Permabanned
Sam, I wish you could see for yourself the strength that I see in you.Takhisis said:
Mic's a lucky man.
Believe in yourself.
OcUK Dieters Progress Thread
- Thread starter Matblack
- Start date
Mic's a lucky man.
Believe in yourself.
Associate
Thank you Jim - I know you say what you see but how can I believe in myself when I'm revolted by what I see?
I try really hard not to be, but it never seems to work
I try really hard not to be, but it never seems to work
Soldato
I can empathise with that completely. I was revolted by my body for years, and to make things worse, I got bullied at school because I was fat. It really affected my confidence, and still does. I never ever got up the enthusiasm to actually bother doing something about it though, because I didn't realise that I actually had the choice to be "normal". Sounds silly, but I thought that thin people were just lucky, and I was destined to be fat. There was no point doing anything about my weight because I would always be fat/ugly etc. no matter what I did.Takhisis said:
You need to try and overcome this hatred of your body, or at least shove it to the back of your mind, and concentrate on where you want to go. Set yourself realistic goals. Get some more exercise. Congratulate yourself every time you refuse a cake or cup of hot chocolate, and allow yourself 1 day per week where you can have a meal that's a treat. And give it time!! I think when I started, it took me about 6 weeks to lose anything, but I kept telling myself it'd come off, and it did. You know you can do this, and you know it's going to take a lot of effort, but you're more than capable of that. You just need to believe that you want it enough to carry it through, and stick with it. You know it'll be worth it in the end!!
Firstly, as has been said to just about everyone on here, you could be putting on muscle, which weighs more than fat. This will be especially relevant if you haven't had any decent form of exercise for a long time. Secondly, give it time. It doesn't come off immediatelycyKey said:
I'd also say that's not a brilliant diet in all honesty (sorry Cykey). 4 frostie bars, a bacon cob and chips/peas isn't really doing you an awful lot of good, and although it's probably a lot less than you're used to, it's not the "right" food to be eating. It might also be too little (see GordyR's post about not getting enough calories, which slows your metabolism) You should be trying to get your daily 5 fruit and veg in. Looking at that example, you're getting maybe 1 or 2 of veg, and no fruit. You also need to put your foot down with your Dad and tell him not to buy you any of that stuff. I had to tell my Mum several times before she stopped buying me chocolate mousse
I know you're quite fussy with your food, but I thought you were making progress with what you liked or could tolerate. Have you tried other, less sugary breakfast cereals? You don't have to eat porridge or weetabix, just try something less loaded with sugar. How about cornflakes or rice krispies? Frosties are probably one of the worst cereals you could have if you're trying to make a change to your eating habits. Also, iirc you like orange juice. That would count for 1 of your daily fruit if you had an OJ in the mornings.
For lunch, how about a sandwich on wholemeal bread, beans/poached egg on toast or soup of some kind? I know you're at home all day, so you can make allsorts of stuff for lunch. All you're really going to get with 2 more frostie bars is another short-lived sugar hit.
As for snacks, a piece of fruit wouldn't go amiss. Cut up an apple or something. Organic carrots cut into sticks are also very nice, and quite sweet.
You already know that tea needs improving, so I'll leave that up to you
I would try to get 2 different kinds of veg in there, not counting chips. As I've said before, I'm no dietician, but I think I have a pretty good idea of what's healthy and what's not. Experts feel free to correct me though
Man of Honour
Don't see anything that needs correcting there Kate, and if i can improve my diet the way I have then no-one has any excuses. I'm one of the fussiest eaters around.
Though I do force myself to try new things every so often. Thats out of sheer stubbornness and will
Though I do force myself to try new things every so often. Thats out of sheer stubbornness and will
Soldato
You're a shining example, MatGilly said:Don't see anything that needs correcting there Kate, and if i can improve my diet the way I have then no-one has any excuses. I'm one of the fussiest eaters around.
Though I do force myself to try new things every so often. Thats out of sheer stubbornness and will
I'm seriously impressed that you're eating salad and fruit etc., and I think that it's probably your stubbornness and determination that has helped you with that. I used to be a fussy eater when I was little, and it was mainly because I just didn't give things a chance. I'd have a mouthful of a new food, and declare that I hated it. Healthy food often isn't as good as chocolate, crisps and chips, and won't give you the same 'hit', but the way it makes you feel is such a huge change that it's worth doing. I am full of energy at the moment. I actually enjoy eating healthy food now anyway p.s. Just over 1lb to go until I'm lighter than I've been since I passed this weight when I was younger
Soldato
Well I actually lost some weight for the first time in 3 weeks. The scales said I lost 2.5kgs although Im not sure I believe it and accept some of it could be water loss.
I think the thing that helped the most was the extra day in the gym, so going 5 days instead of 4, doing cardio excercise and keeping the heart rate above 65% but pushing myself to about 80% max. Oddly enough for someone that has done no excercise at all for over two years, I have gained some fitness/endurance back pretty quickly.
Ive read to lose 1lb of fat off your weight, you have to lose about 2500 calories, so for every pound worth of loss you have to basically lose a days worth of food through excercise and/or controlling calories. So Im watching what I eat and doing five 600 calorie workouts at the gym hopefully for healthy and sustainable weight loss.
It seems to be normal for your weight to go up when you start doing excercise as already been said and sometimes no weight will come off for a month or so, but its worth persevering.
So far:
Start weight - 101kgs, Week 1 - 101.5kgs, Week 2 - 101.5kgs Week 3 - 99kgs
I think the thing that helped the most was the extra day in the gym, so going 5 days instead of 4, doing cardio excercise and keeping the heart rate above 65% but pushing myself to about 80% max. Oddly enough for someone that has done no excercise at all for over two years, I have gained some fitness/endurance back pretty quickly.
Ive read to lose 1lb of fat off your weight, you have to lose about 2500 calories, so for every pound worth of loss you have to basically lose a days worth of food through excercise and/or controlling calories. So Im watching what I eat and doing five 600 calorie workouts at the gym hopefully for healthy and sustainable weight loss.
It seems to be normal for your weight to go up when you start doing excercise as already been said and sometimes no weight will come off for a month or so, but its worth persevering.
So far:
Start weight - 101kgs, Week 1 - 101.5kgs, Week 2 - 101.5kgs Week 3 - 99kgs
Soldato
Well done Bear! 1kilo is around 2lbs, so you've lost 4lbs this week
When you're on the machines, you see the guides for what your heart rate should be for cardio excercise, and what they call 'fat burning'. People at work seem to think that if you go above the fat burning heart rate, then you don't burn any fat. Now, I know this is a load of rubbish, because I regularly go much higher than that and am still osing weight.
My question - Is it OK for you to go higher than the max recommended HR for cardio? The reason is that I go above this quite often on the cross trainer, simply because it's the rate that I'm comfortable working at. Any lower, and I don't feel like I'm doing any work. Is it doing me any harm, or hampering my progress? It doesn't feel like it is, but I just want to make sure
I have a question for the fitness guru's about that actually.Bear said:
When you're on the machines, you see the guides for what your heart rate should be for cardio excercise, and what they call 'fat burning'. People at work seem to think that if you go above the fat burning heart rate, then you don't burn any fat. Now, I know this is a load of rubbish, because I regularly go much higher than that and am still osing weight.
My question - Is it OK for you to go higher than the max recommended HR for cardio? The reason is that I go above this quite often on the cross trainer, simply because it's the rate that I'm comfortable working at. Any lower, and I don't feel like I'm doing any work. Is it doing me any harm, or hampering my progress? It doesn't feel like it is, but I just want to make sure
Man of Honour
The way I understand it is thus:
Fat = stored energy
Muscle = utilised energy
Unfortunately when your body needs energy fast it can get it quicker from your muscle than from your fat. This is why there is a fat burning heart rate level with upper and lower thresholds, any higher and your body is getting energy from elsewhere.
Thats my understanding of it, having spoken to a mate yesterday who has been looking into protein powders and such.
Fat = stored energy
Muscle = utilised energy
Unfortunately when your body needs energy fast it can get it quicker from your muscle than from your fat. This is why there is a fat burning heart rate level with upper and lower thresholds, any higher and your body is getting energy from elsewhere.
Thats my understanding of it, having spoken to a mate yesterday who has been looking into protein powders and such.
Well I'm a bit dissapointed, been going to the gym nearly everyday and eating stupidly health foods. Only lost 2lbs this week. Thats a good weight to losse just hoping it would be a little more seeing as its only my 2nd week. Oh well I must have put some muscle on or thats my excuse.
Soldato
Thanks Gilly. Have been doing a bit of reading, and have worked out my target heart rate based on my resting HR and age. Will see whether I stick inside these limits when I'm on the cross trainer. Can't do it on the treadmill, because you're not supposed to hang on when you're jogging
Just stick with it. It's not going to happen overnight.
I went to the gym 4 times a week and didn't lose anything until the 3rd week. Don't worry. 2lb per week is a great loss anywayAcidHell2 said:
Just stick with it. It's not going to happen overnight.
Soldato
Lostkat said:Well done Bear! 1kilo is around 2lbs, so you've lost 4lbs this week
I have a question for the fitness guru's about that actually.
When you're on the machines, you see the guides for what your heart rate should be for cardio excercise, and what they call 'fat burning'. People at work seem to think that if you go above the fat burning heart rate, then you don't burn any fat. Now, I know this is a load of rubbish, because I regularly go much higher than that and am still osing weight.
My question - Is it OK for you to go higher than the max recommended HR for cardio? The reason is that I go above this quite often on the cross trainer, simply because it's the rate that I'm comfortable working at. Any lower, and I don't feel like I'm doing any work. Is it doing me any harm, or hampering my progress? It doesn't feel like it is, but I just want to make sure
Thanks
From what Ive read and been told you should keep your heart rate between 60-80% of maximum which is (220 - your age). This keeps it in your aerobic zone which is optimal for fat burn. When you push above 80% you enter the anaerobic zone which then converts muscle to energy which is not really what you want for fat burning and is as Gilly said earlier.AcidHell2 2lbs is very good, the recommended weight loss per week for healthy sustainable weight loss is 0.5 - 1lbs a week !!! Which is bascially what Im trying for, any more is a bonus but often it could be just dehydration from the work outs
I've been going to the gym for 3 weeks now (on a wednesday and friday), and have swam a couple of times on a monday, and according to my scales, which can be a bit innacurate but it says I've lost 6lbs, I don't really feel much different, except for being shattered after the gym.
Oh and the heart rate monitors on the step machines or the cycling is a bit worrying as it usually reads my rate at around 140, and then on the steppers yesterday i got 190 mad.
Oh and the heart rate monitors on the step machines or the cycling is a bit worrying as it usually reads my rate at around 140, and then on the steppers yesterday i got 190 mad.
Soldato
Lostkat said:Firstly, as has been said to just about everyone on here, you could be putting on muscle, which weighs more than fat. This will be especially relevant if you haven't had any decent form of exercise for a long time. Secondly, give it time. It doesn't come off immediately
Ah right. Definetly feels a bit depressing when you feel like you're making progress and the scales say you're not. Best to keep at it then
I'd also say that's not a brilliant diet in all honesty (sorry Cykey). 4 frostie bars, a bacon cob and chips/peas isn't really doing you an awful lot of good, and although it's probably a lot less than you're used to, it's not the "right" food to be eating. It might also be too little (see GordyR's post about not getting enough calories, which slows your metabolism) You should be trying to get your daily 5 fruit and veg in. Looking at that example, you're getting maybe 1 or 2 of veg, and no fruit. You also need to put your foot down with your Dad and tell him not to buy you any of that stuff. I had to tell my Mum several times before she stopped buying me chocolate mousse
I know you're quite fussy with your food, but I thought you were making progress with what you liked or could tolerate. Have you tried other, less sugary breakfast cereals? You don't have to eat porridge or weetabix, just try something less loaded with sugar. How about cornflakes or rice krispies? Frosties are probably one of the worst cereals you could have if you're trying to make a change to your eating habits. Also, iirc you like orange juice. That would count for 1 of your daily fruit if you had an OJ in the mornings.
