Wanna get healthy

[Alex_Y]

I'm after some advice.

I'm 300lbs and diabetic and on meds to control blood pressure. Also if you read my other thread it looks like my obesity is causing some other problems.

I want loose weight this new year. I'm already on a diet that a diabetic nurse helped me with and so I now want to focus on exercise. The thing is I tried to join a gym and they won't take me cos of my weight and the fact that I'm on meds for BP - even though my Doc gave me a letter saying it's okay for me to exercise.

So I just want some advice on what I can do for myself. I already walk for about 20-30 mins a day but I would like to be doing more.

Any advice would be welcome.

 

[addictivepersona]

Hey, Alex_Y! Welcome to Bluelight.

I'm glad you're taking the first steps to get healthy. As far what you can do, what can you do? Everyone has different physical limitations. If you can walk up and down the stairs a couple times, do that. If you can lift weights, get a set of free weights (or improvise some) and do squats. If I were you, I'd probably up my walking time (or walk up hill).

Also, did you see this thread? It links to a beneficial thread. May help ya out a bit until someone with some real suggestions comes along.

 

[wooger]

If I were you, I'd probably up my walking time (or walk up hill).

I agree with this totally! You don't want to start doing things too hard to begin with (especially if you have not been active for a while). Do you have access to transport car/bus etc?

If you do, maybe you coule find some local hills/woods to walk in, as that way it will seem less like a chore and you can just look around and enjoy the beauty of nature .

Also, the more you weigh the more calories you burn during activites such as walking etc so if you combine the walking with diet it shouldnt be too long before you start seeing some results.

Best of luck, you can do it!

 

[ChrisTribeSector9]

In terms of weight loss, it doesn't really matter WHAT you eat, just how much. It's been found that one major contributor to a longer life is a low-calorie diet. Just practice portion control, and after a while it gets easy and you will feel that you don't want to eat large portions.

 

[Macee]

I lost 10kg a month last year by eating healthy and going for hourley walks/jogs every day.

when I say healthy, I mean cut ALL the shit out, no junk food of any kind, keep fatty and oily meat to a minimum, and ONLY WATER I cant stress that enough, soft drinks are terrible for you, not only are they extremely high in kilojoules (Calories) they are very acidic which throws off your bodies acid levels and promotes cancer growth.
Don't even drink juice, it's loaded with sugar.
If you need a snack, have a piece of fruit or two, I used to have two oranges an hour or two before bed because I used to be a very hungry kid.
A nice lunch I used to eat was a sandwitch with wholemeal or wholegrain bread, cheese, tuna, tomato and cucumber. Yum.
Over time you'll notice you start eating less and becoming full a lot quicker, and after about two months, I challenge you to eat a meal at McDonalds, your body will reject it and you will spend the next 3 hours in bed feeling terrible.

If you eat healthy you won't need to do house of strenuous exercise to lose weight. Go for a walk, an hour a day or two hours if you can.

You'll lose weight in no time

 

[Alex_Y]

Hi Guys! Thanks for all the advice - you've all just given me so much more advice and support than the fitness expert did at the gym!

I'm definitely on to a better diet - just threw away the last of the fatty and sugary treats in the house. I will be walking more - I've started walking to and from work which is a 30 min walk in each direction. Also my diabetic specialist is putting me on to a new drug to control my diabetes and the side effect of this new med is appetite suppression.

Will keep this thread updated of my progress.

Regards,

Alex

 

[canarylove]

you should always speak to your doctor if you have preexisting health conditions if you want to embark on an exercise and/or diet regime.

 

[Alex_Y]

Hi. Just wanted to update my thread. I've been on my weight loss regime for nearly 4 weeks now. I've got my eating under control - this is helped by a diabetes medication I've started taking which has a side effect that suppresses my appetite and makes me feel fuller sooner - when I do eat I am having much smaller portion sizes.

I walk for around an hour a day and I manage about 4 miles - some times it takes me just under an hour sometimes a little more. I've lost around 9 pounds which I'm told is good - it just seems like a small drop in the ocean. It dawned on me that I need to get rid of about half my current body mass to be near my ideal weight - hope I last the course!

