Discussion
So coming up to my 40th birthday in 7 months and have decided to lose weight by putting a target in front of me.
40 lbs by the time I hit 40. The question is, how realistic would this be?
I am around 6ft, quite a stocky build and around 232 lbs, which is far too heavy and obese by BMI standards! A 40 lbs loss would put into a much better place..
Work from home/office based worker, so do not get too much exercise during the day. I have gym membership, where I do 2 spinning classes a week and some occasion swimming, which if anything keeps me at the same weight. I think I carry my weight OK, however the areas prone to weight increase is my gut area, as I am sure it is for many others in my age!
If I have a specific goal in mind, do you think it would be worth engaging the services of a personal trainer? I know that the diet is also very crucial, have a good idea on what to do on that.
So, where is a good place to start? Any thoughts to get me on my way?
Thanks G
40 lbs by the time I hit 40. The question is, how realistic would this be?
I am around 6ft, quite a stocky build and around 232 lbs, which is far too heavy and obese by BMI standards! A 40 lbs loss would put into a much better place..
Work from home/office based worker, so do not get too much exercise during the day. I have gym membership, where I do 2 spinning classes a week and some occasion swimming, which if anything keeps me at the same weight. I think I carry my weight OK, however the areas prone to weight increase is my gut area, as I am sure it is for many others in my age!
If I have a specific goal in mind, do you think it would be worth engaging the services of a personal trainer? I know that the diet is also very crucial, have a good idea on what to do on that.
So, where is a good place to start? Any thoughts to get me on my way?
Thanks G
More important than exercise is what you put in your mouth in the first place. When you consider an hour in the gym probably burns 300 calories you are better off not eating the Mars bar or whatever in the first place. Get your diet right and then think about exercise to achieve what you want.
craigjm said:
More important than exercise is what you put in your mouth in the first place.
Not true. This oft peddled myth is incorrect at best and actually harmful at worst. Nothing personal Craig - I've seen this mantra trotted out thousands of times on here and it's nothing but bs (broscience btw). This is a simple little article that doesn't go into too much depth but should be read by everyone. Please note the article makes no reference to the increasing benefits to weight loss as you exercise, eg lower bp, increased tidal volume, capillerisation and fighting diseases such as diabetes, cancer,.. osteoporosis etc. The article doesn't prove what is best either way, because it can't as weight loss involves so many factors. Speak to a psychologist for instance and they would likely say intrinsic motivation... .Exercise vs. Diet in Weight Loss
Christina J. Paez and Len Kravitz, Ph.D. http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/exan...
OP, I was in your situation 12 months ago, same start position and same objectives, so hopefully can offer some insights.
You’ll need a mix of diet and exercise. So much so obvious.
40lb in 28 weeks is approx 1.5 lbs/week which is doable. You loose quickly for the first weeks, but as you get closer to a normal weight, the rate of decrease may slow.
As a rough estimate based on the target and exercise level, you’ll need to eat 1500 – 1800 calories a day, so with careful food choices you shouldn’t go hungry.
Have a look at My Fitness Pal (the website is way better than the App) as a planning and tracking tool. I used this, and still do so to maintain.
They key is to start now and be committed to maintaining the regime for the period. No quick fixes I’m afraid.
You’ll need a mix of diet and exercise. So much so obvious.
40lb in 28 weeks is approx 1.5 lbs/week which is doable. You loose quickly for the first weeks, but as you get closer to a normal weight, the rate of decrease may slow.
As a rough estimate based on the target and exercise level, you’ll need to eat 1500 – 1800 calories a day, so with careful food choices you shouldn’t go hungry.
Have a look at My Fitness Pal (the website is way better than the App) as a planning and tracking tool. I used this, and still do so to maintain.
They key is to start now and be committed to maintaining the regime for the period. No quick fixes I’m afraid.
Exactly the same height and weight as I am, I am down from 244 at the start of the year.
Get on MyfitnessPal and record what you are eating, I am losing 1 to 2 pounds a week, 40 pounds in 7 months is doable, depends on how much exercise you do and how little you eay, I work on 2000 calories a day but generally eat under, apart from a few drinks at the weekend. You can go lower ont he calories but I think its doomed to failure, I am restricting a little what I eat but no need to go starving myself, it went on slowly so it needs to come off slowly.
Porrdge and Soup are your friends, those big fresh soups fromt he supermarket are filling and can be as little as 200 cals, I find I eat 700/800 during the day and it leaves me plenty for an evening meal but invariably, most meals wont be 1200 cals, thats quite a big meal.
Timing when you eat is important, I try to stretch out the gaps between meals so I dont end up at 8 pm starving.
Look up BMR and TDEE, basically how much to sustain life for a day, for chaps of our size, if we didnt move all day our Basal Meatbolic Rate would be circa 2000 cals, throw in normal daily activity, its about 2400.
Get some scales if you havent got any and record your weight daily, but dont get despondent if it goes up or cocky if it goes down, stick to your calories and it will go down, just not always predictably, is a marathon, not a sprint and really it needs to be permanent.
As a society we have gone from having the odd treat to treats being the norm, thats why we have got fat, when you have the weight off then its time to eat nearer the 2400 but still monitor the weight as it creeps back on, a extra Kit Kats worth of calories a day over what you burn, over a year will potentially
add 10 pounds in weight, its a delicate balanace, some days we go over, some we go under, it should average out but generally with modern lifestyles and availability of calorie laden food means it doesnt.
Exercise wise, get a Dog, walk it, an hours walk a day uses 200 - 300 calories, its all very small increments that affect the bottom line, your weight, so it needs to be seen as a long term project, seven months should get you there.
Good luck, keep us posted.
Get on MyfitnessPal and record what you are eating, I am losing 1 to 2 pounds a week, 40 pounds in 7 months is doable, depends on how much exercise you do and how little you eay, I work on 2000 calories a day but generally eat under, apart from a few drinks at the weekend. You can go lower ont he calories but I think its doomed to failure, I am restricting a little what I eat but no need to go starving myself, it went on slowly so it needs to come off slowly.
Porrdge and Soup are your friends, those big fresh soups fromt he supermarket are filling and can be as little as 200 cals, I find I eat 700/800 during the day and it leaves me plenty for an evening meal but invariably, most meals wont be 1200 cals, thats quite a big meal.
Timing when you eat is important, I try to stretch out the gaps between meals so I dont end up at 8 pm starving.
Look up BMR and TDEE, basically how much to sustain life for a day, for chaps of our size, if we didnt move all day our Basal Meatbolic Rate would be circa 2000 cals, throw in normal daily activity, its about 2400.
Get some scales if you havent got any and record your weight daily, but dont get despondent if it goes up or cocky if it goes down, stick to your calories and it will go down, just not always predictably, is a marathon, not a sprint and really it needs to be permanent.
As a society we have gone from having the odd treat to treats being the norm, thats why we have got fat, when you have the weight off then its time to eat nearer the 2400 but still monitor the weight as it creeps back on, a extra Kit Kats worth of calories a day over what you burn, over a year will potentially
add 10 pounds in weight, its a delicate balanace, some days we go over, some we go under, it should average out but generally with modern lifestyles and availability of calorie laden food means it doesnt.
Exercise wise, get a Dog, walk it, an hours walk a day uses 200 - 300 calories, its all very small increments that affect the bottom line, your weight, so it needs to be seen as a long term project, seven months should get you there.
