Can I exercise to lose flab without losing weight please?

[AmandaGeorge]

I got weighed at the end of July and the nurse told me that I needed to put on 2kg of weight, so since then I've stopped doing the sit-ups, leg raises and laps and I'm really missing my nightly exercises especially.

Can I put the sit-ups and leg raises back into my bedtime routine to lose the flab without losing weight so that I wipe myself out and get to sleep quicker instead of tossing and turning and having to resort to reading magasines before my brain relaxes enough for me to sleep please?

I'm still gonna hold off on the laps until I've got the blessing of the nurse again, but I need something to wipe me out and help me to shut down for the night.

I sleep more soundly, for longer and I wake up feeling a lot better when I do the sit-ups and leg raises, but I don't want to lose any more weight.  What do you all reckon I should do please?

Thank you!

[AmandaGeorge]

Thank you @Heybales - should I maybe start with my right side when I do the planks tonight 'cos that was what I struggled with most last night?  Maybe right side for 10 seconds, left for 15 then front for 15 maybe?

I did better than I was thinking with the squats this morning!  I had my feet shoulder-width apart and managed 15 of 'em with no holding on to the walls or unsteadiness or anything!  Would doing a lap of the downstairs of the house between sets be enough for the squats please?  Would increasing the gap between my legs/feet help me to be steadier when I'm walking too, or is that just wishful thinking?  lol

[Heybales]

For something like planks - indeed start with weakest side first, otherwise other 2 may be easier but will still wear you out.

Could indeed do lap of walking between squat sets - as you figure out a way to add more weight, and I think that will be pretty quick after these first few weeks of getting used to it, you may find the walk very needed.

You might start saving those big water bottles right now.

I'm picturing several tied to rope/string slung over your shoulders to increase the weight. Get into that method later when it matters.

Ya, walking may be interesting with feet shoulder width apart, but if it really did increase stability - I could see more of a sideways/forward movement at same time - diagonal steps actually.

Might mess with joints too and not be so good.

I think the core and squats will actually help ya there.

[AmandaGeorge]

Thank you again, @Heybales.

I'll try and remember to start the opposite way around with the planks when I head to bed tonight then  🙂

I'm just gonna listen to my body with the new squats and planks and won't push it too far, too fast, otherwise it'll do me more harm than good.

When I first started walking our senior puppy I was having to use the house walls and walking sideways each way - it's taken me many years to do it, but I only use the walls to steady myself when I need to now, which is a humungous step forward that has taken the best part of two decades to achieve, but I've done it now and there's no going back any more!  😄

[AmandaGeorge]

I started the planks with my weakest side last night but I was still wobbly and unsteady and had to use my left hand to stop me falling off the bed.

I've just done today's squats and had my hands on my thighs instead of the wall either side of me this time - oh boy are my thighs getting a work-out 'cos I could feel the muscle every time I squatted down lol

[AmandaGeorge]

I was glad of having the front door at my back and hall walls either side of me just now 'cos I wobbled backwards twice and sideways each time I squatted this afternoon!  If it hadn't been for the door and walls I would have fallen onto my back and been totally unable to get up!  Hubby is out of the house atm so he wouldn't have been able to pull me back to my feet and help me back onto the sofa either!

[Heybales]

For sure keep realistic on these, good call for location.

While spotter in this case may not need to be there to lift a bar off your neck when it all goes wrong, still may be good for him to be there if possible unless door and walls will keep you safe.

You've probably notice a good squat method has your backside going a max distance out, so positioning to the door can be setup correctly each time for safety.

[AmandaGeorge]

It was 'marathon Monday' yesterday so the squats and planks were more of a struggle than I'd thought they would be, but I still managed them reasonably safely.  My bum is very close to the door when I squat down for exactly that reason lol

[Heybales]

Hey - curious how some of the like static resistance moves are going?

Like the face down in bed half pull-up move - I'll be wondering when you get strong enough to break the friction of body to bed and actually pull yourself up.

Or if you can even get that good of a grip with hands on edge of bed to make it hard enough?

[AmandaGeorge]

So far so good thank you, @Heybales - I'm slowly managing to lift each side slightly off the bed now and I'm managing about 20-25 planks on each side each night too, which is a huuuuge achievement for me!  I'm still wobbly but that's more confidence and not being in exactly the right position each time, but like with the squats, that'll come with practise... a couple of months ago it would have been impossible but I'm doing it every night now!