Will I always be absolutely destroyed after a workout until I’m out of the obese category?

[thornbearer]

CW: 235
- at least -20lbs so far

Height: 4’10

In the last 5 weeks I have entirely changed my eating habits. It is mostly roast vegetables. No rice/bread or meat/fish/protein in general. I have recently started adding lentils and beans, but it doesn’t seem like protein is very important at my extreme obese state.

Scared of hitting a plateau, joined gym. Minimal research yielded:

15 mins on treadmill, fast pace (can’t run) and at 6 incline.

3 sets of 5 reps on Pectoral fly machine at 10lbs and the same on two other machines that targeted arms and backs

The back on the treadmill for 15.

I chose this very specifically- I didn’t want to bother my abs or butt too much because I didn’t want to be too demotivated to workout the next day.

The next day- arms hurt like fuck but baby, I could get up and still do shit. I was so fucking happy. Yes, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do anymore arm workout for a couple sessions but at least I could walk fast at an incline (aka running for me)

Sunday, no workout- life busy.

Monday- wake up. Fucking. Destroyed.

Whole body feels on fire. I’m finding it hard to walk back and forth to make tea in the kitchen. Not going to lie lads, it’s got me depressed. I’m not even sure I could last 15 mins on the treadmill but I’m sure going to try. I never wanted to feel demotivated to go to the gym, but I’m guessing this is reality. It’s not some fairy tale where I’ll just keep eating carrots to whittle myself down to a kim k body.

What can I do recover faster? Is my routine good? It looks like fuck all but I’m wondering if it’s too much for a morbidly obese beginner?

In general, feeling lonely, demotivated, doomy abt the future of always hurting like this. How do I make the light at the end of the rainbow shine a bit brighter?

 

[somespirit2]

@thornbearer I am not obese, but went through a period on illness- I lost a lot of fitness and gained 70 lbs in 30 days. I tried really hard to lose that weight. But my joints couldn’t handle the treadmill, I didn’t have access to weights, lots of things exacerbated my condition. So I started to walk. Have you considered just walking? It’s less likely to make you feel horrible, it’s easier on the joints, and it can go along with other activities. And walking really can build you up. I still don’t have a full routine because I farm now, but walking made fitness a lifestyle for me like nothing else did. It’s fine if you don’t want to do it but I thought I’d throw my 2 cents in.

 

[freeyourmindfromthelies]

@thornbearer Same as what some others have said—I have tried in the past to change my diet of 30 years overnight and it always backfired.

Slowly is the fastest way to get where you want to be.

I’d recommend starting with replacing things you already like with similar, healthy options, and focusing on the healthy foods you like most. For me my favorite vegetables as a kid were carrots and celery. That is still my go to, it’s super easy and fits my taste palate. Add hummus and you get more calories.

For substitutions, replacing cereal with oatmeal, chips with cheddar rice cakes, yogurt with a nonfat Greek yogurt (not great on its own but you can add fruit or granola), for sweet craving (which you will have!) something like cinnamon rice cakes with peanut butter and Nutella.

Some things are easy wins, like cutting out sodas/energy drinks or replacing them with zero calorie options. I never liked sparkling water, but since I quit drinking beer I down them all the damn time.

Changing the way you shop and what food you keep in your house are the big things. Make a habit of checking nutrition facts. Some so-called “healthy” foods actually have a ton of sugar.

Change takes time, and as previous comment say, small changes make a big difference over time.

You might be interested in a book called Atomic Habits (I don’t “read” often but I listen to audiobooks all the time so I can multi task). It’s all about making small improvements each day that build on each other to create an enormous impact over time.

Good on you for making the first steps—you can do it!

 

[hlb]

@thornbearer Oh my God absolutely no you will not always feel like this! Your body will get used to it. It's not so much about obesity as it is adaptation. (source: started at 244, now at 190ish) Don't be afraid to dial it down and gradually built up what you can do. Honestly if it's five minutes, do that for a week. Then ten minutes next week. I know it can feel like you are going to slowly, but if you burn yourself out mentally you will be so much less likely to stick with it, and if you get injured, forget it. Be kind to yourself! I promise you will be able to do more over time.

 

[colinburhart]

@thornbearer 2 things. First that soreness is part of the process, but also a sign you may be "dosing" your body with too much intensity. Dial it back a bit and strive for consistency. One workout won't build fitness, but many over months and years will.

The second is food. If you are trying to workout hard, don't also try to restrict your caloric intake too much. Especially if you are doing aerobic exercise like running, you have to power the work, or you will break down.

The better your recovery the better your next workout will be. Focus on highly nutritious food and your body will know what to do with it. Gotta be more than carrots!

You might be interested in fuelfoo.io. It's built to line up with your workouts, give you meals that fit your intensity levels, and then creates the shopping lists so you can easily take on the right food at the right times.

Your workouts are prob fine (if not a little too intense) but you just need to focus on recovery. And, most importantly, find ways to enjoy the process. That soreness is the result of your hard work.

 

[roseofsharon38]

@thornbearer I didn’t see this in the comments and I’m not a professional but I warm up and cool down when I work out. The warm up exercises for a program I was using taught me to activate my muscles more effectively. It also allowed me to check in with my body and make sure that there wasn’t anything crazy. Same with stretching or walking post work out.

Flexibility is usually the forgotten aspect of fitness as it tends to get overshadowed by weight loss, heart health and strength. But flexibility and balance play huge roles in those areas of fitness as well as our everyday lives. I honestly think it’s made me a better lifter and runner.

For your rest days, would you feel comfortable with a yoga class? There’s a lot online (yoga with Adrienne is very beginner friendly) but sometimes having the guidance of an instructor to start out can keep your form correct and make sure you don’t overstretch.

Are there any other activities that you enjoy that we can add in? For example if you like the incline treadmill can you hit a local hiking trail? I find I do better with cardio if I’m going somewhere and it’s also better for my brain. If you feel like you need more support does your gym have a pool? When my back was messed up I actually joined in aqua aerobics, the crowd was much older but it was so much fun. Would you be willing to try a dance fitness class at your gym? Or spin?

I personally enjoy walking so I know a ton of trails and walking paths in our area and joined a hiking group to find more. Our group is pretty inclusive and ranges from people hiking over ice to watch the sunrise from a summit to I did 1 mile with my toddler and we saw a bird.

I know everyone already recommended a dietician and your GP but I would also recommend seeing a podiatrist. I couldn’t run either and was seeing my podiatrist for preventative care (women in my family get flipper feet and bunions) and she has me in orthopedic inserts for my arches. She also had a lot of recommendation for shoes as well as shoe mileage. It turns out that I was using my shoes past their worn out state and wasn’t using proper foot wear for activities anyway. I now use a basic walker/runner shoe for work and walking, trail runners for trail running and flat shoes for lifting. For the first time in my life I can actually run and feel good about it.

 

[alangeh]

@thornbearer My friend, always remember that quote for the little bit of motivation:

It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.

 

[dawn16]

@thornbearer Drink amino acids (the building blocks of protein) before, during, and after your workout. You’re going to want to add 1-2 protein shakes a day if you are working out hard. Work out muscle endurance first oppose to strength in your training. Ride the bike as well on a medium gear for 5 minute stretches at the beginning and end of workout and you will bounce back so quick. Have a light but solid breakfast, maybe some eggs and fruits. Don’t forget some nice carbs here and there for your energy. Drink close to a gallon of water a day at LEAST! Don’t forget the amino’s (BCAA’s)!!!!!!!!!
I KNOW ITS HARD BUT STRETCH/YOGA/MEDITATE for a combined of 1-2 hours a day! Check your vitamins as well. And you are golden. Deep stretching is so important for after. And make sure you are doing some active mobility and warm ups before you work out, that could be why you’re getting so sore. Always work up a sweat first before going too hard. That’s why the bike is good. Make sure you are feeling loose and as elastic as possible. Start plyometrics once you are developed a bit more!

 

[dawn16]

ride the stationary bike I promise .. and continue to eat clean. You got this

 

[doubtfulguy]

@thornbearer I'm still technically in the obese category and I am not destroyed by my workout. It's hard when it's new or if you're coming back after a while. Don't work until you're destroyed. If possible do a session with a trainer/coach to give you an upper body/lower body/abs workout. Then you can do them on alternating times without killing your body and motivation.

If you're trying to lose weight and build muscle you need protein. Way more of it than you think. The minimum is like .35 g per lb of body weight... if you're trying to maintain or build muscle you can take in quite a bit more. I think I was pulling around 120g of protein at your weight. Its much more important than the other macros so you don't lose too muscle while losing weight

 

[jerryj]

@thornbearer Protein will help your muscles recover. You definitely need a balanced diet and more rest

 

[asking79]

@thornbearer My 2 cents? If you want to shed it fast….Keep the roast vegetables, that’s good food. Add lean protein only: egg whites, lean turkey, vital proteins shake with almond milk, low-fat Greek yogurt, you get the drift. Your body will supply the fat, and keeping carbs only in vegetables will help keep your insulin levels down. If you aren’t hungry, don’t eat. If you feel destroyed, eat a meal (salad with chicken, roast turkey and green beans, carrots and celery with hard boiled eggs, plain almonds and lowcarb berries like strawberries) to feed your muscles and help them repair. Avoid all….ALL processed garbage, grains, beans, no corn or rice, no bread, none of it…and you won’t really need to count calories. Just fast when you are not hungry, eat when you are, and eat only lean protein and low carb whole plants.