Good luck, keep us posted.
goldblum said:
Not true. This oft peddled myth is incorrect at best and actually harmful at worst. Nothing personal Craig - I've seen this mantra trotted out thousands of times on here and it's nothing but bs (broscience btw). This is a simple little article that doesn't go into too much depth but should be read by everyone. Please note the article makes no reference to the increasing benefits to weight loss as you exercise, eg lower bp, increased tidal volume, capillerisation and fighting diseases such as diabetes, cancer,.. osteoporosis etc. The article doesn't prove what is best either way, because it can't as weight loss involves so many factors. Speak to a psychologist for instance and they would likely say intrinsic motivation... .
Exercise vs. Diet in Weight Loss
Christina J. Paez and Len Kravitz, Ph.D. http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/exan...
Im not talking about calorie restriction. People that eat 1000 calorie diets etc are going to find it harmful. What i mean is that you should eat a good balanced diet so the first thing to change when thinking about losing weight are the things that are out of balance. I am sure the OP is probably eating too much salt, too much sugar and too much saturated fat. Deal with that and eat more effectively and you will lose weight sticking to a 2500 calorie diet. Add in exercise and you will lose more weight obviously.Exercise vs. Diet in Weight Loss
Christina J. Paez and Len Kravitz, Ph.D. http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/exan...
goldblum said:
Exercise vs. Diet in Weight Loss
Christina J. Paez and Len Kravitz, Ph.D.http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/exan...
http://www.lennykravitz.com/Christina J. Paez and Len Kravitz, Ph.D.http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/exan...
Talented guy?
simoid said:
goldblum said:
Exercise vs. Diet in Weight Loss
Christina J. Paez and Len Kravitz, Ph.D.http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/exan...
http://www.lennykravitz.com/Christina J. Paez and Len Kravitz, Ph.D.http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/exan...
Talented guy?
J4CKO said:
Exactly the same height and weight as I am, I am down from 244 at the start of the year.
Get on MyfitnessPal and record what you are eating, I am losing 1 to 2 pounds a week, 40 pounds in 7 months is doable, depends on how much exercise you do and how little you eay, I work on 2000 calories a day but generally eat under, apart from a few drinks at the weekend. You can go lower ont he calories but I think its doomed to failure, I am restricting a little what I eat but no need to go starving myself, it went on slowly so it needs to come off slowly.
Porrdge and Soup are your friends, those big fresh soups fromt he supermarket are filling and can be as little as 200 cals, I find I eat 700/800 during the day and it leaves me plenty for an evening meal but invariably, most meals wont be 1200 cals, thats quite a big meal.
Timing when you eat is important, I try to stretch out the gaps between meals so I dont end up at 8 pm starving.
Look up BMR and TDEE, basically how much to sustain life for a day, for chaps of our size, if we didnt move all day our Basal Meatbolic Rate would be circa 2000 cals, throw in normal daily activity, its about 2400.
Get some scales if you havent got any and record your weight daily, but dont get despondent if it goes up or cocky if it goes down, stick to your calories and it will go down, just not always predictably, is a marathon, not a sprint and really it needs to be permanent.
As a society we have gone from having the odd treat to treats being the norm, thats why we have got fat, when you have the weight off then its time to eat nearer the 2400 but still monitor the weight as it creeps back on, a extra Kit Kats worth of calories a day over what you burn, over a year will potentially
add 10 pounds in weight, its a delicate balanace, some days we go over, some we go under, it should average out but generally with modern lifestyles and availability of calorie laden food means it doesnt.
Exercise wise, get a Dog, walk it, an hours walk a day uses 200 - 300 calories, its all very small increments that affect the bottom line, your weight, so it needs to be seen as a long term project, seven months should get you there.
Good luck, keep us posted.
Yes I have used the Fitness Pal app in the past and gives me a good idea on calorie intake and what I should be aiming for. I have a dog, will look to doing 30 minutes a day walk with him when possible.Get on MyfitnessPal and record what you are eating, I am losing 1 to 2 pounds a week, 40 pounds in 7 months is doable, depends on how much exercise you do and how little you eay, I work on 2000 calories a day but generally eat under, apart from a few drinks at the weekend. You can go lower ont he calories but I think its doomed to failure, I am restricting a little what I eat but no need to go starving myself, it went on slowly so it needs to come off slowly.
Porrdge and Soup are your friends, those big fresh soups fromt he supermarket are filling and can be as little as 200 cals, I find I eat 700/800 during the day and it leaves me plenty for an evening meal but invariably, most meals wont be 1200 cals, thats quite a big meal.
Timing when you eat is important, I try to stretch out the gaps between meals so I dont end up at 8 pm starving.
Look up BMR and TDEE, basically how much to sustain life for a day, for chaps of our size, if we didnt move all day our Basal Meatbolic Rate would be circa 2000 cals, throw in normal daily activity, its about 2400.
Get some scales if you havent got any and record your weight daily, but dont get despondent if it goes up or cocky if it goes down, stick to your calories and it will go down, just not always predictably, is a marathon, not a sprint and really it needs to be permanent.
As a society we have gone from having the odd treat to treats being the norm, thats why we have got fat, when you have the weight off then its time to eat nearer the 2400 but still monitor the weight as it creeps back on, a extra Kit Kats worth of calories a day over what you burn, over a year will potentially
add 10 pounds in weight, its a delicate balanace, some days we go over, some we go under, it should average out but generally with modern lifestyles and availability of calorie laden food means it doesnt.
Exercise wise, get a Dog, walk it, an hours walk a day uses 200 - 300 calories, its all very small increments that affect the bottom line, your weight, so it needs to be seen as a long term project, seven months should get you there.
Good luck, keep us posted.
Agree on the treats side of things, especially when working from home, so easy to snack, when you shouldn't!
Thanks for the advice.
G
I have kind of stopped snacking, when working at home, if I have a carton of soup, I split it into two meals, lunch at 12:30 and then have the rest at 3pm and then you arent super full, then starving later.
If hungry, have asome fruit, takes some willpower and its not as good as a bag of crisps and a chocolate bar but it does the trick, the idea is to distract yourself from eating rubbish.
I do have those bags of Popcorn, about 100 cals and I didnt use to like it but it does the trick.
After tea I have 3 or 4 cubes of Dark Chocolate, it stops that craving for sweet stuff that I used to satisfy by prhaps having something with 3 or 4 times the calories.
I find cooked meats are good if hungry, ham, chicken, beef etc, a couple of slices does the trick and has plenty of protein.
I now take a portion, liek the chocolate, I take my 3 or 4 cubes and then put the bar in the drawer, eat it slowly, savour it, with a brew rather than just keep browsing on it and before I know it half a bar has gone.
Drinking water helps, nail a pint before tea and then another one with it and you fill up pretty quickly.
Weighing stuff helps, I used to think a portion of cereal is what I had, in reality 30-40g of cereal barely covers the bottom of the bowl, most peopel tend to eat two or more "servings".
I tend to over order when hungry, go in a restarant and order the belly buster burger, with sides but really, the normal size one is fine and does the trick, just need to eat it slower.
After a week or two it becomes second nature and I have found I cant eat as much as I did.
