The 'Weightloss and increased fitness' thread.

[Curvy_lass]

Report how you see fit here guys.

Perhaps share your targets, how you're aiming to achieve these targets and perhaps share your ongoing progress.

It's a friendly, fun and non-judgemental thread to allow each of us in a similar situation to support one another.

Enjoy :)

[twinklestar]

I am in, I started changing my lifestyle last week and have a whole year mapped out in stages of every 3 months. I have mini targets to get to and hopefully will have lost 3-4 stone by next new year.

[nicebutdim23]

i'm in too, hoping this will be really helpful and inspiring!

so here's the ugly bit.... i'm kim and i am a foodaholic. Currently weigh around 14stones and 8lbs and i am hoping to lose at least two stones as an initial target.

My plan of action is to go to the gym at least 3 times a week combined with low fat eating a la Rosemary Conley.

[twinklestar]

I get weighed tomorrow and I am hoping to have lost a pound or two. Will let you all know though.

[CheeseOnToast]

Great thread, it will be really good to give and recieve encouragement and have a positive spin towards training and weight on the forum.

I personally am 2 weeks post-surgery, in the worst shape I have been in a very long time.

By that I am mean I am the fattest for 6-8 years (!!!) if ever, weaker than a year ago, smaller than a year ago, about 1 1/2 stone of muscle mass down lol and unfit.. and PISSED OFF!

I used to do Muay Thai and I they recently moved to a new fighting academy that opened by me so I popped in today and spoke to the owner. It's a primary boxing club with ring, bags and old school training like sledge hammer/lorry tyre, rope climbing etc..

I wil be joining as soon as I am fit from surgery again (about another 4-6 weeks most probs) and I am aiming to lose around 1 1/2 to 2 stone of fat (I estimate this will take around 2-3 months), increase fitness and fighting capability and then slowly add muscle mass again

Although this time I won't be bodybuilding anymroe, just concentrating on fitness and fighting and the aesthetics being a bonus

That's my story anyway lol...

[my name]

I should be a part of this thread. I'm a bridesmaid in February and bought the dress in June I think, else I would have forgotten. If I can still fit into it I'd be as shocked as anybody, but its winter and I need to store a layer of fat for the hibernation and whats more inticing, irish coffee's and cuddling up on the couch with a giant afghan or going to the gym, walking in the freezing cold and snow because theres never any parking

I did try to work out the other day, but ended up leaving my keys and workout clothes in my car, but had a couple hours until somebody could come get me so I went on the treadmill for a stroll until a got a big ol blister on my heel from my shoes, then went on the bike until my jeans chaffed my ass.

Once the trauma from that experience goes away I might try again!

[CheeseOnToast]

I should be a part of this thread. I'm a bridesmaid in February and bought the dress in June I think, else I would have forgotten. If I can still fit into it I'd be as shocked as anybody, but its winter and I need to store a layer of fat for the hibernation and whats more inticing, irish coffee's and cuddling up on the couch with a giant afghan or going to the gym, walking in the freezing cold and snow because theres never any parking

I did try to work out the other day, but ended up leaving my keys and workout clothes in my car, but had a couple hours until somebody could come get me so I went on the treadmill for a stroll until a got a big ol blister on my heel from my shoes, then went on the bike until my jeans chaffed my ass.

Once the trauma from that experience goes away I might try again!

..good luck with that..

[my name]

Nah, the time before I went to the gym my car broke. Evil surrounds the gym!

[CheeseOnToast]

Nah, the time before I went to the gym my car broke. Evil surrounds the gym!

This may sound crazy, but you could always go for a jog/walk/bike ride without going to the gym:yes:

[my name]

Not with half a foot of snow and 20mph winds :p Plus I dont' pay th e membership and work out somewhere else. Pay for a hooker and take her to a movie might as well. But I got a really good deal due to an error in the local paper and the prices don't change once you join so if I cancel and decide to join again it'd just be way too much.

[CheeseOnToast]

So instead of paying the membership and training somewhere else, you pay the membership and don't train at all?:confused:

[my name]

I get a magazine out of it :p

In all reality though, I go thru bouts. I'll work out most days a week for months at a time, then I'll go months at a time forgetting the place even exists. Usually in freezing winter or freakishly humid summer (mostly because then instead of walking to the door in the freezing cold its driving there in a sauna cuz the car's ac is broke. :p) It averages out. I'm just in need of convincing myself to go in the down time so I don't have to pay a buttload to get a dress taken out. (not to mention the mental anguish that will probably cause :lol: )

[twinklestar]

It's my first weigh in and I have lost 4llb this week, obviously I don't expect this every week but I am mightly impressed that I have done it.

[CheeseOnToast]

It's my first weigh in and I have lost 4llb this week, obviously I don't expect this every week but I am mightly impressed that I have done it.

well done!

You are right in thinking the first few weeks are the most dramatic.. but that is still very good..

Keep it up and in just a matter of weeks you'll be visibly seeing the difference!!:thumb:

[katchika]

I need to do this. I stopped my gym membership this year to save money and because I didn't want to be tied into a contract.

I've put on loads of weight since then and I feel horrible. I work in a new job where I sit down for 9 hours a day, which doesn't help, and makes me snack (although I do try to bring in stuff like fruit and nuts/raisins etc)

My effort is going to wait till after Christmas though, there is simply no point in me starting now, and I have no time to commit to anything.

But I want to come back from Poland much slimmer. I think living near the mountains will help a lot!

[Curvy_lass]

Kittycat, impressive loss :D

[DG]

This may sound crazy, but you could always go for a jog/walk/bike ride without going to the gym:yes:

I'm planning to walk to and from my gym on a regular basis - gotta be less boring then walking on a tread mill .. the most I can manage at the gym is 30 minutes before I'm dying of boredom.

So I think it would be better to walk to the gym ..but you look up at the sky and it's always grey and miserable looking and in once sense I don't mind walking to the gym but don't really fancy walking home from it.

[go_away]

I have been on a mission to increase my fitness and strength (and obviously look better naked) since Jan. I wasn't really monitoring my body fat, but it has been dropping (I was skinnyfat to start i.e. small and slim but with a higher percentage of body fat than desired), and I had zero strength to start with, now I enjoy doing the basic powerlifts and I can just about do unassisted pullups (which are bloody hard). At the moment I'm still concentrating on body fat loss, although I seem to be defying a few physiological laws as I'm gaining in strength, even though I wasn't expecting to with my current diet.

[DG]

Talking of Bodyfat I thought this man's photos were interesting

http://www.naturalphysiques.com/cms/index.php?itemid=144

especially the 3rd pic where he weighs less but looks worse.

[go_away]

That's interesting, I can sypathise with the guy there as when I'm under long-term stress, any fat is always gained around my midsection.

[hcafc_laura]

I wanna join in too.

From Jan - July this year I lost a bit of weight and got more fit for my holiday. Ever since I got back I can't be bothered to do anything, and have got lazy with eating too. I've probably only put on about half a stone but I don't like it. It doesn't help that my bf is addicted to takeaways on a weekend.

I haven't been to the gym for a few weeks now :mad: Had so much on with Uni etc just haven't had the time. After Xmas I'm hoping to get back into it.

It's my eating that needs sorting out for now. When I was trying to tone up for my hols all I ate was chicken with rice/pots/pasta plus veg every night and it got boring. I need some more ideas that are more exciting.

Once I book a holiday for next Summer in Jan hopefully that will give me the kick up the arse I need to sort myself out!

[CheeseOnToast]

Good luck everyone :)

go_away - where do you live? just wondering randomly lol

Anyway, I am still really sore today :( so annoying. I would of been able to start light jogging this week if I hadn't done so much around the house and with the baby it hasn't healed properly yet - grr!:mad:

I will start jogging in less than another week, then about 2 weeks after that I am planning on doing some light weights and bag work, then within 3 weeks after that I will be full training which is when the real results will start to flow

I just can't wait to have something meaningful to update! lol

[Ilora-Danon]

I've just taken up Yoga again, in persuit of the perfect body; perfect in that I don't creak when I get out of bed in the morning.
I've also recently taken up using the stepper 20 mins every other day and reducing my food portions.
Ideally, a loss of about 3 stone would be lovely, but it's going to take time.

[CheeseOnToast]

You could EASILY do 3 stone in a year, way before that really.. and a year for the rest of your life isn't long really is it? :)

Crack on girl!

[Ilora-Danon]

Hehe Thanks :) I've been 3 stone overweight since I was 8, so it's not gonna be easy... gonna try though, I've been single for far too long because of it.

[minimi38]

cheeseontoast - is it best to use free weights or those machine things?

[CheeseOnToast]

cheeseontoast - is it best to use free weights or those machine things?

Free weights mate, but make sure you get some help at the beginning with your technique and form as I have had some nasty injuries through training alone :)

Plenty of research online will help too

[soraliah]

starting from tomorrow (yes, tomorrow!!! i am going to make sure i do) im going to start eating more healthy and do more exercise

i was really good for 3 weeks up until last thursday, but then something snapped inside me and ive had a massive week binge :( so probably put on all the weight that i lost!!

about 4 years ago i was a size 18, and then within six months i lost 4 stone and went down to a 12 (sometimes a 10)
somewhere along the line (this febuary to be exact!!) i kindve went a LOT off track and ive probably put about a stone and a half of that weight back on again.

sooo hopefully if i stick with it, ill lose that stone and a half again!!
if i did it once i can do it again i reckon!!

i plan on walking for at least half an hour brisk walk every day (my mum is doing weightwatchers and does that anyway, so im going to get her to make me go with her!!) plus 4 1 hour sessions of aqua aerobics a week.
that is more than i did when i was on the healthy kick last time so hopefully ill lose the weight quicker!!
i really want to fit into all the clothes that i used to :( its depressing to have all these nice clothes and i cant wear them!!
i mean, im still a size 12 BUT im only 5ft so on me i feel its too big.. id like to get back down to my 8stone :)
hopeful thinking!!

[DG]

hmm hoping to loose about a stone and get up the gym more as haven't been regulary for ages what with school work etc =] ooo and to sort out my appauling diet would be good too

I think more like gain a stone - You''re already under the recommended weight for your height aren't you?

[Ballerina]

hmm hoping to loose about a stone and get up the gym more as haven't been regulary for ages what with school work etc =] ooo and to sort out my appauling diet would be good too

aren't you like 6 stone already though?

[DG]

aren't you like 6 stone already though?

But she just said she's almost 8 Stone .. :chin:

She's 5'6 so I'd say she need fattening up for xmas

[Ballerina]

But she just said she's almost 8 Stone .. :chin:

She's 5'6 so I'd say she need fattening up for xmas

didnt see the other post - still, nearly 8 stone is tiny for 5ft 6. Going up and down like that is so bad for your body though.

[Randomgirl]

I re-joined the gym two weeks ago. I've only been doing classes for now as I haven't done a recent gym induction and they've lost all record of me ever having one before so they won't let me in there yet. I was planing to go three times a week but so far I've only managed to go twice a week but I'm still quite pleased with that. The mix of aerobic exercise verse "body" (that's what they call it - they mean like stretching and sit ups etc) seems a bit out of my control as it depends whats on when I'm free but other than that it's okay.

[Sopycookie]

ive been trying to loose weight for a few months, i started by going swimming 3 times a week and doing my stepper thing at home twice a week and eating healthy but ive sorta slipped back into my old habits past couplea weeks ive beens truggling to find time to get to the pool because its getting very close to two deadlines although thats not a good excuse im just tired and stressed and finding it hard to be motivated so now im undoing all my good work...im going home for the holidays now and i live about 5 minets from a small pool so im planning to go every morning

[HeartshapedBox]

I've been trying to lose weight since Jan - lost a stone and a half , but I think I'm going to end up putting it all back on - can't find the motivation any more..
I'd need to lose 2/ 2 and a half stone to be a good weight..

