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So it begins...

Old 01-12-2011, 05:15 AM
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Hello everybody,
Just saying hello and I look forward to losing some of this weight.

I wonder if anybody can help me, I have a question or two.

I know that the best weight loss results come from eating less and exercising more. I have a bit of a problem with the latter unfortunately, not because I can't bring myself to do it, rather I basically can't do it.
I have a breathing problem which makes me feel very out of breath. Even at rest, I have to take big gulps of breath and constantly feel 'unsatisfied' - the feeling is a bit like trying to get over a hill with each breath: sometimes you make it and sometimes you don't. This makes intensive exercise basically impossible.

I've seen a few people who have basically told there is nothing physically wrong with me, but that it's a psychological thing with my breathing pattern being 'out of sync' with my oxygen debt. I am doing the exercises that were given to me but have been told it will almost certainly take several months before I'm back to normal.

While I am basically ok doing 'easy' exercises like walking, hardcore cardio stuff is impossible. And because it seems that only the 'easy' exercise options are available for me, I would have to be spending a disproportionate amount doing to them to get much benefit.

So I was just looking for some advice on how best to proceed. There is a limit to how much walking I can do in a day, both because of time constraints and because, well, 2 hours of walking (even with music) seems an awfully long time.

I am determined to get exercising again, both as a symbol of a change in lifestyle and for the actual benefits. But what to do? It seems ludicrous for someone of my size (6"1, 115KG / 250 LBS) to start doing calisthenics without doing the cardio, but if that will help me loose weight (rather than just putting on muscle) then so be it. Does anybody have any thoughts? I would be grateful for any ideas people might have.

p.s. sorry to keep on asking for things, but i have one more! I used the Harris Benedict equation to determine that my resting calorie expenditure is 2373. The site I used said, however, that this equation over-estimates for the 'very fat'. Can anybody shed any light on whether this applies to me, and if so, what a more realistic figure would be. My BMI is 33.3 (ouch!). Thanks again
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Old 01-12-2011, 05:35 AM
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Any "moving" you can do even if it's in short periods throughout the whole day will add up. For me I seemed unable to devote an alotted period of time to workout so I have said to myself" make small moments make big changes" and throughout the day once every hour or so I try to stop and stretch and do some leg lifts or twist & punch moves and fake situps ( just stand and crunch down side to side). It is invigorating me, keeping my metabolism up, making me feel successful and making me want to do it all over again as soon as I can take another break. Maybe if you break a workout into pieces it might help.
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Old 01-12-2011, 05:36 AM
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a good chuck of my weight was lost from diet and walking. I started off at about 1.5 miles and worked my way up. Now I can walk for a couple hours without getting bored or it feeling like a long time. I couldn't walk around a small circle for 2hrs though. Maybe you need a change of scenery??
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Old 01-12-2011, 05:43 AM
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I'm an asthmatic, so I have similar issues and it was much much worse when I was really out of shape. For me the best answer was to start off slow, do what you can today, don't worry if it doesn't seem like that much and then tomorrow or the day after increase by a tiny bit. So if you can tolerate the treadmill for 6 minutes today, try 6 1/2 or 7 the next day, so forth and so on, at the end of a month you'll be amazed at how much longer you can tolerate to workout. Also I highly recommend doing calisthenics, building muscle helps your body become more efficient at burning calories and fat. You really don't have to run a marathon to put in a really good workout, you also don't need to be at it for hours to get a good amount of benefit. I used to take a "Toning" class at the fitness center, it only burned about 1/2 the calories that the aerobics class did, but I always felt it the next day. Not so for the aerobics, after the first couple of weeks my body got used to that and although I'm sure it burned calories I don't think it built much in the way of muscles. Another thing, don't knock walking for exercise, or at least don't knock it until you've tried it. In my life I've known some people in really fabulous shape, and every last one of them walked on a regular basis, and most of them did little else in terms of exercise.

For workouts that don't get you gasping you might try yoga, walking (there are some decent videos by Leslie Sansone for bad weather days), core strengthening and weightlifting. For Christmas my husband bought me "EA Active 2" for the Wii and it's pretty decent, I don't gasp through it, but I do break a sweat and get muscle soreness from it. And I can go full out on the elliptical for an hour and never get so much as a leg cramp from it.
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Old 01-12-2011, 07:42 AM
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thanks for the considered replies everyone.
perhaps 2 hours of walking isn't as bad as i made it out - i do live in the countryside after all! the problems will come when i land myself a job in the city (i'm a recent graduate), but maybe then the little and often approach will work. lots to think about here, so thanks. mike - you're pics are amazing, very inspirational! almeeka i know what you mean about the wii games - i got a playstation move, and when playing archery on that you can really feel the burn.
if anyone else has thoughts i would love to hear them.
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Old 01-12-2011, 07:45 AM
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thank you! I tell everybody, make sure you take before and after pics.

Last edited by 01gt4.6; 01-13-2011 at 02:57 AM.
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Old 01-12-2011, 08:28 AM
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Originally Posted by splosh313
perhaps 2 hours of walking isn't as bad as i made it out - i do live in the countryside after all! the problems will come when i land myself a job in the city (i'm a recent graduate), but maybe then the little and often approach will work. lots to think about here, so thanks.
if anyone else has thoughts i would love to hear them.
Congrats on your graduation!

I find that I do a ton more cardio when I am in the city. I very seldom take my car out since I can walk every where safely. I walk to food shop, only get the amounts I can carry so I have to go more often. Since there are always people around I will even go for a walk or run in the middle of the night.

I do less cardio at the beach in the winter since I don't feel as safe at night (less people around) plus I get bored on a track. I can only run in a circle for so long before I give up!

Have you thought about incorporating some body weight exercises into your workout plan? IMO, building muscle and doing cardio is the best combination to burn the fat and get fit.

As far as your BMR, you can adjust your caloric needs as you go, depending on how your weight loss is coming along. I had to lower my "lifestyle" and log the hours I sleep to get what works for me.

Welcome to FitDay and ask away! We all do! I am so impressed by some of the amazing progress people here have made and I value their opinions and advice because they obviously know what they are doing!
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Old 01-13-2011, 02:38 AM
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thanks for your kind words and advice vabeachgirlNYC - good point about city life, i hadn't thought of that. of course now that you mention it i go basically everywhere by car in the country. took a nice 90 min walk today though, and naturally feeling the better for it!
i actually own a rudimentary (but adequate) bench from a few years ago when i was very active - i'll dig it out tomorrow. even as i write i realise how good this site is for motivation and new ideas. hopefully over time i can share some pearls of my own.
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