Hi Starchile! I posted something earlier, but it looks like it might have gotten eaten? Dunno, the internet is definitely calorie-free, you never know ^_^

Thanks for your very supportive comments, and it's very nice to know you're not alone. I've actually spent a lot of time pumping myself up to excercise, even if it's just a little bit every day with music that gets me moving- Reba McIntire's "I'm Gonna Take That Mountain" has been a big one

Also, how do you start a journal here? I have a regular livejournal, but I don't know how to start one here.

First - if you can find those studies, please post them. I did MAJOR research on the available studies out there (and have posted many of them on these forums), and based my comments on them, and not on a single book. I cite the book because it is user-friendly, and easy to understand.

Every single study I've read clearly shows that there IS a 'best' way (usually citing other good, but not as good ways) for improving the cardiovascular system and burning stored body fat for the average person (specific sports training for athletes is another issue) - and resistance training is IT. Nothing else even comes close. If you have other science studies (and I did look for them, finding nothing) that prove otherwise, by all means post them. I love to be proved wrong, because that's how I learn something new.

Lisa

If you all you can do is walk, I promise that you can sit on a few machines for 20 minutes only twice a week and get 5 times the results (you'll get much stronger and burn lots more stored body fat) than you're getting now walking 5 hours a week. You'll be working smarter, not harder.

Lisa

Absolutely! There's an entire section just for folks who want to work at home using stuff found around the house. I admit I haven't tried it, but I can't see a reason it wouldn't work. The technique is the most important thing, and that will work anywhere.

Lisa

Bigfatmare,
Welcome, and know that you have taken a very important step just seeking out answers.
To start a journal, got to the main pagewhere you see the list of categories and click on the Journal area. There will be instructions.

I happen to think we all got fat listening to so many experts and their studies!!

Best of luck in your weight loss journey

I am in the same boat as you are in. In fact I am still there. I just started a club membership this weekend and am taking baby steps to get myself healthy. Please stop by my journal and take a look at what I am doing. Not much so far as I have not been really active in awhile. But it was easier today then yesterday.

Thanks to the person who suggested resistance training. I really need to start that and I think I can add that in right away.

Yay,

I think I am ready to add some resistance training. I am more than halfway to my energy goal.

Ain't THAT the truth!!! Thumbs up to you Poindexter for putting it so succinctly.
In my ripe old age I have learned to try and find what works for me. If I had listened to the "experts", I'd still be gaining like crazy on a low-fat, high carb diet.

Don't change a thing, Janine. The latest news is that if you want to lose weight, that running is the best exercise because you don't C.R.A.V.E all manner of foods that other types of exercise provokes.

http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cach...e=UTF-8&strip=1

Seriously!

Is Just Like you said, you have to start off slow. If is necessary, start walking 5 to 6 times a week and a day. If you can do better start jogging 3 to 4 times a week for about a month and yo will see amazing results. The key here is to keep a very consistent exercise. The more consistent the more your body will start burning fat. I ran in this when i was online the other day, check it out: http://www.fatlossadvice.com/ I hope it will all work out well. Keep it up and start now.

I agree thoroughly with your concerns. You MUST start very very very slowly, and you MUST listen to your body, and refuse to be bullied by those who demand you do something which you, yourself, know is way beyond your capacity.

So.... FIRST things, first!

Can you climb stairs? Then practice on the flights of stairs in your own home. That is a START. When you awaken in the morning, walk down the stairs all the way to the basement, then walk up the stairs to the highest story, and THEN get ready for the rest of the day.

Can you walk for any distance? Perhaps you've been essentially sedentary for many months, and if so, then you need to concentrate upon walking to the garage and back -- and then walking to the end of your backyard and back into the house; next you walk around your yard.

Once you feel that you CAN walk, then walk to the end of the block and back; work up to walking around your block -- and after you can do that, go to the mall and WINDOW SHOP, walk around one half of one floor at a mall, and work your way up from there.

Do you get dizzy alot? Using a bicycle sometimes helps to restore balance problems - but seriously, if you haven't bicycled since childhood - start out SLOWLY.

You want to start out with things that will increase the QUALITY of your present life, and not with concentrating on 'reps' or doing something stupid like doing 50 sit ups for the first time since you were twelve.

I won't go near a gym, as I already know that all those people KNOW that they know me & my body better than I do.

I've got plenty of friends who've ruined their knees running, broken ankles doing the same, broken foot bones, etc./etc/etc.

Also, one thing that MIGHT be helpful is using those wrist braces or ankle braces which are available at drugstores -- they can help support the wrists & ankles until they become strong enough on their own to not need any extra assistance.

Good luck on your journey!!

I was kind of nervous starting out with any kind of exercise plan too - and the only thing that 'worked' was to make a daily commitment to something - anything.

So, I made a decision that I'd get 30 minutes of exercise each and every day, but what made this work for me is that I didn't put any kind of pressure on myself to do anything all that fancy. If my 30 minutes was just walking around the block a few times, then so be it. And to be honest - for the first few months, that's all it really was.

The trick to it all was a daily or at least a several times weekly promise to myself. It wasn't that I was following some sort of complicated routine or video or what have you - just that I decided that something was better than nothing.

Trying to get something done most days of the week, no matter how simple/easy the actual exercise was seemed to be the winning ticket to getting me going on a regular exercise routine. I even included housework as 'exercise' there for awhile. I was focused on making sure I got something done most days of the week, and most anything counted. It became, "What can I do for half an hour?" in order to get the thing done, rather than worrying about the specifics at first.

That kind of regular commitment was more important than the exercise itself.

You'll be surprised at how good it feels knowing you're getting your 'something' done most days of the week. Make it easy on yourself in terms of what kind of activity, but don't go easy on your level of commitment.

Try it tomorrow. Say, "I'm gonna walk every day for 15 minutes, no matter what." Start marking off those 15 minute walks on the calendar every day. Talk about it in your journal. Decide what/how, and then do it. Be sure to congratulate yourself along the way.

Um, really?? I've gained 10 pounds since I started training for a ten mile race in January, mostly from craving bad things. Most distance runners I know crave the most disgusting crazy high sugar high calorie high carb foods. My recent one - mayo and dried sweetened cranberries in between slice of American cheese (which acts as the bread) or two Ritter candy bars last night. Or bananas for the potassium. Or bananas plus icea cream plus peanut butter. I need to read that article and figure out what I'm doing wrong that I crave these things. The good news is my clothes still fit!

I agree that there is no "BEST WAY" to lose weight, insofar as exercise type and duration is concerned. I don't need to see studies or site publications. I've seen this proven out by a lot of people's personal experiences, all doing it a different way (to whatever slight degree), all having DONE it a different way with less results. It's amazing to see how one way of exercise works astoundingly well for one person, but not so much for another. So, the BEST WAY is to find YOUR WAY. This takes some trying out of various methods, in various setting and just tracking your results - eventually, one way will stand out as the best way for you. For me, a combo of moderate cardio and strength training seems to work best, and keeps some variety going.

I don't know why anyone is arguing about the best way to do anything. Tell your experience and opinion, and just let it go and let people find their own way. Besides, no one really knows about the validity, objectivity and conditions of these studies (which seem subject to change) unless you conducted them yourself. Personal experience trumps a study any day!

(- - Must be an ego thing.)