Getting fit, where the hell do I start?

Janesy B

Janesy B

Janesy B

Caporegime
Joined
19 Apr 2008
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Location
Essex
After a bad breakup about 2 years ago i started to comfort eat, first it started with eating large meals for lunch instead of a sandwich or even nothing at all, this turned into large breakfasts, large lunches and large dinners. I have always been quite fit and i used to cycle a few miles every morning up until i was 18. I also could go without eating from breakfast to dinner quite happily. I have lost all motivation and i have become very lazy and i am quite content laying around the house whereas before i used to do a lot of housework and got quite restless if i just laid around.

I want to know what is the best way of turning myself around from this lazy fat git i've turned into, back to the fit, motivated young man i was a couple of years ago. I am well over the reationship that broke up and i have no hang ups about that.

Are there things i could do to control my appetite, i have toyed with the idea of appetite surpressants but i am keen to stay away from pills as much as possible. I am considering joining a gym but i have no one who wants to come (because none of my mates are fat and are tight arses :mad:) and i also wouldn't have the slightest clue what to do, do all gyms have 'trainers' as such or at least someone to help me make a plan of what to do and how to use the equipment and is this expensive as i only have £50 a month that i could dedicate to this.

I think whats kicked me into action is waking up last night looking in the mirror and i was disgusted at my fat gut. I need to do something before it effects my health and my self esteem so any help would be appreciated :cool:
 
I'd advise looking into SA. Running would be a good start, £50-100 on a decent pair of running shoes properly fitted is all you'd need. Have a look at Platypus' excellent sticky over there :)
 
Almost every gym I've been to has someone to show you how to operate the machines if you need it, most will give you an induction on joining and some will give you a training plan/fitness assessment at the outset.

As Mad Old Tory says you might want to get yourself fitted for running shoes first and go for a few runs especially if you would feel self-concious initially about going to the gym while being out of shape.

Diet is probably the most important thing to sort out, eat healthy foods and eat regularly, skipping meals or irregular patterns do not help your body.

//edit what are your goals? Lose weight, build muscle, some combination of the two?
 
I would like to mainly lose weight but i would like to build up my arms and upper body strength as i feel i am lacking in that aspect.

I am looking to improve my diet but i would like to control my appetite as well because it is getting to the point where i am almost constantly hungry. I have also found myself really looking forward to food, i think i have an underlying issue where i associate food with happiness and i need to break that chain
 
Do not be concious about going to the gym, I was and there was no need to be, there will be someone in worse shape than you, I guarantee it!!!

In one month I have lost two stone through eating healthy and structured exercise note I did not say diet, if anything I am eating more!

I go to Bannatyne's, I joined up had my assessment and I was away, I had a program written up and I go through each session and I love it.

Everyone has commented on the weight I have lost, I have more energy and just feel better generally. In a short time I have noticed and big increase in stamina and strength.

Please do not not go to the gym because you are worried about how you look or how you will perform!!!
 
There are 2 great stickys in here, gordyr's is a great overall thread that will include going to the gym and doing some weights, platypus's guide to running is also very good for those who would rather head outdoors and get moving :]
 
Janesy B said:
I would like to mainly lose weight but i would like to build up my arms and upper body strength as i feel i am lacking in that aspect.

I am looking to improve my diet but i would like to control my appetite as well because it is getting to the point where i am almost constantly hungry. I have also found myself really looking forward to food, i think i have an underlying issue where i associate food with happiness and i need to break that chain
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Have a look at GordyR's sticky at the top of this forum for advice on bodybuilding, there is lots of good advice in there.

Slinwagh said:
Do not be concious about going to the gym, I was and there was no need to be, there will be someone in worse shape than you, I guarantee it!!!
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I didn't mean to highlight it as an issue if it wasn't one but some people do feel self-concious and you are right, there really isn't any need. Most people will be concentrating too hard on their own workout to be concerned about what you look like - conversely though if you ask for help most will be only too happy to pass on their advice.
 
