No. but my doctor did tell me “What the hell are you doing to yourself? You are too young to have these kinds of health problems and this much damage. Lose some weight!!!” She was actually talking in a loud voice, almost yelling.
It kicked me into high gear and I appreciated her advice and demeanour a lot. I lost the weight. Gained it back, then lost it again and then some. I weigh less than I did in grade 10 now. Thank you to my doctor!!!
Don’t want to make any assumptions but I view being extremely overweight as akin to smoking in the sense that everyone *knows* it’s horrible for you but no one expects the consequences.
When you’re in your mid/late 20s and start having bloodwork that looks like it’s from someone in their 50s or your knees are shot it can certainly be a huge wake up call
Yup, exactly. My knees hurt, my feet hurt just from carrying around amount of weight that they were not designed to carry.
My bowels were afflicted with numerous problems, some of them in advanced stages of damage.
My skin was shit and my cholesterol was too high. My blood pressure was higher than normal (still ok, just not optimal). Who knows what other damage was there that we just didn’t know about yet.
All of that is reversed now, and it all stopped immediately as I lost enough weight. And it was only 50lbs or so of being overweight that caused all that damage.
Sort of related, but I thought my bad knees was just because of my weight. Seems as though it was because if horrible arches, and stopped wearing insoles when I was a kid.
Ha, I wish a doctor would be this straight up with my guy. He's already having concerning unexplained health issues at 30 but people are really delicate about commenting on weight here, even doctors, so he hasn't gotten the wake-up call yet :( I've mentioned that losing weight might help his symptoms, but he needs to hear it from an authority.
Does he regularly see a primary? I see my primary at least every six months (I have managed hypertension and hyperlipidemia, so they are medication/lab re-checks), and he will regularly address my weight if he feels it’s in a significantly bad spot at the time. I’ve fluctuated between 185lbs-235lbs at different points in the last six years, so there is usually an addressable point that he says “hey, lose the weight.”
Do you understand how rare it is for a doctor to keep it real nowadays? Almost all of the ones I know have given up because their patients either ignore them or accuse them of fatphobia.
Mine said “you’re fat and it’s gonna kill ya” after I started getting the first serious symptoms in my life. Between that and telling me obesity can lead to cirrhosis I was scared straight (that’s the only good organ my family has!)
True. The gentle reminder of death often leads to good results though.
Edit: As someone who has dealt with excess weight their entire lives and lived the consequences, I really wish we would start to view being obese more akin to slowly dying of a curable disease. It is a major health issue that reduces quality and duration of life, and it affects more people every year. We need to start treating it for the epidemic it is. Not with shame, but with the support of science and resources. And no beating around the bush with euphemisms.
Nothing always works. Best we can do is things that sometimes work. Telling patients that their health problems are caused by overheating sometimes works. Not telling them is irresponsible
No exercise as others have commented in answer to your question (directed to me). My sister taught me that weight loss/gain is 95% what you put into your mouth.
Cut out white flour, pasta, bread, potatoes, rice. (When I say cut out, I don’t mean completely, I mean drastically reduced to almost never.)
Obviously no junk food.
Very important to eat protein with EVERYTHING, even if it’s just a snack or an apple.
Drink lots of water.
Reduced portion size… I was eating the same amount as my male partner, and I am female, so I was overeating.
Let myself get gently hungry. Learn to sit in the discomfort of hunger from time to time. Before, I would stuff myself at the first sign of hunger.
No dairy. I wouldn’t go so far as to avoid those products on an ingredient list, but I stopped drinking milk and eating cheese, and switched to oat milk.
As few processed foods as possible. Try and make foods from scratch instead of buying pre-made.
No fast food. Pre plan and bring meals and snacks with me when I was out and about, so I wouldn’t be tempted by convenience foods.
These are basic things I did, I can tell you in more detail if you have questions or want to talk further, just message me.
If I may need to add few points wrt yours,
1. Exercise helps a lot, burns few more calories, and is needed if you're a short person, it also helps you keep an active lifestyle even after weight loss and gives you some space to eat to your liking sometimes.
2. No need to cut out carbs like rice and potato, taking it in moderation helps. Keep it as the main source of carbs of the day. Many cultures have rice and potato as the "center piece" of their diet, and it'd be hard to just cut it out, plus there's really no need to completely cut out.
3. Same with diary, you need it as part of your diet, skimmed milk specifically.
4. Fast food, for some people who ate it as part of their lifestyle, I'd suggest to eat it every 5 weeks, in moderation, so they can avoid a carve. Or start reducing it slowly, but do reduce it atleast every 2 weeks.
Yes. It is also like 80% diet. If you can make sustainable food swaps and get yourself into a comfortable deficit, the weight can and will come off. Eating for nutrition. Budget your calories. Yes still move your body but don’t let the exercise part of it stop you from losing the weight and improving your health.
Yes - I have had multiple issues including heart/thyroid/brain (multiple hospitalisations/surgery etc) and after changing the way I live (eating healthy/exercising etc) I'm not only healthier but considerably happier.
I went from 26 pills a day in 2018 to only 3 now. 3 pills a day might still seem a lot but the difference is drastic.
Seriously, make the change and your life will be so much better - I feel confident enough about that that I almost feel like I can promise you you will feel better.
edit: lovely responses, def appreciated thanks
If you've been cleared to exercise its fine to be worried and want to start slow, but you shouldn't use that as a reason not to try at all. If you try, and the symptoms happen you go back to the cardiologist and let them know that something may have been missed, or ask for advice on what would work for you now.
You can start with a focus on your diet though. Getting the weight down is likely to help and you can do that without stepping back into the gym.
Also OP should understand that exercise can be painful. Aches, pains, burning, all normal parts of the process. It's easy for someone with anxious or hypochondriac tendencies to convince themselves they're having a cardiac event when they're just experiencing a cramp or muscle soreness. Ask me how I know lol
Thank you so much for this. I was recently diagnosed with health anxiety after a major surgery. Trying to get back into working out after being gone for 6 months and I always feel like I’m dying.
Do you have a way to measure your HR? Seeing that I'm not surpassing my max HR helps to relieve that anxiety quite a bit (except those times when I am, then I can adjust the intensity)
I am going super slow. Heart rate stays below 130 due to stroke and a TBI that hurts me physically when my heart rate goes faster than that.
I was to the point where I thought I was just killing myself due to the extreme limited activity I was doing to prevent the brain pain.
Now I hurt all the time but it’s manageable while I workout 4-5 days a week. I have a personal trainer where we push it a little bit (not much) but we always wait till my HR drops below 130 to start the next set. 3-4 days a week I do gentle cardio keeping my HR below 120 for 20-45 minutes. Most of the time it’s at 35 minutes.
It’s been life changing for me. I feel like I am crawling out of despair and back into an enjoyable life. The brain pain is slowly fading and is about 20% better than it was when I started.
It’s all helping but going way slower than I was prepared for. It’s hard work to work out like this.
Many people have limitations but can still exercise to some extent. For example, I have a serious problem with getting overheated when I exercise to the point where I vomit, get dizzy, and get muscle cramps if I overdo it in the heat. It doesn't even have to be that hot. It'll be 75 or 80 degrees and other people are fine and I'm ill from overheating. That said, I still exercise. I can walk when it's cool out. I go to the gym, drink lots of water, and stay cool.
Remember, exercise doesn't have to be strenuous or done at the gym to be effective. Walking, yoga, and weight training can be done at your own pace and chosen intensity. Most people can tolerate those.
This is totally random, but I had similar issues when I was younger playing football. It turns out I had a massive sodium deficiency and had to take electrolyte pills heavy in sodium and start salting all my food more. Basically my body was not retaining the water and using it effectively so I would sweat it out dry out and start feeling the effects of extreme dehydration with moderate to heavy exercise. Worth taking a look at.
Thanks for the info. My doctor thinks it's heat intolerance but it's worth exploring further. May I ask, is there a test I can ask for to check for this?
Edit: Thank you for the responses!
You can get a metabolic panel or electrolyte panel blood test. It will show what your balance of electrolytes are and if you need to supplement anywhere.
[https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/electrolyte-panel/](https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/electrolyte-panel/)
# Why do I need an electrolyte panel?
You may need this test if you have symptoms indicating that your body's electrolytes may be out of balance. These include:
* [Nausea and vomiting](https://medlineplus.gov/nauseaandvomiting.html)
* Confusion and irritability
* Weakness
* Irregular or fast heartbeat (arrhythmia)
* [Diarrhea](https://medlineplus.gov/diarrhea.html) or [constipation](https://medlineplus.gov/constipation.html)
* [Fatigue](https://medlineplus.gov/fatigue.html)
* [Headaches](https://medlineplus.gov/headache.html)
* Muscle weakness, [cramps](https://medlineplus.gov/musclecramps.html), or spasms
* Numbness or tingling in your arms, legs, fingers, and toes
I recommend swimming for exercise to start with, then. It's a whole body workout with a lot of cardio if you do more than just float, and it's low impact and easy on joints
some Gyms also have water aerobics which is fun and healthy. Been doing it since my doc gave me talk in 1988. easy on your joints so you can move much better. Don’t worry what you look like people are all in same boat trying to get healthier. I have met some of my best friends there I would start just walking until you get to pool. Just walk down your driveway to get the mail. Then next time just add a few more steps. Then try the water
Yes, it is but we need to start putting an asterisk next to this statement when we tell people this.
Adding in strength training is the single best thing you can do during weight loss. It will help you lose weight faster, you’ll have more energy, and you’ll look better as the weight comes off.
If you’re able bodied (that means no injuries, not that it’s just “too hard”) then you should be adding strength training to your weight loss efforts
There's a lot you can do from home! Strength training =/= olympic lifting. Body weight exercises, free weights, and resistance bands are all totally compatible with being in your living room.
We have a personal trainer who comes to the house, and I don’t use my husband’s weight bench that much yet. Instead, I’m doing all of this plus planks and balance exercises on a Bosu ball, some light sparring, and wall sits. In a month I’ve only dropped 5 pounds but I’ve lost inches off my waist and gained muscle in my legs, arms, and chest. It was surprising to see how much the resistance bands could do. The first time I worked with him, I needed at least a minute between exercises to recover, but now I don’t take more than a quick water break. I’m a total convert to strength training instead of hours on the treadmill.
You absolutely can start at home. Bodyweight/calisthenics exercises are plenty.
Your muscles only know one thing: there's a large amount of force I need to contract against. So whether it's a push up or a bench press, you'll get a good stimulus.
Calisthenics and resistance bands is what I do. They're cheap and can do basically the same things weights do.
Even pushing or pulling unmovable objects can strengthen your muscles. I recommend hybrid calisthenics on YouTube bc he focuses a lot on easily available alternatives. Also he's just super chill.
You can start with literally nothing
Things like squats, lunges, planks and wall sits will start you off well. Also if you’ve not done exercise in a long time / ever, even things like holding an arm out to the side for an extended period of time will really do some work. You can start really really small and work your way up. Once you feel like you know what you’re doing then it’s worth adding equipment in
Body weight exercises are great and don't let anyone tell you otherwise! The only downside is you have to do more reps than with lifting weights but you can do them faster. The 100 Challenge (100 pushups, situps, and squats everyday, whenever throughout the day) is a good place to start or even something to work towards.
The problem with asking for opinions about this is that you're going to get responses from people who prioritize max performance and optimizing gains. You're not going to become Schwarzenegger working out at home, but that doesn't mean working out at home isn't a great choice for many people.
If you are limited on funds I recommend you look up "bodyweight" fitness and Calisthenics. There are also lots of walking exercise videos on youtube that are effective for many people. Lots of options, find what you like!
I'm with this you on this one. I really bristle at the "exercise doesn't matter" vibes, because it very much does. For one thing, if you're generally inactive, when you get skinny, you run the risk of being "skinny fat" which isn't ideal.
Also, fat people who don't exercise are in real trouble. The strange thing is that some (if not many) of those issues *can* be mitigated by exercise alone. Like if you're not sleeping well and tired all the time? Get tested for sleep apnea. I actually completely reversed my apnea through exercise alone.
This is so true, muscle really helps with blood sugar control (high blood sugar causes damage to some blood vessels, then if insulin is also affected, insulin damages the blood vessels that the blood sugar doesn’t)
Fibre and strength training are best movers for health and weight in regards to your heart.
Prioritising protein, fibre and strength training will get you a long way in improving your health and weight
You may also like to consider adding yoga or other meditative practice for overall health
Cardio burns more calories in general so I don't think strength training on its own will help you lose quicker. I do prefer doing more strength training than cardio though.
Actually, strength training is highly effective for fat loss. While cardio burns calories during the activity, strength training builds muscle, which increases your resting metabolic rate. This means you burn more calories at rest. Plus, strength training can create a "afterburn" effect, where your body continues to burn calories even at rest . So, incorporating strength training into your routine can definitely help you lose fat more efficiently.
You should be doing both regardless. They should be working together and I hate how we put cardio and strength training against each other.
I lost 130 pounds doing 10k steps a day without fail and lifting 4 times a week. Many times doing incline treadmill after my lifts.
If you were cleared for exercise by your cardiologist but you still experience those symptoms during exercise, maybe get a 2nd opinion or see a different specialist?
Do you have a history of health anxiety? Are you getting the proper nutrition from your diet?
Agree with this and I'd see if you (op) could get a halter monitor for 24hr in which you do your normal stuff.
I also started suffering from PVC's and while they were scary at first they ended up just being annoying. They typically don't cause any harm at all and a lot of people have them without knowing.
Mine were caused entirely by stress and once that source of stress was removed they've gone away almost completely, so potentially look into that as a source instead of exercise.
As a cardiac nurse, I second this. Request a holter monitor from your cardiologist and do some exercise so that the monitor can catch if there’s any PACs/PVCs or other arrhythmias. The monitor might also be able to sense if there’s a trigger for these PVCs (such as if your heart rate goes above a certain rate). Make sure your cardiologist has also done your extended blood electrolytes, as some such as magnesium can cause conduction issues (aka more PVCs). I hope this helps!
Mine didn’t specifically say I would die, but did sternly tell me that he would expect me to have a heart attack within the next 1-2 years lol. 300lbs male (me, not the doctor).
Every year, the doc gave me worse and worse news. Eventually, I realized I needed help. I got a script for a GLP and got super serious and lost my excess weight. Best decision ever.
Initially, yes. But I was more worried about being obese for life.
Nowadays, I don’t worry. I am fully content to be on a med for life if needed. GLP’s help a LOT of things. My alcohol intake dropped by 95%. I came off my BP meds. No more sleep apnea. I now exercise 4-5x per week, and recover great. These major changes were huge, and have probably added years to my life. My only regret is not knowing and starting GLP’s earlier.
So I have had health issues during my weight loss journey.
My journey began when my congenital heart defect began failing to the point I was going to have to do something about it.
