Need to exercise but don't know where to start

[aliphil]

I am finally admitting I need to do something about being unfit and overweight, and facing the fact that walking (school run, half a mile each way) isn't making any difference. But I don't know where to start. I've tried swimming but doing lengths is just so boring I couldn't get motivated to carry on. My ideal would be some form of exercise during which I could read on my Kindle. I also have a dodgy knee from a problem I had in my teens.

Thoughts so far:

Not swimming
Not running
Not a class where I have to try and keep up with everyone else (bad memories of aerobics at school)
I quite like the idea of martial arts, but can't find any local classes in school hours (can't commit to a regular evening/weekend because of DH's work)
There's a gym at the local leisure centre that I could join, but it's a bit scary because I've never even been in one before and don't know how anything works, what the etiquette is, what you're supposed to wear. etc.

Anyone got any brilliant ideas?

There are excellent fitbit dupes on Amazon for really, really cheap. DP has one which was about £20 but does everything my branded one does.

Healthy & boring and unhealthy & nice is a mindset you need to get out of. There are plenty of delicious healthy options and it can be quite fun to find them. Unhealthy might TASTE nice, but they aren't nice really, they're standing between you and your goals!

I lost 3 stone with diet and exercise DVDs. I did them in my PJs, I can't stand the gym or exercising outdoors. Mostly Jillian Michaels but you can find all sorts on YouTube. Go at your own pace and take as many breaks as needed to get to the end, you'll feel a million times better than if you give up half way. I now find that I push myself harder doing workout videos on my own than when I am in classes because no one can see what a sweaty, panting mess I am.

I love MyFitnessPal for tracking calories because it breaks it down into carbs, fat, sugar, protien, different vitamins etc - so it feels more like a 'game' to get them to balance than purely counting how much food I've eaten (which is generally quite depressing)

You also have to REALLY want it, in order to break habits. 'Before and after' weight loss / fitness videos always give me a kick up the arse.

I'm in a similar position whereby I do really want to start exercising but have no idea where to start.
Looked at the C25K and even week 1 would be too intensive for me as I'm very very overweight and have possible osteoarthritis in my ankles due to many years of gymnastics as a child/teenager and tearing ligaments. I'm aiming to just up my steps per day. I have a very sedentary desk job (currently my iphone says I have done just 317 steps today (I don't take it everywhere at work so there have probably been more but I would only reckon an extra hundred or so).
I think I'm going to start looking at increasing my steps every day. So Monday I only did 1970, yesterday I got off the bus a few stops earlier and did 2541. I'm going to do the same today and the rest of the week. Next week I won't be getting lifts into work so I'll be adding more steps to the count, and then start getting on the bus a further stop away.

I've been doing SW for a few weeks without my head really being in it. Lost a stone in 3/4 weeks but have put it all back on after a few weeks being a pig again. Take a look at SW I know you say you don't like pulses, veg etc but I find it's more about home cooking and looking at what you're eating. So a sandwich and a packet of crisps could be fine. As long as your bread is wholemeal and measured and you count it as your 'Heathly Extra B choice'. Lean meats for fillings, no spread or measure it out and 'syn' the crisps. I have a friend who hates most veg and fruit, she will pick lettuce out of things but lost 3 stone doing it.

Follow Emily Skye on social media and try her app, lots of good ideas. Also follow Kayla Itsines and Joe the body coach, following them will get you used to some of the fitness lingo.

I can also recommend free workouts on YouTube - Hasfit, Fitness Type and Fitness Blender are all great and have beginners workouts of all lengths.
I just do it in a sports bra and pants in my living room. You don't even need trainers!

PretABoire, I don't get what you mean by "plenty of delicious healthy options". What are all these healthy choices that are nicer than chocolate, crisps, cheese, biscuits, etc., and how come I've never managed to discover any of them in the last 40+ years? I'd rather (and sometimes do) skip a meal completely than eat a healthy one that isn't what I want.

But if I have to really want it, I'm fucked anyway. Of course I don't want to have to eat boring food and do boring exercise! Why would I?! I just know I ought to. And maybe if I do manage to lose some weight the other school mums will stop despising me. Or not. But at least they won't have that excuse.

These are probably some very stupid questions but what the hell. About activity trackers. I've been looking at reviews.

1. What are things like heart rate tracker and sleep tracker for? I mean, why are they useful? Are they useful? Do I need them?

1. How can something you wear on your wrist measure steps you're taking with your feet?

1. Are there any trackers that you can clip on your trousers or wear on your ankle or something? I don't want anyone to see I'm wearing one because then they'd know I was trying to exercise and I'd be so ashamed.

1. I think they are pretty pointless unless you are doing serious training or are concerned about your sleep.

1. When you move your legs you move your arms and it notices that.

1. Yes, look for a pedometer on amazon or similar, lots of options.

It isn't anything to be ashamed of to do exercise, but if you want to be discrete then of course there are ways.

As for delicious healthy food, take a look on two chubby cubs, there are some yummy recipes on there.

