Upper body weight loss diet/exercise advice please.
Upper body weight loss diet/exercise advice please.
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Discussion

UnluckyTimmeh

Original Poster:

3,686 posts

242 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
Basically I need to lose 12kgs. I'm currently 90 and 6'6.

Now I currently don't eat breakfast or tea, just lunch and even then it's just a simple sandwich and a fruit bag.

All I drink through the day is either water (at least 1.5ltr bottle) and occasionally a diet coke.

Now I'm not shifting any weight, which is fair enough but I'm now curious as to what excersise I could be doing to assist.

I've got no lower body fat. It's just upper body. I'd class myself as a bit podgy. I've been told I look fatter in the face.

I have access to a cross trainer but is that really going to help? I was wondering if I should be doing press-ups and sit-ups? If so, what combinations?

Thanks all.

stew-S160

8,020 posts

267 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
UnluckyTimmeh said:
Basically I need to lose 12kgs. I'm currently 90 and 6'6.

Now I currently don't eat breakfast or tea, just lunch and even then it's just a simple sandwich and a fruit bag.

All I drink through the day is either water (at least 1.5ltr bottle) and occasionally a diet coke.

Now I'm not shifting any weight, which is fair enough but I'm now curious as to what excersise I could be doing to assist.

I've got no lower body fat. It's just upper body. I'd class myself as a bit podgy. I've been told I look fatter in the face.

I have access to a cross trainer but is that really going to help? I was wondering if I should be doing press-ups and sit-ups? If so, what combinations?

Thanks all.
What do you actually eat then? Sounds to me like you're probably starving yourself most of the time but when you do eat, it's most likely junk.

There are no spot/fat loss techniques that target one area. You need to eat right, and perform good compound(using many muscles) exercises. Preferably with some resistance or higher intensity cardio.

UnluckyTimmeh

Original Poster:

3,686 posts

242 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
Thanks for the reply.

Food is mostly a roast chicken sandwich. If not that then a lettuce & cucumber salad with croutons.

Fruit bags or fresh fruit, apples, bananas etc.

Would swimming be beneficial? It just strikes me as beig too easy blur then again I don't want to put on muscle, just lose the podge.

stew-S160

8,020 posts

267 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
So, from what you've posted, correct me if I'm wrong, you ONLY eat a sandwich/salad and a fruit bag/fruit. That's it. Nothing else all day?

That's called starvation. You need to eat.

Yes, swimming is a great form of exercise.
Thinking that sit ups will get you a 6pack/burn fat from the mid section is just wrong. Like I said, you need to eat right, and use lots of muscle groups during exercise.

Hoofy

79,993 posts

311 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
Any exercise will help. Eating too much of any food won't help. Bottom line is you're eating too much.

amancalledrob

1,248 posts

163 months

Monday 21st October 2013
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It might actually help you to eat more, and to eat more often - when you reduce your calorie intake, your body reduces its calorie requirement, and if you reduce your food intake too much, your body begins to hold on to whatever fat it can 'just in case'.

Try to get about 1500 calories a day, spread out between a decent sized lunch and three or four smaller meals, eating often to keep your metabolism going. Avoid simple carbs like white pasta or bread after 5pm and follow the good advice above about resistance training.

Hoofy

79,993 posts

311 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
Sign up to myfitnesspal.com and log everything that passes your lips and that includes sucking off blokes if you're that way inclined.

mu0n

2,348 posts

162 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
90kgs and 6'6!? Sounds like you're fking skinny!!!!!!

Tanuki

108 posts

234 months

Monday 21st October 2013
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We'll talk about this on Friday chap. I can offer quite a lot of advice (most of which you probably won't like).

Sarkmeister

1,699 posts

247 months

Monday 21st October 2013
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You're 6'6" and want to be just over 12 stone? That sounds very skinny.

Wouldnt it be a better idea to maintain your weight and simply attempt to replace the upper body fat with muscle?

Liquid Tuna

1,403 posts

185 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
Sadly you can't spot reduce fat (unless you have surgery). Genetics determines where it's deposited and in what order. So you need to keep losing fat and eventually it should go from the areas you want it to.

Beware though, as a male if you don't do much in the way of resistance exercise and just lose fat (ie not building any muscle), you'll get that "skinny-fat" look, usually very thin looking with clothes on and a slight belly and rounded shoulders without clothes. Not a good look.