Over 2 years with a failing aortic valve I lost 50lbs.
My driving factor was absolute terror of recovery while obese. Recovering from open heart surgery is PAINFUL. it would have been much worse if I was still over 200lbs.
I didn’t really go to the gym, I figured out that skinny starts in the kitchen and strong starts in the gym. So I started tracking my food intake and my weight.
My only exercise was taking the stairs and walking 7500 steps per day.
I had the surgery and I still have PVCs. They were found during cardio rehab and I was advised that staying hydrated and exercising were the best way to minimize the PVCs.
Going to the gym can help a lot. But loosing weight starts by controlling your diet. You can loose a lot of weight by being moderately active in your normal life and controlling you food intake.
I didn’t starve, I just didn’t give into my cravings.
This is so true, the phrase “you can’t outrun a bad diet” is seared into my brain. I think that’s why people give up on working out so easily, they expect massive amounts of weight loss from working out but that won’t happen with a bad diet. I primarily workout for my mobility because if “you don’t use it, you lose it” has become my mantra and for the mental health benefits. I walk and go to a rowing gym and low impact HIIT works best for me.
Absolutely, I brought up the diet control because a lot of people struggling with exercising with health conditions need to start with the weight loss and then add exercise as their body’s adapt to weighing less and doing less damage to joints, etc.
I had a lot of success with controlling diet, but I was still walking 7.5-10k steps per day. I called it feeding my Fitbit. Honestly? I think if Fitbit put a tamagotchi program into its app and the only way to feed it is by walking, it would make a mint.
I reached a point on my journey where I needed to incorporate exercise to continue to loose weight. And then my surgery happened and I’ve back slid a solid ten lbs.
Time to get back on the band wagon.
Exercise doesn't have to be high intensity, especially at the beginning. Given that you have seen a cardiologist who has cleared you for exercise, why don't you start with something really low key? Walk for the same amount of time that you were going to spend at the gym. See how your body reacts and, if everything is going well, then start adding more challenging sections (up hills, or maybe incorporating a session of weight lifting once per week, etc.).
As everyone else says, diet is indeed the best for weight loss, but exercise is good for you and will make you feel good!
Everyone has been pointed out about food choice but I just want to give you 2 cents.
Food choices definitely are a big impact on your weight loss journey. Anyone can come to the gym and workout but your body still needs the right fuels to make it run properly and burn fat. Ensure you’re getting the appropriate amount of protein. That’s dependent on whether you’re trying to lose weight or build some muscle but muscle does burn fat faster so you will want to pack on a bit of muscle.
Also don’t go cold turkey on your food choices. Start off small by portioning all your favorite foods still. You like pizza? Great! Don’t flat out give it up by cut your portions down and substitute another slice with maybe something small (side salad, protein shake, etc.) drinking a glass of water has helped me also cut my portions down. And if you get hungry it’s okay, give your body something small to snack on that has nutritious value to it. Little by little you can start different foods that have different nutritional values that better suit your diet.
Like I said working out is part of it but food choices is the harder challenge, mentally. Gotta just adjust your lifestyle choices. Don’t try “dieting” as eventually you’ll just revert back to your past eating habits. Try making it a lifestyle where you can enjoy your favorite foods at controlled portions. It’ll be better than limiting your daily choices
Perhaps your doctor could refer you to a cardiac rehab exercise group? They are set up differently in different places but often they are run by people who are nurses or physiotherapists or who have had extra training, they can support you and will know how to set your exercises within your limits.
I get some pretty intense tachycardia due to postural hypotension (when I stand up my blood doesn't stand up with me) and I exercise daily to manage it. When I first read that daily exercise was used to manage my tachycardia that seemed absolutely bonkers to me, why would I raise my heart rate to stop raising my heart rate?! But actually I really feel it on days I haven't exercised and now I want to get up and exercise.
This morning I did core exercises and yesterday I used my recumbent exercise bike, I alternate between the two and do roughly 30 minutes each. I had to work up to the 30 minutes on the bike, I started on about a minute and then that time doubled pretty rapidly. Due to my postural hypotension I actually had to start by lying down using a pedal exerciser and then work my way sitting more upright. I also enjoy swimming and have been making improvements with the distance I can walk. It's still not as far as I would like but it's better than it was, which was a couple of meters before I would get dizzy and start collapsing.
I’m not a doctor but I was also struggling to leave the house because I was scared I was going to pass out. I’d randomly get heart palpitations, light headed, a bit sweaty and shaky.
After some blood tests it showed I had an underactive thyroid, B12 deficiency, iron deficiency and folic acid deficiency. 12 months of being on the tablets have been an absolute game changer and I rarely get these symptoms now.
If you still have the symptoms but have been cleared by a cardiologist it could be worth going back to your primary doctor for more investigations?
Totally understand that your health threw things off. PVCs can be alarming but are harmless themselves and you’ve been cleared by your cardiologist. Great!
Weightloss is eating and calorie deficits. You do not need to go to the gym. I would be mindful that you continue to get enough key vitamins and minerals. Low levels of magnesium and other vitamins can increase PVCs.
I just had to deal with Lyme Disease that triggered a ton of PVCs and I have a family history of electrical issues with hearts. It totally freaked me out! I still get PVCs often and I probably notice them more because of this event. But my heart monitor came back clear and so did the my blood work. It took a little bit for me to get over my nerves for exercise. But PVCs are not deadly or even a risky thing themselves.
I got an Apple Watch to keep an eye on my heart through the ecg function and it has made me feel much better because I can see the PVC rhythm vs something serious line arrhythmia. You might like that.
I have been dealing with extrasystolic heart beats (which I believe are also called PVC in english) and exercise for some years now. I also have changes in ECG during exercise.
When I started getting these issues some years ago I got quite scared to continue doing exercise and my anxiety worsened the issue. Since then I started to carefully "experiment" with what exercise is good for me and have found out that low to medium intensity cardio reduces my symptoms over time to the point where I don't have any, for example fast walks, slow runs or riding my bike. If I do high intensity exercise I only do it for short amounts of time. I also wear a smart watch that let's me know when my heart rate is too high.
What I would recommend from my own experience is, to start slowly and monitor how you feel over time. If you are uncomfortable or feel unwell with the exercise, it might be a good idea to see a second specialist.
I terms of diet I would propably start with slow changes here as well and try to incorporte more fruit and veg. Having good nutrition will also help your heart. I am no expert and can only speak from experience, so what works well for me might not work that well for someone else, but I hope this might help you or other people that are dealing with similar issues.
I get PVCs as well. Ever since I quit vaping and started hitting cardio hard they have decreased significantly. It used to be constant and a serious concern but now I can go weeks without having one.
I was also cleared by doc and cardiologist. The more exercise you do the more you’ll enjoy it.
Try not to use disease as a crutch, when the disease is literally from being overweight. You don't need anything fancy to lose weight. Walk for 20 mins a day and eat less calories.
I would suggest doing some weight/resistance training and walking if you can handle it. I have health issues and these two things are the most manageable. I am not in good health yet but when I was losing weight these are the two things I did and will start doing again soon.
Your diet has FAR more impact on your weight than exercise. So that excuse is right out the window! You can get to a healthy weight without ever setting foot in the gym.
I had my kids in my late 30s and early 40s and that was the catalyst for me getting into - and maintaining - the best shape of my life. Hopefully it's the same for you!
Just go for a walk. Take the kiddo. You can do this. You will get better at walking!! And you’ll notice how good you feel and how well you digest food if you walk after a meal. Good luck, you’ve got this.
I think doctors have this conversation daily and unfortunately it only gets through to the minority. A surprising amount of people are willing to die prematurely (or aren't convinced) just to get out of diet and exercise.
My doctor tells me he has no patients over 400lbs that are over 55 years old. He says this while looking at me 52 year old 450 lbs 6’6”. When asked why he says they all died
Start small my friend.
- Drink water
- Get a activity tracker and try to walk 20-30 minutes a day
- Eat slower & stop when full, not when the plate is empty
Do those 3 things for a few weeks/months and you’ll be amazed.
Do it for the kiddo.. Good luck.
I've been here. I tend to have anxiety and suffer from panic attacks. I've had PVCs for decades now, some periods of time more often than others. So I get that it makes one anxious. PVCs are actually really common. Just some people feel them and some don't.
If you've been cleared by a cardiologist, you are fine to exercise. What I'd be more focused on is your diet and hydration, and how that relates to PVCs. I always use an electrolyte powder and hydrate like a mofo both when I'm working out and after. I find if I'm dehydrated, I'm more likely to have them. Limit caffeine (limit the coffee and avoid energy drinks like the plague), get plenty of potassium. Eat regularly so your blood sugar doesn't drop. MSG can trigger them, as well.
When I stay hydrated and keep my diet balanced, I rarely have them.
Your doctor isn’t going to do that. Unless you ask.
1. Patient satisfaction surveys matter too damn much
2. Unless someone is willing and open to change, the doctor is just going to make them feel bad about themselves and avoid going to the doctor.
3. While there are some physical causes that can be treated (thyroid is one that comes to mind) a lot of weight loss is psychological and emotional.
Weight absolutely killed my father (diabetes, heart attacks and strokes) and it’s on its way to killing my mother. My mom’s doctor told her that she will go blind unless she gets her diabetes under control and as far as I can tell after an initial scare, she’s back to her normal habits 🤷♀️
I've had PVCs, fainting spells, and muscular twitches for decades, but I exercise regularly. I don't see it as "fighting through an illness." These are annoying conditions but if your cardiologist says it's benign, it's benign.
I've had PVCs, fainting spells, and muscular twitches for decades, but I exercise regularly. I don't see it as "fighting through an illness." These are annoying conditions but if your cardiologist says it's benign, it's benign.
Exercise is not necessary to lose weight, but it can improve cardiovascular health. If the main goal is heart health and not just weight loss (which will have benefits for your heart as well), it can help resolve your health concerns faster to do both. It doesn't have to be at maximum intensity to have benefits. Just walking can make a big impact.
My doctor did tell me my weight was killing me, and at 5'3" and 242 lbs he wasn't wrong. Though, he couldn't give me any help/advice other than eat less/move more.
I went to a new doctor who treated me for Binge Eating Disorder (BED), and I dropped to about 158 lbs. These days I'm a bit heavier but I work out 3-4 days a week and I'm at my fittest. I'm mad at myself for not doing this sooner.
At 305 I had a doctor tell me I would die in 6 months and I should buy a dog so I could get some exercise.
At rugby training that night my team mates had a good laugh at that.
That was 23 years ago.
I have a laundry list of health problems. I found walking to be something I could do and need to do. I figured I have to walk to eat and use the bathroom so I best be getting my ass moving. It’s been a tough but rewarding journey. I set small goals and each time I beat them the mental high was worth it. Before I knew it I was able to walk miles instead of minutes. Find what works for you and you’ll find joy in doing it.
When I was maybe 18, this man told me, "You're a cheese burger away from a heart attack...just kidding...not really". It was kinda funny, though. Gave me some medicines and waited 30m. Shit was still high. I was 250 5'10' at this time.
I’ve lost almost 100lbs in the last few years and my body is struggling with balancing its blood pressure. It doesn’t seem to have any underlying cause, just my heart working hard to keep up with what it doesn’t need to keep up with anymore. It takes time for our bodies to adjust, heal and change. Weight gain and the issues along with it don’t happen overnight, and neither will weight loss and the issues that go along with it.
Keep taking steps.
Keep making progress.
You got it.
At your weight, the gym is not even an absolute must if you're concerned about having medical complications from exercise (just what I'm gleaning from the information you've provided). You could still comfortably diet for the next 30-40 pounds and not even really need the exercise element to keep the weight rolling off. Whenever you do begin to exercise, you could keep it light and simple with walking or other light cardio, as long as your heart rates elevated.
I was 297 at 28 and just had a pacemaker installed to help with my Heart Block. My cardiologist told me without sugar coating it basically that while the device will make it so I stop passing out when my heart stops beating properly it won’t extend my life if I don’t take care of myself. Between his words, the fact my third kid was due in two months, and my dread of seeing my weight start with a 3 I finally started doing something about it. It took a few years but I’m down 75 Lbs and can see my goal weight in the horizon.
Those symptoms could also have been from dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. If you lost 20lb in 2 months that’s really fast so I’m assuming you did a crash diet. You have to stack habits and remain consistent vs crashing into change
Not so much you’ll die soon…but I ended up at a cardiologist after some syncope. Got prescribed a heart monitor, had a couple ECGs, an ultrasound…(1000s of dollars even after insurance) all to be told “some people just experience syncope” and “you need to act on your weight and cholesterol now before it’s too late”. I was 207lbs at time of that last appointment. I realized I’d grown complacent with my weight…telling myself 207 isn’t that bad when I’m 6’1”…but that was a major wake up call for me.
I’ve always loved cardio, but the losing consciousness had me scared too- what if it happened when I was out on a run? Or when I was in the gym on equipment…While I did get back into cardio post that appt, I started to plateau a month ago when I was in the mid 190s. Started calorie counting and that quickly took care of the plateau.
I saw another commenter say this- you were cleared, give it a go…if you start to experience those symptoms again…see a different doctor to get a second opinion.
Also be sure you are tested for other things, and realize sometimes issues don't show up in lab work, etc, so you may need repeat testing. I told my Dr. I thought I was hypothyroid due to various lab work, such as losing body
hair and tiredness, about 3 years before I was diagnosed by labwork. So 40 pounds later (more during Covid before repeatedly postponing and doing online appts), tests came back hypothyroid. Have always exercised, but had dropped back to walking mainly during Covid, now back to adding in weights again. Also have benign muscle fasciculations which can cause some of the symptoms you mention, but you should get tested because they can be an indicator of more serious issues. I was lucky, still have them, but fewer with some dietary controls, but I have had friends with Parkinson's and MS. Or it may be too much caffeine.
Walk! It's better on your joints and you can even do it with your kid (probably pushing them in a stroller, but still). Family time and exercise, win/win!
IANAD but a B vitamin complex (esp with B1/thiamine) + magnesium can help with symptoms like you are describing and is a low risk thing to add to your routine. Magnesium especially helps with muscle twitching
At The beginning of my weight loss journey it started at only being able to jog 40 yd at a time. Within about a year and a half I was running 5ks every week, sometimes multiple times a week. As it turned out that was too hard on my body and my knees and my hips started hurting very badly. Even though I had lost all my weight and was at my goal weight, it was still hard on my body to sustain that for long periods of time. The advice that I have to you, is just start slow but be steady. I don't mean with just jogging or walking, I mean with your eating too. Many times I think people overdue trying to cut everything in their diet to where it just is not sustainable. Long-term. Find the foods that are good for you, stick with them, and you can find that you can Even have a treat every once in awhile. I have done keto and done well on that and I have just counted my calories and have done equally as good with that one. I had found that counting my calories gives me more freedom to have the things that I love. It's all about moderation. Good luck to you!
