Exercise is the number one suggestion made by doctors as the path to weight loss. For the extremely overweight, this option may be out of the question. Our world is not focused on gradual, we are focused on fast! Everything needs to be at our fingertips, and thus, the exercise world focuses on those they are most apt to control, the thin and athletic. The extremely overweight are the sector of people who need to most attention because they are the ones that can be hurt the most from improper exercise practices.
Traditional exercise machines are not able to hold the weight of an extremely overweight person. While treadmills offer pre programmed exercise cycles that are based upon a 150 pound user. These are the troubles that face the extremely overweight, but, exercising is a reality for weight loss. And, exercising is what must be done. Here are a few tips for the extremely overweight involving exercise.
Tip 1: Increasing the Heart Rate
The main idea of exercise is to increase the heart rate for an extended period of time. For an extremely obese person, an inflated heart rate is not that hard to achieve. The added weight makes traditional cardio difficult, but there are ways to integrate exercise without causing injury.
Swimming, walking, biking and dancing are fantastic ways to raise the heart rate and they tend to be fun. Fun and exercise need to be the best of friends for anyone to stay on track. If you are having difficulties walking for long periods of time, try sitting in a chair with a straight back and lifting your arms over your head then back to your sides. Repeat this motion and your heart rate will increase.
Tip 2: No Pain, No Gain
Yes, there will be pain associated with your workout regime. This is more so the case for people who are unable to stretch after a workout. Stretching loosens the muscles and frees the pent up lactic acid that cause pain in the muscle. The inability to stretch will leave many extremely obese people hurting badly enough that exercise is given up after just a few days.
The key to keeping your exercise pain free is two fold. You can either stretch your heart out after you finish your exercise routine, or you can start your routine very slowly. Many people find the slow approach to be the easiest one to stick with. Starting slowly means just that, progressing at a snails pace. You will want to exercise for 10 minutes, twice a day to start. Continue this program for two weeks than increase by five minutes. Again, wait two week and add another five minutes. This gradual increase in exercise will fit perfectly with your weight loss.
Tip 3: Stay Away From the Gym
I know, this tip seems like an absurd one, but there is good reason. Gyms are made, as I stated in the beginning paragraphs, for thin and athletic people. Ab machines usually have a maximum weight of 250 pounds. Treadmills are created for people who are of average weight and weight benches are too narrow for an extremely overweight body. But, just because I say to stay away from the gym does not mean you can stay away from exercise. If you wish for the gym like experience, try visiting a women’s only gym. There are many circuit based routines perfect for extremely obese person.
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The P90X Workout Schedule is comprised of three separate routines. You choose where you want to start based on your physical conditioning and then just push play. The three options are broken down into Classic, Lean, and Doubles. I will give you a breakdown of each P90X Workout Schedule for those that don’t understand.
P90X Workout Schedule Options:
“Classic”
This is where most people seem to start, including myself – The Classic Workout Schedule is straight forward and offers the best combination or those ready to build muscle and burn fat as they go.
The classic workout schedule requires no more than 1 hour and a half in any one day – The longest workout of the entire schedule is Yoga X.
I chose to do classic in my first round of P90X and seemed to get very good results by sticking almost 100% to the workouts. My diet was nothing organized and didn’t follow the P90X Meal Plan. However, I did eat healthy and clean, i.e. no soda, candy, ice cream, red meats, sugars, etc. I still consume sugar but on a highly reduced level, pretty much only in my coffee – that is my one diet evil.
The Classic p90x Workout Schedule will work you out 6 days a week just as Lean and Doubles will do except you tend to focus on a mix of Cardio and Resistance training, nearly 50 / 50. It looks something like this:
Monday: Resistance + Abs Tuesday: Cardio Wednesday: Resistance + Abs Thursday: Stretch / Balance (Yoga) Friday: Resistance + Abs Saturday: Cardio Sunday: Off
The Classic p90x workout Schedule is ideal for those ready to get started from ground 0 and not looking to lose a ton of fat up front before building muscle. The above example stays true through each phase with a few resistance videos switching up to add Muscle Confusion. Let’s look at Lean now.
“Lean”
The Lean Workout Schedule will have you focusing on Cardio a lot more than resistance. This is a great place to start for those that want to focus on weight loss first and then maybe work into muscle building later on. With Lean you will be doing a lot more cardio options which in turn will burn more calories and help you drop fat faster.
I have not tried the lean P90X Workout Schedule option myself but I think it would be ideal if you wanted to condition and didn’t think you were quite ready to jump into Classic. You will need to set aside up to 1 hour and 30 minutes for your Lean Workout Schedule; the longest workout is Yoga X.
