Would it be more difficult for you to eat repetitive meals, or to have more freedom but track stuff more closely?
Swapping pop for zero calorie variants works real well for most people.
repetition doesn't bother me a ton, I eat basically the same three meals all the time, the problem I have is that healthier staple stuff is never as satisfying or as easy as getting food from the McD's or ordering a pizza.
Like for example I like chicken breast, I am just no good at prepping it in a way that tastes good and doesn't leave me hungry again (even in like a half pound portions) in less than an hours. then again a lot of that comes down to my metabolism trying to maintain a high bodyweight and as I lose it'll be easier to feel satisfied with less (up to a point)
I could try the zero cal pop thing, I never really have as the last time I had diet pop was like 15 years ago, maybe that'll make it easier to work my way up to more water again.
We always hated the whol needing to cook thing for chicken as well. We ended up just cooking up some in a crock pot at the beginning of the week, and shredding it and just keeping it in the fridge. That way we could just grab some and throw it on a salad, make a sandwich, or heat it up and have it with rice or whatever else. Makes it so much easier to already have it cooked than deal with all the extra stuff. Just knowing you have it in the fridge helps during those times you'd rather just grab some fast food because it's quicker. Also it's generally cheaper not grabbing the fast food.
I don't have a crockpot but I do something similar, every Sunday I cook up my chicken breasts for the week while doing other chores around the house and then cut them up and put them into pre-sized bags for throughout the week.
Knowing you have prepped food on hand to it makes the convenience of eating out not actually convenient.
I'm not the person you asked, but I switched to Huel for lunch after seeing another poster talk about it. So it's not for everyone, but I've done a huel for lunch (500cal in ~700mL water) every weekday for about 4 weeks now. Get the vanilla one, it's fine. I thought it was bland but oh no, this unflavored one is new levels of bland. Tossing in some coffee helps.
Basically, it IS bland and boring, it's designed to be. They even have a line about why it doesn't taste better, "so that you only consume what you intend to, rather than downing a lot because it's delicious" which works for me. I still cook and have a lot of fun with breakfast and dinner, so I don't mind being bored and consistent for lunch, in fact the not thinking is part of it, but that may not be for everyone.
Hey, cool, a fitness thread. I have a few dumb questions.
I need to lose weight. I'm 6' tall , mid-30s, and weight somewhere in the 230 lb. range. I currently do no exercise (seriously none - I wake up, drive my 45 minute commute to my office, take the elevator to my floor, sit down for 8 hours, 45 minute commute home, sit in a chair and play games/watch TV, sleep for 7 hours, repeat). About 8-9 years ago, I did Weight Watchers and went from 230 to 185. I felt good and looked good at 185. I think that's my goal, to be in the 180-190 range.
Last year summer, my wife and I both went on a diet that went relatively well. All we did was count calories with the My Fitness Pal app (the app recommended that I limit myself to 1800 calories a day), and in 5 months I lost about 25 lbs (from 245 down to 221). Then Thanksgiving/Christmas hit, we got lazy about tracking our meals and motivating each other, and we basically stopped. I checked at some point in February and I was back up to 228. I'm probably in the 230s now.
Since it's a lot easier to stay motivated when you not dieting alone, we have both agreed that we're going to start the calorie counting up again after the Memorial Day holiday. In addition to eating better, I know I should be exercising. I've always used "no time" and "no easy access to a gym or equipment" as my excuses. I know those excuses are bullshit, and now it's even more apparent:
A few months ago, an Anytime Fitness opened in an old Blockbuster space that's exactly 1 mile from my house. I could easily ride my bike to/from there (as I will not need to get on any busy roads). That seems as convenient as I'm going to get.
Also, I'm about to have more time in the mornings. After Memorial Day, school will end, and I won't need to drive my kids to school every day before work. I'm guessing that with no carpool and with less traffic in the summer, I can gain about 45 minutes in the morning before work without needing to wake up any earlier. Last summer, I just slept in an extra 45 minutes. I've never had any luck getting myself to wake up earlier than usual to work out before my morning shower, but if I could fit into my current schedule, maybe it could work.
It seems like signing up for a 3 month gym membership at the nearby Anytime Fitness might be better for me motivation-wise than just saying "I'm going to start working our before work every morning". Especially when starting from absolutely 0. I guess I can go talk to the people there, but I'm not sure where to begin... do I just go there and do cardio, like an exercise bike or a treadmill? Is that any better than saving my money and circling the block on my bike for 30 minutes? I have never lifted weights in my life, so I would definitely need some direction on those. I assume I don't have the money for a personal trainer, so I'd be doing all of this solo.
To those who were/are in a similar situation as me (starting from scratch), how did joining a gym work out for you? Is spending $30/month or whatever worth it if all I'm doing is biking 1 mile to an Anytime Fitness, strugglingjogging on a treadmill for 30 minutes, then biking back? Should I start with 1-2 days a week, or does it work better if it's an every weekday sort of routine?
