Middle Aged Bloke Decides To Lose Weight
Discussion
So today I paid a PT a month in advance for 3 sessions a week at the local total fitness, I havent been in the Gym since 1994 and now at 53 and 18 stone for my 5` 7" frame its shape up or die I guess.
All I want is to improve stamina and lose a bit of gut but being diabetic (type 2) doesnt help.
I`ll update as it happens ...... I have to use a PT as otherwise I will probably skip days and get fed up.
All I want is to improve stamina and lose a bit of gut but being diabetic (type 2) doesnt help.
I`ll update as it happens ...... I have to use a PT as otherwise I will probably skip days and get fed up.
DSLiverpool said:
So today I paid a PT a month in advance for 3 sessions a week at the local total fitness, I havent been in the Gym since 1994 and now at 53 and 18 stone for my 5` 7" frame its shape up or die I guess.
All I want is to improve stamina and lose a bit of gut but being diabetic (type 2) doesnt help.
I`ll update as it happens ...... I have to use a PT as otherwise I will probably skip days and get fed up.
Good luck, it's never too late.All I want is to improve stamina and lose a bit of gut but being diabetic (type 2) doesnt help.
I`ll update as it happens ...... I have to use a PT as otherwise I will probably skip days and get fed up.
You aren't going to exercise off 7st! What you need is a permanent change of diet.
Sugar in all it's forms is your enemy. Alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juice should be the first to go. Then sweets, chocolate, cake, etc. If they aren't your weakness lose the bread and chips. Wait. It takes a while. You get proper withdrawal from sugar too; it's harder to quit than fags.
Sugar in all it's forms is your enemy. Alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juice should be the first to go. Then sweets, chocolate, cake, etc. If they aren't your weakness lose the bread and chips. Wait. It takes a while. You get proper withdrawal from sugar too; it's harder to quit than fags.
grumbledoak said:
You aren't going to exercise off 7st! What you need is a permanent change of diet.
Sugar in all it's forms is your enemy. Alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juice should be the first to go. Then sweets, chocolate, cake, etc. If they aren't your weakness lose the bread and chips. Wait. It takes a while. You get proper withdrawal from sugar too; it's harder to quit than fags.
Try Slimming world/Weight WatchersSugar in all it's forms is your enemy. Alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juice should be the first to go. Then sweets, chocolate, cake, etc. If they aren't your weakness lose the bread and chips. Wait. It takes a while. You get proper withdrawal from sugar too; it's harder to quit than fags.
grumbledoak said:
You aren't going to exercise off 7st! What you need is a permanent change of diet.
Sugar in all it's forms is your enemy. Alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juice should be the first to go. Then sweets, chocolate, cake, etc. If they aren't your weakness lose the bread and chips. Wait. It takes a while. You get proper withdrawal from sugar too; it's harder to quit than fags.
This, as he says - it's what it really comes down to.Sugar in all it's forms is your enemy. Alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juice should be the first to go. Then sweets, chocolate, cake, etc. If they aren't your weakness lose the bread and chips. Wait. It takes a while. You get proper withdrawal from sugar too; it's harder to quit than fags.
When you see the amount of exercise you need to do, in order to lose the equivalent of just that bit of chocolate, or alcohol, you'll soon get to realise that it's far easier to reduce the food/drink intake.
Tumbler said:
Seconded. You will be surprised just how many calories you are consuming.grumbledoak said:
You aren't going to exercise off 7st! What you need is a permanent change of diet.
Sugar in all it's forms is your enemy. Alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juice should be the first to go. Then sweets, chocolate, cake, etc. If they aren't your weakness lose the bread and chips.
I agree, but I'd keep the alchol and lose the cake/chocolate/sweets. I guess it varies from person to person what's easier to quit.Sugar in all it's forms is your enemy. Alcohol, fizzy drinks, fruit juice should be the first to go. Then sweets, chocolate, cake, etc. If they aren't your weakness lose the bread and chips.
