Newcomer trying to lose weight with a messed up ankle

[Zephyr7]

Hello all you lovely people out there. I'll start with my stats - I'm male, 24 yrs old, 6'3, and 255 lbs last time I was on a scale. My current diet is pretty much non-existent (something I want to change), and until recently consisted of varying degrees of fruit and meat with very few vegetables - it basically depended on what I felt like eating at the time. Very little exercise - I used to run but I don't anymore (I can't, really.)

My lifestyle is catching up to me. I'm getting overweight and I'm only 24, so I need to do something. Currently I've cut down to about one meal a day and some light snacks and eliminated a lot of sugar from my diet, and I'm biking to try to increase my cardio, but I want to break this down into numbers and goals I can reach more efficiently. My diet I think I can figure out on my own after I create an exercise plan and see how many calories I can realistically burn per day. How do I figure out how many calories an exercise will burn, and what sort of exercises would be best for someone who can't put serious pressure on their right foot?

(I can walk and my jobs so far have involved me being on my feet all day, but by the end of the day I'm in a ridiculous amount of pain from it. Running, jumping, standing on just that foot, push-ups - anything that puts stress on my right ankle is out of the question. And yes, I've seen a doctor about it, he says I need a chiropractor but I don't have the income yet to do anything more than put food on my table. That's hopefully changing soon.)

I intend to change my lifestyle - I'm just trying to figure out what's the best way to do it.

Thanks in advance for your help and/or criticisms people.

 

[Lost76]

Have you tried alternatives to jogging/walking? I first gave cycling and later swimming a try. Swimming is my favorites when my ankle is giving my trouble. Was suprised at how much work lap swimming is!

As far as figuring out how many calories an exercise will burn is kind of hard to answer. It depends on multiple veriables, like time and intensity. I generally figure a mile at my comfortable jog is equal to around 100 calories. Cycling I was told is like a 4:1 to jogging. So that would be like 4 miles is equal to 100 calories. Not sure about swimming, I enjoy it,so just being in the water is relaxing and fun to me. If I had to guess I would say a 500 yard sim would be around 100 calories.

 

[mddolson]

Greetings zephy7, & welcome.
I'm 64 & have dropped from 258 lbs to 210 lbs in the last year.
I'm also a scuba diver (retired instructor), so I can offer some advise on the swimming.
It's not just how far you swim, it's the combination of intensity & duration that count.
Personally I find workouts longer than 45 minutes tedious & boring.
You want to swim, bike, row etc, hard enough to get your heart rate up to your cardio target rate & keep it there for 30 minutes.
At that rate you'll burn about 15-16 calories/minute (900-1000 calories/hour)
For beginner swimmers this can be difficult, at first. Most tend to go out too fast & tire quickly.
Pace your self & try to develop a constant breathing rhythm that is comfortable & maintainable.
You can increase the pace & duration as your cardio fitness increases.
If you can do 30 minutes 4 days per week x 500: you'll burn 2000 calories/week.

Personally I hit the gym 5 days a week, with house & yard work occupying weekends.
I managed to average a 1lb/week wight loss over the last year.

But be prepared for ups/down.
My first month I lost 8 lbs, then plateaued & didn't loose any for another month.
If you have a cell phone MyfittnessPal app by Under Armour is helpful tracking calories.

Good Luck
Mike D

 

[mddolson]

If you're not already an accomplished swimmer, I recommend a mask & snorkel.
This allows you to breath continuously with your face in the water, while your swimming ability improves.
Also keep the chlorine out of your mouth & nose (in a pool). You should check the local pool first, though.
Some have rules about masks, goggles & snorkels.
If you need help fining a mask & snorkel go to a diving store.
Stay the hell away from those new full face mask with integrated snorkel.
They increase the dead air space, so you re-breath your own CO2 left in the mask, before getting fresh air.
This is a problem with any breathing extension (snorkel), but these go too far.
There have already been instances of people passing out & drowning using them.

 

[mddolson]

Here's a picture of the type of mask to avoid.

 

[Zephyr7]

Thx for the stats Lost76 and Mike D. I've definitely been doing as much cycling as I can, but I haven't tried swimming regularly - good idea. I'll also check out that app. I appreciate your time guys. How do I tell when my cardio target rate is at a good level? I have asthma so I have to be careful.

 

[mddolson]

Here's a link to the Mayo clinic's web sight: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887
You can find the calcs for heart rate & desired intensity of your workouts there.
Since you stated you have asthma, an this is a contraindication to strenuous water sports (snorkeling, scuba, competitive swimming etc) I am required to add the following:
I'm not a scuba instructor (retired) anymore, so my opinions & advise are just that, & should be taken with grain of salt, & not be construed as profession instructions.
I'm sure you already know this but anyone with a respiratory condition, should consult with their physician before undertaking strenuous exercise.

 

[Zephyr7]

Thx for the link, I'll check it out.

 

[Philip1978]

Swimming is great because your weight is supported and there is less stress on your joints.
I sprained my ankle years ago when walking up a hill,it took a long time to heal. I used swimming as my exercise