
Ask HN: How did you start exercising after being completely out of shape? - anxiousguy
I&#x27;m a software developer in my late twenties and I&#x27;m overweight, anxious and am currently doing nothing about it. It&#x27;s been like that for last 4 years, and I need to do something about it.<p>I was wondering if you could give me some advice or your stories how you&#x27;ve started exercising given that you&#x27;ve been in similar situation as I am currently.<p>I&#x27;ve googled some of the programs but it all seems so tough for person like me. I don&#x27;t know with how much intensity I should start and what to do to achieve maximum results - both on being less anxious and getting into shape.
======
jasonkester
Pick a fun activity that gets you fit as a side effect.

Mine was rock climbing, but cycling, snowboarding, surfing or pretty much
anything will work, provided it is captivating, addicting and you genuinely
consider it fun. Eventually you'll want it to be the thing that takes up your
weekends and that you find yourself booking flights to unexpected places just
because that's the place where the best "X" is.

But nobody does this. Instead, they go to a health club and lift a few weights
or spend half an hour hating the stairmaster. Twice. Then they give up.

So don't do that. Buy a mountain bike, take it out in to the woods. Get muddy
and come home sore. Wait until you're not sore anymore than go back and see if
you can get farther down the road before ending up in the bushes. Make sure
you always come home with a smile on your face, and repeat until you find
yourself researching powerful LED headlamps so that you can get out after work
in the winter.

Then you've won.

~~~
seanwilson
> But nobody does this. Instead, they go to a health club and lift a few
> weights or spend half an hour hating the stairmaster. Twice. Then they give
> up.

It's great you've found something you enjoy what if you're just not into the
outdoors?

~~~
mikestew
So not "into the outdoors" that you don't go outside? I think the point is
find an environment that you _are_ "into". Like being inside? Like being dry
and listening to music while you lift weights or use the Stairmonster? Then do
that, no shame, no excuses need be made.

But most people, my self included, don't particularly enjoy being in a gym
(I'd rather run in a blizzard than on a treadmill, and my wife will tell you
that she's witnessed my sincerity with her own eyes). I think the parent's
point was, if you're not really "into the indoors", then don't go to the gym.
If a gym suits you, then go do that.

------
davelnewton
Started exercising.

But seriously.

"Maximum results" is nebulous. I always recommend starting off by
understanding that what you're seeking is a long-term process: it takes time.

First: start moving. Doesn't matter what. Don't overstress joints and
ligaments unused to strenuous activity. They develop an order of magnitude
more slowly than muscles. Walk. Take the stairs. Favor self-motility over
technology. Take breaks from sitting (or if you have a standing desk, take
breaks from standing). Explore your range of motion. Stick to bodyweight
exercises (pushups, pullups, planks, and squats).

Try Nerf Fitness if you lean that direction (the FB group is highly
supportive).

Once you've been walking, try something like a couch-to-5k/10k. Zombies, Run!
is fun. Try something like the Primal Blueprint (also has a 21-day "reset"
plan which can be beneficial).

Enlist partners (not necessarily "gym buddies", but people who will hold you
accountable on the days you cannot).