Hey, cool, a fitness thread. I have a few dumb questions.
I need to lose weight. I'm 6' tall , mid-30s, and weight somewhere in the 230 lb. range. I currently do no exercise (seriously none - I wake up, drive my 45 minute commute to my office, take the elevator to my floor, sit down for 8 hours, 45 minute commute home, sit in a chair and play games/watch TV, sleep for 7 hours, repeat). About 8-9 years ago, I did Weight Watchers and went from 230 to 185. I felt good and looked good at 185. I think that's my goal, to be in the 180-190 range.
Last year summer, my wife and I both went on a diet that went relatively well. All we did was count calories with the My Fitness Pal app (the app recommended that I limit myself to 1800 calories a day), and in 5 months I lost about 25 lbs (from 245 down to 221). Then Thanksgiving/Christmas hit, we got lazy about tracking our meals and motivating each other, and we basically stopped. I checked at some point in February and I was back up to 228. I'm probably in the 230s now.
Since it's a lot easier to stay motivated when you not dieting alone, we have both agreed that we're going to start the calorie counting up again after the Memorial Day holiday. In addition to eating better, I know I should be exercising. I've always used "no time" and "no easy access to a gym or equipment" as my excuses. I know those excuses are bullshit, and now it's even more apparent:
A few months ago, an Anytime Fitness opened in an old Blockbuster space that's exactly 1 mile from my house. I could easily ride my bike to/from there (as I will not need to get on any busy roads). That seems as convenient as I'm going to get.
Also, I'm about to have more time in the mornings. After Memorial Day, school will end, and I won't need to drive my kids to school every day before work. I'm guessing that with no carpool and with less traffic in the summer, I can gain about 45 minutes in the morning before work without needing to wake up any earlier. Last summer, I just slept in an extra 45 minutes. I've never had any luck getting myself to wake up earlier than usual to work out before my morning shower, but if I could fit into my current schedule, maybe it could work.
It seems like signing up for a 3 month gym membership at the nearby Anytime Fitness might be better for me motivation-wise than just saying "I'm going to start working our before work every morning". Especially when starting from absolutely 0. I guess I can go talk to the people there, but I'm not sure where to begin... do I just go there and do cardio, like an exercise bike or a treadmill? Is that any better than saving my money and circling the block on my bike for 30 minutes? I have never lifted weights in my life, so I would definitely need some direction on those. I assume I don't have the money for a personal trainer, so I'd be doing all of this solo.
To those who were/are in a similar situation as me (starting from scratch), how did joining a gym work out for you? Is spending $30/month or whatever worth it if all I'm doing is biking 1 mile to an Anytime Fitness, strugglingjogging on a treadmill for 30 minutes, then biking back? Should I start with 1-2 days a week, or does it work better if it's an every weekday sort of routine?
Get the book starting strength for learning how to lift free weights. Make sure to do the big three, deadlifts, squats and bench, and the accessory work it recommends. An anytime fitness should have at least one squat rack. You'll be starting off at a light weight which will give you time to learn form. There is also the video series "so you think you can... Bench,squat,deadlift". Great series.
Do this 3x a week. It will suck real bad at first from the soreness. After two weeks or so it will be much better. Learn to stretch/yoga at home after workouts.
Riding the bike is good, but plan for longer trips. A mile ride isn't enough time to get a lot of exercise, its like 5 minutes. Work up to hour long jaunts on the weekends. If you like to hike throw that in too, ive found that they benefit each other.
Eat better. As you already know food is a huge part of getting healthy. Im a big fan of the cook book 365 vegetarian. Lots of great easy recipes that you can add meat too if you want. Also good sleep.
If you can Ask your wife to do all this too. Strength training is great for everyone.
duraxWho watches the watchdogs?Registered Userregular
I can't really address what is going to motivate you the best, but I will say that I have seen many cases where someone I know is motivated to get in better shape and so they buy Product-x. Just buying Product-x saps all motivation they had/alleviates any guilt and they don't do anything else for a year or more (and this definitely includes gym memberships). I love that you will be pursuing your goal with a partner. I would suggest just walking/cycling first (together or individually) for a week or two just so you actually start exercising and you already know how to do those things. After getting used to fitting that in your schedule you will know if adding time in the gym is something that is feasible without having to go through the hassle of signing a membership contract.
tl;dr I would say start cycling now. If it fits in your schedule and you have no problem doing it regularly, a gym membership is a great next step.
Hey, cool, a fitness thread. I have a few dumb questions.
I need to lose weight. I'm 6' tall , mid-30s, and weight somewhere in the 230 lb. range. I currently do no exercise (seriously none - I wake up, drive my 45 minute commute to my office, take the elevator to my floor, sit down for 8 hours, 45 minute commute home, sit in a chair and play games/watch TV, sleep for 7 hours, repeat). About 8-9 years ago, I did Weight Watchers and went from 230 to 185. I felt good and looked good at 185. I think that's my goal, to be in the 180-190 range.