If hungry, have asome fruit, takes some willpower and its not as good as a bag of crisps and a chocolate bar but it does the trick, the idea is to distract yourself from eating rubbish.
I do have those bags of Popcorn, about 100 cals and I didnt use to like it but it does the trick.
After tea I have 3 or 4 cubes of Dark Chocolate, it stops that craving for sweet stuff that I used to satisfy by prhaps having something with 3 or 4 times the calories.
I find cooked meats are good if hungry, ham, chicken, beef etc, a couple of slices does the trick and has plenty of protein.
I now take a portion, liek the chocolate, I take my 3 or 4 cubes and then put the bar in the drawer, eat it slowly, savour it, with a brew rather than just keep browsing on it and before I know it half a bar has gone.
Drinking water helps, nail a pint before tea and then another one with it and you fill up pretty quickly.
Weighing stuff helps, I used to think a portion of cereal is what I had, in reality 30-40g of cereal barely covers the bottom of the bowl, most peopel tend to eat two or more "servings".
I tend to over order when hungry, go in a restarant and order the belly buster burger, with sides but really, the normal size one is fine and does the trick, just need to eat it slower.
After a week or two it becomes second nature and I have found I cant eat as much as I did.
have a go on slimming world - myself and a few of my friends have had very good results with it (essentially it boils down to eating sensibly and removing fat from your diet which you can obviously do yourself, but some of us need a bit of hand holding!)
PM if you want a bit more info.
PM if you want a bit more info.
craigjm said:
Im not talking about calorie restriction. People that eat 1000 calorie diets etc are going to find it harmful. What i mean is that you should eat a good balanced diet so the first thing to change when thinking about losing weight are the things that are out of balance. I am sure the OP is probably eating too much salt, too much sugar and too much saturated fat. Deal with that and eat more effectively and you will lose weight sticking to a 2500 calorie diet. Add in exercise and you will lose more weight obviously.
+1, put less in your cake hole that comes out your bum hole.OP, forget the gym...too many excuses to not go. Buy a pair of trainers and sign up to Strava on your smart phone. If the same happens to you as happened to me you'll soon have people telling your to put some weight back on!
eta
I lost 35lbs in under three months running and cycling.
There are so many things that people can waste their time and money on to lose weight, it is untrue. Diets, fad protien-rich intake, weight watchers, online trackers, apps, this, that, the other...
A lot of which is primarily designed to capitalise on the misery of the overweight, and relieve them of pounds...but the money kind!
Most of which result in half-assed results at best, failure at worst.
I tried a load of stuff, most of which didn't work. Then one day, when I was hovering around 21 stone, I was getting dressed to go out. I was already hot and sweaty from pulling myself into clothes, with the usual battle to get my (46 inch waist) jeans done up. When the button popped open again, I suddenly looked at myself in the mirror, and said 'enough is enough.'
I decided that, this time, I would eschew ALL the fad / quick results rubbish, and concentrate on the 'bleeding obvious' basics of weight loss. And that is: fewer calories in, the calories that DO go in are of the quality, slow-release variety, and exercise.
I lost 7 and a half stone in just over a year.
There is no need for special food. There is no need for gym membership - everything you require is outside your front door. There is no need for anything except for common sense and willpower.
So - my routine?
Food:
Breakfast, usually a bowl of Special K with semi-skimmed milk, or two toast with peanut butter.
Lunch: Sandwich with something like chicken or ham, no mayo obviously, but I did use low-fat salad cream to add interest, lots of black pepper, and fresh tomatoes and cucumber, on brown. 3 bits of fruit (no need for boring fruit either - go and shop for fruit at a dedicated fruit and veg place, or Waitrose or similar, and find all kinds of exciting stuff like 'Dragon Fruit' to keep it interesting!) and something like a Muller Light yoghurt so it feels like you're getting a pudding!
Dinner: Lots of stir-frys, in my Wok, which became something of a best friend to me! It is amazing how good you can make a low-fat stir-fry taste, using fresh meats, fresh veg and noodles if you want, rice for a change. Liberal use of things like soy sauce add lots of tasty interest, without adding calories.
Other than stir-frys, it was baked or grilled chicken breasts, again with lots of veg (there is NO NEED to go hungry on a sensible diet - you can keep filling up with veg as much as you like!) or sometimes curries and rice (with the curries being made by me with fresh chicken or lamb, and obviously NOT doing sauces with lots of cream, lol!
I always kept a packet of chocolate Hob Nob biscuits in the house (depends on your willpower I guess) and I rationed myself to a single HobNob after dinner. I bit into it with very small bites, chewing and enjoying the sugary rush very carefully - I made it last a good 3 or 4 minutes, ha! But it was enough to make me feel like I'd had a treat after dinner, but without adding too many calories (these run at about 90 calories a piece...)
Finally - one trick I used, no idea if it helped or not...but the evidence is there, so it may have done. I increased my water intake a little - but most importantly, with ice-cold water. I took a large container to work and left it in the fridge. Once every two hours or so, I would down a mugfull of ice cold water. As well as aiding in cleansing and digestion, the theory is that pouring ice-cold water into your stomach uses up calories in heating it to body temperature - hence a free 'calorie burn' for no extra effort?!
Oh yeah, and also finally - another tip is to really think about what you're eating - by that I mean, most people wolf food down far too quickly for their metabolism. When you start eating, it takes around 20 minutes for the 'satiety' signal to reach your brain from your stomach. If you eat quickly then you often load up with far more food and calories than you need to, before you feel full. So, eat SLOWLY and take the time to really chew over each mouthful, savouring and enjoying it. I guarantee you'll eat less!
Now, onto exercise. My 7 and a half stone wight loss regime was simple. The only bit of tech I will confess to using was a Heart Rate Monitor - simply because it gives you an idea of where you are in relation to getting your cardiovascular system to a point where you are doing some good and burning some fat.
Our bodies' cells will willingly respirate lipids for energy in the presence of oxygen, at a heart rate of around 60% of your maximum (in it's basic form, the figure 220 minus your age is your maximum, and your fat burning zone is 60% of that figure).
So, I just put on a pair of trainers, opened my front door, and started walking, getting my heart rate into my 60% of maximum zone. Obviously the walks were fairly short to start with, but got longer and longer as my fitness went up and my weight went down. But the regime was simple - be disciplined to go out 3 times a week, come hell, high water or adverse weather. Obviously as the summer came, this became more of a pleasure than a chore. And there is a huge world outside your door - go and explore it! There is NO NEED for a walk to be boring. If it is, then you're not being adventurous enough!
And that's how I lost all that weight in such a short period of time - totally bereft of any stunts, schemes, or special diets, wonder products, fasting, high-protein intake, special training...or any of that b
ks.
It's funny, but people I hadn't seen for a while were totally amazed when the saw me - and would not believe that I hadn't found some 'miracle' way of losing weight. They just wouldn't accept that the most effective way of losing weight was a sensible diet with the cold-water trick thrown in, and regular disciplined exercise. But that's all it was. And it wasn't difficult to stick to - especially once the results started to show. I went from that 46 inch waist down to a 34 inch waist in that short time.
I also ended up getting right into running, marathons and 10k road races - but that's another story for another day!
I hope these simple tips help you. Let us know how you get on
A lot of which is primarily designed to capitalise on the misery of the overweight, and relieve them of pounds...but the money kind!
