Weight loss and fitness training at home

[ShawCrossShark]

I was just wondering if anybody can give me any pointers for training at home. Limited space, time and budget but am wanting to make a start on getting lighter and fitter.

I currently weigh in at over 20 stone and suffer from over pronation and arthritis in both ankles - hopefully weight loss will assist with lessening the impact of these.

I want to make a start on my fitness from home as my budget doesn't really stretch to a gym membership at the moment. My lodger is moving out in January so I may have use of a 10ft x 10ft room

Does anybody have any comments on a particular workout DVD? I was considering buying a kettlebell and getting a kettlebell routing (probably about 12kg for toning purposes)

Anybody have any ideas? I do also have a basic cross trainer which I can integrate for cardio purposes

Thanks in advance for any advice

[Bolebroke]

Good for you ! Well done...anything you do will make a difference ...I started about 9 months ago with a PT and simply love it...at 47 with 2 TIAs I was letting myself go...at 5 feet 7 and over 12 stone (76kilos)not good...used to be 9 10 when I raced a bike...Would thoroughly recommend 12kg kettlebell..2 if you can run to it...and be disciplined..get on Youtube / talk to mates / spend a bit of cash with a PT for starter session and off you go. Nothing wrong with starting with good old brisk walking, move on to sit ups, press ups and lots ofstretching. As all the great guys on here will tell you really watch your diet. Cut out the booze, pasta, bread and sugar. Do more, eat less....and eat well..that really is the key to it. Good luck and enjoy - the transforamtion from 20 stone will be spectacular !

[ShawCrossShark]

Thanks for that. I am 37 and type 2 diabetic so the diet needs to be improved as well lol.

I am a 6'3" ex prop/second row and am still fairly powerful in the legs and broad across the shoulders. I currently weigh in at 22.5 stone and am looking at realistically getting down to between 16 and 17 stone (even my diabetes nurse agrees that this is a reasonable end point with my build). If I can improve the ankle issues sufficiently I may come out of retirement to play 2nd team next season but only if I get sufficient weight off to reduct stress levels on joints first

I will see about putting up some picture progress if anybody is interested.

[mattikake]

ShawCrossShark said:

I was just wondering if anybody can give me any pointers for training at home. Limited space, time and budget but am wanting to make a start on getting lighter and fitter.

I currently weigh in at over 20 stone and suffer from over pronation and arthritis in both ankles - hopefully weight loss will assist with lessening the impact of these.

I want to make a start on my fitness from home as my budget doesn't really stretch to a gym membership at the moment. My lodger is moving out in January so I may have use of a 10ft x 10ft room

Does anybody have any comments on a particular workout DVD? I was considering buying a kettlebell and getting a kettlebell routing (probably about 12kg for toning purposes)

Anybody have any ideas? I do also have a basic cross trainer which I can integrate for cardio purposes

Thanks in advance for any advice

You don't need to waste money on a workout DVD. And a single weight kettlebell is not efficient use of your cash.

For £30 you can buy a good Swiss Ball and set of Resistance Bands. Add to that bodyweight exercises (particularly if you have access to some sturdy dining room chairs) and you can challenge every muscle in your body for years to come.

Stretch your budget to £80 and you can include a set of 30Kg dumbbells (that you can use as adjustable weight kettlebells), a pullup bar and a chain and you probably won't need another equipment upgrade for as long as you live.

Use google for exercise routines with this equipment or ask someone like me. Do it 3 times a week for 30 - 60 mins.

As for CV, walk, swim, run or cycle for real (cycling best for arthritis). 25km per week walking or 15km per week swimming or 10km per week running or 75km per week cycling. (20km per week at a leisurely pace on the crosstrainer or 30 mins a day x 5 per week)

Get a sensible diet and the weight will fall off, fitness will go up noticably week by week as will muscle growth, firmness and strength.

btw, this is what I do for people. At 20st you'll easily lose 4 of that and about 6 inches off your middle in the first 3 months.

The only hard bit to all this is patience.

Edited by mattikake on Friday 23 November 19:23

[davepoth]

As was said above, the first couple of stone are likely to melt off easily.

