Weight Loss Support - Heavy Backpack?

It takes more calories to move a 200 lb body around than a 100 lb body, right? So what if I wore a weighted backpack. Would I then be able to eat what I am eating now and still loose weight like I did at first? I am not sure this is a very practical idea, but I am interested in what anyone thinks about this. It seems to me that wearing weights is somewhat similar to exercise, but I could do it while doing laundry, house work and the interminable food prep that I seem to do. I am trying to multi-task here.;)

It also stresses your joints to have extra weight with you. Not only does it take more calories to move a 100 extra lbs, it takes a lot of bodily functions to support 100 extra lbs which results in more calories burnt. Just standing there with a 100 lb backpack wouldn't do anything, you'd need to walk around and do stuff.

My recommendation would be to increase your exercise rather than trying to carry around a 100 lb backpack which seems dangerous :)

I think part of the reason that moving around a heavier body requires more calories is because there is more body for your body systems to support. Carrying around extra weight in a backpack might put more stress on your joints and you might burn a few extra caloires--but that's different than needed to pump blood through extra body tissue, etc.

I agree with the others who have posted.

I don't think that carrying around a heavy backpack, whether it be 20 lbs or 100 lbs would be good for your body at all. For most of us the point in losing this weight is to be healthy... straining your muscles and putting pressure on your joints couldn't possibly be good for your body.

Hey, here's a different opinion for you! Weighted/loaded walking is supposed to be pretty effective! It is used by police forces and emergency services and military services around the world. BUT, every single one of those groups do not use weighted backpacks because they distribute the weight unevenly around your body. Using one will strain your back and shoulder muscles amongst others because the weight is borne unevenly. Read this for more info:
http://walking.about.com/od/exercises/tp/walkweights.htm
What you SHOULD do if you are interested is purchase a weighted vest. This is how the pros (military, emergency services, etc.) train. There are a number of these available online, such as the website at exercisevests.com. NO I don't work there! They aren't cheap, but my thought is that if you want to do this, do it properly to avoid injury! And, Christmas is coming up....
Yay YOU for wanting to multi-task!!!

Hey, here's a different opinion for you! Weighted/loaded walking is supposed to be pretty effective! It is used by police forces and emergency services and military services around the world. BUT, every single one of those groups do not use weighted backpacks because they distribute the weight unevenly around your body. Using one will strain your back and shoulder muscles amongst others because the weight is borne unevenly. Read this for more info:
http://walking.about.com/od/exercises/tp/walkweights.htm
What you SHOULD do if you are interested is purchase a weighted vest. This is how the pros (military, emergency services, etc.) train. There are a number of these available online, such as the website at exercisevests.com. NO I don't work there! They aren't cheap, but my thought is that if you want to do this, do it properly to avoid injury! And, Christmas is coming up....
Yay YOU for wanting to multi-task!!!

That article is for if you are walking as opposed to doing housework. You may burn a few extra calories but it would not be a significant amount that you could increase your eating.

A weighted vest wouldn't work for my back. I would need to have a weighted belt like a fanny pack.

Also, there are light weights that people sometimes wear around the ankles or wrists when exercising. I'm talking a pound or two.

Eat less--exercise more. That's the safest way to go, in my opinion. Just the idea of a 100-pound pack doesn't make sense. Think of four 25-pound bags of dry dog food--how would you even be able to stand up, let alone walk? So you'd need to stay around 20-30 pounds. I'm thinking that you'd get the same benefit by doing more exercise--walking for a longer period of time, using a machine or exercise video--like that.

Jay

Edited to add: aphil says the ankle weights should not be worn for walking.

Holy cow! I didn't mean to imply that I was thinking about carrying 100lbs around - now that I re-read, I see how it sounded that way.:lol: I was thinking about maybe 20 lbs. I thought about the weight stressing my joints and also about how some other way to carry it than a back pack. I think a belt might be good. I certainly agree that more exercise is good. I just seem to be short of time.

It is kind of frustrating: For instance, I buy that pre-packaged lettuce mix so that I can just dump it into my salad bowl. Last night, I spent about an hour going through the lettuce because some of it has already started to spoil. That is time I could be spending exercising. It seems like no matter what short-cuts I try, I spend an enormous amount of time on food prep! Most of the time this is a fun activity for me, but it does take time.

After I sorted all that lettuce (it was one of those big containers from Costco), my legs and knees hurt. So, I guess I don't really need to add more weight.:cool:

Oh, yes, I get what you are saying about body systems - it is one's metabolism that is using the calories, not just the weight.