[Curvy_lass]

Hows the weekend going slimmers? :D

[CheeseOnToast]

im drinking beer, I haven't started yet:yippe: :thumb:

[twinklestar]

Really well, thanks. I have avoided alcohol and when I went to the supermarket I avoided buying anything likely to make me stray off course. Its actually been quite easy as my bloke is really into health and fitness and eats really cleanly and motivates me to stay away from bad things and try healthy things instead.

[A forgotten Angel]

I started to be healthy last week too. I went to the gym twice for the first time in ages and started to eat more fruit and veg, but things like chips still tempt me. Im currently 12 st 7 (most of it is boobs) and would like to get back down to around 9 stone that I was last year. I am 5 ft 4. I put alot of the weight on over the summer because I broke my scaphoid bone and ended up in plaster for 3 months. As for the gym Im not really sure what is the best things to be doing, I do saome cardio i.e. bike, tread mill and cross trainer and some weights but it is not really structured. Also i would love to get involved with some classes, as they are included in my membership. Any suggestions on how my exercise could be more structured would be brilliant!

thanks

emz

[Kaff]

I don't want to lose (with one O, loose it what your clothes are going to be) any weight (it falls off while I'm at work anyway) but I would very much like to get fitter again

Same!

I'm a scrawny wee thing, so don't want to get thinner, but I got a big stylee dressing down from one of my doctors for not exercising enough and making my breathing worse :grump:

I'm not keen on gyms, more of an activity person, but am struggling finding something to do. Running or anything high impact is out, cause I've got bad hips, and have been advised against it. My physio recommended pilates or yoga, but I just find it SO dull I make excuses not to do it. I'm planning to start swimming in the new year, and I ride horses and snowboard now and again when I can afford it, but what else can I do?

[nicebutdim23]

Same!

I'm a scrawny wee thing, so don't want to get thinner, but I got a big stylee dressing down from one of my doctors for not exercising enough and making my breathing worse :grump:

I'm not keen on gyms, more of an activity person, but am struggling finding something to do. Running or anything high impact is out, cause I've got bad hips, and have been advised against it. My physio recommended pilates or yoga, but I just find it SO dull I make excuses not to do it. I'm planning to start swimming in the new year, and I ride horses and snowboard now and again when I can afford it, but what else can I do?

would you be able to do aqua aerobics? isn't that gentle on joints etc? anyone know?

[Kaff]

would you be able to do aqua aerobics? isn't that gentle on joints etc? anyone know?

Yeah, it's ideal for that kind of thing, it's just not very interesting! I'd rather avoid doing stuff that's just exercise for the sake of exercise. I lose interest really quickly, and can't motivate myself to carry on. If it's an activity that just happens to be good exercise, I'll get into it, and go regularly. Just need to find one that interests me and doesn't involve running or jumping :)

[Curvy_lass]

I was thinking of taking up salsa dancing in the New Year (or when I go back to uni :D)

[CheeseOnToast]

People kept telling me I look like I lost weight today which actually really fucked me off because I know it's muscle, not fat that has been lost and lots of it.

GRR.

Got to clean my diet up tomorrow and up the protein, try and keep some muscle on before I hit the weights after christmas

[go_away]

go_away - where do you live? just wondering randomly lol

I'm in Clapham/Brixton at the moment (equdistance between the two) but I'm moving to Streatham Hill (the nice end :D) at the end of Jan. Should have moved weeks ago, but the electrics weren't finished :grump:

Besides that, had a good workout yesterday. I've noticed my upper body is taking much more shape since I started trying out pullups and bench pressing the olympic bar (which I added weight to yesterday - v sore today :D ) I really should start squatting again, it's just fitting it into my programme, as deadlifting always wears me out. I'll probably start alternating between deadlifting and squatting in the new year.

Since reading this entry (http://stronglifts.com/proper-hip-position-on-the-deadlift-its-not-a-squat/) on stronglifts, my deadlifting form has really improved, I'm engaging my glutes a lot more, and I concentrate on wiggling my toes so I'm pushing the 'earth away' with my heels.

[Namaste]

I'm doing crap at the moment. I'm studying a lot in a cold house and the cold makes me want to eat.

However, roll on new year!

[star*]

I want to join in! Right...

I've always been a fairly big built lass and due to not having scales in the house whilst I was growing up I tend to measure myself in dress size rather than stones/pounds.
When I was at school I was about a size 18, then shrunk down to a 12 when I left, but I struggled with staying that small, I was never really comfortable with it. So I think a size 14 was my 'happy weight'. I'm a size 16 now; since I stopped lifeguarding/seeing my boyfriend I've put on loads of weight, we eat rubbish all the time :(

I'd like to get down to a 14 again, but be quite toned too. I'm meant to start my old job again (but I'm not sure if that's going ahead yet...) If I do I get free gym membership which will hopefully help, if I can be motivated to actually go...

Anyway, hopefully this thread will help me out a bit too with the inspiration :thumb:

[Wyetry]

Arrgghh i'd love to lose weight - i've never actually lost any conciously though which is kind of crap and i'm far to scared to actually step on some scales.

However i have been good enough at getting up and going on the excersise bike for 1/2 an hour each morning before work which burns 500 calories. I just need to eat a bit more healthily - or rather not drink so much wine.

[CheeseOnToast]

I'm in Clapham/Brixton at the moment (equdistance between the two) but I'm moving to Streatham Hill (the nice end :D) at the end of Jan. Should have moved weeks ago, but the electrics weren't finished :grump:

Besides that, had a good workout yesterday. I've noticed my upper body is taking much more shape since I started trying out pullups and bench pressing the olympic bar (which I added weight to yesterday - v sore today :D ) I really should start squatting again, it's just fitting it into my programme, as deadlifting always wears me out. I'll probably start alternating between deadlifting and squatting in the new year.

Since reading this entry (http://stronglifts.com/proper-hip-position-on-the-deadlift-its-not-a-squat/) on stronglifts, my deadlifting form has really improved, I'm engaging my glutes a lot more, and I concentrate on wiggling my toes so I'm pushing the 'earth away' with my heels.

Tidy - go on girl! ;)

What's your routine lookin like?

My bread and butter routine when I am busy, tired and stressed was wholebody workout alternating as many times a week as I could fit in..

Although you can really make things more fancy, the basic thing I planned around was this -

Workout 1

Squat
Bench
Bent Over Rows

Workout 2

Deadlift
Over Head Press (or known as Military Press)
Chins

Of course you can mix them around but I always keep deads and squats seperate

so e.g. you could do

Squat
Chins
Rows

That way you have two pull exercises on the same day and your two push exercies (bench/OHP) on the other

Whatever works best for you

But I always used to just hit that routine, usually for 5x5 and I still managed to get stronger and bigger easily..

If I had extra time on my hands I would throw extra shitty bits in for weak bodyparts like shrugs, curls, tates etc

Or you could switch bench for wide grip Dips - they are a very good exercise and excellent for chest growth

All this training talk makes me wanna cry:( :crying:

[pill 'ed]

I'm not fat but I'm definately not very in shape at the moment. I've got too much of a belly on me and I'm starting to get some excess flab around my neck.

I'm eating alot less/healthier recently but I really don't know what kind of exercise I should be doing to help get rid of this excess fat?! I can't afford the Gym right now.
Anyone got any ideas? Stuff I could do round the house would be great.

[go_away]

What's your routine lookin like?

At the moment, it's a mix of:

Deadlift
One armed snatches
Pull up practice (some unassisted and some negative)
lat pulldown

Deadlift
Bench press
Pull-ups (again, same format)
Don't know how to describe it, but it's like a reverse push up in the smith machine. Very good for delts

Deadlift
lunges
bench press
push ups

and at the end of each workout I do some midsection work.

Before then I was doing more work with my triceps and using the leg press machine. I think it's time I put some squats back in, but I'm very happy with the upper body progression.

[RaggyDoll]

I really want to go down a dress size. I was always the skinny one of my friends when I was younger (but actually looking back at photos, I was far too thin really and it didn't look nice so I don't want to lose that much) and as I have got older I've been putting on more weight and sometimes it really gets me down.

Im a size 10/12 now, ideally I want to be a 8/10...so I know its not much and I'm sure I could do it if I really put my mind to it.

So anyway, now I have wrote it down in this thread I'm hoping I've given myself a kick start to stop being so lazy and just do some proper exercise.

Good luck everyone.

PS I don't weigh myself because I think I could possibly get a bit obsessive, do you think it would be a good idea if I started to so that I can see any progres?

[otter]

also got full fat coke. .

then you'll be pleased to hear coke doesn't contain any fat (just sugar) :p

Anyone got any ideas? Stuff I could do round the house would be great.
sit ups
doing any exercise where you have to hold your stomach in to do it
go running
- all good and all free :)

[lea_uk]

I don't want to lose any weight I actually want to put some on and I'd like to increase my fitness. I have a pilates door gym thing but the only door I can put it on there's no room next to it to do any of the exercises grr.

[purplebutterfly]

would you be able to do aqua aerobics? isn't that gentle on joints etc? anyone know?

I used to aqua aerobics a few years ago, its hard work but as its under water its a lot better if you have joint problems. I cant do quite a few normal excerise things (like jogging and high impactstuff) because I would aggreivate my hip problems.

[pill 'ed]

sit ups
doing any exercise where you have to hold your stomach in to do it
go running
- all good and all free :)

I didn't think sit ups actually did any good when it came to getting rid of fat?

[Curvy_lass]

I've had 2 packets of crisps today, feeling pretty crap about that.

[nicebutdim23]

I've had a really really bad day. Eaten loads of shit and its not like I can gym it up either. After having a few bad falls last night, I've really hurt my ankle and all the bottom of my back/arse is sore and bruised :( Damn.


there is no point feeling really bad now, it's done and tomorrow is another day...this goes for you too curvy lass.

Lacrymosa - If you feel you have eaten badly then it helps beat the guilt if the next day you cut back a little and excercise/ up your activity a bit, however as you are hurt at the moment go easy on yourself, there is plenty of time for the other stuff :)

[CheeseOnToast]

I've had 2 packets of crisps today, feeling pretty crap about that.

If it makes you feel better i had a large mccoys and 2 kettle chips?

I just drank a bottle of vodka too and am on second?

Am about to put garlic bread in the oven to myself too

would have pizza if it was here

binge alert:heart:

[CheeseOnToast]

pill'ed
no point in situps if its fat loss you want mate

you got any weights? even I mean two light dumbbells as you could do a good circuits routine for weight loss with them?

If not you could make a circuit of stuff like -

Jogging on the spot
star jumps
burpees
shadow boxing
press ups
sit ups

Do each of the above for 30 seconds one after the other then have 90 seconds rest and repeat.. say 10 times? let me know how you get on .. ;)

[pill 'ed]

Sweet, cheers man. What are burpees?

I just need to get rid of this fucking belly and excess fatty bits that I've developed over the last 6 months!

[CheeseOnToast]

Actually I'mg lad you asked, good idea on this one -

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rossboxing2.htm

also rossboxing.com is a great resource, some good skipping and bag routines

[CheeseOnToast]

go_away - your routine looks excellent, well done!

Impressed with the snatches! ;)

If I was you I'd switch the lat pull down for a row variation like bent over rows, one arm DB rows (these are my personal favs) or chest supported rows etc

Would also switch one bench day to a wide grip dip and see how you get on as they fill my chest right out, although you may need the assistance machine for them

But even if you don't that looks solid

[pill 'ed]

Actually I'mg lad you asked, good idea on this one -

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rossboxing2.htm

also rossboxing.com is a great resource, some good skipping and bag routines

Ahh I see.

Cool, so I should repeat that cycle about 10 times a day?

[katchika]

Does anyone else find it really hard to eat well and be healthy when they're in a relationship? When I look back on my life, the times I have been single have been the times I've been slimmest and fittest, mainly due to having extra time to go to the gym.

