I have struggled with weight my entire life. I successfully did Weight Watchers about 15 years ago, I lost a lot of weight and put it all (and more unfortunately) back on. Since then, I have been off and on Weight Watchers. I'll have good results, but I never stick to it long term. I know I need a real lifestyle change if this will last. Weight Watchers has taught me portion control, even when I'm off diet, I am aware of how many calories I am eating. The other piece that has been missing is exercise. Even when I was successful in the past, I never exercised. I see people, in real life and on tv, running and bilking and I actually wish that was something that I enjoyed. I would like to join a gym, but at my size I feel very uncomfortable. I feel like if I could get down to 250 first, I might feel more comfortable going to a gym. To start, I have been walking my dogs for a mile a day. I would like to work my way up to running. When no one is around on the trails, I do very short bursts of slow jogging, if you can call it that. Does anyone know how to slowly work your way up to running when obese. I googled it and all I see is the slow bursts tip. I was hoping someone here might be able to give me some pointers, especially if they were in my position in the past and have now progressed to the point of all out running.

Have you heard of Couch to 5k? If not, look into it! I was over 200 when I started it. I actually hope to start again in the next month or two. Good luck!

Last year I used the couch to 5k program. It is an awesome 9 week program that will get you from walking to running. You start just running for 30-60 secs and walking for 90 secs and work your way to running for 30 mins. It really works. I have a friend who is using it now and she is about your size. She has had to repeat a few wks (she did week 1 for 3 wks etc) but it is working for her. I hated running and now I enjoy it.

I used the nhs program. They give you lots for good tips as you go. See link. But I know others who have used the Get running app.

Last year a group of my friends (7 of us) went from none runners to completing a 5k run. We used this program, it works. For extra motivation, pick a 5k run to sign up for it, so you have a goal.

http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k.aspx

I had not heard of the Couch to 5K program. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thanks so much. I am going to start doing this. I just have to find a judgement free zone (if that's possible) to start this. I do have a treadmill, but I felt like it might be easier to do this outside on a track. Is that correct or would a treadmill actually be easier?

I agree with everyone here, I am doing a Couch to 5k. I have had several restarts because I got sick TWICE this winter and it was dreadful and ruined my stamina. Thankfully I have a treadmill. I used that for the first 4 months, now that I am a bit more comfortable with my body, I have been outside with headphones and it rocks.

Also, I have found that I really like workout DVD's. LOL. I never thought I would be that person. Those rock.

And one more thing.... I bought myself some sweet gear. That motovates me to get moving. I got some cute clothes, and a heart rate monitor, and a water bottle.

Good luck!

I downloaded the app and found a trail that I think will be pretty secluded. I'm going to take my dogs tomorrow and see if I can get started on this. I'm actually excited to try this. The app seems like it will be great. It has GPS to track my actual distance and the voice commands will let me know when it's time to switch. I'm so glad I sought out some advice here.

I'm going to do this with a friend. We also downloaded the FitChallenge app for $.99 from the iTunes store. Seems like fun, we get awarded points for different exercises. The winner at the end of the timeframe for the challenge gets whatever they have bet. I like that you can fill in anything as a reward for the bet. This will add another layer of motivation, I'm pretty competitive.

Another vote here for C25K. I started at about 215 pounds, a little over a year ago. I can easily run over three miles straight now without stopping. Actually, I could do that after about two months, and when I first started I thought that first 30 second run would kill me! I am a very slow runner, but I'm moving. And I love it!

Good luck and let us know how you're doing!

My advice is just to keep walking and focus on your diet.

More vigorous exercise got me nowhere (for years - too many calories were going in). Watching what I put in my mouth did.

But walking is great. Try to get two miles in a day and you'll rock this. I walk about 40-60 minutes a day.

At some point along along the weight loss journey, you'll feel like running...

Not everyone enjoys conventional methods of exercise and that's PERFECTLY OKAY. Sometimes it takes finding something a little outside of the normal box of "exercise" for it to click. (Zumba, kick boxing, pole dancing classes, etc.) That's perfectly okay. The key to building life long exercise habits is to find something you want to do for the rest of your life.

OH GIRL I feel you! I was mortified and petrified the first time I walked into a gym and then I realized no one cared about what I was doing because they were all too focused on what they themselves were doing.

I don't consider myself an excellent runner, but I run. I hate every second of running, but I still do it. The trick for me was I found out I love doing triathlons and as long as my running is in the context of training or competing in a triathlon I can suck it up and do it. Everyone has recommended c25k and while it's a great program, I wasn't a huge fan of it. The jump from running 8 minutes to 20 minutes got inside of my head and made me quit doing it. What I did find that works for me is interval training. Now I'm happy to run 15 walk 1, run 20 walk 1, etc. There's something about knowing I have the stopping point that makes all the difference for me.

Proud of you for getting active! It's not easy!

SoMuchFattitude- it is too bad you did not push through, because they throw in the 20 min run becuase you CAN do it. At that point in the program it is a mental ability issue not. A physical issue that prevents you from doing it.

The key to C25K is to pace yourself and work the program becuase the program works. Just like ww So many people feared the 20 min run, but after they finished all my friends who pushed through were amazed and had more confidence that they could so anything they were asked to.

I'm not on WW and not to barge in here, but I second this. Start walking, build up your endurance and stamina walking. Start with walking one mile, time yourself and pay attention to your heart rate. When walking that one mile is cake then you increase the distance and then increase the speed and when THAT gets easy you either decide to increase the distance or speed or both until you start alternating jogging and walking.

But IMO you need to get to the point where you can walk a mile in under 20 minutes, and keep that sustained for at least a mile and a half or two before you think jog. Jogging is tough on the joints, add in a lifetime of inactivity and a high BMI and you could be setting yourself up for injury.

Just my $.02. Trust me, your dogs will love it!!!

I got myself to the point where I can run 20 minutes, but not through c25k. I was just trying to say that just because one method doesn't work for you, it doesn't mean that all methods won't work for you. Find what does work and do it!

i have been doing it for over 400 days straight now.It is the hardest most intense workout you will ever experience and it's all done in your own home. I have a video on youtube of my results. just take a sec and watch it and i bet you will be motivated after it. i can help guide you through your workouts and answer any questions you have. I'm going to school for kinesiological sciences so this is all about what i am learning.

I'd like to try the couch to 5k it sounds fun but! Right now I want to focus on a brisk mile under 19 minutes. Then I want to add another mile to that before I think about running. What makes it easier for me is to have a playlist. Keep the same playlist on your iPod and not on shuffle. That way I know "my mile takes me through 5 songs" then you kick it up a notch and try to get your mile through 4 1/2 songs, then only 4 songs etc... Then when you can get it to that point change your playlist and see how many new songs it takes up do a mile. For me that gave my mile a definite start and end because I knew when I would be back to the beginning