Last year summer, my wife and I both went on a diet that went relatively well. All we did was count calories with the My Fitness Pal app (the app recommended that I limit myself to 1800 calories a day), and in 5 months I lost about 25 lbs (from 245 down to 221). Then Thanksgiving/Christmas hit, we got lazy about tracking our meals and motivating each other, and we basically stopped. I checked at some point in February and I was back up to 228. I'm probably in the 230s now.
Since it's a lot easier to stay motivated when you not dieting alone, we have both agreed that we're going to start the calorie counting up again after the Memorial Day holiday. In addition to eating better, I know I should be exercising. I've always used "no time" and "no easy access to a gym or equipment" as my excuses. I know those excuses are bullshit, and now it's even more apparent:
A few months ago, an Anytime Fitness opened in an old Blockbuster space that's exactly 1 mile from my house. I could easily ride my bike to/from there (as I will not need to get on any busy roads). That seems as convenient as I'm going to get.
Also, I'm about to have more time in the mornings. After Memorial Day, school will end, and I won't need to drive my kids to school every day before work. I'm guessing that with no carpool and with less traffic in the summer, I can gain about 45 minutes in the morning before work without needing to wake up any earlier. Last summer, I just slept in an extra 45 minutes. I've never had any luck getting myself to wake up earlier than usual to work out before my morning shower, but if I could fit into my current schedule, maybe it could work.
It seems like signing up for a 3 month gym membership at the nearby Anytime Fitness might be better for me motivation-wise than just saying "I'm going to start working our before work every morning". Especially when starting from absolutely 0. I guess I can go talk to the people there, but I'm not sure where to begin... do I just go there and do cardio, like an exercise bike or a treadmill? Is that any better than saving my money and circling the block on my bike for 30 minutes? I have never lifted weights in my life, so I would definitely need some direction on those. I assume I don't have the money for a personal trainer, so I'd be doing all of this solo.
To those who were/are in a similar situation as me (starting from scratch), how did joining a gym work out for you? Is spending $30/month or whatever worth it if all I'm doing is biking 1 mile to an Anytime Fitness, strugglingjogging on a treadmill for 30 minutes, then biking back? Should I start with 1-2 days a week, or does it work better if it's an every weekday sort of routine?
So when I started out in the 300s my gym session was literally a 30 minute bike session where I would push as hard as I could to make it about...6 miles maybe. I would go at non regular intervals, and just worried about being able to get my self to the gym to do anything. The next step after breaking that ice was to step up the regularity. You know, committing to at least 1 day a week, even if it wasn't the same day. Eventually, after a month or two, I got myself up to 3 days a week, and then I started adding to the workout. I went from just the bike (which I was definitely leveling up on already) to having it be the bike and the rowing machine (seriously rowing is so good). Then I started adding in weight machines. It took me a half a year or so to get free weights in to the program, and even then it was still all low weight high rep work, and I wasn't even doing the big three.
The best advice I can give you is to not break off more than you can handle. There's often a feeling that you need to dive in as hard as possible as soon as possible, and it's one of the easiest ways to fail. Focus on what works for you. If you can only make it in a day or two a week for a light cardio session... well that's more than you're doing now, it'll have returns.
this stuff was clearly made by some form of dark sorcery.
How does it not taste gross like aspertame?
it just tastes like a slightly less syrupy Pepsi.
Most companies just use Sucralose as its sweetener, and that's because it's basically still sugar. The chemical makeup is just slightly altered, and it is like hundreds of times sweeter than regular sugar. As a result, they only need very very small amounts of it to achieve the same sweetness as a drink with regular sugar. They then use the same technicality as tic-tacs of being able to label something zero calorie because it has such a low amount actually in it.
So, for people that cook a lot, how do you go about figuring out how many calories are in your recipes? I’ve been trying to work on counting my calories, and I’d like to write out essentially a recipe book for myself that has a good estimate of how many calories a serving is going to have
So, for people that cook a lot, how do you go about figuring out how many calories are in your recipes? I’ve been trying to work on counting my calories, and I’d like to write out essentially a recipe book for myself that has a good estimate of how many calories a serving is going to have
The internet for calories per weight values and then a digital scale is how I do my approximations. Once I have a ballpark for like, a chicken breast from a specific brand I just use that as the general value.
Totalling up the calories of the ingredients and then dividing it by the amount of servings works decently well for recipes.
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DaimarA Million Feet Tall of AwesomeRegistered Userregular
The app I use has a lot of restaurant nutritional information and general food items are in there if you look up something like chicken thigh or steak. For more specific stuff I cook often I use a site like https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076 to figure out the calories and nutritional information that I enter into the app so I can keep re-using it.
so for the first day of logging meals again that wasn't so bad. I came in a little too far under 2800 calories I was shooting for but I don't feel bad at 2550. I'm low on food in the house until next week at least too so I ate my last frozen pizza which didn't do my fat total any favors.
let's just see if I can keep up on actually logging things.
