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Replies to 'Exercise'
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August 16, 2005, 10:24 am PDT
 Quote From: cluekeeper How do you exercise when everything hurts? Your knees, ankles, back, hips, arms, head and your soul. Everything hurts. I don't have any real reason to try and lose weight. If I can't stand biking or walking because my knees hurt, how can I possibly climb stairs at work? If I can't bear to look at myself in the mirror, how can I stand to take a picture of myself as fat as I am? I am over 300 pounds. I lost 30 pounds last fall but put it back on. I can't afford to buy the "low fat" foods or pay the price the stores want for fish or chicken breast.
I have a full-time job, my husband works two jobs and mac and cheese is 4 for $1.00 where chicken breast is over $2.00 a pound. Our paychecks go out the door almost as fast as they come in. I'm behind on my house payment, my car payment, my loan payments (both student loans and one private loan for replacing a stove and refrigerator that were dying). I have no credit cards (except old ones that I am paying off to get them off my credit report). I don't have that much debt but getting 20 cent per hour annual pay raises at my job hasn't helped and the better paying jobs just aren't out there. I want to try and get a better job but that means I need to go back to college. I can't even afford the $50 application fee to see if I could get accepted, let alone the tuition and book fees.
SO, why try and lose weight if you can't afford to eat right? If the money isn't there to buy healthy food, what's the hope in losing weight? Why try and excercise if you still eat the same boring Hamburger Helper, pastas, etc? I can't afford the "good for you" stuff. My budget is tight enough. I have just about giving up hope.
I twisted my knee this weekend and my doctor, today, tells me that "It is either a strained ligament or torn miniscus. Let it heal for two weeks and if it still hurts, then we'll get an x-ray and see about doing something. But, you should lose weight. Do you excercise?" "No," I say. "I can't bear to do anything." I might as well die fat and ugly than have to hear some skinny, slim female doctor tell me to do something about my weight but not offer me any hope. I can't walk, ride a bike, or climb stairs. My knees kill me on a bicycle and stairs. Maybe it is my mood, as she suggested, but do you think she offered to help me with that either? Nope. I cried in their bathroom for 5 minutes before I left to go to work. Now, I'm all depressed and sitting here typing on a message board for Dr. Phil. What do you do when your life stinks and your mood smells even worse?
So just how fed up are you? I hear your discontent loud and clear, but what are you going to do about it? There is nobody else living in your skin but you. This is the only life, the only chance you've got. Let me ask you this, if you had a mule to do all of your carrying and carting, and it was the only mule you were ever going to have for your whole life, would you care for it the way you are caring for your own body? And let me ask you this, how many wheelchair bound and bed-ridden people do you think would trade places with you in a second, even in the shape you are in now? Sometimes we have to hit our rock bottom before we wake up. If you are serious about changing your life, you've come to the right website. Use your discontent, anger, pain, and pathetic excuses and blaming to do some good for yourself and those around you and make a commitment to change. I don't mean to sound judgemental, I can relate EXACTLY to what you are feeling, and I know what it took for me to change. My heartfelt best wishes to you. |
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September 1, 2005, 10:36 am PDT
Quote From: cluekeeper How do you exercise when everything hurts? Your knees, ankles, back, hips, arms, head and your soul. Everything hurts. I don't have any real reason to try and lose weight. If I can't stand biking or walking because my knees hurt, how can I possibly climb stairs at work? If I can't bear to look at myself in the mirror, how can I stand to take a picture of myself as fat as I am? I am over 300 pounds. I lost 30 pounds last fall but put it back on. I can't afford to buy the "low fat" foods or pay the price the stores want for fish or chicken breast.
I have a full-time job, my husband works two jobs and mac and cheese is 4 for $1.00 where chicken breast is over $2.00 a pound. Our paychecks go out the door almost as fast as they come in. I'm behind on my house payment, my car payment, my loan payments (both student loans and one private loan for replacing a stove and refrigerator that were dying). I have no credit cards (except old ones that I am paying off to get them off my credit report). I don't have that much debt but getting 20 cent per hour annual pay raises at my job hasn't helped and the better paying jobs just aren't out there. I want to try and get a better job but that means I need to go back to college. I can't even afford the $50 application fee to see if I could get accepted, let alone the tuition and book fees.
SO, why try and lose weight if you can't afford to eat right? If the money isn't there to buy healthy food, what's the hope in losing weight? Why try and excercise if you still eat the same boring Hamburger Helper, pastas, etc? I can't afford the "good for you" stuff. My budget is tight enough. I have just about giving up hope.
