Best exercise to lose weight?

abzo said:
The best way to lose excess weight is... divorce.
Click to expand...

Or have an affair with a young slim sexy babe who will "incentivise" you to get in shape!
 
The best resource for a lifestyle (Not a diet) sort of change is Mark's Daily Apple at www.marksdailyapple.com

Essentially its the most practical variation of a paleolithic exercise and eating plan.

Essentially the diet is about eating the right foods, the foods that allow your body to burn fat and build some muscle (Think lean muscle mass, low % body fat), which means making your body as insulin sensitive as possible, and this involves cutting out anything that gets converted to glucose in the body, meaning carbs and sugars.

It boils down to eating meat, veggies, fruit etc.

Exercise revolves around some extremely light cardio (Spending hours at the gym doing cardio is a no-no) and this comes from a guy (Mark) who was a professional marathoner and tri-athlete (Finished 4rth place in the Hawaii Iron Man) and he says that type of cardio lifestyle is not healthy. Do some sprints and lift some weights.

There are plenty of articles and resources on his site here http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/

Every Friday on his website he posts a new "success story", someone who has changed their lifestyle to a paleolithic (Or Primal) lifestyle and this is one from a week ago...

"Mark,

I have considered telling you my story for some time now, but for some reason I have never done so. I recently read the success story of the mixed martial artist named Abe Wagner and it made me decide to share my story as well. I am also a professional mixed martial artist, and while going primal has helped me in this venture, I also believe that it played a very large part in even allowing me to begin along it. So here is my long overdue success story.

It started about 3 years ago. I was playing rugby in college and was an alternate on the collegiate All-American national team. It was about this same time that I also started to become interested in mixed martial arts and training some in my free time as well as doing a few amateur fights. People would ask me for advice on nutrition and working out and I would regurgitate false truths. I’m sure that I would have continued down this road, but life sometimes seems to have us on a collision course. Quite literally in my case, as in I fell off of a ledge and landed head first on the concrete 12ft below. Being the sprightly young man that I was, I assumed that no real damage was inflicted in my fall. I “sucked it up” as my coaches told me to and continued along with rugby games and practices.

After a few months however, I could no longer pretend like everything was okay. I went to the doctor and told them that I thought I might had strained my neck. They decided to take a few X-rays and the results were quite a surprise to everyone involved. I had broken my neck in-between the C5 and C6 vertebrae. The doctors told me that I needed to have surgery. They took me to the hospital to go under the knife that day. But when I arrived at the hospital they discovered another problem; since I had gone several months with my neck broken, the damaged ligaments and muscles had healed around my broken neck. They could not perform the surgery until they got my neck back into alignment. They screwed a halo attached to a weight and pulley system into my head and laid me horizontal on a hospital bed. Every once in a while they would increase the weight pulling on my head to straighten my neck. After three days they said that it was straight enough to do surgery. I went in that night for surgery and they shaved off a piece of my hip and used it for a bone fusion in my neck as well as screwing in a small plastic support. When I woke up they called in the specialist who performed the surgery to talk to me. Being naive to my own reality and thinking I was invincible, my only concern was when I would be able to start playing sports again. He told me that I was lucky to be walking and that I would be in a neck brace for about a year and we would just have to see how my body took to the bone fusion. He then said that he doubted that I would ever be able to do high intensity sports again. I was not willing to accept that and quizzed him over anything I could do to help the healing process, and he told me just to be as healthy as I possibly could.

IMG_0590.jpg


As far as fitness and nutrition went, I was under the impression that I was doing everything right. I was eating high amounts of protein, low fat, and lots of “good” carbs like rice, and pasta. I was taking all the stimulant-rich pre- and post-workout supplements that the bodybuilding forums said that I should be taking, and I was lifting 6 times a week in addition to my rugby practices. At the time I was 5’11 about 215 pounds and low body fat. As far as conventional wisdom went, I was extremely healthy. But since my diagnosis was grim I decided to look into everything that could possibly benefit me. I began researching what might help my recovery and stumbled onto marksdailyapple.com. At first I was just intrigued by how different of an approach it was from everything else I had come across. After reading for a long while, a lot of it seemed to make sense to me and I decided that I would give it a shot.