My mom has an old exercise bike that's stuck at one speed too. I'm going to see if I can fix it. until then I think I'm going to start stretching out yoga again tomorrow if I can make room for it. I want to lose like 15 or 20 lbs before I get to the park or hit a treadmill to avoid shin splints or worse from walking at this weight.
I'm not really sure of your situation, but unless you're already working out a lot or have a manual labor job, that is a lot of calories to be taking in. Most people who are pretty sedentary only need like 1300-1800 calories to more or less stay around their current weight. I think you less need to count the calories you are consuming and instead create a meal plan to lower the total amount, and stick to that. Starving yourself won't work, and the bounce back would be worse anyway. But if you are consuming that much, I would be trying to do some heavy lifting to burn calories if I couldn't run very far.
In the end it's basically calories in vs calories out, you just have to find that point where you are burning more than you are taking in. It will suck for a couple weeks but your body will get used to consuming less. I used to snack a whole bunch because I just felt like I was starving. It's been like 3 weeks now of eating better and resisting those cravings and working out, and I don't even feel the craving anymore. The best thing is that both me and my wife are trying to lose weight/eat better/get in shape, so we can keep each other in check for the most part. Maybe try to get a buddy or family member who also has similar goals as you and just work together. The 2 hardest parts were/are to start eating better and working out, and then to not give up. It really is a lifestyle change in order to lose weight and keep it off, might as well include people who are in your life in that change as well.
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
I think it's pretty dangerous to go telling people that 1300 calories per day is an okay amount of food to eat for a sustained period of time. That's a hard cut for anyone but a racehorse jockey weighing 100 pounds...
2800 calories probably almost a 500 calorie cut at least for me.
especially once I start moving around more.
I mean I know what I'm doing here, and I know my own body, the only reason I put those 85 pounds back on was pushing myself too hard in the first place in the face of a bunch of shitty things happening in my life all at once.
I don't think I could go with 1300 in a day without clubbing someone due to a calorie deficiency. I hit 1300 by the end of lunch, but I also walk 6 miles a day and lift moderate weights 3 days a week. Even at my most cutty of diets I was at maybe 1900, and it would take some willpower to hit that regularly and not snack past it to 2500
so for the first day of logging meals again that wasn't so bad. I came in a little too far under 2800 calories I was shooting for but I don't feel bad at 2550. I'm low on food in the house until next week at least too so I ate my last frozen pizza which didn't do my fat total any favors.
let's just see if I can keep up on actually logging things.
My mom has an old exercise bike that's stuck at one speed too. I'm going to see if I can fix it. until then I think I'm going to start stretching out yoga again tomorrow if I can make room for it. I want to lose like 15 or 20 lbs before I get to the park or hit a treadmill to avoid shin splints or worse from walking at this weight.
Logging things definitely helps!
I'm excited for ya.
He already said that he isn't working out very much, and I did qualify what I said. If someone is working out they will of course need more calories or they could have some real complications. If someone isn't working out though they need way less calories per day. Walking 6 miles a day and also lifting weights is a lot more than most people do, and thus a 1300 calorie diet is not realistic. I did also put in a range because men and women have different requirements. The standard 2000 calorie diet on foods is for a moderately active woman, therefore a not active woman could be even lower and maintain weight. A moderately active male would be a little higher than 2000, and a sedentary one would be less. Both of the values I listed then make sense for a sedentary lifestyle. They would obviously be higher for someone who was working out regularly.
From the posts I've read, Uriel doesn't sound like he is trying to become a body builder and max his gains or anything, he is trying to lose a few pounds. I will say that 385 is a bit out of my wheelhouse. The most I've trained with people to lose some weight was probably 260ish in the Army, so I'm more familiar with caloric intake up to that size.
Sorry if it came off sounding like I was saying cut to 1300 calories a day and die, but a 2800 target seemed high to me, but seems to be fine for you. Ultimately it is not my body, just trying to provide some input since I have taken plenty of nutrition courses and have plenty of experience getting people to cut weight and get in shape to pass PT tests in the Army.
Uriel's not a woman, so mentioning those parameters is already bogus and not sure why you're bringing them up when you even know Uriel isn't a woman?
Even if you're putting someone at 260 pounds on 1300 calories a day that's just plain reckless.
Your knowledge of basic required caloric intake going up when weight goes up is seriously lacking.
Maybe you could have just said "Sorry brosephs, I spoke out of turn and I apologize".
Hey, cool, a fitness thread. I have a few dumb questions.