Cycling is probably your best bet (the ankles stay pretty still when cycling so it's good for your situation), so I guess a good start would be an exercise bike. Don't put it in the "gym"; if you can, stick it in front of the TV so you aren't punishing yourself too much.

[Sparta VAG]

Another +1 for cycling.

This guy is a great inspiration for weight-loss through cycling:

http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/pict...

If you're not into bikes, the Insanity workout is pretty good. You don't have to follow it to the letter, but there's plenty of YouTube vids that you can use to make your own 20-30 minute routine.

Just remember to change the eating habits too.

Best of luck!

[JakeR]

Some great advice already. All I would add is do something you find fun. That way, motivation is much easier to come by.

Best of luck!

[Furberger]

I'd personally start by sorting the diet. 2 popular eating plans at the moment are fasting and paleo or variations of. Plenty of free info on this.

I'd also start with a couple of months swimming to strengthen your muscles with no impact before starting anything more serious.

I'm a cyclist and whilst long days in the saddle will burn calories, high intensity stuff will burn more in less time. Look up hit training. I wouldn't confine yourself to that space, get outside, use the park, do sprints, use playgrounds for pull ups etc.

I lost about 4 stone 4 years ago and I'd now call myself an athlete instead of a fat . The important thing is making lots of small changes which all add up to make a big difference. Build them all into your daily routine and you'll have no choice but to succeed!

Good luck.

[StevieBee]

Have a look at P90X.

Having done this, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Only issue may be your ankles but many of the moves have modified options to limit impact.

[a311]

Furberger said:

I'd personally start by sorting the diet.

+1 for this. Given your weight and ankle issues I'd be looking at really looking at your diet until you get down to a weight which isn't going to cause so much stress to your body and cause injury. Initially as others have said if you're going to exercise stick to as low impact as you can with cycling or swimming.

Diet wise it's simple you need to burn more calories than you consume to loose weight. My Fitness Pal is a great tool and they have free apps for smartphones. I'd say their daily calorie goals are a bit on the low side for what you need. Once you start using it you'll be surprised how many calories are in some things and as you get into it when you realise burning of a Mars bar is roughly 20 mins running it's better not to put it in your mouth in the first place i.e. it's much easier not to eat st in the first place than burn it off. But you can always eat well and feel full, I stick to lean protein and plenty of veg.

I'm 6'4" and last August was 19 ish stone. I got down to 16 stone for May this year for my wedding but piled on nearly 2 stone again after honeymoon and injury stopped me from doing much. Injury issues were sorted by the end of September and I've got back down to just under 16.5st. At 16 stone I looked reasonably lean but I reckon another stone lost would see me reasonably ripped-I sound a similar build to you.

I found running works for me, I picked up the NHS's couch to 5k programme and a just over a year ago I was struggling to run for 5 mins and now do half marathons and run 20-30 miles per week. This still doesn't allow me to eat like a pig though if I want to loose weight. Running once you loose a bit of weight may be good for you as all you need is a decent pair of trainers and the will to walk out the door. I bought some trainers recently designed for the larger gentleman-Brooks Beasts and they're awesome.

Good luck anyhow, as someone who's struggled with their weight over the past few years I've realised it's all in your head and down to you in the end.

[Martin350]

Around 3 months ago, I wasn't exactly huge (5'10" and 12 1/4 stone), but I decided to nip the growing 'beer belly' in the bud.

For the first six weeks all I did was walk fairly quickly for 30-40 minutes before evening meal every day (I know, maybe not ideal for your ankles..?) and change my diet.
Here's what I did have to eat and now have to eat, (generally):


Tea with two sugars - Replaced with green or white tea with no milk or sugar (green tea also raises metabolism, so helps burn fat).

No breakfast - Replaced with scrambled egg or omolette with baked beans, or fresh fruit salad (typically strwberries, blueberries, blackberries, rasberries) with a slice of wholegrain / wholemeal toast.

Sausage and bacon roll (morning tea brake) - Replaced with small-ish portion of mixed raw nuts (pistachios, walnuts, pecans cashews - anything really - just not salted and definately not dry roasted!!).