I twisted my knee this weekend and my doctor, today, tells me that "It is either a strained ligament or torn miniscus. Let it heal for two weeks and if it still hurts, then we'll get an x-ray and see about doing something. But, you should lose weight. Do you excercise?" "No," I say. "I can't bear to do anything." I might as well die fat and ugly than have to hear some skinny, slim female doctor tell me to do something about my weight but not offer me any hope. I can't walk, ride a bike, or climb stairs. My knees kill me on a bicycle and stairs. Maybe it is my mood, as she suggested, but do you think she offered to help me with that either? Nope. I cried in their bathroom for 5 minutes before I left to go to work. Now, I'm all depressed and sitting here typing on a message board for Dr. Phil. What do you do when your life stinks and your mood smells even worse?
We all say the same thing. YOU have to do this for yourself. Prioritize When you decide to cut up the credit cards, and start eating more veggies and less meat- You can sit and be fit.. watch exercise programs on TV. Get up earlier- You just have to decide to DO IT. Rotting is no fun. |
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September 9, 2005, 5:18 am PDT
Quote From: cluekeeper How do you exercise when everything hurts? Your knees, ankles, back, hips, arms, head and your soul. Everything hurts. I don't have any real reason to try and lose weight. If I can't stand biking or walking because my knees hurt, how can I possibly climb stairs at work? If I can't bear to look at myself in the mirror, how can I stand to take a picture of myself as fat as I am? I am over 300 pounds. I lost 30 pounds last fall but put it back on. I can't afford to buy the "low fat" foods or pay the price the stores want for fish or chicken breast.
I have a full-time job, my husband works two jobs and mac and cheese is 4 for $1.00 where chicken breast is over $2.00 a pound. Our paychecks go out the door almost as fast as they come in. I'm behind on my house payment, my car payment, my loan payments (both student loans and one private loan for replacing a stove and refrigerator that were dying). I have no credit cards (except old ones that I am paying off to get them off my credit report). I don't have that much debt but getting 20 cent per hour annual pay raises at my job hasn't helped and the better paying jobs just aren't out there. I want to try and get a better job but that means I need to go back to college. I can't even afford the $50 application fee to see if I could get accepted, let alone the tuition and book fees.
SO, why try and lose weight if you can't afford to eat right? If the money isn't there to buy healthy food, what's the hope in losing weight? Why try and excercise if you still eat the same boring Hamburger Helper, pastas, etc? I can't afford the "good for you" stuff. My budget is tight enough. I have just about giving up hope.
I twisted my knee this weekend and my doctor, today, tells me that "It is either a strained ligament or torn miniscus. Let it heal for two weeks and if it still hurts, then we'll get an x-ray and see about doing something. But, you should lose weight. Do you excercise?" "No," I say. "I can't bear to do anything." I might as well die fat and ugly than have to hear some skinny, slim female doctor tell me to do something about my weight but not offer me any hope. I can't walk, ride a bike, or climb stairs. My knees kill me on a bicycle and stairs. Maybe it is my mood, as she suggested, but do you think she offered to help me with that either? Nope. I cried in their bathroom for 5 minutes before I left to go to work. Now, I'm all depressed and sitting here typing on a message board for Dr. Phil. What do you do when your life stinks and your mood smells even worse?
Most of the pain you are describing (NOTE, I am NOT a doctor.) sounds like it is brought on by the weight in the first place. If you can get moving and get some of the pounds off, things will improve. (I know, I know...sounds llike a catch 22.) The trick in the beginning is to TAKE IT EASY and work your way into exercising more.
If even walking is too hard, my best advice is to get yourself into a pool. I am not talking about swimming laps. I am talking about exercising in the water. The bouyancy the water provides cushions and eases the strain of gravity on your joints and muscles. Public pools don't cost too much, if you can find one in your area. Another idea is sinply to move as much as you can. I am not talking about doing high impact aerobics. Do not lay down if you can sit up, do not sit if you can stand, and do not stand still if you can move. No one is going to advise someone in your situation to start jumping around like Richard Simmons, but only doing what you are already doing will only get you what you are already getting.
