Can you help someone super obese?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't QUITE qualify for a TLC show, but I'm definitely the person you hope you don't have to sit next to on the airplane. At the height of the pandemic I was about 250-255 (I'm female, 5'4"). After I got vaccinated, I started going for walks each day. I'm now walking almost 7 days a week, 10,000-12,000 steps. Now I'm down to about 240. My body is pretty proportionally fat - so I'm not one of those people with skinny legs but a huge stomach. I'm not pear shaped - I'm just solidly fat all over. I'd really like to get to a point where my boobs protrude further than my stomach, rather than the other way around. Is there any exercise move I can do at home each day to help my stomach go in more? Crunches? Planks? Something else?

[Anonymous]

I know not your question, but what is your diet like? There’s no way to target weight loss.

[Anonymous]

You are doing great. Just sit sugar and processed food as much as you can.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry but no. But do exercise, work on core strength, because it is great for your health and posture. But if you are 100 lbs overweight, there is no exercise that will make you appear smaller. This is purely a matter of losing weight

[Anonymous]

Based on the title, my first thought was "love them and tell them they're beautiful no matter what." Maybe do that?

Also treat your body with respect. This means let it get the movement and nutrition it needs *and* not insulting it.

[Anonymous]

OP, you’re off to a great start with the walking. Unfortunately, diet is a much larger factor when it comes to weight loss. Start with little changes and keep up with the walking. You can do it, good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

I would say it's time to turn your focus towards your eating habits. The walking is awesome. But are there one or two small changes you can make to your diet that would be sustainable? Replace a high-calorie beverage with water? Add more fruits and veggies to your diet? Decrease either the size or frequency of your snacks?

Start small, build on your progress. You're doing great.

[Anonymous]

I love the podcast maintenance phase - listen to it while you are walking for inspiration

[Anonymous]

To lose weight, you do have to focus on calories, not just exercise.

That said, exercise in and of itself is beneficial, so if all you want to do is exercise, I think that's ok too! I would really lean into it -- walking, yoga, weight lifting, swimming ... take it slow so you don't get injured, but start working on getting as fit as you can. There is a lot more to health than the scale, so focus on all the fitness gains you'll make like turning walking into jogging, weight lifting gains, swimming more laps ... It's really fun and feels GREAT! Don't let anyone shame you into thinking that you're not entitled to feel great about your fitness gains, even if you continue to be obsese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say it's time to turn your focus towards your eating habits. The walking is awesome. But are there one or two small changes you can make to your diet that would be sustainable? Replace a high-calorie beverage with water? Add more fruits and veggies to your diet? Decrease either the size or frequency of your snacks?

Start small, build on your progress. You're doing great.

OP here. Thanks, I've mostly done these. I've always only drank water, almost all my snacks are fruit (sometimes popcorn, occasionally mixed nuts, but mostly fruit). I snack very minimally. I am working on decreasing the portion sizes of my carbs right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Based on the title, my first thought was "love them and tell them they're beautiful no matter what." Maybe do that?

Also treat your body with respect. This means let it get the movement and nutrition it needs *and* not insulting it.

<3 that's what I was thinking, too. You're doing great, OP. Keep walking, which is good for your body and soul.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To lose weight, you do have to focus on calories, not just exercise.

That said, exercise in and of itself is beneficial, so if all you want to do is exercise, I think that's ok too! I would really lean into it -- walking, yoga, weight lifting, swimming ... take it slow so you don't get injured, but start working on getting as fit as you can. There is a lot more to health than the scale, so focus on all the fitness gains you'll make like turning walking into jogging, weight lifting gains, swimming more laps ... It's really fun and feels GREAT! Don't let anyone shame you into thinking that you're not entitled to feel great about your fitness gains, even if you continue to be obsese.

As for home workouts, do you have some money to spend on this? This is what I have:

- an online personal trainer. $200/month. priceless because they keep me motivated and tailor workouts to my needs
- yoga mat and set of kettlbells and exercise banks - probably not more than $250
- a fan bike aka assault bike - known to be one of the best, low-impact pieces of cardio equipment for all weights. also relatively affordable ($800) and compact. do not let its weird appearance fool you, this thing is serious. https://www.roguefitness.com/assault-airbike-and-accessories

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m sorry but no. But do exercise, work on core strength, because it is great for your health and posture. But if you are 100 lbs overweight, there is no exercise that will make you appear smaller. This is purely a matter of losing weight

Okay thanks. Figured it was worth asking. I'll just wait.

[Anonymous]

I’m a personal trainer and yoga teacher. I’ve worked with lots of overweight and obese clients. You can absolutely get healthy! See your doctor first to rule out any medical issues. Stop worrying about numbers on the scale for now. Focus on eating healthy foods in moderate portions. If you snack during the day, choose healthier options. Don’t eliminate carbs or any of that nonsense. Just eat a balanced, lower calorie diet. Drink lots of water.

Walking every day is fantastic! You need to add some strength training. Start slowly. Yoga is a great way to use your own body to build strength. Find a slower paced yoga class. Avoid anything high impact for now. You want to build strength and slowly increase cardio while avoiding injury. That’s not always easy. If you are significantly overweight, your knees are already being stressed.

You can do this! Let the numbers go. Measure progress by how your clothes fit and by how you feel in your body.

[Anonymous]

I would enjoy sitting next to you on an airplane. I'm 5'3" and 215 and have no trouble fitting into a seat with room to spare. I've lost 6 lbs in the past few weeks, we could sit on the plane and discuss our weight loss strategies. Although maybe we shouldn't be flying anywhere since covid is going nuts again.

My best strategy so far is eat a good sized salad with chicken or shrimp on top for one meal. Protein and vegetables or fruit for another meal. I indulge myself at breakfast with one eggo waffle and one small link of sausage and some OJ. It's working so far.

Good luck.