My boyfriend's lifestyle tends to really encourage me to laze around, drink more than usual, and eat crap :( It's ok for him, he has a really good body despite eating crap and drinking beer.

[hcafc_laura]

Does anyone else find it really hard to eat well and be healthy when they're in a relationship? When I look back on my life, the times I have been single have been the times I've been slimmest and fittest, mainly due to having extra time to go to the gym.

My boyfriend's lifestyle tends to really encourage me to laze around, drink more than usual, and eat crap :( It's ok for him, he has a really good body despite eating crap and drinking beer.

Totally agree! Before I got with my boyfriend takeaway was something I had occasionally, it was a really exciting thing too me (sad I know) now we have it like every weekend, it's ridiculous, not to mention a waste of money.

I need to go to the gym today, but there's so much other stuff to do I probably aren't gonna get chance.

[_guest]

Does anyone else find it really hard to eat well and be healthy when they're in a relationship? When I look back on my life, the times I have been single have been the times I've been slimmest and fittest, mainly due to having extra time to go to the gym.

My boyfriend's lifestyle tends to really encourage me to laze around, drink more than usual, and eat crap :( It's ok for him, he has a really good body despite eating crap and drinking beer.

Opposite actually, for me. But then I'd say it's always been my pals rather than boyfriend who encourage the eating like a pig and drinking like a fish lifestyle ;) I'm on the "no time" diet at the moment and when I do eat I genuinely want to eat healthily (for the first time in my life!). Also, not that I'd recommend motherhood for this purpose, but babies are the best weights ever!

As for this thread, does anyone on here do a lot of running? There's a nice riverbank run by our new flat and I'd be interested in taking it up. I used to go jogging when I was about 15 but er... it was non-too successful since I felt like I was about to collapse after reaching the end of the drive. Any tips? I guess good running shoes are a must, anything else I should know/do?

[RaggyDoll]

Urgh. I hate fasting. Water is so dull

Don't do it then. :(

It seriously is not the way to go about losing weight in a healthy way. I'm sure you already know that so I will shut up now.

[CheeseOnToast]

Ahh I see.

Cool, so I should repeat that cycle about 10 times a day?

Well pick a circuit and repeat it 10 times in one workout mate, not throughout the day! lol

[CheeseOnToast]

Opposite actually, for me. But then I'd say it's always been my pals rather than boyfriend who encourage the eating like a pig and drinking like a fish lifestyle ;) I'm on the "no time" diet at the moment and when I do eat I genuinely want to eat healthily (for the first time in my life!). Also, not that I'd recommend motherhood for this purpose, but babies are the best weights ever!

As for this thread, does anyone on here do a lot of running? There's a nice riverbank run by our new flat and I'd be interested in taking it up. I used to go jogging when I was about 15 but er... it was non-too successful since I felt like I was about to collapse after reaching the end of the drive. Any tips? I guess good running shoes are a must, anything else I should know/do?

I would say these days for about 40 quid you can get a really good pair of running shoes, I use asics.

That feeling of dying is normal, I still do it everytime, you just get used to it.

Basically, pace yourself a LOT, really over pace yourself go slow or it's going to be a mess at the end.

Then I promise you the first say 15-20 minutes is a killer, maybe less bit say that tops, after that you get into anaerobic breathing and it just becomes nice like you can go on for ages.

It won't feel it at the time but trust me, but just make sure you go VERY slowly! And if you start getting out of breath keep running but drop the pace then increase a bit when comfortable :)
I only started jogging again this year after a year lay off, before that hadn't done it for years so I know this feeeling very well lol

[g_angel]

Urgh. I hate fasting. Water is so dull!

I'm on a 5 day fast because I put on weight over the weekend! Only a few pounds but eurgh, I can't go gym this week so need to make it up somehow.

4 days to go until I can eat, lol.

Seriously - that's just fucking stupid. You're not eating enough as it is.

Ever wonder why weight goes on so quickly after a crash diet? I've told you all about this, and about not getting enough calories several times now and yet you're STILL ignoring facts.

:yeees: :banghead:

[CheeseOnToast]

It's either very stupid or attention seeking...

[my name]

:yeees:

I'm failing on the whole healthy eating part of it. I cooked so much pasta that I had to use a whole jar (generally only use half) I ate all of it as well :o *uber greed*..... and then the belgian choccies (that are actually from belgium) started talking to me :(

Is pasta unhealthy? :( Its so delicious. :crying: Is there a healthier alternative?

[CheeseOnToast]

Attention seeking :p

Nah, I'm just detoxing. Had so much rubbish over the weekend :lol:

My mate fasts all the time :yes:

why bother?

do you think it's good for your health and mentally?

Why don't you just stick to a good diet and do some cardio?

A bad weekend doesnt = fast

It just means maybe do another run or something..

Seriously Stace cummon, use your noggin

[CheeseOnToast]

ok so you post in a fitness thread about starving yourself

great advice and example you are setting to others

[Ballerina]

Yeah - then you'll want to do it again after xmas. It's never just the once. But I agree, bragging about starving yourself in a fitness thread isn't a good example.

[lipsy]

Starving yourself for 5 days because you ate fatty foods at the weekend is the daffest thing I've heard in a while!! Surely you would be so exhausted and depressed by the end of it. Your body NEEDS food for energy to keep your ograns working, your brain working..it doesn't make sense to starve it of that?

You're falling into the trap of yo-yo dieting (although it sounds like an extreme version). I did it for years and it never did me any good. I now have a stable weight due to me eating consistently rather than starving myself then binging. And I'm sooo much happier for it.

[go_away]

If I was you I'd switch the lat pull down for a row variation like bent over rows, one arm DB rows (these are my personal favs) or chest supported rows etc

Would also switch one bench day to a wide grip dip and see how you get on as they fill my chest right out, although you may need the assistance machine for them


Might need to wait a while before I hit anything with a wide grip! Managed 3 pullups in a row last night :eek: was mighty impressed.

With the one armed rows, are you talking about these? (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/schultz63.htm)

Think I'm also ready to add some more weight to my deadlift. I'm much more confident with my form, so maybe after Christmas I'll add something small like 2.5kgs to it.

[CheeseOnToast]

Yeah that's the one armed rows.

http://www.exrx.net/ is a great resource as well for technical details on lifts etc

The best site ever was a uni in america called BSU they had an awesome index of stuff but it seems to be down all the time at the moment

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/DBBentOverRow.html

Guy looks naked in that mind lol

RE the dips, problem with close grip dips is that they hit the tri's rather than the lats, good if you want to work on your arms though ;)

[piecesofme]

Thought I'd join :)

I'm doing good with my weightloss and fitness at the moment! Lost 6lbs in the last 3 weeks, got my body fat down to 20%, which my boyfriend said is the same as a footballers but I dunno about that :chin: and got my BMI down to 19 :thumb:

I'm even seeing results now, like my legs are becoming more defined and I can see muscle now not fat, which is always a good thing.

And my diet is better than ever since stopping eating meat, bread and dairy and increasing the amount of water I drink :yes:

[CheeseOnToast]

footballers are more like 10%

But then women and men are very different 20% on a man would not be attractive IMO but in a woman then it's a very nice place to sit :)

[lipsy]

And my diet is better than ever since stopping eating meat, bread and dairy and increasing the amount of water I drink :yes:

What dya eat then? Out of interest :)

[piecesofme]

Lol pretty much fuck all, my diet is pretty boring :rolleyes: My mum belives I live on a lettuce leaf, an apple and thin air a day...shes close ;)

Generally I'll have:

Breakfast: Porride with rice milk or a smoothi.

Lunch: These wheat free ryvita type things with some tomatoe salsa on or soup.

Tea: Roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and sweet potatoe in olive oil and balsamic vinegar or quorn type stuff.

[Ballerina]

Lol pretty much fuck all, my diet is pretty boring :rolleyes: My mum belives I live on a lettuce leaf, an apple and thin air a day...shes close ;)

Generally I'll have:

Breakfast: Porride with rice milk or a smoothi.

Lunch: These wheat free ryvita type things with some tomatoe salsa on or soup.

Tea: Roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and sweet potatoe in olive oil and balsamic vinegar or quorn type stuff.

I wouldnt call that a good diet tbh - seriously, why is everyone starving themselves?

[piecesofme]

Honestly I'm not starving myself! I'm healthy and fine and I'm alot better than I used to be.

I have starved myself in the past, packed myself up with diet pills even ones with what I'm sure was anphetamines in them, but I'm trying not to anymore. So for me that is good!

[Ballerina]

Honestly I'm not starving myself! I'm healthy and fine and I'm alot better than I used to be.

I have starved myself in the past, packed myself up with diet pills even ones with what I'm sure was anphetamines in them, but I'm trying not to anymore. So for me that is good!

Its nowhere near enough calories to be healthy tbh.

[piecesofme]

Maybe it's not the recommended daily allowence but it's a hell of a lot better than my usual diet. So yeah, for me it IS an improvement!

[g_angel]

Maybe it's not the recommended daily allowence but it's a hell of a lot better than my usual diet. So yeah, for me it IS an improvement!

Very little food doesn't necessarily mean a good diet.

Try supplementing what you are eating with fruit/nuts etc as snacks. What you're eating is healthy (to a point) - you just need MORE of it. Throw some wholemeal pasta in there. Also, raw veg + houmous is good for snacks. Try low fat cottage cheese on ryvita for your supper too. Sod all fat, but good protein etc in there.

I don't understand the extremes people seem to go between. Hold on - to clarify, what WAS your usual diet? Junk, or thin air? Just trying to work out which direction you're coming from with this.

[Wyetry]

Lol pretty much fuck all, my diet is pretty boring :rolleyes: My mum belives I live on a lettuce leaf, an apple and thin air a day...shes close ;)

Generally I'll have:

Breakfast: Porride with rice milk or a smoothi.

Lunch: These wheat free ryvita type things with some tomatoe salsa on or soup.

Tea: Roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and sweet potatoe in olive oil and balsamic vinegar or quorn type stuff.

Hello,

I don't think that your eating that badly - just you need to ensure that you have some more protien in your diet and a little more fibre - which you can get fairly easily by adding in a few more bits of fruit or carrots or cuecumber and some wholemeal rice bread or pasta.

I normally eat:

Breakfast: A bowl of bran flakes with friut and yoghurt

Lunch: Home made soup with an apple and depending on how thick it is a slice of bread.

Tea: usually something like - brown rice with lentils (for protien) in tomatoey type sauce with vegetables. Or a vegetable chillie with beans in it, or some kind of chicken dish - plus usually a bowl of salad.

My major downfall and the reason why i'm so lardy is eating out - which i do lots - well at least twice a week and sitting next to the goodie cabinet at work and eating lots of interesting but usually calorific snacks.

The US Healthy eating guidelines are a really good check for seeing if your diet is balenced or not http://www.nalusda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pyramid.gif

[sea02shell]

It would be nice to have a site for support, i would be up for it

[HeartshapedBox]

I got weighed today for the first time in ages - 87.35 kg, which means I've put on 3kg. :(

Still, since last Feb I've lost 5kg which I suppose isn't bad.

My diet's pretty bad right now,

Breakfast: Toast with butter, OJ
Galaxy or something mid-morning, milkshake
Lunch: shop bought salad or sandwhich, occasionally chips
After school, sweets or something
Tea: Occasionally chips, pizza, often pasta, fish things - whatever my Mum puts on...
Before bed: toast

Obv need to make some changes!!

It was the extra exercise I was doing that was helping me lose weight - sit ups mainly or power-walking, I need to get back into it again.

[piecesofme]

Very little food doesn't necessarily mean a good diet.

Try supplementing what you are eating with fruit/nuts etc as snacks. What you're eating is healthy (to a point) - you just need MORE of it. Throw some wholemeal pasta in there. Also, raw veg + houmous is good for snacks. Try low fat cottage cheese on ryvita for your supper too. Sod all fat, but good protein etc in there.

I don't understand the extremes people seem to go between. Hold on - to clarify, what WAS your usual diet? Junk, or thin air? Just trying to work out which direction you're coming from with this.


I do eat fruit and vegetables and I have hummous instead of salsa sometimes. Also I have some pesto and pasta too.

Before it would be porridge in the morning, nothing for dinner just lot's of green tea then for my tea maybe some crackers and a small amount of salmon.

[CheeseOnToast]

it doesn't seem that bad a diet tbh, I have seen a lot worse although yeah its lacking in fiborous veg, fruit and EFA's

it could do with work, if you're interested we can help, if not then it's not a diet that will neccesarily harm you so to speak :)

[go_away]

Yeah that's the one armed rows.

http://www.exrx.net/ is a great resource as well for technical details on lifts etc

The best site ever was a uni in america called BSU they had an awesome index of stuff but it seems to be down all the time at the moment

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/DBBentOverRow.html

Guy looks naked in that mind lol

RE the dips, problem with close grip dips is that they hit the tri's rather than the lats, good if you want to work on your arms though ;)

Yeah I'm a big fan of exrx.

Quick question, do you know of any good exercises, preferably compound ones that I can do to work the muscles of my inner thighs? I really don't want to use those silly looking adductor/abductor machines, I suppose squatting would be good or something like that? Dawned on me yesterday that I only really deadlift to work the lower part of my body, not much else.

[g_angel]

Yeah I'm a big fan of exrx.

Quick question, do you know of any good exercises, preferably compound ones that I can do to work the muscles of my inner thighs? I really don't want to use those silly looking adductor/abductor machines, I suppose squatting would be good or something like that? Dawned on me yesterday that I only really deadlift to work the lower part of my body, not much else.

Wide stance squats. They're good for targetting the inner thigh.

[Curvy_lass]

You know what..I had a portion of fish-shop chips yesterday, not had them for months!

No I don't hate myself, I just know not to treat myself so luxuriously from now on. That was enough to last a while. I need to have my first weigh in now, and see how much I've lost/gained.

BRB :)

[Curvy_lass]

Well I've just weighed myself. And I'm not entirely sure how accurate they are, but the needle has definately gone down. I'd like to say it was the whole 4lbs it's trying to tell me I've lost, but I'm just going to put it as 1lb loss :D

[piecesofme]

Well I've just weighed myself. And I'm not entirely sure how accurate they are, but the needle has definately gone down. I'd like to say it was the whole 4lbs it's trying to tell me I've lost, but I'm just going to put it as 1lb loss :D



Well done :)

[nicebutdim23]

Well I've just weighed myself. And I'm not entirely sure how accurate they are, but the needle has definately gone down. I'd like to say it was the whole 4lbs it's trying to tell me I've lost, but I'm just going to put it as 1lb loss :D

good start, well done. i personally prefer to use scales in places like boots rather than home scales as i find them incredably inaccurate! my weight can vary by stones as well as pounds depending on where on the floor i am weighing myself, plus depending on manufacturers - in pound stretcher i am only 11stones! lol

[Curvy_lass]

That's why, for the next few weeks whilst I'm at home, I'm going to be taking the readings with an ounce of suspicion as I just cannot be sure.

When I go back to uni, that's when I can get a truer reading as the health worker will be weighing me weekly. Also, I hope to take up salsa :D

[Curvy_lass]

Sorry, me again.

I'm off out for dinner at a mates house interesting. This mate is skinny minny (and good on her!) after losing a huge amount of weight on Slimming World, so will be interesting to see what she produces tonight.

I'm avoiding the liqeur chocs and alcohol as much as poss!

[CheeseOnToast]

I'm completely tee-total, started today, first time in my life, think it will really help my training.

Well done on your loss!

go_away - as said squats are good for the legs all over!! :D

Easier (kind of) as DB lunges, DB step ups, etc :)

[Curvy_lass]

Dinner was SO indulgent tonight. Bad us! Tomorrow is a good day, it just has to be!

[go_away]

Wide stance squats. They're good for targetting the inner thigh.

Merci. I think I'm more suited to a wider stance anyway as I'm always paranoid about toppling over :D

go_away - as said squats are good for the legs all over!!

Easier (kind of) as DB lunges, DB step ups, etc

Squatting will def form a part of my programme next year. Krista on Stumptuous has just updated the site and she has put together some great pieces on squatting for beginners.

Yesterday at the gym the fire alarm went off. I had just warmed up :grump: (but at least I wasn't sweating). I felt more sorry for those walking out dripping wet from the showers :eek:

[twinklestar]

I have been weighed today and stayed the same but I havent eaten badly or cheated, so I guess I am just retaining water or something. I won't let it get me down I feel much better for being healthy.

[Curvy_lass]

twinklestar, what's the bet you have a double loss next week ;) :D

[Sopycookie]

impressed with myslef i went swimming twice this week and stuck to good food most of the time...doesnt sound like much but i have such motivational problems...so im happy bout it

[go_away]

I stepped on the scales yesterday (I don't very often) and I weigh exactly the same as I did when I started out last Jan. Except my body fat is far lower, and the jeans I had been struggling to get into are now loose (also a couple of bra sizes smaller :yippe: )

[CheeseOnToast]

Well done go_away!!!! :D

you must be well chuffed, I am still injured, about 1 1/2 weeks behind the schedule on rehab because I've been lifting my kid and doing too much around the house etc grr !!:mad:

My before/after pics this year are going to be shocking lol.

Keep up the good work though, wish I could say the same hehe!!

Shame about the bra sizes though

[Lankygirl]

I want in!
Im not overweight (BMI 23) but still feel lardy. Plus, am fighting depression (and its a v tough opponent) and am thinking, the anti depressants havent worked so ive kicked those, lets try the emcercise thing.
See I was always pretty good at going to the gym, but over the past year have hardly been atall-admittedly partly thru laziness, but mainly because I would seize up with panic at the thought of going there, and worrying that people would be laughing at the chubby chick :blush:
the rational part of my mind knows that people have got much better things to do than watch my (wobbling) arse on the treadmill or laugh at my ancient gym stuff, or be amazed at how much I sweat. but the rational mind doesnt always win, does it?!
So Ive decided, screw it. Im going back to the gym regularly. Think my diets pretty ok, I drink too much and indulge sometimes, but generally its pretty good, lots of veggies etc. So its perhaps time to just cut down on the wine, and get down the gym regular.
have been back there for the past two weeks almost everyday to get me kick started, but think its going to be ok. am doing cardio and weights, as the weights bit was my main paranoia last time I am focussing on that to begin with.
Has anyone had experience of depression and using excercise to help? does it work?

[twinklestar]

Well done Go away and you can do it curvy, I am sure that we will all motivate each other.

[Lankygirl]

havent been able to go to gym all week because its opening the same hours as am working. grrr! have trampetted and gone for walks and stuff, but its not as good. Am turning into Christmas Pudding :rolleyes:

[nicebutdim23]

how about some home aerobics lankygirl? dvd etc? better than nowt if you don't feel that your trampette and walking is enough?

[Lankygirl]

good call, but i;d have to go and buy one of those DVD things....anyone know a good one? hopefully should be able to gym it tomoz, but it would be handy to have one case I have a herbert moment and are too frightened to go

[nicebutdim23]

there are so so many of them, especially at this time of year! i have the rosemary conley ones, tae bo and jade's first dance workout which i couldn't do(no coordination)! out of them all i prefer the Rosemary Conley one as it is only half an hour and easy to fit in, i did get bored of the music tho so often stuck it on on mute and played my own. Just pick a celeb you like and they will probably have one. Amazon might be a good start as you sometimes get reviews.

[Jaloux]

Been for a week in the US. Crikey, the portions are HUGE! It made me all the more enthusiastic to get my eating back on track. Am going to experiment with an India-style hamburger with lots and lots of veg and no white bread. :) Am trying to figure up easy stuff to make that's not processed and has lots of veg with it. Plus I learnt a few tasty no-sugar desserts last summer. Starting a new job that's shifts just really threw me off track with exercise and diet.

My horse is also back so my main goal is to try to walk as often as possible to the stables and also hit the gym at work regularly. I just can't really figure out a proper routine since my shift circle is so erratic. I either start at 7, 10:30 or 20 and the only good time to go before work is on the 10:30 days. However I should probably try to go after work on my 7 days and possibly the morning after my night shifts. But I'm kinda zombie ish at that point haha.

[Ilora-Danon]

good call, but i;d have to go and buy one of those DVD things....anyone know a good one? hopefully should be able to gym it tomoz, but it would be handy to have one case I have a herbert moment and are too frightened to go I've heard a lot of good things about the Ministry of Sound DVD's - the one with the dance moves to the Eric Prydz music video is mean to be really good.

[nicebutdim23]

one of my friends really likes the Davina MCall dvds

[A forgotten Angel]

i just thought i'd let everyone know I managed to lose 5 lb in 2 weeks and have fitted into a pair of size 12 jeans! I am pleased that the healthy eating is working! Thanks for the inspriation!

Also the other half bought me a set of small dumbells for crimbo 0.5kg - 1.5kg any ideas on how i can use these effectivly to get rid of my bingo wings? also does anyone know of any nice vegatarian meals i could try that are low in fat?
thanks

emz

[my name]

Nice going, thats really impressive!

[hcafc_laura]

I've decided I'm starting this from tomorrow.

First problem next Saturday. Gonna be out from 6am-1-2am Sunday morning.

We're only gonna be stopping at service stations so I wanna make some stuff to take with us so I aren't tempted by little chef and maccy ds.

I want stuff I can make Friday night and just pick up on the way out Saturday morning.

I was thinking chicken wraps, salad and pasta.

Anyone got any better ideas?

[blonde__batman]

i would like to join :)

in feb this year i joined the gym and went religiously for about 6 months, lost 16 pounds quite quickly and then just kinda gave up!

i didnt put on any weight but i lost all the tone and looked flabby again.

i started the gym again the week before christmas and have managed to get up to being able to go 1 hr at a time which i am soooo chuffed about!

i am only 5 ft 1 and i got to where i couldnt even fit into a size 16! i am not back to a 10/12 but i have bingo wings, wobbly thighs and a tubby tummy which i want to tone away.

going to the gym makes me feel better, gives me more energy and i hope that in a few weeks i will start to see some changes in my body!

i have started to lift light weights to tone my upper arms and although its really making me ache, im sure its working!

everyone...keep up with all your good work!

[Kaff]

So far I have made piss poor progress on this whole fitness lark, although I have bought some swimming gear as a token gesture. Please try to force me to go where possible.

Have also managed to lose 5/6lbs over Christmas (how???) so diet situation needs to be reviewed so as to get some chub on.

Also going to try and snowboard regularly with the man, hopefully that will be easier to keep motivated as there are two of us (that said, not sure how brilliant this is for my joints, as I seem to manage to land full pelt on my knees at least 3 times a session).

Activeness ahoy!

[my name]

Anyone ever done a spinning class? The biggest thing I want to work on is my poor weak little heart and its cholestoral filled arteries. I've never done one but it's always looked interesting and theres one 3 days a week after work times so I thought I'd check in, so any opinions on it?

Ah nevermind, just realized those classes are on the same day as school.

[piecesofme]

I used to do spinning classes all the time! I did 3 or 4 a week at my old gym. Not as much now at my new one due to timetable times, but going to try and get back into it!
I love it tho, it makes you sweat like a bitch, get your heart really pumping and even though you feel like you need CPR afterwards it's great ;) And burns lot's of calories too!
Just be careful the next day your legs and bum can kill, especially as the seats on the bikes aren't the most comfy :no:

[Knee High Stripy Socks]

I did 20 situps this morning, does that count as fitness?

[Lankygirl]

I did 20 situps this morning, does that count as fitness?

better than nowt aint it? Am supposed to be starting a dance class next week! am going with a mate who did an HND in dance, and I am fearful of normal aerobics because of my poor coordination, so not quite sure why I think I will be able to follow a dance class... But I love dancing in clubs and that, I know it aint the same, but I really wanna give it a try!

havent been to gym since Sunday because its been closed, but am hoping to go later on. Am still scared to weigh myself, especially as my scales at home are erratic at best.

[Knee High Stripy Socks]

I get paid tomorrow so I can order my bike, and then I'm going to pedal all day as I revise!

[lipsy]

I'm gona start swimming, maybe once or twice a week. I don't need to lose weight but I'd like to feel a bit fitter and it's nice to do some exercise isn't it :)

I have a knee that sometimes gives me jip. Will swimming strengthen it?

[CheeseOnToast]

I'm gona start swimming, maybe once or twice a week. I don't need to lose weight but I'd like to feel a bit fitter and it's nice to do some exercise isn't it :)

I have a knee that sometimes gives me jip. Will swimming strengthen it?

Yeah but get yourself to a physio if it continues before its too late. I'm talking from eperience

[lipsy]

Yeah but get yourself to a physio if it continues before its too late. I'm talking from eperience

really?

I injured it a whil ago..although nothing too serious and it hurts a bit now every so often. What can physio do for this?

[nicebutdim23]

swimming is good exercise for anyone with joint problems i thought as it doesn't put strain on the joints, and is supportive to them, is this right you guys?

Just weighed myself at boots, i am 14 stones 12 pounds and 45% body fat, yummy!

Plan is gym as often as possible plus workout dvds on other days, low fat diet with around 1600calories to start with. when i was going to Rosemary Conley i was 15 stones 5pounds and my calorie allowance per day started at 1800 so i think that is a realistic calorie allowance for me to start with, what do you think people?

just for motivation i am putting my before pics up, no going back now!!

[lipsy]

I might have a go at that body fat thing. What is a woman's body fat %supposed to be?

[nicebutdim23]

according to my boots ticket....

Female body fat reccomendations
21% Excellent
26% good
29.3% average
34.8% poor

:)

[CheeseOnToast]

really?

I injured it a whil ago..although nothing too serious and it hurts a bit now every so often. What can physio do for this?

Well IMHO if it hurts from time to time then it would show there may be an underlying problem and if you do start swimming etc regularly and the pains return I would get it checked, you'd be amazed at what they can do, and a good physio is definately the route I would take initially :)

As you say though, if it doesn't hurt, don't worry :p

[CheeseOnToast]

Sorry can I also add those Bodyfat machines are a load of shit so I wouldn't take it to heart whatever it says TBH! :)

[Johnnyboy - V2.0]

Im on a little bit of a fitness kick lately so I went and bought a chin up bar. Are they good for fat burning?

[piecesofme]

I went on the Boots Body Fat thing today and when I went a few months ago, my Body Fat Percentage was 26% and its now 22%. I've lost 4% of my Body Fat :D I've just found the receipt I got at the beginning of summer and compared it to the one I got today and I've lost a stone and a half as well as some body fat :D :D :D

Well done you :thumb: Thats really great, shows what you're doing is deffinatly working :yippe:

[blonde__batman]

i have just weighed myself and acording to what i have found online, i need to lose 1 more stone to get to the weight i should be....

my goal is to lose another 1 stone and 8lbs and then i will be happy :)

[JsT]

I'm gonna try and have a go at losing weight this year, I managed to lose about two stone last year but I gave up and have probably put it all back on.

[Kaff]

For the record, I wouldn't bother with online body fat calculators. Using exactly the same measurements, one told me mine was 9.9% :eek:, one said 15.9%, one 17.9%, and the last 32.3%, and that I was in the obese range and should consider dieting :lol:

[aleox]

I'm going to try and get back into gyming it again this year. My BMI is about 23 so I'm kinda in the middle of 'normal' and would like to lower my weight a bit and get my BMI to about 20-21.
Whats the best CV for fat burning? I usually do about 15 mins cross trainer, 15 mins bike and 15 mins running machine (but do upwards walking instead) Is this a good workout or should I change it a bit?

[Kaff]

How can you measure your body fat online? :confused:

With measurements of varying parts of you. They use measurements from things like your wrists, so I guess they use some kind of ratio of your weight, to your frame size.

They're just estimates, but as I've illustrated, it's total bollocks anyway.

[CheeseOnToast]

Im on a little bit of a fitness kick lately so I went and bought a chin up bar. Are they good for fat burning?

Depends what you're going to do with it, doesn't it?

[my name]

Alright I'm off to the gym, first time since last fiasco. If anything breaks/gets lost/stuck/ruins my day, this whole thread can go to hell :p

[CheeseOnToast]

I thought I posted earlier, but yeah those bodyfat scales are shite.

[CheeseOnToast]

Oh I did post it earlier lol. whoopsie.

Anyway, they are still shit.

BMI can be an indicator kind of but it's not the be and all and end all. Especially if you become heavily muscled as a bloke.

It's known in certain circles as the Bullshit Mass Index lol

[Franki]

I am going to try and get rid of about two and half stone this year.

I feel disgusting atm :(

[g_angel]

I decided yesterday that I've got to sort out my eating. Since last summer, I've lost a stone and a half. However, this past month I've been silly about it all. Its helped me lose that little bit more and I do want to lose a teeny tiny bit more but I'm going to do it properly. Proper healthy eating and proper healthy exercise. None of this silly shit anymore.

Seriously - good on you. I was very concerned about you. It's the best way, doing it properly :)

[piecesofme]

I am going to try and get rid of about two and half stone this year.

I feel disgusting atm :(

Me too hun :crying: Christmas time is rubbish with all the food you get fed :rolleyes:
I've been poorly so not been to the gym since monday, though with my new stepper thing I can at least do something at home ;)

[CheeseOnToast]

Good on ya Stace.

The point is that the starvation etc weight lost won't last and will lead to other complications with your health.

Well done for realising though, I hope others who are doing the same silently reading this take your actions on board.

[g_angel]

so the next time I have a fella, he'll love what he sees, haha :D Thats what motivates me, how sad!!!!!!!!

Hey - being proud of your body and wanting to look good isn't sad :) I'm just so glad you've come round to thinking sensibly about how you're going about it :D :thumb:

[Sopycookie]

:-) jus from going swimming twice a week an eating better i can now fit really comfortable into my size 16 jeans again whoot! this is going down from bordering on an 18 and when i went bra shopping the otherday it turns out ive gone down to a 34! which is great! havent been a 34 since i was about 16!!! very happy at the moment jus gota keep going...

[my name]

I went and nothing bad happened! I forgot how quickly downhill I get though. At my slow pace (most peoples warm up :p) on the elipitcal I could only go 15 minutes before my hr got to 197 and I almost blacked out. When I'm in good shape, at that pace I can usually go 25/30 minutes and keep it at 185. Ah it'll get back down there soon enough.

It is always amusing at how many people you see the first week (and only the first week) of january. :p

[nicebutdim23]

It is always amusing at how many people you see the first week (and only the first week) of january. :p

that would be me then! (well every other year prior to this one). :P

[hcafc_laura]

I've decided I'm starting this from tomorrow.

First problem next Saturday. Gonna be out from 6am-1-2am Sunday morning.

We're only gonna be stopping at service stations so I wanna make some stuff to take with us so I aren't tempted by little chef and maccy ds.

I want stuff I can make Friday night and just pick up on the way out Saturday morning.

I was thinking chicken wraps, salad and pasta.

Anyone got any better ideas?

hellllo?? :wave: :wave:

[Lankygirl]

No I cant think of anything else

[katchika]

Fruit?

One of my aims for this year is to try and have lots of fruit and veg. I tend to look unhealthy, as though I don't get enough vitamins and I think fruit and veg could help.

Yesterday I had apple juice (not concentrated), a banana, 2 clementines, and a bowl of home made vegetable soup. Today I've had a bit of apple juice and don't have any more fruit around. I hate working in the middle of nowhere!

[g_angel]

hellllo?? :wave: :wave:

I made this for dinner last night, and have brought some for lunch today:

Yellowfin Tuna in spring water (less salt content), although tuna in brine will do if drained well. Baby spinach (a super-food in itself), sun dried tomato paste and wholemeal pasta with some black pepper. ETA - I forgot to mention, add a little chilli to it. Adds a little kick and also chilli speeds up the metabolism along with other things.


But also, yes, fruit... Also, buy some carrot sticks and some low fat houmous to dip it in.

[RubberSkin]

Every time i lose weight, either concious effort or random happening, everyone says how ill i look. Thanks :rolleyes:

[O_o]

i'm trying to lose about a stone at the moment. i'm 10 and 1/2 now, so it shouldn't be too difficult, does anyone else find it ridiculously hard to give up snacking?

[g_angel]

i'm trying to lose about a stone at the moment. i'm 10 and 1/2 now, so it shouldn't be too difficult, does anyone else find it ridiculously hard to give up snacking?

Not if you swap the snacky things for healthy stuff. No need to give it up then!

[Knee High Stripy Socks]

How good or bad are baked beans?

[O_o]

Not if you swap the snacky things for healthy stuff. No need to give it up then!

true. i tend to distract myself by either having a polo mint or getting a drink of milkshake. seem to surpress the cravings for a while at least.

[g_angel]

How good or bad are baked beans?

See:

Beanz (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/health_and_fitness/4287904.stm)

Also:

Mean Beanz (http://www.menshealth.co.uk/index.php/chatroom/topic/246828)

Plenty of info on google, but my trainer recommends them too, and he's a complete food Nazi.

[Knee High Stripy Socks]

That's good because I eat a lot of them, at least 3 tins a week. I find that they are the only thing I can eat before going to work that will keep me going until 8pm when I have my break. Anything other than a jacket potato and beans before work either doesn't give me enough energy to work or gives me bad stomach ache while I'm there.

Thanks for that :thumb:

[g_angel]

That's good because I eat a lot of them, at least 3 tins a week. I find that they are the only thing I can eat before going to work that will keep me going until 8pm when I have my break. Anything other than a jacket potato and beans before work either doesn't give me enough energy to work or gives me bad stomach ache while I'm there.

Thanks for that :thumb:



No worries!

Combine them with wholemeal/granary bread and you've a good, quick, simple, filling meal too! :) Effectively any complex un-refined carbs.

[nicebutdim23]

Beans :heart:

love em,they keep me full for ages .

[g_angel]

Beans :heart:

love em,they keep me full for ages .

Remember the rhyme:

Beans, beans, they're good for your heart... the more you eat, the more you fart!


So true.

:D

[Knee High Stripy Socks]

Plenty of customers at work to blame that on though!

[g_angel]

Plenty of customers at work to blame that on though!

;)

[katchika]

You can make baked beans into a really nice filling meal. Fry an onion, garlic if you like, then add the bean, cook slowly on a low heat for around 10 minutes. They go all nice and soft. If you like them, you can also add chick peas or blackeyed beans to bulk it out. I usually add curry powder or garam masala because I like spiciness!

Yum!

[Knee High Stripy Socks]

You can put baked beans in with lots of things - as a layer in a lasagne for example, or in a veggie bolognese. And I LOVE chickpeas! Could call me Knee High Stripy Beans :D

I ordered my exercise bike today, so I'm excited about that. I'm going to multitask by pedalling and revising at the same time!

[nicebutdim23]

i have a question. i am not good at drinking water, so i drink alot of squash and decaf tea. the squash is reduced sugar and is about 8calories a glass. Someone said this is bad for me coz of sugar and won't help me lose weight, but surely if it's only 8calories a glass it can't have that much sugar in it?

[Lankygirl]

You can make baked beans into a really nice filling meal. Fry an onion, garlic if you like, then add the bean, cook slowly on a low heat for around 10 minutes. They go all nice and soft. If you like them, you can also add chick peas or blackeyed beans to bulk it out. I usually add curry powder or garam masala because I like spiciness!

Yum!

sound lush maet, I make something v similar involving a tin of tomatoes and mushy peas (trust) if I wanna thicken it out.

[g_angel]

BEANS MEANS HEINZ!!!! Haha, does anybody remember that advert?

Beans are part of your five a day. I like beans, don't eat them too often though. I have a few cans of Weight Watchers baked beans in my cupboard. I don't know if those ones are any better :lol:

I've just been the gym and I feel really really good. I've not been too much recently because well, I've been home for Christmas, been busy job hunting, etc and I was scared that I would have lost some fitness but I haven't :D I did 45 minutes on quite a hard level at a fast speed on the cross trainer and 30 minutes (which is the most I've ever done!!!!) on the stair climber thing. I also did a bit of resistance/weight training but not too much because I was getting tired after all that cardio. Will try and do more tomorrow. Although, my shoulders are really hurting and I don't know why :(

Feel good though. It was good to get back in there. Its weird how you feel happy when you leave the gym.

Hehe. I went into the steam room after my session and obviously, I was wearing a bikini. Anyway, its weird cuz I saw my reflection in a mirror in the changing room and I thought to myself "actually, I've got quite a nice body,why the fuck have I been putting myself down so much?". I don't know, it was weird, I just noticed that I've developed quite nice curves because I've lost weight off my waist and things and my stomach is quite flat now. My legs are much slimmer, my arse is much smaller and it just actually looked nice. I didn't actually look fat and I looked slim and curvy and I liked it especially because I'm much more toned now. Dunno, I've not actually thought that about myself in a while so actually feeling good about myself for a second or two was really nice :) It was probably me being delusional like :p That, or it was one of those slimming mirrors!

Its just weird how one day I can love my shape and the next day I can loathe it. I wish I could feel this good about myself all the time.

Sometimes you just need to take a step back and look at yourself as a whole, once in a while, as opposed to through a microscope, constantly. The results can be surprising, as you've just found out :)

Your shoulders are possibly hurting as you've had a bit of a break and then you've given them a bit of a hammering on the cross trainer.

I've not been for around 3 weeks now and will be heading back tomorrow and I certainly expect to be a bit sore afterwards. It's amazing how a short break can have such an effect. It's normal.

[CheeseOnToast]

Baked Beans are fine really in moderation but be aware they are pretty high in sugar and salt & a can is about 300+ cals or something

[CheeseOnToast]

I use tesco healthy living ones, not as nice at first but you soon adjust

they are lower in salt and sugar which is where the healthy bit comes from

[CheeseOnToast]

Haha sounds good Rach!

I had a month long binge before cleaning up this week

A tub of pringles is nothing

When I cheat it's usually something like this -

1 x family sized pizza
1 or 2 x cheese n chips
1 x garlic baguette
5 x pints stella
Lots of crisps and dip
Chocolate Eclair

Mmmmm, makes me hungry just thinking about it

Although I haven't drank now for over 2 weeks, which is a record of my lifetime :yippe:

[Ilora-Danon]

I've got a question.

I currently weigh 11st, and have stayed the same weight for about 5 years.
I don't drink alcohol and I don't eat junk food very much at all. However I do lead a pretty much sedentary lifestyle, with the exception of a 20 min daily yoga session.

What would I need to do to lose 3 stone and to keep it off without having to live in the gym?

[CheeseOnToast]

how long is a piece of string?

[CheeseOnToast]

Rachie you can eat me as much as like you baby :heart: :heart: :heart: :flirt:

lacrymosa - lol I made myself hungry too!!

I just ate an orange, wasn't quite as good as the list I made lol but hey ho!

[g_angel]

Damn you CoT, you've made me hungry!

I've been hungry for ages now though. I hate evening cravings. I am craving crisps and chocolate and yummy things. Argh. It hasn't helped my flatmate has been sat here eating yummy prawn crackers in front of me all night :(

I've been good with my eating today though. I had a tomato soup for lunch followed by a banana (as I was going the gym and bananas are my gym food), when I got back from the gym I had an apple, I had a chicken veggie stir fry for tea and I had a activia yoghurt a bit later. Only had water too. Had pretty much the same yesterday, haha. Thats ok aint it?

I've set myself a goal of not weighing myself until next Friday. Its really bad weighing myself everyday.


Hey - to beat evening cravings, especially when working out, eat low fat cottage cheese on whole grain ryvita stuff or peanut butter on wholemeal/granary toast.

[Fat Girl Slim]

I'm aiming to lose weight as a lifestyle choice this year rather than a fad. I've tried and failed many times before but I can't take it any more. I've never really felt comfortable sharing my weight with people so find it hard to get proper support, but I guess this is worth as a try as names on a screen aren't quite the same. So here goes...

I weigh 270lbs. Thats 122.4kg for those of you in the metric, and around 19 stone for those of you inclined to measure it that way. I'm female, early 20s, 168cms and have always been of the large type, as a baby, child and now as an adult.

I don't know what kind of goal I should be aiming for long term but feel I should have one. Healthy range chart things say at my height I should weigh around 120-160lbs, but that seems somewhat unrealistic given my current weight.

Do you think having short term goals is a good plan, or I should aim for the 120? How do you think I should set these goals?

I'm trying to eat maximim 1800kcal a day, less if possible as the amount of excercise I can do is limited by my fitness and another personal reason, I swim 3x per week when I can though.

Realistically, is this going to work long term or shall I consign myself to being grossly overweight forever? If the latter is the case then I might as well not bother, eat whatever the hell I like and die earlier.

[CheeseOnToast]

Hi, welcome to the site :wave:

How old are you please?

Cheers,

Phil

[CheeseOnToast]

I'm aiming to lose weight as a lifestyle choice this year rather than a fad. I've tried and failed many times before but I can't take it any more. I've never really felt comfortable sharing my weight with people so find it hard to get proper support, but I guess this is worth as a try as names on a screen aren't quite the same. So here goes...

I weigh 270lbs. Thats 122.4kg for those of you in the metric, and around 19 stone for those of you inclined to measure it that way. I'm female, early 20s, 168cms and have always been of the large type, as a baby, child and now as an adult.

I don't know what kind of goal I should be aiming for long term but feel I should have one. Healthy range chart things say at my height I should weigh around 120-160lbs, but that seems somewhat unrealistic given my current weight.

Do you think having short term goals is a good plan, or I should aim for the 120? How do you think I should set these goals?

I'm trying to eat maximim 1800kcal a day, less if possible as the amount of excercise I can do is limited by my fitness and another personal reason, I swim 3x per week when I can though.

Realistically, is this going to work long term or shall I consign myself to being grossly overweight forever? If the latter is the case then I might as well not bother, eat whatever the hell I like and die earlier.

Anyway, to the questions.

I think 120lbs is very low for someone of your height, but IMO you be aiming to get as low as you can comfortably without comprising your health, without knowing your build and not being a doctor, 160 seems like a nice place to aim for really, you an always assess it from there.

As I'm sure you know, you are way past this at the moment, and this is going to be a long and hard process for you - but I think it would also be very rewarding at the end.

Regarding your calories, as the weight you are at now is high, you can actually get away with eating a bit more than you are currently, I would aim for 2200 calories a day.

2200 would be roughly what a sedentary person of your weight would need to consume to lost weight

Therefore if you do get some cardio in (at least semi intensive) then you can maybe allow for some extra cals, but really I would say try for 2200.

My concern is that you may have stagnated now though, how long have you been eating 1800 cals max for, and what have the results been?

Everyone can lose weight (apart from those with conditions) so you can definately do this, but just be realistic, it is going to be a long time and a hard road but as I said, it is worth it ..

For guidelines, I would say you should be aiming to lose a minimum of 2lb per week, you could easily get 3lb+ though and still be healthy

But even say if you can do 2lb a week, that means you could do nearly 50lbs in 6 months!

This is a link I used to show my friend who was about your weight, I think it's really eye opening and inspirational personally -

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=263256

Please stick around and keep us posted and let us know any questions or even if you just want to rant :)

All the best,

Phil

[CheeseOnToast]

Bollocks, that link is useless now, the pics have gone :(

This one isn't as good at all but you can see the point

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=339592

Here are the success stories -
http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=86

[Fat Girl Slim]

Thanks for the reply :)

I'm 21.

I've never been one to especially watch calories before, just thought "I eat fairly healthily" but now I write everything down that I'm eating and I've realised although I ate healthily I had some portion size problems which meant I was consuming too much.

I cut back and made an effort from about September and did lose a bit if weight (I don't know in terms of numbers but could tell from how my clothes fit) but I had some problems in December, stopped working at it and now my clothes are tighter than in the first place :(

[katchika]

I've got a question.

I currently weigh 11st, and have stayed the same weight for about 5 years.
I don't drink alcohol and I don't eat junk food very much at all. However I do lead a pretty much sedentary lifestyle, with the exception of a 20 min daily yoga session.

What would I need to do to lose 3 stone and to keep it off without having to live in the gym?

Hi Ilora. I think I am probably the same as you. The only time I lose weight is when I have had a gym subscription, worked really hard around 3 times a week, and even then, I only lost a bit of weight, very slowly.

That's simply not practical at the moment. I guess you need to find a form of exercise that you enjoy and you can fit into your life. Yoga is good but it isn't an aerobic exercise so won't really help with weight loss. I love pilates but it's more for relaxation and toning than fat-loss. You need something more high impact.

It doesn't have to be gym based. What about ceroc, or some other form of dance? I worked at a ceroc night last week, it looked so much fun!

[nicebutdim23]

Thanks for the reply :)

I'm 21.

I've never been one to especially watch calories before, just thought "I eat fairly healthily" but now I write everything down that I'm eating and I've realised although I ate healthily I had some portion size problems which meant I was consuming too much



I cut back and made an effort from about September and did lose a bit if weight (I don't know in terms of numbers but could tell from how my clothes fit) but I had some problems in December, stopped working at it and now my clothes are tighter than in the first place :(

hiya, welcome to the site :wave:

It can seem soooo daunting to have alot to lose, i have been told i would ideally need to lose around 5stones to be ok for my height, which seems such a long trek! i am aiming to lose first a stone and go from there. well done you for choosing to do this...there are lots of people who visit this thread so you will be able to pick up plenty of tips.

[go_away]

Going to Belgium seriously sabotages any efforts to eat clean :D Haven't really noticed any gains over the festive period, I just feel more bloated.

Anyhoo, my workload at school is getting more intense, once I start with the respiratory consultant, his teaching is until 6pm so I don't really want to have late gym sessions, so I've decided to start going at.... 7am :eek: It means a 5.30 start, but it will work out better for me in the long run and I'll be energised for the day ahead. And the gym will be pretty much empty, which is always a bonus.

I have also decided to up my training to how it was (6x a week rather than 3), which will mean doing some cardio ;)

[piecesofme]

If it was me I'd go but lay of things that could agitate it more. So I'd avoid the rower and cross trainer and upper body weights. Go on the bike, stair master, treadmill instead. Or do some swimming.

[piecesofme]

Walk on a high incline that can burn just as many calories than running, if you walk at a fast pace too.
I can't run to save mylife so thats all I ever do on the treadmill walk on the highes incline at a really fast walking pace.

[piecesofme]

You can always go on the x trainer but not use the bits that move your arms, if you get what I mean.? Just hold on to the handle or something

[g_angel]

Mmmmm. Well I'm going to go anyway. If it hurts too much, I'll just stop. I'm still gonna try and go on the cross trainer. I like the cross trainer, haha.

Stupid shoulders :grump:

Advice is not to work the areas that are hurting. Give them a day or two of rest and focus on something else - or as Pieces suggested, go on the cross-trainer but hold onto the handles (hence resting the shoulders).

