FAO fitness guru's

[d3ano]

Guys or girls,

I need some advice about losing weight and starting to get fit. Currently 13stones in weight, desk job means that i don't really exercise so i'm pretty unfit.
I don't really want to spend £xxx on gym membership as i don't think that i will need all the toys and plus i'm on a bit of a budget.
At home i have some weights (2xdumb bells and a long bar, weights in total of 50Kgs) skipping rope and a bicycle.

So with all that in mind what would i need to do to:
a) loose weight (at least a stone)
b) increase my fitness
c) tone up muscle.

I guess what i need would be a mini plan to follow, i used to have them from magazines for ages back, but these all got thrown out when we moved house.

Thanks

D3

[SiOsbon]

go buy a copy of mens health mags, they usually have guides like you are looking for.

[FrenchTVR]

If you have a bit of spare space at home with a TV and DVD/Video, buy one of the Taebo vids by Billy Blanks.

I found that they are really good for toning up and losing the flabby bits. You need to have the dedication to work as hard as you can though.

www.worldofhealth.co.uk/acatalog/TaeBo.html

[JagLover]

You ate all the pies

but seriously how tall are you?-13st doesn't sound over weight.

[d3ano]

FrenchTVR said:

If you have a bit of spare space at home with a TV and DVD/Video, buy one of the Taebo vids by Billy Blanks. I found that they are really good for toning up and losing the flabby bits. You need to have the dedication to work as hard as you can though. www.worldofhealth.co.uk/acatalog/TaeBo.html

Lounge wouldn't have enough room, i'd be kicking tables and pictures all over the place.

[philly]

A couple of years ago I decided to get fitter/lose weight after many (too many) years in the City.

Used a combination of the TA Fitness Programme (www.getfitta.co.uk) together with drinking lots of water and a minor shift in diet - didn't eat carbohydrates after 6pm.

Continued to eat the same stuff, drink the same drinks and weight just fell off. Also I felt, and still feel, a lot more energetic.

It's really just a combination of "exercise more and eat less" but with a bit of structure.

Hope it goes well.

Phil.

[westy04]

Just eat slightly less than you normally do and do more exersise.
I did this a year or so back.
Cycle about 20 miles on a Sunday with my mates. Have a good laugh at the same time.
I now jog a couple of times a week also.
I have gone from 17 stone to just under 16 stone.

[simpo two]

JagLover said:

but seriously how tall are you?-13st doesn't sound over weight.

4'3" - but how about a bike for starters? More interesting than staring at the wall.

[d3ano]

JagLover said:

You ate all the pies but seriously how tall are you?-13st doesn't sound over weight.

About 5.10"
BMI says that i am overweight, and belly is forever growning!!!

I have cut down on the crappy food and started to eat more green stuff, but i need to exercise to compliment this; otherwise i just have smelly veggiefarts that clear out rooms!

[jeremyc]

I'm no expert, but going for a cycle ride in nature's gym every day sounds like a good way to start.

Find a route with a few hills and you'll have a fine workout.

[lotuslad]

Just don't go to the gym - it's populated by muscly mincers and has no oxygen

[tuscan_thunder]

walk during the evenings, then slowly build up to jogging and running.

I used to walk around 2 1/2 miles per night. then did 1/2 mile jog 1/2 mile walk for 2 1/2 miles and slowly upped it so that the running became easy.

I run the 2 1/2 miles per night comfortably now. I'm probably actually underweight (always been thin) at 6ft 1 and 10st 10 but I feel more energetic. (dog is fitter now too!) now my general fitness is better, I'm happier to do more weights/sit ups etc.

warm ups are vital for running.

some people I know are self-conscious about running, but chances are you won't see anyone you know and if you do you just flash past them.

[trickywoo]

I find push ups and sit ups to be very good. The trouble with weights is that it takes ages to work all the various areas (they are good for doing lunges). Depends how flabby you are but 5X 20 situps and 10 push ups three or four times a week would be a good start. As you get comfortable with that increase reps. I tend to do twice the number of sit ups to push ups.

A 30-40 minute bike ride twice a week (or more if you have the time) also works wonders.

[JagLover]

lotuslad said:

Just don't go to the gym - it's populated by muscly mincers and has no oxygen

[d3ano]

lotuslad said:

Just don't go to the gym - it's populated by muscly mincers and has no oxygen

I know, tried the gym ages back all i got out of that was seeing a few fit women going around in tight gym gear or bikins when they were in the steam room.
That was money wasted.

[TDTH1975]

I was in exactly the same boat, same weight, same job, same predicament - but there is a way and it works. You have to set yourself an ultimate goal which in this case sounds like losing 1 stone but you need to have a motivator, something that will drive you to do something you don't really want to do. Personally, i decided to run the london marathon the last 2 years for a charity that is very close to home - this way I had to get fit to raise the money and do the marathon. bingo - job done. Also, don't forget that doing exercise doesn't have to be running or the gym, you will do a lot for your health & fitness by kicking a ball around in the park etc. lastly, don't base health and fitness on weight - doing weights will put weight on as you build muscle, to tone up, do lots of cardio stuff and high repetitions of light weights. Job done. good luck. Oh and 13 stone - you must be about 5ft 2 for that to be obviously over weight

Less too

[FrenchTVR]

d3ano said:

JagLover said: You ate all the pies but seriously how tall are you?-13st doesn't sound over weight. About 5.10" BMI says that i am overweight, and belly is forever growing!!!

I weigh in at nearly 14st and am only 5' 7", last time I had a check up byt the nurse she suggested I was obese and needed to exercise.
I pointed out that I was cycling 13 miles each way to work every day in less than 30 minutes and went to the gym twice a week, shut her up a treat

I do have to exercise otherwise my belly grows quite fast, cutting down on alcohol works well for me, not that I can drink anymore.
Swimming is another good all over body conditioner, plus you get to look at fit babes in swim suits

[juk]

SiOsbon said:

go buy a copy of mens health mags, they usually have guides like you are looking for.

Make sure you get a copy of Men Only or similar to hide it in tho'.

[simpo two]

d3ano said:

all i got out of that was seeing a few fit women going around in tight gym gear or bikins when they were in the steam room. That was money wasted.

I'm not so sure

[Racylady]

I would suggest that, as a start, you do some form of exercise as soon as you get up in the morning and before breakfast (even if it's with your skipping rope or up and down the stairs - just something to get the heart-rate going). Even if it's only 10 minutes, it will increase the calories you burn for the rest of the day.