When I first started walking I could only do 5 min, and that was REALLY pushing myself. It took everything out of me and sometimes I would be in pain for days. That 5 minutes felt like the longest most painful ever. I kept doing the 5 min, 4 days a week but stretched every day, until it wasn't so hard to do 5 min. Gradually I wanted to add more and more minutes to challenge myself. I'm now up to 1.75 miles in 60 minutes. That is so huge for me I can barely believe it. You can do it too! Start with your 2 minutes.

You have gotten great advice here. I can't really add anything new but want to let you know others have built stamina. When I started, walking from my car to my office was painful. I got to work early so that I could get a close parking space.

Walking even a short distance hurt my knees, hips and back. I started with a chair aerobics DVD and just trying to move more. Then I got a pedometer. I learned that I was walking less than 1000 steps a day. My first goal was just to walk 1000 steps/day. Then I increased that by a couple of hundred steps. I learned that I did not have to "go exercise" to get my step count up. I could make a few extra trips to the bathroom, walk down the hall a little bit, walk around the building at work, just added a few steps here and there and saw how they mounted up.

After increasing my steps, I started with Leslie Sanson's Walk Away the Pounds 15 minute DVD, then went to the 30 minute one after the 15 minute got fairly easy.

You just build up your stamina. Please believe me that this is doable! I went from barely being able to walking 2 or 3 minutes to walking miles. You can do it!

I did not exercise until I had lost a significant amount of weight. As soon as I felt the urge to start moving, I did. Then it became a joy and not a miserable experience.

To build up stamina, simply walk a few more steps each day. Invest in a pedometer and wear it on a typical day (work day if that is when you are most active). Then simply add 10 more steps the next day. It becomes a fun little challenge that prepares you for making changes later, when you can be more physically active. Very few people 300+ pounds can exercise with any significant results. Start out with what you can do and add to it over time. Someday you may feel so good that you will want to do more.

Great thread with lots of great suggestions!! I too feel like I cant "exercise" due to my size, and the pain associated with doing much of anything....but reading this thread, I see I am not alone, and that I can do it! Good luck Dutchess...and thank you everyone for your awesome posts!

Duchess, when I was at my highest weight, I felt so incredibly lethargic all the time. I lived in a two-story home and could barely make it up the stairs to go to bed, much less get any housework done to maintain my home for my family. I tried doing so many things to exercise, but it seemed that no matter how hard I worked, I never got that boost of energy that others reported after exercise.

I started looking at other things in my lifestyle that could be causing this. I already knew that I had sleep apnea and was using a CPAP to get good sleep. I woke up refreshed every morning and seemed to have loads of energy...until I ate breakfast. The moment I started eating, the lethargy returned. It took me forever to figure this out, lots of Internet research and reading of books. Some days, when I ate breakfast, I was fine. Other days, I wasn't. I tried changing out things I ate to see if I was sensitive to something specific. Couldn't see a trend at all.

Literally years went by. Cutting carbs and calories, I lost some weight, but the lethargy remained. I was wondering what was wrong with me, but the doctor never could find anything wrong, except that I was type 2 diabetic. After I slowly (and I mean SLOWLY) lost 30 lbs, I was so frustrated with the long-term plateau I hit. I tried so many different diets. I tried to increase my exercise. Somedays I did better, but other days didn't. I eventually decided to drastically attempt dieting and started using Medifast products. And I GAINED weight. So that gave me a clue that led me to discover that I have a soy allergy.

Learning that made all the difference in the world for me. I systematically started eliminating soy from my diet. That meant getting rid of all processed foods. And not going out to restaurants. I wasn't perfect, and I still bump into soy and get an immediate flash of lethargy and muscle aches, which lasts for two to four hours. But when I'm completely soy-free, I have energy and stamina and get so much done. I go to Pilates three to five times a week, and I'm about to start power walking. And I still weigh 310 lbs!

I'm so sensitive to soy that I can't eat chicken that was fed soy, or eggs from soy-fed chickens. I can't eat beef on soy feed or drink the milk or eat the yogurt or cheese from it either. I can't eat farmed fish. I can't eat most chocolate. I can't use Pam. I can only eat salad at restaurants without dressing or I bring my own olive oil. I can't use their olive oils either because they're Italian and are most likely blended with soybean oil. I have to make practically everything from scratch. And I take kelp capsules that provide iodine to help bring my metabolism back.

So, if you're waking up very tired and lethargic, it might be a food allergy.

look up old posts from Catherine, or Hippie Van Lady. she was extremely overweight and started doing leg lifts in bed. do whatever you can get your body to do. you'd be amazed what its capable of. get some hand and ankle weights and add them to your routine. every little step counts.

how do you eat an elephant? one bite at a time...

@Kaplods - I love your idea of wearing a pedometer and the goal being "more steps than yesterday." When I think of pedometers, I think immediately of 10,000 steps, and I know I'm probably in the hundreds these days, too.

I also totally agree with the focus on activity instead of exercise. I work from home in a sedentary job, and I am looking into getting a standing desk.

GREAT job on what you've already lost! Holy smokes!

I haven't read through the other posts, so my apologies for probably repeating.

If you can only do a slow two-minute walk, take a slow two-minute walk. It's movement. There are exercises that can be done from a chair. I don't swim, but water is supposed to be great for those with mobility struggles.

Baby steps.

I wanted to give everyone an update:

I started working out with my mom. She lives in an apartment complex with a little fitness center. So, starting this week, we worked out M/W/F, and will continue to do so. I'm able to do two minutes on the elliptical machine, which I chose over the treadmill because it seems less stressful on my knees. I can also do two minutes on the bike, but not right after the elliptical. So, I do the bike last, the elliptical first, and the different weight machines in the middle.

The Duke knows a lot about weight lifting. He used to be really into it, so he gave me some very good advice about how to work out so I don't hurt myself. And it's going pretty well. We're able to go in during a time when no one else is there, so we don't have any embarrassment issues, and mom and I can talk and encourage each other.

that is an awesome accomplishment, just getting out there and making an effort. getting started exercising (i found) was the hardest part. i still feel awkward doing it in front of other people, but i'm hoping that changes soon.

congrats to you and keep us updated on how you're faring!

Duchess - That is super! Glad you can have it as a bonding activity with your mother

Hi Duchess,I am in the same boat as you-I have always found any type of water movement/exercise to be the best,but I don't have the strength to get out of the pool and am much too heavy to use a lift.I cant stand for more than about a minute.But I can do a little upper body work with the rubber bands or small weights.I try to move my legs as much as I can-even though I'm sitting or laying it still takes muscles and energy to move.And simply standing up every 15 minutes has helped me.
Just do what you can,don't push too hard,take baby steps and you will do great-The advice offered above is all wonderful and I'm sure that amongst it you will find what's right for you
Blessings!

Awesome!Where there's a will there's a way. Keep up the good work!
Blessings!

Amen!
Blessings!