Plan for the long haul.

~~~
twoquestions
> Started exercising.

This. The best way to get "maximum results" is to make a habit and stick to
it, even if it's playing an hour of Pokemon Go every night or something.

Once you have a habit in place, even a small one, it's easy to tack stuff on
as you discover more goals. Perhaps instead of walking between Pokestops, you
run? Long story short, the program you choose matters much, much less than
your ability to stick to it.

That said, your decision to work on your body makes my heart sing! I made a
similar decision years ago, and I'm very glad I did! Feel free to email me at
my username at gmail if you need help.

------
dbg31415
1) Realize that it's your diet that made you fat, not your exercise level. If
you put random amounts of random stuff into your body every day... you'll get
fat. Get an eating routine that focuses on consistency -- that's the first
step towards getting control.

2) Move. Doesn't matter what you do really . Get a Fitbit, or use your phone,
and just try and move more steps today than you did yesterday. You can start
out walking, and over time to beat your record you'll have to jog, and then
run. Competing against yourself, I found, is motivational. Keep a fitness log.

You'll see improvement inside of a week with how you feel.

I like to get up and do a quick routine
([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxYJcnvyMw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxYJcnvyMw)),
then walk my dogs for 30-45 minutes (and to get all this done, I need to go to
bed at a reasonable hour the night before). Cook a few eggs for breakfast --
eat more things with ingredients you can pronounce. Pack my lunch (or eat a
salad if I go out to lunch with co-workers), and then do whatever for dinner.
Carbs -- especially sugars -- are the enemy.

------
stephenr
The simplest start for me was walking. Find somewhere appealing like a
park/trail and do what you can at first. I found mornings the least likely to
be interrupted by other life events.

Once you feel like the time it takes is more of a limit than the energy, find
something that's more energy demanding.

For me that was cycling.

As everyone says, consistency is one of the key things to keeping the habit. I
made it a M-F thing, with weekend rest days.

The other aspect is obviously diet but that is harder to suggest without
knowing more about you/your lifestyle/etc.

I do think food is an easier one habit wise: if you treat yourself (or slip,
however you see it) one day, I think it's easier to get back into healthier
foods the following day (unless you buy everything the day you eat it?)

Anyway good luck, it's definitely worth the work.

------
elorm
This may be hard for you.... and I don't know how much overweight you are...

At my worst, I was 250lbs..

Here are a few things I realized: 1\. All these modern fads only work short
term. Once you lose your motivation.. It'll be way harder for you to start all
over again.

2.Forget all the scientific blabbing, there is no way you're going to lose all
your bulk by just intermittent fasting alone or just changing your diet to
these new paleo or whatever they're called. You'd lose motivation long before
you start reaping the fruit of your labour.

3.The biggest "trick" to staying fit is called consistency. There is no other
way around this trick

4\. The fastest,safest,healthy way to lose weight is a combination of
consistent exercise + consistent clean eating)

Here's what I did(I wouldn't recommend it to anyone):

1\. Switched to a hardcore fruitarian diet for 30 days, while jog/walking for
5 days a week. Lost 13kgs in the first month.

2\. After 30 days eased into half raw veggies and half fruitarian diet,while
jogging 6-8km for 5 days a week. Lost another 10kgs that month

3\. Added a calisthenics routine (3 days a week ) to the previous program. Can
be found on reddit r/bodyweight fitness. Lost another 12kgs, stomach
flattened, loads of stretch marks started appearing everywhere, had no clothes
that fit properly etc

4\. Refined my method after. Settled on a healthy diet mix of
fruits,vegetables and occasional carbs and protein (twice a week) while still
running daily and doing calisthenics 3 times a week. Slowed down to 5kgs a
month (cause it got harder to lose weight) till hit my target weight of 75kg.

I do understand this method was dangerous to me and I could've gotten injured
from muscle overuse, but I didn't. I never pushed myself beyond my limits, I
only made sure I remained consistent and motivated. You can find motivation
from reddit forums or YouTube videos or even a guy you'd like to look like
when you finally lose the bulk. The key here is consistency

------
wvenable
I'm surprised no one here has suggested hiring a personal trainer. If you go
to a gym near you, they'll usually hook you up with a few free training
sessions and assessments with your membership. These are, of course, sales
opportunities for them but if you're looking to get in shape that's what they
do.

Since you don't know what you're doing, hiring a professional is a good move.
They'll start you off at the right intensity and target your entire body.
They'll also teach you what you need to do on your own.

I am just like you and finally just jumped in, went to the gym, and hired a
trainer.

~~~
Rifu
Yeah, I'd second this advice. Hiring a professional trainer also does wonders
for forcing you into the habit of going to the gym because they're not cheap.
Personally, I did kinda balk at how much they charged, but if you think about
it as an investment into future you then it doesn't really sound so bad. Plus
you only really need enough sessions to get a feel of the kind of routine
you'll want to be doing, which to me was about 10 sessions.

I also pretty much just follow the PHUL workout[0] these days because I'm way
too lazy to switch up my routine. Been at it for a good year now and I've
definitely noticed an improvement.