As to the food cost issue...I fully understand. I am trying to feed a family of 5 at a salary that is right at the poverty level, too little to buy much but too much for food stamps. You sited Mac and Cheese and meat. I know mac and cheese is cheap and meat can be expensive. I am not going to tell you to buy the "low fat" gimmick foods. You won't like them, you'll see the cost as a waste and go back to old habits. But what about what else you eat? Are you buying soda? cookies? Doritos? Junk food is EXPENSIVE! Go to the produce aisle instead of the snack aisle. Even if you are still eating the mac and cheese, if you can change one or two things for the healthier, you will be better off.
Your main question seemed to be why should I even try to lose weight? Well, the benefits are clear. Yes, it isn't going to be easy, but it is worth it. Being overweight is a killer. I am not being melodramatic. Being overweight can KILL you. It is already making your life miserable, we can tell by your post. It will only continue to do so as time goes on. Your knees are not going to get better by themselves. You aren't ever going to feel better looking in the mirror. It isn't going to get any easier to breathe. You could end up in a wheelchair, Type 2 diabetes can make you GO BLIND. You will almost certainly have respiratory and cardiac problems. The health problems will go away...when you die, which will almost certainly be sooner rather than later at over 300 pounds. There are a lot of fat people and there are a lot of old people, but there not a lot of fat, old people.
I am not trying to come down hard on you. I know how hard it is. But if you have a reason to live, and everyone does, whether they see it or not, then you have a reason to live healthy. It isn't easy, but it isn't impossible. |
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September 28, 2005, 6:55 am PDT
Quote From: cluekeeper How do you exercise when everything hurts? Your knees, ankles, back, hips, arms, head and your soul. Everything hurts. I don't have any real reason to try and lose weight. If I can't stand biking or walking because my knees hurt, how can I possibly climb stairs at work? If I can't bear to look at myself in the mirror, how can I stand to take a picture of myself as fat as I am? I am over 300 pounds. I lost 30 pounds last fall but put it back on. I can't afford to buy the "low fat" foods or pay the price the stores want for fish or chicken breast.
I have a full-time job, my husband works two jobs and mac and cheese is 4 for $1.00 where chicken breast is over $2.00 a pound. Our paychecks go out the door almost as fast as they come in. I'm behind on my house payment, my car payment, my loan payments (both student loans and one private loan for replacing a stove and refrigerator that were dying). I have no credit cards (except old ones that I am paying off to get them off my credit report). I don't have that much debt but getting 20 cent per hour annual pay raises at my job hasn't helped and the better paying jobs just aren't out there. I want to try and get a better job but that means I need to go back to college. I can't even afford the $50 application fee to see if I could get accepted, let alone the tuition and book fees.
SO, why try and lose weight if you can't afford to eat right? If the money isn't there to buy healthy food, what's the hope in losing weight? Why try and excercise if you still eat the same boring Hamburger Helper, pastas, etc? I can't afford the "good for you" stuff. My budget is tight enough. I have just about giving up hope.
I twisted my knee this weekend and my doctor, today, tells me that "It is either a strained ligament or torn miniscus. Let it heal for two weeks and if it still hurts, then we'll get an x-ray and see about doing something. But, you should lose weight. Do you excercise?" "No," I say. "I can't bear to do anything." I might as well die fat and ugly than have to hear some skinny, slim female doctor tell me to do something about my weight but not offer me any hope. I can't walk, ride a bike, or climb stairs. My knees kill me on a bicycle and stairs. Maybe it is my mood, as she suggested, but do you think she offered to help me with that either? Nope. I cried in their bathroom for 5 minutes before I left to go to work. Now, I'm all depressed and sitting here typing on a message board for Dr. Phil. What do you do when your life stinks and your mood smells even worse?
Sounds like you have alot of things going on and maybe a little depressed? Hang in there. I have thought the same thing about "How am I supposed to afford this??" It sounds like you and your husband are really working hard, but just not able to get ahead. Do you do a formal budget? We started listening to Dave Ramsey a few months ago and his simple info on how to do a budget really helped. Now we have a grocery budget and it makes me feel more powerful w/ money. It might be worth trying.
