Momma's on a Diet: Exercise Worries

by Katie-Anne Gustafsson | More from this Blogger

16 Feb 2007 02:53 AM

Well the weight is starting to move, and now I'm getting concerned about getting something else moving - namely me! I've never been the most energetic of people. I can multi-task most people off the planet, but can't run to the end of the yard without feeling as if I'm going to die for want of oxygen. At the moment, people assume this is because I'm fat. Unfortunately it's not quite that simple. I used to be stick-insect shaped until I hit my early teens, and even then I wasn't one of life's sporty people. I was a musician. I lived in the music room. I avoided the sports field as much as my timetable would allow me and lived in dread of gym days when I was required to don my gym clothes and jog around the track or worse, play hockey.

These days however, my lack of motivation for movement is more than just personal choice. With major weight issues, it's hard enough to get the body moving into exercise mode, but I also have deep vein thrombosis which means that my legs are often very painful. I also have chronic fatigue. This isn't the kind of fatigue that just makes you feel tired easily. This is the kind of fatigue that puts you in bed for days after any out of the normal activity, and it affects slim people as much as it affects fat ones so it's got nothing to do with weight! Add to that intermittent asthma and there's quite a lot piled up against me in the exercise department.

As yet I don't know how I'm going to get started exercising. I'm scared if I'm honest. I don't want to lose 3 more days of my life because of doing a short exercise routine. The chronic fatigue is probably my biggest enemy here. Even a trip to the grocery store can result in my needing to sleep for a few hours. I guess it's a case of taking smaller than usual baby steps so that my body adjusts without realizing it. But how small is small, and is there any point to doing 2 sit-ups a day?

I know that 2 sit-ups a day today and adding 1 a day means that in a month's time I'll be doing 32 sit-ups, and that's getting more like it, but it seems so feeble. Actually that's a pretty good word for how I feel physically. Feeble! What I really need to do is find something gentle to get me going. Maybe I should look to see if there's any yoga for fat beginners instruction videos around!

Stop Thinking and Just Do It!

Dear Heather How are you Coping with your Medical Problems?

Hatha Yoga for Fitness

Check out my other blog entries here at families.com - you'll find me in the Disney Blog! and my weight loss progress is being blogged here at families.com in Momma's on a Diet!

Learn more about Katie-Anne Gustafsson

Hi,I'm a work at home mom of 2 preschoolers, Jake and Connor, and wife to Mikael.

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Lashell Hoover (470) 17 Feb 2007 10:47 AM

I'm curious. Has your physician given you advice about getting exercise since you have chronic fatigue syndrome? If this is too personal, it's okay not to share. I was just wondering because it has to be difficult to get moving. You use a method that I also use. I do as many reps of a particular exercise as I can. Each day I try to add one more rep. Good luck with your weight loss.

Katie-Anne Gustafsson (604) 17 Feb 2007 01:56 PM

Hi Lashell, nope physician is still not wanting to diagnose with CFS/CFIDS yet - I'm under the neurologist at the moment and whilst he admits I fit the criteria, he thinks it's something else so is continuing to test. He does say however that he acknowledges the problem I have with being motivated to lose weight but how the chronic fatigue is a big obstacle for me! Whilst his words are comforting, I'm an action person, I'd much prefer real advice! LOL Thanks for your kind words, I'm going to try dong "something" because something's better than nothing right? LOL Thanks for dropping by!