Morbidly Obese?

SLIM19198

What would be the best way for a morbidly obese (and i mean morbidly obese, 34+ stone) to start excercising and what would be the most effective diet for a person in this situation???

Mobility is very limited, as is stamina!

Gyms are out of the question, people have no shame and can depress a morbidly obese person without even trying!

SLIM

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

SLIM19198

That would be great, but all my doctor done for me was put me on zenical (which i might add is a rotten experience), hence the asking in here!

SLIM

0utshined

Firstly they would need to do it under the supervision of their doctor. Being that weight means any sudden change or exercise could cause serious problems. Having said that I would imagine light exercise would be the way to start.

I knew a woman in work a few years ago who was very large and managed to shift quite a lot of weight by sticking to a weight watchers plan and walking in the evenings so that may be a start.

Best of luck.

Victor

"Walk to doctor" comes to mind.

I presume you've been given an appointment with dietician and exercise coach?

Dizzyblabla

start off with small things, try just adding lots and lots of water to your diet before you start cutting things out...
I know walking sounds like a rotten chore, but if you are so much overweight, short walks should help, as you get fitter, make the walks longer, but don't overdo it from the start.
If anyone saw celebrity fit club they showed the darts player (I can't remember his name now) and he was in the same boat, he couldn't even walk 300meters without almost collapsing with the tiredness, but after a few weeks he was out walking far more.. also in the pub he substituted every second pint for a pint of water! might be worth a try?

SLIM19198

Victor wrote:

I presume you've been given an appointment with dietician and exercise coach?

Dietician is in the surgery once a month and just says eat less (load of crap)

Excercise coach is a gym about 4 miles away that still charges 7 euro/session and has a gym with full glass surround with a cafe next to it, not a nice experience for someone like me! (people eating and watching aint a nice sight, even if I could afford the 7 euro/4~5 times a week)

If i could walk 300 meters, I'd give myself a medal!

I only asked in here because the support locally is like trying to get blood from a turnip!!!

My doctor doesnt have a clue how to deal with this either!

Imposter

Try walking a bit moreor get more involved in household chores like washing-up or cleaning. It is all exercise.

Try eating less. Even if it's just one fatty thing a week less then it's a start. I know it's easy for me to say but convince yourself that it makes sense to do this.

If it's some form of magic motivation to exercise you are looking for then I don't think you're going to find it (but if you do I want a large portion please). YOu have got to do this for yourself. Set yourself a realistic goal like losing a stone, or going down a clothes size. Make it something that is realistic and acheivable in a relatively short space of time.

Try to take things in steps. Look at losing 1 stone every 3 months rather than 4 stone per year. It seems more acheivable that way. Try and force yourself to go for a walk a few times a day if possible. Get into a routine by exercising say before breakfast, after dinner or instead of a tv program you used to watch that wasn't all that interesting. You'll be very surprised how quick you'll notice an improvment be that with your weight or in the distance you can walk.

Also perhaps talk to your GP or read up on how your heart rate affects how much fat you burn. Getting a heart rate monitor to use while exercising might be good too and it will help with making sure you are not doing yourself more damage by doing too much too quickly.

poobum

SLIM19198 wrote:

What would be the best way for a morbidly obese (and i mean morbidly obese, 34+ stone) to start excercising and what would be the most effective diet for a person in this situation???

Mobility is very limited, as is stamina!

Gyms are out of the question, people have no shame and can depress a morbidly obese person without even trying!

SLIM

go see a dietitician(cant spell it) and go see your doctor! you cant do physical exercise very well im assuming! so you need to diet until you can!

shoegirl

SLIM19198 wrote:

Dietician is in the surgery once a month and just says eat less (load of crap)

Actually you've hit the nail on the head there. Eat less is the absolute only way you are going to lose weight, with or without exercise.

If you are 34 stone, even if you are 6 foot tall, you've probably been overeating to a huge extent. There is no escaping this fact.

