okay first things first, i have some health issues. i have tachycardia (mild but still means my heartrate gets too high when i do intense exercise like kickboxing) and scoliosis, fallen arches and premature arthritis in my left knee, which also makes clicking noises sometimes when i walk too much, and the clicking hurts. i also have sciatic pain sometimes, but not that often, it comes and goes randomly.



so, i have not properly exercised since i left karate at age 16, and i am going to be 23 this july. therefore, i need to be taking things easy to start... and i think i jumped in too fast. as soon as it got nice i decided, "i will ride my bike 3-5 miles a day on every weekday, and just walk short distances on the weekends". well, that seems to be too much. i did 1 mile on monday (but then it started raining so i couldn't continue), 5 miles on tuesday, 3 miles on wednesday, and yesterday and today i have not gone out because my legs are sore as ****, though i did manage a couple short walks today to visit a corner store and the post office box.

i was thinking of switching it to 3-5 miles on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays, and take at least 1 short walk on tuesdays and thursdays, and not exercise on the weekends (unless you count grocery shopping).

is that still too much? too little? i feel like i'm not doing enough, even though i know i need to go slow and ease into it.

also, i binged like **** yesterday so i feel like i need to ride my bike at least 5 miles today but my legs are very sore. i feel like i'm not doing enough and simultaneously trying to do too much.



can anyone help me come up with a HEALTHY exercise plan for me? p.s. i don't do yoga, it hurts my back, i have no place to swim, and walking hurts which is why i prefer my bike.

Can you do stomach crunches? push ups? Can you do a little bit of walking each day and then move on to something else when it starts to hurt? How about light dancing? Nothing that will hurt your knee or raise your heart rate too much - but maybe youtube some videos and dance along?

Exercise is important of course but you can also lose weight simply by deducting 500 calories from your BMR and accurately counting. Then, anything else you do exercise wise is just extra calories burned and should help you effectively lose weight.

omg i had all kinds of stuff typed up and accidentally hit back on my mouse and its all gone =_= okay im just gonna get to the important points.


crunches = bloody tailbone
pushups = hurt knees very badly, can't support myself with just feet and arms
dancing = i play ddr on occasion but that makes my heartrate very high so i have to take lots of breaks

i've removed 300 calories from my weightx10 and have been losing weight

i really feel like i'm not losing weight quickly enough. i was eating well over 2500 calories a day and now i'm only eating 1500 so i SHOULD be losing like 3 pounds a week, but i'm only losing like 3 pounds a month, i figured by now i'd be down to 150 already not stuck at icky 180. i have binged a couple of times recently but not enough that i still weigh this much. i've been eating healthier stuff like yoghurt with berries instead of ice cream and granola bars instead of cake and pistachios instead of ramen, but i'm not getting the results i was expecting. and right now i feel like a failure because i went from 180 to 182 and i wanna exercise those pounds off... but my legs are really sore. so i need to find a way to exercise without being exhausted by day 2.

Have you tried speaking with your doctor? He/she would probably be best to advise you since he/she is familiar with your health issues.

i don't have a doctor

I've had a bad knee since I partially dislocated my right knee cap at high school. What was I doing? Crawling on the ground. I also have a bad right shoulder that I got when I was 20 from lying on my stomach in one place for too long.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that we all have limitations in one form or another that we need to find a way around to get fit and healthy. As you pointed out, you're going to have to start slow. Your body isn't used to physical activity and it needs to build the appropriate muscle strength in order to handle more work. I played soccer for 15 years and I took four years off because of injuries (to my right foot. I'm a mess ) and my body screamed at me when I started exercising again in January. When I first started (at 178lbs), I couldn't run or even fast walk at full speed for 400 metres without being puffed an exhausted. After increasing my speed and starting to run after 2-3 weeks, I can now run for at least 8 minutes non-stop--probably more if I tried harder lol

You are going to feel the burn in your legs for a week, maybe 2 weeks when you first start out. Therefore, you need to start light until your body gets used to moving around and push through the pain. Perhaps going out every 2nd day will be best for you? Stretching definitely helps relax your muscles! You could use the stretches you used for karate and maybe some more.

Have you tried walking on the grass? I run on the grass because my right knee and joints get sore quite quickly. I walk and jog around a park (an athletic track with a soccer pitch in the middle) so I don't have to go far from the house I only exercise for 30 mins (I time myself so I don't go over).

I think this is a good plan. For your heart rate, I wonder if you could alternate between fast and slow paced riding. For instance, ride fast for 30 seconds and then rest for 3-5 minutes for it to come back down, and then do it again.