Over the next few months, I stopped taking supplements, stopped eating grains and legumes, and ate a high omega 3 diet with clean protein. I impatiently went to each checkup. The results slowly went from ambiguous to more and more positive, and then on the 7th month of being in my neck brace, the doctor told me he could not believe it but the bone fusion had completely filled in. The neck brace was removed (5 months ahead of schedule) and I was allowed to ease back into working out as long as I came in to make sure everything was coming along okay every couple weeks. Within a couple months I was back playing rugby and training mixed martial arts.

colorado.jpg


I had never done physical activity while primal before, but because of my results while injured, I decided to stay with it. I had lost some size which disappointed me at first, but became inconsequential once I realized how great I felt and how much better I was performing than I had before my injury. I stopped doing workouts that would restrict my movement and focused on playing. I finished my college rugby career and less than a year after getting out of my neck brace I made my professional debut in mixed martial arts. Since that time I have won 8 straight fights and I am one of the top unsigned prospects at my weight class. I am still in school at the moment and I use the winnings as my income while I continue my education.

The specialist who performed the surgery and monitored me post operation later asked my permission to submit my case to a conference. He said that it was one of the only instances he had ever heard of a recovery like I made on a case that severe. I have no doubt that the primal lifestyle played a huge role in that. Since switching to it I have recommended it to everyone close to me. I made a website for fighting a couple years ago so friends and family could keep up with my fighting. Your website has been one of my recommended links on my webpage since I first made it. I thank you for the knowledge you made available to me and it would be my pleasure to help Mr. Wagner spread the primal way of life throughout the MMA community.

Fight-1.jpg


-Trey Houston
 
gregmcc said:
Correct.

Losing weight isn't rocket science. Calories in vs. calories out.
Burn more calories than you consume and you lose weight - simple.
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That's actually a myth. There is calories and there is calories...

200Calories21.jpg


Many people think weight loss is simply about cutting calories. But context counts here, too. Calories do have context and that’s what I want to explore today. Is a calorie from fat the same as a calorie from protein or carbohydrate? Depends on the context. Does day-to-day calorie monitoring make any difference if your week-to-week weight and energy expenditure are dialed in? Maybe not.

Most people (even many scientists) believe that the body composition challenge is a relatively simple equation: to lose weight you must reduce calories (either eat less or burn more), to gain weight you must add calories, and to maintain weight you keep calories constant. Calories in over calories out.

The truth is, it’s more like a complex equation where you have to factor in many other very important variables: Do I want to lose weight or just body fat? Do I want to gain weight or just muscle? How much muscle do I want to put on and how fast? What is my personal genetic “range” or limit for body fat or muscle? These are all different contexts. And these are further affected by supply (types and quantity of foods as well as frequency of meals) and metabolic demand (your relative immediate need for either energy, repair, or building). In the short-term, they are rate-limited by hormones (insulin, glucagon, epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, cortisol etc). And in the long-term the range (or limits) of possible outcomes is determined by gene expression (5’8” ectomorphs simply can’t become 275-lb body-builders, but they can be well-proportioned 165-lb men or 135-lb women.). The context can also change day-to-day. That’s where you come in as the director.

Fat burning, glucose burning, ketone burning, glycogen storage, fat storage, gluconeogenesis, and protein turnover. All of these energy-related processes are going on simultaneously in each of us at all times. But the rate at which each of these processes happens is different in each of us and they can increase or decrease (sometimes dramatically) depending on the context of our present circumstances and our long term goals. All of these contexts utilize the same gene-based principles of energy metabolism – the biochemical machinery that we all share – but because they all involve different starting points as well as different goals or possible outcomes, they often require different action plans. We can alter the rate at which each of these metabolic processes happens simply by changing what and when we eat. We can change the context.

