My question is about exercise. I know that exercising and watching what you eat are obviously the way to lose the weight...I'm just wondering how soon you need to start exercising?? I know the sooner the better...but with somone, like myself, who needs to lose at least 100 pounds, do you do one change at a time and work myself into the exercise. I am on WW and was wondering is it okay to just do WW by itself for a while or do you think that exercising along with it will make a bigger difference??

I do plan on starting some physical activity but didn't know when and if it would only start making a difference once I got my appeitite under control.

Boy actually hearing myself write this makes me feel like I am finding an excuse not to exercise. If you all think I need a then just tell me lol.
I just find that this is a big change for me and doing too many things (changes) at once gets to be quit hard sometimes.

So I know what you all will probably say.....start out with only doing a little bit....it is only going to help....I know...I know. Sorry for the little brain fart, and thinking I could get away with it

for just letting

Haha, Lindsay, you're right. I think most of us are going to say go ahead and just do it. Personally, I think getting into the habit of exercise is easier if you start at the same time as your diet changes.
The most important thing is finding something you like doing and will keep doing. For example, I love water aerobics! I got in that pool with a bunch of women my grandmother's age and had an awesome time. I actually looked foward to an exercise class! And I am the single most laziest, change hatingest person ever.
Anyways, no matter what you decide to do, congrats on your decision to become healthier!

Lindsay,

I started at over 100 lbs more than your current weight with quite a bit of exercise and I went all out, exercising 5-6 days/week for 30-90 minutes. Now I know everyone has their own method but I say start exercising now! You can ease yourself into it but really you need to do it. I find that I eat better and feel better when I exercise. If I'm not exercising regularly, I find that my eating starts to suffer so I know exercise is key for me.

I agree with the above. I think when you exercise you may feel like you have more invested in eating well. You don't want your exercise to go to waste, so it's an incentive (conscious or unconscious) to eat well too. I know not everyone feels this way, but I've found it applies to me.

Exercise can feel good too, once you get into the habit. The hardest part is getting started and getting through the first couple weeks when you're in the process of getting into better shape. I remember that the last time I restarted an exercise routine after a bit of a break I was discouraged by how quickly I felt out of breath while it seemed like everyone else in the aerobics class could keep going. Now it's not a problem at all because I'm in better cardiovascular shape. You may even find it to be fun if you take the time to find something that you actually enjoy.

It'll probably make the weight loss go faster, too.

Well I will chime in here with my agreement and say yes, I would recommend you begin exercising right away. Even if you are not able to do a lot, that is fine... just do what you can and gradually increase it. It will do a lot for you mentally as well as physically. I started out weighing more than you do also, so I do know how hard it is! But it is worth it and it DOES make a big difference. Also, it makes you think twice before you eat junk since you know how much work it is to get it off.

We like to start out with giving rather than so since you are just beginning we won't do any yet either.

Go for it! You can do it! We were ALL just starting out on our journey, too, and we understand!!

And Lisa... I agree... wow, the water aerobics is my "thing" too!

on knowing the answer before you asked it.

I started pretty much where you are now. I actually started walking before I started watching what I was eating. I started slow, walking about a 1/2 an hour a day and built up to an hour a day. When I added in calorie counting and logging what I ate, the weight came off (100 pounds took around a year). My only regret was that I waited until I was almost to goal before I started weight training. I think I would have been toned a lot earlier if I had been weight training all along.

This of course is only what worked for me. But I heartily agree with the posts above that told you that you need to find something (or a combination of activities) that you enjoy and will make a habit of.

You CAN do it, commit to a least a month of 5 days a week of something. Then, just do it! You won't regret it, I guarantee it!

It is for me too. Hee, I'll also pass on the bad stuff because I know I'll have to myself and work a lot harder. And as I said, I am a Lazy Lisa!
The other good thing about exercise is all those feel good endorphins. And I swear that's not a lie put out by the Nike Propaganda Machine! You really do get a natural high.
Misti: Yay for another water aerobics gal! It's my fav. I don't even mind putting on a bathing suit to do it!

Some times it helps to see your thoughts in print!
Get at it! Start yesterday! Just keep in mind that exercise is just increased activity. You don't have to do a full body workout and jog the marathon today. A brisk walk or a game of soccer with the kids will do just fine .... for now

I started weighing nearly 300. The thought of doing it all at once was scary, so my first exercise was, as Susan said, just increased activity. I WALKED upstairs to ask hubby a question rather than yelling... take more trips of laundry up, park a little further away. After a month or so, I started getting mor serious about it, but couldn't do a lot at first.

Exercise is hard for me. I've never liked it. But I have to say it's been a KEY to success this time. It burns calories, it's a stress reliever, and it GIVES me energy!

I also want to throw in a plug for weight lifting! I knew nothing about it, but there's lots of help out there! It reshapes you, and muscle burns more calories every day than fat!

I would suggest that you don't exercise, but find ways to PLAY, if you're at all like me.

For me, the thought of exercise still terrifies me. I think it's the word itself. At my starting weight, and even now, thoughts of exercise brought images of me dropping dead in the middle of a sit-up from a heart attack. And since I couldn't do ANY of the things, that a "normal" person would have considered exercise, it was so daunting and discouraging.

And then, I made a list of all the things I wanted to be able to do, and surprisingly, most of the things on that list were activities that would be considered exercise. And even more surprisingly, some of those activities were even ones I could do now, even if only for five minutes, so I started there.

In the water, I can actually exercise fairly intensely, especially in warm water that doesn't "freeze up" my joints. Ask your doctor if there's an warm water arthritis water program in your area.

Walking was too "boring" for me, but shopping was an activity that I had been missing, so I clip on a pedometer and go shopping. I have to sit down for breaks, but a day of shopping just has a better image for me than a day at the gym.

I talked my husbands into buying bikes (Walmart's second cheapest model, but I had to buy a wider seat). We're not getting as much use out of them as I thought we would, or for very long rides, and then I got discouraged, but reminded myself that I haven't ridden a bicycle for over 20 years, that any amount was progress. My goal for next summer, is to have used the bike at least twice as much as I did this year.

My next two active "toys" I want are an exercise ball and one of those dancing video game (Dance Dance Revolution, or even a plug and play imitation).

Oh, and I want to get a bellydancing video.

Crazy, of course! But then I realized that "exercise" would always be a chore, even if I ever attained "thinhood," but "fun" was self-maintaining. Those naturally "fit" people you always see on tv, don't seem to exercise as much as they have calorie burning hobbies they are passionate about like cycling, rock climbing, hiking...

I agree with Kaplods that finding something you enjoy is a great way to get into exercise and stay interested. Last year a friend and I played squash. We weren't any good but we had a blast, plus we kept each other motivated. Unfortunately she doesn't live close to me this year and I haven't found another partner. But now I'm doing the couch-to-5k.

Just do it!!!