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Help me lose some weight...
Posts
You like eating.
You start workouts and get hungry.
But you can't eat as much as you NORMALLY do let alone the extra you crave?!
Something will give almost immediately.
I'm going to go to the store and pick up some fresh fruits and veggies to see if I can keep this up. Worst case scenario I go back to eating carbs and still workout, which is still better than eating carbs and not working out.
Though I've seen some good advice, a lot of people in this thread are describing rather substantial diet or fitness changes that you will be unlikely to maintain for a long period.
Don't cut anything you like out of your breakfast, just trim it down. 3 pancakes instead of 4, 2 eggs instead of 3, a smaller glass for your OJ, etc.
Likewise, do you have the opportunity to take the stairs anywhere that you usually don't in your day to day routine? If you do, take them. Take them every day you can. Do you regularly walk anywhere? Try to jog a block or two instead of walk. ETC ETC.
also start lifting weights
I was seeing good results stuffing down 9 eggs every morning. The only problem was that eggs gets rather tedious to eat after awhile. Now I only eat 4 eggs a few strips of bacon and a sausage. Of course, my diet is rather focused.
The most challenging thing is variety.
steam-taliosfalcon
XBL-AdeptPenguin
15 minutes on the elliptical
15 minutes lifting weights (3 sets of 10 reps for shoulder/chest)
15 minutes on the bike
15 minutes lifting weights (3 sets of 10 reps for chest/curls)
Should I be adding something to help remove my gut? Maybe some situps or something?
e: I'm down 3.5 pounds since Black Friday.
You need to be doing weights for more than just your chest/shoulders/biceps. Also, unfortunately, you can't "spot-reduce", which means you can't target a certain area of your body to lose weight in. If you want to lose weight in your stomach area, you need to do that by losing weight all over your body. Toning/building the muscle underneath will certainly help it look better, but it won't make you lose fat from just that one area.
Exercising larger muscles and larger muscle groups will make you burn more calories. Using the leg press for 3 sets of 10 is going to burn more calories than doing biceps curls for 3 sets of 10. If you're burning more calories than you're consuming, you'll lose weight, and you'll lose some of that off of your midsection. Ideally, you should be working your whole body.
Also, keeping the schedule you have means that your last exercise is going to suffer, because you've already spent 30 minutes doing cardio, and 15 minutes doing an exercise that works your chest, too. I switch between doing weights first and cardio afterwards, and cardio first and weights afterwards. Either option is going to make the 2nd part of the routine suffer...but by changing it up like that, I try to even things out a bit.
And congrats on the weightloss, keep it up!
I have been trying to slim down for a while now, and one of the biggest difficulties in doing so is in staying motivated. If you can go with your girlfriend/wife/buddy then by all means, do so. Working out together, spotting each other, motivating each other, is one of the best ways to keep at it. All this term I've gone to the gym on a very sporadic schedule, but when someone else is with you, you find it's much easier to stick to the schedule and keep it. Since we've started going together about a month ago we always make it to the gym for weights 3 days a week, and we have both noticed marked improvement in the weight we are lifting. I went in that span from deadlifting 55 lbs to deadlifting 135.
While cardio is very, very important to overall health, do not skimp on lifting weights and attempting to build muscle because it is one of the best ways to increase your overall health. I am six foot three inches and 235 pounds, and while I haven't lost actual mass according to the scale, I am noticeably slimmer, stronger and healthier as a result of weightlifting. Muscle burns calories and raises your standing metabolic rate substantially, so you burn more calories just standing around then you ever did before.
But that means squat if you're not watching what you eat and making efforts to cut out the garbage. But make sure you don't overdo it. Try to look for HFCS in products, not because it's inherently evil, but because it's in everything and adds unnecessary calories. If you drink soda and can't switch to diet (Coke Zero is my beverage of choice besides coffee, skim milk, and OJ) stop entirely.
You mentioned oatmeal before, and as long as it's the old-fashioned quaker oats you are usually fine. It's a complex carbohydrate, has tons of fiber, and reduces cholesterol. Throw in some ground flaxseed as well for its health benefits, and try to keep the sugar you use to flavor the oatmeal down. But as other people have mentioned, focus on protein.
Ironically, protein, fiber, and fat will make you feel full. Be reasonable and you'll be fine. People freak out so much over calories and what they eat that they fail to realize that a homemade ham and cheese sandwich on whole-grain bread with spinach and sprouts is delicious, healthy, and filling.
If you get hungry, do what I do, snack constantly, but snack correctly. If you're hungry, eat a bowl of carrots with dip. Sure the dip adds calories and fat but combined with the carrots its a hell of a lot better than a candy bar.
5 minute warmup of some kind, whatever
~40 minutes of lifting weights
~15 minutes of cardio at the end
I like the idea of switching them around and I will start doing that.
@DoctorArch, Thanks for the info! I have a friend who goes with me, so it's much easier. Especially since it's a 2 minute walk to the gym, and it's absolutely freezing outside! And I'm glad I can still eat oatmeal... I love it so much!
@Shazkar, I'll be doing that next week. I want to keep switching it up so I don't get bored easily. But I really like that idea as well!
Man, unless you want to be a lightbulb then it's best to start building your core muscles. I recommend this website:
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/
though i liked doing it starting strength way with warm up sets and then work sets of 3x5
From what I can tell 1 station works on the chest muscles (sit on a chair, and push the bar forward), shoulder (sit on a chair, pull bar downward), legs (wrap feet around bars, lift up with legs), and curls? (place arm on pad, lift handle upward).
