Fastest Way to Lose a Stone

[944fan]

Over the last year and a bit I have been slowly losing weight, 2.5 stone thus far. I am about 1.5 stone away from my racing weight. My first triathlon of the season is 4 weeks away and I want to get in as good as shape as possible for that. I want to lose about a stone of FAT.

I am currently swimming 3/4 times per week covering 6-8Km. I am then doing 3 weights sessions a week, fully body routine each time with mostly compound exercises and a few core and arms/back isolation exercises for swim specific strength.

Haven't done much running and cycling recently so should probably add some of that in. Should I go for slow distance on these or intervals? I have been minimising these due to injury.

Don't want to do anything radical with my diet as I still need the energy to train. I gave up booze 3 months ago and have given up sugar now also.

Anything else I can/should do? Are any supplements worth it? I currently use protein shakes (as I weight 17.5 stone is hard to get enough from food) and creatine to help with swim intervals and weight training.

Other than taking something illegal or getting disentary anyway I can maximize weight loss over a short period?

[goldblum]

If injury will permit do more running. Keep the same diet if you want and try to run at a medium speed for over 40 minutes. You will burn more total calories on a long run than during HIIT. Which is just the name for interval training anyway.

<40 minutes x3/4 will see the weight drop off you.

[Centurion07]

With that amount of exercise you're doing I would say your excess fat is caused purely by diet rather than inactivity. So although you don't want to mess with it, I'd say it's the one thing that's definately going to have an effect since upping your exercise regime looks to be a bit difficult.

[Digger]

Hour-long sessions on the elliptical, and mix in some HIIT intervals on it as well. Use the intervals profile on the machine, assuming it has one.

If you've had injuries before (knees?), I wouldn't do much running at the moment, hence the x-trainer suggestion.


. . . . and yes, sort your diet out as that could well be where most of the weight loss will occur!

[Terminator X]

If you can stand it perhaps drop out all the carbs for 3 of the 4 weeks that you have left? Certainly seems to remove fat in my experience albeit you can get a bit light headed etc due to lack of sugar.

TX.

[944fan]

Thanks for the tips. I am put off dropping carbs because of all the exercise I am doing.

Not sure what is wrong with my diet. As I say I dropped booze 3 months ago but I do still like a sweet treat and perhaps I have been over doing that. I use MFP to track what I eat but I wonder if I am over estimating the amount I burn through exercise or actually underestimating the quantity of food I eat.

I have now dropped sugar completely also. I have also dropped caffeine as I used to drink loads of strong coffee and I read something that said too much can increase cortisol which makes you store fat. Not sure if it is true but thought I would give it a go.

Injury is in the ankle due to flat feet. I have orthotics which help a bit but give me blisters and make my calves hurt. Will start adding in a couple of runs a week and see how it goes.

[Digger]

Oh. . . get a HRM which guesstimates calorie expenditure through exercise. I find my Polar invaluable for my workouts!

[MajorProblem]

Eat a raw chicken breast.

[944fan]

Digger said:

Oh. . . get a HRM which guesstimates calorie expenditure through exercise. I find my Polar invaluable for my workouts!

Got a Garmin Forerunner for the bike and run with HRM and a Garmin Swim for the pool. The Swim doesn't have HRM but they both give a calorie estimate. Its that which I put into MFP. Perhaps they are not that accurate.

[ecain63]

Fastest way to lose a stone you ask??

Probably not an option and not something you'd really want if you can avoid it, but........ During my 4th round of chemotherapy (over Xmas) i was on the toilet for 12 straight days. That's how you shift weight!! lol

I feel better (and lighter) now!

[Hoofy]

ecain63 said:

Fastest way to lose a stone you ask??

Probably not an option and not something you'd really want if you can avoid it, but........ During my 4th round of chemotherapy (over Xmas) i was on the toilet for 12 straight days. That's how you shift weight!! lol

I feel better (and lighter) now!

I was going to mention the Chemo Diet based on my dad's experience. The Dead Diet is also useful. Again, based on my dad's experience.

[nagsheadwarrior]

Not as extreme as some but id try this-

3 Grammes of the finest olde fashioned Amphetamines

1 Album olde fashioned Hardcore,maybe by The Producer (only acceptable in a weight loss situation)

1 Wetsuit

1 Sauna,padlocked from the outside

1 Cross Trainer

Combine the above and you'll lose a stone pretty quick.

[Hoofy]

nagsheadwarrior said:

Not as extreme as some but id try this-

3 Grammes of the finest olde fashioned Amphetamines

1 Album olde fashioned Hardcore,maybe by The Producer (only acceptable in a weight loss situation)

I forgot I used to do a lot of "raving" when I was in my late teens/early 20s hence being really skinny.

[nagsheadwarrior]

Haha me too.

When i was about 17 i weighed mtself before a night out and when i got back the next afternoon, went out a skinny 11st at 6ft and came back 10st!

[Hoofy]

!!! Mental.

[944fan]

Terminator X said:

If you can stand it perhaps drop out all the carbs for 3 of the 4 weeks that you have left? Certainly seems to remove fat in my experience albeit you can get a bit light headed etc due to lack of sugar.

TX.

Took your advice in the end. First week dropped them completely but that totally buggered up my training. Was loosing 5sec/100m in swim training.

Towards the end started cycling carbs, fueled up days I was lifting weights, then very light carbs on swim days (these followed weight lift day so had enough energy to complete it). Then had almost zero carbs on rest days.

Threw in a couple of rides/runs too.

In the end I lost 9lbs so about 3/4 of my target, but I think my BF% decreased a lot. I had to buy a new belt and a a few said I looked much slimmer. I am 6'5'' so weight changes are not normally noticeable.

Will keep up the carb cycling as it seems to have kick started the fat burning again.

Triathlon is tomorrow. Weather looks to be st. Wind and rain. Think I will lose a lot of time on the bike as usually it is one of my stronger disciplines but I am a bit too cautious in the wet.

[MacGee]

2 bricks.

[Martin_M]

I lost a stone last week which isn't unusual for me - my weight tends to fluctuate between the 15 to 15.5 stone mark.

I returned from a short break in Ireland in Easter to find I was 16 stone. I'm 6 foot 4 with broad shoulders and a fairly good physique with the belly being the exception - slight rubber ring effect going on!

Last week my week was as follows (and I know this is probably not the best approach but it worked for me)

Monday - nothing to eat until dinner time with only water throughout the day. Steak pie and potatoes/veg for dinner, porridge before bed and a cup of tea.

Tuesday - 1.5 mile run with the dog, caesar salad for lunch and the same for dinner. Again, porridge before bed and a cup of tea.

Wednesday - 1.5 mile run with the dog, caeser salad for lunch and 3 hamburgers for dinner.

Thursday - 1.5 mile run with dog, nothing for lunch, water throughout the day, weight watchers meal and porridge before bed.

Friday (yesterday) - Chinese take away and alcohol - no other food and no other exercise.

Today...I am 15 stone!

[Digger]

What time of day are you weighing yourself?

[Martin_M]

You should always weigh yourself in the morning shouldn't you...