A Lean P90X Workout Schedule would look something like this:
Monday: Core / Cardio Tuesday: Cardio Wednesday: Resistance + Abs Thursday: Stretch / Balance (Yoga) Friday: Resistance + Abs Saturday: Cardio Sunday: Off
Notice how Monday differs from the Classic P90X Workout Schedule – You add an additional cardio / core exercise to maximize fat burning and core strengthening.
Now what’s interesting is at phase 3 of the Lean workout schedule you actually do workouts similar to Phase 1 of the Classic workout schedule. With that said you can see how Lean is designed as a lead up into Classic and then Classic builds into what we will look at next.
“Doubles”
Alright, this is the ultimate P90X Workout Schedule and for those already in shape or already doing Classic but ready for more. You will see why in a moment. Now with Doubles you will need a lot more dedication and time, you will need to set aside up to 2 hours and 20 minutes on some days. In most cases you will wake up and do cardio, then a couple hours later or in the evening you will do resistance + Abs.
Let’s take a look at what the Doubles P90X Workout Schedule looks like. ( Now keep in mind in Phase 1 Doubles appear to be the exact same as Classic – In phase 2 this changes by adding 3 cardio workouts each week and in phase 3 there is a significant change by adding 4 cardio workouts)
The following example is based off the Doubles P90X Workout Schedule – Phase 3. I want you to see how serious this really gets!
Monday: AM – Cardio / PM – Resistance + Abs Tuesday: AM – Cardio / PM – Cardio Wednesday: Resistance + Abs Thursday: AM – Cardio / PM – Stretch and Balance (Yoga) Friday: AM – Cardio / PM – Resistance + Abs Saturday: Cardio Sunday: Off
Notice how extreme is gets? The biggest difference between Classic and Doubles is the addition of all the Cardio. The best way to compare is this – In Doubles phase 3 you’re basically doing Classic with 4 additional Cardio workouts a week. Pretty intense eh – Believe me, it is!
Well that was a quick look at the P90X Workout Schedule and the variations that occur. This is a generalized overview but was hopefully informative. Keep in mind that with P90X and Muscle Confusion your resistance days will switch up to continuously bring intensity and challenge so you never fully adapt. This is the power of the P90X Workout Schedule – Choose Yours.
If your new and want to lose weight fast – Do Lean. If you’re seasoned and want a challenge plus muscle gain – Do Classic If you’re a pro and classic is not a challenge, get extreme – Do Doubles
The choose is yours and the P90X Workout Schedule allows so many variations there is no reason why you should not be pushing play today – Take responsibility for yourself and your health, take action today!
On medical issues, there are different ways of interpreting events. Go back ten years and the question of surgery for weight loss – the so-called bariatric surgery – was viewed as an extreme response to the problem. In some senses this represented caution on the part of surgeons who wanted to ensure the procedures were safe. But it also reflected a desire to encourage people, wherever possible, to achieve weight loss through their own efforts. The concern was that, if people had proved incapable of controlling their intake of food before eating, they might continue to eat unwisely and undo the surgeon’s good work. For this reason, access to surgery was limited to cases where individuals were more than 40 BMI or more than 35 BMI if their health was adversely affected. More importantly, people had to demonstrate a genuine effort at weight loss before surgery would be authorized. This always involves dieting, an exercise routine and use of one of the anti-obesity drugs.
Today, surgery is increasingly common with thousands of patients treated every year. This is perhaps a commentary on the number of people who now qualify with a BMI of 35 or higher. It may also reflect the increasing availability of funding through health insurance. Whatever the reason, there is urgent research to determine the effectiveness of the surgery and the extent to which the patients experience an improvement in their quality of life. The picture emerging is mixed. Up to 40% of people going through surgery require follow-up treatment for complications. Significantly, real psychological problems have been identified with people requiring treatment for sometimes severe depressive disorders. These people find the physical effects of surgically restricting the amount they can eat very disruptive.
However, on the good news side, more women are able to produce children safely. Between 2003 and 2005, more than 50,000 women of child-bearing age had the surgery. Following this group has found that, when pregnant, they have fewer problems with high blood pressure, diabetes and premature birth than obese women who have not had surgery. Their babies were more consistently born at a healthy weight. Note that pregnancy is not recommended during the first year while your body is adjusting to the new physical limitations. Equally important is the need to get guidance on eating a healthy diet. It may be necessary to take vitamins and other supplements following surgery to ensure the baby is born healthy.