I agree with stella that you should see a doctor about your heart, or at least talk to a gym/health professional to see what you can do for it. You may need medication. I'd hate for you to have a heart attack or something! Also, you can get assistance with your scoliosis and other health problems. Remember, the problems won't go away and they'll only get worse with time. If you wait, then the damage may become irreversible or you might need major surgery to correct them

I started a thread about sciatica because I get it when I exercise Tips for sciatica. Some of those stretches might help. As for your fallen arches, have you looked into orthotics? (see thumbnail) I use these in my shoes all of the time to help my knee.

Looking at your graph, you rise and fall like I do. At the moment, my weight is rising () and it should fall drastically next week, or the week after. You may not be falling as fast as you would like, but you are still falling I do, however, wonder that you might have to have some self-control during your binge days. It seems your graph spiked after your recent one and I think that is affecting your loss. Yes, it is called a binge day for a reason, but I think you might be letting the restraints go just a little too much...

ooooh nice! i used to run too, but i was never able to do it well because of lung issues- my stepmom smoked around me since i was 4, and now i smoke as well (but i'm working on quitting, i've cut down a lot already i used to smoke 2 packs a day and now i'm down to 6-7 a day max)

yeah i should probably start stretching first, warm up my muscles.

there isnt grass ike that where i live. we have gravel paths and theres some grass on the sides but it's very close to the woods and theres skunks and raccoons and possums and stuff in there, and while that usually wouldn't bother me, a rabid raccoon was recently found in my town so NOW i'm paranoid of being too close to the woods.



i could try that, thanks

i know, but i can't afford a doctor. my only income is food stamps and $25 a week for doing chores, and a doctor's visit without insurance is about $300, and testing and MRIs can run into the thousands.


i have orthotics, though not custom ones. they do help though not as well as one of the pricier ones would. i also need new shoes, the ones i have are over a year old. i've been shoe shopping every weekend for weeks now and just can't find anything good that isn't $150+

i didn't plan the chocolate binge day, i try not to let my binge days that are planned go over 2000. i just had huge chocolate cravings and no matter how much i ate, it wasn't enough. the rest of the food i ate was like yoghurt and fruit, it was just the chocolate i went overboard on. i just don't understand how i went up to (as of today) 183.8 with ONE binge x.x

I have a lot of knee pain due to knee cap issues and fibromyalgia. When I want to do modified push ups I put a few layers of rolled up towel underneath my knees. It helps a bunch.

Okay, I wouldn't call 2000 calories for a grown woman a binge. I think you are being hard on yourself while at the same time making some excuses. If you have a heart condition that could be a problem when trying to do simple exercise then you need a doctor. If you can't afford one due to no insurance then maybe try to find a clinic that will see you.

Don't forget weight loss takes time. You've already lost 20lbs, right? So, you're on your way!

Jumping right into riding your bike every day probably is too much. Three days a week is probably just fine and you'll have time to rest so your legs won't hurt so much. If they don't hurt, you'll be more inclined to do it.

Now, I didn't see anything about body weight or weight training. Have you considered these?

I'd say start even slower with your issues. Invest in a pedometer. Increase your steps slowly a day. Don't force yourself to do many miles a day. Start with what you can do. Slowly work on building it up. With your health issues and inability to go to a doctor, I would never aim to "hurt the next day." Years ago, I started walking 15 minutes a day and slowly built to 45 minutes a day. I was at 15 minute a day for months. And that's okay! Also incorporate some strength maybe. But either way be careful.

Oh I would definitely stay away from those woods!

$300???? Holy S***! And here I am moaning because I have to pay $30 to see the doctor now. We don't have to have health insurance here unless we want to go private, otherwise, the government pays almost everything else (though our GST is 33% and tax is 17.5% for middle-class).


I definitely think that exercising about 3 days a week will be best for you in the beginning in order to give your heart, back and feet a break. As I've exercised more and lost weight, my sciatica has only bothered me once for a short time, so I don't think it's anything major.

I agree in investing in a pedometer. Maybe even email your friends and see if you can borrow one. Just being more active on 'off-days' makes a big difference. So, for example, if you don't want to do formal exercise on weekends - that's cool - but maybe choose fun activities that require you to move your body a bit more. Throw some music on when you need to do housework and move around.

I enjoy exercise and I love being outdoors, so for me that's actually fun.

And as for the critters - possums won't hurt you and like skunks they're pretty much nocturnal and just carry a stick if you're worried about rabid raccoons.

thanks for the input everyone <3


i'm kinda pausing my diet right now because im exhibiting serious disordered eating habits again, and i think i need to take a step back and talk to my psychiatrist, maybe she'll know a doctor that would help me for free or have any other sorts of resources that don't include having to ride a bike for 6 hours to get there... the closest free clinic is 25 minutes away by car, and not open on weekends, and weekends are the only time i have the ability to leave my house NOT on a bike