Most of which result in half-assed results at best, failure at worst.
I tried a load of stuff, most of which didn't work. Then one day, when I was hovering around 21 stone, I was getting dressed to go out. I was already hot and sweaty from pulling myself into clothes, with the usual battle to get my (46 inch waist) jeans done up. When the button popped open again, I suddenly looked at myself in the mirror, and said 'enough is enough.'
I decided that, this time, I would eschew ALL the fad / quick results rubbish, and concentrate on the 'bleeding obvious' basics of weight loss. And that is: fewer calories in, the calories that DO go in are of the quality, slow-release variety, and exercise.
I lost 7 and a half stone in just over a year.
There is no need for special food. There is no need for gym membership - everything you require is outside your front door. There is no need for anything except for common sense and willpower.
So - my routine?
Food:
Breakfast, usually a bowl of Special K with semi-skimmed milk, or two toast with peanut butter.
Lunch: Sandwich with something like chicken or ham, no mayo obviously, but I did use low-fat salad cream to add interest, lots of black pepper, and fresh tomatoes and cucumber, on brown. 3 bits of fruit (no need for boring fruit either - go and shop for fruit at a dedicated fruit and veg place, or Waitrose or similar, and find all kinds of exciting stuff like 'Dragon Fruit' to keep it interesting!) and something like a Muller Light yoghurt so it feels like you're getting a pudding!
Dinner: Lots of stir-frys, in my Wok, which became something of a best friend to me! It is amazing how good you can make a low-fat stir-fry taste, using fresh meats, fresh veg and noodles if you want, rice for a change. Liberal use of things like soy sauce add lots of tasty interest, without adding calories.
Other than stir-frys, it was baked or grilled chicken breasts, again with lots of veg (there is NO NEED to go hungry on a sensible diet - you can keep filling up with veg as much as you like!) or sometimes curries and rice (with the curries being made by me with fresh chicken or lamb, and obviously NOT doing sauces with lots of cream, lol!
I always kept a packet of chocolate Hob Nob biscuits in the house (depends on your willpower I guess) and I rationed myself to a single HobNob after dinner. I bit into it with very small bites, chewing and enjoying the sugary rush very carefully - I made it last a good 3 or 4 minutes, ha! But it was enough to make me feel like I'd had a treat after dinner, but without adding too many calories (these run at about 90 calories a piece...)
Finally - one trick I used, no idea if it helped or not...but the evidence is there, so it may have done. I increased my water intake a little - but most importantly, with ice-cold water. I took a large container to work and left it in the fridge. Once every two hours or so, I would down a mugfull of ice cold water. As well as aiding in cleansing and digestion, the theory is that pouring ice-cold water into your stomach uses up calories in heating it to body temperature - hence a free 'calorie burn' for no extra effort?!
Oh yeah, and also finally - another tip is to really think about what you're eating - by that I mean, most people wolf food down far too quickly for their metabolism. When you start eating, it takes around 20 minutes for the 'satiety' signal to reach your brain from your stomach. If you eat quickly then you often load up with far more food and calories than you need to, before you feel full. So, eat SLOWLY and take the time to really chew over each mouthful, savouring and enjoying it. I guarantee you'll eat less!
Now, onto exercise. My 7 and a half stone wight loss regime was simple. The only bit of tech I will confess to using was a Heart Rate Monitor - simply because it gives you an idea of where you are in relation to getting your cardiovascular system to a point where you are doing some good and burning some fat.
Our bodies' cells will willingly respirate lipids for energy in the presence of oxygen, at a heart rate of around 60% of your maximum (in it's basic form, the figure 220 minus your age is your maximum, and your fat burning zone is 60% of that figure).
So, I just put on a pair of trainers, opened my front door, and started walking, getting my heart rate into my 60% of maximum zone. Obviously the walks were fairly short to start with, but got longer and longer as my fitness went up and my weight went down. But the regime was simple - be disciplined to go out 3 times a week, come hell, high water or adverse weather. Obviously as the summer came, this became more of a pleasure than a chore. And there is a huge world outside your door - go and explore it! There is NO NEED for a walk to be boring. If it is, then you're not being adventurous enough!
And that's how I lost all that weight in such a short period of time - totally bereft of any stunts, schemes, or special diets, wonder products, fasting, high-protein intake, special training...or any of that b
ks.It's funny, but people I hadn't seen for a while were totally amazed when the saw me - and would not believe that I hadn't found some 'miracle' way of losing weight. They just wouldn't accept that the most effective way of losing weight was a sensible diet with the cold-water trick thrown in, and regular disciplined exercise. But that's all it was. And it wasn't difficult to stick to - especially once the results started to show. I went from that 46 inch waist down to a 34 inch waist in that short time.
I also ended up getting right into running, marathons and 10k road races - but that's another story for another day!
I hope these simple tips help you. Let us know how you get on
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
There are so many things that people can waste their time and money on to lose weight, it is untrue. Diets, fad protien-rich intake, weight watchers, online trackers, apps, this, that, the other...
A lot of which is primarily designed to capitalise on the misery of the overweight, and relieve them of pounds...but the money kind!
Most of which result in half-assed results at best, failure at worst.
I tried a load of stuff, most of which didn't work. Then one day, when I was hovering around 21 stone, I was getting dressed to go out. I was already hot and sweaty from pulling myself into clothes, with the usual battle to get my (46 inch waist) jeans done up. When the button popped open again, I suddenly looked at myself in the mirror, and said 'enough is enough.'
I decided that, this time, I would eschew ALL the fad / quick results rubbish, and concentrate on the 'bleeding obvious' basics of weight loss. And that is: fewer calories in, the calories that DO go in are of the quality, slow-release variety, and exercise.
I lost 7 and a half stone in just over a year.
There is no need for special food. There is no need for gym membership - everything you require is outside your front door. There is no need for anything except for common sense and willpower.
So - my routine?
Food:
Breakfast, usually a bowl of Special K with semi-skimmed milk, or two toast with peanut butter.
Lunch: Sandwich with something like chicken or ham, no mayo obviously, but I did use low-fat salad cream to add interest, lots of black pepper, and fresh tomatoes and cucumber, on brown. 3 bits of fruit (no need for boring fruit either - go and shop for fruit at a dedicated fruit and veg place, or Waitrose or similar, and find all kinds of exciting stuff like 'Dragon Fruit' to keep it interesting!) and something like a Muller Light yoghurt so it feels like you're getting a pudding!
Dinner: Lots of stir-frys, in my Wok, which became something of a best friend to me! It is amazing how good you can make a low-fat stir-fry taste, using fresh meats, fresh veg and noodles if you want, rice for a change. Liberal use of things like soy sauce add lots of tasty interest, without adding calories.
Other than stir-frys, it was baked or grilled chicken breasts, again with lots of veg (there is NO NEED to go hungry on a sensible diet - you can keep filling up with veg as much as you like!) or sometimes curries and rice (with the curries being made by me with fresh chicken or lamb, and obviously NOT doing sauces with lots of cream, lol!
I always kept a packet of chocolate Hob Nob biscuits in the house (depends on your willpower I guess) and I rationed myself to a single HobNob after dinner. I bit into it with very small bites, chewing and enjoying the sugary rush very carefully - I made it last a good 3 or 4 minutes, ha! But it was enough to make me feel like I'd had a treat after dinner, but without adding too many calories (these run at about 90 calories a piece...)
