Obese to fit: Where to start?
August 25. 2022
You’ve made a decision – you’re shredding your weight and becoming fit. But where to start? The journey from obese to fit may seem indefinitely long, yet so many people have successfully done it. You know it’s possible and doable. But every journey starts with one first step – and a plan. That’s why in this article, our medical weight loss clinic in Chicago covers this topic from top to bottom. Stay with us until the end of this article as we discuss nutrition, workout, and of course, the proper weight-loss mindset and attitude.
Changing your mindset
Diet and physical activity are the cornerstones of weight loss. However, before you even get down to them, you must develop a proper mindset first. Without it, you won’t have the necessary long-term motivation and mental strength to get the most out of those two. Changing any aspect of life requires a change in mindset before anything else.
A momentary boost in motivation and enthusiasm can only get you so far. Once that initial zest fades, you would have to find something else to keep you going a bit further, but that something might not appear. So if you rely on temporary motivation boosts to lose weight, you may easily slip back into old habits before you know it. That’s why a change in overall mindset is necessary. So how can you achieve it? Here are a few pieces of advice we highly recommend you take into consideration:
Set your goals
Every journey has an end destination, so you must define yours. Don’t aim too high as you risk disappointment, but don’t be set with the bare minimum either. What body weight or body fat percentage are you aiming for? Think about your goals thoroughly and make them achievable. You must know what you put your efforts in for.
Visualize your goals
Picture yourself with the body weight you want. Visualize what it will be like. That will bring your goals much closer to you and make them look more natural. Without this, your goals will look very far away and abstract.
Don’t rush it
Patience is the key to long-term progress from obese to fit. No journey ever goes by smoothly, and it’s the same with weight loss. There are constant ups and downs, and you must look forward past any of them. Don’t let yourself be discouraged by temporary halts in your progress, but don’t let yourself celebrate too early either. Stay calm, and don’t rush it.
Develop discipline
Sometimes, it’s much more important what you say ”no” to than what you say ”yes” to. Discipline is all about saying ”no” to anything that may hold you back. It’s not only food we are talking about, but also staying up late, staying in bed in the morning when you should be getting up, staying at home when you should be going to the gym, and so on.
Identify your obstacles
Being well aware of your diet saboteurs is as essential as knowing your end goals well. Without this, you would progress much slower than you usually could, without even being aware that you could do better. To find out exactly what creates the most significant negative impact on your weight loss and dedicate your attention to confronting it.
Keep moving
Don’t ever expect a smooth sail; develop mental resilience instead. Sometimes you will do better, sometimes worse, but you should always keep moving. Nothing will ruin your progress as much as self-loathing after every temporary failure, and be sure that temporary failures will happen. That’s completely normal and part of the weight loss journey.
Developing a healthy relationship with food
What does having a relationship with food really mean? We eat in order to have the energy to get through the day and for many people, this is something they don’t think about much. Well, not giving food much thought may be expected if you’ve had a healthy relationship with it from the very start. We could even say that’s one of the signs of a good relationship with food – you eat as you regularly do, follow a meal plan, stay healthy, and don’t think about it. But this is the case for fewer and fewer people nowadays. So, let’s discuss what it means to have a good or a bad relationship with food.
A bad relationship with food
A bad relationship with food can be disguised in many different forms, but there are a few tell-tale signs that often expose it – you don’t follow your natural hunger but either overeat or starve yourself. You frequently feel guilty after eating. You restrict yourself to numerous foodstuffs and rely on rules which may not be the healthiest and most natural. You have intense food cravings, but at the same time, food brings you stress and anxiety.
A good relationship with food
On the other hand, what does a healthy relationship with food look like? We have already mentioned that such a relationship frequently involves not thinking about food but simply eating and staying healthy. So how does that work out in practice? First, you listen to your body and follow your natural hunger. That also includes the so-called specific hunger – sometimes, you just strongly feel like eating something specific. That means that your body requires a certain nutrient in that specific food, but to follow such specific hunger, you have to learn to listen to your body. Also, there’s no guilt or anxiety involved. There are no forbidden foods or rules about what to eat and when. You are open to all options but still, maintain a balanced and healthy diet.
Medically supervised weight loss
Now that you have developed a proper mindset and healthy relationship with food, it’s time to get down to practical matters. You may decide to try to lose weight by yourself or opt for medically supervised weight loss. What does that exactly mean? A medically supervised weight loss plan is tailored to each individual based on their body weight, specific needs, health concerns, and goals—all under the watchful eye of healthcare professionals.