 

[yosi1111]

@thornbearer Soreness is not a reason to not work a muscle group. Soreness is not strain. Stick to a schedule / program. The first couple of weeks are the worst soreness. When you are sore and work that muscle group it will not feel sore as you get warmed up. If you simply skip the group because it’s sore then you’ll greatly hinder your progress. And any lack of regularity will make it feel sore more often. Keep at it!

 

[friendofsthomobonus]

@thornbearer First, you need to eat more. It doesn't matter how much bodyfat you currently have, even if you were sedentary, you need to eat a more balanced diet than roasted vegetables. Get your carbs, protein, and fat.

Second, it's very normal to be very sore after beginning an exercise regimen, especially weight training. Even when I stay active but take a break from weights for a while, when I go back to them, I feel sore for several days after my first session back, especially the 2nd day after. To the point that I feel like I have the flu, I'm so sore.

Maybe you're going too hard in the beginning. I don't think your feeling destroyed has to do with being obese. There's obese people who are fitter than non obese people. So eat more and a better balanced diet, and if you're pushing yourself to your limit in your sessions, ease up. If you're still feeling destroyed from just walking, stretching, and doing some light weights (

 

[wandaiamme]

@thornbearer You'll feel better much sooner than your weight category changes bc you'll be building a stronger body.

But in order to do that, your muscles need to be able to repair and grow and to do that, they'll need a minimum amount of protein. I'm sure there is a specific g/lb recommendation your Dr can make for you but I'm also sure it's not 0.

 

[mags1234]

@thornbearer Eat more protein. I like to shoot for a gram per pound of lean body mass. Just guess to start and adjust in accordance with your response.

It’s probably good that you are not trying to ruin the experience of going the gym for yourself. It’ll get better if you keep going. Auto regulate what you’re doing such that your training meets you where you are at on a given day but be honest with yourself about that. This goes both ways!

Fruits and veggies are great but I would argue that protein is more important. But you should be eating both.

Weight loss should be a priority which is achieved primarily through dietary habits at this point. Find the things you hate the least at the gym for now and do them consistently

 

[lily5]

@thornbearer I want to state this. I don’t think you’re getting enough calories in the form of protein, fat, and carbs. I knew this from the very beginning of your post. Up your calories, stop restricting your food and lift heavy. Focus on intuitive eating for food, trust me. It’s not a diet it’s about not letting food control your life by removing food culture. I don’t want you to get an ED and your food restrictions are throwing you to the ED wolves.

So, protein and carbs are extremely important! To truly be successful at weight loss, muscle gain, any goal, protein must be present. You need it to put on muscle and lose weight. Putting on muscle is the key to get to your goals and the more muscle you put on, the more body fat you will lose.

Fix your food and your body will be able to recover. Right now it can’t because it has nothing to work with. If you’re not, get 8-10hrs of sleep and drink water.

 

[sifer]

@thornbearer No you won't. You're still new to this but it will get better and you'll recover faster, and who knows you might start to enjoy it.

Increasing my protein levels has been the biggest improver of my ability to recover and my increasing my strength levels (and changing the look of my body). If you don't want to eat meat or fish, there are vegetarian options like tempeh and tofu. There's also pea protein that you can either have in shake form (which I hate) or add it to other foods, e.g. protein powder, oats, greek yoghurt and fruit or I like to add it to banana muffins. Other good sources of protein are wholegrains, cottage cheese and beans and vegetables: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-for-vegans-vegetarians#18.-Mycoprotein

 

[fridil]

@thornbearer Take a hard look at your diet and you probably need way more peanut butter.

Also get yourself a foam roller, spend at least 15 minutes rolling and stretching a day.

 

[angel33babygirl]

@thornbearer I feel like you went all in and expected that your body could just handle it. This is how you get injured. You really should focus on walking long distances at a decent pace, or swimming, to lose weight first. You need to reduce the pressure on your joints, specifically your knees. Then add in weight lifting. You can walk daily, and lift a few times a week. Worry about increasing cardio intensity once you're under 200 lbs. Honestly maybe even less. But give it time and build up to it.