What can one achieve in 3 months

[Carlton Banks]

I am getting married in 3 months.

I am not overweight really but could do with losing a bit of weight from the mid section.

I currently weigh 72kg and am 5ft 8 - I have been the same weight and body shape for years.

I cycle a bit and also play a lot of squash but can't seem to see any changes to my body.

I need some ideas of what i can do both in the kitchen and from exercise.

My diet is protein rich but I am always swayed by the odd meal out.

Look forward to your ideas.

Thanks

CB

[Ordinary_Chap]

You can make massive changes in 3 months if you are committed.

If you are exercising at a reasonable level and have stomach fat, I'd say your diet is no good.

What does your diet look like and do you know how many calories a day you are consuming?

80% of the end result is always diet.

[Animal]

^^This^^

You can make massive changes in 3 months, but only by being committed and consistent. Be honest with youself about your diet - every drink and snack counts!

Set yourself a goal and break that down into weekly or fortnightly targets.

[Carlton Banks]

Ordinary Chap - I thought my diet was ok but guess it's not good enough

My calories are about 2500


Breakfast

Poached eggs
banana
coffee


Mid morning
Apple


Lunch - this is the probably the issue - I will swing between Pret, Wasabi or our canteen but I always go for healthier options or protein rich ones.


Mid afternoon - fruit or nuts


Dinner - I eat all sorts of stuff but always try for Chicken or Fish and veggies.


I also drink a can of diet coke a day which maybe isn't ideal.

I only drink socially and maybe once a week.


I have also upped my water intake / green tea intake.


R

[LordGrover]

Cycling and squash are great for your cardio vascular system and overall health, but to make a difference to your shape you'll need to do weights. If you've never done any form of weight training you may be surprised how quickly you can achieve a lot. It doesn't last long, but the gains a beginner can make in the first three to six months can be remarkable - it only gets harder from then on.
Ordinary_Chap is the man here to advise you on this, or if you can find a decent personal trainer they're worth their weight in gold, they are a very rare beast though. Most PTs in lifestyle gyms are pants.

[Ordinary_Chap]

Carlton Banks said:

Ordinary Chap - I thought my diet was ok but guess it's not good enough

My calories are about 2500


Breakfast

Poached eggs
banana
coffee


Mid morning
Apple


Lunch - this is the probably the issue - I will swing between Pret, Wasabi or our canteen but I always go for healthier options or protein rich ones.


Mid afternoon - fruit or nuts


Dinner - I eat all sorts of stuff but always try for Chicken or Fish and veggies.


I also drink a can of diet coke a day which maybe isn't ideal.

I only drink socially and maybe once a week.


I have also upped my water intake / green tea intake.


R

Can I ask how you measure your calories? 2,500 sounds like a lot for a 72KG guy unless you are using a great deal of calories exercising. I'm 101KG and take in about the same.

Also do you have a lot of sugar in your diet?

Your diet doesn't look too bad although lunch is a bit of a mystery since I'm not sure what you are eating.

I'd personally dump the sugary fruit if you want to make massive changes.

How do you choose the foods you eat? Is it just on the basis of protein? Or using some other method?

Lee

[OllieC]

I wouldn't have thought the diet coke would do any harm ?

[LordGrover]

It'll definitely do no good.

[Carlton Banks]

Ordinary_Chap said:

Carlton Banks said:

Ordinary Chap - I thought my diet was ok but guess it's not good enough

My calories are about 2500


Breakfast

Poached eggs
banana
coffee


Mid morning
Apple


Lunch - this is the probably the issue - I will swing between Pret, Wasabi or our canteen but I always go for healthier options or protein rich ones.


Mid afternoon - fruit or nuts


Dinner - I eat all sorts of stuff but always try for Chicken or Fish and veggies.


I also drink a can of diet coke a day which maybe isn't ideal.

I only drink socially and maybe once a week.


I have also upped my water intake / green tea intake.


R

Can I ask how you measure your calories? 2,500 sounds like a lot for a 72KG guy unless you are using a great deal of calories exercising. I'm 101KG and take in about the same.

Also do you have a lot of sugar in your diet?

Your diet doesn't look too bad although lunch is a bit of a mystery since I'm not sure what you are eating.

I'd personally dump the sugary fruit if you want to make massive changes.

How do you choose the foods you eat? Is it just on the basis of protein? Or using some other method?

Lee

Hi

My lunch will vary from eating a chicken wrap to chicken with noodles - those kinds of things but none homemade and all from Tesco's, Pret , Wasabi and the like - so potentially contain lots of other crap which I don't need.

In order to measure calories I have been using sparkpeople and just logging the numbers for the last few days - I guess it may sound on the high side @ 2500.

In terms of the foods I eat I am trying to eat stuff that isn't from a package or tin if that makes sense.

Other than that it is calorie content and protein levels with an eye on the carb values as my general rule.

I know I need to work on a carb deficit so will aim this way.

Should coffee be avoided?


In terms of weights - I don't really do them - other than bodyweight exercises such as press ups and tricep dips.


Appreciate your help.

[Onemcs]

Well, in 12 weeks I changed dramatically doing this program.

Food planned out. Workouts planned. Just stick to it and there are some serious gains and losses to be had!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kris-gethin-12-wee...

Completely free and was worth every minute of it!

[Ordinary_Chap]

Coffee/tea/diet coke/coke zero/pepsi max et al are all fine for weight loss but are arguably not great for health.

Just be careful of milk and sugar in the hot drinks.

I'm in agreement with LG if you want to get wedding fit, I'd mix cardio with weights and focus on the diet.

Here is what I achieved in my first go in 45 days; http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I did plenty of stuff in there however that I'd probably not do again!

I know lots of folk have different thoughts about diet but I simply go very low carb, no sugar, no processed foods, high protein, moderate fats and count calories.

If you want list the foods you're eating and your training as it happens here, I'm sure plenty of the knowledgeable PH folk will be willing to help!

Lee