When you do everything wrong and wont listen to reason. (fat loss, lifting)

[Suburban_Guy]

Originally Posted by aneye4detail

Did you talk to her about how 80% (approximately!) of losing weight is controlling what goes into her mouth?


I do all those weight machines and things she listed, and I believe it totally helps me. I'm moving my body and working my muscles. How can that not help??? Whenever I've done it, I've always gotten results. I remember way back before my 14 year old was born it worked and now, even though I don't do it that much, I believe it is what has made my jeans fit better.

This. I bet she's in denial about the junk she eats

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Kings Gambit

My suggestion to her was:

Do squats
Do deadlifts
Do military presses
Do regular situps or use non-weighted crunch machines
Do cardio before your weight training. Rower, treadmill or free cardio kickboxing class
Completely forget the abductor/adductor machine
Completely forget the tricept pulldown
Completely forget the weighted ab machines

You're the one who is dead wrong. Suggesting squats and deadlifts to someone who is 300-400 pounds is only courting frustration and possible injury. A rowing machine is not going to be comfortable or even all that effective for someone that large. Kickboxing may frustrate her because she may not be able to keep up with the class, or perform all the moves until she's built up some stamina and lost a little more weight.

Walking or bicycling is a better type of cardio when you're that large.

Her response - "Oh you are always so negative. At least I am going to the gym"

She's right about that. What you should suggest to her is how to use what she's already familiar with to her advantage: Continue with the weight machines, but use more of them and increase the weight as she builds muscle. Working with a trainer for a few sessions, while she gets familiar with the machines and how to use them, would be a good suggestion. A good fitting pair of shoes is a good suggestion. Walking, and gradually increasing speed and distance, is a good suggestion.

I agree with the others that her diet is probably 3/4 of her problem. After you give helpful and practical assistance with workouts, that's when you say "Have you considered making any changes in your eating plan?"

[gypsychic]

Well, I 100% agree with everyone here.... at least this woman is attempting to do SOMETHING. There is no way at that weight she can properly perform the exercises the OP suggested. For now, walking or cycling is the best aerobic exercise she can do, along with whatever strength training she can do properly. She needs diet guidance at this point and a lot of encouragement. Nothing like negativity to turn a person off....

[villageidiot1]

After reading through all the responses, I think most of the replies have a good point. This person needs to take baby steps, and that may take awhile. I think the advice I would give her is that she should do whatever exercises feel comfortable for the next three months. I would advise her that she may not see substantial gains in that three months, but the goal is to maintain some type of exercise program.

At that point, I would suggest that she sit down with you, or someone who knows something about exercising to lose weight to figure out what adjustments she should make. I think to make those recommendations, you actually need to be in the gym with her to see what she is capable of doing. The one problem I see with people like this is they will use the amount of weight that they can do about 30 reps. They do 10 reps with it and think they are exercising.

After watching women like this in the gym, I would be cautious about suggesting squats and deadlifts without someone to monitor this person's workout. I see very few people like this attempting to go from no exercise to squats and deadlifts in a short period of time.

[stardust05]

She needs to diet, walk hour a day and skip gym altogether until she lost a substantial amount of weight. This would be my advise to someone who is obese and just starting out unless they are willing to spend hours and hours daily in the gym. I lost 60lbs and kept it off 6 years and aside from a daily walk, I didn't start gym until I started maintaining my loss. Weight loss is 90% diet but we need exercise to maintain the loss, tone up and build muscle. Once she loses lots of weight, she will be more motivated to exercise and stay in gym. Right now, she will only get frustrated by how hard this is and because she hasn't seen any weight loss yet, give up on both the diet and the exercise. Most of my diet and exercise routines failed because I fell for the 'you have to exercise in order to lose weight' bs thrown around. Reality is what she is burning in an hour of exercise is probably equals to a single snack in calories for her. I hated exercise at that weight and I was never able stay in diet and exercise. I finally succeeded when I concentrated only on what I put in my mouth. After I lost about 40lbs, I was bursting with energy and motivation and ready for the gym.

[aliss2]

She would be fine with light walking or elliptcical at that size. Once a person is 300-400lbs, you're probably dealing with an eating disorder or at least some very ingrained lifestyle habits with eating. It's silly to think prescribing a different routine is going to make a difference. Fighting a fire with a garden hose, really. Don't get tunnel vision in your own lifestyle.

[lchoro]

She probably has pain with legs, hip, and back which limit her exercise. I don't see a 400-pounder doing kickboxing. Hip abduction is good for running. Leg extension, leg curls, and hip abduction are all good for walking/running/cycling. If she has problems with the knees, I'd leave out the squats and the leg press. Back extension, lat pulldown, seated row, curls, and/or circuit weights would be good before walking or stationary bike.

[iknowftbll]

Another thing to consider is why people like her start and then quit. I am guessing if she is as big as OP suggests it was probably a monumental achievement for her to even get started. That is something to applaud. Unfortunately some of the worst ridicule I've heard directed toward overweight people is in the context of fit people making fun of the "fatty" they saw at the gym. I've heard it firsthand in my own gym even. So these people can't win either way. Either they are "fat, lazy unintelligent slobs" or they are a "hot mess" at the gym sweating it out on the cardio machine and "never making any progress."

I'm not saying we all need to be cheerleaders for the overweight person who is just starting out. But let's not forget: making fun of fat people is still very much socially acceptable. As PC as we are today, society still reserves the right to make fun of fatties with impunity. And it is often counter-productive. Some of the most vociferous critics of fat people will castigate their laziness and in the same breath turn around and make fun of someone just starting out in the gym. Or, like in OP's case, "give advice" I suspect is designed to be condescending more so than helpful. And that's equally counter-productive.

[glass_of_merlot]

Op...really? You are not equipped to give excersise advice. .at least not to someone like her. Also, her diet ..that's where she needs the help.

However, there is nothing wrong with machines for weightlifting. I use it with great result. I think you are the the one who needs to be more educated.

[hawaiiancoconut]

I know, you mean well, Brah. But when someone is that big, its difficult to execute your recommended exercise regiment.

I wholeheartedly agree, that diet is where her main focus should be with light exercising for a person of her weight.