I very much agree about making a permanent sustained change to how much you eat, rather than trying for a quick fix crash diet. They don't work, because they're so hard to stick to.
Here's a good way to look at it. First, drop your food intake to an amount where you stop putting on weight. Then eat a bit less than that, every day, year round. It took a long time to put on, and it'll take a long time to come off.
Good luck to you.
I'm 51 and have lost over a stone in 3 months without any gym visits yet.
How?
I quit the following habits I had for years:
Egg muffing and coffee latte every morning (now beans or egg or both on toast and tea)
chocolate
cakes
biscuits
crisps
sugar
Small fist size meals at tea time and nothing after 7pm before bed.
It works! when I start running again I guess I'll lose a bit more, aches and pains have eased especially in the back.
I did this because I had a stomach scan and was told I have a fatty liver, so I acted on it.
Will power!
I'm 51 and have lost over a stone in 3 months without any gym visits yet.
How?
I quit the following habits I had for years:
Egg muffing and coffee latte every morning (now beans or egg or both on toast and tea)
chocolate
cakes
biscuits
crisps
sugar
Small fist size meals at tea time and nothing after 7pm before bed.
It works! when I start running again I guess I'll lose a bit more, aches and pains have eased especially in the back.
I did this because I had a stomach scan and was told I have a fatty liver, so I acted on it.
Will power!
There are so many different ways of going about it, and it doesn't always have to be hard.
Discipline and willpower I think are key.
My Mrs tried loads of different fad diets over the last 10 years, but was only ever really 50% committed. She finally really went for it and found slimmers world worked for her, she lost 4 and a half stone in a year, packed up about a year ago but has stayed well disciplined and only put 5lb back on.
I shifted 6 stone in 18 months a few years back. just ate and drank sensibly and did some exercise at home as I'm not a gym type person. Did 3 different types of sit ups every night starting on 3 of each as I was so unfit and overweight. By diet end I was on 40/50 of each a night depending on mood.
I also allowed my self a bit of a blow out night once every 3 weeks as it seemed to help.
Find what works for you, good luck.
Discipline and willpower I think are key.
My Mrs tried loads of different fad diets over the last 10 years, but was only ever really 50% committed. She finally really went for it and found slimmers world worked for her, she lost 4 and a half stone in a year, packed up about a year ago but has stayed well disciplined and only put 5lb back on.
I shifted 6 stone in 18 months a few years back. just ate and drank sensibly and did some exercise at home as I'm not a gym type person. Did 3 different types of sit ups every night starting on 3 of each as I was so unfit and overweight. By diet end I was on 40/50 of each a night depending on mood.
I also allowed my self a bit of a blow out night once every 3 weeks as it seemed to help.
Find what works for you, good luck.
DSLiverpool said:
I`m not looking to lose 7 stone I am starting a adventure that can only improve my health, I dont consume much suger and I dont smoke or drink much at all but I like savoury ....
Lets see how it goes, no goals apart from I`d like less of a gut
If you want to lose fat, eat less. Seriously. It'll help with your type 2, maintaining 18 stone requires huge amounts of food, cut carbs right down. Lets see how it goes, no goals apart from I`d like less of a gut
Well done for taking action, exercise will help you tone up as the diet kicks in.
Good man, eat less and keep a food diary. When I was losing weight I had a reward system, like another poster here. If you've been good all week then the night you choose is steak and a pint night. Or whatever. That's your treat, you only get it if you've stayed on track. Enjoy your treat, tomorrow you get back on the wagon. Good luck, it's a marathon not a sprint.
Eating less isn't really the way to do it, from my experience you end up feeling starved or unfulfilled.
Since the start of the year I've been eating a low carb diet, I've always known that bread was my nemesis but once you start to think about what carbs (read that as sugar) does when it doesn't get used up then you can easily see the problem.
LCHF type diet allows you to eat plenty of things that interest you and because it's low carb not No carb you can obviously have the odd discretion.