I notice that there are a lot of excuses in your posts. You seem to want to lose weight but are less than keen on changing your eating habits. Unfortunately this is exactly what has to change.

Exercise is just part of the plan, but I'd suggest getting started on a diet first as even walking in your condition isn't good on your joints.

Your thought for the day from now on should be "no more excuses."

Have a look at this website. The guy was nearly 100 pounds overweight and shed it. Some of his advise on motivating yourself on the first page is excellent.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Gillo

Try these guys, it's more of a support group than actual advice but there'll be alot of people in the same boat, ie. who wahnt to lose weight.

http://www.swedauk.org/locate/ireland.htm

It might also be worth investing in one of the device's that use electrical pulses to stimulate the muscle, I know argos do alot fo them, by itself it won't be much good, but with dieting it could help to stimulate the muscles until you have lost sufficent weight yo get some excerise in.

But at the end of the day you do need to see a specialist who can look at your whole lifestyle and advise you on every aspect of it.

seamus

SLIM19198 wrote:

Dietician is in the surgery once a month and just says eat less (load of crap)

Well, seeing as your current tactic isn't very successful, then perhaps it's not a load of crap :rolleyes:

Seriously, did he/she just say "Eat less", or did they give you a proper guideline as to how you should eat and what you should eat?

At your size, the only way you can do this is gently gently. Eating less is the only way you're going to get started. Not a single person anywhere is going to tell you something that's easy to do or easy to start.
Even Weight Watchers will ask you to consult a doctor before joining them.

What is it about "Eat less" that makes you think it's a load of crap?

TerrorFirmer

Heres what will get very quick noticable results for someone of this weight:

1. Drink several pints of water a day.
2. I know its hard to just suddenly give up food. So try eating maybe the same amount for awhile, but substitute the actual crap like chocolate with healthier stuff like bread, cereal, pasta, meat, all that line of stuff.
3. Do not eat ANYTHING after about 7pm. This will make a huge difference.

As time goes on, you will start to notice change using these points alone. Then its up to you to expand on them. Its a big rolling ball.

More you loose, more you will start to feel better, and will be more determined to loose more weight! All you have to do is, think about how fantastic you can look if you put the work, the more you put in, the more you get out

GreeBo

MobileInfantry wrote:

stuff like bread, cereal, pasta, meat, all that line of stuff.

But if OP is doing zero exercise aint all these just going to turn to flab?

seamus

GreeBo wrote:

But if OP is doing zero exercise aint all these just going to turn to flab?

Only if he eats in incorrect portions.

GreeBo

seamus wrote:

Only if he eats in incorrect portions.

well judging by the "morbidly obese" and "34+ stone" I dont think portion control is a big part of the OP's lifestyle. Best to avoid these foods I would have thought. Fill up on salad/fruit.
Or some fish, a few bowls of allbran etc for a snack.

zAbbo

Anyone here, actually been 30+stone and lost it? Thought not.

davirl wrote:

Go to your doctor. No one here should be offering advice on what is a serious medical condition.

What he said

seamus

GreeBo wrote:

well judging by the "morbidly obese" and "34+ stone" I dont think portion control is a big part of the OP's lifestyle. Best to avoid these foods I would have thought. Fill up on salad/fruit.
Or some fish, a few bowls of allbran etc for a snack.

Portion control is an issue no matter what you eat. Too much fruit can put on weight too.
Mobileinfantry's point of substituting stuff like chocolate with bread and pasta is fundamentally good, but it probably wouldn't yield great results on his weight. However his sleep, personality and digestive system will probably thank him.

The problem with people who have been long-time big eaters is overcoming that "eating till you're full" reflex. Your stomach is quite elastic. One of the big things you notice when you first start cutting back on your food is how you don't feel all that full after any meal. After a few weeks, the same meals provide you with more fullness, until you notice that if you try to eat food in the same quanitities that you did before, you'll feel like bursting. Long-time big eating makes your stomach expand, giving you a better tolerance to huge meals, whereas sustained (just a month, not that long) normal eating will help it reduce in size, thus automatically making you eat less - the same priniciple that stomach staples are based on, except not as lazy.
If you eat small, regular amounts when you're first starting out, you'll never feel full, but it'll help avoid feeling very hungry and giving you urges.

