exercise for those 30 plus pounds over weight

[berrykat]

i would like to start a support thread for those starting to exercise who are at least 30 pounds over weight. Kind of a slow and steady hamster group. Full bodied hamsters wanted! I am just starting exercising slowly so as not to injure myself and could use support and want to help support others who are in the same situation. If anyone is good at coming up with a name that would be cool too.

[sararie]

I'll join here..I tried to keep up with the regular hamsters, but with two kids under two, it's a bit tough. I wish they would nap. :(
As far as a name..the only thing I could think of that seemed like a "full bodied hamster" was a guinea pig! LoL Sorry!
I have so much weight to lose after an injury and two kids..that's three years off the loop..and I am also having that back of the mind mommy guilt about taking time for me. Darn kids need to learn to like sitting in the stroller.
So, anyway, I will be here..you harass me to exercise and I will do my bestest!

[Skylark]

Good idea! I hope this is a thread where the focus is on getting healthy at any size, not on losing weight. A person could be at their healthiest weight and be much larger than the beauty ideals of Euro-American society.

We should have a name that's fun but also gets the idea across. Everything I can think up at the moment is cheesy or dumb.

I've been really lazy lately. I've got to get back into the swing of things. For now I'm just going to focus on going for brisk walks in the morning at this arboretum near my house. I'll also be pricing bicycle chains. I haven't ridden my bike in over a year, and the chain is rusty. It's a Rans Rocket recumbent, so the chain requires two and a half standard-length chains. I was in good shape from riding a few years ago.

[berrykat]

How bout the Cavies which is another name for guinea pig? This is for support. People can be beautiful at any size. It is hard starting an exercise program when you haven't exercised for a while. So whatever level people are at that's ok there is no judging.

[sararie]

I agree that weight doesn't equal good heatlh. At my lowest weight I was 150 which medically is still too much for my height, but I could run a mile and half in 11 minutes and do 30ish non girly pushups in a minute. I want to get back to being that kind of healthy again..
Finding the time to run/exercise is what is kicking my butt. I just picked up the recent runner's world and the lady on the front cover has six kids! Mind you, she did admit that she had the money for nannies and all that..but, I want to follow her rountine of 100 pushups 100 situps a 3min plank and a 2min v sit every night. That is my goal for this week. And to try to get my girls on a better nap type schedule so that maybe I can walk the mile and change to the big playground.
Hubby and I are working on a switch off days type thing for getting out after the girls are asleep to do some cardio. It might take us a bit to get this down pat, though.. esp since we have a two week going home visit coming up.
Any support is appreciated and I love to help in return! :) Just not quite sure how it all works (as far as support on a board- so feel free to correct me- or give me crap for using my kids as an excuse..again)

[WonderRandy]

I think this is a great idea. Not crazy about any of the names so far tho...:p

Those of us who shop in the Big and Tall department definitely have some different challenges when it comes to exercise, whether it's limited mobility, body image issues, inertia, or whatever... It can be really tough to get inspired to get up and get moving sometimes. Especially when the "skinny minis" (no offense) are all peppy and perky in their little hamster outfits. Or when you finally get up the motivation to go for a walk around the park, and you see tons of bare chested, sweaty, fit joggers running laps around you...
mmmmmmm barechestedsweatyfitjoggers... :drool:

[Skylark]

I think this is a great idea. Not crazy about any of the names so far tho...:p

Those of us who shop in the Big and Tall department definitely have some different challenges when it comes to exercise, whether it's limited mobility, body image issues, inertia, or whatever... It can be really tough to get inspired to get up and get moving sometimes. Especially when the "skinny minis" (no offense) are all peppy and perky in their little hamster outfits. Or when you finally get up the motivation to go for a walk around the park, and you see tons of bare chested, sweaty, fit joggers running laps around you...
mmmmmmm barechestedsweatyfitjoggers... :drool:

:lol: I hear ya. That's why I try to go for walks when I'm unlikely to see other people. It's just me and nature... and the ocassional passing car.

[kpickell]

They can be the hamsters, we'll be the teddy bears. :P

Umm, yes, I need to lose 30+ pounds and have been feeling pretty depressed about it. I have two little problems though: I'm lazy, and I'm a gluttonous eater.

I am trying to commit to two easy things first. Well you'd think they'd be very easy but are still a challenge. 1, no midnight snacking. I should be in bed by midnight anyways, so I'd like to stop eating by 10pm. I never eat anything healthy that late at night, it's always junk food carbs. 2, I want to commit to taking the dogs for a bike ride daily. Biking is easy for me, better exercise for the dogs, and I don't have the foot pain problem I do when walking.

If I can do those two little steps for several weeks then I think I'll be in a much better position to add intermediate steps (eg, cutting the fast food addiction!).

[Skylark]

They can be the hamsters, we'll be the teddy bears. :P

Umm, yes, I need to lose 30+ pounds and have been feeling pretty depressed about it. I have two little problems though: I'm lazy, and I'm a gluttonous eater.