Sandwiches and crisps (lunch) with white bread - Repalced with salad (as many different veg as I can think of) mixed with tuna or hard boiled eggs or minimally processed ham, and an apple.

Dinner - Less of - chips, fried food, pizza -- More of - fish, chicken, vegetables.

Snacks - Less - sugary things, saturated fatty things, cheese - More - fruit, low fat crisps, raw nuts.


In six weeks making those fairly easy changes I lost just over one stone.
I've since joined a gym and lost another 1/4 stone in another six weeks, but built up a little muscle tone and generally feel better physically and mentally.

So, in my experience it is well worth making several small changes to routine and be a little patient, the results do come, and very quickly at first!

Go for it, and best of luck!

[Tiggsy]

You need to be VERY true to yourself about what an acceptable weight is. 17stone is still very heavy, no matter what your build.

I came down from 21/22 stone and told myself 17 would be ripped becuse I was so "built"...... It was nonsense and I still had lots to drop!

[mattikake]

^ google Fatorexia

[a311]

Tiggsy said:

You need to be VERY true to yourself about what an acceptable weight is. 17stone is still very heavy, no matter what your build.

I came down from 21/22 stone and told myself 17 would be ripped becuse I was so "built"...... It was nonsense and I still had lots to drop!

This is true. For you height your ideal weight range should be 11.5 to 14 ish stone. I'd say for me even being of a big build going off the same scale the upper value for my weight is 14.5 stone which sounds right if I'm truthful with myself. I'd look like I was dying if I lost anymore IMO.

Is there a reliable scale out there that allows for build etc?

[ShawCrossShark]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I will certainly be looking into everything. With regards to the target weight and the BMI index, I am just looking at this as a target to see where I am at when I hit it. My dad went down to fourteen stone from about nineteen and everybody says he just looks ill.

I suppose I say 17 stone as this was my playing weight when I was playing rugby to a decent level, and I was in very good physical shape

Mattikake, I will certainly be looking at your advice closely. Could I PM you for a bit more?

And so, the journey begins

Edited by ShawCrossShark on Monday 26th November 08:56

[Tiggsy]

ShawCrossShark said:

I am just looking at this as a target to see where I am at when I hit it. My dad went down to fourteen stone from about nineteen and everybody says he just looks ill.

When you've been heavy for a long time and then drop down to a proper weight you need to know that "you look ill" really means - "dude, you were SO fat before that you look totally different now"

Trust me, if most of the population decided to go for an "ill" look the NHS could take a week off!

[mattikake]

ShawCrossShark said:

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I will certainly be looking into everything. With regards to the target weight and the BMI index, I am just looking at this as a target to see where I am at when I hit it. My dad went down to fourteen stone from about nineteen and everybody says he just looks ill.

Funny how people say that. I've been getting measurably fitter, stronger, more defined and more muscular, but because I've lost fat off my face, my mum and he friends think I look ill.

Just because some people have a perception, doesn't mean it's right...

ShawCrossShark said:

Mattikake, I will certainly be looking at your advice closely. Could I PM you for a bit more?

No worries. PM away. I have more detail on my website and I'll be doing a promo vid on this home-gym stuff soon.

[stew-S160]

a311 said:

Furberger said:

I'd personally start by sorting the diet.

+1 for this. Given your weight and ankle issues I'd be looking at really looking at your diet until you get down to a weight which isn't going to cause so much stress to your body and cause injury. Initially as others have said if you're going to exercise stick to as low impact as you can with cycling or swimming.

Diet wise it's simple you need to burn more calories than you consume to loose weight. My Fitness Pal is a great tool and they have free apps for smartphones. I'd say their daily calorie goals are a bit on the low side for what you need. Once you start using it you'll be surprised how many calories are in some things and as you get into it when you realise burning of a Mars bar is roughly 20 mins running it's better not to put it in your mouth in the first place i.e. it's much easier not to eat st in the first place than burn it off. But you can always eat well and feel full, I stick to lean protein and plenty of veg.

+2