As bazH says, none of us can advise exactly what this guy needs to do. Someone half his weight could be classed as obese, and even then could be referred to a doctor before undertaking a diet.

SLIM19198

All great advice lads, I dont want to sound like I am making excuses, but looking for options to help me!

The doctor that I have genuinly does not have a clue on how to deal with this, he wants me to find out what is available.

The dietician just said to reduce food intake and work from the food pyramid (this is what I have been doing, while using zenical [drug to segregate fat]) which is not showing much result wise.

What I am asking for really is is there any place that I can get in touch with that knows how to deal with somebody my size?

joejoem

Why not try something like the Atkins diet? - this is where you just eat protein

seamus

To be honest, if you're serious, go to weight watchers if you haven't already. The only people who don't report good results are those who either don't stick to it, or go back to the way they were after losing a certain amount.

No dieting, no exercise, nothing can make you lose weight unless you want to. If you keep trying and failing, it's a motivational issue. If you can, get someone to join you. The biggest help for anyone is having someone to go through it with you and to keep pushing you.

SLIM19198

Thanks seamus, Ill give them a buzz, see what the story is!

SLIM

P.S.: the nickname is originally SLIM-JIM ;-), not weight related or a pun!

OMcGovern

34 stone is seriously heavy.

My sister just got her stomach stapled just less than a month ago, and has already lost 2 stone. She was 19.5 stone, and about 26 years old.
Apparently 19.5 stone wasn't enough of a health risk for a free operation by the Irish health service. it would've cost €30,000 for the op here.
But the GP recommended going to Brussels instead.... a proper clinic.
She got it done for €8,500 there.

Now, she can barely eat a quarter of a meal and she feels full.
It's an extreme measure, the last resort for people who haven't the will power to diet. There's side effects such as not being able to eat bread, steak, and having a very low alcohol tolerance.

But it is working... so far.

DrIndy

Because of your significant weight, it is essential you do not start any weight loss program without medical supervision. Your doctor will check for any diseases that are associated with being very overweight and that needs to be monitored. If you are determined you will be successful, but if you are ambivalent, results may be mixed...

You also need initial supervision of weight loss with a dietician. Physios sometimes take an interest in weight loss and them or a exercise coach can send you on the right road. Going private may initially may get you the important supervision you need to get started.

DON'T crash diet, undertake sudden exercise or expect quick results. Aim for slow and steady weight loss over a long period of time and be persistent.......

Good luck!

Pherekydes

Try to think how you got in that situation, and then reverse it.

Capt'n Midnight

As for not eating after 7pm - cut out midnight snacks first and work back slowly from there. if you aren't hungry at breakfast then you may be eating too much at night.

smaller plates look fuller - stupid but works, chew your food slowly and drink a glass of water before eating. The problem is that it takes a bit of time for the stomach to send the "stop eating" feedback. So by eating slowly and savouring the flavour, quality rather than quantity, you may actually eat less. Fruit and veg are good - especially stuff like carrots that you have to peal first , preparing food rather than opening a tin will also help slow you down.

one tick I use is to get a cereal like weetabix so you have two or three in the morning instead of being tempted to pour some more in to soak up the milk..

Don't forget at first your weight will go up and down rather than a steady weight loss so don't get discouraged.

Excersise is the key as it can also suppress the appetite. Do you have a garden ? you could mow the lawn, in easy stages.

shoegirl

OMcGovern wrote:

My sister just got her stomach stapled just less than a month ago, and has already lost 2 stone. She was 19.5 stone, and about 26 years old.
Apparently 19.5 stone wasn't enough of a health risk for a free operation by the Irish health service. it would've cost €30,000 for the op here.
But the GP recommended going to Brussels instead.... a proper clinic.
She got it done for €8,500 there.

