Entries from September 2008 ↓

Weight Loss For Large People

What physical activities can a very large person do?

MOST very large people can do some or all of the physical activities in this booklet. You do not need special skills or a lot of equipment. You can do:

  • Weight-bearing activities, like walking, climbing stairs, and golfing, which involve lifting or pushing your own body weight.
  • Nonweight-bearing activities, like swimming and water workouts, which put less stress on your joints because you do not have to lift or push your own weight. If your feet or joints hurt when you stand, nonweight-bearing activities may be best for you.
  • Lifestyle activities, like gardening or washing the car, which are great ways to get moving. Lifestyle activities do not have to be planned out ahead of time.

Remember that physical activity does not have to be hard or boring to be good for you. Anything that gets you moving around—even for only a few minutes a day—is a healthy start to getting more fit.

Walking (Weight Bearing)

The walking that you do during the day (like doing chores around the house or in the yard) can help you become more fit. But regular, steady walking that makes you breathe heavier can help you to be healthier. It will give your heart and lungs—as well as your leg muscles—a good workout.

Do I need to see my health care provider before I start being physically active?

You should talk to your health care provider if you:

  • Have a chronic disease or have risk factors for a chronic disease, such as asthma or diabetes.
  • Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a personal or family history of heart disease.
  • Are pregnant.
  • Are a smoker.
  • Are unsure of your health status or have any concerns that exercise might be unsafe for you.

Chances are your health care provider will be pleased with your decision to start an activity program. It is unlikely that you will need a complete medical exam before you go out for a short walk.

If you are not active now, start slowly. Try to walk 5 minutes a day for the first week. Walk 8 minutes the next week. Stay at 8-minute walks until you feel comfortable. Then increase your walks to 11 minutes. Slowly lengthen each walk by 3 minutes—or walk faster.

Tips for Walking

  • Wear comfortable walking shoes with a lot of support. If you walk frequently, you may need to buy new shoes often. You may wish to speak with a podiatrist about when you need to purchase new walking shoes.
  • Wear garments that prevent inner-thigh chafing, such as tights or spandex shorts.
  • Make walking fun. Walk with a friend or pet. Walk in places you enjoy, like a park or shopping mall.

To learn more, read the brochure Walking…A Step in the Right Direction from the Weight-control Information Network (WIN). (This publication is available in English and Spanish.)

Dancing (Weight Bearing or Nonweight Bearing)

Dancing may help:

  • Tone your muscles.
  • Improve flexibility.
  • Make your heart stronger.
  • Make your work better.

You can dance in a health club, in a nightclub, or at home. To dance at home, just move your body to some lively music!

Dancing on your feet is a weight-bearing activity. Dancing while seated lets you move your arms and legs to music while taking the weight off your feet. This may be a good choice if you cannot stand on your feet for a long time.

Water Workouts (Nonweight Bearing)

Exercising in water:

  • Helps flexibility. You can bend and move your body in water in ways you cannot on land.
  • Reduces risk of injury. Water makes your body float. This keeps your joints from being pounded or jarred and helps prevent sore muscles and injury.
  • Keeps you refreshed. You can keep cool in water—even when you are working hard.

You do not need to know how to swim to work out in water—you can do shallow-water or deep-water exercises without swimming.

For shallow-water workouts, the water level should be between your waist and your chest. If the water is too shallow, it will be hard to move your arms underwater. If the water is deeper than chest-height, it will be hard to keep your feet on the pool bottom.

For deep-water workouts, most of your body is underwater. This means that your whole body will get a good workout. For safety and comfort, wear a foam belt or life jacket.

Many swim centers offer classes in water workouts. Check with the pools in your area to find the best water workout for you.

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Weight Loss

Active at Any Size

WOULD you like to be more physically active, but are not sure if you can do it?

Good news—if you are a very large person, you can be physically active—and you can have fun and feel good doing it.

THERE may be special challenges for very large people who are physically active. You may not be able to bend or move in the same way that other people can. It may be hard to find clothes and equipment for exercising. You may feel self-conscious being physically active around other people.

Facing these challenges is hard—but it can be done! The information in this booklet may help you start being more active and healthier—no matter what your size!

Why should I be active?

Women on fitness bikeDo you suffer from:

* type 2 diabetes
* heart disease
* stroke
* high blood pressure ?

