Hi, let me introduce myself

[BigAlCumbria]

Hi, I had a heart attack october. Still recovering, but no disease (thankfully). Am struggling with fatigue. Am now back to work, but finding things difficult at times.

Also, need to lose weight and get fitter. Any tips folks?

[baly_2023]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that you had a heart attack and hope you're feeling better now.

Its good to hear you're recovering and it can be a slow ( important) and steady ( important) process. So patience is key.

Regarding being out of breath, is this something that you have flagged with your GP or cardiologist team I'm anyway? Need to make sure the cause of this is understood before moving on to getting fitter.

Were you offered cardio rehabilitation and if so how did this go? If not I would recommend you contact your GP or the cardiologist department at the hospital if and where this available and sign up.

Cardio rehabilitation will be the safest gateway to getting and feeling fit again and you can ask about how to make other lifestyle changes to lose weight, get fitter and importantly reduce your risk in the future.

Take your time but it's important to do something and wish you best

baly

[BeKind28-]

Hello

Sorry to hear about your heart attack but glad you have made a good recovery enough that you can go back to work even though it is making you feel tired which could be partly the medications you may be taking and your body adjusting to working again after having time of but if you are struggling then you must talk with your Manager and maybe they could come up with something that will help you without you feeling this way

So many go to the gym etc on here but exercise can be so simple as simple as walking , swimming not sure how you get to work or how far it is but if you do drive there and could park a little further away and walk the rest it would all help

Healthy eating I think we all know what we should be eating and so many follow the Mediterranean diet but there are also lots of good healthy recipes on the BHF

I am sure others when they read your post will give you some more suggestions and I hope your recovery keeps going well

Let us know how you get on x

[BigAlCumbria in reply to BeKind28-]

Thank you. I do need to motivate myself more

[BeKind28- in reply to BigAlCumbria]

x

[DWizza]

Hi Big Al, what procedure did you have fplloeing your heart attack ? Have you been to any rehab classes? You usually get a lot of info on lifestyle changes such as exercise and nutrition on discharge from hospital . The usual things such as walking ( very underrated) and Mediterranean type diet ( cut out saturated fats , have lean meat , fish etc, olive oil , cut out ultra processed foods such as sausages, bacon , salami , factory made pies ..have low fat dairy, zero calorie pop drinks)

Plenty of info on the British Heart Foundation website , recipes and information on hidden calories in shop bought sandwiches and info on how to reduce cholesterol .

Have you exercised before ? Is there something you like doing ? It doesn’t t have to be gym based , just sticking to a regular activity that gets you a little out of breath and slightly sweaty will have plenty of benefits . However , it all depends on you and what you would enjoy and stick to. Walking , swimming Parkrun , a sport , weight training , an exercise class . I love walking my dog 4k daily , plus yoga twice a week and park run 5k . Give us a clue on what you see yourself doing.

[BigAlCumbria in reply to DWizza]

HI, I was a bit of a gym bunny, but the attack put paid to that. Love walking, but find it hard to motivate myself. I get properly out of breath very quickly. I had no procedure, thankfully, just lots of medication. I have asked for a rehab plan, but this has not been forthcoming. I love cooking and always eat healthily, but maybe my portions are not as small as they should be!

[DWizza in reply to BigAlCumbria]

Hi BigAl, sadly motivation can come and go, so discipline and accountability are pretty key to rehab or achieving any goals. You might need to get a hold of yourself and see what your future might look like , check out Daisy’s reply , she’s made significant changes but consistency. I’m sure she’s motivated like most of us by the prospect of better health and quality of life.

Daily movement is key , keep pushing for the rehab plan . There’s loads of info on the British heart foundation website for exercise. Don’t sit still and start reducing the portion sizes , really check out if you are eating heart healthy (salt , sugar , saturated fat content). Chip away and you should see improvements in a month. Contact the online BHF nurses for rehab advice , they might be able to guide you on where to look or who to contact to get into a program for your region. Good luck BigAl 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻

[BigAlCumbria in reply to DWizza]

Cheers for this. Very helpful.

[Daisy0027]

I've dropped 3.5 stone since Sept/October just by walking up & down my hall/stairs. Some days I manage 3 lots of 30 mins other days it's 9 lots of 10 mins burst. The goal is movement rather than exercise right now. I move every day . I have lesser days where I'll walk for 20/30 mins total . I managed to clock 2000 to 8000 steps. Before my HA I was lucky to do 200. I've cut out processed food & eat more vegetables & lean meat than I've ever had as an adult. My HA was end of August & I've taken it all very slowly.

It's achievable if patience is given ( another new skill set that's coming along slowly 😂)

Good luck

[BigAlCumbria in reply to Daisy0027]

Well done you. I need to find a good way to motivate myself to walk more.