@ehuntington Try a stationary bike or under desk mini bike. It is much easier on the knees and you can exercise while watching tv or virtual cycling videos on YouTube. I was at 317 in May of 2022 and now I am a bit under 209. I have been on Nutrisystem. Exercising is hard at first but one day your current workout will be a warmup.
Morbidly obese where to start
- Thread starter ehuntington
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@ehuntington walking or water aerobics. both are good cardio.
struggling4jesus
New member
@ehuntington What do you think about swimming laps? Swimming is the best for me because I hate sweating and you can’t tell that you’re sweating when you swim! It will be hard at first, but just start as slow as possible. Literally, swim as slowly as you can to start and you will be amazed how quickly you will build strength.
@ehuntington Walk until youre a little sore the next day. Tomorrow, walk further
@ehuntington From my limited experience, cardio is good, amd it's important, but converting fat to muscle is under rated. Cardio burns muscle, lifting burns fat into muscle. It won't help your 'weight' goals as quickly but it will put you in a much better 'weight' even if you're just doing sessions with 5 pound weights, it goes a long way.
That being said, a well rounded routine is your best bet, both cardio and small weight training.
That being said, a well rounded routine is your best bet, both cardio and small weight training.
mikentexas
New member
@ehuntington I lost 80 lbs in less than a year by eating better food, only drinking water (not drinking my calories was probably the most beneficial thing to my weight loss and my health), and I started walking wherever I needed to go (within reason).
joshrbanate
New member
@ehuntington Personally I don't think you need weight loss surgery.
370lbs isn't that fat for a person your height.
That's like NFL Lineman stats you have.
Sure it's a lot of weight but your aren't 600lbs.
So the lap band surgery isn't really necessary.
All you need to do is get around 225lbs.
You may need some skin removal later after the weight loss.
But if you get lap band then you're definitely gonna need a couple skin removal surgeries.
Edit: I forgot to put this part.
Just start working on your diet and walk at least 20 minutes a day. At the gym or outside.
Then add in some light weight lifting after a couple weeks and slowly increase from walking to jogging.
Take your time to let your body build up and get use to training.
Then slowly increase the weight lifting and jogging time.
Don't be afraid of the gym because almost everyone is there for the same reasons.
370lbs isn't that fat for a person your height.
That's like NFL Lineman stats you have.
Sure it's a lot of weight but your aren't 600lbs.
So the lap band surgery isn't really necessary.
All you need to do is get around 225lbs.
You may need some skin removal later after the weight loss.
But if you get lap band then you're definitely gonna need a couple skin removal surgeries.
Edit: I forgot to put this part.
Just start working on your diet and walk at least 20 minutes a day. At the gym or outside.
Then add in some light weight lifting after a couple weeks and slowly increase from walking to jogging.
Take your time to let your body build up and get use to training.
Then slowly increase the weight lifting and jogging time.
Don't be afraid of the gym because almost everyone is there for the same reasons.
selimahope
New member
@joshrbanate I agree. I have a friend who wanted lap band. Her husband said,”eat the same diet you will have to eat if you had the surgery.” She did and lost the weight she wanted to lose, but slower. She was glad she didn’t have to deal with complications associated with the lap band.
jacobcarl7
New member
@ehuntington First things first is diet, at that weight you could easily lose 50lbs in no time by solely restricting your calories. You wouldn’t even have to eat “healthy” foods to lose. Of course this isn’t good long term advice. If you’re wanting to start exercising I’d highly recommend you check out Justin Agustin for beginner workouts. Like I’m talking SUPER beginner, just to get moving. He does have a subscription, but you can just follow him on IG and get a ton of workout ideas bc he posts most everything on there anyways.
@ehuntington Work with a dietitian and start tracking some fun, easy health habits like walking more and drinking more water.
@ehuntington What’s gonna be sustainable for you? If going to the gym isn’t gonna do it for you (I’m with you on that), maybe some workout equipment at home? Would you be more comfortable at home with a used treadmill? Do you like watching lots of tv/movies? Put it in front of the tv. Walk slowly during the show (s), take a break during commercials. If you can’t do a treadmill, could you get an under-desk cycler to use while you sit on a chair? Take time to stretch every morning and night to prevent injury. Do you like animals? Could you get a little dog that needs a walk twice a day? Not a super active breed, just a small friend that will make getting out on a walk fun and about more than loosing weight.
Nutrition is going to be a big part of this. Nutrition, not “diet”. This is how you’re gonna fuel and heal your body. I think it’s helpful to differentiate between these two words because diet can imply restriction whereas nutrition can imply positive/healthy consumption.