The RD’s will tell you that protein has four calories per gram, so when you figure your daily intake, budget calories accordingly. But protein is used by the body mostly for maintaining structure and function. Yes, it can be burned as fuel, but really only as a secondary source, and even then, it must be converted to glucose to be utilized. So, depending on the need within the body, the first 10, 20 or 30 grams of protein might go towards repair and growth – not energy. Do we therefore discount those first 30 grams when we “count calories?” Depends on the context. If you don’t exercise much and eat frequently and copiously all the time, maybe most of the protein you eat will count more towards your calorie budget (since your structural protein turnover is relatively less). On the other hand, if you run yourself ragged, are under a great deal of stress (lots of catabolic hormones) and generally don’t get much protein, maybe most of that one high-protein meal goes toward repair and won’t be called upon as fuel for days or weeks. Or maybe you’re coming off an IF day. Does it really count as calories today if it isn’t burned or stored as fat? If those protein calories today go to adding lean mass (muscle) that is retained for years, do those calories count today? Then again, as muscle it does offer a potential long-term stored source of energy when gluconeogenesis is increased. See what I mean? Depends on the context.

Fats aren’t just for fuel either. They can be integral parts of all cell membranes and hormones and can serve as critical protective cushioning for delicate organs. At what point do the fats we consume stop becoming structural and start becoming calorically dense fuel? Depends again on the context. If there’s a ton of carbohydrates accompanying the fat on a daily basis, it’s pretty certain that that fat will be stored as adipose tissue sooner rather than later. That’s nine calories per gram in the tank for future use (if ever). And that’s what adds up over time when you weigh yourself. OTOH, if you’ve withheld carbs for a few days and your insulin remains low, the fats from this meal might be used quickly to provide fuel for normal resting metabolic processes.

Keep your carbs low enough long enough and you get into ketosis, a fat-burning state that creates what many now refer to as the “metabolic advantage.” In this context, fats are fueling most of the body’s energy demands either directly as fatty acids or as the fat-metabolism byproducts called ketones. To the delight of those looking to burn off unwanted fat, it gets better. The body balances the acidic effect of any excess ketones by either excreting them in the urine (in today’s $5 a gallon economy, isn’t that wasting fuel?) and by using ketones and fatty acids to create a bit more glucose for the brain via gluconeogenesis in a fairly “energy inefficient” process.

Finally, let’s look at the lowly carbohydrate and its four calories per gram. All carbs are broken down into simple sugars, and eventually (and almost always) into glucose. The primary use of glucose from all carbohydrate food is as fuel, whether burned immediately as it passes by different organs and muscles or whether stored for later use. The brain, red blood cells, and nerve cells prefer glucose as primary fuel (but don’t absolutely require it – they can use ketones). Muscles that are working hard will prefer glucose if it is available, but don’t absolutely require it unless they are working very hard for very long. If it is not burned immediately as fuel, excess glucose will be first stored as glycogen in muscle and liver cells and then, if or when these glycogen storage depots are full, it will be converted to fatty acids and stored in fat cells as fat. The things to remember about carbs and to put into context: Carbs are not used as structural components in the body – they are used only as a form of fuel; glucose in the bloodstream is toxic to humans UNLESS it is being burned immediately as fuel. (For reference, “normal” blood sugar represents only about one teaspoon of glucose dissolved in the entire blood pool in your body). That’s why insulin is so critical to taking it out of the bloodstream and putting it somewhere FAST, like muscle cells or fat cells. Moreover, humans can exist quite easily without ever eating carbs, since the body has several mechanisms for generating glucose from the fat and proteins consumed, as well as from proteins stripped from muscle tissue. For all these reasons, in the PB-style of eating, carbs are lowest priority. Unless your context includes lots of endurance activities (or storing fat) there’s little reason to overdo the carbs (USDA and RDs’ recommendations notwithstanding).

So what’s the take home message from all this? To be honest, I thought maybe you could tell me! Maybe it’s that by understanding how these metabolic processes work, and knowing that we can control the rates at which each one happens through our diet (and exercise) we needn’t agonize over the day-to-day calorie counting. As long as we are generally eating a PB-style plan and providing the right context, our bodies will ease into a healthy, fit, long-lived comfort zone rather effortlessly.