REGULAR physical activity helps you feel better because it:

  • Lowers your stress and boosts your mood.
  • Increases your strength, movement, balance, and flexibility.
  • Helps control blood pressure and blood sugar.
  • Helps build healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
  • Helps your heart and lungs work better.
  • Improves your self-esteem.
  • Boosts energy during the day and may aid in sleep at night.

How do I get started?

TO start being more active, try these tips:

  • Think about your barriers to being active. Then try to come up with creative ways to solve them.
  • Start slowly. Your body needs time to get used to your new activity.
  • Warm up. Warm-ups get your body ready for action. Shrug your shoulders, tap your toes, swing your arms, or march in place. You should spend a few minutes warming up for any physical activity—even walking. Walk slowly for the first few minutes.
  • Cool down. Slow down little by little. If you have been walking fast, walk slowly or stretch for a few minutes to cool down. Cooling down may protect your heart, relax your muscles, and keep you from getting hurt.

Appreciate yourself!

If you cannot do an activity, do not be hard on yourself. Feel good about what you can do. Be proud of pushing yourself up out of a chair or walking a short distance.

Pat yourself on the back for trying even if you cannot do it the first time. It may be easier the next time!

How do I continue to be active?

TO maintain your active lifestyle, try these suggestions:

  • Set goals. Set short-term and long-term goals. A short-term goal may be to walk 5 to 10 minutes, 5 days a week. It may not seem like a lot, but any activity is better than none. A long-term goal should be to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. You can accumulate your physical activity in shorter segments of 10 minutes or more. An example of a long-term goal is to walk briskly on 5 days of the week by the end of 6 months.
  • Set rewards. Whether your goal was to be active for 15 minutes a day, to walk farther than you did last week, or simply to stay positive, you deserve recognition for your efforts. Some ideas for rewards include a new CD to motivate you, new walking shoes, or a new outfit.
  • Get support. Get a family member or friend to be physically active with you. It may be more fun, and your buddy can cheer you on and help you stick with it.
  • Track progress. Keep a journal of your physical activity. You may not feel like you are making progress but when you look back at where you started, you may be pleasantly surprised! You can make copies of the blank journal at the end of this booklet to keep track of your efforts.
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    Liposuction Costs - The Surprising Facts

    For some people there comes a time in their lives where they are simply not happy with specific parts of their body and they consider getting a little liposuction done. However, while the majority of individuals are innocently enough thinking of getting these procedures completed, not many really understand the liposuction costs that are involved.

    A person who is considering these procedures on one or more areas is looking at somewhere between $3,000 to $10,000. The reality for many people is unless you have been budgeting for a while, it is more than likely that you will need to take out a loan so you can get the surgery since liposuction costs money.

    While there are numerous unique costs that each individual surgeon asks for their respective services, many of the costs involved are primarily universal. However, it is usually a wise idea to consult with a few different doctors so that you can make certain the amount you are paying is standard for the industry for the kind of procedure you are asking for.

    Nevertheless, you should be prepared, since regardless of where you go, it is likely to be expensive regardless or how you look at it. You are obviously going to make certain that the surgeon that you pick is a good choice.

    Basic Liposuction Costs

    The costs are highly dependent on what you are going to get however lets say for instance that you really are just looking to focus on one specific area that you wish to improve. The basic liposuction costs for one specific area is roughly $3,500 and that just covers a basic fee for the surgeon and the anesthesiologists and the primary run of the mill fee for the facility.

    Certainly, the bulk of the funds is going to go to the surgeon, since they are the ones that are performing the main task. If you are looking to get three areas done the fees run around $7,000 which is not that bad for the quantity of body mass that is being removed from the three separate areas on the body.

    In the case of you looking to get as much fat sucked out of you as possible while you are on the operating room table you are going for five areas of the body. The basic liposuction cost for five areas of your body can run you roughly $10,000. Quite a few surgeons may also suggest some added work for when you are on the operating room table.

    If you are thinking of getting a buttock lift to your already expensive liposuction costs, you are looking at an added $5,000 and if you are considering a tummy tuck that will run you an added $5,000. However, for those individuals on a budget, you can always get a laser treatment if they have leg veins and that is just a lesser fee of $400.

    To learn more go to Liposuction of The Knee and at Liposuction Without Surgery

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