Morbidly obese where to start

[ehuntington]

Title says it all mostly. I’m 34 6ft and weigh in the 370s to be frank I’ve e been lazy, I’ve developed diabetes, and honestly just existing is hard. I have a gym membership but it’s overwhelming when I walk in. Where do I start? Ideally I want to lose weight, I’m working on my diet and going through the path for weight loss surgery. But what are some recommendations for getting started with moving again.

 

[dawn16]

@ehuntington Honestly? Just walk. Walking is super underrated for health.

Good on you for wanting to make a change too! The best of luck to ya.

 

[lisarene16]

@dawn16 This answer here OP
Walking + Improving diet is really all you need right now. Maybe some beginner bodyweight exercises (chair squats, wall pushups, working up to dead hangs on bars)

 

[autumnleaves]

@dawn16 100% If OP lives in a walkable area, trade driving anywhere for walking or biking

 

[kellyjk]

@autumnleaves And if you don't live in a walkable area, just put on an audio book and walk for a chapter or two. I live in a very walkable city, but when I visit my family in the rural South just walking around listening to audio books and podcasts and not having to deal with my family is great

 

[122333nic]

@dawn16 Agree I started walking 1 to 2hr a day and lost 30lbs in 3 months. That's 1/3 of my target loss.

 

[souljournerluv777]

@dawn16 Came to say the same. I wasn't huge, but I'm 5'7 F and was pushing 200. To me that was obese enough. I got too comfortable being a SAHM all of a sudden. Lol and yeah I'm lazy. So I started walking. Small distance to start but slowly worked myself up to 3 miles, than 4, than 5. Of course taking weeks to build up to it. I now walk up to 10 miles when I go on my walks and normally just walk 3 times a week plus have worked on doing a workout on the days I don't walk.

But walking is what allowed me to drop 20 lbs and then felt more comfortable doing workouts.
Walking was my saving grace. If I never started walking I probably would still be lazy. I mean I am lazy with other things so I still have work to do, but seriously walking is what got me into my health journey and now I want to do a thru hike of the Appalachian trail, so I'm training for that now. Well, slowly training and my goal is to do it for my 50th bday in 7 years. Lol slowly work up to it.

Best of luck to you, and please give yourself some grace on this journey, it takes time to lose weight.

 

[wistfulangel]

@dawn16 100%. Not only is a low impact way to get moving and burn some calories, it gets your brain starting to feel the benefits of exercise.

I'm 35 y/o, 6'2" and 230 lbs and after letting myself go pretty badly for a while and getting extremely depressed, walking was the first step (ba dum tsss) in getting my body and mind back in a good place. There's no shame in starting slow, and it's honestly really sensible based on my experience.

 

[samurai4jesus]

@dawn16 Can't emphasize this enough. Just start, just start walking.

I just started working out and I became overwhelmed with all the ideas for diet plans and exercises.

So I just said screw it, I'll just start on one machine and start working my way through.

Just start. Even if you're doing one machine, focus on the that one thing.

I don't know how you are but if I focus on trying to do things right, I lose myself in the minutiae.

I don't even weigh myself anymore, my clothing tells enough of the story.

 

[humblebeforethelord]

@ehuntington Focus on making ot to your weight loss surgery first. Follow your prescribed diet, and walking is what you start from. Are you at the liquid diet stage yet or losing pounds to get to an operable weight.

 

[ehuntington]

@humblebeforethelord I’m early stages I have 3 months of weigh ins to go through and then I’ll get scheduled. I just have to show any weight loss during that 3 months, but I want to make sure I show enough, I’m worried if I just do the minimum I’ll fluctuate like I do now and not be under my original weigh in

 

[humblebeforethelord]

@ehuntington What you are doing right now is for some the hardest part. Weight loss is only a part of what should be a significant lifestyle change if you want to succeed. It is in my view it is 75% eating 25% exercising. If you can, join a support group to help you through that life changing journey.