Regards,

A

 

[addictivepersona]

^ Keep up the good work, Alex! Nine pounds in a month is really good, considering they say you should only aim to lose a pound or two a week, as the slower you lose it, the slower you'll gain it back (not saying you will, just saying what I've heard!).

Four miles in an hour or just under? Dang--I barely do three in an hour with all the snow on the ground.

Keep up the fantastic work, man. Remember: You didn't put the weight on overnight--It's not going to come off overnight.

Keep us updated!

 

[n3ophy7e]

hope I last the course!

Yep, this is the beginning of a long and prosperous relationship with good health Alex!! You're doing brilliantly man, and it's great seeing your updates. Keep it up

 

[tiggerific]

sounds like you are doing great, so keep with the healthy eating and the walking. have you tried swimming? that is a good exercise and a way of not just losing weight but also toning up.
Whilst out walking maybe start a hobby so you do not get bored of doing it such as bird spotting, or identifying plants. take a bag with you with a book in it and a bottle of water, maybe more than you would need so you are carrying a little weight to help burn off more calories.
You might have neighbours who could do with errands such as going to the shop or pick up a prescription that way you have more reasons to be outside and walking more.

keep it up.

 

[TakeItAll]

I'll add my encouragement to your journey here. You're making lots of great steps in the right direction. You mentioned you've already lost 9lbs which is great! Even better than that number you've achieved so far is the fact that you are moving your weight in the direction you want it moving.

Something to bear in mind is that as you get progressively fitter you may also put on some more muscle which may mean you don't see the results in weight loss alone. It's very important not to worry about this since being fit is a great thing.

What I would suggest is using more than just one measure to track your progress. The best one is your waist circumfrance. As this goes down your health is definately improving dramatically even if your weight on the scales doesn't go down as much you would like. Sometimes you might get results on one measure and not the other which tells you that you're still doing the right thing as well

 

[Mehm]

way to go on taking this initiative. I want to echo that you will start gaining muscle which will make it look like you aren't losing weight. In actuality this is a good thing as the more muscle you have the faster you'll burn fat.

also, a raw vegan diet has been shown to reverse diabetes. it takes time and effort to eat like this but it can save your life and definitely help you get super healthy. yoga is also amazing for everything.

best of luck!

 

[Alex_Y]

Hi guys - thanks for all the good wishes above. I haven't weighed myself for a while but I definately feel a small change in my shape and some of my clothes are a bit looser - although I'm not buying new clothes just yet! I'm pushing on with the walking and sometimes I even loo forward to being out and about - I've only missed 3 days of walking in the last month!

I have just got one query. When I start walking for about the first mile or so I get a pain and a stifness around the top of my my foot where it meets the front of my ankle - if that makes sense! The pain radiates through to about half way up the shin. It does get better and after the first couple of miles it feels freer and the pain goes. I just wonder if there something I can do to warm up or whether it's just a case of building strength in that area?

I'm see my doc in a couple of weeks so I'll mention it then by any advice in the mean time would be much appricated.

Thanks

 

[embers_fading]

So I just want some advice on what I can do for myself. I already walk for about 20-30 mins a day but I would like to be doing more.

Any advice would be welcome.

Right now, walking is probably the best exercise that you can do, especially if you walk for 20 to 30 minutes every day like you have been. Walking at a brisk pace is even better. I think it'd be a good idea to keep up with your dieting and walking. Once you lose enough weight you can maybe bump it up to jogging or running and include strength training in your routine. Keep in mind that you'll have to exercise regularly and keep a healthy diet for the rest of your life if you want to stay fit and healthy. Once you get used to eating a healthy diet it'll become second nature to you. The same thing goes with exercise.

Just take it slow. Don't rush it. If you rush things you could hurt yourself. I'd say just focus on getting regular cardio until you lose a bunch of weight. Once you lose that weight then you could start upping things a bit. If you gradually get into a healthier lifestyle I think it'll be easier for you to maintain and stick with it. If you try to go all out too soon I don't think things will work out for you.