As the others mentioned, try to cut out expensive non-nutritional food (snacks, pop, etc) We have started buying all generic items. We also cook more instead of buying prepackaged foods. If you can't buy all "low-fat" try to buy some fresh fruit and veggies. Take small steps and you can succeed. Walk 5 minutes if that is all you can do. I really feel for you. It sounds like you are really "low" and I have been there. Don't give up hope. Email me if you need a buddy jklivin@wideopenwest.com Good Luck Donita |
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October 7, 2005, 10:05 pm PDT
Quote From: cluekeeper How do you exercise when everything hurts? Your knees, ankles, back, hips, arms, head and your soul. Everything hurts. I don't have any real reason to try and lose weight. If I can't stand biking or walking because my knees hurt, how can I possibly climb stairs at work? If I can't bear to look at myself in the mirror, how can I stand to take a picture of myself as fat as I am? I am over 300 pounds. I lost 30 pounds last fall but put it back on. I can't afford to buy the "low fat" foods or pay the price the stores want for fish or chicken breast.
I have a full-time job, my husband works two jobs and mac and cheese is 4 for $1.00 where chicken breast is over $2.00 a pound. Our paychecks go out the door almost as fast as they come in. I'm behind on my house payment, my car payment, my loan payments (both student loans and one private loan for replacing a stove and refrigerator that were dying). I have no credit cards (except old ones that I am paying off to get them off my credit report). I don't have that much debt but getting 20 cent per hour annual pay raises at my job hasn't helped and the better paying jobs just aren't out there. I want to try and get a better job but that means I need to go back to college. I can't even afford the $50 application fee to see if I could get accepted, let alone the tuition and book fees.
SO, why try and lose weight if you can't afford to eat right? If the money isn't there to buy healthy food, what's the hope in losing weight? Why try and excercise if you still eat the same boring Hamburger Helper, pastas, etc? I can't afford the "good for you" stuff. My budget is tight enough. I have just about giving up hope.
I twisted my knee this weekend and my doctor, today, tells me that "It is either a strained ligament or torn miniscus. Let it heal for two weeks and if it still hurts, then we'll get an x-ray and see about doing something. But, you should lose weight. Do you excercise?" "No," I say. "I can't bear to do anything." I might as well die fat and ugly than have to hear some skinny, slim female doctor tell me to do something about my weight but not offer me any hope. I can't walk, ride a bike, or climb stairs. My knees kill me on a bicycle and stairs. Maybe it is my mood, as she suggested, but do you think she offered to help me with that either? Nope. I cried in their bathroom for 5 minutes before I left to go to work. Now, I'm all depressed and sitting here typing on a message board for Dr. Phil. What do you do when your life stinks and your mood smells even worse?
I had to reply to your message, because just a month ago I was in your exact same shape. I wasn't in as much pain as you , but I had no energy, exercising hurt, and I could not afford the healthy food. The 4 for $1 mac and cheese was on my plate every night.lol I have two children and realized it was time to get help. I filed for foodstamps, and I now have enough to buy my healthy foods and all the treats that they love. I felt bad for filing, but I work my butt off, as I am sure you do. Every one needs a little help, and if getting help saves your life,, please do it!!! I have been on my diet for a little over two weeks and can now do and hour of exercise a day. You can do exercices while sitting, look up in google.com "wheelchair exercises" any little bit helps.
There is hope, you just have to find it!! |
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October 14, 2005, 7:29 pm PDT
Quote From: cluekeeper How do you exercise when everything hurts? Your knees, ankles, back, hips, arms, head and your soul. Everything hurts. I don't have any real reason to try and lose weight. If I can't stand biking or walking because my knees hurt, how can I possibly climb stairs at work? If I can't bear to look at myself in the mirror, how can I stand to take a picture of myself as fat as I am? I am over 300 pounds. I lost 30 pounds last fall but put it back on. I can't afford to buy the "low fat" foods or pay the price the stores want for fish or chicken breast.
I have a full-time job, my husband works two jobs and mac and cheese is 4 for $1.00 where chicken breast is over $2.00 a pound. Our paychecks go out the door almost as fast as they come in. I'm behind on my house payment, my car payment, my loan payments (both student loans and one private loan for replacing a stove and refrigerator that were dying). I have no credit cards (except old ones that I am paying off to get them off my credit report). I don't have that much debt but getting 20 cent per hour annual pay raises at my job hasn't helped and the better paying jobs just aren't out there. I want to try and get a better job but that means I need to go back to college. I can't even afford the $50 application fee to see if I could get accepted, let alone the tuition and book fees.
SO, why try and lose weight if you can't afford to eat right? If the money isn't there to buy healthy food, what's the hope in losing weight? Why try and excercise if you still eat the same boring Hamburger Helper, pastas, etc? I can't afford the "good for you" stuff. My budget is tight enough. I have just about giving up hope.
