Started Walking - What’s Next?

[pell]

@whipsaw Yes please. I think my employer would pay for this, so worth looking into for sure!

 

[whipsaw]

@pell Blue Planet Balance Surfer | Bamboo Balance Board for Office, Standing Desks, Surfing, SUP, Yoga, Exercise! Includes 3 Balance Modules (EVA Foam) - I went with this one because it’s a great one for progression, start easy and move up to hard. It’s also great for standing on during boring meetings to keep you awake

 

[pell]

@whipsaw Ha ha. Boring meetings is like 50% of my job!

 

[whipsaw]

@pell same.

 

[onisim]

@pell First, start fixing your mindset around exercise. “I hate it!” Is always going to make it more difficult for you to do it. Instead think of the benefits it gives you, and the “good feeling” of success you get after doing a workout, even if it’s just a walk. It’ll help you look forward to doing it.

You’re very heavy which is why it still sucks so much, and you likely have no muscle which makes it harder to do anything. (I remember when I started doing 10 squats a day at 160lbs and they were HARD because I had no muscle)

I would jump on your treadmill and start doing a steady pace on a steep incline to start building up your glutes and leg muscles. You don’t have to do it for long.

Then start adding some simple bodyweight exercises after like simple squats (make sure you are doing them right) and maybe some upper body workouts. Ease into it slowly and don’t overdo anything. It’ll be harder to workout the next day if you’re extremely sore.

But the main thing again is reframing your mindset around exercise. It’s SO good for you and your health. It sucks only because you suck AT it, and like anything in life, the only way to get better is to just do it. Eventually you’ll learn to look forward to it

 

[johncobb]

@onisim Overweight people typically have strong legs and glutes from carrying all the weight to begin with.

 

[onisim]

@johncobb Idk man, I was overweight and my leg muscles weren’t there. Yeah they carry more weight but they’re less active and tend to avoid stairs and difficult things that actually build muscle.

 

[onisim]

@pell I already commented but I have a few other suggestions as well:

1. When you park your car anywhere, park it at the back of the parking lot and walk farther.
2. Get up and go for walks on your lunches and breaks
3. Stand at your desk for short periods if you can
4. Get the kids involved, go for walks and hikes with them in the evenings, or look up some kids exercise videos and do them with them for fun if they’re interested
5. On weekends, plan outdoor things with the kids - go to the mall and walk around, go to the park, swimming, hiking, etc
6. Clean the house more if you don’t already - get down and scrub those baseboards

Daily habit changes are huge as well to contributing to weight loss.

 

[johncobb]

@onisim There is a study done: Harvard Hotel Maid study that really speaks to the importance of mindset and also lets folks know the housework absolutely counts - but you have to believe. The mind is so much more powerful than we give it credit for or that the science can fully illustrate.

 

[onisim]

@johncobb I think I’ve heard of that - they split the staff into two groups. Taught 1 group that their work counted as exercise and would help them lose weight, and the other group no change, and the first group ended up actually losing weight

 

[christiancowboy]

@pell Dm I got something for u

 

[eak9973]

@pell Measure calories in and join a gym. Weight train for at least 45 min a day, 5 days a week. You must build or at least maintain muscle mass. Get over gym anxiety and lift. I used to hate it too but have grown to love it. I hated being fat more. Start with a Push Pull Legs routine.

 

[dill]

@pell What you’re already doing is a great! Keep up whatever you’re doing bc it’s obviously working. I feel the same way working out lol. I typically start my day right when I wake up in a fasted state and do a 30 min brisk walk on the treadmill before the kids get up. To make the walk less boring, I either watch a show, listen to music, podcast, or audio book.

You have a great selection of weights to work with too if you want to start incorporating weights. For me, I like following along with a trainer so I use the Beachbody App and have access to tons of workouts. I know there’s free apps out there too. I only have a set of various dumbbells (5,8,10,12,15,20,25) and resistance bands and get great workouts in. I do strength training with the app 3-5 days a week whenever I can squeeze it into my day. I only workout at home for the ease of saving money and my kids are small, so it’s hard for me to leave them.

It sounds like you’re already working on your diet so I won’t get into that. I’ve found for me, just making small changes here and there is less overwhelming than diving straight in and less chance of burnout. Keep it up, you’re doing great!

 

[pell]

@dill Will go look at this app - was curious about whether something this existed to just help a beginner make some starting use of simple things like dumbbells. Thanks!

 

[pell]

@dill Also, what resistance bands do you have - do you have a recommendation you like? Thanks!

 

[richardpainter]

@pell Intermittent Fasting

 

[ponkblossom3]

@pell You said you don't like exercise but it's about finding something you love doing that doesn't feel like exercise.

How about dance workouts on you tube

There are lots of beginner dumbbell and kettlebell workouts - I like Caroline Girvan

Personally I would try 30 minutes to an hour of any workout to see if I liked it. If I don't, I exercised for 30 mins to find out. If I do, excellent.

 

[jeffr0x]

@pell Strength Training is actually better than cardio for not only weight loss but long term weight loss because you need to change your relative body composition from a higher fat % with less lean mass to more lean mass with a lower fat %. Muscle has a higher caloric need than other tissues. I use an App called Madeline Moves. You can do 3 workouts for 30 minutes and get a full body strength training workout. She has a beginner program, uses basic equipment, has alternatives for most moves, is $19.99 per month and also has a week free trial.

 

[hanerywilliam]

@pell It sounds like you’re on the right track already and doing a great job! Starting slow and focusing on non-weight milestones (energy, mood, etc) has helped me stick with things. I will add a few things that have helped me: 1) if you’re able/eligible for it, sign up for Omada- it was free through my insurance and they’ll send you a scale that goes right to an app. They assign you a health coach that can really help you stay accountable and help you with goals, etc. 2) another app I use is FitOn- they have all sorts of workouts and it’s all free. After I started walking my dog consistently, I added in strength training ( which I need to get back to)- my initial goal was just to do two times a week. I picked out which workouts I wanted to do on my FitOn app AND scheduled it in my calendar so I would get a reminder. I started with beginner/low impact workouts and usually just body weight to get used to the exercises before adding in weights. I’m not an expert or anything, just things that helped me. What made the most difference was my mentality and really focusing on how I feel and knowing I’m taking it slow.

 

[jbrad01x]

@pell Do you have a job that you could feasibly do standing up? I have a walking pad that I got for $200. They typically fit under standard desks. They’re about as wide as an office chair. You could walk while you work.
I use mine to walk while watching TV with my wife. It’s nice because you easily lose track of time if you’re occupied with something else.

10k steps a day is a really good goal eventually but even half of that is nice for starting out.