Also, you don't have to be into body building or run every day to be fit. As long as you are getting regular exercise and eating healthy you should be just fine. Once you've got the basic stuff down you can always up your game and aim higher. Just stick with it; that's the hardest part, really. If you miss a day or two, or a week or two (sometimes it happens) just get back to it as soon as you can again. Don't get discouraged and don't give up.

It's going to take time to get to where you want to be, so don't worry if you aren't getting quick results. Slow and steady wins the race.

I'm only 5'4" and I used to weigh around 230 pounds. I just started walking every day, or as often as I could, taking long, brisk walks. I lost a lot of weight in about 6 months, then started to work out with weights 3x a week. It worked for me. I'm sure it'll work for you, too. Now I maintain at 150 pounds and I'm pretty happy with my physical appearance. Good luck to you!

 

[rm-rf]

Click the image, its a free read on google, and will change your life if youre willing to change.

 

[Kewlwip]

DLPA(morning)
L-Tyrosine(morning)
NOW Adams men multi(2 in morning, 2 at night)
L-Theanine(night)
RS-Alpha Lipoic Fatty Acid(morning and night)
Conjugated linoleic acid oil(morning and night)
Psylllium Husk Fiber(tons of it)
Probiotics
Pancreatin(or another enzyme supplement, every morning and night)

Every morning, fruit smoothie, with 0% greek yogurt, with either coconut milk(for medium chain fatty acids) or almond milk. unsweetened or a bowl of healthy cereal with unsweetened almond milk, with eggs if im more hungry or need the protein

And make either dinner or lunch a big, meatless, salad, with tons of vegetables. and try to eat
small healthy snacks the rest of the day, and if you do eat aother meal besides salad, eat a side salad with it too, make sure you make hearty salads that fill you up. You MUST follow the salad rule EVERYDAY.

EVERY morning, upon waking, drink 2 glasses of water.
after breakfast take your vitamins/supplements
EVERY morning, after breakfast, either go for a walk, or do quick paced workout with free weights(low wight)

EVERY evening do 20+ minutes of intense exercise
EVERY night, after you've eaten your last meal, go for a walk, if its a long walk eat a SMALL balanced snack with some protein, some fat, and some carbs(not only 2 of the three)

and drink the fiber at night, it will help you feel full when you go to sleep, but taking more in the morning/day doesn't hurt if you are feeling hungry but know you shouldn't eat(because you already have)

Try to do real workouts as often as you can, 45+ minutes. Every weekend go hiking, 4 hours with break to snack in the middle.

You don't have to work "too" hard, as long as you DON"T miss ANY days.

ive lost over 30 lbs in 3 months doing this, without a gym membership, and i barely ever find time to do real exercise sessions, except the hiking, i just get active for 15-20 minutes 3-4 times a day and try to make it as intense as possible, or just walk if im not feeling it that day.

only things i own for working out are a 15lb medicine ball, 2x 10 lb dumbells, 2x 15 lb dumbells, and an everlast "reflex" bag(a speed bag on a stand with a spring instead of hanging) with a pair of 2 lb cylinder sand bag weights and 3lb each wrist weights and a 25lb weight vest for hiking

I LOVE my everlast reflex bag, it is so FUN and EASY to work up a sweat with that thing, without having to set anything up and lets you warm up, just remember to keep your legs bouncing for extra calorie burn, then add some resistance(slowly) and its intense. and its versatile, you can go at your pace or really get into it, try to punch faster not harder though or you will bend the bar.(if anyone were to buy one based on this review)

and i coudn't jog a mile if my life depended on it before i started on this, now i can run one in 10 minutes!(i think taking the extra weight off helped the most lol) and i could never lose weight without the supplements, no matter how much i worked out, but you still have to stict to the SALAD RULES strictly, and the same for breakfast.

 

[Kewlwip]

oh, and i drink hot teal all the time, or water, no coffee, no soft drinks, no sweet tea(just a lil bit of honey with some teas)nd

and i only eat seafood as far as meat goes. and i eat tons of nuts, when you eat healthy meals you can snack on things high in fat like nuts and get good protein and fiber while low in carbs

get your calories from your food, stay away from any liquid with calories(besides the occasional glass of OJ, and of course your smoothies)