Help for a fatty trying to get fit
Discussion
Hi Folks
I'm 24 years old, 182 cm and bang on 100KG mostly fat
I'm trying to get fit and healthy and drop a few KG, I'm not fussed about becoming a shredded muscle man but just healthy
I’ve joined the gym at work and go every lunch time for around an hour usually working on the rowing machine, cross trainer, exercise bike and a few free weights and weight machines
When I first joined a month ago I struggled to do 5 minutes on the cross trainer, I can now do 30 minutes straight on a higher resistance level than when I started which is great including some other workouts for that session, my fitness is definitely increasing however I’m simply not dropping any weight at all
I admit I could make smarter choices when eating but I’m certainly not stuffing my face with fatty foods constantly and have completely dropped sugary drinks (excluding Pepsi Max as that’s only 1 calorie)
I can feel my muscle mass under my flab increasing which again is great but the lack of weight loss is starting to get me down, its driving me to work harder each session but I’m still seeing no weight loss
Is there anything obvious I’m doing wrong?
I’ve swapped breakfast and lunch for one of these http://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/impact-d... however I do not eat dinner/tea until around 10:30pm sometimes later and it isn’t always the healthiest thing (Quite often it’s a frozen pizza followed by cereal)
Could the shakes be causing me to retain weight or am I just not being completely strict enough with my diet?
Any help you can offer this struggling fatty will be greatly received
Thanks for taking the time out to read my post
I'm 24 years old, 182 cm and bang on 100KG mostly fat
I'm trying to get fit and healthy and drop a few KG, I'm not fussed about becoming a shredded muscle man but just healthy
I’ve joined the gym at work and go every lunch time for around an hour usually working on the rowing machine, cross trainer, exercise bike and a few free weights and weight machines
When I first joined a month ago I struggled to do 5 minutes on the cross trainer, I can now do 30 minutes straight on a higher resistance level than when I started which is great including some other workouts for that session, my fitness is definitely increasing however I’m simply not dropping any weight at all
I admit I could make smarter choices when eating but I’m certainly not stuffing my face with fatty foods constantly and have completely dropped sugary drinks (excluding Pepsi Max as that’s only 1 calorie)
I can feel my muscle mass under my flab increasing which again is great but the lack of weight loss is starting to get me down, its driving me to work harder each session but I’m still seeing no weight loss
Is there anything obvious I’m doing wrong?
I’ve swapped breakfast and lunch for one of these http://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/impact-d... however I do not eat dinner/tea until around 10:30pm sometimes later and it isn’t always the healthiest thing (Quite often it’s a frozen pizza followed by cereal)
Could the shakes be causing me to retain weight or am I just not being completely strict enough with my diet?
Any help you can offer this struggling fatty will be greatly received
Thanks for taking the time out to read my post
Most important thing is nutrition, if all your having is a few of those shakes and a frozen pizza followed by a bowl of ceral, for your weight you really aren't eating enough food!!! Your body could be going into starvation mode which could be why your not losing the body fat you want.
I would keep eating the cereal before bed, having some quick carbs before bed has been proven not to slow down any weight loss.
I would suggest having eggs in the morning not having a shake. They will keep you feeling fuller for longer and contain plenty of healthy fats. Without seeing the rest of your diet you are most likely not getting enough vitamins and minerals from your food as you have not mentioned any fruit of vegetables.
Also you need to change your lunch from a shake to "proper food" any meat salad would be a lot better (chicken/fish/beef preferably)
The shakes won't be causing you to retain weight in any weight shape or form.
I would switch up the majority cardio for weights in the gym followed by HIIT training (High Intensity Interval Training) you can google this to get an idea of what HIIT is if you are unsure.
If some of this does not make sense then feel free to ask me any questions I would be more than happy to help.
I would keep eating the cereal before bed, having some quick carbs before bed has been proven not to slow down any weight loss.
I would suggest having eggs in the morning not having a shake. They will keep you feeling fuller for longer and contain plenty of healthy fats. Without seeing the rest of your diet you are most likely not getting enough vitamins and minerals from your food as you have not mentioned any fruit of vegetables.
Also you need to change your lunch from a shake to "proper food" any meat salad would be a lot better (chicken/fish/beef preferably)
The shakes won't be causing you to retain weight in any weight shape or form.
I would switch up the majority cardio for weights in the gym followed by HIIT training (High Intensity Interval Training) you can google this to get an idea of what HIIT is if you are unsure.
If some of this does not make sense then feel free to ask me any questions I would be more than happy to help.
are you having anything immediately pre gym? I kind of get what the others have said but i'd expect on the calorie deficit you'd be losing weight and I don't think starvation mode would kick in just yet....
I read somewhere it's 80% food 20% exercise in terms of weight loss and seeing as a your 30 mins x trainer is probably less calories burnt than a mars bar you're probably sneaking a few sugary treats in that are cancelling out your hard work completely..