Strange that. I know a woman who was around the same age and just under 19 stone. She embarked on a diet 3 months ago after being fed up with being overweight and now she is under 16 stone.

8.5 grand is a lot of money to pay out. Surely if she had the will to pay out one third of what a lot of people earn in a year before tax, she could have worked up the will to diet.

It took me over 4 years to build up that will by the way.

I have to say that ANY kind of operation for weight loss is dangerous because it doesn't tackle the root cause, which invariably heightens the risk of the patient regaining weight at some point.

Also gastric bypasses (the medical term for stomach stapling) are considered to be so dangerous that most US health insurers will not cover the operation. Apparently it is considered the option of last resort, after the patient has already tried dieting and failed. However there is some evidence of stomach leaking after the operation which can cause weight gain.

If you've a problem eating, you've a problem eating. Its cause and effect.
If you don't sort out the cause the effect is always going to loom in the distance, regardless of gastic operations. Oh and apparently the death rate is supposed to be potentially (I do stress the word potentially) as much as 1 per 100.

dudara

It scares the hell out of me that people will willing put themselves under anaesthesia (sic) to solve problems that can be fixed with a bit of effort. I know its not easy to lose weight, but it's not impossible.

to the OP, at 34 stone, you're not going to be ready for exercise for a while. You need to start by just simply watching what you eat. I think a simple approach to take is to cook everything yourself. Cut out the crap. For example, dump breaded chicken and fish and get the real items.

But at 34 stone, you seriously need medical advice before trying anything else. Can you change doctor, or perhaps go see a specialist?

Hmm_Messiah

As for not eating after 7pm - cut out midnight snacks first and work back slowly from there. if you aren't hungry at breakfast then you may be eating too much at night.

Could some one explain this not eating at night thing ? I read some where else that it makes no difference.

Now I can understand if you in "energy" before sleep where there will be no "work" then this is gonna be stored instead. But like I said I read somewhere thats not true (ediets website I think)

and was 7 just a choosen time ? I know my doc told me never to eat after 10 pm, sleep disorder thingy

Gillo

The theory is the fat which you would normally burn (to creat energy) dosen't get burnt and instead alot of it will be stored.

Also look at what you eat, try an Apple instead of a bag of crisps, it's not gonna be easy, but I'd imagine the sense of achievement at getting down to a healthy size is gonna be amazing for you.

There is a reality show on UTV on Monday or Tuesday nights about family who are trying to lose weight, it might be worth watching to get a few tips and also see that you are not alone.

Ajnag

Are you living with family or alone?
Its near impossible to keep a strict diet in the company of a family home.

Also, cut out all processed foods and cook everything your self.
Ironicly the better you are at cooking, the better you will be at dieting, Most diets fail because people dont enjoy the taste of foods accociated with dieting. It is infact easy to cook low fat foods with good taste, However if your a picky eater then this limits your possiblilitys.But if your to have health in the longterm then this shouldnt be simply a diet, but a way of changing how you eat and what you eat for life.

Try to notice the lower quality of produced food stuffs, and build up a kind of psychology against these foods.

Personally going vegitarian suits my needs as well, but this and the advice above is only from personal experiance. Also worth a mention is taking multivitimins and maybe asking your docter if a referal to a psychologist is worth considering. You could possibly be suffering from depression, there are root factors adding up to your current situation and its a possibility worth considering.

Good luck.

logic1

Anyone that gave advice other than encouraging the OP to consult a qualified professional should get a bit of cop on.

Also to the OP do you think consulting a mental health professional aswell as a doctor/dietician would be a good idea?

This level of obesity usually has underlying psychological implications which will have to be dealth with before any discernable weight loss can be achieved.

edit: Ajnag may be close with the depression bit.

.logic.

