Losing weight after injury?

[The Sauce Man]

I just had surgery on my right ankle in feburary, I'm still in physical therapy for it. The only suitable exercise I've done with the least amount of impact is playing dance dance revolution, but still after 2 hours (which is the time it takes for me to hit a full sweat) my ankle feels like hell afterwards. I'm trying to do the whole "eat 4-5 small meals a day instead of 3 big ones" and I'm eating alot of oatmeal. I'm 6'4 260lbs and i know that by losing weight will help my ankle feel better as well. is there any other exercieses I can do that is impact free on my ankle?

[loz1690]

i'd advise swimming, ive been having problems with my knee for about a year, been on crutches and have been having hydrotherapy cus in water it keeps the weight off. so would recommend swimming as weight will not impact on it but it will still allow u to burn calories and stuff, hope that helps, good luck

[an_gel_on]

Lie on your back and bike pedal to get your heart rate up and keep it up for over 20 minutes to burn the fat.

Other weight loss tips:

It's really very simple.

There are 2 categories of workouts and you only need to focus on one of those for weight loss.

1. Resistance training - weight lifting, sit-ups, push-ups, etc.

2. Cardiovascular Training - walking/running, swimming, jumping jacks, dancing to the oldies, etc.

You need only to focus on #2 for weight loss. #1 is good for muscle tone but does little for weight loss.

Cardiovascular exercises are simple and you don't need any fancy equipment. For successful weight loss, all you need to do is any body movements that get your heart rate higher than normal. That's what cardiovascular workouts are all about. They simply get your heart rate up and burn off fat.

You will need to keep your heart rate up for longer than 20 minutes per session in order to achieve a successful burn. The body takes that much time to warm up and begin the burn. Any huffy-puffy activity will work such as walking, running, going up and down stairs, vigorous dancing, jumping rope, just anything that makes you huff and puff. That's the key - huff and puff for over 20 minutes a session. This is how your body burns off fat.

CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR FOR ADVICE ON THE SAFEST WORKOUT FOR YOU.

Don't get discouraged!

Contrary to popular TV, there is no such thing as "targeting" an area of your body for weight loss. The reality is that you will see the fattest part of your body lose weight last! You will notice it first in your face. The thickest fat is the last to go so don't lose heart if you don't see your “targeted area” going anywhere at first.

Simply create a huffy-puffy workout for yourself that lasts over 20 minutes per session and stick to a daily routine for best results.

Another tip is don't rely on what the scales say everyday. That will discourage you. The better way to monitor your progress is to observe your clothes getting looser. The scales can be misleading because as you lose weight, typically you are also building muscle mass. This dual change may look like you are not losing fat when you actually are.

Checking your heart rate. Take your fingers of your left hand and place them about an inch to the right of the center of your right hand wrist as it faces palm up. This should be at your right-hand wrist below your thumb. You should feel a pulse there. Now count the number of beats in a 6 second period. Multiply that number by 10 and that's your heart rate. A reasonably safe and effective heart rate during an exercise burn is about 120 for most people 30–50 years old.

A bland diet will speed the weight loss up for sure. But if you're like me, starting a daily exercise program plus starting a bland diet is just too emotionally stressful (wink, wink). So, I say, for those of us who want some type of reward for working out everyday, continue enjoying your favorite foods - just cut your portions down. Train yourself to learn when you are satisfied as you eat a meal and stop eating at that point rather than eating until you feel full. You'll be surprised at how early in the meal you are satisfied. So, just stop eating at that point. Make a habit of it.

I am a 52 year old male and I am using a programmed treadmill which uses a combination walk/ 5 mph. run workout for 30 minutes a day. I am losing 2-3 pounds a week just doing that and cutting my favorite food portions back the way I mentioned before. My peak heart rate during this routine is 140. (Just telling you this in hopes that it will give you some idea of what 30 minutes a day will do for you so you can adjust your workout to suit your targeted weight loss time frame.)

Good luck! I hope this helps.