Uh, if you do five sets of really high weight, aren't you just going to end up bulking up?
Actually it's widely believed that higher rep ranges (8-12ish) are ideal for hypertrophy/"bulking up."
Secondly, lifting weights is half the equation. You won't be bulking up unless you're intaking more calories than you burn, therefore putting on weight.
As long as OP maintains a calorie deficit each day, he will be shedding weight off his body.
In order to 'bulk up' it'll require a long period of time of discipline training and nutrition. You'll won't 'bulk up' by mistake or some stupid shit.
shit, i wish. if that was the case then i wouldn't be so puny. but to actually "bulk up" while doing that kind of lifting, you need to eat excessive amounts. like, really a loooot of food. and a lot of training.
Count Calories
Figure out how many calories you are burning each day, and eat less than that amount. Figure out how many calories you gain from everything you eat and drink (including alcohol). As long as you take in less calories than you burn, you can eat whatever you want and you will lose weight.
Sounds horribly boring to me. As long as he's exercising and eating better, he will improve his health, metabolism and replace fat with muscle and eventually be bursting with manly vigor.
What is important is motivation at this point.
I'm about to go and workout today... I'm feeling really good. A little sore in my arms/chest, but it's not a painful sore... A good sore.
He's more likely to see results if he makes a plan that he can stick to and is aware of the calories he is eating than if he just exercises and eats better. Besides, technically eating better is not the solution. Eating less is.
Losing weight requires that a person start burning more calories and taking in less calories. He's created an exercise plan which will help him burn more calories. He's more likely to burn those calories because he has a concrete plan to stick to and not just an abstract goal of "getting exercise."
Similarly, he should create a plan for the other half of the equation, which is eating less calories. If he has concrete plan he can stick to he is more likely to take in less calories than if he just has an abstract goal of "eating less."
(totally joking here, just thought it was a fun article I just saw on metafilter)
I'm 5ft 5" and up until just over 6 months ago I was 140lbs. For exercise I cycled 4 miles a day, swam once a week and climbed twice a week.
Then I got married, went on my honeymoon and came back a bit heavier (probably about 147lbs), that's fair enough, I ate a lot more than usual and did less exercise (though I did go for a run or swim each morning).
Fast forward 6 months and I've moved house and my exercise regime has changed a little, I now cycle 22miles a day (5 days a week), climb at least 3 times a week (2xbouldering, 1xlead/top roping), and roughly eat about the same amount. I don't get swimming as often as I'd like now though, probably once every three weeks due to the stupid opening hours at the new pool.
I'm now about 156lbs (ish) and have no idea where the extra weight has come from, did my swimming really do that much? It seems to be steadily increasing too.
So any suggestions where my extra weight has come from?
::edit:: I don't think I look any fatter and my clothes still seem to fit ok, just a stone in weight, especially being I'm short, seems a lot.
::edit:: Oh and I forgot, I do a little pull up/chin up training to help with climbing/general fitness. Normally about 50 or so over a few sets (I'm aiming for 20 in a row). Just trying to point out I'm not slacking off.
Also, urahonky, if you fancy some easy to do exercise then I'd really recommend Pull Ups, I could this bar that hooks over the top of my door. It can be used for press ups too. It's handy to have in the house for a quick work out and it folds away nicely.
PSN: SirGrinchX
Xbox Live: SirGrinch X
e: And if anyone knows the answer, then I don't have a problem at all, Grinch.
That's the one I've got:
http://www.chinups.co.uk/
And it'll hold up to 20 stone, I shan't ask if that's enough for you or not
It works by pushing your weight against the side of the door frame, rather than the top. I've had a friend who's pushing 20 stone and he used it at my place and it didn't pull the door down.
PSN: SirGrinchX
Xbox Live: SirGrinch X
Counting calories is boring, but you know what, losing weight is generally not a fun experience. it's good to keep track of what you eat.
Really depends on the cycling you're doing, but basically if you're doing strength training then you're going to gain weight.
22 miles of hill climbs is going to put some meat on your legs.
I also second counting calories, at least for the first week. I'm not a big fan of doing it all the time because I personally find it really depressing in a "Oh my Christ, do you realise how far I'd have to run to work off that sandwich" kind of way, but it can be a great shock motivator once you realise what you're putting in your system, and make you more aware of what you eat in general.
As far as workouts go, I personally lost over sixty pounds in the last year with Jillian Michaels DVDs. Clearly not for everyone, but for me she made a massive difference. I guess it's just a matter of finding what inspires you, so keep your options open and try different things because you never know what's going to really hit home for you and make that difference in your head. Everyone has different motivators. I do an intense twenty minute workout twice a week, and a more varied 45 minutes workout Monday Wednesday and Friday. It keeps me from getting bored. I tend to take the weekends "off", but only if I'm doing something that keeps me active anyway, like working in the garden or running around a theme park or something. Since my job is something that keeps me chained to a computer most of the day and doesn't really have any defined work hours, for me personally it was just a matter of realizing that to make up for it I had to be a lot more active than I was.
Also, how are almonds for a diet? I'm looking at a pack I bought today that is:
170 calories
14g fat
3g fiber
6g protein
Is this good for me? Or should I stay away?
Ideally, your snacks have few to no calories. They exist to keep your mouth busy and your stomach not grumbling.
It is really hard to overeat unsalted nuts, and the chances of you even finishing the quarter cup are small.
They are really filling and stick with you for a long time.
They cast a shadow like a sundial in the morning light. It was half past 10.