Libra Her Problem and My Analysis.

Here is the case study of one of my readers on the other website.

Hi Shiva,
You should be an inspirational speaker. Let me share with you some of my drawbacks and I am sure you will come up with solutions.
I am 50 years old and weigh 186 lbs. I have a treadmill at home and also have a weight set and ab rocket etc. My problem is by the time I am done my house work I am so tired I have no strength left for activity. Plus I have heel spurs so cannot stand on feet for long. Even with ab rocket crunches my legs start to ache and then I have problem walking. I am not a voracious eater; I am sure eating is not an issue, but movement is. I think I am answering my own questions. but somehow I feel like telling you all this.I am sure you will come up with a solution. Every night I tell myself, tomorrow I will start walking, sometimes I even do but thats it I give up in a day or two. By the way I was 45 kgs. at the time of marriage. Can you please shake me up. I'll wait for your response. Bye and God bless you.

My Analysis:

1. My problem is by the time I am done my house work I am so tired I have no strength left for activity. Plus I have heel spurs so cannot stand on feet for long

House work is great but if one does that over and over again for many years it becomes a habit for the body, which being smart starts spending less calories for the same work.

Figure out the best time to exercise. Try completing most of the work earlier in day, take a nap and then allot time for yourself to exercise. The best way is to sit with a blank paper and pen and write down your daily schedule and then decide the time where you are perfectly relaxed and not tired.

2 .I have a treadmill at home - Great you have a treadmill, start with real less speed. Don't increase the speed. Give yourself 1 month to increase on your walking time. Start by 10 -15 minutes and keep increasing your walking time till you are able to do the walking for minimum 45 min. Don't bother about the speed, bother about the stamina right now. Once 45 minutes become cake walk then start increasing the speed.

Stamina should be your focus right now. What I get from your post here is that right now any small activity other than your house work will contribute to your initial weight loss (you are a lucky girl).

3. and also have a weight set - Great, do you like watching TV. I love my TV and when ever I am watching a serial it becomes a perfect time for my weight training. While sitting, do the weight exercises of hand. You can also lift your hands up in semi circle, touch them and get them back down. Start with 25 counts and increase.

If you think this is crazy then hear this. I know a person who lost lot of weight and my family told me she was so crazy that she will do hand exercises and lift legs 500 times while watching TV and after eating (while she was visiting my family). For me that was a great idea and I simply adopted it. Any activity no matter how small makes you spend calories. Do a small hand shake 500 times and you will know how difficult it is.

SO do the upper body exercises, sit and do it. Start with 25 counts of simple exercises and gradually increase. Move your feet and then legs up and down while watching TV. You will soon get the idea that these seeming simple exercises are not that simple.

4. and ab rocket - Ouch!!!!. I stay away from these kind of machines, they are a sure shot way to an injured back. So I cannot comment on them.

5. Plus I have heel spurs so cannot stand on feet for long. Even with ab rocket crunches my legs start to ache and then I have problem walking

I had a broken back, I started with 10 minutes of walking it pained but by next week my stamina built up, so I increased to 20 it pained again but after few days 20 min of walking was a piece of cake. SO start slowly and build your stamina.

Take a hammer to your doctor and keep threatening to hit him with the hammer until he gives you the fair idea about what exercises you can do. Ask him about walking and keep hovering the hammer on his head until he tells you clearly that walking is good for you.

6. Every night I tell myself, tomorrow I will start walking, sometimes I even do but thats it I give up in a day or two -

Your weight loss is not coming for free, you have to put in all your stamina and strength to achieve it. Decide once and for all that you want to do it and you will do it no matter what. There is no negotiations here, you have one life and you will attain this dream of being thin at any cost.

7. I am 50 years old - Ok so you are young. You have age on your side, all you need is to get up and take a small step everyday. Don't let the pain rule you, you have all the right in this world to get up and venture out and have fun and wear short skinny dresses.

There is absolutely no excuse in this world which prevents you from weight loss. So get up girl, open your arms and embrace the day and start your journey towards weight loss.

WALKING IS A MIRACLE AND YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXPERIENCE IT WITH NO PAIN. SO START WALKING TODAY.

Hi Shiva,
I don't have words to thank you enough for replying to me. There is no question unanswered and no excuses left on my part to get moving in the right direction.
As usual I visited this website and I was thrilled to see my name (felt special too).
I read it many times and before thanking you I went and walked on the treadmill for 15 minutes at the speed of 2.2mi/hr.
I felt extremely comfortable with no pressure of speed. (I had previously been making the mistake of walking 3mi/hr and still not being happy with what I was doing.)

Thank you for sharing your insight in regards to my queries, and motivating me.