Exercise can be seriously boring and painful. Also, people are afraid of getting hurt and/or being watched while exercising while being big. I've had overweight friends tell me all of this. I breaks my heart when they told me before they knew me,they thought I'd judge them for being "hideously fat and too lazy to exercise"(their words believe me!) How awful! A person who judges peps on their looks is shallow and mean. Would someone want that person's approval anyway? Believe me when I tell you that kind of a person will always exploit another person's vulnerablilties overweight or no and we ALL have vulnerabilities. Our bodies really aren't the enemy. Pain is an indicator that something is wrong. I also believe boring is a sign that my mind is telling me I'm wasting my time! My time is limited and important,thank you. Pain=bad.No pain,no gain is BS! Not wanting to be in pain is sensible. Just listen to your body and take it slow and easy! Did you know that power walking to uplifting music is better for you than jogging or running? Does the weather stink? Cruise around the mall early and you'll probably run into others doing the same thing. I'd leave the plastic at home if shopping calls to you tho... Hiking. Wonderful exercise instead of going around and around on a track. It's true dancing around in the living room is private,free and good for you. Personally I do Yoga and Martial Arts because I could do it a thousand years and still learn something new. Not everyone in Martial arts is slim and trim. The higher belts are in better shape than a new student but that's because they liked it so much the practice was fun. Yoga is also hard/impossible to master. For me that's interesting. I learned Yoga after a few lessons on the basics at home. Find what interests you that's physical and go for it!PJ

Somehow I am continuing to (slowly) lose weight. Honestly, if I hadn't recently had a physical and blood tests including thyroid, I'd wonder if something was wrong with me! I am down 8-9 lbs. now since the end of August, which on my small frame means I am down at least one size (I was wearing size 12 jeans; now wearing size 10 AND I have to put them in the dryer to shrink them because they get too baggy...previously, I could never put my size 12s in the dryer because they'd never fit!). None of my dress pants fit. A friend, who I hadn't even told about my "diet," last week told me I was "disappearing." I loved that! And this is all without a super-strict plan other than I have vastly reduced my intake of sugar, junky/processed foods, and even fake sugar like Truvia or Equal. I don't put anything but milk in my coffee (previously I used a small amount of Truvia). I only eat bread that is whole grain, no high fructose corn syrup, less than 3 g of sugar per serving. I generally buy myself a loaf of high-end bakery bread and keep it in the freezer and dole it out carefully. Only have pasta that is whole grain, thank goodness for all the new varieties, AND only have it with veggies and usually protein included. I have had slip-ups, particularly in the last 3 weeks or so, but somehow I still lost 1-2 lbs. I am not even exercising that much. I fell out of the habit after the stitches in my leg and with the holiday craziness, snow, and the fact that my gym closed and now I have to go to a branch that's about 20 min. away... I've had a hard time getting back into it and realistically, it's probably not going to happen until after Christmas. BUT, I just ordered a treadmill for my basement! So pretty soon, I'll have no excuses. I can see that exercise is not the key to weight loss for me, but it does make me feel better both physically and mentally.

Pesky, I have been reading along and thinking about you and am truly sorry you have come to this place in your life. I have been blessed with good health for most of my life, with a few surgeries and recoveries that set me back but no long-term pain like you have had to endure. I'm so sorry you have had to deal with this. I know from just getting older I have to take better care of me and do more stretches. Some of them I can actually do at my desk. When I injured an ankle once, a doctor told me to try to trace the alphabet with my foot in mid-air several times a day if possible. It really helped because the muscles and ligaments were stretched in almost every possible direction. Maybe you can try this in small stages at your desk. If you can't get on the floor, there are some things you can do from a chair, just lifting your legs. The yoga in a chair someone suggested is a great idea, as was the elastic bands, and if you can do some things standing, even lifting some 1-lb weights, and bending and stretching at the waist would be good for circulation. My DH was also having some joint problems, and he cut out all artificial sweeteners and cured/processed meats. He now uses Stevia or agave to sweeten his coffee and most of his joint pain disappeared. I'd suggest your food plan change first of all, and that would include any diet sodas and other products containing aspartame. Any other further reduction in sugar, as many have suggested, would help. I know you already know this, but you need lean protein for energy, especially if your job is often physically demanding. So just a vegan diet may not be what you need right now. Salads are great, but you can add a little chicken, beef or fish to it for variety. I even buy a whole roasted chicken and freeze some of it for later. Easy leftover meals with a little rice or salad. Keep your favorite fruits close. Anything filling is best for a snack or to keep you from grabbing something you know you shouldn't eat. Even a spoon of peanut butter on a piece of apple is better than a handful of chips. There are even frozen fruit popsicles that are pretty good desserts. Portion control and healthy eating for energy are what you need to get control of your weight. Sneak in a small square of dark chocolate or whatever gives you a smile once a week! It will make you feel better. And yes, try to find that place for aquatic workouts that can help you work around your schedule. Maybe you can work something out with your employer to come in later a couple of times a week so you could do it early in the mornings? I do hope you can get the help you need in this regard. I think any exercise is a 'mental break' any of us need from the daily stress of life away from home or office. Let us hear from you again. This is such a supportive group.

Peloton has a huge following but I think this is very much an individual thing. I did a lot of research around it since I was looking for some kind of exercise equipment that didn't take up too much space. I used to run but a busy work schedule and some pandemic weight have made that less fun than it used to be. I was walking for an hour daily during the summer but couldn't squeeze it into the shorter days after the time change. I went back and forth between a bike and a rowing machine (Concept II was highly recommended.) In the end, I decided a bike would take up less space and be more likely to get short daily use. I still wasn't sold on spending $2k plus a subscription, so I bought a $500 Sunny brand bike w/a flywheel & cadence monitor. It's a knock off that's been around for a while and some people like it as a substitute for the Peloton. You can still do Peloton classes if you pay for the app (which as other PPs said has a ton of other exercise options.) For me the bike has been a decent investment - I can use it anytime, it doesn't disturb anyone else in the house, and I'm very much a solo exerciser - I have never done a spinning class, never done any group exercise classes at all. The big advantage of the Peloton is the huge screen. I have a device holder and read Houzz or Twitter while I bike, but if you're someone who will be motivated by the class environment, you definitely should get a Pelton or one of the other bikes with a built-in screen.