I need to lose weight. I'm 6' tall , mid-30s, and weight somewhere in the 230 lb. range. I currently do no exercise (seriously none - I wake up, drive my 45 minute commute to my office, take the elevator to my floor, sit down for 8 hours, 45 minute commute home, sit in a chair and play games/watch TV, sleep for 7 hours, repeat). About 8-9 years ago, I did Weight Watchers and went from 230 to 185. I felt good and looked good at 185. I think that's my goal, to be in the 180-190 range.
Last year summer, my wife and I both went on a diet that went relatively well. All we did was count calories with the My Fitness Pal app (the app recommended that I limit myself to 1800 calories a day), and in 5 months I lost about 25 lbs (from 245 down to 221). Then Thanksgiving/Christmas hit, we got lazy about tracking our meals and motivating each other, and we basically stopped. I checked at some point in February and I was back up to 228. I'm probably in the 230s now.
Since it's a lot easier to stay motivated when you not dieting alone, we have both agreed that we're going to start the calorie counting up again after the Memorial Day holiday. In addition to eating better, I know I should be exercising. I've always used "no time" and "no easy access to a gym or equipment" as my excuses. I know those excuses are bullshit, and now it's even more apparent:
A few months ago, an Anytime Fitness opened in an old Blockbuster space that's exactly 1 mile from my house. I could easily ride my bike to/from there (as I will not need to get on any busy roads). That seems as convenient as I'm going to get.
Also, I'm about to have more time in the mornings. After Memorial Day, school will end, and I won't need to drive my kids to school every day before work. I'm guessing that with no carpool and with less traffic in the summer, I can gain about 45 minutes in the morning before work without needing to wake up any earlier. Last summer, I just slept in an extra 45 minutes. I've never had any luck getting myself to wake up earlier than usual to work out before my morning shower, but if I could fit into my current schedule, maybe it could work.
It seems like signing up for a 3 month gym membership at the nearby Anytime Fitness might be better for me motivation-wise than just saying "I'm going to start working our before work every morning". Especially when starting from absolutely 0. I guess I can go talk to the people there, but I'm not sure where to begin... do I just go there and do cardio, like an exercise bike or a treadmill? Is that any better than saving my money and circling the block on my bike for 30 minutes? I have never lifted weights in my life, so I would definitely need some direction on those. I assume I don't have the money for a personal trainer, so I'd be doing all of this solo.
To those who were/are in a similar situation as me (starting from scratch), how did joining a gym work out for you? Is spending $30/month or whatever worth it if all I'm doing is biking 1 mile to an Anytime Fitness, strugglingjogging on a treadmill for 30 minutes, then biking back? Should I start with 1-2 days a week, or does it work better if it's an every weekday sort of routine?
Get the book starting strength for learning how to lift free weights. Make sure to do the big three, deadlifts, squats and bench, and the accessory work it recommends. An anytime fitness should have at least one squat rack. You'll be starting off at a light weight which will give you time to learn form. There is also the video series "so you think you can... Bench,squat,deadlift". Great series.
Do this 3x a week. It will suck real bad at first from the soreness. After two weeks or so it will be much better. Learn to stretch/yoga at home after workouts.
Riding the bike is good, but plan for longer trips. A mile ride isn't enough time to get a lot of exercise, its like 5 minutes. Work up to hour long jaunts on the weekends. If you like to hike throw that in too, ive found that they benefit each other.
Eat better. As you already know food is a huge part of getting healthy. Im a big fan of the cook book 365 vegetarian. Lots of great easy recipes that you can add meat too if you want. Also good sleep.
If you can Ask your wife to do all this too. Strength training is great for everyone.
Out of curiosity, is this the book you are talking about?
I am a total weightlifting idiot, so I'm curious about that too. All I've been doing at the gym is cycling and rowing, but I feel like I should get some of this.
Uriel's not a woman, so mentioning those parameters is already bogus and not sure why you're bringing them up when you even know Uriel isn't a woman?
Even if you're putting someone at 260 pounds on 1300 calories a day that's just plain dangerous.
Your knowledge of basic required caloric intake going up when weight goes up in seriously lacking.
Maybe you could have just said "Sorry brosephs, I spoke out of turn and I apologize".
If we're going to start making personal attacks...
I did not know whether Uriel was a man or woman so it seemed prudent to include both. And you are still ignoring everything else I said. Your critical reading skills are seriously lacking. Cherry picking extremes also serves to distort everything. No kidding putting some 260lb dude on a 1300 calorie diet while working out would be dangerous, why would you think that I would suggest going to those extremes?
Sorry for trying to be a part of the community. I'll just see myself out.
Uriel, I wish you good luck, as someone who also has had problems with shin splints and knee issues, you might look into going to the Y and using the pool to get started with cardio or working out in general. Swimming is much easier on joints than walking/running on pavement.
Swimming is really good for larger people. Even hyper obese (500lbs+) people can do it because there's so little joint stress.
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fRAWRstThe Seas CallThe Mad AnswerRegistered Userregular
hey! so im not really a regular but i saw this thread and have been reading a bunch and felt i could share
im about 5'8 and was around 185 in dec 2017. I turn 26 in 3 weeks.