The first step in this process is to evaluate the patient, which includes your current situation and your personal history regarding weight gain, weight loss, diet attempts, and so on. Your body weight, body fat percentage, physical activity levels, and other factors all help determine your starting point in the process. Also, it is necessary to acknowledge any health problems related to obesity (usually referred to as comorbidities), such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
The basics of medically supervised weight loss are the same things that you would do yourself, except that the decisions are brought by professionals. It is necessary to establish a healthy, balanced diet as well as good lifestyle habits. Lipo C injections are also an essential part of medically supervised weight loss. They don’t directly make you lose weight but increase the body fat-burning mechanisms, aiding your efforts to get from obese to fit.
Is it possible to be overweight and fit at the same time?
This is one of the hottest topics for debate in the health world. Some claim that it is possible to be fit with excessive body weight, while others staunchly deny it, claiming that only a slim body can make you fit. Numerous arguments have been given in support of both theories. So, can you be overweight and fit, or do you have to go from obese to fit? Well, the topic is not so simple that you could answer it with a ”yes” or ”no”. So, let’s get a bit deeper into it and explain how the situation stands.
Most research finds a very strong link between obesity and severe health issues; excess weight goes with many chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, breathing difficulties, a fatty liver, and others. This link has enough proof that we could consider it a fact. There are also more than enough weight loss affirmations that you should consider. On the other hand, most research has also found that being physically unfit is strongly linked with health issues, regardless of weight. The lack of physical activity is especially strongly linked with heart diseases. Therefore, physical activity seems to provide a certain level of protection from health problems in case of any weight.
So, to sum it up, regular physical activity reduces your risks of various diseases, regardless of your weight. But being overweight brings numerous health risks, so you should aim to lose weight and establish an optimal body weight if possible. So maintain regular physical activity, regardless of your weight, but still, lose weight if you are overweight.
Starting a workout routine
Speaking of physical activity, starting a workout routine is another essential aspect of your journey from obese to fit. Exercise speeds up your metabolism, burns a significant amount of calories, and protects you from various health issues. So you are probably wondering what would be the best workout for obese beginners. It depends on your initial situation, how much excess weight you have, and what is your current level of physical activity. Suppose you have primarily led a stationary lifestyle so far, and you possess a significant amount of excess weight. In that case, you should start with light physical activity such as walking and then, as you progress, move to more demanding aerobic fitness exercises later on.
How much should you exercise?
The most commonly recommended amount of exercise is around 150 minutes a week, which comes down to 30 minutes a day, five days a week. That may sound like too much for a person who is not used to much physical activity, especially an overweight person. But the thing is, this is the goal you should be aiming for, not your starting point. Exercise as much as you can and slowly build your way up to this. If you plan to supplement, find out about the pros and cons of pre-workout supplements.
Walking
Walking may not sound like much of an exercise, but the truth is, it’s actually highly beneficial. Fast-paced walking brings all the benefits of a lighter aerobic fitness exercise but doesn’t put too much stress on the body, which makes it an excellent workout for obese beginners. Also, 1 mile of walking burns approximately 100 calories.
Water aerobic
Exercising in water is another excellent option as a workout for obese beginners. Water supports your body weight and makes you feel lighter, relieving the pressure from your bones and joints.
Stationary bike
Similar to walking, riding a stationary bike is another type of physical activity that gets your heart pumping but doesn’t put too much stress on the body. Some stationary bikes also come with backrests, which is helpful if you don’t have strong back muscles or abdominals.
Modified push-ups
Push-ups may sound like a challenging workout for obese beginners, but you can modify them to make them easier. The easiest way is to do push-ups in a standing position, leaning on a wall instead of the floor. That way, the exercise will still be effective but not excessively difficult for your body. Another way, which is a bit more advanced, is to do them on the floor but with your knees on the ground instead of your feet. Push-ups are an excellent exercise for the whole body.
Side leg-lifts
This exercise is perfect for your lower body. Being overweight puts a lot of stress on your legs and hips, so adding an easy but effective leg exercise to your routine is very beneficial.
Moderate weight lifting
In addition to aerobic fitness exercises, you should also practice some strength training. Weight loss puts you at risk of losing muscles alongside body fat, but you can effectively prevent that by consuming enough protein and doing some easier weight lifting.
Final thoughts
Getting from obese to fit is a long and relatively challenging process, but with determination and the proper guidance, it is absolutely possible and doable. Developing a proper mindset is the first step, followed by establishing a healthy relationship with food. After that, you should start an exercise routine. You can do all that yourself or choose a medically supervised weight loss and have a professional monitor your progress. Also, if you’d like to learn more about how to lose weight and get fit, book your appointment, and we will gladly answer any questions you have.
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