If you want to lose weight dno't worry about exercise too much, focus on your diet. I might make a thread about this soon since there are a lot of people asking how to lose weight.

Forget fad diets, there's only one simple equation to losing weight:

Calories in < calories out

In order to make this work for you, you should calculate how many calories you eat a day and how many you burn off in the average day. Then eat below how many you burn off.

Remember, several small meals a day are so much better than three larger ones. Eating more small meals will speed up your metabolism. I won't go into too much detail now, I'll write more on it later.
 
The main reason i want to join a gym is because i dont see how i can burn more calories without going to the gym. I do an office job all day which involves me sitting on my hairy arse all day and i have to drive because cycling 24 miles a day isn't an option, if work was closer i may consider it. I think thinking of doing some cycling in the evening and see how that works out and then join the gym once i'm happy that i can sustain a decent level of exersize without having a heart attack.
 
how about taking up a regular sport ie a martial art, you get to kick peoples arses and get very fit. trust me im tubby and i love it. really missing it atm due to slipped disc! plus you might meet people who do things out of work ie going for short runs. its all about a support net work brother! us chubbies need to support each other!
 
Lysander said:
If you want to lose weight dno't worry about exercise too much, focus on your diet. I might make a thread about this soon since there are a lot of people asking how to lose weight.
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Yes! do nothing but eat less.

Sorry but i hate suggestions like that. Yes a clean diet will help you lose weight, but a combined diet and decent routine (be it running or weights or combination or whatever) is much better and more healthy for you.
 
Lysander said:
If you want to lose weight dno't worry about exercise too much, focus on your diet. I might make a thread about this soon since there are a lot of people asking how to lose weight. :

Calories in < calories out
Click to expand...


I don't understand your post. It seems rather contradictive.

In one breath you talk about excersise not being important. In the next you talk about increasing metabolism and burning additional calories.

The simple facts are this:

Eating more increases metabolism.
Excersising increases metabolism and burns calories.

If you excersise, you can eat more. If you eat more, you are predisposed to use fat. Which excersising helps you to do.

It's a beautiful circle, no? :)

Ant :cool:
 
First step you've already made - deciding that you want to do something about your weight. Well done, there's a lot of people that can't be bothered to do that much.

My advice would be to get a pair of running shoes (make sure that you get a good pair, get measured up for them in a specialist running shop of possible) and just start going for a brisk walk around the block a few times every week. Every day if possible to start with. After you are comforatble and not too out of breath you can start out doing a light jog eg jog 30 second, walk 30 seconds. Keep building up your jog until you can jog 2 minutes and walk 30 seconds for rest. Don't rush it, this will take several week depending on how unfit you are. Once you are at this point you should notice that you have lost a bit of weight and will be feeling a bit better about things but don't let yourself get complacent and "treat" yourself to a little bit of junk food here and there. Keep working at it and keep your diet good and the extra pounds should be falling off you.

Of course, it's no good making any efforts with physical activity unless you make similar efforts with your diet. What's your diet like?

Work at it and you'll be rewarded, it's well worth it. I was a 15 stone lump of fat about 18 months ago when I had a similar epiphany (although mine was somebody coming up and poking me in my fat tum :P). I started off similarly, got my weight down to 13 stone through jogging and a better diet. Then I hit the gym and started doing weights and got back up to 14 stones 7 pounds and visibly more muscular. Now I'm dieting (cutting fat) and I've lost 10 pounds of fat and I can almost see some abs showing through. It's been hard work to get to this point but it's worth it.
 
I'd recommend cycling, because that's what did it for me. I went from doing zero exercise to riding to and from work every day (8 mile round trip) and lost a couple of stone in the process. I still have a beer gut, but this is purely because I won't give up beer - everything else has trimmed and toned right down. While I'm not suggesting you ride the whole distance, what about leaving your car at a half way point or similar?

The other benefit of cycling for your commute is that it takes no time out of your day - getting to work is a necessity, so doing your daily quota of exercise at the same time means you can keep your evenings free.
 
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