I only want to lose the 10 pounds I've gradually put on over the last couple of years, but it seems to be just stuck there.

I'm 5'8" and 155 pounds - that's a BMI of 23.6 which is within the normal range, apparently, but I would like to be slim again. The extra weight is mostly on my stomach and hips. My waist (ie. hourglass figure) has almost vanished because it's too thick, and the tummy's a bit flabby.

I have a completely sedentary lifestyle since I work and play at the computer. I feel pretty confident about keeping my calories down but I don't know how to exercise. I worked out that my energy burned is 1764 cal/day so to lose 1 pound a week I would need to eat only 1300 cal/day. This sounds like a starvation diet to me (??!) but I generally eat healthily so if I could find an exercise that works, that I can stick to, I should lose weight even with my present food intake, I would think.

Problem is - I can't find an exercise that suits me. I don't want to join a gym - tried that for a couple of months and it just wasn't me, as well as being expensive. Anything that requires jumping around (eg. aerobics) is no good because right now my joints are shot. I had heart surgery a few years ago (to correct a congenital defect) so anything really vigorous feels quite bad to my body. There's no medical reason I can't exercise but I need to work up to it - I can't jog two suburban blocks without losing my breath.

I was wondering if buying an exercise bike is the way to go. I'd prefer that to a treadmill because brisk walking or jogging makes my ankles hurt. I occasionally do pilates to a video and that seems like a good way to loosen up my joints. I just need to move around a bit, nothing too dramatic.

But it needs to be something easy that I'll stick at! I'm used to just sitting all day, every day. Working from home, I don't even have to walk to my car at the end of the day - I guess that's why the weight is gradually creeping up despite having a healthy (no junk food) diet. I'm worried that if/when I have kids, I'll never lose the extra weight if I'm not in shape beforehand.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. The things I think would work for me might be, say, 20 mins pilates every day, lifting handweights while watching TV (not that I watch much TV), and perhaps an exercise bike a few times a week. Does that sound like it will have any effect?

Hi! I know you said you can't jump around but have you looked at an aerobics program like Tae Bo? I've used the Tae Bo Cardio dvd for a month now, intermixed with an occasional mountain bike ride instead and I've dropped between 10-15 lbs in 4 weeks. My ankles aren't very strong either (years of playing volleyball in HS and college) but the Tae Bo doesn't bother them at all.

Hope this helps some!! :)

Thanks for the suggestion. I have heard of Tae Bo but never seen it or tried it, so I'll check it out. I don't mind being vigorous with my limbs, it's the jumping up and down/jogging thing that really doesn't sit well with me.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have heard of Tae Bo but never seen it or tried it, so I'll check it out. I don't mind being vigorous with my limbs, it's the jumping up and down/jogging thing that really doesn't sit well with me.

I would suggest a couple of things:
1) For cardio, an elliptical machine. They are designed to be no impact, and you can get them for pretty good prices at most major sporting good stores.

2) A basic weight set and possibly a basic bench. They have adjustable dumbbell sets that are 40 lbs total (20 per dumbbell max) for pretty cheap. Or you can get a 110 lb total standard set that comes with dumbbell handles and barbells for fairly cheap. This way you can do a strength workout that will help get you in shape by adding some muscle and cutting some body fat. Plus, there are exercises you can do to strengthen your joints.

As for your diet, 1300 would be too low. You could try a basic 40/30/30 diet. That works for most people. You would need right at 1700 calories per day, and divide the calories up 40% for protein, 30% for carbs, and 30% for fat. Also, with bad joints I would consider a glutamine supplement and/or glucosamine supplement. They have been shown to be very helpful with easing joint pain and healing joints. You can pick them up at walmart, target, sams club, costco, etc.

I have a bad hip (broke it about 10 years ago), but I started out with step aerobics (low impact) and now a year or two later I can do high impact step/hi low aerobics, the whole she-bang. Requires a step and exercise videos - for starting out I'd use a very low step.
I agree with the advice on the elliptical as well, if you can afford it. I've seen low end machines for about $100, although I don't know how sturdy they are.

brisk walking would even be beneficial. you could use exercise bands too.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I presume an elliptical is like a cross-trainer (skis on the feet, arms going back and forth?). I used that during the brief time I was at the gym, although that one didn't move the arms.

I'm putting together some food/exercise ideas now so I do appreciate your help, guys.

An elliptical and a cross trainer are sort of similar, but they're not the same thing.

You can use an elliptical with upper arm handles that swing back and forth, or you can use one that doesn't have them.

The thing that makes it an elliptical is that your feet don't move back and forth on skis or up and down on steps, but round and round on a sort of combination of the two. It's meant to simulate running, but is very easy on the joints.

They're fairly new among cardio machines, but they've gotten very popular very quickly and are now much more common than Nordic-Trak style cross trainers both in homes and in gyms.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I presume an elliptical is like a cross-trainer (skis on the feet, arms going back and forth?). I used that during the brief time I was at the gym, although that one didn't move the arms.

I'm putting together some food/exercise ideas now so I do appreciate your help, guys.

Hello there. First of all, don't give up! It took me months of conisitent working up before I noticed any changes. I did lose my 10 lbs. and went down 2 pant sizes- I'm a loose 6 now! There were times when I wanted to give up, but that's too easy and I was determined.
Now, when you say it has to be easy, well it's not! It's just a matter of making it a routine. I found that taking group classes at my gym helped-I take spinning class ,a scuplt class and run on the treadmill for my workouts. If you put in the work your results will happen. I also made a calendar of my workouts so I could see how conistent I was- I'm a visual person and this really helped me. When I had week after week of checked off workouts I became more motivated!
Good Luck!

Hello there. First of all, don't give up! It took me months of conisitent working up before I noticed any changes. I did lose my 10 lbs. and went down 2 pant sizes- I'm a loose 6 now!

Thanks for your encouragement. We don't have size 6 in Australia - 8 is the smallest adult size, and I think your 6 is our 10, which is what I would love to be in pants. I'm 12-14 now, but often need size 14 on top.

(My other aim is to go down a cup size - I've been a D-cup forever so I can't change that, unfortunately, but lately I'm DD, which must be the extra weight. I'm normal around the back of the chest, though, so I would like to go from 14DD to 12D.)