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carmel · 04-17-2009, 02:46 PM

Hello,

My 60-year-old dad has recently been told by his doctor to lose weight, or else. He's around 250 lbs, smoked heavily for about 25 years (he gave up around 20 years ago, but still has some respiratory problems) and has arthiritis. I'm hoping to get some recommendations for a good, simple book or other programme that I can suggest to help him lose the weight.

He already does a bit of exercise - he plays golf 2 or 3 times a week, has an elliptical machine which he uses for about half an hour at a time, and goes out on his bike with the dog for about 20 minutes a day (I imagine at a fairly leisurely pace since the dog isn't in great shape either!). But he's never set foot inside a gym and there's absolutely no chance he ever will - he works long hours and travels a lot and basically has no interest. So I'm looking for something he can do at home that isn't too time consuming, doesn't require him to learn anything complicated and isn't going to induce a heart attack... We currently have the elliptical, some kettlebells, a chin up bar, a trampoline, swiss balls, bikes, and some adjustable dumbbells. We can certainly get a few more bits of equipment but splashing out on a full set of Olympic weights or a treadmill etc probably isn't an option. I'm thinking about getting Wii Fit as I've heard good things about it from other people with no previous experience of exercise and a fair bit of weight to lose, is this likely to be a good idea? I want to recommend the kettlebells as I personally love them, but I'm worried it might be too strenuous...

Food wise his diet isn't completely awful - a typical day is Crunchy Nut Cornflakes for breakfast, cheese on toast for lunch, but then a decent dinner of meat or fish with veg/salad/brown rice/sweet potatoes etc. Needless to say his portions are all huge but he's not constantly eating junk food at least. He usually has a glass of wine or two with dinner and eats out a couple of times a week. Like with the exercise, I know he's not going to stick to anything that requires a radical lifestyle overhaul so is it really just a question of cutting down on portions/carbs? Can anyone suggest a good diet that doesn't require too much in the way of complicated ingredients or preparation?

Sorry for the epic post, but I would really appreciate some help as everything I know about fitness only seems to apply to people who are already fairly healthy and I'm terrified of suggesting something that will do more harm than good... He really just wants to lose enough weight so that his health isn't endangered by it, but while he's got a decent amount of willpower I just can't see him committing to a massive change in lifestyle. Can anybody offer any advice?

04-17-2009, 02:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
carmel Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 7	Some advice for my parents... Hello, My 60-year-old dad has recently been told by his doctor to lose weight, or else. He's around 250 lbs, smoked heavily for about 25 years (he gave up around 20 years ago, but still has some respiratory problems) and has arthiritis. I'm hoping to get some recommendations for a good, simple book or other programme that I can suggest to help him lose the weight. He already does a bit of exercise - he plays golf 2 or 3 times a week, has an elliptical machine which he uses for about half an hour at a time, and goes out on his bike with the dog for about 20 minutes a day (I imagine at a fairly leisurely pace since the dog isn't in great shape either!). But he's never set foot inside a gym and there's absolutely no chance he ever will - he works long hours and travels a lot and basically has no interest. So I'm looking for something he can do at home that isn't too time consuming, doesn't require him to learn anything complicated and isn't going to induce a heart attack... We currently have the elliptical, some kettlebells, a chin up bar, a trampoline, swiss balls, bikes, and some adjustable dumbbells. We can certainly get a few more bits of equipment but splashing out on a full set of Olympic weights or a treadmill etc probably isn't an option. I'm thinking about getting Wii Fit as I've heard good things about it from other people with no previous experience of exercise and a fair bit of weight to lose, is this likely to be a good idea? I want to recommend the kettlebells as I personally love them, but I'm worried it might be too strenuous... Food wise his diet isn't completely awful - a typical day is Crunchy Nut Cornflakes for breakfast, cheese on toast for lunch, but then a decent dinner of meat or fish with veg/salad/brown rice/sweet potatoes etc. Needless to say his portions are all huge but he's not constantly eating junk food at least. He usually has a glass of wine or two with dinner and eats out a couple of times a week. Like with the exercise, I know he's not going to stick to anything that requires a radical lifestyle overhaul so is it really just a question of cutting down on portions/carbs? Can anyone suggest a good diet that doesn't require too much in the way of complicated ingredients or preparation? Sorry for the epic post, but I would really appreciate some help as everything I know about fitness only seems to apply to people who are already fairly healthy and I'm terrified of suggesting something that will do more harm than good... He really just wants to lose enough weight so that his health isn't endangered by it, but while he's got a decent amount of willpower I just can't see him committing to a massive change in lifestyle. Can anybody offer any advice?