Finally - one trick I used, no idea if it helped or not...but the evidence is there, so it may have done. I increased my water intake a little - but most importantly, with ice-cold water. I took a large container to work and left it in the fridge. Once every two hours or so, I would down a mugfull of ice cold water. As well as aiding in cleansing and digestion, the theory is that pouring ice-cold water into your stomach uses up calories in heating it to body temperature - hence a free 'calorie burn' for no extra effort?!
Oh yeah, and also finally - another tip is to really think about what you're eating - by that I mean, most people wolf food down far too quickly for their metabolism. When you start eating, it takes around 20 minutes for the 'satiety' signal to reach your brain from your stomach. If you eat quickly then you often load up with far more food and calories than you need to, before you feel full. So, eat SLOWLY and take the time to really chew over each mouthful, savouring and enjoying it. I guarantee you'll eat less!
Now, onto exercise. My 7 and a half stone wight loss regime was simple. The only bit of tech I will confess to using was a Heart Rate Monitor - simply because it gives you an idea of where you are in relation to getting your cardiovascular system to a point where you are doing some good and burning some fat.
Our bodies' cells will willingly respirate lipids for energy in the presence of oxygen, at a heart rate of around 60% of your maximum (in it's basic form, the figure 220 minus your age is your maximum, and your fat burning zone is 60% of that figure).
So, I just put on a pair of trainers, opened my front door, and started walking, getting my heart rate into my 60% of maximum zone. Obviously the walks were fairly short to start with, but got longer and longer as my fitness went up and my weight went down. But the regime was simple - be disciplined to go out 3 times a week, come hell, high water or adverse weather. Obviously as the summer came, this became more of a pleasure than a chore. And there is a huge world outside your door - go and explore it! There is NO NEED for a walk to be boring. If it is, then you're not being adventurous enough!
And that's how I lost all that weight in such a short period of time - totally bereft of any stunts, schemes, or special diets, wonder products, fasting, high-protein intake, special training...or any of that bks.
It's funny, but people I hadn't seen for a while were totally amazed when the saw me - and would not believe that I hadn't found some 'miracle' way of losing weight. They just wouldn't accept that the most effective way of losing weight was a sensible diet with the cold-water trick thrown in, and regular disciplined exercise. But that's all it was. And it wasn't difficult to stick to - especially once the results started to show. I went from that 46 inch waist down to a 34 inch waist in that short time.
I also ended up getting right into running, marathons and 10k road races - but that's another story for another day!
I hope these simple tips help you. Let us know how you get on
Some really awesome advice here, many thanks and well done on your achievements! A lot of which is primarily designed to capitalise on the misery of the overweight, and relieve them of pounds...but the money kind!
Most of which result in half-assed results at best, failure at worst.
I tried a load of stuff, most of which didn't work. Then one day, when I was hovering around 21 stone, I was getting dressed to go out. I was already hot and sweaty from pulling myself into clothes, with the usual battle to get my (46 inch waist) jeans done up. When the button popped open again, I suddenly looked at myself in the mirror, and said 'enough is enough.'
I decided that, this time, I would eschew ALL the fad / quick results rubbish, and concentrate on the 'bleeding obvious' basics of weight loss. And that is: fewer calories in, the calories that DO go in are of the quality, slow-release variety, and exercise.
I lost 7 and a half stone in just over a year.
There is no need for special food. There is no need for gym membership - everything you require is outside your front door. There is no need for anything except for common sense and willpower.
So - my routine?
Food:
Breakfast, usually a bowl of Special K with semi-skimmed milk, or two toast with peanut butter.
Lunch: Sandwich with something like chicken or ham, no mayo obviously, but I did use low-fat salad cream to add interest, lots of black pepper, and fresh tomatoes and cucumber, on brown. 3 bits of fruit (no need for boring fruit either - go and shop for fruit at a dedicated fruit and veg place, or Waitrose or similar, and find all kinds of exciting stuff like 'Dragon Fruit' to keep it interesting!) and something like a Muller Light yoghurt so it feels like you're getting a pudding!
Dinner: Lots of stir-frys, in my Wok, which became something of a best friend to me! It is amazing how good you can make a low-fat stir-fry taste, using fresh meats, fresh veg and noodles if you want, rice for a change. Liberal use of things like soy sauce add lots of tasty interest, without adding calories.
Other than stir-frys, it was baked or grilled chicken breasts, again with lots of veg (there is NO NEED to go hungry on a sensible diet - you can keep filling up with veg as much as you like!) or sometimes curries and rice (with the curries being made by me with fresh chicken or lamb, and obviously NOT doing sauces with lots of cream, lol!
I always kept a packet of chocolate Hob Nob biscuits in the house (depends on your willpower I guess) and I rationed myself to a single HobNob after dinner. I bit into it with very small bites, chewing and enjoying the sugary rush very carefully - I made it last a good 3 or 4 minutes, ha! But it was enough to make me feel like I'd had a treat after dinner, but without adding too many calories (these run at about 90 calories a piece...)
Finally - one trick I used, no idea if it helped or not...but the evidence is there, so it may have done. I increased my water intake a little - but most importantly, with ice-cold water. I took a large container to work and left it in the fridge. Once every two hours or so, I would down a mugfull of ice cold water. As well as aiding in cleansing and digestion, the theory is that pouring ice-cold water into your stomach uses up calories in heating it to body temperature - hence a free 'calorie burn' for no extra effort?!
Oh yeah, and also finally - another tip is to really think about what you're eating - by that I mean, most people wolf food down far too quickly for their metabolism. When you start eating, it takes around 20 minutes for the 'satiety' signal to reach your brain from your stomach. If you eat quickly then you often load up with far more food and calories than you need to, before you feel full. So, eat SLOWLY and take the time to really chew over each mouthful, savouring and enjoying it. I guarantee you'll eat less!
Now, onto exercise. My 7 and a half stone wight loss regime was simple. The only bit of tech I will confess to using was a Heart Rate Monitor - simply because it gives you an idea of where you are in relation to getting your cardiovascular system to a point where you are doing some good and burning some fat.
Our bodies' cells will willingly respirate lipids for energy in the presence of oxygen, at a heart rate of around 60% of your maximum (in it's basic form, the figure 220 minus your age is your maximum, and your fat burning zone is 60% of that figure).
So, I just put on a pair of trainers, opened my front door, and started walking, getting my heart rate into my 60% of maximum zone. Obviously the walks were fairly short to start with, but got longer and longer as my fitness went up and my weight went down. But the regime was simple - be disciplined to go out 3 times a week, come hell, high water or adverse weather. Obviously as the summer came, this became more of a pleasure than a chore. And there is a huge world outside your door - go and explore it! There is NO NEED for a walk to be boring. If it is, then you're not being adventurous enough!
And that's how I lost all that weight in such a short period of time - totally bereft of any stunts, schemes, or special diets, wonder products, fasting, high-protein intake, special training...or any of that b
ks.It's funny, but people I hadn't seen for a while were totally amazed when the saw me - and would not believe that I hadn't found some 'miracle' way of losing weight. They just wouldn't accept that the most effective way of losing weight was a sensible diet with the cold-water trick thrown in, and regular disciplined exercise. But that's all it was. And it wasn't difficult to stick to - especially once the results started to show. I went from that 46 inch waist down to a 34 inch waist in that short time.
I also ended up getting right into running, marathons and 10k road races - but that's another story for another day!
I hope these simple tips help you. Let us know how you get on
So today is my first day and will start logging my intake via My Fitness Pal. It suggests my calorie intake to be around 1,970 per day, in order to fulfill my goal. As you say, that should be enough daily calories for healthy and tasty eating. Willpower will be needed not to eat rubbish during the day, so will ensure that stuff is hidden out of sight or not purchased in the first instance.
I like the idea of ice cold water, sounds rather genius.. I heard from someone that drinking cold and hot water during the day, helped with better digestion, not sure if that is true..
Many thanks for the all advice, will update as I progress.
Thanks G
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
There are so many things that people can waste their time and money on to lose weight, it is untrue. Diets, fad protien-rich intake, weight watchers, online trackers, apps, this, that, the other...
A lot of which is primarily designed to capitalise on the misery of the overweight, and relieve them of pounds...but the money kind!
Most of which result in half-assed results at best, failure at worst.
I tried a load of stuff, most of which didn't work. Then one day, when I was hovering around 21 stone, I was getting dressed to go out. I was already hot and sweaty from pulling myself into clothes, with the usual battle to get my (46 inch waist) jeans done up. When the button popped open again, I suddenly looked at myself in the mirror, and said 'enough is enough.'
I decided that, this time, I would eschew ALL the fad / quick results rubbish, and concentrate on the 'bleeding obvious' basics of weight loss. And that is: fewer calories in, the calories that DO go in are of the quality, slow-release variety, and exercise.
I lost 7 and a half stone in just over a year.
There is no need for special food. There is no need for gym membership - everything you require is outside your front door. There is no need for anything except for common sense and willpower.
So - my routine?
Food:
Breakfast, usually a bowl of Special K with semi-skimmed milk, or two toast with peanut butter.
Lunch: Sandwich with something like chicken or ham, no mayo obviously, but I did use low-fat salad cream to add interest, lots of black pepper, and fresh tomatoes and cucumber, on brown. 3 bits of fruit (no need for boring fruit either - go and shop for fruit at a dedicated fruit and veg place, or Waitrose or similar, and find all kinds of exciting stuff like 'Dragon Fruit' to keep it interesting!) and something like a Muller Light yoghurt so it feels like you're getting a pudding!
Dinner: Lots of stir-frys, in my Wok, which became something of a best friend to me! It is amazing how good you can make a low-fat stir-fry taste, using fresh meats, fresh veg and noodles if you want, rice for a change. Liberal use of things like soy sauce add lots of tasty interest, without adding calories.
Other than stir-frys, it was baked or grilled chicken breasts, again with lots of veg (there is NO NEED to go hungry on a sensible diet - you can keep filling up with veg as much as you like!) or sometimes curries and rice (with the curries being made by me with fresh chicken or lamb, and obviously NOT doing sauces with lots of cream, lol!
I always kept a packet of chocolate Hob Nob biscuits in the house (depends on your willpower I guess) and I rationed myself to a single HobNob after dinner. I bit into it with very small bites, chewing and enjoying the sugary rush very carefully - I made it last a good 3 or 4 minutes, ha! But it was enough to make me feel like I'd had a treat after dinner, but without adding too many calories (these run at about 90 calories a piece...)
Finally - one trick I used, no idea if it helped or not...but the evidence is there, so it may have done. I increased my water intake a little - but most importantly, with ice-cold water. I took a large container to work and left it in the fridge. Once every two hours or so, I would down a mugfull of ice cold water. As well as aiding in cleansing and digestion, the theory is that pouring ice-cold water into your stomach uses up calories in heating it to body temperature - hence a free 'calorie burn' for no extra effort?!
Oh yeah, and also finally - another tip is to really think about what you're eating - by that I mean, most people wolf food down far too quickly for their metabolism. When you start eating, it takes around 20 minutes for the 'satiety' signal to reach your brain from your stomach. If you eat quickly then you often load up with far more food and calories than you need to, before you feel full. So, eat SLOWLY and take the time to really chew over each mouthful, savouring and enjoying it. I guarantee you'll eat less!
Now, onto exercise. My 7 and a half stone wight loss regime was simple. The only bit of tech I will confess to using was a Heart Rate Monitor - simply because it gives you an idea of where you are in relation to getting your cardiovascular system to a point where you are doing some good and burning some fat.
Our bodies' cells will willingly respirate lipids for energy in the presence of oxygen, at a heart rate of around 60% of your maximum (in it's basic form, the figure 220 minus your age is your maximum, and your fat burning zone is 60% of that figure).
So, I just put on a pair of trainers, opened my front door, and started walking, getting my heart rate into my 60% of maximum zone. Obviously the walks were fairly short to start with, but got longer and longer as my fitness went up and my weight went down. But the regime was simple - be disciplined to go out 3 times a week, come hell, high water or adverse weather. Obviously as the summer came, this became more of a pleasure than a chore. And there is a huge world outside your door - go and explore it! There is NO NEED for a walk to be boring. If it is, then you're not being adventurous enough!
And that's how I lost all that weight in such a short period of time - totally bereft of any stunts, schemes, or special diets, wonder products, fasting, high-protein intake, special training...or any of that bks.
It's funny, but people I hadn't seen for a while were totally amazed when the saw me - and would not believe that I hadn't found some 'miracle' way of losing weight. They just wouldn't accept that the most effective way of losing weight was a sensible diet with the cold-water trick thrown in, and regular disciplined exercise. But that's all it was. And it wasn't difficult to stick to - especially once the results started to show. I went from that 46 inch waist down to a 34 inch waist in that short time.
I also ended up getting right into running, marathons and 10k road races - but that's another story for another day!
I hope these simple tips help you. Let us know how you get on
Great stuff, inspirational, similar approach to myself, all common sense, no shortcuts but occasional helping hands, no need to be hungry, well not all the time as it is doomed to failure, I actually quite like being hungry sometimes, its kind of good to know what its like and that there is always the capacity to not be, must be miserable for those without enough to eat.A lot of which is primarily designed to capitalise on the misery of the overweight, and relieve them of pounds...but the money kind!
Most of which result in half-assed results at best, failure at worst.
I tried a load of stuff, most of which didn't work. Then one day, when I was hovering around 21 stone, I was getting dressed to go out. I was already hot and sweaty from pulling myself into clothes, with the usual battle to get my (46 inch waist) jeans done up. When the button popped open again, I suddenly looked at myself in the mirror, and said 'enough is enough.'
I decided that, this time, I would eschew ALL the fad / quick results rubbish, and concentrate on the 'bleeding obvious' basics of weight loss. And that is: fewer calories in, the calories that DO go in are of the quality, slow-release variety, and exercise.
I lost 7 and a half stone in just over a year.
There is no need for special food. There is no need for gym membership - everything you require is outside your front door. There is no need for anything except for common sense and willpower.
So - my routine?
Food:
Breakfast, usually a bowl of Special K with semi-skimmed milk, or two toast with peanut butter.
