There are three primary concerns that someone who’s severely overweight – in the “morbidly obese” category in terms of body fat: determination, safety and capability.

Determination

Any successful weight loss program begins with a decision that you’re going to do whatever it takes to lose the weight that you need to lose. What many people don’t realize, however, is that to be successful you’re going to need to make that very same decision over and over again – usually several times a day. And, rather than getting easier as it goes along, it can be harder to stay determined. The basic willpower that’s required for weight loss is something that can’t be learned and that can’t be provided through surgery or a medication of some sort. It’s something that you need to develop.

Safety

When you’re very big, one of the biggest concerns when you start an exercise or weight loss program should be your own safety. Obesity can cause specific physical problems. You might have medical conditions that will affect what kind of exercises you can do and how often. You might just have specific physical limitations that come from a sedentary lifestyle. Things like weakness, muscle pains and severe inflexibility can be major barriers to a weight loss program. Start by visiting your doctor. Your doctor can help you figure out what you can and cannot do. Find out what you should avoid, and what should work for you. Consider asking for a referral to a nutritionist, and look into the possibility of a personal trainer.

Capability

In many cases, the biggest obstacle to weight loss is knowing where to start. You look at all of the possible exercises out there, but your body doesn’t want to let you move the way that it should. You may not fit into the exercise machines at your gym. Even the treadmill or elliptical machine may have a weight limit that you surpass.

The key here is to find exercises you can do. Maybe it’s something like water aerobics. Maybe it’s simply a process of modifying exercises to meet your capabilities. Here again, getting some advice from an exercise expert is a wonderful first step.

Ultimately, you’re going to face many challenges in your weight loss journey. Knowing what they might be ahead of time will help you to create the best solution when those problems and challenges do arise.

1. Snowboarding/Skiing. Snowboarding and skiing put a large emphasis on your leg and core stabilizer muscle groups. You may think you are doing nothing more than trying to make it down a hill, but it is a lot of work to keep yourself upright and head centered. If you can avoid any lifts, you also get the added benefit of having to hike up steep hills.

Those of you who enjoy skiing may want to consider cross-country skiing. This provides a full body workout and has huge benefits to any weight loss plan. This activity is so good that exercise equipment makers have even made home equipment to mimic this activity.

2. Build a snowman. Hard to believe that the entertainment of building a snowman can be beneficial to your weight loss goals huh? Think about it this way, you trudge around the yard rolling three decent sized snowballs. You then have to hoist these balls on top of one another in a balancing act of the ages. Finishing off this weight loss activity is hunting down decorations to making these stacked balls resemble a snowman. This whole activity could result in hours of physical work. Just what the doctor ordered.

3. Sledding. Find your best sledding hill and prepare for a day of fun and weight loss benefits. The act of sledding maybe just sitting in your favorite sled and whizzing down a hill, but you ultimately have to climb that hill for a few seconds of enjoyment. The exercise component comes in two forms. First, you have to walk back up the hill. Thus, you get a great leg workout. Second, you use stabilize muscles in the sled to keep yourself from getting a white wash. Leave your adulthood in the car and have some fun!

4. Build a snowfort. That’s right, building a snowfort is a great weight loss activity. You may need to shovel a pile of snow, or push a snow blower around to establish a great fort foundation. Next, you have to pack, design, and dig out your fort. All of these steps provide great full body workout, while sparking your imagination.

5. Snowball fights! After you have a great snowfort, prepare for war. A snowball war that is. Yes, this fun activity is a great way to weight loss while having so much fun you may forget your getting a great workout. Run, dive, hide, and throwing snowballs all use an abundance of muscles. Not only is this a great way to tucker you out, but it makes that hot cup of cocoa at the end of the great snowball war that much tastier. It’s okay, you are allowed to have this kind of fun as an adult.

Wear a darn cap – You lose a majority of your body heat out of the top of your noggin. This is where a good head warmer comes into play. This is not the time to think your favorite ball cap is going to be enough to keep you warm either. You want your head covered in something warm like wool, or even a fur lined hat. Make sure your ears are covered as well. You may want to consider something that will more easily fit in your pocket so you can take it off when you get to warm. The key to staying warm while working on your weight loss exercise outdoors start with your head.

Gloves are full of win – Ever notice how much colder you feel when your fingers are numb? A good pair of gloves will go a long way to keeping you outside and working on your weight loss. Just as the head cover needs to be more than some skimpy hat, your gloves should be more than the white gloves people wear when inspecting for dust.

Layer those clothes – The key to keeping the core of your body warm is in layering your clothes. Your weight loss achievements will thank you if you can even layer in some quality long johns as well. This maybe the perfect time to hit up a running store to get some quality under garments. It does not matter what you are doing outside, these specialty-running clothes are designed to pull water away from your skin and keep you warm in the same process.

Choose your footwear wisely – Nothing sucks more than cold toes. Your summer running shoes are most likely not the best idea for cold weather activities. Invest in some shoes that will provide you traction in adverse weather condition, while keeping your little piggies warm.

Don’t forget to invest in some good socks as well. Something like Smartwool socks can go a long way to keeping those tootsies warm and dry. You can also preheat your socks before you leave. This will give your feet something warm to enjoy, as well as warming up the inside of your shoes. This means your body can focus on keeping itself warm instead of having to warm up your gear.