As your Type 2 I'd also look up the blood sugar diet, this has been successful with diabetes sufferers in allowing them to "cure" their type 2, it's from the well known "Trust me I'm a Doctor" bloke Michael Moseley
https://thebloodsugardiet.com/how-it-works/
Since the start of the year I've been eating a low carb diet, I've always known that bread was my nemesis but once you start to think about what carbs (read that as sugar) does when it doesn't get used up then you can easily see the problem.
LCHF type diet allows you to eat plenty of things that interest you and because it's low carb not No carb you can obviously have the odd discretion.
As your Type 2 I'd also look up the blood sugar diet, this has been successful with diabetes sufferers in allowing them to "cure" their type 2, it's from the well known "Trust me I'm a Doctor" bloke Michael Moseley
https://thebloodsugardiet.com/how-it-works/
I was 18 stone last September, now 14 and a half, like so many things in life, a year or less can make all the difference, loads of good advice already, some from me.
Take a bit of something, eat it and leave it a bit, dont gorge.
Dont over order in restaurants when you are hungry, you dont need the massive burger, the standard one is fine.
Protein, keeps you fuller for longer, Protein shakes are just for bodybuilders, have one for you breakfast instead of cereal, I reckon I get another two hours before I feel hungry compared to say, a bowl of Frosties.
Stick with it, it isnt instant, one morning you will wake up and feel a bit slimmer, someone will make a positive comment and it is all worth it, then head down again and go for the next pound.
If you dont buy it, you cant eat it, dont buy loads of crap, dont go shopping when hungry !
Plan ahead, dont leave yourself out and about with nothing to eat so you end up buying something dodgy.
You dont need as much food as you think for example, Fish and Chips, we now buy one between two and a couple of side order, the portions are so huge, we end up eating stuff not to waste it even when we didnt really want it.
If you have a bad day, dont say f
k it, back on the wagon, back on track.
Booze, avoid it where possible, especially drinking every night, whilst dropping down its best to go teetotal, booze is hollow calories and leads on to eating more, getting blase about things, just have a few one night a week if you must, but I would say three months without a drop.
Sometimes when I want booze, I have realised I am just hungry, have something to eat and the urge for a beer goes away I find, you dont want the alcohol, that is a side benefit of just wanting carbs.
Get some scales, the bodyfat ones are good, Ozeri, 30 quid off Amazon, they arent that accurate on the body fat I dont think but they will show some progress in body fat going down, even if the scale weight doesnt, same with muscle percentage, its like an extra bite of the cherry, also your clothes and the mirror dont lie.
If you arent hungry, skip a meal, read up on intermittent fasting
You dont need to be hungry, just eat the right stuff, fill up on Veg, stir fries are awesome for this
Learn to love nuts for snacks, just dont eat vast amounts.
Got a dog, walk it, not got a dog, go for a walk every day.
As mentioned, get a bike.
Do weights as well as cardio, too many blokes 40 plus just focus on hours and hours of soul sapping cardio, also, look into interval training but speak to your PT and doctor, dont go in too hardcore, take it easy and build up.
Make yourself go to the gym, even if its only 30 mins, its better than nothing, there is a tendency to try and do a weeks gym work in one two hour session, if nothing else, even if you dont feel like it, go anyway, you may perk up and get a burst of energy, dont avoid it as you wont enjoy the time, make yourself go and do what you can.
Get Spotify on your phone, set up some good playlists, amazing how much difference motivational tunes make, get some wireless headphones.
Try and do something, every day, that walk for 30 min, go to the gym, a few pressups and situps, even gardening or washing cars.
Above all, just realise you can do it, it isnt hard when you get into it, it is all about consistency, you dont have to be hungry and exercising all the time, its gone on slowly, it will come off quicker than it went on as you are focusing on it but will still take a while, have a cheat occasionally as well but dont go too mad, reset your expectations and portion sizes.
