440-200 or bust

shavedgoblin

shavedgoblin

New member
Hello everyone, I am 440 pounds. My wife and I have completly changed our lifestyle begining last Monday. We got rid of all the garbage food in our home and replaced it with all low fat low cal foods and veggies and fruits. We began an excersise routine. Treadmill, workout DVD, weight training eliptical. I remember excersising in high school for football and wrestling...I just don't remember it being so hard LOL. What I want to know is, should I be pushing to get to an hour on the treadmill? I got on it 5 times last week and the best I could do was 35 minutes at 2.5 pace and a 2.0 incline, and I was wiped out. This concerns me. I feel like I should be doing better than that. I am 6 foot and 440, but was built in high school, so I have alot of muscle. My legs are solid, I have a big gut. But I dont have a problem moving around, even standing 8-10 hours a day is not a problem. People tell me I am light on my feet for my size and are surprised when I jog up to them or run to get things. Is it just that I am not conditioned for the long haul even though the short bursts come easily to me? I am totally commited to losing this weight. I guess I am just looking for some reassurance that this is ok, and it is alright that I can only get a half an hour on the treadmill before I need to seriouly catch my breath. Thanks for any thoughts you may have.
 
Don't lose heart. You did well on your first week. We all have to start somewhere and then just work our way up and do a little bit extra every week. I used to take about an hour to walk my favourite 4 km route, now I've cut it down to 50mins, and I think that's absolutley fabulous! I am now aiming to cut it down by to 45 mins, and who knows I may even jog the whole way in the next 6 months! As our fitness improves we will be able to go further and work harder.

Congrats on you and your wife's lifestyle change to become healthier and fitter! I look forward to watching your progress on the forum! :seeya:
 
shavedgoblin said:
Hello everyone, I am 440 pounds. My wife and I have completly changed our lifestyle begining last Monday. We got rid of all the garbage food in our home and replaced it with all low fat low cal foods and veggies and fruits. We began an excersise routine. Treadmill, workout DVD, weight training eliptical. I remember excersising in high school for football and wrestling...I just don't remember it being so hard LOL. What I want to know is, should I be pushing to get to an hour on the treadmill? I got on it 5 times last week and the best I could do was 35 minutes at 2.5 pace and a 2.0 incline, and I was wiped out. This concerns me. I feel like I should be doing better than that. I am 6 foot and 440, but was built in high school, so I have alot of muscle. My legs are solid, I have a big gut. But I dont have a problem moving around, even standing 8-10 hours a day is not a problem. People tell me I am light on my feet for my size and are surprised when I jog up to them or run to get things. Is it just that I am not conditioned for the long haul even though the short bursts come easily to me? I am totally commited to losing this weight. I guess I am just looking for some reassurance that this is ok, and it is alright that I can only get a half an hour on the treadmill before I need to seriouly catch my breath. Thanks for any thoughts you may have.
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Please. My first time I made it five minutes.

...that statement hits just a bit closer to home than I intended.

:(
 
Whew!

Well, that is so reassuring! Thanks alot for that, I can probably sleep tonight now LOL. I am fairly certain I have the diet in control, lots of fiber and protein, veggies and fruits. My caloric budget is 3500 (doc would like to see more like 4000 but we talked about it and he said it would be okay to make 3500 a goal), but I have been kinda feeling it out. When I am hungry I eat, but I make a good decision like fruit for snacks. So far in my log (using a calorie counter, Lose it! for the iphone) my highest caloric intake was Friday at 2576, I know I could have had more calories, but I wasn't hungry so I didn't eat anymore. I watch and make sure I am getting the proper nutrients, fiber, carbs, fat, sodium, Cholest etc. Then the rest of the week honestly I was below 2200 calories. Its the excersise you know, I want to make sure I am doing enough. I think for the first time in a long time, I am worried about letting myself down. I have type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. I wanna be around in 30 years, I can't fail at this.
 
shavedgoblin said:
What I want to know is, should I be pushing to get to an hour on the treadmill? I got on it 5 times last week and the best I could do was 35 minutes at 2.5 pace and a 2.0 incline, and I was wiped out. .
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I think 35 mins is great, i put my iPod sleep mode on for 30 mins and sometimes wonder to myself "ugghh how many more songs till this is done!" so i think you're doing great. To begin with i think its important to pace yourself, cause if you over-exert yourself you'll just hate working out and not want to do it. Any time spent on exercise is time well spent...can't go from 0-60 in one week. Congratulations on you and your wife's commitment, it'll be great to have such support around you all the time!
 