Cut the wind – If you happen to live in a particularly windy spot, you need to dress for that. It may be in the thirties and forties out, but a good wind can make turn that into single digit temperatures. Wear a good outer layer that will help keep the wind from cutting through your warm protective barrier. You want to be working on your weight loss exercises here, not cursing yourself that you did not wear to thin of a jacket.

Combine all these tips for a much more enjoyable outdoor weight loss activity experience. Don’t let the cold turn you into a recluse. The colder weather is some of the best time to get out and get active.

It’s important, first of all, to understand what a calorie is and how it applies to weight loss. A calorie is, in the most basic sense, a unit of energy measurement. It measures the amount of energy that you’ll find in a given food. Your body takes the food and drink that you consume and turns it into energy in order to perform just about any bodily function. Simply breathing burns calories, as does jogging through the park.

Everyone has a certain caloric requirement in order to keep at your current weight. Essentially, if you take in less calories or burn more calories than that requirement, you’re going to experience weight loss. On average, burning around 3,500 calories more than what you take in will lead to weight loss of right around a pound.

Figuring out that caloric need can be a challenge. There are a number of different ways of calculating it, but it comes down to a number of factors. Your gender, your weight and your activity level all play a role in figuring out how many calories you need. You can visit the USDA website to plug in your own numbers and get a good idea of how many calories you need to consume in a day in order to maintain your weight.

Once you know that number, weight loss is a straightforward (if not necessarily easy) proposition. You simply burn more calories than what you take in.

Finally, it’s worth remembering that the calorie count in a given food is entirely dependent on its serving size. One of the biggest weight loss mistakes that folks make is not controlling their portions, which means they’re taking in much more in the way of calories than what they intended to take in.

Quit parking so close to the building

Just parking loses a lot of good exercise time by parking as close to the door as possible. It might be cold outside and you’re in a hurry. It might even be raining or you might be late for a meeting. This is no excuse for you to give up on your weight loss exercises.

The easiest way to get in a bit of a walk is to park as far away from the office door as possible. Even better for that weight loss exercise is to walk to the office in a brisk fashion. You might be late for a meeting, but is parking right by the door really going to safe you any more time than the little bit extra it takes to walk across the parking lot?

Take the stairs instead of the elevator

If you are lucky enough to work in a multi-floor building, you will have stairs readily available to you. This is a prime weight loss workout opportunity for you to undertake. Besides, nobody enjoys waiting around for an elevator full of people to arrive.

Don’t email, walk to your cube neighbors desk

Email has done a great job in streamlining how business communication is done. Yet, there is something to be said about face-to-face interaction amongst colleagues. Instead of sending an email to Joe two doors down, why not get up and walk over to have a chat with Joe.

This not only gets you out of your chair, but also gets you a small bit of exercise to aid in your weight loss activities of the day. It might not seem like much at first, but doing this several times during the week will add up to weight loss happiness in no time.

Leg workouts can be done all day

A leg workout is one of the easiest and most inconspicuous exercises you can do at your desk. Just raise your foot from the floor and hold it out straight so your leg is parallel to the floor. Hold your leg there for two – five seconds. Lower your leg and proceed to rotate this motion between your legs. This will provide a great leg exercise while keeping those weight loss goals in plain sight.

Take a hike…..at lunch

Sometime you just have to get out of the office. Walk to your favorite sandwich shop instead of fighting with traffic the whole way there. Walk around the block if you just need a quick breather. Take a friend along for company if that provides more motivation for you.

Exercising for weight loss doesn’t always require a gym and hours of cardio. These few tips will help you get in small workout, push you down the road to weight loss success, while keeping that tie safe and clean. Bonus points if you develop a whole office workout routine.

The bed push-up

Nobody really wants to lie face down on the hotel room carpet. This exercise is a great way to do a push-up while avoiding that weird stain on the floor.

What you need to do is place your shoulders onto the edge of the bed. Now scoot your feet out until you are resting against the bed in the same form you would have had you laid on the floor. Now proceed to do your push-up. The best part is that when your exhausted you have a nice soft bed right in front of you to crawl into.

The table lunge

Lunges are a great way to work your legs. Your hotel room has a great way to help you out with your lunges. All you need is a table or a chair.

Place one foot onto the table. With your other foot firmly planted in front of you, bend at the knee. Do this until you form a 90-degree angle with your leg you are standing on. Now work your way back to a standing position. Continue to do this until one leg is exhausted. Swap what leg is on the table and repeat the process.

Jumping jacks

You might remember jumping jacks from your days as a young lad. The benefit to jumping jacks is that they require very little space and can get your heart rate up. This turns into a great cardio exercise.

Perhaps you have forgotten how to do said jumping jack. Here is what you do. Start off by standing tall and straight. Jump into the air. While jumping, spread your legs open and bring your hands over your head. Jump again and close your legs while bringing your hand back to your side. Continue to do this for as long as you are able.

The table squat

Just like lunges, squats do a great job of working your legs. Keep in mind that your legs are the biggest muscle group in your body. Working these hard can help with those weight loss goals you have set.

A squat consists of planting your feet under your shoulders. Bend at your knee while sticking your rump out behind you. Stop when your knees form a 90-degree angle. Now work your way back to a standing position. Use a table if you need something to tell you when to stop. Mix up squats with lunges for a terrific leg workout that will leave you happy you have a bed close by.

You can easily take just about any exercise and convert it into a hotel room exercise. These are just a few examples to help you during your travels. Now you have no reason to loose sight of your weight loss goal.