Morbidly obese - I want to walk up these steps...

[5foot418stone]

This is a really long post, sorry, but I'd appreciate any advice/encouragement!

TL;DR: I want to walk up some steps without dying. How long to accomplish this?

4 years ago I was almost done with an 8 stone weightloss. Then stuff happened and I've gained it all back over the past 2-3yrs.

Rather than hating myself and resigning myself to living like this forever, slowly eating myself to death, I'm starting to try again. I've put my fitbit back on, got my streak going on MFP, etc. I know how to lose weight but I do struggle with motivation.

So I've set myself a goal.

There are some steps near to where I live and I want to walk up them without stopping and then dying at the top. They are utterly horrible, torturous steps and I want to conquer them. Currently I plod up them slowly and I have to stop 2-3 times. It's really quite embarrassing.

I won't be able to walk them everyday, maybe 3 times a week. I don't want to push myself too hard to start with because it's a surefire way to make me give up. Do you think I'd be able to accomplish this goal in 8 weeks? Or is that too lax?

It's these steps in Saltburn if anyone knows the area!

This is such an awesome thread, I come back to it every once in a while when I need a boost.

Congratulations @5foot418stone - not just on your amazing progress but also on having the will, determination and commitment to carry through with your goal!

Thanks ninkanink :)

I'm struggling a bit now to be honest. I've had a couple of weeks of eating quite badly and have gained a couple of kg back. Really disappointed in myself. Putting this here to try and hold myself accountable and get back to looking after myself instead of bingeing.

I've been thinking about you loads too and have also had a couple of really unhealthy weeks. But the sun is out and this week will be better!

@5foot418stone I can relate to this! It has taken me about 18 months to realise the important bit is not the deviations from the track, it is how you move on from here. I put on so many lbs at Christmas and felt like I had put everything back on, I hadn’t but in my head I failed, I floundered through (never ending) January until I could get my thinking straight and started meal planning, planning when I’d exercise and what I’d do. TBH I have had quite a few deviations since then, not as badly but sometimes life gets in the way, we adapt and keep moving. Have you read through your previous updates to see how far you have come, the differences you have felt and made in terms of fitness? Keep updating and I will keep cheering you along!

There's always going to be set backs but you are back on it & that's amazing 🙌🏼

@5foot418stone
Well done for being honest and facing up to the blip, if it’s helpful then look at what triggered it but if not, make peace with it and leave it to the past.
It was a temporary hiccup, it hasn’t made you feel good so put it behind you and continue onwards and upwards!
Still cheering you on from the cheap seats in London

Thank you so much everyone.
@Tambourinetunes Good point there about the deviations!
@Atreus Yes, this week will be better!

I did have a slightly better day yesterday. Not great, but an improvement over the weekend. I did cave and eat some chocolate that made me go ~200 calories over my budget and my walk was super slow but it's something I guess!

We have been decorating a couple of rooms this past week and oh my god it is stressful. I think that's why I'm reaching for the chocolate so much and I haven't done that in a long time. I'm mad at myself for going back up to 97kg. :( Feel bloated and sluggish and so bloody tired even though I've had to scale back my exercise time to fit everything else in to my day. I need more than 24 hours in a day!

Still, I am better than I was back in Feb/March so forwards I go. Even slow progress is better than nothing, right?!

Remember how excited you (and all of us) were when you got below 100kg? You're still way below this level. OK so you've had a blip but the overall trend in your weight is going down and, even more importantly, your fitness and wellbeing is trending up! Keep going (and keep posting!)

Thanks so much @Atreus

When I felt like inhaling a giant bar of chocolate yesterday I came back to this thread and ate some cucumber instead!

I weighed in at 96.9kg this morning, so that has spurred me on a bit. I'm also seeing my mum and sister in August and they are both 4 inches taller and 5 sizes smaller than me and I could barely keep up with them before so it would be nice if I was a size or two smaller by then.

And we'll be walking up a few hills then too, maybe my new found fitness will impress them I won't be too out of breath and sweaty and hopefully won't be so embarrassed at lagging so far behind them!

Well done for not inhaling the chocolate! I am finding my steps are lower as I struggle with the heat and I am feeling tired in general I am trying to increase strength training instead with the fan on! Slow progress is certainly better than none.. have I mentioned the Atomic habits book by James Clear? It details how if you make a small difference over time it makes a dramatic difference, he uses a flight path as an example “ readfulness.com/atomic-habits/
“ Imagine a plane taking off from Los Angeles and directed to New York. If the pilot decided to adjust the course by 3.5 degrees to the south previous to departure, the plane would slightly move few centimeters, and no one would probably notice. However, throughout the journey, the impact of that little change would be tremendous––to the point that the plane would land in Washington DC, instead of New York.”
I find it a useful reminder to keep myself going on my path and think about where I have been versus where I am going and how I get there.

@Tambourinetunes that is a really useful analogy te the planes. I keep not bothering as i think things are little things but they would all help.

@5foot418stone you are doing brilliantly, keep it up!

Every time you reach the top you're a winner

I've jumped on to say that I love your op, about not wasting your time hating yourself. That's such a good attitude and one I'm trying too.

There's a sign up at work that says that taking the stairs burns more calories than jogging!

Has it been too hot where you are to get out and do them or have you managed? Well done for all you've achieved, just think how far you've come. Xx

I pop on and read your updates every so often. Still cheering you on - keep at it xx

Hey, thank you so much everyone. I really appreciate all of your kind words and encouragement!

@Tambourinetunes thank you for sharing that! It's great. I'm definitely going to look at the book!

I have been having a hard time lately. I tried to write an update here a couple of times but I couldn't.
I'm still walking as much as I can! Trying new things, just to keep moving. I'm trying. I am not giving up! But some days (too many lately) are just hard.

Still, no feeling sorry for myself! I know I can do this. I just have to focus on even the tiniest positive instead of punishing myself for every negative... which is super hard!

95.5kg today despite all of my terrible food choices recently. So thank goodness for exercise

Onwards and upwards, eh!?

Keep going OP. August is a great next target.

For when you are ready: if you catch the bus to Sandsend, and walk back to Saltburn, its about 50,000 steps.

Please keep coming back and updating us OP. There are loads of us rooting for you...some of us post on the thread but I bet there are so many more reading and wishing you well.

I know when I don't feel so great about myself that I go very insular and withdraw from the very folk who are likely to make me feel better...so please keep posting, when you have good and not so good news. It can be really hard to step back and see how much progress you've made...but just re-read your posts from the start of the thread! You've got this!

Oh, and please post some more photos of your walks!

@Atreus

Please keep coming back and updating us OP. There are loads of us rooting for you...some of us post on the thread but I bet there are so many more reading and wishing you well.

I know when I don't feel so great about myself that I go very insular and withdraw from the very folk who are likely to make me feel better...so please keep posting, when you have good and not so good news. It can be really hard to step back and see how much progress you've made...but just re-read your posts from the start of the thread! You've got this!

Oh, and please post some more photos of your walks!

I'm one of your 'silent' fans! You're doing really well OP!

Hello all! I'm still here, still plodding along, trying my best! Well... most days. Struggling with my mental health at the minute.

I'll be putting my boots on later and heading down to the beach as there have been lots of dolphin sightings lately and I would love to see them!

Did you get to see any dolphins?

Hi OP how are you getting on? You have been doing brilliantly with all the walking and weight loss!

Another cheering you on
You started up the steps in March - spring has turned into summer and the steps are still calling you