I decided to try to take charge of my health (my entire life ive been sedetary/hated fitness and my desk job supported that). Cut out almost all of my junk food habits (chips, cookies, those microwavable pizza pops etc etc) and focused on halfing alot of my meal volume (im italian so lots of pasta and pizzas and lasagnas). I started doing 20 mins of low-medium cardio (old treadmill at house) per day. it started real rough but the feeling of not instantly dying every time i did it was doing wonders for my self esteem. Got some 8 pound dumbells from amazon and started doing curls-presses just while watching youtube on my ipad. Also worked in some exercise ball crunches which will hopefully start to develop some core strength. Ive been rotating arms and core every other day now.
I could not recommend the "my fitness pal" app enough. Aside from their recent hacking. But its soooo good for tracking meals, fitness, weight goals, "competing" with friends for gains/losses and generally a great reminder app to help keep it all consistent.
i went from 181 on dec 3, 2017 to 160 as of May 23, 2018. Alot of my clothes dont fit great anymore (super baggy) but my shirts from high school fit great! On top of it all, i have so much energy compared to before, as well as a way better sleep life due to actually being exhausted from working out a bit.
Im a complete noob when it comes to this, but overall i could not be happier. I have defined arms! When i flex them it shows!!!! My stomach is still all flab but the self esteem boost i got from checking calories and noticing "bad" foods have really helped me.
On top of it all, it has made my "cheat" days all the more exciting. My S/O and i still go out once a week to resturants and i totally binge. I removed most juices and rely almost entirely on water (and coffee now and then).
Basically my biggest piece of advise if to stay consistent. I felt like giving up so many times since i didnt see any results and those frozen delights are so tasty. But now that ive had a good run of it its motivated me to keep going and try harder!
TLDR: i lost 21 pounds in 6 months and could not be happier. I love lurking/reading this thread so ill keep doing that. I am by no means any expert.
I'm down about 12 pounds since the start of the year. Not as much as I'd like to be, but it's a start. Picked up running last night with the C25K app on week 2 (cause week 1 is too easy) and I...enjoyed it...
Hopefully I'll stick it out this time. I need to fix a bit of my nutrition, mainly just the amount of sweet tea I drink, but I'm counting calories too.
Injury free (knock on wood). No bronchitis. Back from Africa. Weather has finally warmed up and there aren't any ice sheets on the road. Students have fucked off which should make the gym more bearable. So, no excuses - training goal: half marathon distance by the end of summer.
My own progress if anyone cares: I injured my back/shoulder a few months ago and have had three separate, conflicting diagnosis. The most plausible is "you sprained your lower trap".
I haven't been able to lift upper body or squat in the last few months because of it, but I've managed to keep my weight the same. I'm hoping that in a month or so I'll be able to finish my cut. Lesson learned from this is that even if my insurance isn't together, I'm better off seeing a physio as quickly as I can, because waiting for the insurance led to me picking up a bunch of guarding motor patterns that I now need to unlearn.
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We always hated the whol needing to cook thing for chicken as well. We ended up just cooking up some in a crock pot at the beginning of the week, and shredding it and just keeping it in the fridge. That way we could just grab some and throw it on a salad, make a sandwich, or heat it up and have it with rice or whatever else. Makes it so much easier to already have it cooked than deal with all the extra stuff. Just knowing you have it in the fridge helps during those times you'd rather just grab some fast food because it's quicker. Also it's generally cheaper not grabbing the fast food.
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198004484595
Knowing you have prepped food on hand to it makes the convenience of eating out not actually convenient.
Basically, it IS bland and boring, it's designed to be. They even have a line about why it doesn't taste better, "so that you only consume what you intend to, rather than downing a lot because it's delicious" which works for me. I still cook and have a lot of fun with breakfast and dinner, so I don't mind being bored and consistent for lunch, in fact the not thinking is part of it, but that may not be for everyone.
I need to lose weight. I'm 6' tall , mid-30s, and weight somewhere in the 230 lb. range. I currently do no exercise (seriously none - I wake up, drive my 45 minute commute to my office, take the elevator to my floor, sit down for 8 hours, 45 minute commute home, sit in a chair and play games/watch TV, sleep for 7 hours, repeat). About 8-9 years ago, I did Weight Watchers and went from 230 to 185. I felt good and looked good at 185. I think that's my goal, to be in the 180-190 range.
Last year summer, my wife and I both went on a diet that went relatively well. All we did was count calories with the My Fitness Pal app (the app recommended that I limit myself to 1800 calories a day), and in 5 months I lost about 25 lbs (from 245 down to 221). Then Thanksgiving/Christmas hit, we got lazy about tracking our meals and motivating each other, and we basically stopped. I checked at some point in February and I was back up to 228. I'm probably in the 230s now.