One thing you can do if you are standing around doing a task is to try and balance on one leg. My yoga teacher recommended this to me when I was having trouble balancing in class. I try to remember to do it when I can.

Nancy, that is a cool idea. I sometimes have trouble putting my undies on because my balance isn't that good. The one-legged thing would be practice for getting myself dressed. :lol:

If you plan on wearing something that is weighted, then you:

~Need to use something specifically meant for weighted walking, such as a weighted vest. Do not use weighted ankle weights!!!! They are not meant for use during walking-it can cause injury. Ankle weights are meant to be used for lower body toning exercises only-not for walking/aerobic activity. The wrist weights don't do all that much, unless you are using them in place of hand weights for specific upper body exercises. Just wearing them doesn't do much. Also, a backpack will cause strain, and possible injury.

I agree 100% with nelie that a heavy body does burn/use more calories-but it is also stressful for the body to be doing so. As you lose weight, it is NORMAL for weight loss to slow down some. You need to increase your exercise intensity when you are exercising (heavier weights, longer walks, etc.) to increase results, and adjust your calorie intake accordingly as you lose.

Weighted products, such as the weighted vests, should be used when you are powerwalking, not to wear all of the time.

I didn't know that you aren't supposed to wear ankle weights while walking. Thanks for that info. I see people doing it all the time.

I just seem to be short of time.

It is kind of frustrating: For instance, I buy that pre-packaged lettuce mix so that I can just dump it into my salad bowl. Last night, I spent about an hour going through the lettuce because some of it has already started to spoil. That is time I could be spending exercising. It seems like no matter what short-cuts I try, I spend an enormous amount of time on food prep! Most of the time this is a fun activity for me, but it does take time.


Without a doubt, a healthy lifestyle requires commitment, dedication, patience and time. It is time very, very well spent in my opinon. We make time for so many things in our lives, our jobs, children, signifcant others, charity work, friends, family and on and on and on. Somehow NUMERO UNO gets left behind. I finally realized that the time spent on all my shopping and cutting and prepping and cooking food, and of course exercise, is worth every single second. Now that I am healthier, I have soooo much more energy and can actually get more done in a day then when I was not spending as much time on all those things. I also realized that I am waaay better equipped to deal with my family and everything else now that I am down to a healthy weight. I had to make this a TOP PRIORITY in my life. In the end, everyone benefits from Mom being healthy.

As far as those bagged salads go. Well yeah, they need to be used quickly. I buy the romaine hearts. Very easy to clean and cut. They stay fresh for a couple of weeks usually. You also might want to do some chopping and preparing ahead of time. Chop up a lot of stuff and bag it up well. It's still time consuming, but if you can do it BEFORE you actually are using it, it saves time at that particular moment.

Whoever said "Haste makes waste", was not kidding. :)

Hi, Robin, I just re-read your post in "goal". Your story is so inspirational.

Believe me, I "get" it that I have to be prepared. I use those romaine hearts all the time and they do keep very well and are easy to cut up. I just get a hankering for that baby lettuce stuff every once in a while. It seems to spoil quickly.

In addition to the baby lettuce, I often buy the little red and yellow tomatoes that cost an arm and a leg. And the english garden cucumbers. And red and yellow bell peppers. As far as produce goes, I am worth a lot :lol:.

Ok, so here's the real scoop. I used to be in the military, and on one of my operation tours in a war zone, we were ordered to wear our flak jackets with ballistic plates and our helmets around at ALL times, except when sleeping, due to the tactical situation. I did this for six months. That, combined with our regular gear, meant I was loaded with at LEAST an extra 30lbs or so for around 18 hours a day. Every day. For six months. For all tasks -sitting, having lunch, walking, work etc. And remember that alot of our time was spent in bunkers trying not to get killed. I was lighter than I am now but no skinny minny, but I'll tell you, after 6 months, I was significantly lighter (lost 20 lbs) and had no neck/joint/knee pain. Remember that in this situation we ate what we were given (no dietary choices, that's for sure, and a ration pack has around 2000 calories. Per meal.) and there was no gym or formal exercise opportunities due to the operational situation. I've been there and done it.
So my advice stands firm.
Now, of course, to lose anything significant you will have to be more active and watch your food intake. But wearing a weighted vest or belt will increase the work your body has to do. There are quicker ways to lose weight, and you of course should still be careful with your diet, but if this floats your boat, why not?
Which brings up another interesting question -- are we afraid of taxing our bodies beyond that which is "normal"? It seems that whenever someone wants to push their limits, a flurry of caution flies on this site! Seriously! Live a little - if you want to try it, go for it! Sometimes an unorthodox method will bring results, and of COURSE you shouldn't injure yourself, but I'll bet that the human body is more resilient that we give it credit!

