I am 43 years old and weigh 297lbs.. i moved to the UK about a year and a half ago, and since then have gained about 30lbs.. when i first got here, i didnt have a work visa and since i didnt know anyone except for my hubby, i mainly just sat at the pc or watched tv..he works 12 hour days mon - fri. anyhow, the problem i have now, is walking.. i havnt done it in so long which sounds stupid, but other than walking to the bedroom or the computer room, i really havnt moved...now i finally have a work permit.. and i dont know if i can work.. walking more than 10 mins wears me out.. i cant believe i let this happen to me.. before i got to the UK , even tho i was huge, i would walk if i felt like it and had no problems.. walking a mile or so was nothing to me... it is amazing what damage you can do to your body without even noticing..
The weather here is not condusive to walking outside atm, so i thought about going up and down the stairs for a few mins each day to rebuild muscle in my legs.. it seems to me like that would even be better for me than walking outside on a flat surface.. but im no expert.. what do you guys think?? and how long should i try to spend going up and down them at first? i dont wanna over do it and cause more damage, but i need to get to the stage where i can walk again.. any help would be greatly appreciated..
btw, i am also counting calories which seems to be going well.. im eating 1600-1800 per day atm..it varies day to day.. wont step on a scale for another week or so tho to see the results...
thank you for listening, and any help or advice will be greatly appreciated

At this point i think any kind of movement is going to be beneficial to you. Doing stairs is a GREAT form of exorcise. If it was me, to start with, i'd do three times a week, and go until i was winded, then catch my breath, and do some more. you're right about not wanting to overdo it tho, not only could you injure yourself but you could burn out fast! good luck to you, and keep us posted!

Although climbing stairs is a good form of exercise it would have been too tough on the knees for me when I was at my highest weight last year (which was very close to yours now and at the same age). I know the weather's not ideal but if you wrap up well and walk as far as you can at a fair pace you won't be cold for long. Just gradually increase the distance you walk and you'll soon get some fitness back. Losing just a few pounds will also make a big difference to your general level of fitness.

Are you registered with a GP here in the UK? Their job is not just to cure illness but also to prevent illness. I've found my GP to be very supportive. I see her monthly and have lost 40lb since July (I'd lost 23lb before I saw her). She precribed me Xenical (Orlistat) which has helped me enormously to stick to my weightloss plan. I'm not saying prescription drugs are for everyone but it works successfully for many.

Pop into UK Chicks for local support.

Kitty

Hey!

First, make sure you have some good, supportive shoes to walk in, like athletic shoes. This can make a big difference!

Second, I would say that climbing stairs a lot might be too much if you are having trouble walking. Begin by walking on level ground, more or less. You don't want to overstress your knees, ankles, hips, etc. And then, once you've worked up to a decent distance, you can think about adding stairs.

I think the suggestion about seeing a GP is a good idea, too.

Cheers!

Jay

What about the Walk away the Pounds videos (or other exercise videos?). I started at your weight too and stairs about killed me...

I think whatever you do, start slowly and then build. You'll be amazed by your progress!

i dont have a GP in UK as of yet.. im kinda in a catch 22 atm.. i cant get a national insurance number till i go to work and my employer sends in the info to the tax office for me.. and i cant go to work when i cant even walk lol..
The places my body hurts the most when i try to walk for a bit is my shins, hips, and lower back.. im sooo embarrased that i let myself get to this point... i remember watching a show a long while ago about a man that was bed bound because of his weight.. and thinking..' how did he let himself get to that point'?.. i realize now, that it probably snuck up on him one day. As you get bigger and do less, the less you feel like doing and even can do.. its a sad situation...
thank you for the kinds words of encouragement and advice.. ill keep ya informed on my progress

I think you have the right idea. Don't try to do the whole staircase at once, do two or three steps today and do that for a couple of days then try three or 4 steps. You can do it , just don't try to do it all at once.Good luck.

Providing you have been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK for more than six months you can register with a GP and receive free NHS treatment. You don't need a National Insurance number. The GP surgery will need to send off your details to get an NHS number which might take a few months to come through but you are still entitled to receive treatment during this time.

Kitty

In May I was in a serious car accident, broke my hip and also suffered some substantial knee injuries. After I got off bedrest (and after gaining 25 lbs on bedrest! ) I literally did need to learn to walk again, first using a walker for very short distances (think 10-20 feet) then crutches, and finally, 3 months later, on my own. My orthopaedist did tell me to start with extremely small distances and work up from there. When I first started walking I would walk like 100 yards at a time. I did this for a week and then moved up to 200 yards. I kept doing this until I could walk for about 30 minutes at a time without much pain (that's where I am now). My advice is to start SLOW. I know what it's like to want to be able to move and walk a mile, which I used to have no problem doing before the accident. But if you do too much, too soon, you could push yourself too hard and then you'll want to quit because it's so difficult, it hurts so much, and you get discouraged. It's important to be consistent and try to do a little bit every day. Stretching really helps too. I know my circumstances are a little different from yours, but all the same I think the same general guidelines apply.

a good way to start with the walking with the weather being bad is to do Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds... i just don't like walking around outside... so i do it at home...

good luck!!!!

I also lived in the U.K. for a time. The amount of walking I did while living there was phenomenal! In the beginning, I had the same kind of pain that you are explaining - joint pain, lower back pain and shin pain. I visited a doctor who found no permanent/serious probs and she advised that the best way to counter the pain was to likely to continue the exercise.... The shin pain subsided first. The doc suspected that I might have had small shin splints. The lower back and joint pain persisted until I started doing regular stretching, then subsided some, but I still have it occasionally. I sometimes take ibuprofen to help. It was especially helpful in the beginning while I was developing muscle and endurance - maybe you could try that?? I also would agree that you should see a doc, at least to make sure there is nothing serious going on.

Stairs can be pretty tough on joints, especially the knees. As with other posters, I would agree it's best to start off small, slow and on level ground.

As for the bad weather - it stayed pretty gray where I was most of the year, so I opted to bundle up and bear it! Indulge in a weatherproof jacket and a pretty scarf and hat, and you may find you are able to do more than you think ;-). Good luck!

kforkitty- thanks for the info.. i did go down to register when i had been here about 6 months, and was told i would have to pay per visit.. but now i have my visa sorted and it has been just about a year and a half... so ill check it out...would be nice to get a check up and maybe some advice from a DR....
thanks again

I think you should avoid the stairs at all. I once told my doctor I go up/down stairs for exercise and he said that this is not a good idea especially that my BMI is above 30. He said walking is the best exercise for me.

He also advised me not to do more than walking until I lose a significant amount of weight.