I know intellectually that doing exercise is nothing to be ashamed of. But I feel so ashamed of being me - not just the weight, everything - that I don't want to have to discuss with anyone what I'm doing. I think that's it anyway. Sometimes the inside of my head is weird.

I don't seem to swing my arms much when I walk unless I consciously make myself do it! Weird again. But if I get a clip-on pedometer it shouldn't matter too much for step counting, I think.

So I'm going to try and increase my step count; I was getting agitated about this because I was thinking there was nowhere to go just for a nice walk, but actually if I walk to the cemetery or somewhere else nice, sit and read for a bit, then walk home, it's just as many steps as if I didn't stop anywhere. And I'm going to try to cut down on the junk food and generally eating between meals. I think that will be sustainable for a start, without feeling so impossible that I give up (and comfort eat because I'm so crap, etc.).

Next step will be trying to cut portion sizes, but that means getting DH on side as he does most of the cooking. I have raised this with him before - we're both fat - but he agrees and does it for about two meals and then goes back to big portions again. And I find it hard to refuse when I'm hungry.

Talking of which, now I'm not snacking I feel ravenous the whole time. How long is this likely to last?

I think sustainable and one thing at a time is the key.

I keep a stock of reasonable snacks in, fruit, kitkats, squares, fibreone bars, skinny popcorn, cold meat - I let myself have a couple a day of 100cal or less snacks. It means I am never really feeling deprived.

I needed to do some walking in bad weather and just did loops around the shopping centre! It doesn't matter where you walk, just try and get it up by 2000 a day.

As for portions, could you use a smaller plate? Put the veg on first and cover half the plate with it?

Mfp is free and is good for tracking calories and steps

For snacks high protein foods are good for helping you stay full longer eg boiled eggs, cold meats. I don't touch fat free yoghurts etc as these tend to be sweetened - smaller portions of full fat yoghurt are more satisfying and healthier imo.

A lot of it comes down to planning - prepared snacks etc. I much prefer healthy meals to bars of chocolates - look at the Hairy Bikers Diet Cookbook and remember smaller portions are key. We use the slow cooker a lot so that evening meals are ready when we get in from work.

Drinking lots of fluids also helps.

If you are really very overweight would also see a dr before embarking on a rigorous exercise regime.

You sound so sad in your posts, I'm sorry you feel like this. [hug]

On a practical level, I think it's great to take small steps at a time rather than trying to radically change things. Building something into your daily routine (walking at lunchtime, or in the evening after dinner) will soon become the norm. Could it be something you do with your DH or a friend? More enjoyable perhaps then putting the pressure on yourself, and you can have a nice chat and a catch up.

I see that you don't want to spend too much money. I would say to please make sure your trainers are properly supportive - trying to work out in trainers not fit for the job is only likely to end in injury. Going somewhere like Sports Direct is not a good idea, but Decathlon is a good shout, or an independent sports shoe retailer will give you good advice and be able to show you a range of prices. You can also (once you find the right shoes for you), buy previous versions online cheaper.

If you're ready to get sweaty, there are so many workouts you can do at home (but you do need to be so careful about your form, so if you can, look in a mirror to see if you look the same as they do on YouTube). I really like Fitness Blender, which has hundreds of different workouts for free which you can filter to different muscle groups, calorie burn, difficulty rating, etc etc. It would help to have some hand weights, but initially you can go without and see how you're getting on. eBay would be a good call for cheap secondhand equipment. Joe Wicks (the Body Coach), also has loads of stuff, and if you're really keen, does a 3 month programme of exercise and diet for about £100. I've got friends who've done it who look incredible, really lean. He also has several cookbooks which have simple recipes, but tasty food (eg steak with cream and spinach. Not exactly rabbit food, right?).

Best of luck, do come back and let us know how you're getting on. The hardest hurdle is getting out the front door (or setting up in your living room), but you'll never regret the workout x

On My Fitness Pal you can just count calories. So if you wznt a packet of crisps, for example, you just count them in your total.

Healthy food IS delicious though. It isn't just salad! Have a look at Tom Kerridge's book. Or Jamie Oliver Superfoods book. Or the Hairy Dieters. You can make lower calorie versions of the things you love.

As for exercise... so many people wear a fit bit these days there is no shame at all. When I first started to exercise I joined the gym. I put my headphones on and got on the cross trainer. The first day I did 5 minutes. Gradually I built up and ended up doing 50 minutes. I listened to good music with a beat. And it got me fit. And I lost 3 stone.

These days I do classes, as I got bored of the cross trainer (after 15 years mind you!) But when I do go on the crosstrainer I can read a book or watch a tv programme and still get my heart rate up. No one is watching you, people truly don't give a fuck sbout other people in the gym.

Gym.

I read my kindle on my ipad for 30 minutes whilst on the cross trainer.

I wear gym clothes. I would suggest gym leggings with a baggy t-shirt, decent sports bra and decent trainers.

Have an induction and get them to show you how the machines worl.

Noone will care what you do, what you look like, or what you wear. I promise.

What do you like doing? If you want to try a martial arts class then go for it!

