Trying to lose over 100 lbs!

Hello, I just started CC on June 28 weighing 300lbs I've already got down to 287 and i'm very excited.  I still have 142 lbs to go before i reach my ultimate goal.  The only thing is the exercise...i havn't started any exercise program yet.  Is walking a good enough exercise?  I don't know anything about strength training except that you can OVERWORK your mucsles and potenially "go backwards"...but i don't know how that happens...should i lift weights every day? and on what muscle groups?  Any advice would be great.

Also i'm very curious to here about other folks trying to lose over 100 lbs.  I've finally accepted that it won't be over night.  And I think hearing about experiences from other people with the same goal as myself will be very motivating for everyone. 

Here are my stats

STARTED:

5 foot 8 inches

300 lbs

size 24-26

medium frame

NOW:

287lbs

size 22-24

Any thoughts, advice, or stories wll be GREATLY appreciated!

walking is a great way to  start!  Congratuations!

hi. When I started here I had 85 pounds to lose...The only exercise I did when I started was walking for about 30-45 mins atleast 4 days a week. I dropped my first 22 pounds just from doing that. I slowly started incorporating little things in as I felt I could. Nothing outrageous, just crunches, 8 pound weights and things like that. Good luck to you and you found the right place to help you stay motivated about your new Lifestyle change!

Walking is a great way to start. Some strength training would be good too. If you can afford it, I highly recommend a meeting with a personal trainer (or more than one) to get started.

Your muscles need time to recover, so either do a full body routine no more than once every-other day, or alternate parts of the body so you don't do any part two days in a row. Most people doing this split the body up into 'Upper' 'Lower' and 'Abs'

good luck!

I'm now close to your starting weight and I've already lost 100! When I first started, I walked 30-40 minutes a night. I've slowly worked that number up to around 2 hours in the evening 3-4 nights a week and an hour during the day 5 days a week.

Walking is excellent exercise because it is weight-bearing and aerobic.

I wouldn't lift weights every day, but every other day or 3 days a week is great! I use a Bowflex, but free weights or a single stack machine are great, too. Do lifts that exercise a lot of big muscles like squats and dead lifts. Make sure you do them correctly though, as injury is probably more often caused by poor form than too much lifting. Use light weight until you have good form. Then ratchet up your weight.

When I started I was almost 300 pds and I am 5'8" as well. I have lost about 22 pds and going strong. I work out 3-4 days a week at eat about 1600 cals a day.  My goal is about 175 to start with but would eventually like to get down to 140.

When i started lossing weight a year ago I was 356 lbs.............one day i just started running and slowly increasing my speed and time...........I know weigh 262lbs...........and I'm still lossing.................Just know that once u put ur mind to it and know this is what u want to do.............doing it for urself and no one else u can do it GOOD LUCK :)  Ever need someone to talk to just message me :)

I'm with you. My goal is 155-160 and I'm currently 259 (started at 271). If you ever want to chit chat or share info. Feel free to contact me. =)

wow...thanks...walking it is!!!...its so great to see those of you who have already 100lbs or very close to it...i've never felt so optimistic about losing weight before!

I agree with the others - walking and weight training are excellent exercise. Swimming is also a good one, but I personally was never able to keep it up because I felt too self-conscious in a bathing suit...

It's important not to overdo high-impact exercise when you're over 200 pounds, because it could damage your joints. (i.e. Walking is just fine, but running/jogging might not be). 

Congratulations on your weight loss so far, Heather!! Studies show dramatic improvement in obese people's health when they lose even 10% of their body weight.  I started in late May, and still have about 60 pounds to go (started at 240, now at 220 - we're the same height).  I have set a bunch of mini-goals for myself along the way, so the overall number "yet to lose" doesn't seem so scary - maybe doing the same would help you make it feel more doable?

Example: my first goal is 213 and I'm only 7 pounds away!! Once I reach it, I can know that I weigh the same as I did 7 years ago - and it will feel like turning back the clock. My subsequent goal will be 196, i.e. officially not being "obese" anymore! And so on... with the ultimate goal of not being "overweight" anymore. Though honestly, if at the end of the day I stabilize (and am happy with my lifestyle) at 10 or 15 pounds overweight, I'm fine with that: and I know my doctor will agree.

Good luck on this journey and welcome to CC!!!

I'm 5'5" and started here at 320lbs.  Yesterday was my 6 month marker since I started and I'm down 94lbs. so far (226).  I watch my calories, eat healthier, and you guessed it, I walk.  =)  I take a 3 mile walk 4-5 times a week. 

Congrats on your loss so far and don't let anything discourage you.  It can be done!  =)

I don't have a personal story, but one of my friend's mothers lost well over 150 pounds.  It took her about 2-3 years and she did it by using Richard Simmons's "Sweatin' to the Oldies".  :)

I think anything (walking!) is good to start, as long as it's fun and you can keep doing it.  Good luck!

I agree with librarygirl, if you can afford it, join a gym and meet with a personal trainer. I started at 272, and am now down to 218 (54lbs). I had a personal trainer for about 3 months, and he helped me tremendously, from teaching me strength training routines, to cardio, to a diet plan. I don't know where I'd be without his help!
I can now do 60 min of high intensity cardio 4-5 times a week! Walking is a great start, and eventually increase your speed or incline if on a treadmill to increase your heart rate and burn more calories.