 

[dinafrancis]

@ehuntington Diet is the most important thing. If you could lose the weight without the surgery, that'll be best for you long term. But this is something to discuss with your doctors. Surgury or not, you need to work on building the healthy habits needed to lose the weight AND keep it off. Surgery isn't a magic bullet.

If you have access to a pool... get in the pool as much as possible. That'd be the BEST option. Hell, even exchange your gym membership for an indoor pool membership.

Beyond that, I would focus on low impact stuff. A stationary bike or elliptical would be your next best start.

For weight lifting, honestly just starting with some basic body weight movements would be great. If your gym has a TRX, you can use that for additional support for squats (and I'd do box squats, where you squat down like you're going to sit on a chair, but just barely let your butt touch it and then stand up. Do not actually sit down. But it's there in case you fail and then you can sit down). You could do wall pushups. Dumbbell RDL. Bench support single arm rows. Seated overhead press. And maybe some cable stuff like lat pull downs.

Your concern now shouldnt' really be so much lifting weights, it should just be getting more activity in until you're at a much safer weight.

At home, you could also get more activity in by simply just standing more often. Try and stand for maybe 5 minutes every hour. If you can manage that, try 10 minutes. Every little bit helps!

 

[turtle13]

@ehuntington WALK. I was obese and I walked ...now I am fit. Walk at least one and a half hour every day.

When you lose some weight get some weight straps for the arms and walk with them.

After losing more weight get some weight vests or load the backpack with weights equal to the weight that you lost, and walk like that. (Be careful don't harm yourself)

Walk one and half hour every day. Walk at different locations. Enjoy the view, enjoy the scenery and enjoy your music.

Buy thick bottom shoes/ sneakers.

You will lose weight and become healthier of yourself in a year I promise.

 

[rodan]

@ehuntington Find one spot on your body where you are (or at least feel) strong. To start, we just want to be careful to reduce injury. While elevating the heart rate.

Someone said walking. ABSOLUTELY WALK. When your feet or joints get tired, find a spot on the couch where maybe you can work your arms. Controlled, lightweight reps (fast as you can but again, DONT RISK INJURY) will again elevate the heart rate.

Once you find that you can get your heart rate elevated for an extended period the goal is to find some stairs. Or a hill.

This is not a sprint. Stay healthy so you can continue the journey. The goal is to climb stairs or a hill without being completely gassed. When you start to notice yourself handling this easier, your progress is right in front of your face.

Find a routine, and crush it. Once your routine is crushed, add a smidgen more difficulty.

I could go on, but I'll end with diet.

This is my struggle.

You will find all of this comes together fast(est) if you commit to both. I mean I've seen the weight literally fall off when committed to both. I've seen ok results when only committed to one or the other. Ditch the soda and snacks. Be hungry. Train your brain to use it as motivation. Hunger pangs? Drink a glass of ice cold water. Do not starve yourself though!!

Steady is the course. Best of luck.

 

[lifeismydrug]

@ehuntington Most importantly, make sure you have a strong support group. (We're here! ) I'm assuming they are working on your eating habits/relationship with food. Very important to establish a positive dynamic with that. Don't be hard on yourself (easier said than done) if you're not progressing as well as you'd like. If your goal is to walk 15 minutes a day and you're not up for it, try to walk 5 minutes (or even 1!). If you don't feel like exercising at the gym, try to just get there and walk up to the door. Even if you don't go in, it's a good step in the right direction of being in the habit of going there. As someone posted, walking is an excellent overall starting point (and good for the long term also) as you progress to more physically challenging exercises.

Best of luck to you on this journey. Be patient and kind to yourself along the way.

 

[ljruff]

@ehuntington If you can afford a few months with a certified trainer, that might be a really good start for you. Trainer should be able to help you with a program that’s suitable for what you’re capable of while also pushing you appropriately and safely.

Trainer should be able to walk you through the machines and how to use them correctly and safely, help you figure out how to work specific muscles/muscle groups, guide you in terms of appropriate rest/recovery, etc.

