Suggestions to help my dad get healthier?

chelseac1014
chelseac1014 Posts: 43 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I''m trying to encourage my 46 year old dad to live a healthier lifestyle. He's an ex-semi professional basketball player, who still eats like he is in college. While I'm at home from college, I'm trying to write down a list of healthier options for him to eat for his meals. He's 6'6 and probably weighs between 320-350. As of right now I think a good starting goal weight would be around 280. He was around 220lbs in college and at that weight he was pretty small! I think the key for him to live a healthier lifestyle is to start out small and take baby steps, He isn't the type of person to just quit something cold turkey. So I would like either meal plans or food options for him that aren't too drastic because otherwise I know he wont stick to them.

I am also trying to encourage my dad to start working out 3x a week. He has osteochondroma which is a benign tumor in his knee. Back in the summer he was working out a few times a week but the workouts messed up his knee and that is when he found out he had osteochondroma. He also has bad ankles. I am looking for low impact workouts (other than walking) that would be good for him.


If you have any suggestions on how to help or encourage my dad please let me know! I appreciate any help that you can offer. Feel free to add me on here or add him at corbitt2024. Thanks!

Replies

  • chelseac1014
    chelseac1014 Posts: 43 Member
    Anyone ?
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    I'll be honest, I'm a bit put off by you stating what you think a good starting weight for someone else should be, and that you're trying to come up with a plan for him while you're home on break from university concerning his diet and exercise. Since this is a lifestyle change for him, he really needs to be the one coming on the site, asking the questions, and figuring out what he wants to do to make this change. Just because a bunch of people tell you something will work doesn't mean it's going to be the best plan for him, as he may have issues you don't know about or other ideas as to what his goals are and how he wants to go about it. And with you going back to school, he needs to create his own support system for this journey that doesn't rely on heavily on you.

    Please know, I'm not attacking you. I know it's your dad, and I have two parents that I would love to see make some changes and get healthier themselves, but it needs to be him taking the step. I would feel this way if it were anyone posting, and if the relationship dynamic were different - an individual talking about their partner, or a parent talking about a child, this thread would be a madhouse.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Start by reducing the portion size of what he currently eats. That alone will drop the weight. "Baby steps" would be to eat a few less bites at each meal.

    Can he bike / stationary bike? What about strength training?
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    It sounds like you're doing all the work. The only way he will get healthy is if he wants to. he has to do it. As an ex semi professional athlete more than most he knows what needs to be done. Encourage him fair enough but he needs to do the work. I think maybe you need to step back a bit
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    You can give him suggestions, and try to help him, but ultimately it's his decision to make. He's the one who needs to figure out what kind of lifestyle changes will work for him. My husband would like to lose weight, but he hasn't made the decision to make the changes necessary to do that yet. I give him suggestions and ideas, but he's the one who has to make the change.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Show him the site, if he's interested help him create his own account. Then let him decide his goals.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    It sounds like you're doing all the work. The only way he will get healthy is if he wants to. he has to do it. As an ex semi professional athlete more than most he knows what needs to be done. Encourage him fair enough but he needs to do the work. I think maybe you need to step back a bit

    Yes.

    And probably the reason for lack of responses
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    I agree that he needs to be the one who wants to get healthier. You are very kind to want to help him, but all the nudging in the world won't change him.... he has to do it. That said, if you can afford it, what about a gift of a stationary bike? Would that hurt his knee? Good luck.

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