Losing weight and keeping fit!

Dunks

Dunks

Dunks

Soldato
Joined
31 Oct 2004
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Right, posting this because as much as I have looked around this forum I can't get my head around it all and it's a little overwhelming :p.

What I'm after really is to lose quite a bit of weight, currently around 14 stone (88-89kg) and 6'1" tall, so while not majorly large, I do have a bit of a belly ;). Not quite sure what an 'ideal' weight for my size would be, but around 11 stone maybe? Like I said, not quite sure what a good weight would be :). My weight has fluctuated slightly over the past year but nothing major, I don't eat too badly but I think it's obviously just down to eating too much and not doing enough!

Now, getting there! This where my problems begin, I haven't a clue where to start :) Currently at home now before heading back to Uni for my 2nd year in around a month where I'm intending on joining the gym when I go back down (although there is a gym here which I could join) in September. As for what to do there, I haven't a clue really, which is where I need some help/guidance.

For my diet as well, I'm really not sure what I should be eating. My standard day when at home is usually: bowl of cereal (usually fruit mini weeta-bix), if I have lunch, usually would be a ham+cheese sandwich, then for dinner it could be anything from Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Fajita's and rice or Pizza (all either home mode from scratch, or like the Fajitas, sauce from a jar), then rarely pudding. Sometimes there might be odd cookie or a yoghurt between meals, but nothing serious.

Looking back it doesn't seem all that much so I'm guessing it's just lack of activity which is my down fall? While I'm not the most active person, I walk everywhere rather than take the bus (i.e 40min walk into town for example) or drive (which I can't even do :p ).

Anyway, not quite sure what else there is to say! Any help/guidance/tips on what I should aim to be doing would very much appreciated!
 
depends on the amount you eat per meal, what you're eating, which at a guess and is fairly normal, white rice, pasta, flour for pizza base etc. Thats where a lot of the problems come from, insulin high from high gi foods tells your body to store rather than use the energy.

I'd switch everything carb over to low gi brown/wholemeal breads, check the packs when you buy the stuff, check it isn't half wholemeal flour mixed with half white flour as a lot of breads cheap out and use both but still sell it as wholemeal.

Then, just move a bit more, you're not vastly overweight at all, but I also wouldn't worry about an ideal weight, nothing worse than declaring a number, hitting it and still having a belly because you lost all the fat off everything else, its demoralising. You know you need to lose weight, thats enough, as you lose you'll see the difference, thats all you need to focus on.

If you're already doing some basic things like walking fairly long distance then personally i'd hit the weights, don't go overboard but if you don't do much activity past walking then its the muscle for doing harder things you're lacking and thats the stuff that pumps up your resting calorie use aswell.

So do some light exercise, hell some basic compound stuff will probably put on some decent muscle and with a slight calorie drop should see you lose a little weight in no time. Do some squats, try them without weights to start with, body weight can be enough to start with. Make sure you're eating enough protein and good fats, see if you can join the gym for a month or buy a few day passes, or if you know someone whose willing to take you as a guest a few times this month that will do.

Beginners do well with full body once/twice a week anyway so going every day is overkill to start off with. basic compound exercises, bodyweight if at home, get a trainer to show you some stuff at the gym. If at home, squats, push ups, pullups/dips(if you can and have something safe to do them on).
 
Thanks for the reply :).

Yeah, I love my carbs :(. Bread, pasta, rice = staples of my diet (all white as well :( ). Although along with those I have beef and chicken usually, with the odd bit of pork. Also, pardon the ignorance, but GI = ?.

So instead of cutting carbs altogether will I be ok switching to brown/wholemeal bread, pasta and rice? Or should I try and lower my intake of those as well?

As for the exercise, is compound weights just when you use a number of muscles or what? And yeah, I wasn't planning on hitting the gym every day, maybe every 2-3 days for a couple of hours? I may as well join the gym as since it's the University one, which is meant to be pretty well equipped it's insanely cheap for students, so no reason not to really :).

Thanks in advance!
 
Yeah, I gave it a quick read. I just found it a bit overwhelming and maybe over the top for my needs slightly? :p. Just after a few tips to do what I'm after really!
 
GI = glycaemic (sic) index... i.e. how fast the sugar goes into your blood. The higher the number, the faster you get dosed.

what you basically need to do:

  • Eat more brown carbs (brown pasta, brown rice, brown bread - in fact, ditch the bread altogether... :) )
  • Get more fibre/veg into your diet...
  • Smaller meals, but more often (this will speed up your metabolism...
  • Do plenty of exercise (weights/cardio/etc.)...

