does working out 3-5 hours a day really work?

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moonmagick26
moonmagick26 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
i recently saw a show where a 500lb man changed his diet and was working out 5 hours a day and lost 100lbs in 3 months i want to know if thats possible? i dont weigh that much but i do have about 100 i want to loose i have tae bo zumba & p90x i can use

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  • moonmagick26
    moonmagick26 Posts: 2
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    i know that its extreme and some things ill have to work up too b/c with p90x alot of things i cant do until i lose some weight but i have the time i stay at home and i know i have to change my diet.. i just want to know if its possible to lose like that?
  • maryd4love
    maryd4love Posts: 164 Member
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    - Who has the time to workout 5 hours a day? I don't. I can't imagine.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    I'm certain it is. But you have to remember, that guy was likely being constantly supervised by trainers, nutritionists, and doctors who monitor his progress.

    You are better off setting smaller goals of 2lbs per week. Remember you didn't gain weight overnight, don't expect to lose it overnight and have it stay off.
  • anjelyc23
    anjelyc23 Posts: 15 Member
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    Sure it's possible. The whole point is to just burn off more calories than you take in. But 5 hours is a lot of time devoted to exercise.
  • bunchesonothing
    bunchesonothing Posts: 1,015 Member
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    I wouldn't recommend trying to lose weight at that rate without a doctor's approval.
  • bjohs
    bjohs Posts: 1,225 Member
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    It is best to lose it the right way with learning to re-train the way you eat, exercise, etc. There is no weight loss secret to shedding a ton of weight quickly with the exception of medical procedures. The one thing I have learned with my weight loss is that it's 80% diet and only 20% exercise. People who have those percentages switched around tend to give up because it's just too much work to keep going. Take smaller mini-goals and set a target date for each one. That way you know you will be successful at the end of your journey and reduce the risk of putting the weight back on. That's my opinion however.
  • mark03264
    mark03264 Posts: 334 Member
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    It would only be recommended to lose that mach weight that quickly under a doctor's supervision. Losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is recommended with most reputable weight loss systems. More than that and you run the risk of slowing down your metabolism making losing fat very difficult and you also are likely to start losing muscle mass and not just fat.
  • SuperStorm
    SuperStorm Posts: 119 Member
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    I saw the same show. I imagine it is possible with a personal trainer and nutritionists BUT we live in the real world and so things would be a little different. I personally don't regularly exercise even though I have P90X, a weight bench, free weights, a stationary bike, a yoga ball...etc...etc.. So I can't tell you the benefits of having a work out regiment BUT I also am not willing to dedicate 5 hours a day to sweating like a pig ;)
    Good luck to you!
  • megansprague
    megansprague Posts: 57
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    I used to row and we would have three hour practices mixing all different exercises (running, circuits, ergs, steady state, intervals, pyramids, sprints... different things on and off the water). I did one summer season during which you have two a day practices so you're exercising for about four or five hours a day. During the three seasons I rowed, I lost less than twenty pounds but gained muscle. I didn't have much to lose but I never saw that "pooch" go away from my belly and after a while, my body didn't change, I just got faster.

    That's my experience. TV shows are extreme situations, as you probably know. Have you asked a trainer or gym employee? Or doctor? Or read a book? Maybe try finding somebody on MFP with similar stats as you or who started out with similar stats and see what they're doing/did. Good luck!
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
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    Three times a week for at most an hour is more than sufficient.
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
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    If you go from not working out that much to suddenly working out 5 hours a day, you're more than likely going to injure yourself from overuse. You're better off gradually working up to something of that magnitude, since your body right now won't be adaptive to a sudden shift like that.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    It isn't good for your body to work out that much. Your muscles will fatigue quickly. Do 90 days of p90x and that will take care of most of your worries. My friend lost 40 or 50 lbs in 90 days and he had about 100 lbs to lose at the beginning. If you have time and the money for the extra calories, you can do doubles but you will hae to eat about 4000 calories a day. Heck when I do p90x I have to eat 2800-3000 calories which is crazy.
  • angelicdisgrace
    angelicdisgrace Posts: 2,071 Member
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    - Who has the time to workout 5 hours a day? I don't. I can't imagine.

    No kidding. The only reason I get workout hour and half at the gym is because my husband encourages me. In the evening, I get to do an extra 30 mins of Cardio cause my son wants to go jog and once again my husband encourages us. If it wasn't for him supporting my health life style I would not have 30 mins to workout.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    i recently saw a show where a 500lb man changed his diet and was working out 5 hours a day and lost 100lbs in 3 months i want to know if thats possible? i dont weigh that much but i do have about 100 i want to loose i have tae bo zumba & p90x i can use

    It seems excessive and I workout about 2 hours on at least 4 of my workouts. However, if he's not exceeding his ability to recover then it's not a problem. Exercise is really only excessive when you drain your CNS past that point of adequate recovery and you feel like the walking dead or you've just worn the hell out of your muscles.
  • CrazyAdventure
    CrazyAdventure Posts: 113 Member
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    Well if that guy was 500 pounds, the weight was probably coming off pretty quickly. But if your looking to lose 100 pounds max, I wouldn't think it would come of that quickly, even if you're doing the same diet and exercising because the more weight you have, the more energy it takes to do activities. So I wouldn't set that time-frame expectation in your head, because you would be greatly disappointed.

    Not to mention, it's very unhealthy to lose that much weight that quickly without very close supervision from experts.
  • teawithtennyson
    teawithtennyson Posts: 11
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    Sounds like you have gotten lots of good advice, from people who are on this same journey to being healthy and fit. I will just add my personal experience as well, to encourage you on your personal journey
    I started watching my calorie intake and striving to add healthier options to my menu (I NEVER use fat-free and rarely ever low-fat anything - I focus on true, God-made foods and avoid as much boxed and canned food as possible). I also started out being 216 pounds of complete couch potato and getting winded walking up the stairs to tuck my kids in - so I would get on the treadmill for maximum of 15 minutes - slow speed. I just took it easy and now I am up to about 3 miles in an hour workout, walking the treadmill or the track in my neighborhood. My knees are holding up well, I haven't had injuries or heel spurs or felt like passing out - yet I have lost a pound every week since starting this at the end of January.
    I have lost 32 pounds in just under 5 months, but I am not afraid of gaining it back, because I am not on a drastic diet or a work out plan that I can't keep up forever - this is just my new and much improved life and I love it this way!!

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