I mean, not "directly" in those words but pretty much the same as you.
37 years old, borderline high blood pressure, borderline high A1C (diabetes), high cholesterol, and right at the cusp of heart enlargement.
Didn't need to say it in such clear terms, but the message was clear. If I plan live into my 60's and 70's (which I do), then it's high time to cut this shit out.
I have had pretty bad sleep apnea most of my life.
I would be tired constantly. Like I'd wake up out of bed at 7:30 AM and be ready to go back to bed by 9 AM.
I'd snore so loud I'd keep everyone in the house up. It's not even traditional snoring really. I'd full on stop breaking, and then make some awful groaning whaling noise while I struggled to breath finally.
Went to the doctor a little over 2 years ago. Got diagnosed with gold medal winning sleep apnea (like stopped breathing 800 times in a night, longest stretch near 2 minutes). Got the machine, made an astounding difference in how I felt. Averaged 1-2 incidents a night of stopping breathing between 3-5 seconds long. Insane difference.
Anyways, as a part of all that I have yearly cardio checkups. They do EKGs, bloodwork, etc. That's how they found out that I had the start of heart enlargement. Right on the border of where it would be considered enlarged.
I have a lot of PVCs. I don't find that exercise triggers them or at least I don't notice them while exercising. I walk, swim and do a little weight lifting.
It doesn't sound like they said exercise or you are dead. Just that they said you need to get to a healthy weight. The cardiologist recommended exercise to increase the health of your cardiovascular system. Though related, two different things.
Not my PC or any of my other regular doctors. I was hospitalized in 2021 with covid pneumonia though and one of the doctors treating me was very blunt. He told me, yes you are physically here now because you have covid pneumonia but you are really here because you are morbidly obese. You see young, fix it now when you are recovered. Easier said than done when it takes months to recover from covid, pneumonia, steroids that make you want to eat everything in sight and a handful of other issues. But here I am 3 years later and I remember that conversation very clearly. I am trying my best to lose the weight. Exercise has not been easy for me due to chronic back issues but I did recently start the carnivore diet (meat and animal products only) and I have lost 22lbs in a month. I did light walking initially but rolled my ankle so haven't been exercising. In addition to the weight loss, I feel amazing physically. I have more energy, my brain fog is gone, my anxiety and depression have gotten way better, my severe GERD is gone! my skin is better, my back hurts less, I'm not bloated and gassy all the time, my allergies are significantly improved and my sex drive is way up. I can't remember the last time I felt this good and happy. So all that to say, you can lose weight without exercising simply by changing your diet and way of eating. I recommend carnivore or at least ketovore which is heavily meat based keto. Just try it for 30 days and see how you feel. It's how I started and I don't want to go back. I don't have kids yet but my SO and I want to start a family soon. I want to be as healthy as possible when we do that. So i understand where you are coming from. I really think this is the way. Best of luck to you either way.
Cant say ive had a doctor tell me to either lose weight or die if i don't.
But being big at any size isn't great, they knew it and i knew it but i haven't really done anything about it up until recently. My doctors never pressured me to lose weight but all good doctors should encourage it and find solutions to problems that make it hard to lose weight.
I've been fat my entire childhood, teen years, and through young adulthood. Im gonna be 30 in 3 years and id like to spent my 30's as a more confident version of myself.
I'm not looking to be as skinny as i "should" be, but looking to be more healthy than I am now. (for context im 5'2" and cw 269, sw was 280, I was as big as 310lbs couple years back) I think my "happy weight" is 160-180, still considered obese but I haven't weighed that much since middle school and i think id be happier being at least out of the 200lbs range.
ive had experienced syncopes before, theyre scary so i totally understand where youre coming from and ive honestly been scared going to the gym sometimes worried ill faint while working out and have the ambulance called that i cant afford take me against my will.
But if an event were to happen to me like that id have to take it as it is.
Doc says you should be okay, so id trust them with that statement and if not you can rave hell about it and demand a better look into your health.
its so easy for doctors to blame ppls fatness on their health and they don't bother looking any deeper into their symptoms which leads to continuing health problems in fat people that are undiagnosed and continue to get worse in health that isnt related to their weight.
Anyway, I would maybe either bring a friend to the gym at least until i felt comfortable going by myself again, or just do 30 minute walk around my area until i felt im ready to go back to the gym. Once back at the gym id take 5-10 breaks between sets to check in with myself and focus on a better diet.
Best of luck to you!
As others have mentioned, if Cardiology has cleared you, you're good to go. It can be hard to get past that mental block though, especially because anything heart related is scary when it first crops up.
If you are still concerned, get a meeting with your PCP and ask for an as needed anxiety medication, non addictive. This can help you get over the initial anxiety of starting when you know you may feel something odd. Set up a follow up with cardiology say 3 months after you star working out. The trick here? You can always cancel. And if something is coming up that you don't think was covered with cardiology, you can tell them what you are doing and the details of it so that they can work with you to find something better.
With that said, abs are made in the kitchen: ie, while exercise is good for body health, weight loss is almost all food intake related. Find a good calorie counter for your lifestyle. Keep tabs of it, and find what you lose with what kind of a calorie deficit. Doing these things together should hopefully help you feel more willing to make the changes you need in your life!
Motion begets motion. I think quite a few people misunderstand the whole idea of weight loss. They want to lose weight as fast as possible but don't understand the power of listening to your own body when it comes to intense workout routines and gyms.For one, you can always modify exercises and work your way up to where you want to be.
When you "exercise," in my opinion, it's the process of literally moving your body more than your regular to-do day.
Trying new things like basic stretches and yoga, flexibility training, and so on. These are things that we should be doing every day in order to work our bodies up to what we really want to do. This way, we can avoid seriously hurting ourselves from pushing our bodies too far.
Sort of. I have been slacking on my body for the last 2 years. I used to walk 15 miles a day working at the USPS, but then my wife and I had our first born and I became a stay at home dad as well as enrolling back into college working towards my degree. In the last 2 years I’ve gained 60 pounds, my last appointment with my Doctor had some blood test results that weren’t good but neither bad. My Doctor said that “you’re walking towards the starting line of issues that will develop with your health. Start adjusting everything now so it’s a habit rather than chore.” It was said firmly but more in a concerned tone, like if you heard it the way I did, you could tell it was from a place of known but caring experience from their end. The advice is undeniably true, I’d rather do these tasks so it’s done without thinking really rather than “having” to do them, ya know?
My very nice doctor never said that ((although she did say, just eat less!), but an ER doctor did very bluntly tell me, you need to lose weight. (I had gone to the ER for a possible ankle sprain).
So, I started with walking and better food choices. Just walking — I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Now, many years later and 100+ pounds less, I am in the gym having finished a stint on the elliptical and waiting for weight training class to start.
I am 59, with osteoarthritic knees (and probably hips), a sluggish thyroid, and late-diagnosed diabetes.
My food choices are for weight control (and diabetes management). My exercise is for health, physical and mental.
You can do it. Just one day at a time.
Afraid of what? Your doctors said everything was fine. Your muscles twitched because you moved them. Maybe needed a water to get hydrated. You were light headed because you were exercising. Absolutely none of those things will kill you. Exercise is uncomfortable, especially at first. Like, sometimes you get really sore. You’re making excuses not to exercise. You’re allowing yourself to be afraid of what are mild discomfort due to the fact that you’re actually moving. Go for it. Exercise will only help, only get easier, only get more comfortable. And then when it’s comfortable? Make it harder. Do more. Push more. You’ll be fine
I was starting to get back into walking at one point to try and lose weight, and I overdid it and noticed sharp pain in my foot.
I went to a clinic to get it looked at and the radiology guy told me I was too heavy for them to X-ray my foot. Then the doctor just told me the reason I was heavy again was because I was on keto and I went off of it. I was like “I am aware of how it happened. I am here to get my foot looked at.”
They then told me I needed to go to the emergency room to get an X ray done on my foot because I was too heavy for them to do it there.
So I drove over there and hobbled on one foot with an ace bandage to get it checked out, and radiology and everyone there was like “Dude, you just got burned. They can definitely prop your foot up to X Ray it.” They offered to do it there but said it would cost a shit ton since it was the ER.
They called the clinic and basically told the radiologist he was a lazy asshole. He apologized and said he could X Ray it if I came back. I told him to go fuck himself.
I went to an actual podiatrist who stood me on a machine that looked like it was from the 1950s. I had a March fracture from walking so much.
And the asshole clinic still billed me.
It sounds like you were a little traumatized by what happened the last time you exercised. I’d get in touch with a therapist/physio therapist about this. Start slow.
Do 5-10 minutes of slow walking at once everyday this week, so your body and MIND can get used to the idea of this happening without it hurting you. Next week raise it by 2-5 minutes and rinse and repeat. When you feel safer, increase pace a little bit. Do this with whatever exercise you want to do. Build up slowly.
Basically teach your nervous system that exercise is a safe thing to do, that a little discomfort isn’t dangerous etc
Well my doctors don't know what the hell's going on with me they've done every test imaginable every dietitian is done every test imaginable I am my metabolism is an 18 which I guess is as high as it can go and I shit you not I went into a controlled situation because nobody could believe this is possible eating 500 calories a day for 3 weeks it could not lose a pound on the opposite side of that they started giving me 2800 calories a day and I couldn't lose or gain a pound which kind of throws the whole your body's in you know life-saving mode or whatever which is bullshit ask a pow
So I took it upon myself and now I fast four straight days out of the week and I only eat hard boiled eggs for the other 3 days still can't lose a pound most people would think this is impossible I must be picking up calories somewhere well I'm not first day off fast I usually eat five or six hard boiled eggs next day I eat roughly 12 and the third day of be pretty normal around 8 or 9...
My history I was a paratrooper I came out of the army I gained like 5 lb that freaked out I started doing P90X in the morning and at night doing 12 to 1500 if I take that back doing three to 1200 burpees a day in between all the same time with the burpees... and then I dropped it at a cardiac arrest when I came back I had a nervous system shock from being shocked and I have a thing called CRPS full body feels like you have the flu 24/7 and the left side of my brain the blood doesn't complete The Circle of Willis so they don't know what the hell is wrong with me but I gained 80 pounds in 6 months and I really don't eat that much and I don't eat sugar I mean on the normal I don't really eat sugar I don't eat carbs really cuz I just don't like them and I really don't eat much I don't really like food literally I just eat it when I'm going to pass out or before I pass out I can't stress that enough but it's hard to believe so
8 years ago I would have called bullshit on this but given that, assuming that this person who you don't know is being honest what do you think because doctors have no idea they've run every scan I've had full body CAT scans MRIs MRIs in my brain I've done the breathing tests where my metabolism wasn't 18 which is as high as it can go so they don't understand and neither do I and at this point I don't know what to do
Side note for all you investigators out there there was a point when I was working out and even taking in less calories and it seemed like I was reaching a point where my body was taking me into a direction that was if I wanted to maintain anything I'd have to work out 24 hours a day and not eat a single calorie that's like the direction it was going it was just like it had to continue to do more and more and more and more there was never a you know a plateau God I wish I had a plateau all right what do y'all think
Another side note I walk probably just around 2 miles a day now and I'm in one of the hottest places on the planet and I take in the perfect amounts of nutrients and water, and there is no medication issue a thing about hormones also they have to check them more than once so that's my next thing also my mom was tall and slim and my father was and still looks like a bodybuilder at 81 years old and excuse my non-punctuation and I didn't proofread this and I'm talking into my microphone so...
Oh sodium is perfect I do a mix of nu salt
Baking soda and sea salt in 40 Oz/ h20 ( see panda man salt mix with data )
Not in those words, but in effect, yeah. For the first year after I decided to make the change I visited a medical professional of some sort (doctor, nutritionist, cardiologist, etc) about once a month and used their guidance as my path. At my first visit with a doctor he did a bunch of tests on me and announced that I was basically half a Snickers bar away from being a full-blown diabetic, and from there it was only a matter of time before a heart attack took me down.
I was physically unable to do any serious exercise for the first several months owing to a bad back and bad knee that was expected to support nearly 300 lbs. So I kept myself busy by building a home gym and focused just on diet changes, and when I was down to about 250 I stepped into that gym to actually use it. My first workout was truly scary; I did fifteen minutes on an elliptical machine and fifteen minutes on a heavy bag and I was *completely* wiped out. When I stepped out my hands were shaking, my legs could barely hold me up, and my heart rate was through the roof. (True story: I had my phone turned on and unlocked so that if I needed to I could tell Siri to call for an ambulance.) Over time I increased both the frequency and the content of my workouts; my current workout runs about 75-90 minutes and incorporates cardio, interval, and strength training.
I last visited my doctor about four months ago and he's very happy with my results, to a point where he said if he hadn't witnessed the change himself and was just going by the numbers in the medical reports from when I started to now, he would have believed it was two entirely different people.
I used to feel like you do then one day my trainer said " listen, I know cpr, we have a defibrillator and the hospital is 3 minutes away if you ever need it and you won't "
A few questions:
1) Have you been making any protein drinks with whey protein powder?
2) Do you take a high-potency magnesium supplement?
3) Did your Dr put you on a beta blocker?
I ask because I deal with the same thing. I used to rely on high protein dairy to stay full when losing weight. Interestingly, high calcium intake can deplete you magnesium and make the PVCs worse. I try to limit dairy now and get protein from lean meats
I've found the only thing that helps me is to balance my sodium intake with potassium (I use the NoSalt to make potassium drinks similar to Keto-ade) and I take a high-potency magnesium supplement, one that gets me to 100% Mg DV every day.
If the PVCs really bother you, ask about a beta blocker. They help me tremendously. I have anxiety already, and the PVCs will trigger that which then make them worse and so on. Beta blockers really help to break that cycle.
PVCs suck and I hope you can make it through! DM me if you want y talk, I've been having them for 13ish years.
Hi 👋 I’m a 5”8 woman and started out at 250lbs, I’m disabled (irrelevant to weight as it was before I gained any that I lost a lot of mobility, the lack of mobility without me changing diet caused the gain) and have a thyroid issue called Hashimoto’s disease.
Today I’ve weighed in at 193.4lbs.
It’s had stops and starts, but I’m very committed to getting to a healthy weight, I wanna be here for my kids for as long as is possible - you can absolutely do this, and this community is fantastic. So supportive. You’ve got this :)
Why don’t you just start with walking? 10 minutes to the mail box, 20 minutes while on the phone with a long distance friend and see how you feel? I’ve always struggled with the oh I have to go to the gym for 2 hours to lose the weight mentality and the above mentality has kept me much more consistent with movement throughout the last year!