Also, how’s your sleep? You snoring a lot and waking up tired? Ask your doctor for a sleep study to screen for sleep apnea. This isn’t just a “big person problem” so don’t look at it like that. If you are experiencing apnea your body is already starting each day with a disadvantage. Fatigue, food cravings, hormone issues - all tied to sleep apnea. Most importantly, it’s horrible for your heart. I wish I’d gotten my cpap a decade ago. It makes such a huge difference to my life.
Nutrition is going to be a big part of this. Nutrition, not “diet”. This is how you’re gonna fuel and heal your body. I think it’s helpful to differentiate between these two words because diet can imply restriction whereas nutrition can imply positive/healthy consumption.
Also, how’s your sleep? You snoring a lot and waking up tired? Ask your doctor for a sleep study to screen for sleep apnea. This isn’t just a “big person problem” so don’t look at it like that. If you are experiencing apnea your body is already starting each day with a disadvantage. Fatigue, food cravings, hormone issues - all tied to sleep apnea. Most importantly, it’s horrible for your heart. I wish I’d gotten my cpap a decade ago. It makes such a huge difference to my life.
@ehuntington Work with a professional to get the diet zoned in, and walk as much as you can. Spread it throughout the day if it helps. Once you see progress and feel more mobile you can add other exercises that can accomplish other goals you may have. Just get moving. Moving in a pool is another way to burn lots of calories, improve cardiovascular health, and improve your mobility while putting less impact on bones and joints. Any movement is good movement!
jesuscousin
New member
@ehuntington Diet and walking.
@ehuntington You can’t outrun a bad diet so start with the diet. If you could try keto and walking, I think you would see a lot of weight come off pretty quickly. Think about eating just during one four hour period. Keto is a good way to give yourself some motivation. After that, some people do low calorie or stay on keto. Good luck!
@ehuntington As a formerly morbidly obese person, diet will account for 80% of your weight loss. In the gym start with whatever you are comfortable with and slowly build from there.
@ehuntington Change your diet, change your life. Gym will help, but what you put into your body is the number one factor. Good luck, friend.
@ehuntington If it was me I’d be going the intermittent fasting/restricted eating route. Start with 16/8 then 18/6 and then 20/4
@ehuntington Figure out how to make a habit of going to the gym. Make exercise a priority equal to the most important things in your life.
Figure out a means to track your heart rate. For most people, this means buying a fitness tracker to wear on your wrist.
Go to the gym. Find every cardio machine. Pick 2-3. Treadmill for 7 min using the speed control to adjust your heart rate on the heart tracker to 100-120. Then switch to another machine until you have done 20 minutes.
How do you feel after? Nauseous, exhausted? Maybe back off the speed and time a little. But always have a goal that you want to beat, eventually.
The point is to feel accomplished at the gym, NOT hugely sore, nauseous, or exhausted afterward. If your brain associates the gym with exhaustion and nausea, it will convince you not to go. At some point, you will build up a series of goals and a feeling of accomplishment that will eclipse the potential of feeling wiped. Then, and only then, should you begin to go greater speeds and weights.
Edit: With some fitness trackers, you have to tell it you are exercising, or it will ignore or reach a ceiling. For example, your heart rate will be 120, and the tracker will still say 99. Most treadmills and cardio devices have metal contacts on handles that will show your heart rate. Use those to double-check your fitness tracker while you get to know it.
Figure out a means to track your heart rate. For most people, this means buying a fitness tracker to wear on your wrist.
Go to the gym. Find every cardio machine. Pick 2-3. Treadmill for 7 min using the speed control to adjust your heart rate on the heart tracker to 100-120. Then switch to another machine until you have done 20 minutes.
How do you feel after? Nauseous, exhausted? Maybe back off the speed and time a little. But always have a goal that you want to beat, eventually.
The point is to feel accomplished at the gym, NOT hugely sore, nauseous, or exhausted afterward. If your brain associates the gym with exhaustion and nausea, it will convince you not to go. At some point, you will build up a series of goals and a feeling of accomplishment that will eclipse the potential of feeling wiped. Then, and only then, should you begin to go greater speeds and weights.
Edit: With some fitness trackers, you have to tell it you are exercising, or it will ignore or reach a ceiling. For example, your heart rate will be 120, and the tracker will still say 99. Most treadmills and cardio devices have metal contacts on handles that will show your heart rate. Use those to double-check your fitness tracker while you get to know it.
@ehuntington I also vote for starting with walks. And water. Drinks lots of water
@ehuntington Start walking and start counting your calories. Don't restrict calories until you know how much you're eating