to think this was a start?

[Firstimer13]

I am overweight, by 2 and a half stone. I used to weigh 14 stone but I have lost a stone and a half through diet.

I'm just starting to exercise and have joined a gym. Today I did 20 minutes fast walking uphill on treadmill (115 calories) and 20 minutes in the exercise bike (245 calories) but my sister says this is a waste of time and laughed at me!

It isn't right, aibu???

40 mins in all then is pretty good. When I joined a gym the pt told me to do 10 mins on 3 types of cardio machine..so just 30 mins in total. Its better than to over train apparently and not be able to keep it up!

Well done.

And don't believe the calorie things on the machines, they are never right!

Get some help from the gym person to build in some resistance stuff as well as cardio.

Congratulations. Could you please pass some of your will power this way?

Thanks trinity I will do but am scared of them as they're all skinny!

YANBU - Sounds like a great start to me.

I'd definitely get a programme devised for yourself by one of the staff, then get it reviewed and updated regularly otherwise you could end up getting a bit bored.

Were you sweating/out of breath?

Go you. Well done for going.

It's a great start towards fitness.

Well done

I find exercise is crap for me for weight loss alone as I couldn't run enough to work off a Mars Bar as it's 9 miles!

So unfortunately I have to really diet. But exercise is fab for health and increasing longevity so I'm hoping to do some.

It's a good start, it's horrible when you start going but it does get easier, do get the trainers to set you a program though it does make a difference

30 minutes 3x week that leaves you out of breathe is good.

Everyone needs to start somewhere and killing yourself at the start and either injuring youself or making sure you put yourself off for life is the best way to ensure failure.

Slow and steady wins the race. Keeping upping it - speed/incline etc to keep it challenging as your fitness levels increase.

Well done, brilliant start!! I've been for a 3.5km walk this evening!

Great start.

As a PP said you need to be sweating and out of breath and you need to do this a minimum of 3 times a week.

And ignore the calorie counters. The massively overestimate what you've burned off.

Well to give you an idea, I did couch to 5k last year. The first week was a 5mins walk to warm up and cool down. In the middle was 20mins alternating between 60secs walk and 90secs jog. I honest didn't think I'd complete the first week. By week 6 I felt good and decided to just see how it went and ran for 30 mins without stopping. Within 2 months I could run for an hour non stop.

Oh and I was massively obese. Not any more

Excellent - ignore the calories used calculations, they are done just on the exercise period, but the increased heart rate and heat continue for a while afterwards and you therefore burn more - particularly if you are unfit.
Increased muscle mass also increases the amount of energy your body uses at rest, so fit people burn more energy sitting on the sofa than unfit people.
Keep going - it only gets easier

Well Done - and you are right -- a great start.

Your sister is a cow for laughing at you. And probably just jealous of the fact you have had the will power to do it. Ignore her. The exercise thing is so much a slow and steady wins the race. Keep it up. And tell your sister to STFU if she laughs again

Of course it's a start so well done. My WW leader said anyone who isn't supportive and instead mocks you for doing something to improve your health should b ignored as they are saboteurs. IME there are two types: those who struggle with their weight and hate the idea that you might get into shape before they do and those with no weight problems who are happy with someone else being the overweight person in their group. So everything to do with their own insecurities and nothing to do with your wellbeing. Hard to ignore them sometimes as they can b your family (in my case DM was my worst saboteur) but try to discuss your weightloss efforts only with supportive friends. And fwiw I lost 3 stone never doing more than half an hour's bike a day and two long walks at the weekend. Like others have said the important thing is to stick at it. Good luck and feel proud of yourself x

So now you know your sister is an unsupportive cowbag don't tell her anything else about your exercise regime

Its brilliant, and loads better than sitting on the sofa.

However slowly you were going and however out of breath you got, you were going faster than every other lazy person (including me!) who was slobbing on the sofa at that time. You have to start somewhere and that seems a pretty good start to me! Well done you!

How rude of her. You are doing really well, especially over Christmas when some people wouldn't bother. Ignore she sounds nasty.

Your street ahead of anyone doing nothing and you need firm foundations on which to build a love of exercise.

So many people take up exercise with good intentions but make it so hard and don't enjoy it so they don't continue.

My biggest tip to anyone starting out is to enjoy it it so you actually WANT to do it, rather than feeling you OUGHT to. Oughta rarely lasts for motivation. Want to doesn't need any motivation at all

Thanks! I was definitely out of breath although I get out of breath walking up the stairs