Help me with my fitness please

[Merryoldgoat]

I’m very overweight and on the bariatric pathway. I don’t want the surgery so I need to turn it around but I’m overwhelmed by the mountain I need to climb.

I am making progress with weight loss albeit slow but I really need to exercise more for health - I know weight loss is mostly about diet.

Have you transformed your body over 45?

I have a knee injury which makes things harder but surely I can do it.

Feeling very low today.

Start small but consistent. Get yourself a decent knee support if you need one, a pair of comfortable trainers and a pair of headphones. Download some music you live or a pod cast. Go out and walk, set a time, maybe just 15 minutes. Every day. Be consistent. There'll be days you hate it, you'll make excuses to yourself, but it's just 15 minutes. Do it anyway. Keep at it and the rest will follow as you start to feel fitter and healthier, honest!

Walk. Do pilates and yoga . Low impact excersices

Will walking really improve fitness?

Start walking and build up speed and length gradually. Start with things you can do and gradually make them harder. Try swimming as it's low impact. You will find as you lose weight, your joints will start to feel less painful too. Little steps and you'll get there. Good luck!

Walking will definitely improve your fitness, especially if there are any hills you can incorporate.

Previous advice to start small is great. It’s maintainable which is key, if you do too much too soon it’s likely to feel too much and you won’t keep it up. Once you are comfortable you can extend your walks and start looking at other exercises you might enjoy.

Great for your mental health too. Good luck.

Don't underestimate what low impact exercise will do, walking, swimming, Pilates etc will all help. Everyone has to start somewhere and as long as you're doing more than you're doing right now, you're on the right path. Good Luck OP!

Walking very good - start with little & often do 2/3 times a day for 10 mins a time. When it starts to get easier pick up the pace.

Yoga good and maybe some light weights/resistance bands as well.

Yes it really will.

This is exactly how performance horses start back after a break. Walking only for a couple of weeks then gradually increase/build up the pace.

Walking is much underrated.

Hi OP The trouble is you need to address it from all angles. Yes weight loss is mainly about diet but simple deprivation isn't going to work long term.
I'd start by asking for a consult with the nutritionist, and I'd you can afford a private consult I'd do that.
Next up, swap stick for carrot. No one is motivated by negativity for long and I'd you have a lot to lose this is a long term project. Get your house in order and go get some clothes that look good on you right now if you have none/few. People try and diet whilst wearing sackcloth and ashes clothes like joggers and Ts and it just makes you feel worse. It's easier to respect your self and body if you are well dressed for you.
And then, how about getting an exercise buddy?
Good luck OP, you can do this, just gather yourself the real life support and resources you need and don't be scared to advocate for yourself.

Walking is amazing for fitness! And its so accessible. You can build up on distances and speed.

Im a massive advocate of 'just move'. Anything, anything has to be better then being on the sofa. Dancing in the kitchen, walking, even just increasing your standing time and activity levels through gardening and housework. Even stepping on the spot infront on your favourite tv program.

It all helps, it all helps lift your mood and build you energy levels and stamina. Its a great starting point and gateway exercise to move towards something more challenging in the future.

If you havent yet listen to or read dr rangan Chatterjee. Hes a gp who gives advice on lifestyle changes and its very simple and accessible advice. They may even have his books in your local library. One key bit of advice he gives is to plan for the bottom of the motivation curve so that you make a change that you can sustain even on a bad day. So rather then say im going to do five exercise classes a week and then fail on week one, he'd say do ten minutes of yoga and a twenty minute walk. But do it every day and stick to it and make it a habit. Likewise, you might say right from now on i am only eating soup and salad. Clearly thats miserable and you would fail quickly. He would say no. Cut down to one takeaway a week and bin your diet coke habit. And have only one sweet treat a day. Or start eating breakfast. Changes you can actually stick to and build on.

On YouTube there are videos by EvaFitness. She’s brilliant. The videos range from 20 minutes to an hour and they’re aerobics based, but there are no awkward or difficult moves. Their aim is just to get you up and moving. They’re fast, fun and easy, and they kick started my journey back to health. Best of all, she doesn’t talk - she just shows you the moves - they’re straightforward and safe, and can be done at home.

GrowwithJo has great and fun walking exercises on YouTube.
I'm overweight too and started with intermittent fasting which I never thought I would stick to but I have.
I've gone from 113kg to 106 (as of this morning) just by fasting and doing 10 minute walking videos.

In the beginning I couldn't even do the full 10 minutes but I can now.
You will get there OP, I believe in you 💪🏽

Thank you all so much for the ideas and support.

Walking is such an underestimated way of exercising. I would start with walking (incorporate some hills if you can) and swimming. I fast when I want to lose some weight and follow OMAD (one meal a day). I know that’s not for everyone, but I feel great on it and it’s the only thing which really work for me. I am 50, normal weight now, but lost 2 stones last year by doing OMAD and tons of exercise too. It’s hard when you are older, but can be done. Best of luck 🤞

saxenda?

I'm also a keen advocate for walking, start slowly and build up your distance and speed. It's really good for mental well-being too.

You are aiming to lose weight and improve your fitness for health reasons but I would treat the two separately to avoid falling into the psychological trap of feeling neither is worth the effort unless you succeed at both. Losing weight is worthwhile even if you never become an athlete and improving your fitness is also worthwhile even if you don't lose weight.

Fitness incorporates more than just cardiovascular exercise so you need to think about strength and flexibility too. The NHS has some really straight forward advice for exercises you can do without needing a personal trainer or a gym.

www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-and-flexibility-exercises/

Good luck

Start slow and be realistic, changing too much at once has potential for you to give up as it becomes a shock and you think you can’t do it.

suggestions would be:

walk every day, work your way up to 10,000 steps a day.

exercise at home a couple of times a week

do you have sugar in your tea/coffee? Slowly reduce this

what are your eating habits like? Meal plan, slowly increase the amount of vegetables on your plate and slightly decrease potatoes etc

when you think your hungry, drink first and wait. Most of the time we confuse thirst with hunger

would a smart watch like a fit bit or Apple Watch help?

good luck , you wanting to make the change js the first step. You can do it!

What a great first post op. I could have written it myself. I like walking in your living room videos on YouTube.

Myfitnesspal app is very helpful. You log all your food and exercise

Agree with PP that small, sustainable changes are the way forward. And make exercise part of your daily routine eg walk to work, take the stairs not the lift

Knee surgery has nothing to do with losing (or the inability to) weight.

You need to cut out some unhealthy habits. Look at your diet honestly.
And dont go saying:im only going to eat 1200 calories a day etc

Cut out 1 or 2 things for a starter.
You might drink to much alcohol or fizzy drinks. Cut them out of your diet and drink only 1 glass a week as a treat.
Same goes for maybe cookies or something. If that is your go to snack
Cut them out too and only allow them on 1 day a week (this is called a cheat day).

But like i said. First monitor your diet. Where do you go wrong. Is is eating on autopilot. Do you emotional eat? Do you eat too much empty calories or do you eat too big of a meal? Etc etc

Firgure that out first.

Walking is so underestimated, set yourself a step target and try to keep increasing it! You’ll 100% see a difference

I spend many hours at computer, I try and walk up and down stairs twice per hour.
Start with one and increase it. I got to 15 times in succession once.
I exercise in my chair with red resistance band to improve arms and breathing.

Find what you love.
Walking is great exercise but I hate walking/running. I like cycling to happily do that daily on phone or my bike. I also like exercise videos. I love swimming.

I would aim to move as first target 5 mins a day or less. Make it routine so pick time every day.

Address your food issues - binge eating/comfort eating/portion size/wrong foods