The benefits are enormous, how you feel, how you look, confidence and a lot of medical issues and aches and pains dissapear (Diabetes can improve as well), a lot of what we put down to age when we are overweight is just the weight dragging us down, its very insidious weight, so many folk at the doctors are there becasue they are too fat and are looking for stuff to make them feel good again but cant face the reality of losing lots of weight, we like food and booze and dont like exercise, but like anything in life, the good stuff requires work four cans of Stella and a takeaway is wonderful but it is instant and fleeting gratification.
check into the Phat FIghters thread and keep us informed of your progress, good luck you can do it, you have done the first and main step of deciding to address it.
Take a bit of something, eat it and leave it a bit, dont gorge.
Dont over order in restaurants when you are hungry, you dont need the massive burger, the standard one is fine.
Protein, keeps you fuller for longer, Protein shakes are just for bodybuilders, have one for you breakfast instead of cereal, I reckon I get another two hours before I feel hungry compared to say, a bowl of Frosties.
Stick with it, it isnt instant, one morning you will wake up and feel a bit slimmer, someone will make a positive comment and it is all worth it, then head down again and go for the next pound.
If you dont buy it, you cant eat it, dont buy loads of crap, dont go shopping when hungry !
Plan ahead, dont leave yourself out and about with nothing to eat so you end up buying something dodgy.
You dont need as much food as you think for example, Fish and Chips, we now buy one between two and a couple of side order, the portions are so huge, we end up eating stuff not to waste it even when we didnt really want it.
If you have a bad day, dont say f
k it, back on the wagon, back on track.Booze, avoid it where possible, especially drinking every night, whilst dropping down its best to go teetotal, booze is hollow calories and leads on to eating more, getting blase about things, just have a few one night a week if you must, but I would say three months without a drop.
Sometimes when I want booze, I have realised I am just hungry, have something to eat and the urge for a beer goes away I find, you dont want the alcohol, that is a side benefit of just wanting carbs.
Get some scales, the bodyfat ones are good, Ozeri, 30 quid off Amazon, they arent that accurate on the body fat I dont think but they will show some progress in body fat going down, even if the scale weight doesnt, same with muscle percentage, its like an extra bite of the cherry, also your clothes and the mirror dont lie.
If you arent hungry, skip a meal, read up on intermittent fasting
You dont need to be hungry, just eat the right stuff, fill up on Veg, stir fries are awesome for this
Learn to love nuts for snacks, just dont eat vast amounts.
Got a dog, walk it, not got a dog, go for a walk every day.
As mentioned, get a bike.
Do weights as well as cardio, too many blokes 40 plus just focus on hours and hours of soul sapping cardio, also, look into interval training but speak to your PT and doctor, dont go in too hardcore, take it easy and build up.
Make yourself go to the gym, even if its only 30 mins, its better than nothing, there is a tendency to try and do a weeks gym work in one two hour session, if nothing else, even if you dont feel like it, go anyway, you may perk up and get a burst of energy, dont avoid it as you wont enjoy the time, make yourself go and do what you can.
Get Spotify on your phone, set up some good playlists, amazing how much difference motivational tunes make, get some wireless headphones.
Try and do something, every day, that walk for 30 min, go to the gym, a few pressups and situps, even gardening or washing cars.
Above all, just realise you can do it, it isnt hard when you get into it, it is all about consistency, you dont have to be hungry and exercising all the time, its gone on slowly, it will come off quicker than it went on as you are focusing on it but will still take a while, have a cheat occasionally as well but dont go too mad, reset your expectations and portion sizes.
The benefits are enormous, how you feel, how you look, confidence and a lot of medical issues and aches and pains dissapear (Diabetes can improve as well), a lot of what we put down to age when we are overweight is just the weight dragging us down, its very insidious weight, so many folk at the doctors are there becasue they are too fat and are looking for stuff to make them feel good again but cant face the reality of losing lots of weight, we like food and booze and dont like exercise, but like anything in life, the good stuff requires work four cans of Stella and a takeaway is wonderful but it is instant and fleeting gratification.
check into the Phat FIghters thread and keep us informed of your progress, good luck you can do it, you have done the first and main step of deciding to address it.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff