Tell me about your journey from fat and can't move to fit.

[ferriswheel]

I'm 17 stone a bit overweight. I have lots of excuses reasons. If I do ten minutes exercise twice a day then how long will it take me to see a difference?

Don't be put off. You may not lose weight by only doing 10 odd minutes twice a day but you'll start to feel better and able to do more and more. The trick is to start and keep going.

Hi OP ignore judgey idiots. Good on you for taking control.

I know it sounds mad to say 10 minutes a day can make a different but it can! Look into Canadian Airforce exercises - the women's version is XBX. Some of the exercises need to be modified a bit for modern techniques (sit ups are a bit dodgy - crunches better). It starts very slowly and you build up over time to 11 minutes a day so better I would say than some random HIIT thing when you try to cane it and get discouraged.

I did it before - I didn't lose loads of weight probably a couple of kilos but it made a dramatic difference to how toned I was and made me feel like I could start exercising again.

Look, it's not the same as running 10 k but if you do it every day you are pretty close to govt recommendations on exercise levels so it's a great foundation.

OP, can I check whether you are 17 stone or 17 stone overweight?

As others have said, I recommend going over to Weight Loss Chat. You won't get the response you have got over here.

Of course 2x10 mins of exercise (try things like star-jumps, jumping jacks, trying to run up and down stairs as many times as you can) a day will make a difference. I know that technically weight loss is more about diet, but I have never been able to lose weight through diet alone. If you can walk, or even walk on the spot, every day, that's great too. Maybe march on the spot instead of watching your favourite TV show?

For diet, start slow as you are going through a tough time. Think less about calories for the time being but if you can, try to stick to whole foods- veg, eggs, meat, dairy, wholemeal bread etc. Eat enough so that you are not hungry. Maybe have a small daily treat to spur you on if you think giving up chocolate/crisps is too hard.

Good on you for ditching the bastard. You and your kids are so much better off without him dragging you down and I bet the weight will continue to fall off after getting rid of that initial 13 stone (or whatever) lump.

OP- massive congratulations for finding the strength to leave a toxic environment.
I've also lost a significant amount of weight over the past couple of years*.
Although I have no idea of how you are feeling emotionally right now; I will say that being in a mentally healthy space will help your journey to fitness exponentially.

If you can find 2x 10 mins, then that is a fantastic start. You will soon find that you are thinking "I've done ten mins, kids are settled, I can do twelve, fifteen, twenty mins". This will happen.

As PP have said, it is better to sort out one thing before moving on to the next challenge. Keep up with the keep-fit and you will soon be in the headspace to accelerate the benefits of exercise with a complimentary eating plan.

ferriswheel , you deserve to give your body lovely food that will heal it and not make it unhealthy. You deserve time for exercise. This is important for you as a person and for your children - they want a happy healthy mum that has respect and love for herself and for them.

*45kg if anyone is interested. Not a humble brag but a demonstration that I've been there, done that and given my XXL t-shirt to the charity shop.

Ah Op. Take no notice of the nasty posters. Think we must be due a full moon or something. Its been full of nastiness all day on here.

Personally for me 10 minutes twice a day, or 30 minutes every other day makes a massive difference. When dd was small I used to put 10lbs on in the summer holidays because I didn't do the scho run which was 10 minutes each way.

I have a bmi of 28.8 atm. To get it down I need to exercise for at least am hour and a half a week. Any less and I can't eat little enough to influence it.

Start with walking briskly. See how you get on. Swimming is good. But don't just breaststroke up and down. Get out of breathe. Yoga or pilates when you feel up to it.

Definitely calorie reduce too. You need both. For mental health as much as physical.

Some (free) things that have helped:
Seven Minute Workout Challenge app on iphone
Myfitnesspal
Reddit LoseIt forum
Joe Wicks workout YouTube videos

Some stuff that costs money
A slow cooker
A FitBit
An exercise bike or cross trainer (look on gumtree and facebook for preloved or clothes horses)
Putting £1 away for every lb lost. This gives you some spends for new clothes when you reach target.
Zumba or aerobics classes. It will broaden your understanding of different ways to exercise.

PM me if you feel the need, chuck!

You could start with walking up and down your stairs for 10 mins a time a few times per day?

Every bit helps, OP. I started exercising earlier this year - I’ve gone from literally not being able to run more than 10 seconds to running for 20-Min stretches. It’s nit a lot to some people, but I’m proud and I look and feel better for it.