From http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-context-of-calories/
 
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Ok.. I was lying in bed last night and contemplating my currently poor health status. My decision was a drastic one which basically calls for a complete change in lifestyle (at least for a 3 month period... call it a detox if you will). From the 15th of this month (payday), I will be attempting to implement the following:

- Quit smoking
- 3 month alcohol detox (perhaps with just 1 break for New Years eve)
- Completely change my eating habits i.e.
- No more sugar or cool drinks
- No caffeine
- No junk food (perhaps with one break on the weekend where I can indulge)
- Radically reduced intake of carbs (will only have 2 slices of Low GI bread every morning)
- Will be keeping a store of tuna and other proteins at the office, to cover lunch.
- Carrot and Celery sticks as snacks during the day.
- Either a pan-fried chicken fillet or steak for supper with some fresh boiled veggies.

Lifestyle changes (weekdays):
- Instead of sitting on my PC till 11pm every night watching movies or surfing, get into bed at 9pm, read till 10pm.
- Wake at 5:30am.
- Push-ups and sit-ups for 30 minutes (probably looking at following that 100 push-ups and sit-ups program)
- Meditation/Yoga/Stretching 30 min

Sounds like a lot but I am hoping that I can keep at it at least for 3 months, and hopefully would see some definite results by the end of the 3 months, encouraging me to keep at it.

Am I crazy?
 
KingBel said:
Ok.. I was lying in bed last night and contemplating my currently poor health status. My decision was a drastic one which basically calls for a complete change in lifestyle (at least for a 3 month period... call it a detox if you will). From the 15th of this month (payday), I will be attempting to implement the following:

- Quit smoking
- 3 month alcohol detox (perhaps with just 1 break for New Years eve)
- Completely change my eating habits i.e.
- No more sugar or cool drinks
- No caffeine
- No junk food (perhaps with one break on the weekend where I can indulge)
- Radically reduced intake of carbs (will only have 2 slices of Low GI bread every morning)
- Will be keeping a store of tuna and other proteins at the office, to cover lunch.
- Carrot and Celery sticks as snacks during the day.
- Either a pan-fried chicken fillet or steak for supper with some fresh boiled veggies.

Lifestyle changes (weekdays):
- Instead of sitting on my PC till 11pm every night watching movies or surfing, get into bed at 9pm, read till 10pm.
- Wake at 5:30am.
- Push-ups and sit-ups for 30 minutes (probably looking at following that 100 push-ups and sit-ups program)
- Meditation/Yoga/Stretching 30 min

Sounds like a lot but I am hoping that I can keep at it at least for 3 months, and hopefully would see some definite results by the end of the 3 months, encouraging me to keep at it.

Am I crazy?
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Yes. I just want to inform you about caffeine.

http://whole9life.com/2011/01/the-coffee-manifesto/

Coffee, justified

We’ve loved coffee – and its principal psychoactive compound, caffeine – since our very first sip. And like most people with most vices, we have always found a way to justify our ongoing consumption. We’ve cited research that coffee consumption decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, and that it is inversely correlated with inflammatory markers and markers of endothelial dysfunction. Black tea (which also contains caffeine) is also associated with decreased risk of diabetes, and though it’s not clear if the caffeine itself is responsible for this effect. Caffeine also exhibits some potent ergogenic properties during endurance activities and anaerobic exercise. We’ve even made recommendations to some of our consulting clients who are competitive athletes on how to maximize the ergogenic effects of caffeine on game day. However, our personal experiences and growing understanding of caffeine’s potent impact on our neurological and endocrine systems has led us to reexamine the role of coffee and caffeine in a healthy lifestyle.

Caffeine – the good, the bad and the adrenal fatigue

For starters, caffeine is a stimulant drug. Caffeine’s stimulatory effects can help us get through times when we need a little “pick-me-up” to stay alert, like while driving late at night or studying for a big exam. However, chronic caffeine use has also been shown to significantly decrease blood flow to the brain, which we’re pretty sure is not awesome for your exam (or driving) performance. Though it seems like a little caffeine has some benefits, more is most certainly not better. The same properties that make caffeine potentially useful as a pharmaceutical “tool” can be problematic when we consume significant amounts on a regular basis. And while it’s certainly not as destructive as, say, meth… the stimulatory effects of caffeine on the central nervous system and endocrine system may have some negative long-term effects.

