I'm not too fond of exercising. I do have a few things I like to do, such as playing Volleyball once a week, and living in New York I get plenty of walking as well (say, 20 mins. a day at least).

I'm only at the beginning of my weight loss journey, and I do realize that in order to take off the last few lbs. it'll probably be necessary to exercise. But for now, while I'm still fat, is eating LC going to be enough? I would feel more comfortable exercising once I'm somewhat thinner, but it's so much harder to haul all that extra weight with me and I'm very self-conscious about it too. (hearing the moo-ing when I run, not that anybody actually is that rude but I can imagine).

I know it'd be more ideal to exercise all the way down. But realistically: how much is absolutely necessary at this point?

Thanks!
sue

I'd say to do what is comfortable for you... I started my weight loss combined with exercise to jump-start everything at once. Exercise combined with an improved eating program will speed up your weight loss but not everyone wants to start both at once.

If you can continue your walking routine that is a big help - that in itself is good exercise. Continue to do what you enjoy (volleyball) and work in exercise as your feel more confortable.

And if anyone ever has the nerve to moo at you... well then that's not the kind of place you want to be. If you are putting in the effor then you're doing more than a lot of people out there!

Good luck!
Kiks

Hi

I reached my goal by only walking from home to the subway (5 mins) and from subway to work (13 mins) each day (4 days/wk).

M

it's important to get at least some form of exercise into your daily life... walking, jogging, lifting weights, swimming, cycling... good for your body, especially your heart ... for those hitting stalls, exercise is a great stall-buster and even if you're not in a stall, it speeds up weight-loss and promotes lean-mass gain

Hi Vienna,

In my opinion, exercise is essential for good health. It won't help you become slimmer, but it will help you maintain your weight loss (important if you don't want to spend your life yo-yo dieting). Most of us aren't just interested in dropping dress sizes, we want our bodies to be as healthy as possible. How you get there is completely up to you.

I think first you should give yourself credit for the activity you already do ... then consider adding more as you go along. You could walk a bit brisker or take a longer route to get to your destination. Maybe down the road you could add something fun to your schedule - like dancing, or more volleyball. You don't have to jump straight into marathon running if that feels too extreme or exposed.

Sometimes we get stuck in feeling like we're the only one who is too large and that strangers will ridicule us for that. As a woman who taught water aerobics classes at the YMCA at over 300 pounds, I'm familiar with the fear. It was scary becoming certified along side other women and men, none of whom weighed more than half as much as me. However, the more you do it, the more you notice that no one is nearly as interested in what *you* look like since they're all worried about how they appear.

If you need inspiration, read some of the TDC Fitness Challenge threads. We have women and men who buck up and get out there to move who weigh in the 200, 300 and 400 pound range. It's not easy hauling extra weight around, but we've made the decision that exercise is essential. And truthfully, the more you move, the easier it is to keep moving.

Best of luck to you!

in my opinion, weight training is important because it tends to support the goal of maintaining lean body mass - so that what you are losing when you lose weight is fat not fat+lean.
Left to itself, a body will lose both fat and lean - and even when the goal weight is reached, the person can still be over-fat though at target weight.
Here are some example numbers:
if you start at 180# with 40%BF, you have 72# fat, 108# lean.
If you lose 50# and drop to 35% BF, you'll be 45.5# fat, 84.5# lean, having lost 26.5#fat, 23.5#lean.
If instead you lose the 50# but only 7# of it is lean and 43# of it is fat, you'll still weigh 130 at the end, but be at 22%BF.

As you can imagine, once you weigh 130 at 35%BF it is harder to drop to 22% while maintaining weight -- seems better to drop the fat on the way down w/out losing the lean. And resistance training helps to do this - maintain the lean as much as possible.

Since I started exercising the weight has melted off, and fast.

I believe good exercise habits is a must in everyone's life.

:0

I also say resistance training is very important, especially while trying to lose weight. The bottom line is none of us really want to be "x" number of lbs. Really(though sometimes we may not see it) we want to have a certain "look". The more muscle your body you retain or slightly build will help you achieve that desired look quicker. The more muscle mass you have also means you burn more calories which ultimately means even more fat loss.

My farmer grandparents lived long (90+) healthy lives, without ever doing any formal exercise. "Only" working 6-12 hours every day on the farm.

I would say, that you can lose weight, you can live happily without exercising, but moving your butts (forgive me for the wording) can definetely help to prevent many later problems. (From back pain to slowing metabolism, from head ache to insomnia, etc.)
My advice would be: moving a little more day by day. Living in NY helps a lot. Avoiding taking bus/metro for a couple of blocks, taking the stairs instead of waiting long minutes to a busy elevator etc. (Do you know that there is a yearly competition running up on the stairs to the top of Empire State Building?)
Maybe at the start of your weight loss journey it does not seems to help, but later some kind of formal exercise could break a stall or could help to lose the hopeless last 5-10 lbs.