AARRRGH

34 stone...?

Why not try this:

Go for a walk for one hour a day. Even if it is up and down your garden.
Try to eat like a normal person (i.e. wtf are you eating to maintain 34 stone? It's a bit sick to be honest.)

My father had a weight problem (nothing major, but the doctor said it could become a major problem) so he started going for brisk walks every night for 1 hour. He also made some basic changes in his diet (i.e. cut out McDonalds/obvious bad food.)

It worked.

StandnDeliver

wow thats a serious weight,u poor heart,have you got diabetes yet?
my dad was 20stone if not more,he joined weightwatchers with his sister ,its good to have support when joining weightwatchers,if someone goes with you.
anyways he joined the gym like you he wa self concious but they worked out a routine etc3 mins on the bike 3mins on the treadmill etc,he pays €50 a month which is ok cheaper than €7 a day in your case.he also is walking and he hates itjust around the block
i say go for the weightwatchers,so what if ppl bother you its your future not theres!
if you get down to certain weight maybe you could get your stomach stapeled,i saw a program about it on rte it was part of the late late show.
i know there are irish sites with ppl who have had it done.

Good luck to you ,drink loads of water and dont get take away food,unless u want to do the subway diet

stev2604

What age are you? ause the older you are the harder it will be.

cee_jay

Why not try weight watchers??
You will have the support of people who are all aiming for the same goal

poobum

SLIM19198 wrote:

What would be the best way for a morbidly obese (and i mean morbidly obese, 34+ stone) to start excercising and what would be the most effective diet for a person in this situation???

Mobility is very limited, as is stamina!

Gyms are out of the question, people have no shame and can depress a morbidly obese person without even trying!

SLIM

something like aqua aerobics!

[someguy]

Swimming is easy on the joints, try that. Also look into cycling when it's possible.
For a whole week, try just eating 5-10 portions of fruit/veg a day and drink only water.
Instead of sitting around procrastinating while extensively exploring every option, experiment with weight loss techniques while getting information.

esperanza

See as many doctors as possible about your condition.

Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to health problems.

Start doing situps and mild aerobic exercise in your home, listen to your favourite music for motivation!

Scrutinize your diet. What do/have you been eaten that has contributed to your obesity?

SLIM19198 wrote:

All great advice lads, I dont want to sound like I am making excuses, but looking for options to help me!

The doctor that I have genuinly does not have a clue on how to deal with this, he wants me to find out what is available.

The dietician just said to reduce food intake and work from the food pyramid (this is what I have been doing, while using zenical [drug to segregate fat]) which is not showing much result wise.

What I am asking for really is is there any place that I can get in touch with that knows how to deal with somebody my size?

Nickibaby*

It's great that you have finally made a decision to do something about your weight.

At the moment i'm sure it feels impossible but it's not.

You have to consult your doctor about this before you do anything. The link below has some very good tips on it:

http://www.irishheart.ie/iopen24/catalog/defaultarticle.php?cArticlePath=64_91

I'm sure exercise is very hard for you at the moment - sore joints, breathlessness ect. You shouldn't push yourself 2 hard this is not good for your heart. You should just do exercises to build up the muscles in your knees then the next step would be to go to the gym this would be the best solution so that they can monitor your heart, blood pressure ect. while you train.

There are different weightloss programmes that you just drink shakes and cut out food completely they are brilliant my aunt has just lost 7 stone in 5 months on it. You should talk to your doctor about it because maybe it might not be a good idea for yourself.

stev2604

poobum wrote:

something like aqua aerobics!

