15 Jun Dos and don’ts for losing a lot of weight

People who have a great deal of weight to lose face physical and emotional challenges.
However, the most important thing is to keep working at it. A football coach used to tell me, “You never stay the same. Each day you either get better or worse, which is it going to be today?”
Even if you just do a little each day – walk around the block for five minutes, or ride the exercise bike for a short time – that’s better than doing nothing. Over time, try to keep improving.
To help with the process here are some dos and don’ts for losing extreme weight:
Do get fitted for correct-sized shoes – A doctor can fit you with special orthotics and recommend a shoe to wear. Specialty fitness shoe stores often have trained associates who analyze your stride and make recommendations as well.
Don’t compare yourself to others – Anyone can find someone in better or worse shape than they are. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Focus on doing the best you can.
Sure, people may notice an extremely overweight person exercising, but when I see someone like that I think, “Good for them, they are trying to better themselves!”
Do wear proper clothing – Avoid chafing or getting overheated with loose fitting, lightweight exercise clothes.
Do lift weights – Down the road include strength training to help build muscle tone.
Do keep a training log – Record what you eat and your workout history to keep track of progress and set future goals. This can be a great motivational tool to keep you going.
Don’t train too hard, too fast – Slowly increase the intensity of your workouts. If you try to do too much, too soon you may end up injuring yourself.
Do be patient – Losing a great deal of weight can take time. The important thing is to do it correctly by making lifestyle changes so the pounds will come off and stay off over time.
Don’t succumb to self doubt – Making the commitment to lose a lot of weight is a scary thing to do.
People may think, can I do it? Will it be hard?
They should ask themselves the additional question, Is it easy to be way overweight?
There’s an easy answer as to which lifestyle will be easier on people in the long run. If obese people can lose weight, they’ll get a new lease on life.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com