Surgery actually has a more dramatic effect on the body than most people realize. They are unable to eat solid food for some time, and the diet has to change to ensure they get all the nutrients required for good health. Under such circumstances, people do not need to rely on acomplia or any of the other anti-obesity drugs. Eating is significantly less pleasurable and people do not need appetite suppression. But before surgery, the use of acomplia can be appropriate as part of a real effort to lose weight naturally. The only issue to ask your doctor about is mood. As already indicated, many people become depressed after surgery. Before surgery, it is very important to stay positive and to maintain a reasonably happy mood. If not, this may not be a good indicator for them after surgery. It may also make it inappropriate to use acomplia. Always take advice and follow your doctor’s instructions before going through with surgery.
Regardless of what the popular culture makes you believe, weight loss is not as mysterious as it seems. The process is boiled down to simple math as you have to burn more calories than you actually consume. But if it’s so simple why there are so many people with excessive weight problems? Sometimes, the process of loosing weight becomes so hard and with no real effect that it makes people think about radical measures like extreme diet, special medications or widely advertised gadgets that promise amazing results in the TV ads. In reality, there’s a little secret that can help you achieve the right effect without struggle – make small but gradual changes every day. Don’t focus on short-term goals and results, the longer you are going to your weight loss, the better.
The rules of losing weight
In order to lose a pound of excessive weight (which is usually fat) you have to burn about 3500 calories in excess to the amount of calories you usually burn when performing daily activities. That’s a big amount of calories and burning it in a single day is of course not the brightest idea to think of. The right way to do this is to take it step-by-step everyday and performing things that can help you burn this excessive amount of calories over a longer period of time. Here’s a step by step overview of how to get the whole thing on track and working for you:
1. Define your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The BMR represents the amount of calories your body requires for normal everyday functioning. Take it as a minimum requirement for the amount of energy you have to get with food every day. Remember, that it’s nearly impossible to calculate the exact number and you will have to adjust and estimate the number within a certain range.
2. Define your level of everyday activity. You can use a special calorie calculator to define how much energy you use while doing ordinary things throughout the day (walking, sitting, lifting weights, etc.). This could be helpful for registering your progress, and you can also wear a heart monitor to keep track of how much energy you are burning at any moment.
3. Monitor the amount of calories you consume with food. There are many sites and applications that help you keep a journal of what you eat and calculate the exact amount of calories consumed with foods and drinks each day. Accuracy is encouraged, and make sure that you have the information on nutritional values when you’re eating out.
4. Do the math. Sum up your BMR with the daily activity calorie burn and subtract the amount of food calories. The resulting number will give you a clear idea of where you’re going now. If the result is positive you will gain weight as you eat more calories than you actually burn. A negative number is what you need because it means that you are actually loosing weight.
How to achieve results?
You have two variables that you can experiment with (it’s hard to adjust your BMR because it’s a constant number). You can decrease your everyday calorie consumption with food. Some people use drugs like Acomplia to suppress their appetite and achieve substantial results. Or you can increase your everyday calorie burn by being more physically active (work out, running, swimming, cycling, etc.). The best way of course is combining the two techniques. Many doctors suggest using both Acomplia and increasing physical activity for the best result.
Fitness should be a key component in anybody’s life simply for the fact that it makes you feel better. It is recommended that you get 30 minutes a day by most experts standards. But in my opinion you should do at least 40- 60 minutes of exercise a day.
The Benefits Of Being Fit
More Confidence
One of the first benefits that come to mind is confidence or raised self esteem. After all when you feel good you look good and that definitely shows in a person if they take care of themselves.
More Energy
Let’s face it people that exercise have or seem to have more energy than people that don’t. Let me give you an example. If you where to do cardio in the morning before you went to work do you think your day would run smoother and you would be more upbeat for the day? You beat you would. Working out might seem like a chore at first. You might even feel like you have no energy to workout. However remember this, working out on a regular bases give you more energy in the long run.
More Organized
I am drawing from personal experience here but whenever I am on a structured program or workout regime, I become more organized in other areas of my life. Area’s such as work, friends, family and leisure time. So try making fitness a part of your life. You never know what you might be able to accomplish.
Goal Setting & Achievement
Doing any kind of fitness program will help you with goal setting. Not only that it will help you in reaching those goals. Make sure when you set your goals they are always realistic and achievable. If your goals are really easy to reach your sub conscious mind won’t mind helping you reach your goals. But if your goals are set too high, then you might look at it as a negative if you don’t reach your goal, even though your still achieving. So set small, realistic, and achievable goals and you will get to your long term goal in no time.
Weight Management & Reduction
Of course with fitness brings weight loss and fat reduction but only if you have a balanced healthy diet. Weight loss however should not be the only reason why you embark on a fitness goal. Make it part of your lifestyle, so that it is something you do whether you are happy, sad, or tired.
These are just five reasons why fitness is important but the biggest thing you should take away from this article, is to make fitness a priority, make it part of your daily life and you will have a better life because of it.