I am trying to commit to two easy things first. Well you'd think they'd be very easy but are still a challenge. 1, no midnight snacking. I should be in bed by midnight anyways, so I'd like to stop eating by 10pm. I never eat anything healthy that late at night, it's always junk food carbs. 2, I want to commit to taking the dogs for a bike ride daily. Biking is easy for me, better exercise for the dogs, and I don't have the foot pain problem I do when walking.

If I can do those two little steps for several weeks then I think I'll be in a much better position to add intermediate steps (eg, cutting the fast food addiction!).

You sound like me, except I don't have any dogs. :(

But I do like the idea of calling ourselves the Teddy Bears!

[jenna]

Oooo. I'd like to join in, too! :hamster:

I've been trying to motivate myself to get back into the full swing of exercise. I had been on a schedule of walking every day for at least 45 minutes to an hour. I always took the dog along with and he had so much fun. I was doing yoga pretty regularly, too.

[WonderRandy]

I really really really like the Teddy Bears!!!


yeah, kp, you're on to something with taking a couple of small steps and integrating them into your daily routine, rather than attempting to change everything at once. That's the approach my shrink advocates. Pick two small things you can change today - one regarding eating, the other regarding activity. Adopt these small changes for a couple of weeks until they become habit before you take on another change.

If you slip up (like I did the last couple of days with the sweets at work), just start fresh tomorrow. Don't invest any energy into beating yourself up. The goal is to be good to yourself, in all ways....

:sunny:

okay, gonna go eat pizza now!!! :p

[berrykat]

Teddy bears is an awesome name!

[berrykat]

Does everyone like the name Teddybears?

[sararie]

I have no issues with it. I think teddy bears are all cute and cuddly!

[Life2k]

I'm in! Steady Teddys. I just need to have to check in with someone to say I got on my Sprint Master every day. My joints won't let me walk, but I can do the sprint master. I do seem to need a cheering squad.

Teddybears is just fine.

[Cassiel]

Would it be ok if I offered a word of encouragement? I weighed 265 lbs when I started to try to get healthier through diet and exercise (no wacky weight loss schemes here!). I've now lost 120 lbs, over the course of a few years. If I can do it, anybody can. :-)

[Life2k]

I lost 112 in 6 years. I still weigh too much, but mainly I just need to get off my good intentions and that would come off too eventually. I just loose slowly. Slowly or not, I need to get moving.

[kpickell]

PS: Teddy Bear Hamsters are the cutest type of hamsters too. ; )

Day 1. We went for an extra long bike ride today, the dogs are exhausted and I'm feeling good. It was a very nice night. And it's 10:00pm so I'm going to resist the temptation to open the snack cupboard and instead just take a shower and get ready for bed and watch a movie.

[jenna]

PS: Teddy Bear Hamsters are the cutest type of hamsters too. ; )

Day 1. We went for an extra long bike ride today, the dogs are exhausted and I'm feeling good. It was a very nice night. And it's 10:00pm so I'm going to resist the temptation to open the snack cupboard and instead just take a shower and get ready for bed and watch a movie.

I'm curious what way you've found has worked best with bike riding and having a dog along with you.

I've just been sticking to walking as I don't have a bike yet. I'd really like to get one and have been trying to figure out how to include Bear when I go.

[kpickell]

I'm curious what way you've found has worked best with bike riding and having a dog along with you.

I've just been sticking to walking as I don't have a bike yet. I'd really like to get one and have been trying to figure out how to include Bear when I go.

This way: http://www.springerusa.com/

Currently I have one dog attached to the Springer on my right, and one dog attached to a leash which is tied to my seat on the right. But I've ordered a second Springer Arm extension so that I can ride two dogs safely hands free. The combination of the low center of gravity and the spring action make for a very smooth ride, even if the dog starts pulling towards a squirrel or something. When they're attached to just a regular leash then it's not so smooth and you definitely feel it when they pull away, which is no fun. There are cheaper bike leashes such as walkydog but I haven't tried them. I like the Springer and bought mine on ebay for $25.

[WonderRandy]

okay, so the official support thread is stickied in the Physical Fitness forum.

This thread was to discuss the idea of starting the other thread. Now that the other thread has been started, let's move the jazzercising over there... :D

[ghelfling]

They can be the hamsters, we'll be the teddy bears. :P

Umm, yes, I need to lose 30+ pounds... I have two little problems though: I'm lazy, and I'm a gluttonous eater.

boy, am i ever so lazy and a glutton too. when i get home all i want to do is watch tv. i have 2 dogs and i don't even walk them, my hubby does.

i've been thinking of biking (although haven't been on one for years) and walking.

by turning vegetarian (6 months) then vegan (13 months to date), i've lost a total of 14 pounds. i have another 30 to go -- if i do some form of exercise, i'm sure it will happen, i don't care how long it takes... now to get motivated...

[h1pp1eboy]

i would love to join this thread i really want to start excerciesing and the motivation part of it is lacking so some support would be nice i would love to ose 30 pounds :lol: so i thought about excerciseing for like 30 mins a day but i dont reallyy now what to do