Oh yeah, also, the thing I noticed about consistently going to the gym is that
after two to three weeks, _not_ going to the gym becomes the more undesirable
option. Like you just feel terrible if you ever miss a gym day.

[0][https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/phul-
workout](https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/phul-workout)

------
sergiotapia
Was in your shoes. One day I was tired of always struggling to use nice
clothes or being limited to t-shirts.

I go to the gym every day, 7 days a week for 1 hour and 20 minutes and lift
weights (machine and freeweights). Start off with machines, they're safer.
When you get stronger use free weights as well.

Buy yourself OP Whey Protein and have 1 scoop per day, I mix it with water.
Also get some fish oil and a multivitamin.

Consistency is key. Same time, every day.

Don't bother with cardio - you're fat enough that lifting weights is going to
do more than enough. Cardio is boring and just improves your cardiovascular
system.

What worked for me was doing 5 reps of 5 with high weight load, keeping
control of the weight, never cheating form. Increase by 5 to 10 lbs every
couple of days. You will plateau but always try to keep doing more weight.

High reps (10-12) are for volume. And right now you're weak so aim for low-
reps high-weight (5).

PS: Don't listen to people recommending Starting Strength - it's a meme.
[http://i.imgur.com/83aOStc.png](http://i.imgur.com/83aOStc.png)

~~~
stephenr
I'm no health expert but... Wat?

Any "advice" that says " _just_ improves your cardiovascular system" (that's
your HEART) should not be targeted at someone who claims to be overweight and
wanting to get healthier.

What the hell kind of health plan goes from literally no exercise activity to
"hey brah, do you even lift?"

~~~
darrelld
Yeah, that is terrible advice for someone just starting out. It may have
worked for OP, but I would be hesitant to just throw out "start lifting" as
advice to everyone.

For most people they need a significant diet change to see any effective
changes.

~~~
dragonwriter
> For most people they need a significant diet change to see any effective
> changes

That's true for _weight loss_. It's less true for _health_. Increased activity
level with calorie intake also increasing so that there is no net _weight_
loss often still results in better fitness and health and lower body fat. Its
often far from ideal,especially for people who start off obese who will still
probably hit an equilibrium at an unhealthy body fat level, but its still
quite possible to.achieve significant improvements.

------
Lorenz-Kraft
Jap, if you can, just start walking every day.

If (after an hour or two after your walk) your legs don't hurt, try it with a
longer walk the next day. Whenever your find your temporary limit: Don't
surpass it every day. Start slow and see if you can surpass your "last
temporary limit" a week later.

In my personal opinion: If you don't like walking: Try to like it (try it for
a week). Otherwise try to find something that you like. For me it was
bicycling (also to technical stuff like tuning your bike). If you have the
impression that you are to overweight for most sports: I think you will have
to like swimming ... ;-)

Some people also like this "Gamification" Stuff (Smartwatches etc.) ...
depends on if you need to motivate you every day.

For me i found a simple rule: Just do it (not a sponsored catchphrase). Just
get up and do your little 10, 20, ... 60 min workout. Don't think about it.
Think about something else that you are keen on. Think about your work (most
ideas i had for software problems came while i was on my bike).I think ist
also OK to get a nice sweet after your workout (of course: be fair to
yourself!).

So whatever you are going to do: Do it, don't think about it every day, let it
be a habit, but find something that you like somehow. People that are walking
are mostly liking the nature and the quietness.

By the way: don't stress yourself with "getting fit fast". If your getting fit
fast, probably your bones will suffer.

AAAANNNNDDDD now the benefits: 1: If something got a habit, its not so easy to
get rid of it! 2: If you are sporting outside (fresh and clean air) you will
probably soon notice that your are not getting thick so much. 3: Mostly (if
you are not exhausted every time) you will experience a "sharper" mind. First,
just some seconds and later on for longer (like an hour or two). I was amazed
when i actively noticed this. Its like the programmers flow... but without
actually programming. 4: You know the other stuff: self-esteem, mental
vitality

Ah, by the way: Try to eat something healthy. I think its always hard to
completely change your eating habits, but change it step by step. For example:
Eating a banana and an apple after your workout. Nothing more. You will also
soon experience a difference if you "accidentally" missed your banana and
apple ...

Greets,

Chris

~~~
AnimalMuppet
You're a programmer? Go for a walk at lunch. It's good on two fronts - it gets
you a break from the office (and co-workers), and it gets you exercise.
(Depending on where you live, December may not be the ideal time to start
doing this...)