Try and incorporate a weights routine along with your cardio stuff and of course, diet is key.

amancalledrob

1,248 posts

163 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
Liquid Tuna said:
Sadly you can't spot reduce fat (unless you have surgery). Genetics determines where it's deposited and in what order. So you need to keep losing fat and eventually it should go from the areas you want it to.

Beware though, as a male if you don't do much in the way of resistance exercise and just lose fat (ie not building any muscle), you'll get that "skinny-fat" look, usually very thin looking with clothes on and a slight belly and rounded shoulders without clothes. Not a good look.

Try and incorporate a weights routine along with your cardio stuff and of course, diet is key.
I'll second all of this advice and add that I'm 85kg and 6'3", and just 12% fat. I've genes to thank for it but I do look a bit too skinny so focus on how you look not what you weigh, put some muscle on and you should find things rearranging themselves favourably

Hoofy

79,993 posts

311 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
Liquid Tuna said:
Beware though, as a male if you don't do much in the way of resistance exercise and just lose fat (ie not building any muscle), you'll get that "skinny-fat" look, usually very thin looking with clothes on and a slight belly and rounded shoulders without clothes. Not a good look.
I think he's already skinny-fat. He'll just look skinny if he doesn't lift.

UnluckyTimmeh

Original Poster:

3,686 posts

242 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
stew-S160 said:
So, from what you've posted, correct me if I'm wrong, you ONLY eat a sandwich/salad and a fruit bag/fruit. That's it. Nothing else all day?

That's called starvation. You need to eat.

Yes, swimming is a great form of exercise.
Thinking that sit ups will get you a 6pack/burn fat from the mid section is just wrong. Like I said, you need to eat right, and use lots of muscle groups during exercise.
Nope that is it. Today for example. Two fruit bags, an energy drink and a break roll.

I don't feel starved. Im not hungry in the morning and i don't feel overly hungry at night. Just have a long day at work and then chill at home, bath and bed.

In regards to excersise i'm open to all suggestions. My problem is i'm not part of a gym (that can be sorted obviously).

I'm going to have quite a lot of free time soon, so i can really commit to doing something. I'm planning cycle trips and things that test me, but again, that always strikes me as lower body strength which i've got.

My biggest thing is I don't want to replace fat with muscle as i'll weigh the same if not more.

UnluckyTimmeh

Original Poster:

3,686 posts

242 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
Hoofy said:
Liquid Tuna said:
Beware though, as a male if you don't do much in the way of resistance exercise and just lose fat (ie not building any muscle), you'll get that "skinny-fat" look, usually very thin looking with clothes on and a slight belly and rounded shoulders without clothes. Not a good look.
I think he's already skinny-fat. He'll just look skinny if he doesn't lift.
That is exactly what i'm like now. I do look thin, but i'm really not. There's a lot of me going spare lol.

Hoofy

79,993 posts

311 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
UnluckyTimmeh said:
My biggest thing is I don't want to replace fat with muscle as i'll weigh the same if not more.
Which is why you should ignore your weight. Your bodyfat % will be healthier if you build muscle and lose fat.

Without a gym or equipment, bodyweight stuff is a good start - single leg squats, press ups, pull ups, handstand push ups/inverted push ups...

UnluckyTimmeh

Original Poster:

3,686 posts

242 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
Cheers hoofy.

Hoofy

79,993 posts

311 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
UnluckyTimmeh said:
Cheers hoofy.
Depending on your strength, you could load a backpack or sports bag with stuff and do sumo squats until you cannot stand. Should build some muscle whilst burning fat. As it gets easier, put heavier stuff in the bag!

Liquid Tuna

1,403 posts

185 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
Look on youtube for cross fit videos. There's loads on there which combines cardio and resistance exercises using both weights and bodyweight exercises. They're a good start as well. Combined with a significantly better diet you could make good progress I reckon. Good luck!!

Liquid Tuna

1,403 posts

185 months

Monday 21st October 2013
quotequote all
UnluckyTimmeh said:
My biggest thing is I don't want to replace fat with muscle as i'll weigh the same if not more.
I think, and this is only my opinion of course, you need to completely re-think this. The weight you are is really no indicator (other than at extreme scales) of how you look. Use it as one measurement. But if I could go from 13st 20% bodyfat to 15st 10% body fat, I'd be over the moon. But by your current thinking, I'd have got it completely wrong.

It's too easy to get obsessed with the scales, weighing yourself every day etc, and it's not good for motivation. The mirror is the best way. Use the scales to see how you're moving, but the mirror and measurements as well.