Completely out of shape, need help

I've totally let myself go to pot. I get winded easily. I can't petal a normal bike more than 500ft. I'm 30 lbs overweight. I need to establish a basic level of fitness. How do I start? Do I start with a gentle walking routine and work my way up? Or should I be taking a different approach. I want to ramp up my aerobic fitness fast.

How about do the thing that makes you winded until you get better and better at it?

I'm not an expert, but that'd be my first guess.

I went from 96kg to 66kg, now I'm back up to 70kg (bulking). I dove in the deep end basically and bought a one year gym membership (this meant if I quit I'd be out of a lot of cash) and did a lot of elliptical along with the 5x5 weightlifting program. I did the gym 6 days a week, and on off days I'd do an hour at a time at a pace just under vomit-inducing. It was a very quick and effective method, but you gotta have a lot of determination for it. These days I only do gym 3 days a week and only use treadmill though.

Your other option is couch to 5k running plan. But honestly I'd get a gym membership either way. And fix your diet.

p90x

crossfit

Originally Posted by adversity04

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crossfit

Crossfit might be a bit much for someone completely out of shape.

Unless you're smoking three packs a day, are you sure you're not more than 30 pounds overweight if you get winded that easily?

Bike 'til you're too winded to go on, rest, bike some more. Or go for a several-mile walk every night. Or lift some weights. Or really, do just about any kind of physical activity.

And if you are smoking regularly, quit. I thought I was completely fucked when it came to cardio-heavy activities, but after quitting smoking for a few weeks I can keep up a strong pace on elliptical/cross-trainer machines/stair climbers/etc. (my running form is so bad and awkward I get frustrated and sore before I get winded).

Ok, 42 pounds overweight given that I'm 5' 11" and should weigh 185. I'm not sure if the problem is related to the SSRI I'm taking or if my thyroid is screwed up. Weight loss by cutting simple carbs and calories doesn't work. I'm constantly fatigued.


I don't smoke.

2 things- find something physical that you like doing, some sport or something that you will find fun, and do it.

second, walk - start walking 30 minutes a day, then work to an hour. when you walk an hour a day, get a book like "from couch to marathon" or " a starters guide to running" that will guide you how to start running. then start running.

then, when you can run a mile, worry about anything else. until then, take it slow and work on getting there.

SSRIs will increase your appetite. There are only a few that don't - Wellbutrin will actually decrease your cravings for things, including food. Talk to your MD.

Eat only the foods found in the periphery of the supermarket - fruits, vegetables, meat/fish, dairy. Don't eat anything out of a box.

Two things at work here:

Out of shape: this is you getting winded easily.

Overweight: this is eating too many calories.

How many calories does your food log indicate you are eating each day?

Originally Posted by willpower

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SSRIs will increase your appetite. There are only a few that don't - Wellbutrin will actually decrease your cravings for things, including food. Talk to your MD.

Eat only the foods found in the periphery of the supermarket - fruits, vegetables, meat/fish, dairy. Don't eat anything out of a box.

Wellbutrin (bupropion) isn't an SSRI. It tends to function more on the dopamine and norepinephrine systems.

But yes, you are correct that it often induces weight loss. It is also pretty effective for smoking cessation.

Really interesting drug.

Originally Posted by Shoe City Thinker

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Ok, 62 pounds overweight given that I'm 5' 11" and should weigh 165. I'm not sure if the problem is related to the SSRI I'm taking or if my thyroid is screwed up. Weight loss by cutting simple carbs and calories doesn't work. I'm constantly fatigued.

FTFY

Post an average day in your diet. And be honest. I find I'm more fatigued when I'm either not eating enough or eating poorly.

Originally Posted by Milhouse

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Wellbutrin (bupropion) isn't an SSRI. It tends to function more on the dopamine and norepinephrine systems. But yes, you are correct that it often induces weight loss. It is also pretty effective for smoking cessation. Really interesting drug.
What is it officially prescribed for? To the OP ... as you guessed, think about walking. Seriously consider waking up early each morning to do a 20-30 minute walk. Some may dismiss it as "too easy" or "ineffective" but it's actually very difficult to do for some people, especially those who are prone to procrastination. Anyways, it's not the benefits of the exercise itself - it's starting out with a morning that sets a positive attitude for the rest of the day and some argue increased metabolism (but I am not so sure about that). If your alternative on a Sunday or Saturday morning is sleeping in until 10 am or noon, while others are out cycling or doing some form of outdoor activity ... this is your problem~! I had a friend who was in a similar condition. When he took a hard look at his schedule, he found out a lot of time was wasted by him sheer procrastination, so he decided to do something about it. That's how I found out - in the beginning, he asked if I might join him for motivation/support. He now regularly exercises after work by swimming (it's also easy on the joints etc) and has lost a ton of fat to the point people who have not seen him in a year fail to recognize him. However, he indicates he now starts his day from 06:30 regardless of whether he does his morning walk or not. As I posted on an earlier thread, I lost my weight 'accidentally'. After I stopped drinking completely, I dropped 14 pounds of fat in under two months without even trying*. It's pretty damned hard to stop drinking -or too painful or drastic a decision for most people. Even most doctors know this, so even if they think you should stop, the most they ever do is tell you "cut back". I kinda figured out how to do it by asking a few guys who quit themselves (in their case though, they were former full-blown alkies so they had no choice). I even went to a few AA meetings in the beginning, but I figured out that "I wasn't powerless over alcohol" as they required you to state, and figured out it was just a matter of my personal willpower. Short of going to a meeting, I found reading what they call their "Big Book" was pretty interesting. (Found a (legal) free copy online here: http://sobermd.blogspot.com/2009/07/...anonymous.html ) * I used to eat an extra meal after I came home from drinking - and the foods I ate while drinking were not too healthy. And, if I was hungover, I'd naturally skip a workout... and if serious about post-workout recovery, you ought to know that drinking alcohol can disrupt it. The vicious cycle prompted by booze turned into a virtuous cycle when I went dry.