One nice thing about a walk is that you can go for 10 minutes, or you can go
for an hour. You can start small, and as you get in a bit better shape, you
can go longer.

------
mikestew
You didn't get overweight by having a good knowledge of your limits, so give
up the idea of "maximum results" because you get maximum results by first
knowing what you're capable of.

You also didn't put that weight on overnight, and you're not taking it off
overnight. So give up on the idea of the quick fix. Either it won't be quick,
it won't be a fix, or you'll give up on it soon enough anyway. For example,
CrossFit might be a quick fix because it's so intense. But you didn't put on
weight because of your taste for intense physical exercise, so you won't stick
with CrossFit.

My solution? Go for a walk. If you have a dog and don't walk him for an hour
daily, start. Just because the dog doesn't complain about his lack of exercise
doesn't mean he wouldn't really enjoy it if you started. Regardless, go for an
hour walk. Can't do an hour? Do 30 minutes. Do whatever you can, and most of
all: don't overdo it. If fifteen minutes is too easy, you can always crank it
up the next day. But if you make yourself so sore that you can barely move for
three days, you won't be walking at all tomorrow. And it's very easy to
overdo. Shoot for under-doing until you figure out your sweet spot.

Put the phone down, take the headphones out. Look around your neighborhood
while you walk, get an idea of where you live. Listen to the birds, watch the
flowers bloom in a few months. If you walk with your head down staring at your
phone, that's because you've decided that your daily walk is something to be
endured, with the entertainment of toots and pictures of lunch to ease the
pain. And with that attitude you've already lost. There's lots to see out
there, take the time to look.

If you get up to 60 minutes of walking without it being much of a challenge,
then start looking at running programs (or whatever exercise suits you) now
that you have idea of your stamina, as well as having a good base from which
to pursue other forms of exercise.

------
throwaway201612
Stop looking for tactics and start looking for motivation. I was a heavy
drinker suffering from depression and anxiety. My wife left me and started
dating a friend that's been trying to get with her for years. Revenge is my
motivator, which some people might not like but I'm in the best shape of my
life and curbed a lot of bad habits and patterns.

I'm not a self-help type of guy, but the Tony Robbins documentary on Netflix
made me start to think about my life as something that can be designed, the
same way I would design software.

