Over Enthusiastic

gud4u

Hi,
Can anyone help me with getting started on an exercise plan.

I have a muscular problem(fibromyalgia) and the doctor has said to lose weight. I'm a 34 yo female.

He has verified exercise to keep weight down and feel better mentally as I tend to get down when I'm not fit.

I've Two stone to shift. My diet is better and I'm going to join a weight loss class on wednesday to commit to. There's no big rush, I saw my consultant today and he says to have two stone gone by August when I'm next due to see him.

Exercise I do is probably not enough. At the moment I can only walk about 2.5 miles a day, and will be back swimmming this week. I have a threadmill, cross trainer and weights at home as well, so no excuses whatsoever other than a bit lazy and getting injuries easily.

I used to be really fit and find I do too much too quick. Please don't dismiss my post as the doctor has okayed me to exercise but I can't afford a personal trainer or gym membership. I subscribe to a pool tho as I think it's the basis of all my training.

My biggest problem is not recognising when I should be doing gentler activity, because mentally I'II start feeling great but then start writing cheques my body can't cash. EG. I signed up for a 10km run(walk for me) and now it's not looking like I'II be able to do it as I'm only up to walking approx 3miles, but I get shin splints and sore hips and kness with that.

Thus, getting injured, stop exercising, gaining weight and back to the start again.

It's my hips and lower back that give the most trouble. I have had several sporting accidents througout the years and it's just those popping up to remind me I'm 34 that are also a pain.:o

I hope someone can suggest something.:)

gnu

Hi there gud4u,

I can't offer advice on a plan but I can tell you what's helping me (I've got fibro and CFS). Everyone's different though and pain wasn't the most severe symptom so the very first bit of advice I'd offer is to listen to your own body.

I started doing yoga at home (it was short duration but just about every day) and that really helped the pain and didn't aggravate the fatigue. It put me more in touch with my body so I could tell when I was risking overdoing it. It also helped me notice when my energy improved so I was able to tackle more vigorous activity. It can be nice to do some gentle stretching after a walk if you're already doing that. I just practiced myself at home but because you have injuries and lower back issues it might be worth finding a yoga teacher who has qualified in yoga therapy or else a physio so you know how to modify poses or avoid certain ones that might aggravate those issues.

I very slowly added in extra activities (like a gentle cycle or a walk to the shops) and paid attention to how it felt before, during and after. When I was sure that was ok I added in something else and that has continued to the point where I'm doing some sort of exercise almost every day. Over time I've increased the intensity of the exercise but I started very gently - again, I know everyone is at different levels but that's what I needed. And sometimes I have to scale right back. I also tend to get overly enthusiastic and do too much - it can be very hard to build up gradually but I think it's the wisest approach and more likely to be something you can stick with, especially if you've got hold injuries to deal with. Just a thought - but if your current regime is causing shin splints etc it does sound like you might be doing too much. Would it be possible to divide your walk up - say a mile in the morning, and do it again later in the day?

Another thought - my consultant referred me to the hospital physio dept, might that be an option for you? They have lots of plans and had one specifically for fibro - it didn't suit me but at least they have some understanding of the issues.

I also had weight to lose and what helped me most there was tracking my food (I use SparkPeople cos it's free and I find it very motivational). Improving food intake/quality was a much bigger factor in my weight loss than the exercise but the exercise is vital to my health and wellbeing anyway. I definitely recommend steady and slow loss; think lifestyle change, not diet!

Take care and best of luck - hope you figure out what's going to be most help to you!

kevpants

The diet side is of most importance when you want to lose weight so with your issues with fibro meaning exercise or sport might not always be within your control I'd advise you to concentrate on your diet because at least you determine what you eat and not your illness.

Re: exercise, we could talk about sets and reps and intervals but if you end up going through a painful period that all gets thrown out the window so if I were you I'd probably pick a sport that I could do to varying degrees of intensity depending on how I felt. Cycling or swimming or hillwalking or any of these sports where you set the pace or difficulty but that you could get into as a hobby would probably work best and help stop you feeling down due to inactivity etc.

gud4u

hi,

Thanks for the replies.

I'm good at swimming and will be getting back to that, I had to just run up and down the pool for a while first. I also go to the deep end and just thread water, when I can get to the public pool. Cycling's good but I find it hard on my neck and back so I'm looking into modifying the stem on the handlw bars to raise it up.

With weights, I have a bench with a thing!:rolleyes: you put your legs on, lifting the weight with you lower legs. it works the quads, i'm sure there's a name on it:D I do 3 sets of 12-15 depending on day.I also use it backwards, using hamstrings, same reps. I also vary the weight depending on how I feel.

My biggest problem is that my cardio is good but my body lets me down, it's like a shiny new 3L engine in a rusty burnt out bus. I tried hillwalking but got lost coz no one would walk at my pace:Dturned out to be not such a fun day:D

I used to mountain bike, I miss that loads, but still go on the family trails and leave the red runs to the pros.

How many calories a day would I need, doctor said 1800, which I think is too much, i'm 5'2' and just under 12 stone. Or should I ask that in the diet and nutrition forum. I sometimes find I don't eat enough. Consultant has told me to stay away from red meat, which is fine, I don't eat much. Processed food will be a bit harder tho:o

InTheTrees

gud4u wrote: »

Thus, getting injured, stop exercising, gaining weight and back to the start again.

The first thing is dont feel alone in this. Its pretty much the cycle we all deal with in various different permutations and variations.

Managing injury is one of the most important parts of getting fit.

I cant really offer any advice except to go slow. It can be frustrating at first but once you start to slowly(!) increase you'll be able to feel your self progressing.

best of luck!

Oryx

I would advise writing yourself a plan. Say, four sessions a week, and plot exactly what you will do. Start at a level you know you can manage easily and increase the training by no more than 10% per week. Force yourself to stick to your plan until you have made it a habit. Give it six weeks and look at how you are doing then.