I twisted my knee this weekend and my doctor, today, tells me that "It is either a strained ligament or torn miniscus. Let it heal for two weeks and if it still hurts, then we'll get an x-ray and see about doing something. But, you should lose weight. Do you excercise?" "No," I say. "I can't bear to do anything." I might as well die fat and ugly than have to hear some skinny, slim female doctor tell me to do something about my weight but not offer me any hope. I can't walk, ride a bike, or climb stairs. My knees kill me on a bicycle and stairs. Maybe it is my mood, as she suggested, but do you think she offered to help me with that either? Nope. I cried in their bathroom for 5 minutes before I left to go to work. Now, I'm all depressed and sitting here typing on a message board for Dr. Phil. What do you do when your life stinks and your mood smells even worse?
Here is an idea, have you seen the way the elderly exercise, start that way.
The media keeps wondering why Americans are fat/obese. Fast food and junk food are dirt cheap and highly convenient (drive-thrus, delivery, barely any preparation or spoilage). Also, many (affordable to many) neighborhoods are not conducive to the free exercise of walking or biking.
No sidewalks, traffic dangers, crime, loose dogs, loose people, and just plain borrrrring to walk through (no natural trails or tree-lined sidewalks near the water). The rich have no excuse to be fat (maybe if they worked 60 to 80 hours a week), they can afford neighborhoods that include scenic pathways or homes with large enough estate to create their own private nature trails and allow their dogs to run free next to them. Soooo, jealous, I mean envious.
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October 22, 2005, 12:58 pm PDT
Quote From: cluekeeper How do you exercise when everything hurts? Your knees, ankles, back, hips, arms, head and your soul. Everything hurts. I don't have any real reason to try and lose weight. If I can't stand biking or walking because my knees hurt, how can I possibly climb stairs at work? If I can't bear to look at myself in the mirror, how can I stand to take a picture of myself as fat as I am? I am over 300 pounds. I lost 30 pounds last fall but put it back on. I can't afford to buy the "low fat" foods or pay the price the stores want for fish or chicken breast.
I have a full-time job, my husband works two jobs and mac and cheese is 4 for $1.00 where chicken breast is over $2.00 a pound. Our paychecks go out the door almost as fast as they come in. I'm behind on my house payment, my car payment, my loan payments (both student loans and one private loan for replacing a stove and refrigerator that were dying). I have no credit cards (except old ones that I am paying off to get them off my credit report). I don't have that much debt but getting 20 cent per hour annual pay raises at my job hasn't helped and the better paying jobs just aren't out there. I want to try and get a better job but that means I need to go back to college. I can't even afford the $50 application fee to see if I could get accepted, let alone the tuition and book fees.
SO, why try and lose weight if you can't afford to eat right? If the money isn't there to buy healthy food, what's the hope in losing weight? Why try and excercise if you still eat the same boring Hamburger Helper, pastas, etc? I can't afford the "good for you" stuff. My budget is tight enough. I have just about giving up hope.
I twisted my knee this weekend and my doctor, today, tells me that "It is either a strained ligament or torn miniscus. Let it heal for two weeks and if it still hurts, then we'll get an x-ray and see about doing something. But, you should lose weight. Do you excercise?" "No," I say. "I can't bear to do anything." I might as well die fat and ugly than have to hear some skinny, slim female doctor tell me to do something about my weight but not offer me any hope. I can't walk, ride a bike, or climb stairs. My knees kill me on a bicycle and stairs. Maybe it is my mood, as she suggested, but do you think she offered to help me with that either? Nope. I cried in their bathroom for 5 minutes before I left to go to work. Now, I'm all depressed and sitting here typing on a message board for Dr. Phil. What do you do when your life stinks and your mood smells even worse?
Reading your email I noticed you said you've just about given up hope, might as well die fat and ugly, cried in the bathroom for 5 minutes before work, sitting there depressed while typing, your life stinks, your mood smells even worse, etc. I am just a layperson, ie. not Dr. Phil, but sounds like you might be suffering from some depression to me. I would ask your doctor for an antidepressant, you probably won't have to be using it for very long but at least until you feel more normal and feel better about your situation and life, and once you've been using one for a while I bet you will feel more like exercising, dieting, going back to school, and doing other things that are more positive and improving your life. Also tell them about your weight concerns as some cause weight gain as a side effect and some do not! Please post back so we know you are OK! Thanks!
Karen |
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