Congrats on your weightloss so far, that is AWESOME!!! You must feel so good already! This is the best website, stick with it and you will lose weight!

Before I started losing weight I was seriously out of shape. I was only about 30 lbs overweight however I hadn't exercised in YEARs and found it difficult even to walk up stairs. After my anemia was treated and I found this website I started off very small by walking more - like for 30 minutes at a time outside at as fast a pace as I felt comfortable with - and then some arm workouts with light 1-5lb dumbells. I then incorporated some stairs (even one flight up will do wonders) and slowly increased my ab workouts. Granted I am still out of shape but now it's almost not hard for me to walk up the 16 flights to my apartment and I can run/walk for 30 minutes now. Take it easy and slowly and you will get there. Buy a good pair of sneakers if you don't have them already and GO FOR IT!!!

Congratulations on your commitment and weight loss so far. I weigh 261.5, down from 266.7 two weeks ago and am soooo thrilled to be taking control of my life. Having tried so many different plans and diets, this one, just being responsible for my life, is the most powerful. Imagine that. I love walking on my treadmill. I can do it whenever I want to, at what ever pace I choose. Being so unhealthy at the moment, I just focus on walking...period. I try to walk 45 minutes at a time, sometimes a little faster sometimes slower. The goal is just to MOVE IT! One thing I'm very conscious of is not overdoing it so that I don't hurt myself and can't exercise. That would be a big set back that I don't want.

To everyone else on this thread, thank you for writing. I need to hear that it is possible to change my life and really enjoy it. you are all truly an inspiration to me. I love the idea of smaller goals. How motivating.

When I started I had 154 pounds to lose.

So far I've lost 125. It is not impossible and you are amazing for coming here.

Stick around. Look at my stories and photos for motivation if you wish.

Let's shrink!

PIMPTACIOUS!!!...i'm so excited about this...i do stand-up comedy as a hobby and its hard getting on stage sometimes when all i can think about is how bad i look in something...but i quit smoking cigarettes which was an amazing change...and with all the water i've been drinking and the lack of smoke...my face has cleared up!...all good things...here soon i'm gonna post my "before picture"  a full body shot...now thats something i've never posted on the net before...

I WALKED TODAY>>> i even ran a little...after seeing all of you that used walking as your exercise (or your starting exercise) i gave it a go...i walked brisky for an hour and then ran for about 45 seconds...lol...not ready for running yet but someday! 

THE DAY WILL COME WHEN CHAFFING WILL NOT BE AN ISSUE!!...lol...we're all "losing it"~

I weighed 268 when i started but will admit to struggling.

i have lost around the 10lbs mark - started at the end of May so its not a great loss but at least it is one.

i retain a lot of water so am cutting down on the sodium and trying to drink more plain water - i rarely drink caffeine except in work - no-one is keen on decaff coffee.

i try and exercise as much as i can but being so unfit i am unable to do much but i do something even small if every day.

10lbs IS A GREAT LOSS!!!  I havn't had caffiene since i started dieting...and i actually feel like i have MORE engery without it...i just started exercising yesterday...a 1 hour walk YIPPY...it felt great and i actually broke a sweat doing something productive for myself...(i can break a sweat tying my shoe...lol..)  But don't get discouraged you should be proud that you are doing something everyday...but GOOD LUCK!

First off, congratulations on the weight you've lost so far :) I've lost over 90 pounds since August 2006, I still have another 20 or so to go. Most of my weight loss was through eating, I've exercised but I really think most of the weight came off through changing what I ate. For me it's about eating more natural foods (fruits/veggies/whole grains and lean proteins). As far as exercise goes, walking and running are wonderful ways to lose weight. Because it's such a large amount it's going to come from all over your body so strength training is something you do 2-3 times a week where as walking/running or cardio can be something you do 5 times a week or more. If you start running for long periods of time make sure to take at least a day off in between so you don't burn yourself out. The key to using weights/dumbells is to use a weight that is heavy enough to where if after you do 8-12 reps you can't do anymore. That's when you know you're using the right weight. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps of each exercise. Look online for the proper ways on how to do them. Working out the major muscles groups along with cardio will definitely help you reach your goal.

I'm not going to lie, it's going to take a long time and it's going to be hard as hell. You'll hit a plateau where you won't lose any weight for weeks or even months at a time because your body is naturally resisting losing the weight that it's been carrying for so long, it will put it's defenses up. You can't get discouraged and give up, you have to push through and keep working out and eating right. Change it up, eat different foods, do different workouts. Get a support system, someone to exercise with or talk to about your weight loss. Don't be upset if you don't see a 5 pound weight loss over a week, 1-2 pounds is doing it the healthy way and when you lose it the healthy way it's less likely to come back. You have to maintain a routine and keep everything balanced. When I want to eat something that I know isn't good for me or I want to go beyond a portion size, I try to remember that my health and myself is more important than what I'm about to put in my mouth.

Good luck with everything :)

I had 150 pounds to lose and it was hard to exercise at first, but I started walking and eating right and the weight started to come off.  Now I am up to 3.5 miles 6 days a week and I have lost 56 pounds since jan. 1 of this year.  I highly recommend walking!!!!  It is great!  Good luck to you!