Hey freiamaya,

Wow! Thank you so much for serving! I am so grateful to you and others who chose the military path! :hug:

I think you make a good point about the body being more resilient than we give it credit for. And sometimes pushing is a good thing.

That said, many of those posting here are older and have hardly any recent history of exercise. Such people probably need to use caution, especially if they are also very overweight to begin with. Just walking can be plenty strenuous. :yes:

All of us on 3FC really don't know what the physical condition of other posters is, so there is no way we can tell them what to do. The most we ought to do, in my own opinion, is to make suggestions based on our experience (which varies widely). The best individual advice about any exercise program comes from one's doctor or other health care provider.

Jay

Now THAT is what is so cool about this site! We all have different views and most comments are meant well....just shows that what works for one person may not be a good idea for another....depending on age and health!

Have a great day! and don't forget to SMILE!

Hi all!
You're welcome! That particular tour of duty was hair-raising, to say the least!
I guess my perception of "appropriate exercise" has been warped by the excess of weight-loss competition-type reality programming out there. What, with The Biggest Loser, Fat March, X-Weighted and Taking it Off (avail in Canada!), my perception of exactly HOW hard you can push the human body has changed significantly. This season, for example, on the Biggest Loser, there was a 62-year-old, 300 lb man who kept up with the rigorous exercise program with the other age groups there. It just made me wonder - do we give those in the higher age bracket "permission" to be less active? Do we give ourselves permission to "slack off" when we get older because of age? Is it time to rethink our perception of aging and, given the parameters of human physiology, should we be prepared to push the outer boundaries?

Which brings up another interesting question -- are we afraid of taxing our bodies beyond that which is "normal"? It seems that whenever someone wants to push their limits, a flurry of caution flies on this site! Seriously! Live a little - if you want to try it, go for it! Sometimes an unorthodox method will bring results, and of COURSE you shouldn't injure yourself, but I'll bet that the human body is more resilient that we give it credit!

Personally, I am all for taxing our bodies beyond their limits but as someone who has osteoarthritis in her knees (at the age of 32) due to being heavy I also understand what weight can do to your body. I had also read that every pound on your body puts 3-4 extra pounds of stress on your knees. Although gail doesn't weigh much, I think caution should be used for anyone who isn't "in shape" or consider themselves "in shape". Some people have enough trouble just carrying their own body weight.

If someone was walking regularly and wanted to increase the intensity of their workouts, I think the weight vests sound like a great idea.

Also wanted to add, I saw your reply about the Biggest Loser with a 300 lb man. I have to say that heavy people, older people can and should be active. Even though I was 300 lbs and over since the age of 14 or so, I had always tried to be active and found myself doing things that others my weight couldn't. I would do 5 mile hikes, take step classes, use the heaviest weight possible when lifting weights, etc. The one thing I do have to say though is those 5 mile hikes are a LOT easier now than 140 lbs ago.

I think most people choose what we feel we can sustain. Most people are NOT out for the quick fix, but are looking for longterm results. IMO, there is no reason to push yourself past a point that may very well result in injury. Exercise is vital to ones health, but we don't want the quest for good health to result in damage to the body. There will always be a certain degree of risk involved in doing physical activity. I think we need to weigh the risks and the benefits of each activity and decide for ourselves, or with our doctors what is the best route to take. There is no one size fits all answer regarding the amount and type of exercise that should be done.

when you weigh more, you probably also have more muscle to do more available work to lug around extra weight. That sxtra weight isn't fat alone; it's also muscle for movement! Now adding extra weight on a backpack certainly isn't going to be stres free to your bones!

I was going to say the same as freiamaya. My husband is in the Air Force & my sister is in the Army. Everyday for Physical Training my sisters unit wears their flack vests with plates for the extra weight. They do their running, walking etc...

I went walking with her one day and she brought one for me to wear, I was sweating like a pig when finished. I also achieved my max heartrate sooner than without it.

Oh I forgot,

I bought several of those ankle weights that you strap on. Instead of wearing them on my ankles I bought enough that I could strap together and wear them around my waist. I wear them walking, around the house.

I actually got the idea from a belly dance instructor. They say it is good for strengthening your waist muscles and makes you more aware of your hip movement. A good thing in belly dancing!!!

Good luck!!