Since it's a lot easier to stay motivated when you not dieting alone, we have both agreed that we're going to start the calorie counting up again after the Memorial Day holiday. In addition to eating better, I know I should be exercising. I've always used "no time" and "no easy access to a gym or equipment" as my excuses. I know those excuses are bullshit, and now it's even more apparent:
It seems like signing up for a 3 month gym membership at the nearby Anytime Fitness might be better for me motivation-wise than just saying "I'm going to start working our before work every morning". Especially when starting from absolutely 0. I guess I can go talk to the people there, but I'm not sure where to begin... do I just go there and do cardio, like an exercise bike or a treadmill? Is that any better than saving my money and circling the block on my bike for 30 minutes? I have never lifted weights in my life, so I would definitely need some direction on those. I assume I don't have the money for a personal trainer, so I'd be doing all of this solo.
To those who were/are in a similar situation as me (starting from scratch), how did joining a gym work out for you? Is spending $30/month or whatever worth it if all I'm doing is biking 1 mile to an Anytime Fitness, strugglingjogging on a treadmill for 30 minutes, then biking back? Should I start with 1-2 days a week, or does it work better if it's an every weekday sort of routine?
Get the book starting strength for learning how to lift free weights. Make sure to do the big three, deadlifts, squats and bench, and the accessory work it recommends. An anytime fitness should have at least one squat rack. You'll be starting off at a light weight which will give you time to learn form. There is also the video series "so you think you can... Bench,squat,deadlift". Great series.
Do this 3x a week. It will suck real bad at first from the soreness. After two weeks or so it will be much better. Learn to stretch/yoga at home after workouts.
Riding the bike is good, but plan for longer trips. A mile ride isn't enough time to get a lot of exercise, its like 5 minutes. Work up to hour long jaunts on the weekends. If you like to hike throw that in too, ive found that they benefit each other.
Eat better. As you already know food is a huge part of getting healthy. Im a big fan of the cook book 365 vegetarian. Lots of great easy recipes that you can add meat too if you want. Also good sleep.
If you can Ask your wife to do all this too. Strength training is great for everyone.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
tl;dr I would say start cycling now. If it fits in your schedule and you have no problem doing it regularly, a gym membership is a great next step.
So when I started out in the 300s my gym session was literally a 30 minute bike session where I would push as hard as I could to make it about...6 miles maybe. I would go at non regular intervals, and just worried about being able to get my self to the gym to do anything. The next step after breaking that ice was to step up the regularity. You know, committing to at least 1 day a week, even if it wasn't the same day. Eventually, after a month or two, I got myself up to 3 days a week, and then I started adding to the workout. I went from just the bike (which I was definitely leveling up on already) to having it be the bike and the rowing machine (seriously rowing is so good). Then I started adding in weight machines. It took me a half a year or so to get free weights in to the program, and even then it was still all low weight high rep work, and I wasn't even doing the big three.
The best advice I can give you is to not break off more than you can handle. There's often a feeling that you need to dive in as hard as possible as soon as possible, and it's one of the easiest ways to fail. Focus on what works for you. If you can only make it in a day or two a week for a light cardio session... well that's more than you're doing now, it'll have returns.
It is Pepsi though so a little more expensive than the store brand I'd been having recently but that's OK.
How does it not taste gross like aspertame?
it just tastes like a slightly less syrupy Pepsi.
Also Diet Dr. Pepper. That's good.
Most companies just use Sucralose as its sweetener, and that's because it's basically still sugar. The chemical makeup is just slightly altered, and it is like hundreds of times sweeter than regular sugar. As a result, they only need very very small amounts of it to achieve the same sweetness as a drink with regular sugar. They then use the same technicality as tic-tacs of being able to label something zero calorie because it has such a low amount actually in it.
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The internet for calories per weight values and then a digital scale is how I do my approximations. Once I have a ballpark for like, a chicken breast from a specific brand I just use that as the general value.
I could be more precise but it works well enough.
The Recipes function in myfitnesspal makes doing this pretty easy. Plus it's easy to go back to them for the future (and adjust quantities as needed)
PSN: Robo_Wizard1
let's just see if I can keep up on actually logging things.
My mom has an old exercise bike that's stuck at one speed too. I'm going to see if I can fix it. until then I think I'm going to start stretching out yoga again tomorrow if I can make room for it. I want to lose like 15 or 20 lbs before I get to the park or hit a treadmill to avoid shin splints or worse from walking at this weight.
In the end it's basically calories in vs calories out, you just have to find that point where you are burning more than you are taking in. It will suck for a couple weeks but your body will get used to consuming less. I used to snack a whole bunch because I just felt like I was starving. It's been like 3 weeks now of eating better and resisting those cravings and working out, and I don't even feel the craving anymore. The best thing is that both me and my wife are trying to lose weight/eat better/get in shape, so we can keep each other in check for the most part. Maybe try to get a buddy or family member who also has similar goals as you and just work together. The 2 hardest parts were/are to start eating better and working out, and then to not give up. It really is a lifestyle change in order to lose weight and keep it off, might as well include people who are in your life in that change as well.