Fear and anger are much stronger motivators in my opinion than love, fun, or
sense of accomplishment. So I'm not afraid to leverage those at least in the
short term. Find the person or thing that really pisses you off, even if that
is a version of yourself.

~~~
huuuuza
leveraging these can also offer you the motivation to establish habits
(infrastructure) that will exist when emotion fades. This is where I would
reference any number of popular habit books.

------
brudgers
Caveat: I am well past my twenties.

I started refereeing futball/soccer. Since exercising doesn't appeal to me, I
framed it as training. Because it's for money (but not much) the incentives to
maintain fitness are partially linked to professionalism. The money also pays
for 'my shoes' so to speak.

Some other dimensions that have work for me well enough that I continue to do
it after six years are:

1\. It's athletic and therefore there is a physical performance dimension. The
athletic performance is non-competitive. It's more like dance than rugby.

2\. Other than scheduling, there's very little organizational overhead. I find
some games, show up, hang out around some soccer fields, get paid, and go
home.

The downsides include being somewhat seasonal and the behavior of adults at
youth matches. It isn't exactly for everyone.

Good luck.

------
swanandp
Started with a 5 minute "workout" and selected exercises which are rewarding
even if you do them for just 5 minutes. Like burpees, rowing, jump squats,
hill climbers.

It really helped that my apartment had a gym that was available to me
practically any time I wanted.

------
zuzuleinen
Start small. Join a gym, maybe find a good gym buddy and start slowly. Don't
try too much at the beginning. Showing up is enough. Slowly increase your
exercises, you'll be amazed how you feel in 2 months of doing this.

------
PaulHoule
It is not fashionable today, but the cardio machines at the gym are good for
people who have reasons they don't want to run.

3-4 days a week now I do about an hour of cardio split between the arc trainer
and the elliptical. I think the psychological and pain relief benefits of
exercise really kick in around the equivalent of 45 minutes of running.

I think most people don't find cardio is effective for weight loss unless they
are doing more like two hours a day. The main thing you have to watch is diet.
You can put 1000 cal into your face in a few minutes, but you have to work
hard for an hour to burn that many calories.

------
zachlatta
I've found that setting really low goals and setting up accountability
mechanisms works really well for me.

When I first wanted to start running (despite being completely out of shape),
I made the following pact with a friend:

1\. I have to go out running every day. It doesn't matter how long or far I
run for, I just have to run at least one step.

2\. Every day I don't go running, I have to pay them $20. No exceptions.

It worked really well for me. I didn't feel as bad as I expected about not
running very far when I got started and I inevitably found myself pushing to
go farther each time.

------
Mz
I started by just doing more, like parking further out to get a few more steps
of walking in. And track your progress somehow. This is critical if you are
going to ramp up from being _completely out of shape._ *

* I was bedridden for 3.5 months. This was followed by getting out of breath if I walked to my kitchen or stood too long. I imagine you are in better shape than that. I now walk 2+ hours a day.

------
JaumeGreen
Just start doing an active activity that you think you might enjoy.

I got fit by doing martial arts. I always wanted to do some but I thought I
had to be fit to start doing them, error.

Then I got fit again by dancing, I found an style I loved and did it non-stop.

Now I have to get fit again, we'll see what it takes.

Of course, if you do what I didn't (control what you eat) you'll have an
easier time, both getting and staying fit.

------
rcavezza
I don't usually recommend reddit, but
[http://reddit.com/r/fitness](http://reddit.com/r/fitness) is a subreddit with
some of the most knowledgable and caring people you'll ever meet.

Everyone is very helpful and supportive in each other's progress.

I would repost this question there.

------
gadders
Read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe
([http://aasgaardco.com/store/books](http://aasgaardco.com/store/books)) and
follow the program in that. It starts slow and progresses as you do.