Whatever is your choice, I wish you luck, and lots of patience to your journey:-)

Eva

Thank you all for the ideas and suggestions. I guess I'm really looking for an easy way out... guess I'll continue what I'm doing (Volleyball) and walk the city like I'm doing, plus the past week or two I've also started running around the reservoir in Central Park. I feel uncomfortable, but at least as long as it's not too hot with summer I guess I'll just continue doing that 3x a week.

I don't enjoy running, but it's the only exercise I can think of that's really intense and independent of equipment or location. Well, maybe enjoyment comes with time.

Again, though, thanks! And Galadriell, you're my inspiration... the marathon! Maybe I should set myself a goal like that too. But running for so long, I just get bored the longer I go and that again makes me feel tired and want to stop. How did/do you get over this?

Thanks!
sue

You would be suprised, just give it a chance! Take it from the former 340 lbs 2 pack a day smoker who had never ran a mile in his life(never could make it past about 1/2 a mile) until a couple months ago. Then I had some crazy idea to complete a half marathon and actually did it last week. Running clears your mind wonderfully, especially if you are running in a pretty area.

Vienna~
Do what you feel is comfortable, I take my dogs for a half an hour walk at least 4 days a week, and I do crunches in my home cause I am the same way...I have alot of extra weight that I want to get rid of before I can even imagine setting foot in a gym or going running...I went running once sine I've been on Atkins and some guys from highschool drove by and yelled really rude things...ever since then.. I plan to lose before I plan to run...I do what I can at home and it seem to suit me...I have a leaner torso from what I recall I had 4 weeks ago.

Have a great day!

How to make it more enjoyable? By eliminating a couple of factors that makes it harder.
For example:
Heat/humidity. Even running in 70F requier 10% more energy than running in 60-65F. If the temperature is 80F or more, you need either 20% more energy, or you have to slow down by 20%. Humidity makes is harder. The early morning hours are always the coolest.
Food before run. Even if it is only a small meal 2-3 hours before running, it can give uncomfortable feelings, sometimes even side stiches. (Your body can learn to handle smaller before run snacks, but it takes time.)
Surface. Sidewalk (concrete) the worst for your legs, even asphalt makes your run harder. The best is packed dirt road/trail.

What can I recommend? Try ONCE an early morning run on emtpy stomach. Start slowly, give your muscles, joints time to warm up. Chose a nice trail - I think Central park has a couple of not paved roads/trails. You will see/feel the difference:-)
I remember when because of the CA heat we moved our run from sunset to sunrise. We were FLYING:-))) Even now, after months of running, and definetely after adjusting to heat very much I feel uncomfortable when I have to run late afternoon/evening.
I do not say that you have to change all the conditions, but even changing one from the above mentioned factors will make your run easier.
(If you have porblem with the morning wake up - a coffe allowed:-) see the AM cardio on emtpy stomach thread:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=21258 )

About feeling lonely/bored. One way to fight this: find somebody to run with. I know it is not easy. Even if there is nobody now, you still can have fun. Try to create a somehow regular running schedule. Most of the runners / and WALKERS (Central Park is full of them) have very regular schedule. It means familiar faces day by day. They will be so happy to see you:-) There is no bigger motivation than to see how others are out day by day despite of weather. Or to hear the "It good to see you again", or "I missed you on Monday" etc.
We have the worst suburb as weekday running background. But the dozens of walker, runners make it so cozy. We gave name to the regulars, creating stories about them.
Our favoirte is a 80+ year old gentleman - walking on the same track where we are running on Saturdays. He always arrive one hour after us. The moment we see him we feel reenergized.
There is one thing I would not recommend in the Central Park - do NOT use MP3/CD player. I do not talk about crime, simply a biker or a skater or a dog can surprise you.

These are only a couple of ideas. Give it a try, and enjoy:-)))

if you are playing volleyball, then you can jump without problems I assume. that being the case, there are lots of things you can do indoors/outdoors besides running - if you just want intense cardio/HIIT type of movements.
jumping rope; burpees (squat thrusts with a jump); running stairs;
cycles of bodyweight only exercises (for example do:
5 pushups; 5 burpees;10 situps; 10 air squats (go all the way down, calves to hams); -- call that 1 round and complete as many rounds as possible in 20 mins - next time try to better your number; when this gets too easy - up the reps by 1 per exercise and set a new record)
or - alternate 30 sec jump rope, 30 sec burpees, 30 sec pushups, 30 sec air squats - for 8 rounds (resting to catch breath as needed) - and take note of your total time. then try to better that time the next workout.

Vienna,

There are many good dvds/videos that you can do in the comfort of your own home. I prefer to work out at home, although I do go to the gym too. I do all my aerobics in the comfort of my living room because I don't like to bounce around in front of people.

I hope you find something that fits into your lifestyle. The best thing about deciding to exercise now, is that when the pounds do come off, you will be toned too.

Best wishes to you!