So I am no longer over 300 lbs but still I'm 275 so that's pretty close... I want to start excersising more.. but honestly I HATE it.. I detest it! Not only do I find it boring . but I feel so achy and sore after I do and my Knees and back and ankles always feel miserable...

I LOVE Swimming, I also love dancing when I do these things I don't "FEEL" like I'm excersising.. So I'm thinking that these are the excersises I'd like to do.... But It seem like it might not be enough though.. I hear alot about how important strength training and cardio is.... what I'm wondering is do you think swimming and dancing will be enough? or do I just need to suck it up and do other things like weight lifting, toning, treadmill, elipitcal, etc?

I also do my Wii Fit which I really loved in the beginning but am now getting bored with because I've unlocked all of them now!

or does any one have any suggestions for "fun excersises" that aren't too hard on a nearly 300 lb body?

I think swimming and dancing is great cardio. and anything is better than nothing! I also started out at 305lbs. I started with light walking and built up from there. I use to feel the same way about exercise! I hated it, thought it was boring and my knees hurt from it. Now that i have built my endurance up, and made it a habbit, I really LOVE to exercise! I love the way it makes me feel, and the way it helps in my weight loss. I think if you just did what you liked to do, build your endurance up and try new things little by little, you might actually start to like it. Some people never do, but you never know...you may be one that does actually like to work out. I never though I would say those words, but I really do love it. strength training is important for so many reasons, so you should think about maybe adding in a day or two a week dedicated to weights. start out light, and work your way up. just dont do too much all at once, or you will burn yourself out. good luck.

I think I am also going to do some light walking... now that it's getting nice.. maybe even just walking my dog around the block once or twice... that's shouldn't be to horrible!

I've never liked to exercise. Hate might be a good word to describe how I feel. The whole reason I started the 300+ exercise thread was because I felt I needed to commit to it, despite how I felt.

I still don't like contemplating it, but I DO like how I feel AFTER a good workout (and sometimes during). I've realized it can be a good stress relief for me. So, over time you may change some.

Swimming and dancing ARE good cardio -- provided you keep your heartrate up!

As for strength training, I think it has been VERY helpful for me in many ways. Not only am I stronger, but I look... firmer.... than I would without it. In addition, muscle is more metabolically active and burns more calories every day. I would definitely recommend you try it, but really recommend you get someone to show you HOW. Most gyms will let you have a free session with a trainer, but it may be more effective to pay for a few sessions as well.

As for doing things I don't like, early on I really had to tell myself it doesn't matter what I WANT, but what I NEED. I don't want to pay my taxes, or go to work every day, but there are lots of consequences if I don't. Same for exercise.

Good luck! And feel free to join us on the exercise thread -- just count your minutes!

I've lost a couple of hundred pounds doing just water aerobics. I have a good instructor, and try to go 2-3 times the rate she sets now. I had to work up to that, and now I have to really hit it hard to keep my heart rate up, but it's also fun.

I hated, despised and loathed exercise, any exercise, with a burning passion until 3 weeks ago. Really! I mean, I truly and deeply hated it. I was born lazy, raised lazy, and just loved being a deeply lazy person. In high school I joined the marching band so I wouldn't have to take phys ed!

But.

I lost 100# in 6 months then stalled out. I haven't lost a pound since Valentine's Day, which happened to be my six-month life change anniversary. So I finally sucked it up and joined a gym. I talked to several friends who are all about the gym, and got tips and pointers. The key one was, go every single day at the same time for at least 2 weeks and it will become a habit. Don't DO the same thing every day, but GO every day.

I planned in advance; I'm taking 1 day off a week to recuperate and I'm going 6 days a week. 3 cardio (treadmill/elliptical); 3 weights (free weights and weight machines).

I committed to it and I'm doing it. I still hated it the first 2-3 days, but I made myself go. I took my iPod and jammed while doing whatever. Then it got a little less bad. Still not fun, but not that bad.

Well!! I had measured myself before starting then took measurements again after 2 weeks ~ last weekend. I LOST 2 INCHES OFF MY BUST, OFF MY WAIST AND OFF MY HIPS!!! In 2 weeks!!!!!!!!! OK that makes it totally worth it. I am also seeing muscle definition in my arms and shoulders. This gives me hope my "batwings" (which aren't that bad, considering how heavy I was) may totally go away.

EXERCISE IS TOTALLY WORTH IT BECAUSE YOU GET AWESOME RESULTS.

And that's my $.02!!!!

You can get both cardio and strength training in the water. There are some great resistance "toys" for the pool. I'm sure you can buy them online. Our warm water therapy tool has bunches of them. My favorite is the styrofoam barbells. The more styrofoam disks on the bar, the "heavier" the weight. The barbell floats on the surface of the water, and you either pull or push it under the water, and it works the same muscles that you would using traditional weights on land. Then there are paddles that have adjustable holes that you can close or leave open to various degrees to increase or reduce the resistance in the water. My moving the paddles in different ways in the water, you can work different muscles.

The water is definitely the larger person or injured person's friend.

thanks guys! what great info! glad I'm not the only one who dreads the thought of working out! I suppose I can really use my love of the water to my benefit! I know eventually it won't be enough especially once I'm at goal.. but I tihnk if I can get some great tunes on my Ipod, and just suck it up fro an hour every day I can get through it.. your totally right in saying I may not want to do it but I NEED to do it... just like paying taxes or getting up early to go to work or cleaning the house... good comparison!