~~~
sergiotapia
Starting strength is a meme OP. Don't do that. You will end up like this dude:
[http://i.imgur.com/83aOStc.png](http://i.imgur.com/83aOStc.png)

~~~
gadders
Drinking milk isn't obligatory. It's not a body building routine.

------
palidanx
In addition to the exercise advise on this thread, I would dropping soda,
alcohol, fruit juices and drink water in lieu of that. While you exercise, you
will lose some weight by cutting these drinks out of your diet.

------
sharemywin
start with walking 3-4 days a week 20 minutes a day. won't see much weight
loss progress but just being more fit has it's advantages.

or if you can afford it find a fitness trainer. they will work out a plan for
you.

------
tmaly
I still need more exercise, but I make it a goal to go for a walk once a day.
You have to start setting aside time for it just like you would for a meeting.

------
caw
I'd say the biggest things are: consistency of habit, finding something you
enjoy, and you can't outrun a bad diet.

On habit consistency - start small. People get super depressed because they
didn't work out three times that first week. Start with once a week, see how
that works for you. Can you build in a second time that week? Do you need to
change what time you do the activity, like before work instead of after? Try
that and see how it works for you. Make things easy for you by setting your
clothes out the night before so there's limited inhibitions on doing the thing
you want to do.

You'll also need to find something that you enjoy. I'd personally favor a less
optimal workout (in terms of working muscle groups, not increased risk of
injury) that you enjoy over super-max-get-shredded-tomorrow that's a slog.
You'll slowly build into it. For me, my activity was martial arts, I moved
away from the dojo and got into weight lifting. I really didn't care for
bodyweight fitness, and would find myself looking for excuses to skip or cut
the workout short. Be careful when you compare yourselves to others, they
could be much further along than you and had different constraints.

The third thing is diet. There's tons of articles on proper diet, and for me
that's too much stuff to get into at the beginning. What I did was write down
and calculate calories for two weeks at the beginning. The first week I ate
normally how I felt like. The second I tried to make slight adjustments, still
within the realm of things I would eat (basically the "eat this not that").
Those changes were enough for me to get to my desired calorie intake. I don't
count macro nutrients, I don't weigh food. It was super intimidating to jump
into that, and I didn't want to drag my significant other into my food
changes. That being said, maybe entering everything you eat into MyFitnessPal
or similar would be helpful for you. Maybe a defined diet regime with
preplanned meals is something for you. A friend of mine pays for FancyHands or
similar and just sends pictures of what he eats to them and they'll rough out
the calorie count into his calorie tracking app. My relative preps everything
on Sunday for the week, weighs food, and will not deviate from the diet even
for the holidays. It's a bit of an experiment, going back to consistency of
habit and something you enjoy.

I'd check out /r/fitness, /r/bodyweightfitness, /r/MealPrepSunday/, Strong
Lifts, and maybe 4 Hour Body (a friend of mine swore by it, lost 25 pounds) as
just different resources you could expose yourself to. You could also decide
to do martial arts or basketball or tennis or whatever other sport.

------
darrelld
I had the same issue a few years ago. There is lots of great advice on this
thread, and I'm going to throw my hat into the ring too, but understand that
you ultimately want to find the solution that works best for you. Losing
weight is a very personalized experience and you should not take a one size
fits all approach.

First, it is critical that you understand that you need to commit to this for
the long haul. There are no quick ways to lose the weight. Ignore anyone or
any product that tells you otherwise. To lose it and keep it off you need to
take a hard look at your lifestyle and change that.

Second, start small. I used to quit out of doing various routines because I
tried to emulate people who were already in shape. I tried running, biking the
gym but could never commit to any of them because I was too out of shape and
it felt like work. Find something small you can do reliably and stick to it.
For me, I started with walking a few extra blocks to the next subway stop
instead of getting on at the one right in front of my office. Now if I can
walk somewhere in 45 minutes I'll do that instead of taking the subway or a
cab. This is how I get my cardio instead of running on a treadmill. You can
never outrun the calories that you put into your body.

Soon after I changed my eating habits. I used to have burgers, burritos, pizza
and everything else unhealthy every day for lunch. I changed those habits. It
took a few months for me to find a rotation of things that were healthy for
me, but also left me satisfied. I first found a deli that did a great chicken
wrap that tasted delicious, filled me up and was far healthier. Then I found a
place that made a chicken salad that satisfied me on every level. Slowly over
the better part of a year, I replaced all of the unhealthy lunch options with
healthier alternatives. I started asking fast food places to give me half a
cup of soda in the smallest size cup they had and then months later I just
opted for water where I could. It didn't happen overnight, it took time.

I also started just eating less. Not all at once, but slowly. I noticed that
in the past when I went to a salad bar I would need to spend ~$9 for lunch to
