I mean all the people who lost 100 pounds or thereabouts. I have a question. When did you start exercising? Right from the start of your diet or after you lost some of the weight? I wonder if it’s even safe to exercise at 300 pounds? I mean it has to be bad for your joints to put any more stress on them than necessary.

It's never a bad idea to exercise. Even if you have ailments or joint troubles, whatever. You can always tailor excerise to meet your particular abilities. Unless you're relegated to bedrest or confined to a wheelchair, walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise, not hard on the joints, and you can start out slowly and work your way up.

When I first started, I just began by eating healthy, but since the weight was coming off so slowly, I added in walking 1 mile every day. I was still over 200 pounds when I started the walking. After months, I was able to work up to a jog. Still overweight, but it was coming down, and much more quickly than with just diet alone.

If you're concerned with your joints, try adding some knee supports from the drug store just as a precaution. Maybe even a back support belt. I wore both at first. I still wear the knee supports just to keep some of the strain off my knees when I run.

I have to second that. Walking is safe exercise for just about anyone. It's low impact and will make you feel great. I found it very helpful to get my body moving right from the start. Swimming is pretty much *no impact* so give that a try too.

If you start slow and gradually increase your activity you should be fine.

You can always go get a physical first if you're really concerned with exercising safely, but I can't imagine a doctor not recommending walking and other low/no impact activities for almost anyone.

You could also get some hand weights and do some shoulder presses, bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, along with the walking... Take it easy with the walking to start, walk a block, then 2, and so on...

Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes...

I started exercising before I even realised I wanted to lose weight - I just joined a gym because I felt like I wanted to be fitter and only then realised that I was 260lb, so eventually decided to sort out my eating too. I had been trying to run even before I joined the gym, and started running properly at about 250lb. It can be done!

I too started exercising from the beginning, and I was 262 pounds. I started with walking and swimming, and now do lots of stuff, including weight training.

When I started I got lots of advice and support from here and from my gym. It can be hard at first, but in my experience your fitness improves faster than the weight falls off, so it can be really motivating, and once you get over the initial fear factor, it's fun!!!!

I started right from the beginning too. At first it was just walking on my treadmill at a veeeeery slow pace (like 0.8 mph). I gradually increased my time and speed over time and then added in light weight training and abdominal exercises later on. You should definitely consider getting your body moving in some fashion, regardless of what it is. Just take it easy at first and work your way up, you can do it!!

Beverly

Thanks everybody, it really helps to have all the input and comments. I will start with just walking around my neighborhood for a while, it helps that I have a nice park near by.
Someone at work suggested trying to take the "Joint Juice" to help keep your joints feeling better. So, I'll do that too.
I'll keep everybody posted on my progress, if I have any that is.

Thanks again for support.

swimming is definately the best and one of the only exercises that work a maximum amount of muscles with relative ease

Hello! Well, I haven't lost 100 yet - but I'm getting there .

But I did start at 244, and for the first week monitered and recorded everything I ate - but ate like I normally would.

The second week I adjusted my diet to the 1400 cal range and recorded and monitored it - to get in the swing of it.

On the third week I began exercising on a stationary bike - and I can't tell you how much I LOVE it.

When I was 244, I used no tension and would go about 14-15 miles an hour for 30-40 minutes, 4-5 days a week.

As I lost weight and increased my fitness level, I could then adjust the tension, and/or be able to go at a faster speed, from 14-15mph increased tension, to 17-19mph, to 19-22mph, 22-26mph double tension- where I am now. But the tension and speed can go much higher, so it's adjustibility has been a Godsend - and I can do it anytime of the day.

I also like it because I can set it in front of the air conditioner when it's really hot , and it doesn't hurt my knees.

I've added strength and toning as well now that my body is more fit and can handle it.

Don't get me wrong, I really do like walking, swimming and my belly dance dvds, but I don't think I could have made it this far without that bike!

Just my li'l old 2 cents!

Affectionately,
LL

Awesome job LL...you inspire me to reach beyond my easy chair (and not for a cookie)

Amanda

I started at 261 with walking, then after losing about 20 lbs., progressed to low impact aerobics that I had to give up because of physical problems (not related to weight), then started shallow and deep water aerobics. I exercise 6 days a week. I started adding weight lifting at some point (hhmm, don't remember when), and do that twice a week. I also walk, and when it's too hot, cold, or rainy (I live in Oregon so that's frequently), I do one of the Walk Away the Pounds Tapes.

I'd actually like to ramp up the exercise more or change my routine, but the physical problems prevent me from doing that. Still losing weight, though, and gaining muscle so I'll take that!

Walking is cheap and easy and you can start out at whatever length and speed you want. Just make a long-term commitment to whatever exercise you choose, and don't be afraid to change your exercise program at any time. Good luck!

I started at 313 pounds.
I started by walking around my neighborhood, usually at night because I was so embarrassed about how I looked. But I started out walking around a couple blocks and just kept going further and further it was winter time I bundled up and it would rain and I would grab the umbrella but I made sure I used no excuses to not get out and do something . I bought a work out cd and started working out to that and just kept working at it until I could do all the moves on the cd. My goal was to be able to get back on my bike and be able to ride my bike. After some time I finally made it on my bike. I began to bike and after some time I heard about my community center offering free exersise facilty for a peiord.
I biked up to my community center because we have one car and my husband uses it during the day to go to work.
I started off very slow moderate and I kept challenging myself.
I still do, I lift weights as well as a lot of cardio.
I never thought I would be running on a tredmill or working out on the elitical walker or the stair climber but I do and I kick butt.
We all had to start off somewhere and were all on our way to at one point we never thought we could be.

I have exercised almost since day one. Walking is great because it is cheap and low impact. If you have access to a pool swimming and water aerobics are practically no impact. Plus it involves both cardio and resistance training. Biking is excellent exercise for your knee joints. Again, there is no impact and the peddling motion works those ligaments and muscles helping you to gain stability.

With all of that said, ANY movement is good movement. I assume you are rather sedentary at this point (as most of us were when we started). In the beginning I made an effort to move more in general. That meant no more asking someone to bring me something from another room because they were already up. I started walking upstairs to get the kids for dinner rather than calling for them from the bottom of the stairs. I started taking extra trips to put laundry away rather than carrying as much as I could at once. If a song came on the radio that I liked I danced to it. Okay, I felt silly doing this at first but soon realized how entertained my kids were by it and before long couldn't help myself. As a matter of fact, that is one of our bedtime routines now. After everyone has their teeth brushed and before we start story time we have a good dance to whatever is on the radio. My point is that when your body is accustom to not moving at all even a little extra can make a difference.

Most importantly, don't give up. It never gets easier unless you keep at it. Then, before long, you will be wondering how you ever survived without regular exercise.