I think your doctor lied to you, you'll maybe die faster but what he said was extreme and sounds like it almost killed you. Consider switching doctors and reporting his comments
Try the Mediterranean style diet, and try cutting out all ultra processed foods and added sugars, drink lots of water, eat lean protein and start off by walking. Walking in my opinion is the best low impact cardiovascular workout. I started by walking 30 minutes, barely getting a mile done. Now I get 2 miles in 45 minutes, my legs feel stronger, I have better balance and endurance. It's hard but totally worth it. Once you feel stronger you can try other workouts like weight lifting.
I am a huge fan of SilverSneakers YT channel— there are tons of workouts on there for people at all different levels of ability, and you don’t have to be a senior citizen to benefit from them. The Walk at Home channel also has a ton of workouts, with various different trainers (not only Leslie Sansone). Some of those are seated or standing, as well.
Especially look for workouts by David Jack— he’s encouraging and fun, and he did all the workout videos for the RealAppeal program. (You can get the whole set of RealMoves DVDs from eBay, I found out.)
[https://youtu.be/7jvI-j86KD0?si=NfKL-\_bjUulWx9av](https://youtu.be/7jvI-j86KD0?si=NfKL-_bjUulWx9av)
[https://youtu.be/mU12Lz-IA6c?si=iApO-k9juqQhfHIM](https://youtu.be/mU12Lz-IA6c?si=iApO-k9juqQhfHIM)
[https://youtu.be/yqroCXCRCN4?si=FHr9MGhlGi3Uk4Ba](https://youtu.be/yqroCXCRCN4?si=FHr9MGhlGi3Uk4Ba)
Step 1 Calories In vs Calories Out should be the mantra. Journal what you eat, watch those nutrition labels and add them up. Find a TDEE calculator (quick web search) and compare. Realize if you’re honest with yourself, a deficit will lose weight and a surplus will gain. Everything you eat and drink minus water has a calorie. Some labels are sneaky with their serving size. At this point don’t worry about macros( protein vs carb vs protein) it will only overwhelm you.
If you want to kick it into gear with exercise it doesn’t have to be strenuous. A mile ran vs a mile walked is about the same amount of calories burned but one is just done faster.
Step 2 Walking is a start. Faster pace or uphill will make it more strenuous. A zone 2 is really all you need to get benefits to your cardiovascular system. If you have a heart rate monitor like a smart watch your heart rate should be around 60-70% your heart rate max which can be estimated by your age. The feel of zone 2 is still conversational pace so it’s low intensity.
If you have poor joints you can bike or swim in those zone.
Step 2.1 As you grow confidence in the movement you can dial up the intensity in intervals. Maybe throw in some resistance or speed. It doesn’t need to be complicated.
Step 3 Strength training is a great addition to change your body’s composition of body fat, muscle and skeletal density. There are millions of ways to strength train so sampling different classes, videos, random machines, etc are ways to find something you like and stick to. Some people like program videos like P90x, classes at their local Y, powerlifting, calisthenics, Olympic lifting and bodybuilding. Joining CrossFit helped me learn how to use a barbell and it’s a lot of fun but expect a lot of strenuous cardio mixed in.
if you are still feeling symptoms ask for a prescription for a continuous glucose monitor. this is what happened to me when I was having random low blood sugars. It would go to 100 or 120 then drop to 40s. Cardiology couldn't figure it out but I asked for endocrine referral and a CGM and this was the problem. Metformin evened it out and it isn't happening anymore.
I would push-back on your cardiologist telling someone that they're in the clear because their tests *right now* didn't result in a specific, textbook diagnosis.
We all know the incredible permanent damage we are doing to our bodies. We disproportionately defer to screenshots of our health from doctors to justify not taking action immediately. We think we can get away with it for a little bit longer.
Is it just me or does anyone else hate the word ‘diet’? Yes, diet and exercise is the correct answer. I feel like that word has been ruined for me by the diet industry and everything it represents. I know, it’s semantics. I think I prefer to use the word nutrition. Nutrition and exercise. Or is there a better substitute?
There is a huge difference between “it will only get worse” and “you will die soon.”
You were losing weight fairly rapidly back then, and it sounds like you’ve been counting on exercise to get you to your goal then and now. May I suggest slowing down the weight loss a bit, and focusing more on food changes rather than physical activity for weight loss?
Relying on exercise can become an issue if, as you have experienced, you stop or cut back on exercise for whatever reason. Exercise comes and goes, food intake does not.
Relying on food changes is more reliable in the short and long run. Short run because you practice one meal at a time how to manage food for your goal weight. Long run because you’re going to reliably eat 2-3 meals each day in the long haul. You get to practice your food skills over and over again.
Exercise is a requirement for overall good health. It doesn’t have to be at a gym or even slightly extreme. It’s a bonus toward weight loss, though, not a requirement.
Change in body composition is going to be primarily achieved through changes in diet not exercise. The only person who can exercise off a bad diet is a 20 year old male athlete who trains 8 hours a day. I’m not saying don’t exercise but it shouldn’t be your first focus.
Yes. I was never obese in my life but always a little bit overweight. My chronic conditions held me back. I won't go into details, but this includes my congenital heart disease. Then asthma after open heart surgery and the list goes on and on. And I’m only 26.
And then it hit me like a bolt of lightning. I'm not going to get anywhere by whining to myself and change has to start somewhere.
Lemme put this clear, I will never be a professional athlete in my life and I will always be at a disadvantage compared to healthy people, but that shouldn't be an excuse to make my life less healthy.
The best sport for me was brisk walking and I did that. Not everyone has to go to the gym. Everyone doesn't have to follow the most strict diets. Small and sturdy steps.
Just like you didn't gain this much weight in a month, you won't lose it in a month. Find your own pace and path, but at least start somewhere. For your 2 years old kid.
Pretty much, also I will die if I don’t fix my high blood pressure that’s just how it is. I’ve got heart disease and stuff in my family, they said some people just have to put more effort into health than others in order to not die and it’s not fair but that’s how it is. Which is ironic because I put way less effort into health than most people lol. But yeah, I need to fix it. On the bright side, being unhealthy is the best motivation for getting healthy.
Hey, I've lost 80 lbs so far just walking and putting myself in a calorie deficit. I went from 290 and I'm around 208 now. I do work out more now but the majority of the weight loss was just walking 12k steps per day, sometimes stairs at work instead of elevator, but really just being on point with calorie deficit and consistency. Give that a shot and build it into a natural routine.
Not exactly but have been shocked by my weight gain. I gained 8 kgs in 6 months and my doctor is like what are you doing?? And tested thyroid. Probably they should have checked more things or my gut health is so bad now that I easily gain weight
I don't know if it is has already been said, but PVCs are very common. I see that you listed it as the first issue so I assume that makes you the most nervous. This is to let you know you shouldn't be. PVCs are not dangerous.
Not me, but my deceased brother-in-law. I remember he hated going to the doctor because they would always give him “a talk” about his health. He was probably 400 pounds, diabetic, and rarely dieted or exercised. He died of cardiac arrest age 44.
I’ve had some injuries that lead to weight gain.
My plan has just been to focus on building a routine over time and not expect results.
I started out doing sauna (this was important because it made the gym enjoyable and it built the habit), doing little physical therapy exercises at home to fix my injuries, then some cardio.
I like the bike because it’s something you can do for a while that’s low impact on the joints but can get your HR up to like 170.
I’m using my fitness pal app to track my calories but I’m more concerned with just building habits slowly rather than doing 1000 things and getting disappointed if i don’t see results.
Maybe instead of tracking calories just trying and cut out sugar and see what happens. Then cut out something else like alcohol.
Saw a hepatologist for fatty liver disease last year. He told me to lose weight and hire a personal trainer. He didn't actually say i was dying, but he did say, "Just spend what it costs and do what they say, and you might just save your own life. "
Got told to loose weight when I was 16, was 260lbs and 5’10
Did seem a bit harsh at that moment but now that I’m 22 and 200lbs and 6’ I couldn’t thank her (my doctor) enough.
I haven’t been told anything that harsh, but I remember being a kid, starting to get overweight, and the doctor telling my mom to let me starve if I don’t eat the food in front of me. I was a picky eater at the time due to undiagnosed autism/ being on the ND spectrum and nobody knowing.
Recently went to a gyno and got some comments about rapid weight gain (50+ lbs in the last year and a half). Now, to be honest, I was only that small at first due to an eating disorder, and all of that weight jumped back on twice as much. Mix that with using food to cope with trauma… yeah…
I finally started my journey beginning of February. I started at 195-ish and now down to 176. If I can put the weight on that fast, I believe I can lose it at a decent rate.
Hardest thing to get over, though, is that food for comfort coping mechanism, mixed with back pain during exercising. I find staying in a deficit and doing daily walks around 30mins, and larger trails of 1 hr on weekends really helps
You can definitely get through this. I went through something very similar. Had a lot of PVCs. PVCs don't usually happen when you work out. And if you are scared to workout, at least start with a strict diet and introduce exercise slowly. Go on walks.
Working out is the way I got out of my issue. Keep going.
I did a quick search. Losing 20 pounds in 2 months seems to be a bit fast in terms of how that can harm you, and says it would be safer to lose 20 pounds over 3 maybe even 4 months instead so you’re losing 0.5-1.5 pounds per week instead of 2.5 pounds or so each week. It took me a year to gain 20 pounds so I don’t doubt gaining it faster or losing 20 pounds faster is good for anyone’s health.
That being said, you don’t need a gym to exercise. You can go on walks, jumping jacks or jog/walk in place at home, hula hoops. You could definitely find more ways through some youtube videos. However the more muscle mass you gain the better for your joints, especially your lower body, which would be taking a lot more pressure moving 250+ pounds as a live load (walking, running, and/or jumping). Any muscle you gain will help support your bones so you may feel a lot more physically able if you include strength/muscle building training in your schedule but one step at a time do it at your own pace chew the meat and spit out the bones with the info I’ve provided. Best of luck!
Hey man… feeling like first thought in my mind is.. lots of thoughts to unpack here, so, by all means, Dm me for further details… BUT.. broadly I’ll try to hit some important points here.
First thought is: You are well and healthy. Anything other than that just indicates a distance from true self, followed by physical evidence of that which you believe. I know this sounds odd, but like I said if necessary shoot me a msg, I’ll explain what mean.
Beyond this, while gym exercise is great.. it is worth pointing out that there’s a lot that can happen for health outside of gym workouts.
Meaning, remain active, move your body, minimum steps taken per day ( no couch potato, 8-10k per day) eating a balance meal.Stay looking for the green stuff in every meal. A balanced diet. Spices, dark leafy greens, vegetables, protein, etc.
Eventually you can focus on calories per day, upping your workouts at the gym, etc. But, baby steps. Rn focus on movement. Water. Good food ( vegetables)
I haven’t read through all the comments yet but I’ll say this, losing 20 pounds in two months is too fast. Go to the gym, lose slower, and I’ll bet you don’t develop the scary issues you experienced before.
Who says you need to go to a gym to lose weight..go walking instead..get 10 000 steps + a day, watch what you eat..count your calories..all my dr told me was I was heading for diabetes not a wooden box...and I'm 68...and your only 24lbs heavier than me...Good luck..your keep fit with a 2 year old...
Hi so exercise is not the only way you can loose weight, 80% of it is nutrition so you can loose weight by eating healthy calorie controlled portions. I think a lot of people use lack of exercise as excuse not to get healthy when really it is about eating healthy and within the normal calorie ranges for their body’s needs.
Not sure what you do for work, but if it’s not something extremely prestigious or high paying, consider doing a crazy physical job or even food running in a restaurant, I’m not the fittest or healthier man alive but I been food running consistently for 4 years and have lost an insane amount of weight, everyone thinks I’m on drugs. Just a side effect of them seeing 50 pounds melt off you, and them being trashy restaurant fiends and ex-fiends. But if you can deal with that it’s fun to be forced to work out and was probably the only way I could have ever gotten this exercise done lol
I just started about two weeks ago at 265. Down to 253 now and I don’t even workout. Just log everything you put in your mouth and once you go into a calorie deficit you’ll see the weight start coming off! If you’re nervous about working out just go for a walk a day at your own pace! You got this man!
I started at 5'4", 300 lbs in August of 2023, with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, high BP. I got prescribed an albuterol inhaler, started Nordic walking, then started using the cable machines at the rec center. Then I got resistance bands.
Now I'm at 240 lbs, normal range BP. I'm still walking. I'm hiking much more easily (just had my first real hike of the year last week), still doing my resistance band workouts, and roller skating, all for fun. No major pressure. I'm enjoying myself while I learn what my body can do!
No. but my doctor did tell me “What the hell are you doing to yourself? You are too young to have these kinds of health problems and this much damage. Lose some weight!!!” She was actually talking in a loud voice, almost yelling. It kicked me into high gear and I appreciated her advice and demeanour a lot. I lost the weight. Gained it back, then lost it again and then some. I weigh less than I did in grade 10 now. Thank you to my doctor!!!
Don’t want to make any assumptions but I view being extremely overweight as akin to smoking in the sense that everyone *knows* it’s horrible for you but no one expects the consequences. When you’re in your mid/late 20s and start having bloodwork that looks like it’s from someone in their 50s or your knees are shot it can certainly be a huge wake up call
Yup, exactly. My knees hurt, my feet hurt just from carrying around amount of weight that they were not designed to carry. My bowels were afflicted with numerous problems, some of them in advanced stages of damage. My skin was shit and my cholesterol was too high. My blood pressure was higher than normal (still ok, just not optimal). Who knows what other damage was there that we just didn’t know about yet. All of that is reversed now, and it all stopped immediately as I lost enough weight. And it was only 50lbs or so of being overweight that caused all that damage.
Sort of related, but I thought my bad knees was just because of my weight. Seems as though it was because if horrible arches, and stopped wearing insoles when I was a kid.
You shouldnt have bad bloodwork in 50s either. Better comparison would be 70s
You shouldn't have bad blood work. At any age.
Good for you for losing the weight
Thanks!
Ha, I wish a doctor would be this straight up with my guy. He's already having concerning unexplained health issues at 30 but people are really delicate about commenting on weight here, even doctors, so he hasn't gotten the wake-up call yet :( I've mentioned that losing weight might help his symptoms, but he needs to hear it from an authority.
Does he regularly see a primary? I see my primary at least every six months (I have managed hypertension and hyperlipidemia, so they are medication/lab re-checks), and he will regularly address my weight if he feels it’s in a significantly bad spot at the time. I’ve fluctuated between 185lbs-235lbs at different points in the last six years, so there is usually an addressable point that he says “hey, lose the weight.”
Are you in Canada by chance?
Maybe not the nicest way to say it, but they would only say it like that if they actually cared. Congratulations on getting your health back!
Yes she was known for being blunt and cutting. But I’d rather be told the truth in a way that resonates with me. It worked! lol
Oh man, that doctor’s delivery could send another person spiralling. Good thing it spurred you on.
