I need some advice here.. i used to be a great athlete, I was a profiecent martial artist (Lua, a hawwian art simmalar to jiu jitsu) and i rode bikes for hours a day, and did what they call action sports now a days (ramps, tricks etc), but became a musician, lived the lifestyle for awhile, and then became quite the homebody... and did all of damage (and alot of damage from the bikes too, my knees hurt alot, and have a major shoulder issue) and(long story short) got up to 300lbs, 100lbs of that from the last 2 years. Now because of the damage, my DR. suggests not to run until my weight comes down at least to 200, to avoid more damage to my knees.

Up till now, i never been in a gym and have no idea how to use the equipment.

My main focus is to get to 200lbs and then work on toning up, and then get back to training in martial arts.

I have been using the stair machine for about 20 to 30 minutes, and then the treadmill for about 30 minutes at varying speeds at pretty decent inclines.

I tried the bikes, but they seem ineffective and VERY uncomfortable ( i imagine my weight is the culprit there)... is there anything else low impact i can do to burn some fat off? Or am i headed in the right direction?

I want to hit 200lb around the new year...

any advice anyone?

Well I really started keeping track of what I eat everyday since I found out about this site. I have eliminated drinking any kind of soday and have picked up a juice instead. I have also switched from eating pizza and fast food all the time to salads, chicken, and veggies. In the las week I have lost 5.5lbs. and the only excercise I have done are crunches(trying to get my stomach down. Also I drink green tea which is tasty and healthy. In addition to changing what I eat I also now eat approx. 6 times a day small low cal snacks.

edit: I am 311lbs. that is from genetics and my disregaurd for my health.

That's awesome James, good work!

I'm a big snacker, and I'm sure that's where most of my weight has come from. So, I'm curious, what type of snacks have you found that are filling enough to tide you over, but low cal enough to eat 6x a day?

Thanks

Tim,

I know you were posing the question to James, but I too have made the shift to smaller, more frequent meals/snacks. I take the following items to work with me: whole fruits (bananas, peaches, plums, grapes, apples, etc.), roasted nuts (almonds, soy nuts, all unsalted), small packs of mini carrots or celery, single-serving low-fat or non-fat yogurt (varieties with the least amount of sugar). All of these items keep my appetite in check if I pace myself to have one of these items about every 2.5 hours throughout the day. For me this involves a bit more attention being paid to the clock than usual, but I don't eat large meals anymore and I'm more energized for it as well. I certainly don't miss the inclincation to take a nap everytime I used to eat a large lunch.

I used to love snacks and to be honest, I still do...but done with more nutritious items they can actually help you to maintain an increased metabolism instead of hurting you with extra refined sugar and calories.

Joe,

Couple of thoughts:

1) Consider the elliptical machine or the rowing machines -- low impact. Not as much calorie burning as running when you use an elliptical, but the exercise will go easier on the knees.

2) Swimming -- low impact, good total body workout.

3) Make sure that doctor approves your workout plan. Tough to jump right in in high gear if you've been sedentary for a while, esp with knee and shoulder injuries.

4) If you can afford it, hire a personal trainer, if only for a few sessions to learn how the machines work and to map out an individualized training plan.

I agree with Ron. Hire a personal trainer. It will cost you a bit of money but it is truly your best investment to get you started. You will learn great exercises that are suitable and safe for you. Swimming is one of the best low impact calorie burning exercises recommended to all age levels. Whatever you choose stay on track you can do this!!!!

I agree with this one. I swam for the first 6 months of The Lightening. It took me a while to work up to actually swimming a lap, but it was some nice gradual progress without taxing the bod too much.

Welcome to the battle, brother.

Steve

Sorry for the "me too" but if you have access to a pool swimming will be an excellent low-impact workout for your body.

Once you start getting your weight down, if you want to get back into cycling, I would advise going to a bike shop and getting a professional fitting if you can afford it. That will enable you to do something that you enjoy without taxing your body too much.

And try to avoid thinking too negatively about your current weight - yes you want to change, but if you get into a negative loop you may give up. By coming here, registering and asking for our thoughts, you are making effort towards a positive change.

Wow great advice guys... I would love to do the swimming thing, but as it turns out the shoulder is more severe than the knees, which prevents from the over the head motion required from swimming.

I tried the elpitical yesterday for the first time, at first i didnt like it but once i got adjusted to it.. It was agood work out..

again thanks!!

I have a few points here:

Firstly, so that you are not disappointed, there is no way that you will lose 100lbs in the 4 months to new year. You took 2 years to get there, and it may well take 2 years to get it back (but can be faster if you are diligent). I say this not to put you off, but to shock you into realising that enough is enough and that its really a time for a lifestyle change, and so that you don't have the attitude of 'its not working fast enough, screw this'....

You need to aim for realistic weight/fat loss, which is 1 - 2 lbs/week. This means it will take 50 - 100 weeks (therefore 1 - 2 years).

Weight loss will be faster at first.

3 tips:

eat 5 meals per day at least, green tea with the first 3, and no more than 500 calories per meal.

exercise first thing on an empty stomach, if you can, and keep your heart rate below 140BPM. Try and go for as long as you can

eat a lot of protein, reduce your carbohydrate intake majorly (no more pasta,bread,rice,potatoes, unless they are the 'wholemeal' version, and even then you must stick to rule 1 about 500 calories.)


If you stick to these rules, within a year you will be close to 200lbs.

:)

Nick

I think the ceasar salads i eat 2.5cups @ 150 calories. Brocoli at 150cal. for 1cup. Some times i have chicken on my salad to make it more of a meal. Drink approx 60oz. of water @ 0cal. sun chips @ 140cal per oz.

I would say that the best low-impact, high-results item in the gym is the Eliptical machine. It stimulates running/walking but in controlled movements. I have found that easier on the knees. It is also good to keep your arms on the handles, as it provides consistent movement for your upper body as well as your lower. The stair machine could probably hurt your knees more in the long run.

I agree, the elliptical trainer is the most effective cardio machine in most gyms....it gives you the best low-impact workout and is an excellent substitute for running etc. I've kept in great runnning (racing) shape by substituting workouts on the elliptical and can say from first hand experience that I was able to stay pretty fit using it.

The other alternative I've tried with success is 'aqua-jogging', which although can be tedious is widely considered to be the best substitute for running. I know of Olympic caliber track athletes who've suffered stress fractures and have trained solely with aqua jogging and then have run world-class times shortly after.

Hey man you got the right additude! But give yourself more time, that weight didn't get there in 4 months, so it will take a lot longer than that to get it off permanently. Stay consistent! Commit yourself to a new lifestyle and make it a healthy one. You will look back in a few years and chuckle at the fat pics. One other thing, do some weight training. Remember, muscle burns fat faster than fat burns fat!

I think this is a point that can be taken to heart. I am at a similar weight, and was much heavier at one point. Few Aerobic exercises were comfortable (not exactly the right word, but you know what I mean). And I was always told not to lift weights and to concentrate on Aerobics. That has turned out to be not true. Building muscle is very important. Break it down, 10lbs of muscle would mean you burn 500 calories a day more while just going about your day. That's 3500 and a lbs a week. That's 50 lbs a year. Nick's advice (on some other thread I think) about compound movements is good - and you can see from looking at the guy he knows what he is talking about.

But then the advice to get a trainer becomes all the more important. If you don't know how to use the Eliptical you can look kind of foolish. If you don't know how to do a bench press you could drop a barbell on your throat and eat thru a tube the rest of your life. Be careful.

Power walking!

Personal trainer to get you started!

Give yourself MUCH more time!