A little over 90 days ago DW and I determined that it would probably be a good idea if we were in a little better shape. We had local gym memberships, but finding the time was just to laborious. Soccer practice, games, yardwork and a pre-teen daughter are keeping us pretty busy.

So, DW discovered P90X. This is not an advertisement for them..standard disclaimer, but for those who would like to "turn it around", this program works. Or at least did for me.

I started at a robust 252. We decided on the classic version and began one Sunday evening. DW was already in fairly good shape so her first evening went well. Tubo here was a different story. I was coughing, (no I don't smoke) hacking, and without getting to graphic, removing alot of stuff from my lungs. I think I used areas that hadn't seen air in a while.

The whole program is work out 6 days rest one. There are 12 DVD's most of the programs are 1 hour, including stretching, warm-up. You just have to tell yourself to do it. I am now at 222 and feel better than I have in a while. At least I feel like I would be much better in a survival situation.

Good luck.

Congrats! Its hard work, but worth it..keep us updated. ( now i'm off to ride for an hour)

I've heard great things about P90X. I have tried to recreate "muscle confusion" myself. I figured it can't be that hard. The problem is that, without a strict schedule and framework, I have not made improvements and have found myself slacking too much. I should just stop being cheap and buy a P90X system.

I tried P90X, but it killed my poor old knees.

Pete

My ankles and knees hurt, but I just choose to skip the high impact stuff and do something else instead.

It really is a simple as putting in the DVD and hitting play.

Once you get started, it goes by pretty fast.

Congrats. That's quite an accomplishment. Keep up the good work!

If that particular program works for you then it is, by definition, good.

But weight loss and conditioning is not an unknown process.

Weight loss is, at its core, a simple matter of input versus output. If you take in fewer calories than you burn you lose weight. It is really hard to work hard enough and long enough to lose significant amounts of weight because the human body is very efficient. Running a marathon only burns around 3600 calories. About 100 calories per mile. Three miles for a 300 calorie energy bar.

Considering that many of the larger fast-food burgers and popular shakes have more than 1000 calories each, some combinations of burger and shake meals could get you through a marathon, it is clear that it is going to be far easier to limit what you take in than burning off a unrestrained diet.

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/fast-food-calories.php

It also has to considered that some of the weight lost from exercise is little more than dehydration. Exercising hard in Florida heat it is easy to lose a quart of water, about two pounds, an hour. People who resist, or fail to feel, this dehydration and compensate can lose considerable amounts of weight but may be putting themselves at risk.

It is entirely possible to build endurance and lose weight with moderate exercises like walking and swimming and relatively minor adjustments to diet. Dedication and constancy are far more important than intensity.

It also has to be noted that even a relatively minor injury to ankles, knees, or back can bring any exercise program to a halt and that as we all get older it is wise to shift toward lower impact and less stressful methods. Walking, yoga, swimming, simple calisthenics, and low-stress spinning are less likely to do damage as long as you pay attention.

Contrary to popular belief exercise doesn't need to hurt to benefit you.

Agree with Art.

I find simple walking to work for me.

It has several advantages:
1) minimal equipment
2) easy to adjust time/pace/place done, and increase time/pace as conditioning increases.
3) burns calories and if done fast enough, improves heart/lung
4) easy to do--you know how already. It seems our bodies were designed to walk.
5) no gym membership required.

Conditioning is as varied as people imho. I have struggled with my weight for most of the last 25 years, and this year I finally buckled under and went full route, with a personal trainer, dietitian, and a regime with a plan dedicated to losing weight, eating better, and getting healthy. I started at 280 and am now 207, and feel like a hundred dollars. It takes alot of time and dedication to do the work, but at this point in my life, its worth it, finally. The success rate of my diet-exercise program (defn: lose substantial weight, improve your key health messures like BP, LDL, blood sugar, change your lifestyle, and keep the weight off and lifestyle changes for > 3 years) is upwards of 40%, which is approximately 8 times the average of other programs. I have seen some folks fall by the wayside - younger guys, who maybe don't have the appreciation for being fit, or the time, or whatever it is that keeps someone on the straight and narrow. I'm 48, and I'd like to think that I've learned from the long slow climb up to 280 that I don't want to go there again, I don't want to wear a fat suit, and I genuinely love my new lifestyle and what my body is now capable of. I went into this with a few exercise goals - run a 5k, then a 10k, then a half marathon. Hike the Grand Tetons this summer. My goal weight at 20 weeks was 225, which I passed around week 15. I don't have a new goal weight really, just less than I am today. The more important numbers are my BP, LDL, and blood sugar levels - those are all back to normal, trending positive, and they largely define my life (defn: ability to move and enjoy breathing without stress, strokes or cardiac arrest). I've cut my BP medication to 1/4 the beginning dose and can look forward to being off those by the end of the year, and am off a CPAP sleep device for sleep apnea. Hikes are a real joy - losing 70 lbs makes every thing I pack seem like I'm going ultralight. I have only begun to run in the last month - before that it was lots of cardio, walking, stretching, and some light weights. Diet has been consistent, I've learned what I can eat and what gets me in trouble (mostly things with lots of salt). Thanks to my trainers cautious approach (don't run with all that weight on my body) and conditioning, I am running faster than I ever have. I can run a 5k, and am targetting actual races now to test out my legs. I can look forward to 10k distances, and beyond. The Tetons will have to wait for another day, my wife has brain cancer. I can see those goals though, and think about others. And I can't see myself going back to where I was, or even partly along the way. You have to want it, really want it.

For years I scoffed at gym memberships and equipment. I now wish I hadn't, but oh well. Both have saved me, and the folks who know how to run them. If you are blessed with the constitution that keeps you fit that's terrific, if you find an exercise regime that you like and do regularly that's fantastic, but alot of us are not so blessed or so lucky, so we need to work harder and need some help. If I had one recommendation its that, if you struggle with weight and can't climb out of your own fat suit, get some help. It's cheap at half the price.