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2800 calories probably almost a 500 calorie cut at least for me.
especially once I start moving around more.
I mean I know what I'm doing here, and I know my own body, the only reason I put those 85 pounds back on was pushing myself too hard in the first place in the face of a bunch of shitty things happening in my life all at once.
Maybe you should do some fact-finding then, eh?
Logging things definitely helps!
I'm excited for ya.
From the posts I've read, Uriel doesn't sound like he is trying to become a body builder and max his gains or anything, he is trying to lose a few pounds. I will say that 385 is a bit out of my wheelhouse. The most I've trained with people to lose some weight was probably 260ish in the Army, so I'm more familiar with caloric intake up to that size.
Sorry if it came off sounding like I was saying cut to 1300 calories a day and die, but a 2800 target seemed high to me, but seems to be fine for you. Ultimately it is not my body, just trying to provide some input since I have taken plenty of nutrition courses and have plenty of experience getting people to cut weight and get in shape to pass PT tests in the Army.
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Reduce it
Even if you're putting someone at 260 pounds on 1300 calories a day that's just plain reckless.
Your knowledge of basic required caloric intake going up when weight goes up is seriously lacking.
Maybe you could have just said "Sorry brosephs, I spoke out of turn and I apologize".
https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527180336&sr=8-1&keywords=starting+strength
Out of curiosity, is this the book you are talking about?
I am a total weightlifting idiot, so I'm curious about that too. All I've been doing at the gym is cycling and rowing, but I feel like I should get some of this.
PSN: Robo_Wizard1
Disclaimer: it’s nutrition advice is garbage
If we're going to start making personal attacks...
I did not know whether Uriel was a man or woman so it seemed prudent to include both. And you are still ignoring everything else I said. Your critical reading skills are seriously lacking. Cherry picking extremes also serves to distort everything. No kidding putting some 260lb dude on a 1300 calorie diet while working out would be dangerous, why would you think that I would suggest going to those extremes?
Sorry for trying to be a part of the community. I'll just see myself out.
Uriel, I wish you good luck, as someone who also has had problems with shin splints and knee issues, you might look into going to the Y and using the pool to get started with cardio or working out in general. Swimming is much easier on joints than walking/running on pavement.
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Don't be a silly goose about getting called out for it. Just own up, consider it for the future, and move on
PSN: Robo_Wizard1
I decided to try to take charge of my health (my entire life ive been sedetary/hated fitness and my desk job supported that). Cut out almost all of my junk food habits (chips, cookies, those microwavable pizza pops etc etc) and focused on halfing alot of my meal volume (im italian so lots of pasta and pizzas and lasagnas). I started doing 20 mins of low-medium cardio (old treadmill at house) per day. it started real rough but the feeling of not instantly dying every time i did it was doing wonders for my self esteem. Got some 8 pound dumbells from amazon and started doing curls-presses just while watching youtube on my ipad. Also worked in some exercise ball crunches which will hopefully start to develop some core strength. Ive been rotating arms and core every other day now.
I could not recommend the "my fitness pal" app enough. Aside from their recent hacking. But its soooo good for tracking meals, fitness, weight goals, "competing" with friends for gains/losses and generally a great reminder app to help keep it all consistent.
i went from 181 on dec 3, 2017 to 160 as of May 23, 2018. Alot of my clothes dont fit great anymore (super baggy) but my shirts from high school fit great! On top of it all, i have so much energy compared to before, as well as a way better sleep life due to actually being exhausted from working out a bit.
Im a complete noob when it comes to this, but overall i could not be happier. I have defined arms! When i flex them it shows!!!! My stomach is still all flab but the self esteem boost i got from checking calories and noticing "bad" foods have really helped me.
On top of it all, it has made my "cheat" days all the more exciting. My S/O and i still go out once a week to resturants and i totally binge. I removed most juices and rely almost entirely on water (and coffee now and then).
Basically my biggest piece of advise if to stay consistent. I felt like giving up so many times since i didnt see any results and those frozen delights are so tasty. But now that ive had a good run of it its motivated me to keep going and try harder!
TLDR: i lost 21 pounds in 6 months and could not be happier. I love lurking/reading this thread so ill keep doing that. I am by no means any expert.
Hopefully I'll stick it out this time. I need to fix a bit of my nutrition, mainly just the amount of sweet tea I drink, but I'm counting calories too.
Now to watch my knee crumble three weeks in.
I haven't been able to lift upper body or squat in the last few months because of it, but I've managed to keep my weight the same. I'm hoping that in a month or so I'll be able to finish my cut. Lesson learned from this is that even if my insurance isn't together, I'm better off seeing a physio as quickly as I can, because waiting for the insurance led to me picking up a bunch of guarding motor patterns that I now need to unlearn.