22 ( f ) morbidly obese starting to work out advice

[santoscarmina1674]

I’ve been big my whole life, I was diagnosed with pcos around 15. Since then my weight has increased massively despite me not over eating. I will admit that not exercising for years has definitely contributed to my weight gain as well. I’m just starting to get into working out again, I bought one of those weighted hula hoops off TikTok ( 4 min non stop 4x ), I’m starting arm lifts with 3 kg weights and I’m starting my squats again ( only 20 atm ) Any advice on other exercises and how to start a proper workout routine would be really helpful!

 

[allthatisgood]

@santoscarmina1674 I would walk everyday

 

[santoscarmina1674]

@allthatisgood I’m hoping to build up my stamina so I can start walking again! I’m walking with a stick because of my chronic Illness right now but hopefully not forever!

 

[lisafmb]

@santoscarmina1674 That’s all it takes walk what you can and every week increase your time or distance. You’ll start seeing a difference. I’m sure your beautiful, so don’t worry about others. Do it for you

 

[santoscarmina1674]

@lisafmb You’re very kind thank you!

 

[lincomen]

@santoscarmina1674 Here’s my walking advice. Figure out how far you can go keeping in mind the sign at the Grand Canyon “going down is optional, coming back is mandatory”. Do that every day after a several days add more. Repeat until you can walk to the mailbox, around the block, to the store, to somewhere you want to walk to. This is my advice to people who have had massive surgery/heart attacks/ essential cannot walk 10 ft unassisted. Start where you are and go up. Don’t forget to take rest days.

 

[kauarreastro]

@santoscarmina1674 You can find some sitting workout videos from physical therapists on youtube too. They work your whole body too.

 

[lhenzkiey]

@santoscarmina1674 Using a pair of proper walking sticks might help even more. Like people are saying, don't be afraid of adding small increments to your plan. Adding just 10 feet per day for a year translates to over a mile. Keeping a written journal helps you track your progress, and helps you keep a routine. It can also serve as a source of motivation and pride. And don't EVER give a shit about what anyone else says. You do you, and rock it out!

 

[designsbyfaith]

@santoscarmina1674 once you start walking regularly, it definitely becomes easier. keep at it!

 

[anon5678]

@santoscarmina1674 There are lots of indoor "walking" workouts on YouTube. Get Fit with Rick is a fun one.

 

[ee7]

@allthatisgood This. People underestimate the power of walking.

Here in Tokyo we walk everywhere. Not much choice - parking is expensive so we cannot own cars. Or the traffic is horrendous and trains are faster.

In the US , it was a culture shock to see people using mobility scooters.My son asked me what it was.

 

[cj4140]

@allthatisgood Resistance Bands, standing, small walks, then longer..

 

[peteranastasio]

@santoscarmina1674 Like Paul-68 mentioned, waking would be a good exercise to include, especially since you stare you're morbidly obese (for now). I think you're doing a great job from the sound of it. Don't fall for the trap that many of us have fallen in to in believing that working out longer and harder is better. Take it step-wise and work up.

Only thing I would caution you about is equating exercise with weight loss. It rarely ever works that way. Common saying you'll hear is "Muscles are made in the gym, abs are made in the kitchen". Pro athletes can workout so intensely that they need thousands of calories a day to maintain it. But regular people do not. Increased exercise, especially cardio, is often associated with weight gain because the exertion can compel people to overeat when they're done. You need to do it on conjuction with a carefully planned diet. This isn't specific to you, but I often mention it because I've seen sooo many people start great workout routines and then quit because they weren't losing weight with exercise alone. It's a myth that gets perpetuated through media.

Congratulations on starting out with what you have, though. Those weighted hula hoops are no joke!

 

[santoscarmina1674]

@peteranastasio I used to workout a lot when I was younger! I loved swimming, walking, squats, weights and especially boxing. I know I need to pace myself before I’m anywhere near getting back to that.

I’m definitely not focusing on weightloss, I’m just wanting to get healthier. My downfall for years was wondering why I wasn’t losing weight and stopping because I was disappointed. It’s taken me a lot of time to realise that I need to stop focusing on how I look and more about my health.

 

[peteranastasio]

@santoscarmina1674 Ooo, swimming is great if you have access. Yeah, I think a lot of people have been in the same situation focusing on weightloss and not overall health (including emotional health and positive self image). Glad you're looking at this all from a positive aspect. Best of luck!

 

[santoscarmina1674]

@peteranastasio Thank you so much!!

 

[robert111]

@santoscarmina1674 If you are morbidly obese the. Weight loss should be a goal but don’t stress over it for sure, stress doesn’t help (most things really). I just say that as losing fat will be good for you but noticeable weight loss will vary by person as you may find yourself gaining enough muscle to make up for that weight in body fat you have lost (muscle weighs more).

 

[santoscarmina1674]

@robert111 I think I worded that wrong, I know I need lose weight for my health but what I was meaning was whenever I would try to it was only ever focused on being skinner and how I looked. I’ve realised that was my biggest downfall and why none of what I did ever worked. Im now only focusing on my health and not my body image

 

[hurtzlotstexas]

@santoscarmina1674 Hi! I'm a fellow morbidly obese girl who regularly exercises
Start small and slow and build up! Try to explore what your body can do and find what you genuinely like and enjoy. This is key to being active in the long run. I found yoga for me was a great start and then I joined a gym and started training for bodybuilding and powerlifting.

You need 2 ingredients:
Do something that brings your heart rate up (walking at home, walking up hill, dancing, whatever works).
Do something to build muscles (bodyweight exercises, weights, what we you like)
Do something almost everyday with your whole body.
Real life example: it's 6 pm and I notice I walked a lot today around town (I live in the mountains and. I did about 7000 steps). I will do some exercises at home for my upper body, and then a bit of yoga. Maybe 30 minutes total.
Maybe tomorrow I will be at home all day, then I will go to the gym and do a full body weightlifting workout of 1 hour.
Another day I'll go skiing and that's plenty.

Try to build a bit of a habit to a more active life, and then you can think about the details like which type of workouts for which goal.
I learned a lot about how to structure a workout, but doing more in general is the most important thing to start with.

 

[lauraaviel]

@santoscarmina1674 I believe physical activity should not be summed up to working out. There's so many ways to be physically active, and the best way to be consistent is to choose one you will enjoy. Find a sportive discipline you'll love! Martial arts, dancing, hiking, tennis, anything that's a bit challenging physically. This will be a game changer.