For lunch, how about a sandwich on wholemeal bread, beans/poached egg on toast or soup of some kind? I know you're at home all day, so you can make allsorts of stuff for lunch. All you're really going to get with 2 more frostie bars is another short-lived sugar hit.
As for snacks, a piece of fruit wouldn't go amiss. Cut up an apple or something. Organic carrots cut into sticks are also very nice, and quite sweet.
You already know that tea needs improving, so I'll leave that up to you
As I've said before, I'm no dietician, but I think I have a pretty good idea of what's healthy and what's not. Experts feel free to correct me though
Yer its not the best of diets. I didn't think frosties would be that bad. Rice krispies I can do so I'll switch to them. So Krispies + Oj for breakfast. I'm still working on ham/turkey/chicken with lettuce sandwiches. I'm not much of a fan of cold meat so it takes me a while to eat it. Oddly I prefer cold ham on toast. I've tried warm ham in a toasting machine and it was very strong. I'm not really much of a fan of beans due to the tomatoe sauce. I also tried soup and I really couldn't take that. It was easier to eat plain pasta, which I can eat but feels like it needs something added to it. Usually that is a sauce of some kind so I probably wouldn't like that.
I have egg fried rice and chicken stir fry in the freezer. I can manage rice but I need more practice. That'll be my tea tonight then.
As for my Dad, I do tell him not to buy things and he doesn't for like 2 weeks and then he does again. It gets a bit depressing when I'm constantly telling him off
Associate
Just been have a research morning and have ended up getting the 701 of these: http://www.digiwalker.co.uk/SW-700.cfm
Several websites list this as being one of the most accurate ones on the market so fingers crossed
I also got some new ankle weights for home on Thursday - I already have 1 pair that are 1kg each and I can do 100-150 leg raises each morning with them so the new pair are 2kg each (I did a full workout including upping some weights and then remembered that I had to carry ankle weights plus shopping plus my gym kit home on the bus
)
Several websites list this as being one of the most accurate ones on the market so fingers crossed
I also got some new ankle weights for home on Thursday - I already have 1 pair that are 1kg each and I can do 100-150 leg raises each morning with them so the new pair are 2kg each (I did a full workout including upping some weights and then remembered that I had to carry ankle weights plus shopping plus my gym kit home on the bus
)
Associate
We had fish and chips last night - I don't see that as falling off, I see it as an infrequent treat
Soldato
cheets64 said:Anybody fell off the diet and had a takeaway, I nearly had a whole bag of kettle chips yesterday.
Yep I had 2 pieces of southern fried chicken and chips. I dont feel bad at all about it though. I let myself have a treat or two at the weekends and make sure I work that extra bit harder at the gym on Saturday and Sunday.
IMO you have to give yourself a treat or else it all seems like to much torture and then you start to lose your enthusiasm. Im not out to punish myself but to improve my overall health
I faltered a little and had an entire Pizza Express Sloppy Giuseppe the other day, but it was certainly less calorific than half the ones I looked at. 680 for the whole pizza I think, most of the others were over 1000. I don't see it as falling off-diet though, my overall intake for the day was still around 2500 calories even if 680 of them weren't from the best source!
Soldato
Are there any good online food/calorie guides? I've not gone this route (calorie counting), but I'd be interested to see what calories Im eating a day.
Edit found one.
I guess that explains why Im always cold!
Edit found one.
I guess that explains why Im always cold!
Last edited: