Good video. I think a lot of what he says is what we've been suggesting, but I like the way he explains it.
*** Big Fat Weight Loss Thread ***
- Thread starter AndyCr15
- Start date
I think this is what I learnt at the end of last year, I just made excuses for the weight going back on (about 18lbs) from around May to December. Granted, I got it back off in about 2½ months, but I need to accept earlier and just act before it gets silly.
I know we've had these discussions before, I would say if your main goal is to lose weight, the gym should be your third priority after diet and cardio 
I've bounced a little, this morning weighing 15st 4. I just had a look at my trend...
It's interesting that I bounced and headed up around this time last year too...
The longer view also gives me some perspective too. I feel bad when my weight starts to head up a little, but this view makes me remember that I'm still doing fine. I think perhaps I need to just set a maximum (maybe 15st 6) at which point I put the effort back in to bringing my weight back down to a set level (like 15st) so I don't feel I'm always limiting myself. Last year I let it get to 16st before I decided this though...
It's interesting that I bounced and headed up around this time last year too...
The longer view also gives me some perspective too. I feel bad when my weight starts to head up a little, but this view makes me remember that I'm still doing fine. I think perhaps I need to just set a maximum (maybe 15st 6) at which point I put the effort back in to bringing my weight back down to a set level (like 15st) so I don't feel I'm always limiting myself. Last year I let it get to 16st before I decided this though...
I don't think so... people still seem quite surprised I'm in my late 40's...
I assume you are asking for some advice on how to do this? Many people here have success in many different ways, so it's up to you to choose the way that is most likely to work for you.
I would suggest you try and change your lifestyle rather than go for something with a high immediate impact. The main thing to remember, it's energy in versus energy out. MOVE MORE and EAT LESS. It's really that simple. (Simple, but not easy
)
I would recommend installing MyFitnessPal and tracking EVERYTHING that you eat. This in itself often makes you eat less. Depending on what you calculate you currently eat, set a lower calorie target. Probably around 2,000.
Then, depending on your current level of fitness set a simple target. "I want to be able to run 5K under 30 minutes by {insert date here}". Again, depending on your fitness, maybe start with brisk 20 minute walks every day, without fail. Work towards your goal increasing distance or speed every few days.
Weight changes through the day and even day by day, so I recommend regular weigh-ins (first thing in the morning, before breakfast) to see the trend, not the snapshot.
I would suggest you try and change your lifestyle rather than go for something with a high immediate impact. The main thing to remember, it's energy in versus energy out. MOVE MORE and EAT LESS. It's really that simple. (Simple, but not easy
)I would recommend installing MyFitnessPal and tracking EVERYTHING that you eat. This in itself often makes you eat less. Depending on what you calculate you currently eat, set a lower calorie target. Probably around 2,000.
Then, depending on your current level of fitness set a simple target. "I want to be able to run 5K under 30 minutes by {insert date here}". Again, depending on your fitness, maybe start with brisk 20 minute walks every day, without fail. Work towards your goal increasing distance or speed every few days.
Weight changes through the day and even day by day, so I recommend regular weigh-ins (first thing in the morning, before breakfast) to see the trend, not the snapshot.
Cycling is definitely what has made the difference for me. What works is 1) I really enjoy it and 2) I can sustain the exercise for long periods (eg I can easily cycle for 3 to 6 hours, it's almost impossible not to have a deficit then!)
Just another note and I try not to bang on about this but I'll mention for @ATiRubyfan (and please remember, I lift weights too) but I don't think weights is a good option if your main goal is to lose weight. For example, I wear a Whoop now, which is generally very stingy about calories (always much lower than Strava says I've burnt) but it thinks a 15 minute jog burns as many calories as a 45 minute weight lifting session. Again, this is if your main goal is weight loss, if nothing else really matters. There are many benefits to lifting weights, it's definitely something I recommend, I'm just saying, if your main purpose is to drop some weight, I think you're better off going for a run or a cycle
Unrelated, I've started stretching and working on my core a little. Wahoo SYSTM has 'Yoga' and 'Strength' videos which I've started doing in the last seven days or so. It's quite a nice way to start the day. Flexibility is that element of fitness we don't think about much and something I used to have and I've recently realised I really should put some effort back into it as I get older and less flexible...
When I go to Amazon past orders and search for belt... 
(I think the 30-32 was overly optimistic though and went back )
Annoyingly, it wasn't until 'the end' that I found the Grip6 belt. Save yourself some money and order one if you're just starting weight loss!
(I think the 30-32 was overly optimistic though and went back
)Annoyingly, it wasn't until 'the end' that I found the Grip6 belt. Save yourself some money and order one if you're just starting weight loss!
Tbf, it was good quality, well priced and let you select the size you wanted. Easiest thing was to stick with what worksWow you really like that one belt lol
Didn't fancy a change?
As I posted about recently, maybe some light stretching routines or a bit of core work, which often also gets overlooked?