Thanks Summer, I get lost in my ipod too (huge music nut) and mentally I could do it all day...I guess I still think I am 17 and can workout like I used to in high school...Reality sucks LOL.
 
I know each to his/her own. I was in sleep mode for about 3 years, have been quite ill, and when I started "trying" to work out, I made it 5-7 minutes on the mini-stepper.

It doesn't seem to take me very long to start pushing myself on the unit. Now I go 10 mins, with a 10-20 min interval of breaking. For about 3 rounds, unless outside, just one more block(self-talk)...ect

P.S. I can't keep up with the 50 and 70 year olds in my fitness class, I'm freaking 24!. But that's because they prob are moving about all day and for the last however many years.

Please remember to pat yourself on the back every day, for every effort. We all have different stories, needs.
:jump:
 
shavedgoblin said:
Hello everyone, I am 440 pounds. My wife and I have completly changed our lifestyle begining last Monday. We got rid of all the garbage food in our home and replaced it with all low fat low cal foods and veggies and fruits. We began an excersise routine. Treadmill, workout DVD, weight training eliptical. I remember excersising in high school for football and wrestling...I just don't remember it being so hard LOL. What I want to know is, should I be pushing to get to an hour on the treadmill? I got on it 5 times last week and the best I could do was 35 minutes at 2.5 pace and a 2.0 incline, and I was wiped out. This concerns me. I feel like I should be doing better than that. I am 6 foot and 440, but was built in high school, so I have alot of muscle. My legs are solid, I have a big gut. But I dont have a problem moving around, even standing 8-10 hours a day is not a problem. People tell me I am light on my feet for my size and are surprised when I jog up to them or run to get things. Is it just that I am not conditioned for the long haul even though the short bursts come easily to me? I am totally commited to losing this weight. I guess I am just looking for some reassurance that this is ok, and it is alright that I can only get a half an hour on the treadmill before I need to seriouly catch my breath. Thanks for any thoughts you may have.
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i am 497 pounds now i used to be 750 when i started on the treadmill (690) i couldnt go for more than about 5 minutes....now i go 45 minutes every morning.....you can do this
 
Also, who says you have to do 1 hour at 1 time. Break it up throughout the day, 30 minutes here, 15 here, and 15 before bed. You're doing a great job, just don't rush it, slow and steady wins the race.

Good luck!
 
heya,
i think your doing excellent for a start! i'm now on week 4 of my exercise programme at the gym and do 45mins treadmill, then some weights, then another 45min treadmill (or aerobics class)...i'm 146kgs (320pounds). it was EXTREMELY hard for me on week 1 and thought my body would break in half those first few days. but now i'm on week 4 and i'm happy with my progress exercise-wise and can now proudly keep up with the thin people in the aerobics class and damn proud of it.

I also do the stepper in addition to the above programme. however right now my biggest hurdle is the stepper, i can only do 1min on it (yes, i do min 60seconds) and this was in my first week at the gym and now have progressed on it to 1min 20sec in the fourth week....it's almost laughable, i say so because a couple of years back, even though i was still big i could do 30mins on it. I now call it the beast and tell myself will conquer it soon...lol!
 
Hey thanks for the kinds words Cherry! I am like that on the eliptical machine. I can only stay on it for about 2 minutes, I had some severe knee injuries playing football in highschool and I am suddenly made very aware of them when I get on that thing. I know that if a machine hurts when you use it you should just stop using it, but I am not gonna give it up just yet. I am thinking part of the problem is that I haven't moved my legs in that way in quite a long time. I am looking forward to my week 4!
 
Also, who says you have to do 1 hour at 1 time. Break it up throughout the day, 30 minutes here, 15 here, and 15 before bed. You're doing a great job, just don't rush it, slow and steady wins the race.