Lunch: Sandwich with something like chicken or ham, no mayo obviously, but I did use low-fat salad cream to add interest, lots of black pepper, and fresh tomatoes and cucumber, on brown. 3 bits of fruit (no need for boring fruit either - go and shop for fruit at a dedicated fruit and veg place, or Waitrose or similar, and find all kinds of exciting stuff like 'Dragon Fruit' to keep it interesting!) and something like a Muller Light yoghurt so it feels like you're getting a pudding!
Dinner: Lots of stir-frys, in my Wok, which became something of a best friend to me! It is amazing how good you can make a low-fat stir-fry taste, using fresh meats, fresh veg and noodles if you want, rice for a change. Liberal use of things like soy sauce add lots of tasty interest, without adding calories.
Other than stir-frys, it was baked or grilled chicken breasts, again with lots of veg (there is NO NEED to go hungry on a sensible diet - you can keep filling up with veg as much as you like!) or sometimes curries and rice (with the curries being made by me with fresh chicken or lamb, and obviously NOT doing sauces with lots of cream, lol!
I always kept a packet of chocolate Hob Nob biscuits in the house (depends on your willpower I guess) and I rationed myself to a single HobNob after dinner. I bit into it with very small bites, chewing and enjoying the sugary rush very carefully - I made it last a good 3 or 4 minutes, ha! But it was enough to make me feel like I'd had a treat after dinner, but without adding too many calories (these run at about 90 calories a piece...)
Finally - one trick I used, no idea if it helped or not...but the evidence is there, so it may have done. I increased my water intake a little - but most importantly, with ice-cold water. I took a large container to work and left it in the fridge. Once every two hours or so, I would down a mugfull of ice cold water. As well as aiding in cleansing and digestion, the theory is that pouring ice-cold water into your stomach uses up calories in heating it to body temperature - hence a free 'calorie burn' for no extra effort?!
Oh yeah, and also finally - another tip is to really think about what you're eating - by that I mean, most people wolf food down far too quickly for their metabolism. When you start eating, it takes around 20 minutes for the 'satiety' signal to reach your brain from your stomach. If you eat quickly then you often load up with far more food and calories than you need to, before you feel full. So, eat SLOWLY and take the time to really chew over each mouthful, savouring and enjoying it. I guarantee you'll eat less!
Now, onto exercise. My 7 and a half stone wight loss regime was simple. The only bit of tech I will confess to using was a Heart Rate Monitor - simply because it gives you an idea of where you are in relation to getting your cardiovascular system to a point where you are doing some good and burning some fat.
Our bodies' cells will willingly respirate lipids for energy in the presence of oxygen, at a heart rate of around 60% of your maximum (in it's basic form, the figure 220 minus your age is your maximum, and your fat burning zone is 60% of that figure).
So, I just put on a pair of trainers, opened my front door, and started walking, getting my heart rate into my 60% of maximum zone. Obviously the walks were fairly short to start with, but got longer and longer as my fitness went up and my weight went down. But the regime was simple - be disciplined to go out 3 times a week, come hell, high water or adverse weather. Obviously as the summer came, this became more of a pleasure than a chore. And there is a huge world outside your door - go and explore it! There is NO NEED for a walk to be boring. If it is, then you're not being adventurous enough!
And that's how I lost all that weight in such a short period of time - totally bereft of any stunts, schemes, or special diets, wonder products, fasting, high-protein intake, special training...or any of that b
ks.It's funny, but people I hadn't seen for a while were totally amazed when the saw me - and would not believe that I hadn't found some 'miracle' way of losing weight. They just wouldn't accept that the most effective way of losing weight was a sensible diet with the cold-water trick thrown in, and regular disciplined exercise. But that's all it was. And it wasn't difficult to stick to - especially once the results started to show. I went from that 46 inch waist down to a 34 inch waist in that short time.
I also ended up getting right into running, marathons and 10k road races - but that's another story for another day!
I hope these simple tips help you. Let us know how you get on
it isnt that hard I am finding, just need to really be sensible and not slip off the wagon too often, if you do just get back to it as soon as possible.
So, from Ray Luxury liner to Ray Luxury Speedboat really !
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
There are so many things that people can waste their time and money on to lose weight, it is untrue. Diets, fad protien-rich intake, weight watchers, online trackers, apps, this, that, the other...
A lot of which is primarily designed to capitalise on the misery of the overweight, and relieve them of pounds...but the money kind!
Most of which result in half-assed results at best, failure at worst.
I tried a load of stuff, most of which didn't work. Then one day, when I was hovering around 21 stone, I was getting dressed to go out. I was already hot and sweaty from pulling myself into clothes, with the usual battle to get my (46 inch waist) jeans done up. When the button popped open again, I suddenly looked at myself in the mirror, and said 'enough is enough.'
I decided that, this time, I would eschew ALL the fad / quick results rubbish, and concentrate on the 'bleeding obvious' basics of weight loss. And that is: fewer calories in, the calories that DO go in are of the quality, slow-release variety, and exercise.
I lost 7 and a half stone in just over a year.
There is no need for special food. There is no need for gym membership - everything you require is outside your front door. There is no need for anything except for common sense and willpower.
So - my routine?
Food:
Breakfast, usually a bowl of Special K with semi-skimmed milk, or two toast with peanut butter.
Lunch: Sandwich with something like chicken or ham, no mayo obviously, but I did use low-fat salad cream to add interest, lots of black pepper, and fresh tomatoes and cucumber, on brown. 3 bits of fruit (no need for boring fruit either - go and shop for fruit at a dedicated fruit and veg place, or Waitrose or similar, and find all kinds of exciting stuff like 'Dragon Fruit' to keep it interesting!) and something like a Muller Light yoghurt so it feels like you're getting a pudding!
Dinner: Lots of stir-frys, in my Wok, which became something of a best friend to me! It is amazing how good you can make a low-fat stir-fry taste, using fresh meats, fresh veg and noodles if you want, rice for a change. Liberal use of things like soy sauce add lots of tasty interest, without adding calories.
Other than stir-frys, it was baked or grilled chicken breasts, again with lots of veg (there is NO NEED to go hungry on a sensible diet - you can keep filling up with veg as much as you like!) or sometimes curries and rice (with the curries being made by me with fresh chicken or lamb, and obviously NOT doing sauces with lots of cream, lol!
I always kept a packet of chocolate Hob Nob biscuits in the house (depends on your willpower I guess) and I rationed myself to a single HobNob after dinner. I bit into it with very small bites, chewing and enjoying the sugary rush very carefully - I made it last a good 3 or 4 minutes, ha! But it was enough to make me feel like I'd had a treat after dinner, but without adding too many calories (these run at about 90 calories a piece...)
Finally - one trick I used, no idea if it helped or not...but the evidence is there, so it may have done. I increased my water intake a little - but most importantly, with ice-cold water. I took a large container to work and left it in the fridge. Once every two hours or so, I would down a mugfull of ice cold water. As well as aiding in cleansing and digestion, the theory is that pouring ice-cold water into your stomach uses up calories in heating it to body temperature - hence a free 'calorie burn' for no extra effort?!
Oh yeah, and also finally - another tip is to really think about what you're eating - by that I mean, most people wolf food down far too quickly for their metabolism. When you start eating, it takes around 20 minutes for the 'satiety' signal to reach your brain from your stomach. If you eat quickly then you often load up with far more food and calories than you need to, before you feel full. So, eat SLOWLY and take the time to really chew over each mouthful, savouring and enjoying it. I guarantee you'll eat less!