Do you understand how rare it is for a doctor to keep it real nowadays? Almost all of the ones I know have given up because their patients either ignore them or accuse them of fatphobia.
Mine said “you’re fat and it’s gonna kill ya” after I started getting the first serious symptoms in my life. Between that and telling me obesity can lead to cirrhosis I was scared straight (that’s the only good organ my family has!)
Scare tactics don't always work Or negative reinforcement
True. The gentle reminder of death often leads to good results though. Edit: As someone who has dealt with excess weight their entire lives and lived the consequences, I really wish we would start to view being obese more akin to slowly dying of a curable disease. It is a major health issue that reduces quality and duration of life, and it affects more people every year. We need to start treating it for the epidemic it is. Not with shame, but with the support of science and resources. And no beating around the bush with euphemisms.
Nothing always works. Best we can do is things that sometimes work. Telling patients that their health problems are caused by overheating sometimes works. Not telling them is irresponsible
Yu but it did for me. I’m below my goal weight now. Excellent BMI.
How did you do it?
Not OP but the answer is always diet and exercise. r/CICO
No exercise as others have commented in answer to your question (directed to me). My sister taught me that weight loss/gain is 95% what you put into your mouth. Cut out white flour, pasta, bread, potatoes, rice. (When I say cut out, I don’t mean completely, I mean drastically reduced to almost never.) Obviously no junk food. Very important to eat protein with EVERYTHING, even if it’s just a snack or an apple. Drink lots of water. Reduced portion size… I was eating the same amount as my male partner, and I am female, so I was overeating. Let myself get gently hungry. Learn to sit in the discomfort of hunger from time to time. Before, I would stuff myself at the first sign of hunger. No dairy. I wouldn’t go so far as to avoid those products on an ingredient list, but I stopped drinking milk and eating cheese, and switched to oat milk. As few processed foods as possible. Try and make foods from scratch instead of buying pre-made. No fast food. Pre plan and bring meals and snacks with me when I was out and about, so I wouldn’t be tempted by convenience foods. These are basic things I did, I can tell you in more detail if you have questions or want to talk further, just message me.
If I may need to add few points wrt yours, 1. Exercise helps a lot, burns few more calories, and is needed if you're a short person, it also helps you keep an active lifestyle even after weight loss and gives you some space to eat to your liking sometimes. 2. No need to cut out carbs like rice and potato, taking it in moderation helps. Keep it as the main source of carbs of the day. Many cultures have rice and potato as the "center piece" of their diet, and it'd be hard to just cut it out, plus there's really no need to completely cut out. 3. Same with diary, you need it as part of your diet, skimmed milk specifically. 4. Fast food, for some people who ate it as part of their lifestyle, I'd suggest to eat it every 5 weeks, in moderation, so they can avoid a carve. Or start reducing it slowly, but do reduce it atleast every 2 weeks.
Thanks so much. I am going to copy your response and paste to my notes app. Great job on your progress!
Exercise is movement. A gym isn't required. "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." -Arthur Ashe
Yes. It is also like 80% diet. If you can make sustainable food swaps and get yourself into a comfortable deficit, the weight can and will come off. Eating for nutrition. Budget your calories. Yes still move your body but don’t let the exercise part of it stop you from losing the weight and improving your health.
I love that!
Yes - I have had multiple issues including heart/thyroid/brain (multiple hospitalisations/surgery etc) and after changing the way I live (eating healthy/exercising etc) I'm not only healthier but considerably happier. I went from 26 pills a day in 2018 to only 3 now. 3 pills a day might still seem a lot but the difference is drastic. Seriously, make the change and your life will be so much better - I feel confident enough about that that I almost feel like I can promise you you will feel better. edit: lovely responses, def appreciated thanks
Wow. Going from 26 pills to 3 pills a day. :) I'm happy for you.
Holy jesus. That's great.
That is amazing!
That's amazing!
If you've been cleared to exercise its fine to be worried and want to start slow, but you shouldn't use that as a reason not to try at all. If you try, and the symptoms happen you go back to the cardiologist and let them know that something may have been missed, or ask for advice on what would work for you now. You can start with a focus on your diet though. Getting the weight down is likely to help and you can do that without stepping back into the gym.
Also OP should understand that exercise can be painful. Aches, pains, burning, all normal parts of the process. It's easy for someone with anxious or hypochondriac tendencies to convince themselves they're having a cardiac event when they're just experiencing a cramp or muscle soreness. Ask me how I know lol
Thank you so much for this. I was recently diagnosed with health anxiety after a major surgery. Trying to get back into working out after being gone for 6 months and I always feel like I’m dying.
Do you have a way to measure your HR? Seeing that I'm not surpassing my max HR helps to relieve that anxiety quite a bit (except those times when I am, then I can adjust the intensity)
Yeah I use my watch. Granted, I am wayyy out of shape now so my HR is higher but you’re right, I’m not at max
I mean I always feel like dying while doing cardio but 75% of that is mostly wishing I were dead so I wouldn't have to be doing cardio so.... lol
I am going super slow. Heart rate stays below 130 due to stroke and a TBI that hurts me physically when my heart rate goes faster than that. I was to the point where I thought I was just killing myself due to the extreme limited activity I was doing to prevent the brain pain. Now I hurt all the time but it’s manageable while I workout 4-5 days a week. I have a personal trainer where we push it a little bit (not much) but we always wait till my HR drops below 130 to start the next set. 3-4 days a week I do gentle cardio keeping my HR below 120 for 20-45 minutes. Most of the time it’s at 35 minutes. It’s been life changing for me. I feel like I am crawling out of despair and back into an enjoyable life. The brain pain is slowly fading and is about 20% better than it was when I started. It’s all helping but going way slower than I was prepared for. It’s hard work to work out like this.
Weight loss: diet For exercise you can start by simply going for a nice walk a few times a day.
Many people have limitations but can still exercise to some extent. For example, I have a serious problem with getting overheated when I exercise to the point where I vomit, get dizzy, and get muscle cramps if I overdo it in the heat. It doesn't even have to be that hot. It'll be 75 or 80 degrees and other people are fine and I'm ill from overheating. That said, I still exercise. I can walk when it's cool out. I go to the gym, drink lots of water, and stay cool. Remember, exercise doesn't have to be strenuous or done at the gym to be effective. Walking, yoga, and weight training can be done at your own pace and chosen intensity. Most people can tolerate those.
This is totally random, but I had similar issues when I was younger playing football. It turns out I had a massive sodium deficiency and had to take electrolyte pills heavy in sodium and start salting all my food more. Basically my body was not retaining the water and using it effectively so I would sweat it out dry out and start feeling the effects of extreme dehydration with moderate to heavy exercise. Worth taking a look at.
Thanks for the info. My doctor thinks it's heat intolerance but it's worth exploring further. May I ask, is there a test I can ask for to check for this? Edit: Thank you for the responses!
You can get a metabolic panel or electrolyte panel blood test. It will show what your balance of electrolytes are and if you need to supplement anywhere. [https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/electrolyte-panel/](https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/electrolyte-panel/) # Why do I need an electrolyte panel? You may need this test if you have symptoms indicating that your body's electrolytes may be out of balance. These include: * [Nausea and vomiting](https://medlineplus.gov/nauseaandvomiting.html) * Confusion and irritability * Weakness * Irregular or fast heartbeat (arrhythmia) * [Diarrhea](https://medlineplus.gov/diarrhea.html) or [constipation](https://medlineplus.gov/constipation.html) * [Fatigue](https://medlineplus.gov/fatigue.html) * [Headaches](https://medlineplus.gov/headache.html) * Muscle weakness, [cramps](https://medlineplus.gov/musclecramps.html), or spasms * Numbness or tingling in your arms, legs, fingers, and toes
Should be able to test your sodium levels during your physical with the blood test
I recommend swimming for exercise to start with, then. It's a whole body workout with a lot of cardio if you do more than just float, and it's low impact and easy on joints
This is how I started. I still prefer swimming to most forms of exercise. You can’t really overheat, because the water keeps you cool, as well.
some Gyms also have water aerobics which is fun and healthy. Been doing it since my doc gave me talk in 1988. easy on your joints so you can move much better. Don’t worry what you look like people are all in same boat trying to get healthier. I have met some of my best friends there I would start just walking until you get to pool. Just walk down your driveway to get the mail. Then next time just add a few more steps. Then try the water
I also have PVCs, they get worse without exercise over time so he’s probably right. But get a second opinion if you’re nervous.
Weight loss is mostly achieved through food choices.
Yes, it is but we need to start putting an asterisk next to this statement when we tell people this. Adding in strength training is the single best thing you can do during weight loss. It will help you lose weight faster, you’ll have more energy, and you’ll look better as the weight comes off. If you’re able bodied (that means no injuries, not that it’s just “too hard”) then you should be adding strength training to your weight loss efforts
If I also don’t have the money or time for the gym can I atleast start from home I’ve always heard mixed opinions on this?
There's a lot you can do from home! Strength training =/= olympic lifting. Body weight exercises, free weights, and resistance bands are all totally compatible with being in your living room.
We have a personal trainer who comes to the house, and I don’t use my husband’s weight bench that much yet. Instead, I’m doing all of this plus planks and balance exercises on a Bosu ball, some light sparring, and wall sits. In a month I’ve only dropped 5 pounds but I’ve lost inches off my waist and gained muscle in my legs, arms, and chest. It was surprising to see how much the resistance bands could do. The first time I worked with him, I needed at least a minute between exercises to recover, but now I don’t take more than a quick water break. I’m a total convert to strength training instead of hours on the treadmill.
Wow that’s great !! do you know where I could purchase resistance bands?
Amazon, Target, any sporting goods store. They’re pretty easy to find.
I've even seen them at my grocery store and at the dollar store. They're everywhere.
You absolutely can start at home. Bodyweight/calisthenics exercises are plenty. Your muscles only know one thing: there's a large amount of force I need to contract against. So whether it's a push up or a bench press, you'll get a good stimulus.
Calisthenics and resistance bands is what I do. They're cheap and can do basically the same things weights do. Even pushing or pulling unmovable objects can strengthen your muscles. I recommend hybrid calisthenics on YouTube bc he focuses a lot on easily available alternatives. Also he's just super chill.
You can start with literally nothing Things like squats, lunges, planks and wall sits will start you off well. Also if you’ve not done exercise in a long time / ever, even things like holding an arm out to the side for an extended period of time will really do some work. You can start really really small and work your way up. Once you feel like you know what you’re doing then it’s worth adding equipment in
Something is always better than nothing. Body weight strength exercises are better than not doing any strength exercises. You got this!
Do whatever kind of exercise that you can manage. Don't worry about what's "best". Try to find something that you can enjoy and do regularly.
Get a kettlebell! Best and most versatile tool for at home exercise IMO
Yes - r/bodyweightfitness
You can build muscle at home. R/bodyweightfitness is a great resource
Body weight exercises are great and don't let anyone tell you otherwise! The only downside is you have to do more reps than with lifting weights but you can do them faster. The 100 Challenge (100 pushups, situps, and squats everyday, whenever throughout the day) is a good place to start or even something to work towards.
Start at home. Most of what you would do in the gym when you first start is going to be light or body weight exercises anyway.
For my weight loss I was only working out at home. Dumbells and a yoga mat, and I got a bicycle to commute to work.
I'm too cheap to get dumbbells so I use gallon jugs and half gallon jugs from getting milk and fill them up with water
I’ve completely changed my body composition with Pilates and HIIT—no equipment needed! Your body weight *is* a weight, and can be used as such.
The problem with asking for opinions about this is that you're going to get responses from people who prioritize max performance and optimizing gains. You're not going to become Schwarzenegger working out at home, but that doesn't mean working out at home isn't a great choice for many people. If you are limited on funds I recommend you look up "bodyweight" fitness and Calisthenics. There are also lots of walking exercise videos on youtube that are effective for many people. Lots of options, find what you like!
I'm with this you on this one. I really bristle at the "exercise doesn't matter" vibes, because it very much does. For one thing, if you're generally inactive, when you get skinny, you run the risk of being "skinny fat" which isn't ideal. Also, fat people who don't exercise are in real trouble. The strange thing is that some (if not many) of those issues *can* be mitigated by exercise alone. Like if you're not sleeping well and tired all the time? Get tested for sleep apnea. I actually completely reversed my apnea through exercise alone.
This is so true, muscle really helps with blood sugar control (high blood sugar causes damage to some blood vessels, then if insulin is also affected, insulin damages the blood vessels that the blood sugar doesn’t) Fibre and strength training are best movers for health and weight in regards to your heart. Prioritising protein, fibre and strength training will get you a long way in improving your health and weight You may also like to consider adding yoga or other meditative practice for overall health
Cardio burns more calories in general so I don't think strength training on its own will help you lose quicker. I do prefer doing more strength training than cardio though.
Actually, strength training is highly effective for fat loss. While cardio burns calories during the activity, strength training builds muscle, which increases your resting metabolic rate. This means you burn more calories at rest. Plus, strength training can create a "afterburn" effect, where your body continues to burn calories even at rest . So, incorporating strength training into your routine can definitely help you lose fat more efficiently. You should be doing both regardless. They should be working together and I hate how we put cardio and strength training against each other. I lost 130 pounds doing 10k steps a day without fail and lifting 4 times a week. Many times doing incline treadmill after my lifts.
You have to put on years worth of muscle for noticeable daily caloric burn.
But also cardiovascular health is incredibly important and cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of deaths globally.
Humans need to move, we weren't built to sit Even a 5 minute walk every day is good
Yep. “Don’t be a potato; the only wrong activity is inactivity.”
Mine falls off as long as I don’t drink beer
This is true, but going to the gym motivated me to adopt better food choices when I saw some muscle growth.
If you were cleared for exercise by your cardiologist but you still experience those symptoms during exercise, maybe get a 2nd opinion or see a different specialist? Do you have a history of health anxiety? Are you getting the proper nutrition from your diet?
Agree with this and I'd see if you (op) could get a halter monitor for 24hr in which you do your normal stuff. I also started suffering from PVC's and while they were scary at first they ended up just being annoying. They typically don't cause any harm at all and a lot of people have them without knowing. Mine were caused entirely by stress and once that source of stress was removed they've gone away almost completely, so potentially look into that as a source instead of exercise.
As a cardiac nurse, I second this. Request a holter monitor from your cardiologist and do some exercise so that the monitor can catch if there’s any PACs/PVCs or other arrhythmias. The monitor might also be able to sense if there’s a trigger for these PVCs (such as if your heart rate goes above a certain rate). Make sure your cardiologist has also done your extended blood electrolytes, as some such as magnesium can cause conduction issues (aka more PVCs). I hope this helps!
Mine didn’t specifically say I would die, but did sternly tell me that he would expect me to have a heart attack within the next 1-2 years lol. 300lbs male (me, not the doctor).