feel satisfied. Over the course of a year, I managed to get down to spending ~
$5 - $6 and still feel full and happy with lunch. Take one less spoonful,
piece of meat etc over time.

Dieting is not something you do for a few months to lose weight, it's a
lifestyle change. If I want a burger or burrito I'll still get one, the key is
that I won't get one every day.

By this time with just adding walking and adjusting my diet over the course of
a year, I noticed I was losing weight. I got a scale and a Fitbit. I checked
my weight in the morning and at night, logged my calories consumed and
calories burned. It became clear to me that a simple formula of consuming
fewer calories and burning more helped my weight drop quickly. This made it
easier for me to keep up with my new diet.

Next, I added a home workout routine. It started with just pushups which I
could barely do 5 without feeling dead. The key is that I did the 5 I could do
every day and kept doing it. Now while I watch TV at home I do as many as I
can push myself to, take a break and then do some more when I feel like I'm
ready. I can usually do 100 during commercials for a 30-minute broadcast. I've
also added in sit-ups and squats. I have no set time to workout, I just do it
in between my down time at home.

It's been almost 3 years since I first started paying attention to weight and
now I feel better, have more energy and I'm down from a size extra large to
medium, and sometimes small depending on the manufacturer.

Find what works for you, start off with small changes and stick with them.
Even if you lapse for a week, just pick yourself up and continue pushing.

------
Jtsummers
Rambling follows. I don't have time right now to edit this to be more
coherent, sorry.

Move. Just move. I started going for MWF 5k walks, they took almost an hour at
the start. Pick a shorter distance if that's too intimidating. A lap around
the apartment complex at my old place was 1km. Do that once or twice each
night after dinner. Make this a habit, a routine. If it's not, you can't take
the next step to making a weight lifting or sports routine.

I also played soccer, badly. But I was moving. I'd give it all I had, get
gassed, sub out, come back, repeat. Pick a sport that you enjoy and do it.
Especially if you can find a group you like to play with. Going to the games
was as much about seeing and being with my friends as playing the game itself.

Diet. My initial massive weight loss, I also quit sodas and candy. I eat and
drink those now, but in moderation, as treats. This made the first 20lbs fall
off fast.

Don't get frustrated by lack of weight loss. I'm back to 200 lbs
(220->170->200 over two years). I got stuck at 195 on the way down. But I also
added in BJJ which built up some extra muscle at that point, so I was trading
muscle for fat. The way back up, it's been strength training (bodyweight)
that's built up my chest and arms. I'm still fitting into 33" waist pants, so
those 30lbs have been useful (170 was also too low for me, I looked emaciated,
180 if I'm just running, 190 with BJJ, 200 with those and bodyweight training
are about right).

Accept that you may have many false starts. I "took up" running once a year or
so for 5 or 6 years before it stuck. I took up bodyweight training with about
the same frequency of starts and failures. This will be frustrating, but keep
trying. And try new things. If you can't stick to the activity (for reasons
other than injury or severe time pressures from other obligations), then you
probably aren't enjoying it. Find something else.

Listen to your body and have good partners. I do BJJ, it's dangerous (NB: if
everyone does everything right it's fine, but an armbar can easily screw up
someone's shoulder or elbow if done wrong or taken too far). I started with a
shoulder injury (soccer accident, body slammed by a teammate and landed on the
shoulder). I didn't use that arm much. I tapped as soon as someone got it in
anything resembling an armbar. I talked with my partners and told them the
limits of my body, and they respected that. They'd avoid that arm during
drills (or do it _very_ light) and rolling. If you do something like this, and
you don't have respectful, considerate classmates and instructors, _FIND A NEW
GYM_.

Activities that can be fun to start with that get you some exercise, but
you'll want more to get really fit and strong (if strength is your goal in
particular):

Walking - easy to do, aim for 30+ minutes at a moderate pace to start. Then
start shooting for distance once the 30 minutes is easier, and then reduce
your time on that distance back to 30. That's why I do 5ks. It took me 50+
minutes to walk the distance, started jogging and got it to 40, started
running and got it to 30.

Cycling - this will get you fit on its own. It's easy on the joints, slightly
expensive (need a bike) and harder to do in inclement weather. But do the same
as walking: 30+ minutes, then distance, then reduce the time back to 30-45
minutes (or whatever you can afford) at that distance.

Hiking - requires travel, but as almost as easy as walking, and probably more
interesting scenery. Can be a fun social activity as well (let's go to the
mountains this weekend!) or, if it's located near where you live, a nice thing
to do with an SO paired with a picnic or something. Making being active fun is
really helpful for sticking with it.

Dancing - ballroom, tango, they're challenging but fun and will help with
impressing your partners in the present or the future. These can be harder due
to needing to learn new skillsets and ways of moving and keeping time, but
it's effective. Turned out to be useful when I tried my hand at boxing, too,
with understanding how to stay light on my feet, control my balance.

------
pvaldes
walk

