So do you think I should drop the bike, and go with weights? I'm not sure how to even use them properly...
urahonky on
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OnTheLastCastlelet's keep it haimish for the peripateticRegistered Userregular
edited December 2010
Cutting food AND starting exercising is going to end disastrously. I get that you're motivated right now, but I really think you're making the common mistake of too much too fast. You want things to become rote before you move on to others. It's a process.
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?!
Honestly I used to eat until I got full... Almost till it hurt to move. I liked that feeling... But now I find it pretty disgusting. I think that cutting the bagel out of my diet (every morning) and then trimming down a few things will be better for me in the long run.
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.
If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to make lifestyle adjustments that are conceivably permanent or semi-permanent.
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.
When I was serving in the army most of the recruits lost a lot of weight due to walking long miles with equipment. Maybe you should focus on exercising more and eating less?
Hey guys. It's that time of the year again... And I've gained a lot of weight as usual. This time I'm hoping to keep it off and keep myself into shape. The problem is that I've started working out on Black Friday and have only lost a single pound, and haven't noticed any changes in my clothing.
Here's a look at my diet:
I've started increasing my fiber... Went from maybe 10g a day to almost 40g... That's with the high fiber bagels, oatmeal, and fiber pills.
Breakfast 1:
3 Egg Omlet 1 High Fiber Bagel 2 Strips of low fat bacon (what's in it, i'd say low sodium is more important that low fat. i eat low sodium bacon for breakfast often)
Breakfast 2:
1 Cup of Oatmeal
2 Strips of low fat bacon
Breakfast 3: 4 Pancakes 2 Strips of low fat bacon
Breakfast 4:
1 - 2 Bowls of High Fiber Cereal
All my breakfasts include a large glass of Orange Juice (drinking calories is bad, mostly, it is just sugar and doesnt fill you up) or Water if I don't have any OJ left.
Lunch usually consists on either leftovers or 2 Lean Pockets (salty, artificial, bad...) or 2 Sandwiches... Try salads instead!
Dinner is very random, since my wife cooks. The other day she made some chicken and veggies, the day before that a lasagna casarole.
cut things in red
also start lifting weights
Shazkar Shadowstorm on
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Casually HardcoreOnce an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered Userregular
edited December 2010
Keep the bacon. If anything, add more eggs to your breakfast.
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.
I think an important thing to keep in mind is changes that are too drastic too quickly will guarantee failure, if you cut everything you like out of your diet immediately you're going to have huge cravings and be fucked. Also, weights aren't strictly a necessity, i've dropped 130 pounds over the past year and a half (310-180) by just doing 40 minutes to an hour of intense cardio a day and changing nothing else.
I want to develop a routine so I can actually keep doing this as often as I am. Pretty soon I want to go to 3 days on, 1 day off... So that I can workout a majority of the work week (if/when I get a job).
Getting a good 8+ hours of sleep a night is crucial to weight loss. I'm also not talking like 1am-9am sleep, you have to try for 9-10pm bedtime. Trust me, the difference is amazing.
Alright guys so I changed my workout schedule today and so far I'm really, really enjoying it:
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?
Does that mean that you'll spend 15 minutes doing [3 sets of 10] for one exercise? You're giving yourself a very large window of "not doing anything" between your reps/sets. It should not take you 15 minutes to complete this.
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.
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.
@NightDragon, I do 3 sets of 10 for my chest... Then 3 sets of 10 for my shoulders, etc. I don't even know the proper names of the weight machines in the workout room. When I finish one set, I wait about 30 seconds then do another. By the end it's about 15 minutes and I go onto the next one.
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!
urahonky on
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Casually HardcoreOnce an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered Userregular
@NightDragon, I do 3 sets of 10 for my chest... Then 3 sets of 10 for my shoulders, etc. I don't even know the proper names of the weight machines in the workout room. When I finish one set, I wait about 30 seconds then do another. By the end it's about 15 minutes and I go onto the next one.
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:
Well, right now I'm using my apartment's free gym and it doesn't have weights like that. It has the machine with 4 different stations. I might have to take a picture of it to show you guys...
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).
@NightDragon, I do 3 sets of 10 for my chest... Then 3 sets of 10 for my shoulders, etc. I don't even know the proper names of the weight machines in the workout room. When I finish one set, I wait about 30 seconds then do another. By the end it's about 15 minutes and I go onto the next one.
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:
@NightDragon, I do 3 sets of 10 for my chest... Then 3 sets of 10 for my shoulders, etc. I don't even know the proper names of the weight machines in the workout room. When I finish one set, I wait about 30 seconds then do another. By the end it's about 15 minutes and I go onto the next one.
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:
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.
ninzorjons on
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Casually HardcoreOnce an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered Userregular
edited December 2010
Don't be insulting.
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.
@NightDragon, I do 3 sets of 10 for my chest... Then 3 sets of 10 for my shoulders, etc. I don't even know the proper names of the weight machines in the workout room. When I finish one set, I wait about 30 seconds then do another. By the end it's about 15 minutes and I go onto the next one.
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:
Uh, if you do five sets of really high weight, aren't you just going to end up bulking up?
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.
So, I haven't seen this yet, but I might have missed it. A lot of people have been dancing around it by recommending you cut certain foods.
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.
oldsak on
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OnTheLastCastlelet's keep it haimish for the peripateticRegistered Userregular
So, I haven't seen this yet, but I might have missed it. A lot of people have been dancing around it by recommending you cut certain foods.
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.
I am doing that in my head at the moment. I used to use a site, www.fitday.com to do just that. Now I gauge what I am eating in my head, and tally it at the end of the day to make sure I haven't gone over.
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.
It's not really that hard, most packaging will say how many Calories per serving, and there are estimates on the internet for everything else.
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."
oldsak on
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OnTheLastCastlelet's keep it haimish for the peripateticRegistered Userregular
(totally joking here, just thought it was a fun article I just saw on metafilter)
OnTheLastCastle on
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Alfred J. Kwakis it because you were insultedwhen I insulted your hair?Registered Userregular
edited December 2010
Counting calories is what I do (to hold my weight). It definitely helps if just want to lose a little weight and if you don't feel like changing your whole diet to archive this goal. Certainly not the healthiest approach though, if you're just eating less instead of 'better'.
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.
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.
So, I haven't seen this yet, but I might have missed it. A lot of people have been dancing around it by recommending you cut certain foods.
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.
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.
Zombiemambo on
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Casually HardcoreOnce an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered Userregular
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.
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.
On any diet I've found that variety is really key. I am 100% more likely to cheat if I'm restricting myself severely. Make sure you have a lot of options so that you don't get sick of things. You're still going to crave stuff, but for me having tons of options is the difference between "pizza would be nice, maybe I'll treat myself next week" and "I would SHANK EVERYONE for a slice of goddamned pizza right now". I don't know how interested you are in learning to cook if you can't already, but it really does give you a lot more options, and generally a lot tastier ones. I think in general portion control is key; HAVE pizza if you want it, but don't eat the whole thing.
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.
Unsalted almonds are great.
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.
Trillian on
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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.
Our first game is now available for free on Google Play: Frontier: Isle of the Seven Gods
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.
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
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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
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
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.