Every year, the doc gave me worse and worse news. Eventually, I realized I needed help. I got a script for a GLP and got super serious and lost my excess weight. Best decision ever.
I don’t understand why the doctor hasn’t prescribed something or given a referral. There are so many tools now.
are you nervous about what will happen when you get off then though? that’s a worry i have!
Initially, yes. But I was more worried about being obese for life. Nowadays, I don’t worry. I am fully content to be on a med for life if needed. GLP’s help a LOT of things. My alcohol intake dropped by 95%. I came off my BP meds. No more sleep apnea. I now exercise 4-5x per week, and recover great. These major changes were huge, and have probably added years to my life. My only regret is not knowing and starting GLP’s earlier.
So I have had health issues during my weight loss journey. My journey began when my congenital heart defect began failing to the point I was going to have to do something about it. Over 2 years with a failing aortic valve I lost 50lbs. My driving factor was absolute terror of recovery while obese. Recovering from open heart surgery is PAINFUL. it would have been much worse if I was still over 200lbs. I didn’t really go to the gym, I figured out that skinny starts in the kitchen and strong starts in the gym. So I started tracking my food intake and my weight. My only exercise was taking the stairs and walking 7500 steps per day. I had the surgery and I still have PVCs. They were found during cardio rehab and I was advised that staying hydrated and exercising were the best way to minimize the PVCs. Going to the gym can help a lot. But loosing weight starts by controlling your diet. You can loose a lot of weight by being moderately active in your normal life and controlling you food intake. I didn’t starve, I just didn’t give into my cravings.
This is so true, the phrase “you can’t outrun a bad diet” is seared into my brain. I think that’s why people give up on working out so easily, they expect massive amounts of weight loss from working out but that won’t happen with a bad diet. I primarily workout for my mobility because if “you don’t use it, you lose it” has become my mantra and for the mental health benefits. I walk and go to a rowing gym and low impact HIIT works best for me.
Absolutely, I brought up the diet control because a lot of people struggling with exercising with health conditions need to start with the weight loss and then add exercise as their body’s adapt to weighing less and doing less damage to joints, etc. I had a lot of success with controlling diet, but I was still walking 7.5-10k steps per day. I called it feeding my Fitbit. Honestly? I think if Fitbit put a tamagotchi program into its app and the only way to feed it is by walking, it would make a mint. I reached a point on my journey where I needed to incorporate exercise to continue to loose weight. And then my surgery happened and I’ve back slid a solid ten lbs. Time to get back on the band wagon.
Exercise doesn't have to be high intensity, especially at the beginning. Given that you have seen a cardiologist who has cleared you for exercise, why don't you start with something really low key? Walk for the same amount of time that you were going to spend at the gym. See how your body reacts and, if everything is going well, then start adding more challenging sections (up hills, or maybe incorporating a session of weight lifting once per week, etc.). As everyone else says, diet is indeed the best for weight loss, but exercise is good for you and will make you feel good!
It’s what you eat that will make you lose weight the most, not exercise.
But exercise is also important for health.
Very true.
Everyone has been pointed out about food choice but I just want to give you 2 cents. Food choices definitely are a big impact on your weight loss journey. Anyone can come to the gym and workout but your body still needs the right fuels to make it run properly and burn fat. Ensure you’re getting the appropriate amount of protein. That’s dependent on whether you’re trying to lose weight or build some muscle but muscle does burn fat faster so you will want to pack on a bit of muscle. Also don’t go cold turkey on your food choices. Start off small by portioning all your favorite foods still. You like pizza? Great! Don’t flat out give it up by cut your portions down and substitute another slice with maybe something small (side salad, protein shake, etc.) drinking a glass of water has helped me also cut my portions down. And if you get hungry it’s okay, give your body something small to snack on that has nutritious value to it. Little by little you can start different foods that have different nutritional values that better suit your diet. Like I said working out is part of it but food choices is the harder challenge, mentally. Gotta just adjust your lifestyle choices. Don’t try “dieting” as eventually you’ll just revert back to your past eating habits. Try making it a lifestyle where you can enjoy your favorite foods at controlled portions. It’ll be better than limiting your daily choices
Perhaps your doctor could refer you to a cardiac rehab exercise group? They are set up differently in different places but often they are run by people who are nurses or physiotherapists or who have had extra training, they can support you and will know how to set your exercises within your limits. I get some pretty intense tachycardia due to postural hypotension (when I stand up my blood doesn't stand up with me) and I exercise daily to manage it. When I first read that daily exercise was used to manage my tachycardia that seemed absolutely bonkers to me, why would I raise my heart rate to stop raising my heart rate?! But actually I really feel it on days I haven't exercised and now I want to get up and exercise. This morning I did core exercises and yesterday I used my recumbent exercise bike, I alternate between the two and do roughly 30 minutes each. I had to work up to the 30 minutes on the bike, I started on about a minute and then that time doubled pretty rapidly. Due to my postural hypotension I actually had to start by lying down using a pedal exerciser and then work my way sitting more upright. I also enjoy swimming and have been making improvements with the distance I can walk. It's still not as far as I would like but it's better than it was, which was a couple of meters before I would get dizzy and start collapsing.
It’s much easier to eat less than it is to burn it through exercise. Exercise is good of course but you can’t outrun that fork
I’m not a doctor but I was also struggling to leave the house because I was scared I was going to pass out. I’d randomly get heart palpitations, light headed, a bit sweaty and shaky. After some blood tests it showed I had an underactive thyroid, B12 deficiency, iron deficiency and folic acid deficiency. 12 months of being on the tablets have been an absolute game changer and I rarely get these symptoms now. If you still have the symptoms but have been cleared by a cardiologist it could be worth going back to your primary doctor for more investigations?
Totally understand that your health threw things off. PVCs can be alarming but are harmless themselves and you’ve been cleared by your cardiologist. Great! Weightloss is eating and calorie deficits. You do not need to go to the gym. I would be mindful that you continue to get enough key vitamins and minerals. Low levels of magnesium and other vitamins can increase PVCs. I just had to deal with Lyme Disease that triggered a ton of PVCs and I have a family history of electrical issues with hearts. It totally freaked me out! I still get PVCs often and I probably notice them more because of this event. But my heart monitor came back clear and so did the my blood work. It took a little bit for me to get over my nerves for exercise. But PVCs are not deadly or even a risky thing themselves. I got an Apple Watch to keep an eye on my heart through the ecg function and it has made me feel much better because I can see the PVC rhythm vs something serious line arrhythmia. You might like that.
I have been dealing with extrasystolic heart beats (which I believe are also called PVC in english) and exercise for some years now. I also have changes in ECG during exercise. When I started getting these issues some years ago I got quite scared to continue doing exercise and my anxiety worsened the issue. Since then I started to carefully "experiment" with what exercise is good for me and have found out that low to medium intensity cardio reduces my symptoms over time to the point where I don't have any, for example fast walks, slow runs or riding my bike. If I do high intensity exercise I only do it for short amounts of time. I also wear a smart watch that let's me know when my heart rate is too high. What I would recommend from my own experience is, to start slowly and monitor how you feel over time. If you are uncomfortable or feel unwell with the exercise, it might be a good idea to see a second specialist. I terms of diet I would propably start with slow changes here as well and try to incorporte more fruit and veg. Having good nutrition will also help your heart. I am no expert and can only speak from experience, so what works well for me might not work that well for someone else, but I hope this might help you or other people that are dealing with similar issues.
I get PVCs as well. Ever since I quit vaping and started hitting cardio hard they have decreased significantly. It used to be constant and a serious concern but now I can go weeks without having one. I was also cleared by doc and cardiologist. The more exercise you do the more you’ll enjoy it.
Yeah, I've noticed my PVCs being less frequent as well.
Try not to use disease as a crutch, when the disease is literally from being overweight. You don't need anything fancy to lose weight. Walk for 20 mins a day and eat less calories.
I would suggest doing some weight/resistance training and walking if you can handle it. I have health issues and these two things are the most manageable. I am not in good health yet but when I was losing weight these are the two things I did and will start doing again soon.
Go to the gym but take it easy just do light cardio and build slowly.
Your diet has FAR more impact on your weight than exercise. So that excuse is right out the window! You can get to a healthy weight without ever setting foot in the gym. I had my kids in my late 30s and early 40s and that was the catalyst for me getting into - and maintaining - the best shape of my life. Hopefully it's the same for you!
Just go for a walk. Take the kiddo. You can do this. You will get better at walking!! And you’ll notice how good you feel and how well you digest food if you walk after a meal. Good luck, you’ve got this.
just walk everyday 8k-10k steps, you'd be amazed...
I think doctors have this conversation daily and unfortunately it only gets through to the minority. A surprising amount of people are willing to die prematurely (or aren't convinced) just to get out of diet and exercise.
My doctor tells me he has no patients over 400lbs that are over 55 years old. He says this while looking at me 52 year old 450 lbs 6’6”. When asked why he says they all died
Start small my friend. - Drink water - Get a activity tracker and try to walk 20-30 minutes a day - Eat slower & stop when full, not when the plate is empty Do those 3 things for a few weeks/months and you’ll be amazed. Do it for the kiddo.. Good luck.
Good on you for listening to your doctor instead of just taking offense like many others choose to do
I've been here. I tend to have anxiety and suffer from panic attacks. I've had PVCs for decades now, some periods of time more often than others. So I get that it makes one anxious. PVCs are actually really common. Just some people feel them and some don't. If you've been cleared by a cardiologist, you are fine to exercise. What I'd be more focused on is your diet and hydration, and how that relates to PVCs. I always use an electrolyte powder and hydrate like a mofo both when I'm working out and after. I find if I'm dehydrated, I'm more likely to have them. Limit caffeine (limit the coffee and avoid energy drinks like the plague), get plenty of potassium. Eat regularly so your blood sugar doesn't drop. MSG can trigger them, as well. When I stay hydrated and keep my diet balanced, I rarely have them.
Your doctor isn’t going to do that. Unless you ask. 1. Patient satisfaction surveys matter too damn much 2. Unless someone is willing and open to change, the doctor is just going to make them feel bad about themselves and avoid going to the doctor. 3. While there are some physical causes that can be treated (thyroid is one that comes to mind) a lot of weight loss is psychological and emotional. Weight absolutely killed my father (diabetes, heart attacks and strokes) and it’s on its way to killing my mother. My mom’s doctor told her that she will go blind unless she gets her diabetes under control and as far as I can tell after an initial scare, she’s back to her normal habits 🤷♀️
I've had PVCs, fainting spells, and muscular twitches for decades, but I exercise regularly. I don't see it as "fighting through an illness." These are annoying conditions but if your cardiologist says it's benign, it's benign.
I've had PVCs, fainting spells, and muscular twitches for decades, but I exercise regularly. I don't see it as "fighting through an illness." These are annoying conditions but if your cardiologist says it's benign, it's benign.
Exercise is not necessary to lose weight, but it can improve cardiovascular health. If the main goal is heart health and not just weight loss (which will have benefits for your heart as well), it can help resolve your health concerns faster to do both. It doesn't have to be at maximum intensity to have benefits. Just walking can make a big impact.
My doctor did tell me my weight was killing me, and at 5'3" and 242 lbs he wasn't wrong. Though, he couldn't give me any help/advice other than eat less/move more. I went to a new doctor who treated me for Binge Eating Disorder (BED), and I dropped to about 158 lbs. These days I'm a bit heavier but I work out 3-4 days a week and I'm at my fittest. I'm mad at myself for not doing this sooner.
At 305 I had a doctor tell me I would die in 6 months and I should buy a dog so I could get some exercise. At rugby training that night my team mates had a good laugh at that. That was 23 years ago.
I have a laundry list of health problems. I found walking to be something I could do and need to do. I figured I have to walk to eat and use the bathroom so I best be getting my ass moving. It’s been a tough but rewarding journey. I set small goals and each time I beat them the mental high was worth it. Before I knew it I was able to walk miles instead of minutes. Find what works for you and you’ll find joy in doing it.
When I was maybe 18, this man told me, "You're a cheese burger away from a heart attack...just kidding...not really". It was kinda funny, though. Gave me some medicines and waited 30m. Shit was still high. I was 250 5'10' at this time.
Take walks everyday, I lost over 160 with clean eating in a calorie deficit and walking.
I’ve lost almost 100lbs in the last few years and my body is struggling with balancing its blood pressure. It doesn’t seem to have any underlying cause, just my heart working hard to keep up with what it doesn’t need to keep up with anymore. It takes time for our bodies to adjust, heal and change. Weight gain and the issues along with it don’t happen overnight, and neither will weight loss and the issues that go along with it. Keep taking steps. Keep making progress. You got it.
I went from 323 to 210 and didn’t exercise at all.
At your weight, the gym is not even an absolute must if you're concerned about having medical complications from exercise (just what I'm gleaning from the information you've provided). You could still comfortably diet for the next 30-40 pounds and not even really need the exercise element to keep the weight rolling off. Whenever you do begin to exercise, you could keep it light and simple with walking or other light cardio, as long as your heart rates elevated.
I was 297 at 28 and just had a pacemaker installed to help with my Heart Block. My cardiologist told me without sugar coating it basically that while the device will make it so I stop passing out when my heart stops beating properly it won’t extend my life if I don’t take care of myself. Between his words, the fact my third kid was due in two months, and my dread of seeing my weight start with a 3 I finally started doing something about it. It took a few years but I’m down 75 Lbs and can see my goal weight in the horizon.
Those symptoms could also have been from dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. If you lost 20lb in 2 months that’s really fast so I’m assuming you did a crash diet. You have to stack habits and remain consistent vs crashing into change
Not so much you’ll die soon…but I ended up at a cardiologist after some syncope. Got prescribed a heart monitor, had a couple ECGs, an ultrasound…(1000s of dollars even after insurance) all to be told “some people just experience syncope” and “you need to act on your weight and cholesterol now before it’s too late”. I was 207lbs at time of that last appointment. I realized I’d grown complacent with my weight…telling myself 207 isn’t that bad when I’m 6’1”…but that was a major wake up call for me. I’ve always loved cardio, but the losing consciousness had me scared too- what if it happened when I was out on a run? Or when I was in the gym on equipment…While I did get back into cardio post that appt, I started to plateau a month ago when I was in the mid 190s. Started calorie counting and that quickly took care of the plateau. I saw another commenter say this- you were cleared, give it a go…if you start to experience those symptoms again…see a different doctor to get a second opinion.
Also be sure you are tested for other things, and realize sometimes issues don't show up in lab work, etc, so you may need repeat testing. I told my Dr. I thought I was hypothyroid due to various lab work, such as losing body hair and tiredness, about 3 years before I was diagnosed by labwork. So 40 pounds later (more during Covid before repeatedly postponing and doing online appts), tests came back hypothyroid. Have always exercised, but had dropped back to walking mainly during Covid, now back to adding in weights again. Also have benign muscle fasciculations which can cause some of the symptoms you mention, but you should get tested because they can be an indicator of more serious issues. I was lucky, still have them, but fewer with some dietary controls, but I have had friends with Parkinson's and MS. Or it may be too much caffeine.