Yeah I have to remember that dwwise83, I am so gung ho that I forget that this is a process. Thanks for the reality check!
 
i think it's difficult to begin a diet and exercise regimin no matter how much you weigh. the first week i always feel like exercising is going to kill me and cutting back on calories is going to make me starve to death, but don't worry, it does get better. :)

i'm sure a lot of people at 440 lbs could not last on a treadmill for 35 minutes, let alone motivate themselves to go at it 5 times for that first week. i'm my opinion, you're off to a good start!

i agree with dwwise...breaking up the exercise is a good idea. if you can do 35 minutes in the morning, then 25 before dinner or before bed, then you're already up to an hour of exercise daily.

good luck with your weight loss journey! :)
 
Well thanks Shep for the support...I took another step today, well my wife and I did, we went down and joined Golds Gym. We are going to get into some classes and the General Manager said that the staff would take care of us and make sure we are educated. The gym is beautiful and I think tomorrow I am gonna go down in the morning and get lost in there! There was such a supportive feeling in there...such a positive thing. I am so excited...and terrified at the same time.
 
Congrats on making great choices, and also for being so brave! I don't think I could go to a gym yet. I just walk everyday, and use my wii fit.

I'm sure w/ positive attitude and trying everday youll do wonderful :party:
 
Thanks Country Girl! We had been working out in the Fitness Room of out Apartment Complex, but there are only 2 treadmills, an eliptical machine, a bench machine, a leg extention and a pull down machine. We were getting bored and it had only been a week. I dont think we will be getting bored anymore, especially with the cool classes like kickboxing and spinning. We appreciate the positive vibes! My wife is kinda nervous about going to a "gym" but I think she will warm up to it, especially since they have a special "women only" section that is quiet and secluded. We are very determined. I am so excited about it I can't sleep LOL!
 
WOW! thats really great that you and your wife are joining a gym! and at the end of the day, at least you have each other so can support each other together during workouts. I actually live 2mins from a beautiful park that i kept saying i'd be walking at, to date i've never stepped foot in it lol! which is why even though i hate gyms, at my size i knew i just had to join one at least to begin with since i just didn't have the discipline to do the park, at least since i'm paying for the gym i'll make sure i'm getting my monies worth. I had to join on my own which TERRIFIED me at the beginning (so i totally know what your wife is going through), but i found a gym where i knew absolutely no one which gave me the courage because i was like since i know no one here then i don't care what they think. day one was very difficult not just physically but emotionally, but since i got through it i never looked back. everyone in the gym is thin but i don't let it get to me anymore. Initially i only did the treadmill because of fear of not wanting to join in on an aerobics class because of my size and fear of not being able to complete an aerobics class....but the treadmill soon became boring, so now i switched it up so that my first session is the treadmill and the second session is a group class (either aerobics or combat or step). and on day one of the group class i was panting and sweating like a cow! but now, a couple of sessions later i can keep up with the best of them. i got weighed on week 1 and get weighed again on week 6 (i haven't owned a weighing scale in years), so i'm really eager to know what i've lost. Otherwise all the best to you and the mrs as you begin your new fitness regime at the gym.