This is what I'm saying though, buy a Grip6 and never worry about it againMine is similar and I'm just about to add another to the list. That's two belts down since I started this weight loss
I didn't find them until I'd lost all the weight...
I've kept doing that anyway. I think if I stop, it'll be far too easy for me to start putting weight on again. Whilst I still record most of it, I do allow myself more occasions that I don't for the afternoon or evening.
I guess I've enjoyed -
- Less knee pain
- Not being out of breath walking upstairs
- Being able to buy clothes from normal places
I think the only thing I do that could be considered time-consuming is weigh my Huel still, but even that probably doesn't add more than 20 seconds. I wouldn't imagine I spend more than 10 to 20 seconds logging any meal. I set a few items up as meals in MyFP, so my evening routine of two apples, a protein bar and a bowl of cereal with almond milk is set up as one item. After a few months of weighing different things, you get a lot better at judging things too, so I don't weigh much now, even the Huel I can generally guess within 2 grams how much is in the scoop.
Have you thought about not dropping the calories so low, but upping the exercise instead? I dropped to 1,700 cals but cycled 30-50 minutes a day for a couple of months and lost a stone each month. I then started increasing the calories, but also increasing the cycling and continued to lose a stone a month...
My own experience is the numbers seem to add up and work reasonably well. I think the more data you can give the software, the better chance it has of getting it more accurate, so not only a HRM, I think more importantly a power meter (if applicable to your exercise). What I think can be inaccurate is the calculators that work out how much your daily allowance is. I've kind of worked that out myself, then do the maths on the activities on top of that.
I think one mistake people make is, you can't include your logged exercise when judging how active you are. So, if I sit at a desk all day and night, I put myself as inactive. If I then start jugging at lunch time every day, which gets tracked in Strava and I get credited with the calories burnt, but I stay sat at the desk all day still, I should leave it as inactive. If I make that more active, I'm getting credited twice with going for a run.
Isn't it odd that people don't just know this... isn't it common sense?
I put on 6lbs while cycling in the Alps... kind of amazing really, given how hard work it was, how much I sweat etc, but then I wasn't watching what I was eating at all. In fact, I was intentionally eating a lot to make sure I had the energy! It wasn't a surprise, the same thing happened after Mallorca. Already I've dropped 5lbs back off...
I'm at 15st 7 at the moment. I panicked a little at 15st 12 and thought I need to hit this diet hard again, but now it's back down again, maybe I can relax a little.
I'm also wondering if it's healthy or unhealthy to be paying this much attention to my weight?
Reminds me of the Fred Flintoff BBC show where he talks about having bulimia and my friend (having watched it and telling me to watch it) says I might have it
I think one of the points was it's not always about making yourself sick, it's about maybe binge eating but then going and exercising. Tracking all your calories etc, including those exercised. Was an interesting watch actually.
I think my problem is, if I ate when I wanted, if I was hungry, I end up well over 3,000 calories in a day, so it's a bit of an effort to stay at a maintenance level for me. I kind of have to pay attention or I will start putting weight back on.
People said when you adjust your diet, you'll get used to it and not feel hungry. That never happened for me I'm almost always hungry still.
People said when you adjust your diet, you'll get used to it and not feel hungry. That never happened for me
I'm almost always hungry still.
I think this is a big thing. If I can keep busy I don't notice the hunger. Last night, after work, I was meeting friends and cycling. We went out for about 2½ hours, I'd only had half a Huel before. When I got in, I wasn't even hungry and didn't eat anything else until 9pm (sometimes exercise really suppresses hunger. In fact, I just heard about HIIT type things generate something in your body that suppresses hunger and I'd certainly put in some high efforts in the ride)
If I finish work and sit about the flat, I'll eat 600 to 7600 cals for dinner, but then be hungry around 7/7:30 so might snack on some Popchips (340 cals) and then eat 500 to 600 cals again before bed, or my stomach will wake me up at 2am hungry...
Quite a surprise for me this morning. For a couple of weeks I've been eating reasonably well, but not cutting back too much and have been hovering around 15st 6 and 15st 7. On Thursday I met with some friends and we went to Kervans where we always get this -
I tend to eat more here than I really should or would anywhere else. It's just sooooooooo nice.
Anyway, I've ridden as normal on Saturday and Sunday (115 miles) but expected to be up a lb or two, given the volume eaten on Thursday, but no, 15st 5 dead, lowest I've been for over a month!
Mind you, today I fly to Porto and will be eating out meeting with people from work, so I fully expect to come back 5 or 6 lbs heavier!
Obviously, do whatever works for you, but I would suggest whatever you had set as your base, was simply too high. Drop it be 300-400 and keep going.
Out of interest, do you know what your average heart rate was for these?
If your gym is quiet enough, you could superset for the slight extra cardio gain. Bench press one set, straight over to the opposite action and seated row one set. Have 20 seconds rest then back on the bench press. Then bicep curls and tricep press alternates. Hopefully you get the idea? I liked this as it would keep my heart rate higher through the workout. I don't do it these days as my gym is just too busy and someone will sit on the other bit of equipment halfway through