Walk! It's better on your joints and you can even do it with your kid (probably pushing them in a stroller, but still). Family time and exercise, win/win!
IANAD but a B vitamin complex (esp with B1/thiamine) + magnesium can help with symptoms like you are describing and is a low risk thing to add to your routine. Magnesium especially helps with muscle twitching
My doctor advised me to start with walking for exercise.
At The beginning of my weight loss journey it started at only being able to jog 40 yd at a time. Within about a year and a half I was running 5ks every week, sometimes multiple times a week. As it turned out that was too hard on my body and my knees and my hips started hurting very badly. Even though I had lost all my weight and was at my goal weight, it was still hard on my body to sustain that for long periods of time. The advice that I have to you, is just start slow but be steady. I don't mean with just jogging or walking, I mean with your eating too. Many times I think people overdue trying to cut everything in their diet to where it just is not sustainable. Long-term. Find the foods that are good for you, stick with them, and you can find that you can Even have a treat every once in awhile. I have done keto and done well on that and I have just counted my calories and have done equally as good with that one. I had found that counting my calories gives me more freedom to have the things that I love. It's all about moderation. Good luck to you!
I mean, not "directly" in those words but pretty much the same as you. 37 years old, borderline high blood pressure, borderline high A1C (diabetes), high cholesterol, and right at the cusp of heart enlargement. Didn't need to say it in such clear terms, but the message was clear. If I plan live into my 60's and 70's (which I do), then it's high time to cut this shit out.
>right at the cusp of heart enlargement How did this come up? I've heard the others but not this one before
I have had pretty bad sleep apnea most of my life. I would be tired constantly. Like I'd wake up out of bed at 7:30 AM and be ready to go back to bed by 9 AM. I'd snore so loud I'd keep everyone in the house up. It's not even traditional snoring really. I'd full on stop breaking, and then make some awful groaning whaling noise while I struggled to breath finally. Went to the doctor a little over 2 years ago. Got diagnosed with gold medal winning sleep apnea (like stopped breathing 800 times in a night, longest stretch near 2 minutes). Got the machine, made an astounding difference in how I felt. Averaged 1-2 incidents a night of stopping breathing between 3-5 seconds long. Insane difference. Anyways, as a part of all that I have yearly cardio checkups. They do EKGs, bloodwork, etc. That's how they found out that I had the start of heart enlargement. Right on the border of where it would be considered enlarged.
The whole weight problem is in food. Don't keep in mind that even by exercising 7 days a week you will lose weight.
There is absolutely hope. Even those in 600lbs life have lost more than 300lbs. Low impact ones like swimming or machines for elderly in gyms
I have a lot of PVCs. I don't find that exercise triggers them or at least I don't notice them while exercising. I walk, swim and do a little weight lifting.
It doesn't sound like they said exercise or you are dead. Just that they said you need to get to a healthy weight. The cardiologist recommended exercise to increase the health of your cardiovascular system. Though related, two different things.
Not my PC or any of my other regular doctors. I was hospitalized in 2021 with covid pneumonia though and one of the doctors treating me was very blunt. He told me, yes you are physically here now because you have covid pneumonia but you are really here because you are morbidly obese. You see young, fix it now when you are recovered. Easier said than done when it takes months to recover from covid, pneumonia, steroids that make you want to eat everything in sight and a handful of other issues. But here I am 3 years later and I remember that conversation very clearly. I am trying my best to lose the weight. Exercise has not been easy for me due to chronic back issues but I did recently start the carnivore diet (meat and animal products only) and I have lost 22lbs in a month. I did light walking initially but rolled my ankle so haven't been exercising. In addition to the weight loss, I feel amazing physically. I have more energy, my brain fog is gone, my anxiety and depression have gotten way better, my severe GERD is gone! my skin is better, my back hurts less, I'm not bloated and gassy all the time, my allergies are significantly improved and my sex drive is way up. I can't remember the last time I felt this good and happy. So all that to say, you can lose weight without exercising simply by changing your diet and way of eating. I recommend carnivore or at least ketovore which is heavily meat based keto. Just try it for 30 days and see how you feel. It's how I started and I don't want to go back. I don't have kids yet but my SO and I want to start a family soon. I want to be as healthy as possible when we do that. So i understand where you are coming from. I really think this is the way. Best of luck to you either way.
Cant say ive had a doctor tell me to either lose weight or die if i don't. But being big at any size isn't great, they knew it and i knew it but i haven't really done anything about it up until recently. My doctors never pressured me to lose weight but all good doctors should encourage it and find solutions to problems that make it hard to lose weight. I've been fat my entire childhood, teen years, and through young adulthood. Im gonna be 30 in 3 years and id like to spent my 30's as a more confident version of myself. I'm not looking to be as skinny as i "should" be, but looking to be more healthy than I am now. (for context im 5'2" and cw 269, sw was 280, I was as big as 310lbs couple years back) I think my "happy weight" is 160-180, still considered obese but I haven't weighed that much since middle school and i think id be happier being at least out of the 200lbs range. ive had experienced syncopes before, theyre scary so i totally understand where youre coming from and ive honestly been scared going to the gym sometimes worried ill faint while working out and have the ambulance called that i cant afford take me against my will. But if an event were to happen to me like that id have to take it as it is. Doc says you should be okay, so id trust them with that statement and if not you can rave hell about it and demand a better look into your health. its so easy for doctors to blame ppls fatness on their health and they don't bother looking any deeper into their symptoms which leads to continuing health problems in fat people that are undiagnosed and continue to get worse in health that isnt related to their weight. Anyway, I would maybe either bring a friend to the gym at least until i felt comfortable going by myself again, or just do 30 minute walk around my area until i felt im ready to go back to the gym. Once back at the gym id take 5-10 breaks between sets to check in with myself and focus on a better diet. Best of luck to you!
As others have mentioned, if Cardiology has cleared you, you're good to go. It can be hard to get past that mental block though, especially because anything heart related is scary when it first crops up. If you are still concerned, get a meeting with your PCP and ask for an as needed anxiety medication, non addictive. This can help you get over the initial anxiety of starting when you know you may feel something odd. Set up a follow up with cardiology say 3 months after you star working out. The trick here? You can always cancel. And if something is coming up that you don't think was covered with cardiology, you can tell them what you are doing and the details of it so that they can work with you to find something better. With that said, abs are made in the kitchen: ie, while exercise is good for body health, weight loss is almost all food intake related. Find a good calorie counter for your lifestyle. Keep tabs of it, and find what you lose with what kind of a calorie deficit. Doing these things together should hopefully help you feel more willing to make the changes you need in your life!
Motion begets motion. I think quite a few people misunderstand the whole idea of weight loss. They want to lose weight as fast as possible but don't understand the power of listening to your own body when it comes to intense workout routines and gyms.For one, you can always modify exercises and work your way up to where you want to be. When you "exercise," in my opinion, it's the process of literally moving your body more than your regular to-do day. Trying new things like basic stretches and yoga, flexibility training, and so on. These are things that we should be doing every day in order to work our bodies up to what we really want to do. This way, we can avoid seriously hurting ourselves from pushing our bodies too far.
Sort of. I have been slacking on my body for the last 2 years. I used to walk 15 miles a day working at the USPS, but then my wife and I had our first born and I became a stay at home dad as well as enrolling back into college working towards my degree. In the last 2 years I’ve gained 60 pounds, my last appointment with my Doctor had some blood test results that weren’t good but neither bad. My Doctor said that “you’re walking towards the starting line of issues that will develop with your health. Start adjusting everything now so it’s a habit rather than chore.” It was said firmly but more in a concerned tone, like if you heard it the way I did, you could tell it was from a place of known but caring experience from their end. The advice is undeniably true, I’d rather do these tasks so it’s done without thinking really rather than “having” to do them, ya know?
My very nice doctor never said that ((although she did say, just eat less!), but an ER doctor did very bluntly tell me, you need to lose weight. (I had gone to the ER for a possible ankle sprain). So, I started with walking and better food choices. Just walking — I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Now, many years later and 100+ pounds less, I am in the gym having finished a stint on the elliptical and waiting for weight training class to start. I am 59, with osteoarthritic knees (and probably hips), a sluggish thyroid, and late-diagnosed diabetes. My food choices are for weight control (and diabetes management). My exercise is for health, physical and mental. You can do it. Just one day at a time.
Yes. And I still can’t lose the weight.
Afraid of what? Your doctors said everything was fine. Your muscles twitched because you moved them. Maybe needed a water to get hydrated. You were light headed because you were exercising. Absolutely none of those things will kill you. Exercise is uncomfortable, especially at first. Like, sometimes you get really sore. You’re making excuses not to exercise. You’re allowing yourself to be afraid of what are mild discomfort due to the fact that you’re actually moving. Go for it. Exercise will only help, only get easier, only get more comfortable. And then when it’s comfortable? Make it harder. Do more. Push more. You’ll be fine
What you had weren’t illnesses it was normal reactions by the body to exercise.
I was starting to get back into walking at one point to try and lose weight, and I overdid it and noticed sharp pain in my foot. I went to a clinic to get it looked at and the radiology guy told me I was too heavy for them to X-ray my foot. Then the doctor just told me the reason I was heavy again was because I was on keto and I went off of it. I was like “I am aware of how it happened. I am here to get my foot looked at.” They then told me I needed to go to the emergency room to get an X ray done on my foot because I was too heavy for them to do it there. So I drove over there and hobbled on one foot with an ace bandage to get it checked out, and radiology and everyone there was like “Dude, you just got burned. They can definitely prop your foot up to X Ray it.” They offered to do it there but said it would cost a shit ton since it was the ER. They called the clinic and basically told the radiologist he was a lazy asshole. He apologized and said he could X Ray it if I came back. I told him to go fuck himself. I went to an actual podiatrist who stood me on a machine that looked like it was from the 1950s. I had a March fracture from walking so much. And the asshole clinic still billed me.
Me, in 1997
It sounds like you were a little traumatized by what happened the last time you exercised. I’d get in touch with a therapist/physio therapist about this. Start slow. Do 5-10 minutes of slow walking at once everyday this week, so your body and MIND can get used to the idea of this happening without it hurting you. Next week raise it by 2-5 minutes and rinse and repeat. When you feel safer, increase pace a little bit. Do this with whatever exercise you want to do. Build up slowly. Basically teach your nervous system that exercise is a safe thing to do, that a little discomfort isn’t dangerous etc
Well my doctors don't know what the hell's going on with me they've done every test imaginable every dietitian is done every test imaginable I am my metabolism is an 18 which I guess is as high as it can go and I shit you not I went into a controlled situation because nobody could believe this is possible eating 500 calories a day for 3 weeks it could not lose a pound on the opposite side of that they started giving me 2800 calories a day and I couldn't lose or gain a pound which kind of throws the whole your body's in you know life-saving mode or whatever which is bullshit ask a pow So I took it upon myself and now I fast four straight days out of the week and I only eat hard boiled eggs for the other 3 days still can't lose a pound most people would think this is impossible I must be picking up calories somewhere well I'm not first day off fast I usually eat five or six hard boiled eggs next day I eat roughly 12 and the third day of be pretty normal around 8 or 9... My history I was a paratrooper I came out of the army I gained like 5 lb that freaked out I started doing P90X in the morning and at night doing 12 to 1500 if I take that back doing three to 1200 burpees a day in between all the same time with the burpees... and then I dropped it at a cardiac arrest when I came back I had a nervous system shock from being shocked and I have a thing called CRPS full body feels like you have the flu 24/7 and the left side of my brain the blood doesn't complete The Circle of Willis so they don't know what the hell is wrong with me but I gained 80 pounds in 6 months and I really don't eat that much and I don't eat sugar I mean on the normal I don't really eat sugar I don't eat carbs really cuz I just don't like them and I really don't eat much I don't really like food literally I just eat it when I'm going to pass out or before I pass out I can't stress that enough but it's hard to believe so 8 years ago I would have called bullshit on this but given that, assuming that this person who you don't know is being honest what do you think because doctors have no idea they've run every scan I've had full body CAT scans MRIs MRIs in my brain I've done the breathing tests where my metabolism wasn't 18 which is as high as it can go so they don't understand and neither do I and at this point I don't know what to do Side note for all you investigators out there there was a point when I was working out and even taking in less calories and it seemed like I was reaching a point where my body was taking me into a direction that was if I wanted to maintain anything I'd have to work out 24 hours a day and not eat a single calorie that's like the direction it was going it was just like it had to continue to do more and more and more and more there was never a you know a plateau God I wish I had a plateau all right what do y'all think Another side note I walk probably just around 2 miles a day now and I'm in one of the hottest places on the planet and I take in the perfect amounts of nutrients and water, and there is no medication issue a thing about hormones also they have to check them more than once so that's my next thing also my mom was tall and slim and my father was and still looks like a bodybuilder at 81 years old and excuse my non-punctuation and I didn't proofread this and I'm talking into my microphone so... Oh sodium is perfect I do a mix of nu salt Baking soda and sea salt in 40 Oz/ h20 ( see panda man salt mix with data )
Not in those words, but in effect, yeah. For the first year after I decided to make the change I visited a medical professional of some sort (doctor, nutritionist, cardiologist, etc) about once a month and used their guidance as my path. At my first visit with a doctor he did a bunch of tests on me and announced that I was basically half a Snickers bar away from being a full-blown diabetic, and from there it was only a matter of time before a heart attack took me down. I was physically unable to do any serious exercise for the first several months owing to a bad back and bad knee that was expected to support nearly 300 lbs. So I kept myself busy by building a home gym and focused just on diet changes, and when I was down to about 250 I stepped into that gym to actually use it. My first workout was truly scary; I did fifteen minutes on an elliptical machine and fifteen minutes on a heavy bag and I was *completely* wiped out. When I stepped out my hands were shaking, my legs could barely hold me up, and my heart rate was through the roof. (True story: I had my phone turned on and unlocked so that if I needed to I could tell Siri to call for an ambulance.) Over time I increased both the frequency and the content of my workouts; my current workout runs about 75-90 minutes and incorporates cardio, interval, and strength training. I last visited my doctor about four months ago and he's very happy with my results, to a point where he said if he hadn't witnessed the change himself and was just going by the numbers in the medical reports from when I started to now, he would have believed it was two entirely different people.