The body needs time to recover and repair itself. Very important. It's also why you will find that people mainly tend to work different muscle groups on different days. Gives you a chance to hammer the ones that are not being rested.

Perhaps you could go in and do some core training, or even get some squats etc done. Aye - get some lower body weight training done. That will burn calories long after you've stopped working out, and, of course, the more muscle tissue that your body is carrying, the more calories it burns even at rest/carrying out basic activities. Approx extra 50 calories burned per pound of muscle gained per day...

[Ilora-Danon]

Hi Ilora. I think I am probably the same as you. The only time I lose weight is when I have had a gym subscription, worked really hard around 3 times a week, and even then, I only lost a bit of weight, very slowly.

That's simply not practical at the moment. I guess you need to find a form of exercise that you enjoy and you can fit into your life. Yoga is good but it isn't an aerobic exercise so won't really help with weight loss. I love pilates but it's more for relaxation and toning than fat-loss. You need something more high impact.

It doesn't have to be gym based. What about ceroc, or some other form of dance? I worked at a ceroc night last week, it looked so much fun! I have a connective tissue disorder, and my rheumy's forbidden me from doing 'land exercise' so dancing is definitely out. I'm not supposed to do Yoga, as I already overstretch everything, but I enjoy it so I'm ignoring medical advice on that one lol. I've got a stepper and a trampette, so I suppose they're my only choices...

[CheeseOnToast]

What do you mean by hurting lacrymosa? Are they just sore?

If it's just sore muscles then ignore the pain if you want to train ;)

If it's too much or it feels like an injury then as suggested dont work that area :p

[piecesofme]

Don't worry about it, just think that having a day off today will give your shoulders a rest and hopefully will be good for tomorrows workout :)
A day off does you good anyway...I always make sure I have 1 day off.

[piecesofme]

:yes:

It's good to rest the muscles a rest

When my mum was a nurse she looked after a boy that was training to get into the navy and he overworked himself so much that he caused lots of damage to himself, even to the point where he was pee-ing blood

Really?! God...he must have really been going for it with his training for that to happen!

[g_angel]

I don't know what I've done.They are REALLY sore though. I've only just managed to get out of bed because lifting my shoulders off the pillow hurt too much :( Mmm. I probably just did too much yesterday. I hope they are better tomorrow.

I've taken lots of nurofen though and its a little better. I'm off shopping now with a friend so obviously, the gym is sorta not happening today :blush: Shopping is like a gym session anyway :razz:

I'm definately going tomorrow morning though before I meet up with my mate and I'll definately be going on Sunday after my driving lesson (I won't be doing anything else anyway!).

I still feel bad for not going today though :( Thats still 3 times this week though and it doesn't sound as though job is starting on Monday so I'll be going then too :)

It sounds like they need a rest. A bit of gym burn (such a good feeling as you know you're working yourself properly) is ok to work through, but if you're struggling to push yourself up out of bed, you need to rest them.

To be honest, they could be even worse tomorrow. Just see how they go and get some protein in you as that is what the body uses to repair the damaged tissue. When you're back down to a dull ache, then I'd think about working them again.

[piecesofme]

And I though I was bad! Poor lad though :(
I know a few people who really push themselves, there members of like 2 gyms and go to one for a few hours then the other straight afterwards...just so the staff at either gym don't think it's strange they are there for so long.
I go for a few hours at a time but I'd never have the energy to go another one straight after :no:

[Kaff]

I have a connective tissue disorder, and my rheumy's forbidden me from doing 'land exercise' so dancing is definitely out. I'm not supposed to do Yoga, as I already overstretch everything, but I enjoy it so I'm ignoring medical advice on that one lol.

Might not be a universal thing, but my physio says that yoga and (especially) pilates are actually the best things to do for hypermobile joints, as building strength in the surrounding muscles helps support and stabilise joints that can't stabilise themselves, so I would deffo go against the medical advice there!

Swimming's probably your best bet for aerobicness - gives you a good workout, but is joint-friendly at the same time :thumb:

[twisted_trinity]

ok, so i've decided that dieting is the completly wrong thing for me to do due to my IBS and so many other things...

so i'm gonna get a fitness dvd and go for it at least 4 times a week...

someone has recomended the carmen electra dvds, but does anyone else know of a really good one...someone said that there was a punk aerobics thing...

[CheeseOnToast]

Cant help with the DVDs sorry trin!

RE the soreness, its normal to be sore if you have worked out, but it will only last a few months, sometimes I used to struggle to lift a cup up after a heavy sesh lol, it soon passes tho

[Franki]

I joined WeightWatchers last night, on a whim :|.

But it has inspired me. I'm buying purely healthy food on my online shop and I'm throwing away/donating all the leftover crappy food to my flatmates.

Gonna buy the new Rosemary Conley DVD too.

[my name]

Oh weight watchers is really good and so easy! Good luck :)

[piecesofme]

I joined WeightWatchers last night, on a whim :|.

But it has inspired me. I'm buying purely healthy food on my online shop and I'm throwing away/donating all the leftover crappy food to my flatmates.

Gonna buy the new Rosemary Conley DVD too.

The good thing about online shopping is your hardly tempted by naughty food, than if you were wandering around the shop!

[Franki]

The good thing about online shopping is your hardly tempted by naughty food, than if you were wandering around the shop!
Eeeeeeeeeeeexactly!

[Franki]

*signs up for online shopping*

Franki, have you tried buying fruit and veggies online - are they alright when they come to you?
They are, yeh. I think they get them out the shop on the day so I wouldn't worry too much :).

[go_away]

Re: recovery, it's absolutely vital to give your muscles a break after a session. Think of exercise as an earthquake, and the damaged buildings as the damaged muscle fibres. They need time to build up and get stronger, a building won't repair itself as optimally if there's another earthquake 24 hours later.

Incidentally, at my gym, one of the instructors is training with a new instructor. They workout every day, including working on pullups. Neither of them can do one unassisted yet, but I don't get why they're working on that every day instead of making the most of the recovery period. Sounds counter-productive to me, but it's not the sort of thing I want to discuss with them as... well, they're gym instructors :p

I've decided to start buying a whole chicken rather than chicken pieces and roasting it on a Sunday, so I can use the cooked pieces throughout the week in lunches. I think it'll be cheaper in the long run, and I can make a lovely stock with the bones.

I measured my waist yesterday while feeling the last of a big bloat (belgian chocolates, beer and coke), it was 5cm bigger than usual :lol:

[nicebutdim23]

finally excercising properly again :D swimming, gym x 2, ride x 2, badminton (a week) for now :D

well done! :)

[Franki]

I've decided to start buying a whole chicken rather than chicken pieces and roasting it on a Sunday, so I can use the cooked pieces throughout the week in lunches. I think it'll be cheaper in the long run, and I can make a lovely stock with the bones.

I bought a kilo of freezable skinless chicken breasts yesterday. It was about £8 but I am assuming that it'll be WAY cheaper than buying fresh ones every single week....

[go_away]

I bought a kilo of freezable skinless chicken breasts yesterday. It was about £8 but I am assuming that it'll be WAY cheaper than buying fresh ones every single week....

I used to use frozen chicken breasts until we had very limited freezer space. I'm hoping the fridge/freezer will be larger in our new flat when we move so I can start cooking in bulk and freezing things, at the moment it's one tiny shelf between 3 people, and frozen veg takes up most room :grump:

[go_away]

This (http://www.jissn.com/content/5/1/1/abstract) is a rather interesting study which has found that female runners who have lower calorific and fat intakes suffer more injuries.

[Franki]

Get a grip?

You had a chinese meal, you didn't murder anyone :p

IMO its better to have treats every so often, that way you don't get totally fed up and go on a massive binge, eating just about everything in sight (or maybe its just me that it happens to :p)
Exactly.

Stace - you really don't need to stress so much about it. I'm sure even the biggest health/fitness freaks have a donut every now and again. There's no point denying yourself.

[CheeseOnToast]

I'm dying to eat lots of bread and butter and strangely some biscuits, not together though.. ew!!

Really trying to hold out a bit longer and I'll have some bread and butter or toast lol

booo

[go_away]

A chinese meal isn't going to shoot your body fat % up, neither is having something you've been craving for a while. I'm the last person who should be commenting on how much time other people spend at the gym, but you don't have to be there for 2 hours to have an effective workout, nor should you see the gym and food as a means to 'balance' each other out i.e. skipping meals if a workout has been missed, or going flatout at the gym for eating something that makes you feel guilty.

[CheeseOnToast]

I had two yummy marmite sandwhiches last night and a load of chevda which was naughty but I been good all week so that's my cheat night gone now! lol

[Ilora-Danon]

*signs up for online shopping*

Franki, have you tried buying fruit and veggies online - are they alright when they come to you? We did this once 2 years ago, and found that they'd given us all the fruit/veggies with the shortest use-by-dates; the lettuce was already brown at the edges, the cabbage worse for wear... It may have changed in 2 years, but don't be disappointed if you get the crappiest length use-by's.

[Franki]

We did this once 2 years ago, and found that they'd given us all the fruit/veggies with the shortest use-by-dates; the lettuce was already brown at the edges, the cabbage worse for wear... It may have changed in 2 years, but don't be disappointed if you get the crappiest length use-by's.
I got my stuff this afternoon and it's all pretty fresh :).

[Knee High Stripy Socks]

It's usually fine, the last one had a dodgy lettuce but they do damage pretty easily anyway so I wasn't too upset about it. Like most things too it probably depends on the store that your shop comes from and some will be better than others.

If you don't have a car or a decent bus service if you live far away from a shop then internet shopping is invaluable.

[CheeseOnToast]

Tesco are superb, if anything is manky/close to date/missing etc I ring and they refund without question

[Knee High Stripy Socks]

ditto, the driver drove off with half my shop and brought it back as soon as I rang him!

[twinklestar]

Well I have lost 1llb this week, yeay !!! I have been naughty this weekend though so I am going to have to stick to the straight and narrow all week and get plenty of excercise. Hope everyone had a good weekend.

[katchika]

I've started using my weights again every evening in an attempt at toning my arms up. I use 1kg weights and do various tricep/bicep thingies, about 20 of each exercise on each side. Does anyone think this will make any difference?
I hate my arms! When I went to the gym they toned up and got smaller quite fast, but now I feel self conscious wearing sleeveless tops.

I won't be able to take my weights with me to Poland (not with a 20kg weight allowance) so any suggestions as to things I can use for makeshift weights?

:)

[g_angel]

I've started using my weights again every evening in an attempt at toning my arms up. I use 1kg weights and do various tricep/bicep thingies, about 20 of each exercise on each side. Does anyone think this will make any difference?
I hate my arms! When I went to the gym they toned up and got smaller quite fast, but now I feel self conscious wearing sleeveless tops.

I won't be able to take my weights with me to Poland (not with a 20kg weight allowance) so any suggestions as to things I can use for makeshift weights?

:)


Personally, I think 1kg weights will do next to nothing.

After a set of 20, are you struggling at all? Do you feel anything?

I would suggest upping the weights, a lot, and lowering the number of reps you are doing. Try to aim so that you are really feeling a burn after a set of 10 or 12, and then do either 2 or 3 sets of this on each exercise.

If you want to make a difference, you have to make your muscles work.

Also, you should not do the same things every night. Do them every other night, and just make sure you actually work yourself hard when you do. Ideally, sort yourself two routines that you can do on alternate evenings which focus on different muscle groups. Definitely get shut of the 1kg weights though...

[Lankygirl]

does anyone else find that when they are going to the gym, doing weights, that their clothes actually get tighter, when half the reason you went int he first place was to lose inches as well as get fit? whats the story there? any takers?

am afraid if I clench buttocks in my fitted combats, am going to have an incredible hulk moment!

[katchika]

The heaviest weights I have are 1.5kg.