I read somewhere it's 80% food 20% exercise in terms of weight loss and seeing as a your 30 mins x trainer is probably less calories burnt than a mars bar you're probably sneaking a few sugary treats in that are cancelling out your hard work completely..
Muscle is a lot denser than fat. If you haven't done any exercise for a while at first you will build up muscle quicker than you burn off the fat, so you won't appear to be losing weight, but will be losing fat.
I wouldn't bother with the shakes, just avoid processed food where possible.
I wouldn't bother with the shakes, just avoid processed food where possible.
Don't forget that 'healthy' food also contains calories, so be aware of portion sizes too. Just look through everything that you eat each day and get some idea of the calories you're consuming. Then reduce it by 3-500 while continuing your current exercise regime and see what happens over a couple of weeks.
Eat a balanced diet and ensure you're on a calorie deficit based on your metabolic rate and activity level - you can't not lose weight then
Eat a balanced diet and ensure you're on a calorie deficit based on your metabolic rate and activity level - you can't not lose weight then
Thanks for the replies guys, as of this morning ive swapped my morning shake for some toast with low fat spread and 2 apples, I dont have time on a morning to prepare eggs or anything substantial, I'm lucky that the company I work for provides a wide range of fresh fruit in the kitchen everyday so I can snack healthily
I will continue to have my shake after workout as I've found I ache less the next day if I do have one so I can train as hard the next day
I'm also going to stop eating late at night and certainly stop with the pizzas, last night I had diced chicken and gammon with mushrooms, peppers and potatoes
I've looked into HIIT and will incorprate it into my workout moving on from today, it seems you can do less time per workout but get better results using that method so I'm definately up for that
Hopefully I'll have some weight loss to report very soon
I will continue to have my shake after workout as I've found I ache less the next day if I do have one so I can train as hard the next day
I'm also going to stop eating late at night and certainly stop with the pizzas, last night I had diced chicken and gammon with mushrooms, peppers and potatoes
I've looked into HIIT and will incorprate it into my workout moving on from today, it seems you can do less time per workout but get better results using that method so I'm definately up for that
Hopefully I'll have some weight loss to report very soon
One issue you may not be aware of is portion size. A colleague signed up with Diet Chef for a couple of months & it was amazing how small the portions were to keep below 2000-2500 calories per day. It's not cheap but you could look at trying a month or two to give you a start.
The other thing that helped him was to download a food diary app - there are several available. If you log everything you eat it's scary how rapidly the little bits add the calories - even tea & coffee.
The other thing that helped him was to download a food diary app - there are several available. If you log everything you eat it's scary how rapidly the little bits add the calories - even tea & coffee.
MyFitnessPal.com is great for logging food.
Don't worry about "low fat". It usually means they've added sugar or flavourings to compensate.
Don't worry about "low fat". It usually means they've added sugar or flavourings to compensate.
DannyScene said:
I've looked into HIIT and will incorprate it into my workout moving on from today, it seems you can do less time per workout but get better results using that method so I'm definately up for that
HIIT does mean you bust your arse harder, though. 
I cut out Gluten in 2011 and lost around 30 kgs in 8 months, I don't suppose it was the gluten that made me fat but having to exclude such a large thing from your diet really makes you think about what you eat.
Prior to that as i was working long hours it was takeaway most nights, microwave meals and around 11 beers 4 or 5 nights a week.
After i literally lived on Sushi, Meat and vegetables and substituted beer for wine,
Seemed to do the trick
Prior to that as i was working long hours it was takeaway most nights, microwave meals and around 11 beers 4 or 5 nights a week.
After i literally lived on Sushi, Meat and vegetables and substituted beer for wine,
Seemed to do the trick
Hoofy said:
MyFitnessPal.com is great for logging food.
Don't worry about "low fat". It usually means they've added sugar or flavourings to compensate.
thats what im not looking forward to hahaDon't worry about "low fat". It usually means they've added sugar or flavourings to compensate.
DannyScene said:
I've looked into HIIT and will incorprate it into my workout moving on from today, it seems you can do less time per workout but get better results using that method so I'm definately up for that
HIIT does mean you bust your arse harder, though. I'll report back with how my session goes today as I'm going at 2
Aha I'm still here and still fat but the HIIT is an eye opener, definately going to crack on with that from now on!
I also did a few chest and shoulder work outs on the free weights, absolutely loving that kind of thing: chest press, inclined press, skull crushers and clean lifts(think theyre called) and flies with some HIIT cardio either aide, I think it was the most tiring yet enjoyable sessions so far!
I also did a few chest and shoulder work outs on the free weights, absolutely loving that kind of thing: chest press, inclined press, skull crushers and clean lifts(think theyre called) and flies with some HIIT cardio either aide, I think it was the most tiring yet enjoyable sessions so far!
What I've done is stuck with the shakes for breakfast and lunch, worked some HIIT into my work outs and added more free weight exercises, I've dropped any snack if it isn't fruit and have been having home cooked meals around 7pm then not eating afterwards. I've also been drinking a lot more water. I haven't felt hungry or lacked energy, I really think I've found the way that works for me
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