, getting burnt out quickly, giving up, failing at my goal, beating myself up, getting more depressed, then eating more.

Are you reading my mind?? For some reason it's easy to convince myself, usually while lying in bed-contemplating life decisions, that just jumping into a running routine, or joining Crossfit is the best decision for weight loss....And I ALWAYS get burned out! After a month (maybe 2) I am so bored, and dread doing it again! Your mini goals for exercise sound great! I hope you have great success, and please know that you inspired someone today!

[carebearx3]

I lost my first 48 pounds by just walking and eating less. I started at two miles a day and slowly increased to four to five a day. It took a year to lose those 48. For the last six months I have been weight training and doing various cardio equipment at the gym.

You've got this and you will be so glad you started this journey!

[casakran]

Wow! Thank you guys so much for taking the time to reply to this post!

@jennykay - Awesome job on getting out there and walking!

@IanG - What a great success story. It I so discouraging to look at how far I have to go, but hearing from someone that has been as successful as you is truly a great encouragement. Thank you and congratulations to you as well

@nonameslob - I just have to make sure I do something every day! Small / Big...anything!

@Donna34747 - Absolutely fantastic goals!

@Anonee_moose - Ahhh...the grinding knee trick...nice I am definitely concerned with injury. I am sure, at my weight, that it cannot be good for my knees. I feel great walking, so far, so...baby steps!

@onechillmama - I have spent so much time and money coming up with "grand" exercise plans..when all I have to remember is that walking outside is free. I will complete my half marathon goal one day...just not in 3 months! Thank you so much for responding to this post. You have encouraged me as well Let's do this!!!

@carebearx3 - Congratulations! You have ben so successful! I am SOO looking forward to the day when I can look back at today and see how far I've gone!

Thanks everyone!