Obesity Discussion Forums

[RubySlippers31]

Hi there!!

I am basically so out of shape and overweight that I can't walk. Does anyone know of something I can do to start working out slowly? I heard about the sit and be fit tapes?? Has anyone been in a place like me?? I hate being so overweight. I feel like I can't see anyone or anything. Its so frustrating...

Carolyn

[Chrisydj]

Can u not walk at all? If you can u can walk till you cant walk any farther then take a break and do it again. I know of people that couldnt walk to the end of their driveway to begin with but would walk what they could and just push a little farther everyday. Now they are walking miles. It may be hard at first but if it is something you really want you can find a way to push through till you accomplish whatever it is. Just doing a little bit and then a little more and a little more will get you there.

[Obesity Discussion]

I too would have suggested walking...I've never heard of sit and be fit tapes. You could always buy some dumbbells and start doing some exercises with those too. I know you're in MN, but do you have an indoor pool you could visit? Those are great on your body.

Then again, there's always the option of changing your eating habits to lose weight that way, and I bet you could easily drop 20lbs in 2 months.....and that will definitely help.

[ajaykumar]

take walk daily and have some hot water in the morning it will help to reduce some weight

[lynn629]

Sit and Be Fit is a program on PBS (no need to buy the videos, you can try it out on TV) designed for people who have physical limitations, mostly elderly people but also sometimes people with disabilities. It's EXTREMELY light cardio and light weight training. If you really can't walk for exercise (just 20 minutes a day will help), then Sit & Be Fit would be better than nothing, but I'll bet you can. Walking every day might be too much for you at first, so maybe you could alternate Sit & Be Fit with walking, doing one of them one day and the other the next day.

But the most important key to weight loss is calorie reduction, so be sure to do that as well.

[monique]

I've seen sit and be fit and it's really more focused on maintaining movement than weight loss. It would be a good first step if all you can manage is going from bed to a chair but like Lynn said it's intended for those who really can't do more than move one limb at a time and stand holding on to the back of a chair.

I've noticed that weight and fitness don't have all that much to do with each other- I'm only one pound less than you, Ruby, and I have no problem hiking several miles, yet I've known people only 200 pounds that couldn't get their shoes on by themselves. Don't feel like you're too overweight to walk, you just need to work up to it! It's possible to be 350 pounds and still have healthy blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure- I do! Don't let your weight discourage you from working on mobility, and hopefully weight loss will follow. Also, if you do nothing else cut out trans fat from your diet! It lowers your good cholesterol WHILE increasing the bad and basically acts as a toxin in your blood. Very bad stuff!

The reason I'm so healthy despite my size is that I eat healthy foods- veggies, little red meat, whole grains, and natural ingredients. WHY you're obese is probably more important than how heavy you are. For me it's partly a thyroid problem, but it didn't go away when I started treatment for that because I never learned appropriate portion sizes! I remember even as a little kid (I was a little chubby starting at 7 but always very active- rode my bike to school, was on the swim team, ect.) I ALWAYS had 4 pieces of toast instead of 2. If I had cereal it would be a low sugar kind because my mom wouldn't buy sugar cereals- we even had to cut Honey Nut Cheerios by mixing in half regular Cheerios for it to be allowed- but I always had 2 BIG bowls. To lose weight I haven't even changed my food choices, I'm just weighing everything now and yes, being hungry a lot. I think some people are just cursed with stronger hunger than others, or we have some other issue that leads to weight gain. Don't let anyone tell you it's your own weakness, NOBODY is perfect and if your flaws lead you to obesity then that's just what you need to work on. And you can absolutely do it, you just have to want it enough!
Good Luck!
~Monique

[RubySlippers31]

Thanks everyone for your input. I am a VERY healthy eater. I am a vegetarian. I am doing weight watchers and its working great. I didn't even register on the scale until recently. I bought the weight watchers scale and it only went up to 350lbs. So...I guess I was higher than that. SO, If I can change my start weight on here I will.

I actually started swimming with my husband. Its so easy to walk and work out in the water. I also bought sit and be fit tapes - pilates one, exersize general one, Tai Chi one, so I am good.

I am getting out of the house twice a week. I am doing much better. I still can't walk though - My back gives out. I can walk probably a block and that is about it. but its a start!

I know I am losing weight because I finally registered on the scale after not cheating at all and sticking to my points. I am now 350lbs...YEAH!!

Thanks Everyone!!

[monique]

That is so great! I know how you feel, before I was diagnosed with my thyroid problem I went to a doctor whose scale only went to 350 and on my chart they just wrote "over 350" as if my weight was infinite and it didn't even matter! I would think Weight Watchers would be sensitive to that kind of thing but I guess not. Anyway that's awesome that you can use the scale, it sucks to be "too big" for things, I'm working towards being able to use the Wii Fit (330 lbs limit), makes me feel bad that I can't!

I would love to find a good place to swim around here, my husband and I used to swim at a lake in the summer, it's nice to be able to exercise together. I hope your back improves as your weight goes down and exercise goes up! Being a vegetarian doesn't always mean eating healthy, my best friend is a vegetarian and eats nothing but carbs and sugar and soda! But that's great that you have a healthy diet and that the points system is working for you, it worked for my cousin and his wife.

Keep up the good work!

~Monique

[RubySlippers31]

Actually I am very good about eating healthy. I don't eat alot of carbs and I don't drink soda. I drink water. I am caffeine free. I love veggies. My favorite food is corn or cabbage....I love fruit...I am very balanced...My weight comes mostly from medication...I am also working my weigh to the Wii fit!! My husband has lost 40 lbs in 11 weeks on weight watchers. So frustrating how men lose weight...BUt I am working hard at this. As to the swimming. We just went to a local hotel at a time when no one swims...Then its not so embarassing to be in a swimsuit....

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by RubySlippers31

Thanks everyone for your input. I am a VERY healthy eater. I am a vegetarian. I am doing weight watchers and its working great. I didn't even register on the scale until recently. I bought the weight watchers scale and it only went up to 350lbs. So...I guess I was higher than that. SO, If I can change my start weight on here I will.

I actually started swimming with my husband. Its so easy to walk and work out in the water. I also bought sit and be fit tapes - pilates one, exersize general one, Tai Chi one, so I am good.

I am getting out of the house twice a week. I am doing much better. I still can't walk though - My back gives out. I can walk probably a block and that is about it. but its a start!

I know I am losing weight because I finally registered on the scale after not cheating at all and sticking to my points. I am now 350lbs...YEAH!!

Thanks Everyone!!

I'm glad to hear you're dropping weight!!! I know you are a vegetarian, but are you getting any protein in your diet? Protein shakes? Soy? Now that you're exercising you're going to want to build a little muscle mass, and without protein that's going to be a much more difficult task. Protein is also great for making you feel full.

I'm glad you've started walking and are hitting the pool. Pools are GREAT for physical limitations. Keep up the good work!