I am an overweight, middle-aged woman who started with a trainer back in April. I had a hard time with certain things because I had issues with muscle tightness, in addition to general lack of strength/fitness. My trainer was really good at giving me sets of stretches for problem muscles on my rest days.

I worked with him twice a week for 4 months, then joined my local gym. Now I work out with him once a week, usually doing heavier lifts and things my gym doesn’t have equipment for, and twice on my own doing programs he’s set for me.

 

[reader55]

@ehuntington I love that you have reached out, it shows initiative which means you are serious about this which is a really good place to start from! I love too that you called yourself out on how you got where you are, you called yourself "lazy", well, now-you're going to be un-lazy. You are obviously tired of being overweight, unhealthy so let that drive you! Ok, now where to start.

Get up in the morning with enough time to go walk for 15 minutes (or for as long as you can) with NO stopping, just walk with intention, set a timer on your watch, then put it on no notifications so you can't be bothered by anyone and try to give yourself 15 minutes to focus on your health.

You will do this after dinner as well. Just 15 minutes of walking.

That is what you do the first week. Start today, Monday, end Friday.

Saturday and Sunday (presumably you're off from work) Same thing as above but add a midday 15 minutes.

This will help you jump start your metabolism, it will wake up your body and it will be ready for more exercise, it may also help decrease your appetite

The next Monday-Friday you will do your 15 of straight walking, then you will go to the gym and you can get on a treadmill and just walk, try to do 30 minutes. That's all, just do the treadmill for 30 minutes, slow but steady. This will give you a chance to get your bearings, the gym IS overwhelming! But because you are there doing familiar to-you-things, you will start to gain confidence in being in that space. Do NOT worry about other people, in fact, smile at them, say Hi to at least one person because you know what? They are the same as you, they are there to improve their health just like you. Once you're on the treadmill and you're in the groove, look around at the equipment, learn where things are so when you go to add on to your routine you know where to go in the gym.

You have weekends off but stay active, park farther away from stores, take your dog for a casual walk, clean the garage-stay active!

You do this routine for 2 weeks.

Week 3 you re going to do your 15 minutes of walking at home then it the gym for a circuit on Tuesdays and Fridays, almost every gym has an area where there are a bunch of machines in a row or circle that will give you a full body workout. You are going to do a full circuit, light weights, the idea is that you wake up those muscles before really taxing them by lifting heavy. You go LIGHT, only do the circuit once. Also, HOW to do each machine will be ON the machine, look for a badge/lable that explains how each machine works and follow those directions, if you have questions go get staff, people love to help other people, let them.

Week 4, do the 15 of walking and rejoice at how it is getting easier! Add another day to your circuit training, Maybe Mon-Wed-Sat

Week 5 add another ROUND to your circuit, you are now doing this routine 2 times while you are at the gym.

Week 6 add another round to your circuit for a total of 3 PLUS your walking 15 minutes in the morning.

At this point you can create a plan/workout for yourself or maybe you'd like to hire a trainer, the main thing here is the you went from being, "I don't know where to start" to having routine that gave you the ability to go on and do more, you started your journey and you're feeling so much better physically AND mentally (I promise you will)..

You got this OP, I cant wait for your future post about how great you are doing.

For how to eat talk to your Dr. you said your diabetic so that's got to be managed also, they might have you do your TDEE (there are loads of calculators out there but talk to your Dr. about your nutrition)

If you're cleared by your Dr. to work out: check out https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workout-routines they have loads of workouts!

STAY POSITIVE, you deserve to feel good!

 

[stayfrosty]

@ehuntington Focus on daily habits that will support healthy human biology to start. This includes, but is not limited to, time outside daily, walking, protein with each meal, and veggies daily. Start with the target of 5k steps daily and work up to 8-10k. Here is a checklist to work on your first month. Once you master these items, you can add resistance training, structured cardio, and maybe dial in nutrition more. But these basics are ones you should normalize yourself to as they will be required to maintain health longterm after reaching a "goal weight."