Not necessarily, water workouts can be stepped up, just like any other form of exercise. It can be as challenging as you want to make it, and can rival any form of exercise with little or no special modifications. Swim faster or longer - use different strokes that work different muscle groups, use equipment to make the exercise more challenging. Most exercises you can do on land, you can do in the water, and the muscle building and cardiac conditioning is quite similar. The biggest difference isn't in health or fitness, but in that water workouts can increase hunger, so if you eat more because of it you can undo some of the benefits. However, if you're monitoring and controlling your calorie intake, almost anything you can do on land, you can do in the water, and get similar benefits. In fact, since you feel less encumbered by gravity and sweating - your endurance in the water is generally better than on land (you do sweat, the water just makes it less noticeable and cools you faster so you stay comfortable longer).

There's no reason that you can't make your water workout intense and varied enough to meet any fitness need you have. That doesn't mean you might not want to add in other sports and exercises for fun and variety, but you definitely don't have to leave the water to do it (I'd live in the water, if I could).

I have recently started doing the Walking Videos by Leslie Sansone. Being the size that i am just walking gets my heart rate up. I love it because while other parts of the country are thawing out, we are getting ready for the HOT season. This video allows me to walk inside. I love getting up at 6 am and popping in the DVD. At first I felt a little funny walking in place. I think it is natural for your body to want to move forward when in the walking motion. But after a few times,,its great! I know as I start to loose weight I will have to do other routines to keep my body challenged.

I also LOVE to swim. For some odd ball reason pools dont open here until after memorial day. Makes no sense cause they could open now with the 90 degree heat! As soon as they open, I am getting a summer apss and signing up for water aerobics. It is a great workout. And when you are my size, it really hurts to exercise..so in the water it takes some pressure of of that.

For me, exercise was my biggest 'head trip.' I found it boring and tedious because of the bland habit of it. OR I found it intimidating because I had to put myself out there in front of all those skinny, fit people. OR I found it inconvenient to the lifestyle I had, a mostly sedentary life where I lived in books, computers and tv or through talking and being with friends. Name the reason for hating it, and I had it. ... Mostly, I had fear and old, bad habits.

When I was successful before, it was with firm, self talk. I started conversations with my inner critic and inner doubter, battling it word for word, sentence for sentence. "Who says I'm not that kind of person? I can get active. I can get out on the trail, same as anyone. Strangers aren't mocking me -- most don't care about me, at all. Some even wish me good luck. And the ones who mock can kiss my foot."

One question I'd ask myself when I was about to blow off exercise was, "At the end of the day, what choice is going to make me feel better -- choice A or choice B?" ... If I could get my head out of the doubting, defeating moment and into the future and the big picture, then usually I could make the healthy choice.

You have to become psyched. Become your best friend and best cheerleader. Your most defiant defender.

So many books talk about the how of physical exercise, but a few focus on the mental state. The Spirited Walker by Carolyn Scott Kortge is very good, and I'm sure there are others. (Hers was published in 1998.)

Cheers to us all!

Shimmers, you sound just like me! I was in the same place about exercise until a little over a year ago. I'm now convinced that it's the way for me to live, and I do love weight training, hiking outdoors, and have even started jogging (just a little bit). I still battle my sluggish nature, every moment of the day. Just this morning, I muscled through my desire to park myself in my chair and get back online just to get on the treadmill for 20 minutes first thing in the morning. About a minute into the walk, I felt the impulse to get off. Ignored it, somehow. Another five minutes later, I started enjoying myself. By the end, I wanted to keep going, but I was so hungry.

Now, after breakfast, I'm thinking about getting back on, but I'm struggling with post-meal sluggishness and would rather go take a nap. I got plenty of sleep last night, and I do use a CPAP to manage sleep apnea, but I suspect I need to get a new machine. Mine is 11 years old.

This is the sort of thing I have to deal with everyday. If I could just act on the desire to stay fit and exercise regularly, things would be great, but every decision to do that involves a struggle.

I'm going to have a look at the book you suggested. I do love to walk outside, especially love to go hiking around the Lake Tahoe region and for long walks at Muir Woods. Living in Northern California is a perfect venue for that activity.

I'm going to get on the treadmill again now, to see how long it takes to get past the sluggishness. Maybe I just need to burn off the breakfast carbs.

Georgia

first - try to change your mindset about excersizing. tell yourself every day that you LOVE it. its your favorite thing to do ever. positive affirmations.

second - water aerobics are great! water gives you 3 times the resistance of being on land. most gyms have the barbells available if they offer a class, but you can look for a swim outlet online and find them for around 30.00. the best workouts i get are in the pool.

im currently training for a half marathon in september. i started Monday. make games for yourself. i did the treadmill on monday and timed how long a mile took me. now i know i am NEVER again allowed to do a mile in over 22 mins. today my mile was 20.04. i wasnt even winded.

just get moving. dont take shortcuts. you will be so happy you did

Hey everybody!
I'm sort of new here, but sort of not. I was here a few years ago, lost about 70 lbs. but edged back up there. I'm hoping to lose 44 lbs (or more) before May 2010. I'm trying to keep my expectations in reality.
The biggest problem I'm having right now is, of course, exercise. My fiance adn I bought an eliptical a few days ago and it id kicking my butt. I'm feeling nauseous and dizzy after working out on it. Anybody else getting this when exercising?

I hate the elliptical and will not get on it, but I do other things I like. I play basketball, I walk on the treadmill or outside, I garden but I do it all while listening to music.. You have to find an activity you love (bowling, badmitton) and start off with that. When you get bored try something else.