shavedgoblin said:
Thanks Country Girl! We had been working out in the Fitness Room of out Apartment Complex, but there are only 2 treadmills, an eliptical machine, a bench machine, a leg extention and a pull down machine. We were getting bored and it had only been a week. I dont think we will be getting bored anymore, especially with the cool classes like kickboxing and spinning. We appreciate the positive vibes! My wife is kinda nervous about going to a "gym" but I think she will warm up to it, especially since they have a special "women only" section that is quiet and secluded. We are very determined. I am so excited about it I can't sleep LOL!
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I am nervous, I haven't been in a gym since highschool. My wife has never been to the gym she is more so. When we went in to get pricing last night, we got the grand tour, then we got introduced to the General Manager, she was awesome. We both expressed our concerns about going to the gym, not being able to finish a class, not running on the treadmill but walking, feeling awkward in a sea of thin folks. She totally reassured us, and about not being able to complete a class, she just said "so what, you go get a drink of water and rest a minute, then jump back in...no biggie." She even told me that when I was ready to take a class to come and get her and she would do it with me (or Connie, my wife). When we told her that we had only stopped in to get membership fee info, she asked when we planned on joining we told her next month. (We have just had to replace ALL the groceries in our house plus had to buy a food scale, bathroom scale for ppl over 400lbs, some home work out books and healty cookbooks) so we were at our max. She asked if we had started anything yet I told her that we had and showed her my food journal on my iphone she was totally impressed and we explained that we had been working out and logging our food, she told us that she would go ahead and give us memberships and we can pay for it next month when we originally wanted to. I don't know if that is normal, but I think that was awesome. She said that she didn't want us to lose momentum or get bored working out at the Apartments. SO we are now members of Gold Gym. She really helped us alot, when we moved to Birmingham for my wifes work, I was unable to find work (I'm a manufacturing engineer) and now the economy has tanked...so I stayed home and do the chores and walk the dogs and intend on returing to school. So she really helped us out, she didn't have to do that. If that is normal thing that gyms do then no big whoop and I am sucker, but I feel very greatful. Hope that makes sense sorry (so long winded...just wanted share my enthusiasim)
 
it's great you have all that enthusiasm (feel free to rant and rave about it all you want...coz thats what the forums here for!), for me there's a comfort knowing i'm not alone and that theres others going through the same thing...weight loss is just too difficult to overcome alone.

i totally know what you mean about 'the lifestyle change' being damn expensive, it was the same for me at the beginning since i had to throw out all my unhealthy foods and replace it all with the healthy stuff. plus the gym membership always bites pretty hard...but in my case i just had to. oh, and not to mention i needed to buy a whole bunch of gym clothes (and clothes in my size dont come cheap)...and as you mention in these credit crunch days it all adds up pretty quickly.

well, i think that was really nice what the manager did for you to let you start the first month and pay later...i guess you could say its a win-win situation....since she knows for her she'll keep getting your membership fee....but at least for you and your wife you'll be getting your life back, and i think that's sooo much better....you definitely can't put a price on that.

at the end of the day its different for everyone, me and my brother used to argue about that alot, he once put on alot of weight, then lost it all by biking and doing some marathons....so he's very anti-gym and believes one can do it on their own. But i'm completely the opposite...you couldn't pay me to go walking outside...i know because i've always tried and failed at it. So for me, the gym is the way to go.

by the way, no matter what happens at the gym or how you feel, just keep going the next day and the next...before you know it i'll be second nature and you won't have any fears about it anymore. make sure you pump up your ipod with some good stuff...to keep you upbeat and block out all the distractions.

and only do the machines you feel comfortable doing, again its different for everyone but in my case i dont do any biking (my butt can't fit on the seats) and i also don't do the strength training machines that are tailor made for small bodies since getting into them is a struggle, etc etc because basically if there's something your not comfortable doing then it'll be detrimental to your progress. but the key is to pick something you can do and keep doing it, and along the way try new stuff to help keep things interesting...but persistence is the key.

i have 3 weeks to go before i get weighed again at the gym...i'm kinda eager but also kinda scared. and i know what you mean about weighing scales being damn expensive for larger sizes...i keep thinking i might buy one but havent yet since the last time i owned one i'd weigh myself like 3 times a day which wasn't helping...but then again waiting 6 weeks to know what i weigh is nerve wracking!

i just bought myself a tape measure on monday (had to buy it from the hardware store since those pesky little ones stopped going round my hips a long time ago)...i joined fitday.com....i saw it mentioned a few places on the forum...its sortof a tracker where you can input your stats....and it needed various measurements which is why i bought the tape measure. i couldn't believe what i had to put down for my waistline. but thats why we're doing what we're doing...to get rid of this weight once and for all!
 
I would like to say that I find both of you (Shaved and Cherry) VERY inspiring. You guys are really going out there to make a life change and I think that takes a lot of guts and determination.

Bravo on taking your first steps to a healthier life. I can't wait to read about your continued success :)
 
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