Caffeine belongs to a group of chemical compounds called alkaloids, some of which (including nicotine, morphine, codeine, and cocaine) have potent neurological effects. Caffeine stimulates your adrenal glands to release stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which is okay… occasionally. But if, in the context of a stressful lifestyle, a poorly-designed exercise program, a lack of adequate sleep, and less-than-optimal diet, you’re already asking a lot of your adrenal glands. If you then ask even more of your adrenals by drinking copious amounts of coffee, you could create (or worsen) an existing problem. Adrenal fatigue is a condition in which your adrenal glands are “overworked” from chronic stress and inadequate rest and recovery.

Scott Hagnas, founder of CrossFit Portland, regular contributor to The Performance Menu and Generally Smart Dude, has this to say:

“I agree that coffee isn’t as evil as some have made it out to be, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t often abused. Quite frequently, those with some level of adrenal fatigue use caffeine as an energy source for their day. In reality, caffeine doesn’t give you energy – it gives you stress. I see so many people that try to eat well and exercise intelligently, but have trouble making progress because of a stress filled life. The total stress load is cumulative, so coffee becomes fuel for the fire. I have also observed that those with damaged adrenals are more sensitive to coffee’s adverse effects than those with healthy adrenals. As a simple rule of thumb, I you feel like you need it, then you should evaluate your habits. If you feel like you can do fine without coffee or have no problem going a few days without, then a few cups now and then should be okay for you.”

Self-examine much? Exercising caffeine control.

“A few cups now and then…” Does that describe your coffee consumption? Note Scott’s caveat: “if… you have no problem going a few days without”. Most coffee drinkers we know can’t even get dressed for work without their coffee, much less survive a few days without. We think that you should be in charge of what you eat and drink. Your addictions, whether they be sugar, chewing gum or caffeine, should not run the show. In fact, one of the major points of our Whole30 program is taking back control of your diet. Food (or drink) should not have power over you! So if you’re struggling with the Sugar Demon or can’t imagine a day without coffee, we think you need to change that.

Our general recommendations on coffee are as follows:

If you’re not currently a caffeine user, don’t start.
Limit your consumption to 1-2 cups of coffee a day, always before noon to prevent sleep disruption.
Your coffee pot is not a cup. Nice try.
If you’re using coffee as a crutch to get through your day – or just to get out of bed – reconsider whether that is a healthy relationship.
We don’t think the above is a healthy relationship, thanks for asking.
A couple times a year, give your body a Caffeine Holiday for at least 30 days. (That means NO caffeine – no black or green tea, energy drinks or even decaf.)


For those of you who “just love the taste of coffee” but swear you don’t need the caffeine, you should consider switching to decaf. Just make sure that your coffee’s decaf process doesn’t use toxic industrial solvents like dichloromethane – buying decaf labeled “organic” is your best bet. A word of caution, though… while the downsides of copious amounts of decaf are significantly less than that of regular coffee, there is still a little caffeine left after the processing, and it contains additional compounds that aren’t awesome for you if you drink it by the liter. Exercise some restraint, and stick to the same moderate consumption as recommended above. Our apologies.

In summary, when it comes to coffee, less is generally better. Think before you drink.
 
Wow, I've read through all the posts here and it's wonderful to see the determination some of you folk have. Thanks Korn1!

Some very informative posts as well from ppl like WilD_CaT. Thank you all so far for the contributions, I will definitely consider all of this.
My opinion about exercise and healthy eating as a lifestyle is purely that it's a matter of willpower and mindset change.

So I need to get my head straightened out FIRST!
 
Firstly, KingBel, goodluck with your lifestyle change! You seem to have identified a couple of key areas where you want to improve, which is great. I'm sure the posters on this forum will help with moral support, at least!