Something I do: set an alarm for every hour. Make it something good for your body. A piece of fruit one hour, a glass of water, three trips up and down the stairs as fast as you can - whatever. Add those to your 10 minute sessions. Every little really does help, and every time you think “I’m going to do this” is a victory over everyone who ever told you you couldn’t.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I imagine with a divorce money may not be an option right now, but my friend has just reached her one year anniversary of joining a small private gym. It included her diet program too. She has lost over 6 stone. It’s incredible. But more so, her confidence has grown. This wasn’t cheap, but it worked and changed her life.

For me, it was about finding something I love. Gym did nothing for me but I can see how it works for some. I joined a local pole fitness class. Heck I was hooked from the first night, invested in a home pole and it’s been my life ever since. I qualified to teach a few years ago. There was no way in hell I thought I’d ever do that.

And yes, it’s for anyone, any weight, and gender. The girls say they don’t feel like they are working out and it’s empowering their minds.

Apps like myfitnesspal are wicked too.

Clean eating is key (one thing I can struggle with because I am childishly fussy)
Pre-prepare food and grab some plastic containers.

This is very inspiring, thank you everyone.

I'd echo the advice that you can't outrun a bad diet.

I'm eating LC at the moment. I have PCOS so other diets like SW and WW don't work for me. I started in May and have lost almost 2 stone so far, which I am happy with (the PCOS means losing weight is a real battle for me). I want to get another stone off before I start doing more intensive exercise - better for my joints etc. - so I'm sticking with walking in the meantime. The whole point of changing my way of eating was to find something long term and sustainable, where I can keep the weight off.

Have a look on the weightloss threads - you'll find some very supportive people on there. Best of luck

Little and often sounds good especially at the start. Maybe you could try ten minutes four times a day. Just simple things like walking or taking the stairs instead of a lift.

Try to combine it with eating more healthily. If you can do both together the weight falls off more quickly and gives you extra motivation to keep at it.

I lost 2.5 stone in four months by making small adjustments.

Oh - number one top tip: no snacking. None. It makes a huge difference.

Agree with no snacking. Do not find "healthy" snacks. None at all is better.

Definitely no snacks. Every time I craved one I had a piece of fruit. Satsumas, grapes, strawberries. It really did break the habit. Summer hols ruined me again but I recognised what had happened and got back on the no snack wagon again.

It sounds wholly unfeasible (did to me, anyway) but Couch 2 5k can help with mental health as much as physical. Maybe more so.
You can plateau at a week that suits you and go forward when you are ready. Or just go forward.

I cannot believe the difference it has made to me.
Choose Sarah Millican as your coach on the NHS app of it. I thought she was the least unlike me although I wasn’t keen. Turns out, I really enjoyed having her voice chime in now and then. No jokes till the final week.
I have my own health and weight reasons which I won’t share but I bloody did it and I am so proud of myself. I’m also quite a lot older than a lot of posters on here with no fitness or sporty background at all.
Someone I know who I only see maybe every 6 months and who is not the gushing encouragement type was so impressed with how I stood taller, walked better and just looked fitter.

Exercise is important, for your physical and mental health. It gets you out of the house and it gives you a boost. So keep on with it!

Also address your diet, because it is true that excercise alone (unless extreme) isnt going to result in significant fat loss.

Im now a size 16 after a lifetime of being an 8 because I’ve got a desk job now and et too much :( I need to eat a lot less and get out more. Good luck to you, and ignorebthe snarky comments. It won’t be easy but it is doable

I think you are very wise to make a small sustainable change. When it becomes habit, pick another small thing to change.Nearly 100% of diets fail

Just to say I was thinking of you today, OP, and the snark you got on here. There was no need, and I really hope this is the start of something good for you.

Good luck!!!!

Come join us over on the LCHF threads. It's the only way I've ever seriously managed to lose weight... 2 stone since May.

Bugger the snarky responses. You are wise to start slowly if you're not very fit right now. 10 mins is fine, then increase the time and distance. Look for small but sustainable changes you can make to your eating habits. Don't try to transform everything at once. You could also try some light weights or kettlebells to build your strength up. Starting is the main thing - and keeping at it.

Something I do: set an alarm for every hour. Make it something good for your body. A piece of fruit one hour, a glass of water, three trips up and down the stairs as fast as you can - whatever.

Agree with a bit of exercise or glass of water but if you eat a piece of fruit on the hour every hour you'll end up larger than you started with rotten teeth!

For clarity, I mean a piece of fruit one hour, some exercise the next, a pint of water the next - sth good for your body every hour, not everything at once on the hour 😂

I've lost over 3st since May. I'm 5ft 1in and down from 12st 5lb to 9st 3lb.

My husband got me a Fitbit and it's been instrumental in my quest. I can see my step count, light my foid andcsee how many calories I've burnt. I walk lots now and even run a bit!

Try marching on the spot indoors. Take extra steps when moving around the house. Your strength and stamina will soon build up.