Now, onto exercise. My 7 and a half stone wight loss regime was simple. The only bit of tech I will confess to using was a Heart Rate Monitor - simply because it gives you an idea of where you are in relation to getting your cardiovascular system to a point where you are doing some good and burning some fat.
Our bodies' cells will willingly respirate lipids for energy in the presence of oxygen, at a heart rate of around 60% of your maximum (in it's basic form, the figure 220 minus your age is your maximum, and your fat burning zone is 60% of that figure).
So, I just put on a pair of trainers, opened my front door, and started walking, getting my heart rate into my 60% of maximum zone. Obviously the walks were fairly short to start with, but got longer and longer as my fitness went up and my weight went down. But the regime was simple - be disciplined to go out 3 times a week, come hell, high water or adverse weather. Obviously as the summer came, this became more of a pleasure than a chore. And there is a huge world outside your door - go and explore it! There is NO NEED for a walk to be boring. If it is, then you're not being adventurous enough!
And that's how I lost all that weight in such a short period of time - totally bereft of any stunts, schemes, or special diets, wonder products, fasting, high-protein intake, special training...or any of that bks.
It's funny, but people I hadn't seen for a while were totally amazed when the saw me - and would not believe that I hadn't found some 'miracle' way of losing weight. They just wouldn't accept that the most effective way of losing weight was a sensible diet with the cold-water trick thrown in, and regular disciplined exercise. But that's all it was. And it wasn't difficult to stick to - especially once the results started to show. I went from that 46 inch waist down to a 34 inch waist in that short time.
I also ended up getting right into running, marathons and 10k road races - but that's another story for another day!
I hope these simple tips help you. Let us know how you get on
Brilliant post! A lot of which is primarily designed to capitalise on the misery of the overweight, and relieve them of pounds...but the money kind!
Most of which result in half-assed results at best, failure at worst.
I tried a load of stuff, most of which didn't work. Then one day, when I was hovering around 21 stone, I was getting dressed to go out. I was already hot and sweaty from pulling myself into clothes, with the usual battle to get my (46 inch waist) jeans done up. When the button popped open again, I suddenly looked at myself in the mirror, and said 'enough is enough.'
I decided that, this time, I would eschew ALL the fad / quick results rubbish, and concentrate on the 'bleeding obvious' basics of weight loss. And that is: fewer calories in, the calories that DO go in are of the quality, slow-release variety, and exercise.
I lost 7 and a half stone in just over a year.
There is no need for special food. There is no need for gym membership - everything you require is outside your front door. There is no need for anything except for common sense and willpower.
So - my routine?
Food:
Breakfast, usually a bowl of Special K with semi-skimmed milk, or two toast with peanut butter.
Lunch: Sandwich with something like chicken or ham, no mayo obviously, but I did use low-fat salad cream to add interest, lots of black pepper, and fresh tomatoes and cucumber, on brown. 3 bits of fruit (no need for boring fruit either - go and shop for fruit at a dedicated fruit and veg place, or Waitrose or similar, and find all kinds of exciting stuff like 'Dragon Fruit' to keep it interesting!) and something like a Muller Light yoghurt so it feels like you're getting a pudding!
Dinner: Lots of stir-frys, in my Wok, which became something of a best friend to me! It is amazing how good you can make a low-fat stir-fry taste, using fresh meats, fresh veg and noodles if you want, rice for a change. Liberal use of things like soy sauce add lots of tasty interest, without adding calories.
Other than stir-frys, it was baked or grilled chicken breasts, again with lots of veg (there is NO NEED to go hungry on a sensible diet - you can keep filling up with veg as much as you like!) or sometimes curries and rice (with the curries being made by me with fresh chicken or lamb, and obviously NOT doing sauces with lots of cream, lol!
I always kept a packet of chocolate Hob Nob biscuits in the house (depends on your willpower I guess) and I rationed myself to a single HobNob after dinner. I bit into it with very small bites, chewing and enjoying the sugary rush very carefully - I made it last a good 3 or 4 minutes, ha! But it was enough to make me feel like I'd had a treat after dinner, but without adding too many calories (these run at about 90 calories a piece...)
Finally - one trick I used, no idea if it helped or not...but the evidence is there, so it may have done. I increased my water intake a little - but most importantly, with ice-cold water. I took a large container to work and left it in the fridge. Once every two hours or so, I would down a mugfull of ice cold water. As well as aiding in cleansing and digestion, the theory is that pouring ice-cold water into your stomach uses up calories in heating it to body temperature - hence a free 'calorie burn' for no extra effort?!
Oh yeah, and also finally - another tip is to really think about what you're eating - by that I mean, most people wolf food down far too quickly for their metabolism. When you start eating, it takes around 20 minutes for the 'satiety' signal to reach your brain from your stomach. If you eat quickly then you often load up with far more food and calories than you need to, before you feel full. So, eat SLOWLY and take the time to really chew over each mouthful, savouring and enjoying it. I guarantee you'll eat less!
Now, onto exercise. My 7 and a half stone wight loss regime was simple. The only bit of tech I will confess to using was a Heart Rate Monitor - simply because it gives you an idea of where you are in relation to getting your cardiovascular system to a point where you are doing some good and burning some fat.
Our bodies' cells will willingly respirate lipids for energy in the presence of oxygen, at a heart rate of around 60% of your maximum (in it's basic form, the figure 220 minus your age is your maximum, and your fat burning zone is 60% of that figure).
So, I just put on a pair of trainers, opened my front door, and started walking, getting my heart rate into my 60% of maximum zone. Obviously the walks were fairly short to start with, but got longer and longer as my fitness went up and my weight went down. But the regime was simple - be disciplined to go out 3 times a week, come hell, high water or adverse weather. Obviously as the summer came, this became more of a pleasure than a chore. And there is a huge world outside your door - go and explore it! There is NO NEED for a walk to be boring. If it is, then you're not being adventurous enough!
And that's how I lost all that weight in such a short period of time - totally bereft of any stunts, schemes, or special diets, wonder products, fasting, high-protein intake, special training...or any of that b
ks.It's funny, but people I hadn't seen for a while were totally amazed when the saw me - and would not believe that I hadn't found some 'miracle' way of losing weight. They just wouldn't accept that the most effective way of losing weight was a sensible diet with the cold-water trick thrown in, and regular disciplined exercise. But that's all it was. And it wasn't difficult to stick to - especially once the results started to show. I went from that 46 inch waist down to a 34 inch waist in that short time.
I also ended up getting right into running, marathons and 10k road races - but that's another story for another day!
I hope these simple tips help you. Let us know how you get on
Fairbridge said:
If you go on a 'diet' you've already lost the battle. If your BMI (which is only really a guide at best)falls out of the healthy range you need a long term lifestyle change not a short term 'diet' fix.
I see this as permanent, its about changing what you eat, how you eat and the relationship with food.The difference, like you say is whether you get to a target weight and then carry on as before, I have done that and it comes back on. I intend to keep this permanent, watch what I am eating and monitor my weight, then I can decide whether I am losing, maintaining or for some reason trying to gain weight.
It isnt "a diet", its just your diet, what you eat versus your weight and health.
I think I have kind of got a bit bored of food to an extent, certainly got bored of hoiking and extra 40 pounds round.
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