And stop drinking beer.

And no, the sticky isn't really over the top: the basic principles apply regardless of what you're trying to achieve: better diet + more exercise. Long-term fitness and stable weight requires a shift in lifestyle for most people, as they're determined to sit behind a desk or in a pub and do no exercise whatsoever.

Dieting may shift a few pounds or stones, but you'll need to carry on with the diet to keep them off. And most diets = the suck for your body and your mental health (no fun food gets boring VERY quickly).
 
I admit it was a while ago I read GordyR's thread, but it doesn't seem as OTT as I remembered! I'm guessing the 'cutting' part of the thread is what I want to follow? :) He mentions the CKD diet, would that be a bit much or should I look into doing that as well?

And on the beer front, will that make a big difference? Although I must admit I don't really drink that much. Is that just beer, or all forms of alcohol? :p

Thanks for the replies :)
 
DunK1 said:

And on the beer front, will that make a big difference? Although I must admit I don't really drink that much. Is that just beer, or all forms of alcohol? :p
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Yes it's full of empty calories, vodka will have a bit less (as you'll require less to get drunk), as for diets you don't need strict set diets make sure you eat wholemeal sources of food and adequate portions of protein and veg.
 
manic111 said:
Eat low GI foods...and RUN! :D
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+1

khushy

or play squash - I hate running - but love playing squash - you run a lot - hit a ball hard a lot - get knackered out - its fun (unless of course you run into the wall) and with the right squash buddy - time goes quickly!
 
So the CDK diet would be a bit much and not really worth sticking to?

So for starters, eat lots of vegetables, and instead of white bread, pasta and rice, have the wholemeal alternatives? What about meat? I eat chicken mostly, but occasionally beef and pork, is it worth just sticking to chicken?
 
its all true, ive been riding 6 miles everyday for the past month and have only lost about 2 pounds, because i havnt changed my diet.

i had the mentality that because i was doing the excercise, eating the same would be acceptable, i now realise that the actual excercise is only about 40% of the battle, the other 60% is most likely the food you eat and the quantity.
 
So exercise and eating well it is then ;). What would be a good start for meals through the day? Look around it seems 4-6 small meals through the day seems to be the way to go, but I'm struggling to think what to do for them!
 
DunK1 said:
So exercise and eating well it is then ;). What would be a good start for meals through the day? Look around it seems 4-6 small meals through the day seems to be the way to go, but I'm struggling to think what to do for them!
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Yep, I'm currently doing:


Porridge

Apple and some nuts

1 wholegrain sandwich

small salad

small portion main meal

greek yoghurt with fruit
 
Looks pretty manageable. I'll be in Uni most of the time but I guess I can just bring it with me packed lunch style :).

For the salad, would tuna be ok, or just strictly vegetables? As for the main meal, would something like say, a 1/2 a breast of chicken, brown rice with some sort of sauce and some vegetables be reasonable?
 
DunK1 said:
Looks pretty manageable. I'll be in Uni most of the time but I guess I can just bring it with me packed lunch style :).

For the salad, would tuna be ok, or just strictly vegetables? As for the main meal, would something like say, a 1/2 a breast of chicken, brown rice with some sort of sauce and some vegetables be reasonable?
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definately get some tuna or something in the salad you want a nice serving of protein in each meal and yep that sounds fine for dinner just watch the sauces its an easy way to add a lot of empty kcals
 
khushy said:
+1

khushy

or play squash - I hate running - but love playing squash - you run a lot - hit a ball hard a lot - get knackered out - its fun (unless of course you run into the wall) and with the right squash buddy - time goes quickly!
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Great shout; haven't played squash for years, really miss it.
 
DunK1 said:
For the salad, would tuna be ok, or just strictly vegetables? As for the main meal, would something like say, a 1/2 a breast of chicken, brown rice with some sort of sauce and some vegetables be reasonable?
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Yes to both, I normally stick some tuna or a boiled egg in the salad personally. Just remember to make your meal portions smaller to reflect having 6 meals a day.
 
tom_e said:
definately get some tuna or something in the salad you want a nice serving of protein in each meal and yep that sounds fine for dinner just watch the sauces its an easy way to add a lot of empty kcals
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Yeah, I could always just make a simple one with some form of chilli/curry powder and water :). Sometimes do that if I'm out of stuff to use. Nice and light as well.
 
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