dogchild:
Your post is simply outstanding!..and pretty much says it all.
This will be a tough task…but there is no doubt in my mind that Chris and the “Testosterone” crew will rise up to the challenge.
Mufasa
I am hoping there will be some news from Chris on this topic in this fridays T-mag.
Absolutely terrific post, Dogchild.
I’ve got some experience working with the morbidly obese, and what I’ve found mirrors large amounts of what you posted perfectly. From a diet standpoint, step one is getting them to chart everything that goes in their mouth. The more detailed, the better, but at bare minimum, chart calories, grams of protein, grams of carbs, grams of fat, and grams of fiber. Working with the morbidly obese, I’d also like to see emotional state and physical energy level charted, to see if there are any health or psychological issues contributing to unhealthy eating patterns.
With the chart in hand, you start with the simple fixes. My first recommendation is always to stop drinking liquids that contain calories. No soda, no juice, no chocolate milk, no sugar in your coffee, etc. Increase water, and if you absolutely need flavor for it, try squeezing lemon into it or using Crystal Light. It’s a fairly painless switch, and it alone helps reduce the calorie surplus.
Step two is cutting out the candy and other junk. Suggest healthy alternatives. Beef jerky and mixed nuts are a great substitute for chips. Fruit or a protein bar are an acceptable substitute for candy. Remind them, as well, that the less refined sugar they eat, the easier it gets because they lose their sweet tooth.
Step three is stressing the importance of one gram of protein per pound of LBM and laying out a strategy for getting there. This is the most intimidating part for many beginners, especially the ones you’re telling to double (or more) their current protein intake. This is when you start introducing the idea of at least five feedings per day, pointing out the metabolic spike that follows each feeding, and explaining how their protein requirement breaks down into manageable amounts when you’re eating several times a day. This is also a good time to introduce Massive Eating/Don’t Diet principles. The key, though, is to ease into it and carefully explain the science behind each change.
As far as workouts go, I’ve had the best results sticking with the basics. The morbidly obese will generally be very strong through the legs and core, and their strength provides wonderful positive reinforcement to keep on going. Spend the time to get the balance right for squats and deadlifts, provided that they’ve got the flexibility to do them, because they’re likely to get good results and watching the numbers fly up is always encouraging. Bench presses, bent-over rows, dumbbell shoulder presses, dumbbell curls, and rope pressdowns finish things off, followed by some type of weighted ab work. 3 sets of 10-15, depending on how you individually respond. Lower body will generally have the best strength endurance. My MO clients seem to respond best to cable crunches because the stomach doesn’t get in the way as badly.
Hope this helps to some degree.
There’s an interesting follow up to this in the thread called “Morbidly Obese? Do the Math” You can see how Berardi’s Winning Formula applies to a “typical” MO guy. Or maybe it doesn’t apply. I’m not sure.