Just like the topic says..... Get Outta your Seat and Move your Feet!!! I don't care how big you are, there is SOMETHING that you can do! Even if you just start with stretches while laying on your back in bed, or moving your fingers or tapping your toes, start doing SOMETHING! Sometimes when someone is very large they do need to get some of the weight off before exercising, but you can still start small. Grab a can of veggies and use it as a dumbell and start doing some arm exercises. For your legs just use your bodies own weight and try to walk a little bit more. Go slowly if you are super out of shape and make sure you check with your doctor to make sure you don't have other concerns going on that need to be monitored.
I have been working with a personal trainer and I am up to 8/9k on the treadmill and then have even gone shopping after that and ended up at 10k before I was done. The trainer got me using free weights and the bow flex type machines more and had me reduce the reps and up the weight. I had been doing lower weight at very high reps and using the machines as cardio because that was all I could do this time last year. But now I am using the machines properly and keeping the cardio separate from my strength workouts. He made muscles sore that I didn't even know I had! I am not dropping a lot of pounds quickly anymore, but I am still dropping inches and noticing a difference in the shape of my body. The ladies who said not to be afraid of heavier weights were right! I'm getting better results from my workout but not bulking up, just toning the muscles.
I have gotten so many compliments and comments on how my tummy is "so flat" well... there is a lot of extra skin still on that tummy that hides under my clothes, but I can tell you that I can certainly feel more muscles under that extra skin and I am excited to find out what is left when the extra skin is removed. I just wanted to point out that while my trainer has me working on my "core" and working my abs he was very careful in what he had me do to make sure that it would not hurt my back. So many people can hurt their backs if they do sit ups improperly. You should feel it in your abs, not in your back at all. It also depends on the clothing that I am wearing as to if my tummy skin is being held in or if the pants are tighter is it being pushed out like a muffin top. Of course I try to avoid that type of clothing but some items are more flattering then others.
Losing weight is one of the single most important things that you can do for yourself and your health! Exercise is probably the next important. Start off slow and work your way up. You don't have to go crazy with it, but you will feel so much better and have more energy that you might end up doing more then you ever though you would. Which by the way.... I am participating in another walk this weekend. I feel so lucky to be healthy enough to participate and it is for a good cause, this one is in memory of my Grandma. I am just walking again, maybe in a year or two I can actually run one instead of walking. Baby Steps! :)
Here are some of the pics that have made people comment on my tummy. I know I post a lot of pics, but I never get tired of seeing how far I have come. It is kind of hard for me to believe until I actually see my pictures next to each other.
This picture is my belly not pushing on the restaurant booth. I was told that I look tiny in this pic but those are size 22 and my boobs help make my tummy look flatter, while the jeans help to hold in the excess belly skin. But yes, I do look a whole lot better then I use to. :)
This is my belly not rubbing on the steering wheel anymore. :)
This is a before picture that was at arm's length and it cut off the part where my belly was rubbing the steering wheel. But look at my shoulder..... that was my oldest beagle when he was full grown up there on my shoulder. He use to ride on my shoulder for hours in the car, it was his favorite spot. I had to have my seat leaned all the way back and I had so much back fat that my head couldn't touch the head rest so he had plenty of room back there and acted as my head rest.
I am so much healthier now!!!!!
This is me holding the same dog that was on my shoulder in the car, compared to a picture from last week.
The after pic is from June.
About a month ago, the day I realized that I could squeeze into an XL shirt and a pair of 14/16 exercise shorts and realized that if my extra belly skin was gone that I could actually fit into my goal size. :)
From this week, I just posted it, but I like this pic, so you get to see it again. Yes, I'm proud of myself and most people say that I have a right to be and it doesn't make me narcissistic either! :)