I agree that this could be very helpful. Sure it can be embarassing but if you get over that or even just get a friend to come along im sure itll work well.

esperanza

Take a look at this food pyramid and put it on your fridge door or a place that you regularly look at:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramids.html

I don't think eating at night is dangerous; it always depends what you eat, a slice of bread and a cup of tea won't do much harm, especially if you go for a quick walk before going to bed. Personally, I always have to snack before going to bed, or I can't sleep.

johnnyc

no doctor here but if i were you start light for example walks and built up your distance and when u can do that go to the gym or do swimming. But firstly the most important decision you have to make is your diet eat a healthy diet cut out junk food. best of luck

Nickibaby*

Lipotrim is the name of the program that my aunt lost all the weight on. It takes a lot of commitment as you can't eat any proper food whatsoever. It's made totally up of shakes with all the minerals, vitamins that you need. It's quite expensive and you must have a consultation with your doctor first before the chemist will let you go on the program.

I think it cost about 60 to 80 euro for the shakes you need every week but lets face it you would be spending that on food anyway so it would be money well spent. If you have a medical card you might be able to claim for it on that.

The program is just for people who are morbidly obese, the weight just fell off her.

It's a great first step looking for advice, I just hope that you follow it up and do something about it. You will find a whole new lease of life. Best of luck

is_that_so

From what I understand the OP will not be taking exercise for some time. There are multi-disciplinary clinics around, maybe in your area. Some GPS sadly can be behind the times. There are also campaigns in some part of the countrty to work with patients to get their weight down and put them on a combined exercise programme. The only way to really get going on this apart from the support of wieghtwatchers is with professional help. Best of luck to you.

SBob

hey Slim,
i sympathise with you man its not easy at the start but whether you're trying to lose weight or put it on its a learning curve, you will come accross so much conflicting opinions and ideas at first, its jsut a matter of learning about it until you find something that works for you,

but there are professionals out there who are trained to do this, maybe you should put yourslef into their hands? i know a place on fitzwilliam square called 'solo' (http://www.solohealthandfitness.com/) they do dietry advice, personal training, they also have nurses and doctors etc to make sure your general health is catered for (multi-disciplinary approach) i get physio there and i reackon they're excellent, they know what they are doing and it would piss them off even more then you if you didnt get results,

A guy of your size shoudl get results pretty fast with any change to your routine, its just a matter of going for it!!

Alan_C

How are you doing at your weight loss? I'm in a similar situation and while searching i came across this. It would help to see how your doing even if badly.

LundiMardi

Nickibaby* wrote:

Lipotrim is the name of the program that my aunt lost all the weight on. It takes a lot of commitment as you can't eat any proper food whatsoever. It's made totally up of shakes with all the minerals, vitamins that you need. It's quite expensive and you must have a consultation with your doctor first before the chemist will let you go on the program.

I think it cost about 60 to 80 euro for the shakes you need every week but lets face it you would be spending that on food anyway so it would be money well spent. If you have a medical card you might be able to claim for it on that.

The program is just for people who are morbidly obese, the weight just fell off her.

It's a great first step looking for advice, I just hope that you follow it up and do something about it. You will find a whole new lease of life. Best of luck

i think i know of someone who did this and she did in fact loose a few stone alright.. I considered doing it, but come on, 80 a week!!?? Plus i can't see how it would be healthy..

ronbyrne2005

course it could be healthy, people who are in a coma are fed similar mixes of vitamins amino acids fats etc to keep them alive,in fact its a hell of a lot healthier than the food obese people usually eat. 80quid a week is nothing when you consider the effects obesity has on peoples lives.
my advice to anyone obese who wants to make a start is to start walking at night when theres few people around if your self conscious,build up your stamina each day,cut back on all food and drink loads of water,after a few weeks waking try swimming and resistance training,studiest have show far greater fat loss when resistance training is added to walking swimming etc

Nickibaby*

I think the sachets give you all the vitamins and minerals that you need. You have to consult your doctor before going on the lipotrim programme.

I seen information leaflets on it in a good few chemists so if you are serious about it you should check it out.

I'd say the extra weight for people who are morbidly obese would be alot worse for their health than going on the programme.

Plus I am not at all sure it that is the price of it, it could be alot less expensive. It was my aunt who went on it and I don't have the full facts.