I can feel the 1kg ones. Not immensely, but after reps I can feel the muscles working.

[g_angel]

The heaviest weights I have are 1.5kg.

I can feel the 1kg ones. Not immensely, but after reps I can feel the muscles working.

Move to the heaviest you have, and really try working until your muscles are properly fatigued. Add more sets (not reps). If you are working on 1.5kgs and can manage 20 reps, then do 2 or 3 sets with a 60 second rest between.

To make a difference, as I said, you have to make the muscles work hard or you will achieve next to nothing.

[g_angel]

I put on a pound and a half this weekend. Stupid chinese :( I can't eat anything bad without it making me fat. As the saying goes, a moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips! Blablabla!

Off to gym it up this afternoon! I was meant to go yesterday but ended up spending the day with my friends :o I did go on Saturday though so its not too bad I suppose.

Christ Stacey. 1 single chinese will NOT make you put on 1.5lbs. No chance in hell. The whole thing will not have weighed 1.5lbs and so how you figure that I have no idea. To put on 1.5lb of fat you will need to consume approx 4500 EXTRA calories.

Any drinking this weekend?

Your weight will fluctuate naturally even throughout the day, and so I wouldn't worry about it. As I know I have said before - stop focusing on the figures and go on how you look/feel. Figures won't work to make you feel better.

Little things like whether you've been to the toilet, just consumed a lot of water etc etc play a part. Anyway - 1.5 lbs is fuck all. I find that after a big clubbing session I can drop anything up to 1/3 or 1/2 a stone due to being dehydrated and not having eaten. Similarly, if I've had a weekend binge, I know I feel a bit bloated. I don't even own any scales now as there's no point. I *know* when I'm looking good, and I know when I've slipped a little. Doesn't bother me as I know it will right itself very shortly.

[your-babe]

I'm starting a diet, I'm actually determined for the first time ever! I have a weigh in on a Monday, and also a measure up- as Rosemary someone said about losing inches and centimetres, and pounds too :) This is actually the first time I've ever bothered to get 5 a day into my diet... how bad is that!!

[g_angel]

Nope, haven't drank this weekend. I had a glass of wine last night but that was it. Ate really well yesterday! Only ate a chinese on Saturday but I did a two hour gym session too!

I just hate seeing the figures being higher than I expected them to be or higher than they were last time. So much for not weighing myself for a week...I shouldn't have weighing scales in my bathroom.


Just put the bloody scales away - also remember, bathroom scales are hardly the most accurate things in the world... :yeees:

So, on Saturday, all you ate was a chinese? If so - why?

Also, I would recommend cutting down your gym time. 2 hours is too much (ask any personal trainer worth their salt) and becomes counter productive with your body eating into your muscle tissue for energy instead of burning fat. This occurs after 45-60 minutes.

I usually have to crawl out of the gym after an hour session - increase intensity, get more resistance training in there and switch to HIIT training to burn much more fat in a shorter time. A 20-25 minute full on HIIT session on the runner/cross trainer will have you in pieces and will do you much more good than plodding along for hours at a steady pace.

[g_angel]

Well it wasn't two hours of cardio! I did about 1hr 20 minutes of cardio and the rest of the time was spent on weights and stuff.

Errr actually I had a banana before I went the gym on Saturday so add a banana to all that. I didn't have my chinese until about half four so I wasn't hungry for the rest of the day. I was stuffed!

How long should I be spending on cardio and weights then? About an hours worth of cardio (I don't feel as though I'm doing anything unless I do at least an hour!) and 30 minutes on weights?

Ok - read this :)

HIIT Training (http://www.davedraper.com/hiit-cardio-training.html)

HIIT is cardio (just cranked up to 11)!! There is soooo much info on google about it, but that link has some routines etc on there. Seriously, if you are getting past 20-25 minutes of HIIT training without feeling utterly fucked, you're not working hard enough.

Regarding your diet on Saturday - you missed breakfast, so instantly your metabolism took a hit and had slowed down. Always get your breakfast in as it gets your system going, and hence, burning more calories.

Some people keep their HIIT training as an entire separate workout (classed as a day) as it is that physically demanding. Short, yet High Intensity - hence why it is called High Intensity Interval Training. :)

With regards your resistance workout - keep it to a maximum of an hour (including warming up).

Scroll about halfway down this page (well, read the whole thing too!!) and watch the video example of a good warm up (a cardio warmup is not very effective when you're resistance training: Very effective warmup (http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do;jsessionid=1084F7EF15D0229190BF36FC B442C07C.hydra?id=1874788)

If you insist on doing both resistance AND cardio on the same day, then do your warmup (like on that video - obv with lower weights!!), then your resistance (possibly limited to 30 minutes) followed by blasting out 1-2 km on a rower or a 12-15 minute HIIT session.

You won't know what hit you ;):D

[g_angel]

Haha, I was feeling fucked! I was feeling fucked after about 20 minutes but I forced myself to carry on! I was so tempted to give up!

But oooo, thank you, I'm off to read now :D

;)

By fucked - I mean you will literally be crawling back to the showers for a sit down, not carrying on for another hour :D

[g_angel]

Haha, I nearly died :p I don't know why but I really struggled on Saturday.

Mmm, I'm gonna test out this HIIT training this afternoon. I'm a little worried that I won't burn as many calories though!!!!!!! I usually burn about 750 calories in my hours workout (like I said, I go on quite a hard level anyway and a good speed!) and don't see how I can do that in 30 minutes but we'll see!

I'm going to roll my eyes at you for just focusing on the flashy LEDs on the machines ;)

Read this:

Linky (http://uk.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_100/135_fitness_tip.html)

... and specifically this:

"HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is cardio performed at such an intense level that your body will spend the rest of the day expending energy to recover from the ass-kicking you gave it. This is commonly referred to as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and it means that you consume a great deal more oxygen recovering from the exercise bout than you would have if you'd just done a steady-state workout.

This means that you will be burning up to nine times more fat while sitting on the couch later that night than you would have if you'd spent an hour on the treadmill at a moderate pace."



The same goes for a good resistance training session (none of those stupid little pink weights). Your body burns so much more energy throughout the day trying to recover.

Sound a bit more appealing now? ;) Remember what I said, after 45-60 minutes the body eats into the muscle tissue for energy instead of the fatty tissue... HIIT training effectively strips the fat without taking it from the muscle due to the intensity. Make sure you have PROPER amounts of nutrition to follow a hard workout (High GI carbs are essential here for a quick recovery). Ensure you get some good quality protein in you too.

[JustThinking..X]

Okay my new years resolution (as quite a few people's probably was) is to get into shape. After this summer (a lot of road trips and service station food) and then christmas (loooads of food and alcohol) I really need to get back into shape.

Thing is I'm really lazy and I get distracted so easily. I have good intentions but just not much motivation. Every one says once you get going you'll be alright but it's just that first hurdle.

I went out for a run last night and did better than I thought (managed to go quite a way without stopping - woo!) but it made my throat kill and I was nearly sick, why ?!

Has any one got any good tips and things I can swap for snacks cos they are really my downfall ?

[pill 'ed]

Thing is I'm really lazy and I get distracted so easily. I have good intentions but just not much motivation. Every one says once you get going you'll be alright but it's just that first hurdle.

I went out for a run last night and did better than I thought (managed to go quite a way without stopping - woo!) but it made my throat kill and I was nearly sick, why ?!


:yes: Lol I can so relate to all that.

[JustThinking..X]

:yes: Lol I can so relate to all that.

Lol, it's a bit depressing ennit? I didn't realise til recently that alcohol was fattening ! I knew you could get a beer belly but I don't drink beer so I didn't think it would affect me but apparently cider is really bad for you :(

[pill 'ed]

Lol, it's a bit depressing ennit? I didn't realise til recently that alcohol was fattening ! I knew you could get a beer belly but I don't drink beer so I didn't think it would affect me but apparently cider is really bad for you :(

Yeah it sucks dunnit?? I read somewhere that a pint of Guinness has as many calories as a Roast Dinner, and that Cider is even worse... :no: Bad times.

[JustThinking..X]

Yeah it sucks dunnit?? I read somewhere that a pint of Guinness has as many calories as a Roast Dinner, and that Cider is even worse... :no: Bad times.

=O nooo

[Franki]

I have been really good today :D. I'm really proud of myself :D.

But, before I have my dinner: what's better to have in a baked potato - philadelphia or butter/margarine? Those are my only choices and I refuse to have it plain :yuck:.

[g_angel]

I have been really good today :D. I'm really proud of myself :D.

But, before I have my dinner: what's better to have in a baked potato - philadelphia or butter/margarine? Those are my only choices and I refuse to have it plain :yuck:.



I would avoid Margarine completely.

Check the nutritional information on the butter and the cheese. I would say the cheese, off the top of my head as it at least contains proteins etc.

[Franki]

I would avoid Margarine completely.

Check the nutritional information on the butter and the cheese. I would say the cheese, off the top of my head as it at least contains proteins etc.
I will do that.

Just for future reference - what's a good, healthy thing to have on baked potato? I don't like tuna but I do like most other things.

[g_angel]

I will do that.

Just for future reference - what's a good, healthy thing to have on baked potato? I don't like tuna but I do like most other things.

BEEEAAANNNZ :D

You could make a chilli-con-carni? Stuff like that. Anything with beans in (kidney/whatever) is good.

[Franki]

BEEEAAANNNZ :D

You could make a chilli-con-carni? Stuff like that. Anything with beans in (kidney/whatever) is good.
Ooooh I like beans and chilli ;d.

I'm having it with grilled chicken and salad tonight, otherwise I would have been a bit more inventive. Had it with chilli the other night though. Yum yum.

I went to the gym today and I played about with some of the weight machines :D. The one which makes you do crunches is good, although it has made my stomach feel a bit funny. I tried the rotary one but I couldn't figure it out even after looking at the instructions :chin:.

[g_angel]

Ooooh I like beans and chilli ;d.

I'm having it with grilled chicken and salad tonight, otherwise I would have been a bit more inventive. Had it with chilli the other night though. Yum yum.

I went to the gym today and I played about with some of the weight machines :D. The one which makes you do crunches is good, although it has made my stomach feel a bit funny. I tried the rotary one but I couldn't figure it out even after looking at the instructions :chin:.

Advice is to ask a trainer if you are unsure of anything in the slightest. Saves injury.

Also, if possible, move onto free-weights as soon as possible (if not immediately). The machines are ok to get you started, but using freeweights/cables you are not restricted to the range of motion that the machine offers. You will engage your core and supporting muscles to complete any exercises with freeweights/cables, which is soooo much better all round :)

Good start though :D OOooo - that funny feeling may turn into a nice 'gym burn' feeling tomorrow! Eeeexcellent! With regards this - ask a trainer about using a Swiss ball to train your abs. Superb results, much quicker (and you get to play bouncy bouncy on the big balls hehehe).

[your-babe]

I will do that.

Just for future reference - what's a good, healthy thing to have on baked potato? I don't like tuna but I do like most other things.

2 tbsp of low fat mayo, with 100g of prawns is delicious!

[your-babe]

My weigh in today is 15 stone and 2 pounds. I'm writing it on here, as I am ashamed of it, but I am so desperate to lose weight. I'm on an eating plan, and an exercise plan, and have a few other things to try to motivate me along the way. I've never felt so motivated before :)

[Franki]

I'm gonna try and get used to using the first machine before I try anything else, I don't want to overstretch myself just yet. What does "gym burn" feel like? I'm more interested in getting my legs a bit less flabby atm rather than my stomach, that can wait. What's good for legs? I'm using the cross trainer and the bikes but there must be something else too :chin:.

I'm proud of myself though :D. And now that I've started it really is easy. Although online shopping is a godsend, must say.

[Franki]

2 tbsp of low fat mayo, with 100g of prawns is delicious!
I don't like prawns :o.