I'm actually busy with a similar lifestyle-shift, though not quite as dramatic as you. I'm focused on my physical shape at the moment. Working on burning fat, which brings me to the main point of my post:

I'm doing the 3-times-a-week gym thing, and so far I've focused on cardio and it has helped, but my loss is leveling out now, struggling to get rid of the flab on my tummy, and my moobs.
The muscles are rock hard (stomach, triceps and pecks), but it's covered in flab. I do 125 pushups and 150 situps per session.

I want to move into weight training (machines) as a lot of people are suggesting this is the way to go. Thing is, I'm not sure what routine to follow?

What about 20 min on treadmill + training various areas on each training day. Say upper body on Monday, lower body on Wednesday and so on? I'm not sure how many exercises I'm supposed to do and how many sets/reps etc, though.

Any help?
 
MightyQuin said:
The best way to loose weight is too eat less. Excersise helps but is not the solution. 90% of losing weight is proper diet. And by dieting I mean eat healthy and eat less. Do not go ON A DIET. Eating healthy is self explanatory and so is eating less. Don't worry about going to gym. Do any "100" program at home: 100 Pushups...100 situps etc. Just google it quickly.
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What he said. People who eat a ton and exersise a ton still weigh a ton... or something like that.
 
OrbitalDawn said:
I'm actually busy with a similar lifestyle-shift, though not quite as dramatic as you. I'm focused on my physical shape at the moment. Working on burning fat, which brings me to the main point of my post:

I'm doing the 3-times-a-week gym thing, and so far I've focused on cardio and it has helped, but my loss is leveling out now, struggling to get rid of the flab on my tummy, and my moobs.
The muscles are rock hard (stomach, triceps and pecks), but it's covered in flab. I do 125 pushups and 150 situps per session.

I want to move into weight training (machines) as a lot of people are suggesting this is the way to go. Thing is, I'm not sure what routine to follow?

What about 20 min on treadmill + training various areas on each training day. Say upper body on Monday, lower body on Wednesday and so on? I'm not sure how many exercises I'm supposed to do and how many sets/reps etc, though.

Any help?
Click to expand...

You identified the kicker in your 1st paragraph. Don't focus on weight-loss, focus on fat-burning. It's no use losing muscle mass. You'll prolly pick up all the lost kg's when you stop.

I've read that you need to combine cardio/balance/strength training in order to burn fat, lose weight and tone up. I currently gym 4 times a week and my routine is as follows:

20mins treadmill (I started out managing 2.5kms, but got it up to 4kms in the 20min time)
15mins balance (I joined the "bootcamp" type classes they offer at gym where you do crunchies/situps and whatnot vs your own body weight)
25mins strength (basically a few sets on different machines on medium weights focusing on high reps until failure)

I notice this working better when I start with the treadmill to get my heartrate up. I weigh myself when I get to gym and when I'm done and on average I lose about 800grams of body weight in a 1-hour session.


As for eating, I cut out fizzy drinks, sweets, chocolates, biscuits, bread and sugar. I also eat yoghurt / apples during the day and I make sure I don't starve myself, but also that I only eat until I'm filled, I don't over-eat large portions like I used to. Weekends I generally relax or do activities outside that don't feel like work and I visit my parents where my mom tries to feed me "properly". Again, smaller servings without starving yourself. The problem with that is that you'll binge the moment you're weak.

All in all I started this in August when I had a bit of a episode and realised I needed to get my life on track because nobody else was going to do it for me. After weighing in this evening I've lost 12kgs since August. The most important part is that it should be a new lifestyle, not a crash course. I told myself that if I can't sustain it, I won't entertain it...so if I don't feel like gymming over the weekend, I don't and I don't feel guilty about it.

All the best dude, and enjoy the feeling of not being trapped in your body anymore!

EDIT: One of the biggest changes...boredom-snacking. We've programmed ourselves to grab a snack/drink when we sit down in front of the tv or go to movies or whatnot. Don't eat out of boredom, only eat when you're hungry. I used to drink coffee out of boredom, 5-6 cups a day, I'm down to 2 cups - and only in the mornings.
 
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Ok, I've reached the 15th and it's the first day of my lifestyle change. All in all, it seems to be going well.