I’m trying to change my lifestyle and body shape. I’ve several several stone to lose, but I’ve found you really have to be in the right frame of mind. If you don’t want it, you won’t do it or will only do it for a week or two.

It’s really about what you eat, people say weight loss is 80/90% what you eat, and the rest exercise. You can’t really out exercise what you are putting in your mouth.

I’ve started meal prepping for me and me DH which has been great, only a few days at a time and just lunch and breakfast. I’m also exercislooking my every day, 20-30 minutes of cardio and then 15 of weights. Just in the house. I’ve got the kids at home and then their activities at night so I really can’t get out by myself. I do swim once a week too. I’ve got arthritis and a bad ankle, on the other leg I’ve a dodgy knee but hoping as my weight does down the knee might let up a bit. Extra weight is so bad for our joints.

I’ve been doing either workouts on YouTube, low impact cardio, boxing, etc. Or on my cross trainer (bought a great one second hand for £50) and then I’ve got dumbbells for the weight portion.

Oh and I wear my pjs and no bra at all 😂😂 my boobs are massive but it’s not bad as I’m not really jumping our bouncing as I’m only doing low impact. And I’m bare foot too lol

Thanks so much everyone for all the tips and support. I've ordered a pedometer and when it comes I'm going to try upping the step count and "walking to Mordor" with the app. I've also been trying to think of other things I can do, like on choir nights getting off a stop early and walking the rest of the way. I'm still nervous about the gym, but I'm going to rummage around and see if we've still got our ancient Wii Fit that I used when I was pregnant - and if it works!

Heismyopendoor, I'd love to try martial arts classes, but I have looked at all the local ones I can find, and they all do evening sessions only, which I can't manage - apart from a few who do Sunday mornings, exactly at church time!

DD (5) thinks I should join one of the adult ballet classes her ballet school runs, and it might be fun, but £83 a term!

carrie74, how will I know if my trainers are supportive? Is it just that they'll be comfortable, or are they meant to be supporting particular bits of my feet? Decathlon seem to have different kinds for different kinds of exercise, so would I be OK just to get the walking ones? I had no idea you needed particular kinds of trainers for e.g. badminton!

As for eating, well, I'm trying. I've cut back on junk food already, and managed not to buy any more so far. If I manage not to eat any during the day, I'm rewarding myself with two chocolates in the evening. (I have a box DD gave me for Mothering Sunday. When that's finished ... well, we'll see.) But today is my birthday and I feel I have a license to be indulgent.

Be indulgent today, happy birthday!

Happy birthday!!

With trainers, I actually just wear one pair for everything, mine have been bought based on running, as I feel that's where I need most support. So they stop my ankles from turning in (over-probation), but when I wear them to play tennis, I find my ankles don't get enough movement. I should probably get another pair for tennis, but instead, I just rarely play .

Well done though, great strides forward!

If you want to see the difference in your weight, you will probably have to make changes to how you eat, as weight loss is about 80-90% diet compared to exercise. However, you don't always have to change what you eat- you just need to make sure that calories in < calories expended.

Would something like the 5:2 diet work for you, where you're really restricting on 2 days, but on the other 5 you can eat a normal amount, and you can eat whatever foods you like?

On the exercise front, I think it's a good idea to try different things and see what you like. If you're nervous, there's lots you can do at home with fairly limited equipment- there's loads of you-tube work outs you can look at and get ideas from. I'd avoid anything too high intensity to start with, you can always build up to things.

It sounds like you're making positive changes already, so good luck!

Feeling pleased with myself; first day with the pedometer and I apparently did 12578 steps! It was a choir day so I had that extra built in, but just from the school runs and pottering around it was over 6000. This makes getting up to 10000 on a regular basis seem more achievable than I thought.

I've also got the Wii Fit out and it still seems to work, so I'll try that for the days when it's so wet and miserable I can't face going out more than I have to. I quite enjoyed using it when I was pregnant. DD is intrigued and wants to try it as well, so that could be fun.

LadyLance, I don't think I can face the 5:2 - or not yet; I strongly suspect I wouldn't manage the restricted days without resorting to junk food. But I have already cut back on junk food and on snacking, and am trying to eat more fruit and veg. So in future, who knows?

Walking and diet etc are all great.
And whilst you figure out which gym/classes etc might suit then I have a suggestion.
I assume you have somewhere you can access YouTube?
Try these 5min workout videos below. She has quite a few. I have tried loads and I find they talk and explain loads and it takes ages.
These are silent so you can listen to something else. Or watch telly.
Just note, as she does, when squatting to not let your knees bend over your toes. You’ll see what I mean when you practice.
Ignore the fact they are for pregnancy!
I suggest trying 1 - it’s just 5 minutes.
I try and do 2 or 3 a day.
And I have given up my gym membership.

And ignore any exercises like the side plank that might be too hard! Just do what you can.
They are low impact so you knees and joints will be fine!

OP well done, sounds like your head is in the right place and that's a major plus, starting the change! Have you considered a rebounder? It's like a small trampoline but it is not for bouncing on, more like marching, so a bit like walking but a bit like through deep sand so it gives you a work out. They are about £50.