When you weigh more than 200lbs, it can be really hard to find the ideal way to lose weight.
When you weigh in at 200+, it?s not as easy to lose weight as it is when you?re below that point.
The reason for this is down to how dangerous it can be to start a long-winded and rigorous exercise regimen, which can cause more problems than it solves.
When we think of weight loss, we mainly think of lots of running and a very bland yet nutritious diet.
Even if you?re 200lbs+, there?s no need to limit to yourself to tasteless foods and before starting any exercise programme, speak to your doctor.
Exercise
When it comes to exercising when you weigh more than 200lbs, you need to seriously consider what?s going to be feasible foryou to accomplish.
Think about how much you?re able to do before putting yourself in danger of over-exertion and the cardiac implications that come along with it.
First and foremost contact your doctor.
The reason this is a necessary step is that your doctor will be able to perform an assessment.
This assessment will let both you and your doctor know how much your body is going to be capable of without reaching the point of over-exertion.
At 200lbs +, there are two main forms of exercise that are going to be invaluable in trying to trim the pounds as soon as possible:
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Cardio
When you?re trying to lose weight and weigh over 200lbs walking, or if your doctor agrees, jogging can be a brilliant way to start losing some weight.
This will aid combating the breathlessness that can accompany a brisk walk up the stairs in your current state.
As your cardio-respiratory system gets more used to being exercised, you?ll likely find that you?re not as breathless anymore.
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Lifting Weights
By lifting weights, we can increase the amount of muscle tissue we have.
Muscle tissue requires a certain amount of energy to sustain itself, which means if you?re looking to lose weight it could be a good idea to start pumping iron.
The bigger your muscles are, the higher your metabolic rate which will start clearing off your fat even when you?re at rest.
The best way to get results with exercise is to exercise every day. Alternate your days for optimum benefits, lifting weights for a short time on one day and then going for a long walk or medium-distance jog on the next.
Diet
If you?re over 200lbs, depending on other factors that need to be taken into account, you may find that your doctor isn?t comfortable clearing you to exercise because of the strain that could be put on your cardiovascular system.
If this is the case then you may need to have a diet-driven weight loss plan at first, venturing into exercise when you?ve lost enough weight through dieting.
The best foods for weight loss are natural foods.
The more processed your food is, the less of the good nutrients you?ll find in it.
Your primary protein if you?re trying to lose weight should always be chicken.
It?s high in protein enzymes that are useful for building and repairing muscles (especially if you?re exercising). When asked how to lose fat, it?s always suggestible to swap out any high fat and high sugar foods for fruits and vegetables.
A lovely mixture of broccoli, chicken and rice is a solid meal that can be enjoyed for both lunch and dinner, plus it has a lot of the essential nutrients you need without having all the fat and sugar you?ll find in barbecued food and fatty cuts of meat.
If you?re looking for how to lose weight fast in 2 weeks, then diet and exercise combined is the best place to start.
By avoiding the foods that are associated with weight gain and inability to lose weight, increasing the amount of exercise you get and eating a nutritious diet, you?ll likely find that you end up in the best shape of your life.
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The Keto diet being effective for those weighing 200lb+
The best diet for weight loss for a lot of people who want to lose large quantities of weight is the keto diet.
The keto diet weight loss advantages are that by eating a low amount of carbohydrates, a moderate amount of fats and a moderate amount of protein.
The lack of carbs means the body needs to find that energy from the fat in your food. Because your body will start to work on the fat in the foods and get used to sustaining itself using fat, it?ll start eating away at your fat deposits more readily.
This is due to the body needing to use higher amounts of fat than it does carbohydrates to get the same amount of energy, the theory is that your body will start eating at your fat deposits.
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Weight Loss Calculators
The concept of the weight loss calculator is nothing new, but is still under-utilised even today.
It works by taking into account your age, weight, height and activity level and then determines how much of a deficit in calories you need to create to lose weight.
It?s not perfect because every person is different and some people who have a medical condition, such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) won?t achieve their expected weight loss with dieting alone.
Although the calculators take into account your activity level, they work from approximated data sets, meaning it?s not a very well-tailored approach.
Fasting
Fasting is the act of either stopping or at least severely limiting the amount of food you eat.
It?s a method that works by starving the body of added nutrients meaning your body has to look inwards to find the energy it needs to function.
It?s not always the best method for fast weight loss because you?re depriving your body of the nutrients it needs to function properly and keep you healthy.
The most successful fasts tend to be the ones that give some form of nutrition through liquid eating. For example, the Master Cleanse is a fast that allows you to drink homemade lemonade.
The added ingredients in the recipe give you the nutrition you need to function.
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Dietary Supplements
The most important thing that can be said about dietary supplements is do your research, buy from a reputable supplier and never exceed the dosage on the label.
Typically these weight loss supplements contain active ingredients found in plant extracts, with some actually having scientific data to back up the claims.
For example, all formulations of the highly popular brand Hydroxycut contain multiple plant extracts and caffeine.
Caffeine is also highly effective of increasing the thermogenesis that aids in sweating and weight loss through expenditure of energy.
Green tea weight loss supplements are also available if you?re looking for a more natural weight loss supplement than others.
Natural consumption of green tea has been found to be the reason for unexplained weight loss in some cases.
The best weight loss pills on the market seem to be Hydroxycut, who have been making a variety of formulations since 2002.
One formulation was shown to be effective at reducing average weight loss in a study. Of the 16 participants over the course of 3 months, the average weight loss was 20.98lbs.
Medical Weight Loss
Sometimes, when all other methods fail or a medical condition stops you from being able to lose weight without medical help, it?s time to discuss your options with a doctor.
There are medications that are able to help with weight loss if your weight problems are caused by a medical condition or disease.
If possible the first thing to be done is to treat any underlying issues that may be causing or contributing to the problem.
For example, phentermine is an appetite suppressant drug that aids people who can?t stop overeating because they?re always hungry.
Phentermine was shown to be twice as effective as placebo at weight loss over the course of 14 weeks.
Meratrim is another medication used to help with weight loss.
This fat burner is certainly a useful tool in weight loss. The mechanism through which meratrim works is by making it harder for fat to be stored, harder to multiply and easier to burn.
Meratrim isn?t for everyone though, so you should speak to your doctor before starting any course of supplements, Meratrim or otherwise.
Conclusion
When it comes to losing weight when you?re starting from the 200lb + point, there are a few key things to take away:
1.Seek advice from your doctor to see what you can and can?t do before beginning a weight loss programme, they may be able to help with it.
2.If you?re going to fast, make sure you only do it short term. Long term effects can include things like anaemia and other disorders caused by malnutrition.
3.Diet and exercise are the best ways to lose weight consistently and keep it off. Small adjustments often will give you a lot of benefit over time.
4.Dietary supplements aren?t for everyone, so talk to your doctor before you start taking them, especially if you have a health condition or are taking other medications.
References
Caffeine Weight Loss Effectiveness – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2912010
Phentermine – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2687747/
Meratrim – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4997756/