Stopped smoking yesterday afternoon.
Went to sleep slightly earlier last night.
Woke up early
Started the day with some situps (about 40).. don't wanna overdo it on my first day..
Decided that i may need to just reduce my intake of caffiene instead of stopping altogether... tried it yesterday and almost fell asleep at my desk.

Will probably go to the shopping centre later to stock up on protiens, omega 3 items, veggies and some low gi bread.

Went to the pharmacy yesterday for some tests. Luckily my sugar and blood pressure are normal... unfortunately my cholesterol levels are very high. Gotta keep an eye on that.
 
i run, play squash, do rowing and some work on the bag.
It is pretty effective

I will be starting martial arts again in january, which will hopefully give me some flexibility and more core strength
 
Voicy said:
You identified the kicker in your 1st paragraph. Don't focus on weight-loss, focus on fat-burning. It's no use losing muscle mass. You'll prolly pick up all the lost kg's when you stop.

I've read that you need to combine cardio/balance/strength training in order to burn fat, lose weight and tone up. I currently gym 4 times a week and my routine is as follows:

20mins treadmill (I started out managing 2.5kms, but got it up to 4kms in the 20min time)
15mins balance (I joined the "bootcamp" type classes they offer at gym where you do crunchies/situps and whatnot vs your own body weight)
25mins strength (basically a few sets on different machines on medium weights focusing on high reps until failure)

I notice this working better when I start with the treadmill to get my heartrate up. I weigh myself when I get to gym and when I'm done and on average I lose about 800grams of body weight in a 1-hour session.


As for eating, I cut out fizzy drinks, sweets, chocolates, biscuits, bread and sugar. I also eat yoghurt / apples during the day and I make sure I don't starve myself, but also that I only eat until I'm filled, I don't over-eat large portions like I used to. Weekends I generally relax or do activities outside that don't feel like work and I visit my parents where my mom tries to feed me "properly". Again, smaller servings without starving yourself. The problem with that is that you'll binge the moment you're weak.

All in all I started this in August when I had a bit of a episode and realised I needed to get my life on track because nobody else was going to do it for me. After weighing in this evening I've lost 12kgs since August. The most important part is that it should be a new lifestyle, not a crash course. I told myself that if I can't sustain it, I won't entertain it...so if I don't feel like gymming over the weekend, I don't and I don't feel guilty about it.

All the best dude, and enjoy the feeling of not being trapped in your body anymore!

EDIT: One of the biggest changes...boredom-snacking. We've programmed ourselves to grab a snack/drink when we sit down in front of the tv or go to movies or whatnot. Don't eat out of boredom, only eat when you're hungry. I used to drink coffee out of boredom, 5-6 cups a day, I'm down to 2 cups - and only in the mornings.
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Yeah, I made that mistake before, calling it "weight loss", heh. The weight isn't the problem, the amount of that weight that's fat, is.

I'm also doing 20 min on the treadmill, although I noticed something strange. When I jog I burn less calories than when I briskly walk with a steep incline. Jogging for 20 minutes is a bigger challenge than the walking, but if it's more effective I should do that instead?

My main problem at the moment is eating properly, though. I eat healthy and seldom eat junk food, but I overeat and tend to do the boredom-snacking thing. Late night ice cream and such. I love food. :cry:

I do need to get it together, though, as I'm only delaying my own progress by not committing properly with my eating habits.
 
sandmanm34 said:
Agree. Shagging is still the best form of exercise.
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muhahahha, that was quite good :)

OrbitalDawn said:
Yeah, I made that mistake before, calling it "weight loss", heh. The weight isn't the problem, the amount of that weight that's fat, is.

I'm also doing 20 min on the treadmill, although I noticed something strange. When I jog I burn less calories than when I briskly walk with a steep incline. Jogging for 20 minutes is a bigger challenge than the walking, but if it's more effective I should do that instead?

My main problem at the moment is eating properly, though. I eat healthy and seldom eat junk food, but I overeat and tend to do the boredom-snacking thing. Late night ice cream and such. I love food. :cry:

I do need to get it together, though, as I'm only delaying my own progress by not committing properly with my eating habits.
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so u dont eat junk food......but you snack all the time and eat ice cream?
what would you then consider junk food?
 
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