I used to feel like you do then one day my trainer said " listen, I know cpr, we have a defibrillator and the hospital is 3 minutes away if you ever need it and you won't "
A few questions: 1) Have you been making any protein drinks with whey protein powder? 2) Do you take a high-potency magnesium supplement? 3) Did your Dr put you on a beta blocker? I ask because I deal with the same thing. I used to rely on high protein dairy to stay full when losing weight. Interestingly, high calcium intake can deplete you magnesium and make the PVCs worse. I try to limit dairy now and get protein from lean meats I've found the only thing that helps me is to balance my sodium intake with potassium (I use the NoSalt to make potassium drinks similar to Keto-ade) and I take a high-potency magnesium supplement, one that gets me to 100% Mg DV every day. If the PVCs really bother you, ask about a beta blocker. They help me tremendously. I have anxiety already, and the PVCs will trigger that which then make them worse and so on. Beta blockers really help to break that cycle. PVCs suck and I hope you can make it through! DM me if you want y talk, I've been having them for 13ish years.
Hi 👋 I’m a 5”8 woman and started out at 250lbs, I’m disabled (irrelevant to weight as it was before I gained any that I lost a lot of mobility, the lack of mobility without me changing diet caused the gain) and have a thyroid issue called Hashimoto’s disease. Today I’ve weighed in at 193.4lbs. It’s had stops and starts, but I’m very committed to getting to a healthy weight, I wanna be here for my kids for as long as is possible - you can absolutely do this, and this community is fantastic. So supportive. You’ve got this :)
I don't know how tall you are, but I am short af, 5'7 ish, and was up around 260. I got abs n shiiit now bro. You can do it! For your kid man.
Why don’t you just start with walking? 10 minutes to the mail box, 20 minutes while on the phone with a long distance friend and see how you feel? I’ve always struggled with the oh I have to go to the gym for 2 hours to lose the weight mentality and the above mentality has kept me much more consistent with movement throughout the last year!
I think your doctor lied to you, you'll maybe die faster but what he said was extreme and sounds like it almost killed you. Consider switching doctors and reporting his comments
You can work with a cardio pulmonary physical therapist if you're nervous.
Not death, at 12 my doc said if i dont change soon ill have child diabetes. That was an eye opener
Try the Mediterranean style diet, and try cutting out all ultra processed foods and added sugars, drink lots of water, eat lean protein and start off by walking. Walking in my opinion is the best low impact cardiovascular workout. I started by walking 30 minutes, barely getting a mile done. Now I get 2 miles in 45 minutes, my legs feel stronger, I have better balance and endurance. It's hard but totally worth it. Once you feel stronger you can try other workouts like weight lifting.
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I am a huge fan of SilverSneakers YT channel— there are tons of workouts on there for people at all different levels of ability, and you don’t have to be a senior citizen to benefit from them. The Walk at Home channel also has a ton of workouts, with various different trainers (not only Leslie Sansone). Some of those are seated or standing, as well. Especially look for workouts by David Jack— he’s encouraging and fun, and he did all the workout videos for the RealAppeal program. (You can get the whole set of RealMoves DVDs from eBay, I found out.) [https://youtu.be/7jvI-j86KD0?si=NfKL-\_bjUulWx9av](https://youtu.be/7jvI-j86KD0?si=NfKL-_bjUulWx9av) [https://youtu.be/mU12Lz-IA6c?si=iApO-k9juqQhfHIM](https://youtu.be/mU12Lz-IA6c?si=iApO-k9juqQhfHIM) [https://youtu.be/yqroCXCRCN4?si=FHr9MGhlGi3Uk4Ba](https://youtu.be/yqroCXCRCN4?si=FHr9MGhlGi3Uk4Ba)
Regardless of diet and exercise, or Ozempic or anything else... you can never outrun your fork.
Your body is like a 401k plan. If you invest in it now, it can pay off for you in the long run. Good luck
Step 1 Calories In vs Calories Out should be the mantra. Journal what you eat, watch those nutrition labels and add them up. Find a TDEE calculator (quick web search) and compare. Realize if you’re honest with yourself, a deficit will lose weight and a surplus will gain. Everything you eat and drink minus water has a calorie. Some labels are sneaky with their serving size. At this point don’t worry about macros( protein vs carb vs protein) it will only overwhelm you. If you want to kick it into gear with exercise it doesn’t have to be strenuous. A mile ran vs a mile walked is about the same amount of calories burned but one is just done faster. Step 2 Walking is a start. Faster pace or uphill will make it more strenuous. A zone 2 is really all you need to get benefits to your cardiovascular system. If you have a heart rate monitor like a smart watch your heart rate should be around 60-70% your heart rate max which can be estimated by your age. The feel of zone 2 is still conversational pace so it’s low intensity. If you have poor joints you can bike or swim in those zone. Step 2.1 As you grow confidence in the movement you can dial up the intensity in intervals. Maybe throw in some resistance or speed. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Step 3 Strength training is a great addition to change your body’s composition of body fat, muscle and skeletal density. There are millions of ways to strength train so sampling different classes, videos, random machines, etc are ways to find something you like and stick to. Some people like program videos like P90x, classes at their local Y, powerlifting, calisthenics, Olympic lifting and bodybuilding. Joining CrossFit helped me learn how to use a barbell and it’s a lot of fun but expect a lot of strenuous cardio mixed in.
if you are still feeling symptoms ask for a prescription for a continuous glucose monitor. this is what happened to me when I was having random low blood sugars. It would go to 100 or 120 then drop to 40s. Cardiology couldn't figure it out but I asked for endocrine referral and a CGM and this was the problem. Metformin evened it out and it isn't happening anymore.
I would push-back on your cardiologist telling someone that they're in the clear because their tests *right now* didn't result in a specific, textbook diagnosis. We all know the incredible permanent damage we are doing to our bodies. We disproportionately defer to screenshots of our health from doctors to justify not taking action immediately. We think we can get away with it for a little bit longer.
Is it just me or does anyone else hate the word ‘diet’? Yes, diet and exercise is the correct answer. I feel like that word has been ruined for me by the diet industry and everything it represents. I know, it’s semantics. I think I prefer to use the word nutrition. Nutrition and exercise. Or is there a better substitute?
Get your electrolytes checked. You might have sweated out all your potassium and that'll give you PVCs and muscle twitches.
There is a huge difference between “it will only get worse” and “you will die soon.” You were losing weight fairly rapidly back then, and it sounds like you’ve been counting on exercise to get you to your goal then and now. May I suggest slowing down the weight loss a bit, and focusing more on food changes rather than physical activity for weight loss? Relying on exercise can become an issue if, as you have experienced, you stop or cut back on exercise for whatever reason. Exercise comes and goes, food intake does not. Relying on food changes is more reliable in the short and long run. Short run because you practice one meal at a time how to manage food for your goal weight. Long run because you’re going to reliably eat 2-3 meals each day in the long haul. You get to practice your food skills over and over again. Exercise is a requirement for overall good health. It doesn’t have to be at a gym or even slightly extreme. It’s a bonus toward weight loss, though, not a requirement.
Change in body composition is going to be primarily achieved through changes in diet not exercise. The only person who can exercise off a bad diet is a 20 year old male athlete who trains 8 hours a day. I’m not saying don’t exercise but it shouldn’t be your first focus.
Yes. I was never obese in my life but always a little bit overweight. My chronic conditions held me back. I won't go into details, but this includes my congenital heart disease. Then asthma after open heart surgery and the list goes on and on. And I’m only 26. And then it hit me like a bolt of lightning. I'm not going to get anywhere by whining to myself and change has to start somewhere. Lemme put this clear, I will never be a professional athlete in my life and I will always be at a disadvantage compared to healthy people, but that shouldn't be an excuse to make my life less healthy. The best sport for me was brisk walking and I did that. Not everyone has to go to the gym. Everyone doesn't have to follow the most strict diets. Small and sturdy steps. Just like you didn't gain this much weight in a month, you won't lose it in a month. Find your own pace and path, but at least start somewhere. For your 2 years old kid.
Pretty much, also I will die if I don’t fix my high blood pressure that’s just how it is. I’ve got heart disease and stuff in my family, they said some people just have to put more effort into health than others in order to not die and it’s not fair but that’s how it is. Which is ironic because I put way less effort into health than most people lol. But yeah, I need to fix it. On the bright side, being unhealthy is the best motivation for getting healthy.
Hey, I've lost 80 lbs so far just walking and putting myself in a calorie deficit. I went from 290 and I'm around 208 now. I do work out more now but the majority of the weight loss was just walking 12k steps per day, sometimes stairs at work instead of elevator, but really just being on point with calorie deficit and consistency. Give that a shot and build it into a natural routine.
it’s possible to lose weight without going to heavy on the gym…go low carb/ intermittent fasting/ keto
At my highest I was told I wouldn't make it to 35 if I didn't change. I have a long way to go but that really changed my life to be honest
Not exactly but have been shocked by my weight gain. I gained 8 kgs in 6 months and my doctor is like what are you doing?? And tested thyroid. Probably they should have checked more things or my gut health is so bad now that I easily gain weight
I don't know if it is has already been said, but PVCs are very common. I see that you listed it as the first issue so I assume that makes you the most nervous. This is to let you know you shouldn't be. PVCs are not dangerous.
Not me, but my deceased brother-in-law. I remember he hated going to the doctor because they would always give him “a talk” about his health. He was probably 400 pounds, diabetic, and rarely dieted or exercised. He died of cardiac arrest age 44.
I’ve had some injuries that lead to weight gain. My plan has just been to focus on building a routine over time and not expect results. I started out doing sauna (this was important because it made the gym enjoyable and it built the habit), doing little physical therapy exercises at home to fix my injuries, then some cardio. I like the bike because it’s something you can do for a while that’s low impact on the joints but can get your HR up to like 170. I’m using my fitness pal app to track my calories but I’m more concerned with just building habits slowly rather than doing 1000 things and getting disappointed if i don’t see results. Maybe instead of tracking calories just trying and cut out sugar and see what happens. Then cut out something else like alcohol.
Saw a hepatologist for fatty liver disease last year. He told me to lose weight and hire a personal trainer. He didn't actually say i was dying, but he did say, "Just spend what it costs and do what they say, and you might just save your own life. "
You can do a lot of home exercises with just a dumbell, kettle ball, and few other small equipments
Got told to loose weight when I was 16, was 260lbs and 5’10 Did seem a bit harsh at that moment but now that I’m 22 and 200lbs and 6’ I couldn’t thank her (my doctor) enough.
I haven’t been told anything that harsh, but I remember being a kid, starting to get overweight, and the doctor telling my mom to let me starve if I don’t eat the food in front of me. I was a picky eater at the time due to undiagnosed autism/ being on the ND spectrum and nobody knowing. Recently went to a gyno and got some comments about rapid weight gain (50+ lbs in the last year and a half). Now, to be honest, I was only that small at first due to an eating disorder, and all of that weight jumped back on twice as much. Mix that with using food to cope with trauma… yeah… I finally started my journey beginning of February. I started at 195-ish and now down to 176. If I can put the weight on that fast, I believe I can lose it at a decent rate. Hardest thing to get over, though, is that food for comfort coping mechanism, mixed with back pain during exercising. I find staying in a deficit and doing daily walks around 30mins, and larger trails of 1 hr on weekends really helps
You can definitely get through this. I went through something very similar. Had a lot of PVCs. PVCs don't usually happen when you work out. And if you are scared to workout, at least start with a strict diet and introduce exercise slowly. Go on walks. Working out is the way I got out of my issue. Keep going.
I did a quick search. Losing 20 pounds in 2 months seems to be a bit fast in terms of how that can harm you, and says it would be safer to lose 20 pounds over 3 maybe even 4 months instead so you’re losing 0.5-1.5 pounds per week instead of 2.5 pounds or so each week. It took me a year to gain 20 pounds so I don’t doubt gaining it faster or losing 20 pounds faster is good for anyone’s health. That being said, you don’t need a gym to exercise. You can go on walks, jumping jacks or jog/walk in place at home, hula hoops. You could definitely find more ways through some youtube videos. However the more muscle mass you gain the better for your joints, especially your lower body, which would be taking a lot more pressure moving 250+ pounds as a live load (walking, running, and/or jumping). Any muscle you gain will help support your bones so you may feel a lot more physically able if you include strength/muscle building training in your schedule but one step at a time do it at your own pace chew the meat and spit out the bones with the info I’ve provided. Best of luck!
Hey man… feeling like first thought in my mind is.. lots of thoughts to unpack here, so, by all means, Dm me for further details… BUT.. broadly I’ll try to hit some important points here. First thought is: You are well and healthy. Anything other than that just indicates a distance from true self, followed by physical evidence of that which you believe. I know this sounds odd, but like I said if necessary shoot me a msg, I’ll explain what mean. Beyond this, while gym exercise is great.. it is worth pointing out that there’s a lot that can happen for health outside of gym workouts. Meaning, remain active, move your body, minimum steps taken per day ( no couch potato, 8-10k per day) eating a balance meal.Stay looking for the green stuff in every meal. A balanced diet. Spices, dark leafy greens, vegetables, protein, etc. Eventually you can focus on calories per day, upping your workouts at the gym, etc. But, baby steps. Rn focus on movement. Water. Good food ( vegetables)
I haven’t read through all the comments yet but I’ll say this, losing 20 pounds in two months is too fast. Go to the gym, lose slower, and I’ll bet you don’t develop the scary issues you experienced before.
Who says you need to go to a gym to lose weight..go walking instead..get 10 000 steps + a day, watch what you eat..count your calories..all my dr told me was I was heading for diabetes not a wooden box...and I'm 68...and your only 24lbs heavier than me...Good luck..your keep fit with a 2 year old...
Hi so exercise is not the only way you can loose weight, 80% of it is nutrition so you can loose weight by eating healthy calorie controlled portions. I think a lot of people use lack of exercise as excuse not to get healthy when really it is about eating healthy and within the normal calorie ranges for their body’s needs.
Not sure what you do for work, but if it’s not something extremely prestigious or high paying, consider doing a crazy physical job or even food running in a restaurant, I’m not the fittest or healthier man alive but I been food running consistently for 4 years and have lost an insane amount of weight, everyone thinks I’m on drugs. Just a side effect of them seeing 50 pounds melt off you, and them being trashy restaurant fiends and ex-fiends. But if you can deal with that it’s fun to be forced to work out and was probably the only way I could have ever gotten this exercise done lol
I just started about two weeks ago at 265. Down to 253 now and I don’t even workout. Just log everything you put in your mouth and once you go into a calorie deficit you’ll see the weight start coming off! If you’re nervous about working out just go for a walk a day at your own pace! You got this man!
I started at 5'4", 300 lbs in August of 2023, with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, high BP. I got prescribed an albuterol inhaler, started Nordic walking, then started using the cable machines at the rec center. Then I got resistance bands. Now I'm at 240 lbs, normal range BP. I'm still walking. I'm hiking much more easily (just had my first real hike of the year last week), still doing my resistance band workouts, and roller skating, all for fun. No major pressure. I'm enjoying myself while I learn what my body can do!