Working on my body.

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Niniux

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Apr 14, 2008
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Well, I'm fat. I'm not terribly embarrassed to admit it. I haven't always been fat but I've always been pretty unhealthy. (Except maybe around the ages of 6-12) As a reference, I am 5'9 approx. and I currently weigh just under 240 lbs. Five years ago, I weighed 145 lbs. Anyway, though I've always known it, it's becoming the forefront of my attention that my body is probably my most important asset. My care of it will help determine the length and quality of my life. With a child on the way, my habits will also have an impact on that new life.

With that said, I would love to know opinions on good workouts. For the last 10 months I have been working a somewhat physical job (conductor/yard foreman for the railway) and have noticed my strength increase but it's also painfully obvious that I need to improve it more.

What are your recommendations for cardiovascular activity for fat burning and stamina building? How often and for how long?

As far as muscle building, any suggestions? I don't want to be the hugest guy around but I wouldn't mind having defined musculature.

And nutrition... What and when to eat in regards to exercise? Before or after? I won't promise I'll never slam down a greasy baconator, but I would like to know good energy foods and good foods for burning fat.

I don't have a set schedule for work, so that makes things more complicated, as I'm on call 24/7. Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

Also, what is everyone elses physical goals/situation?
 

Mstrswrd

Always playing Touhou. Always.
Mar 2, 2008
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Just doing some cardio on a bike or stairmaster (or something simmilar) for 10-15 minutes every day would help. It's better then nothing if you have no time, and actually helps a surprising amount. If you can, the very traditional push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, jumping-jacks as a warm-up is effective. then bike, then cool down (Streches, which you should also do before you start), then something like light weights with lots of reps, or, even better, do something like Tae Bo. Seriously. One of the easy ones to start, but after 2 weeks or so, you should move up in difficulty. Then 5-10 minutes on a bike (or whatever your replacement is) lightly, then more push-ups (etc), then cooldown.

As for eating, I can't help you there. The only reason I'm not too overweight is because of my working out (I eat horribly, which counters it quite effectively).
 

Seldon2639

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Feb 21, 2008
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Niniux said:
Well, I'm fat. I'm not terribly embarrassed to admit it. I haven't always been fat but I've always been pretty unhealthy. (Except maybe around the ages of 6-12) As a reference, I am 5'9 approx. and I currently weigh just under 240 lbs. Five years ago, I weighed 145 lbs. Anyway, though I've always known it, it's becoming the forefront of my attention that my body is probably my most important asset. My care of it will help determine the length and quality of my life. With a child on the way, my habits will also have an impact on that new life.

With that said, I would love to know opinions on good workouts. For the last 10 months I have been working a somewhat physical job (conductor/yard foreman for the railway) and have noticed my strength increase but it's also painfully obvious that I need to improve it more.

What are your recommendations for cardiovascular activity for fat burning and stamina building? How often and for how long?

As far as muscle building, any suggestions? I don't want to be the hugest guy around but I wouldn't mind having defined musculature.

And nutrition... What and when to eat in regards to exercise? Before or after? I won't promise I'll never slam down a greasy baconator, but I would like to know good energy foods and good foods for burning fat.

I don't have a set schedule for work, so that makes things more complicated, as I'm on call 24/7. Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

Also, what is everyone elses physical goals/situation?
If you want to lose weight, you need to both burn calories, but avoid getting your heart rate too high. If your heart rate goes above I would bet 130 for you (depending on age, level of general activity, ect) you start creating lactic acid, rather than burning.

Strength training isn't what you need, so I'd go with low-weight high reps. You want tone rather than bulk, I'm betting. Sit ups, crunches, and all of that can build the underlying muscle, but you need to burn off the fat. The usual stuff about died applies, and it would be beneficial to start a regular running routine. Base it opposite from your largest meal. If your largest meal is breakfast, run in the evening. If your largest meal is dinner, run in the morning (if possible).

Other than that, keep at it, and try to avoid injury from running or anything else. Stretch, warm up, cool down, the whole nine yards.

It all largely depends on what you're going for. Cardio, low impact, and running will help with losing weight and pure fitness. Pushups, sit ups, and weights will help with pure strength. I'd need to know more about what you're trying to really accomplish before advising you any more

For me, I'm a little overweight, but my height (6'2") helps. I've been running regularly; less because I want to lose the weight, and more because I noticed I was losing the ability. I'm focused on quick movement (to help with both martial arts and fencing), so DDR is surprisingly helpful. Aside from that, I'm trying to get back to the point where I can run a mile without pause and without getting my heart rate over 100. I was there for a while at my peak a couple years back, but being busy kind of killed it
 

CharlesVI

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Nov 15, 2007
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I'll see if I can help. I've read my share of health manuals and confirmed most of what I say with my own self.

In terms of running around the most important thing is that you do it full speed. plodding around for an hour is a waste of your time and effort if you ask me. Ive seen alot better results from running full speed for 5 mins than plodding for hours. If you cant run fast for long just tack on 30s-1min each day. So long as you keep at it, it will work out for you. You got fat over 5 years, dont think you will unfat in a few days (you probally know but trust me, it needs saying)

with muscle building the best thing you can do for overall strength is find a way to move heavy things around. Thats my favorite at least since it works all your muscles nice and even. Stay far away from body weights that go on your extremitys (ankles ect. its bad for your joints) though its probally easyer to lift weights, in that case start on somthing like 9 reps then go up to 11 ish then up your weight. Doing squats, cleans, bench presses and somthing for your triceps will cover most everything. if your going to a gym just ask a buff guy if you can copy what he does, flattery will get you everywhere. oh and for your back I find leg lifts (lift them up behind you, with some sort of weight on them) to be safe and effective.

that seemed convluted so to clarify a bit.
1) support muscles are important, try to use free weights or move heavy things around.
2) log what you do, start at 9 reps and move up to 11 then increase weight... progress everyday, try to hit all your major muscles. (back / forward for arms, legs, core)

I personally dont know if food burns fat but avoiding it is a good way to keep it gone. personally I cook my own food and replace butters with oils ect. I find vegitables and fruits like apples great since they are hard to digest so it makes you feel fuller longer. if you want to gain muscle mass whey protien is a good choice, you want 1g per lb of you if i rember right. In the long run if you excersise regularly and get a decent amount of fiber (eating fruits / veggies will do it) your body really takes care of itself. Things like cholesterol globs in your blood get burned when you go into anarobic excersise... and going into that is just as simple as exhausting yourself.

I ushally tell people this:
1) Eat reasonable meals 3 times a day
2) Eat low fat / high nutrition foods
3) Run around alot

Pick 2 and your good, more is better less is worse :)

I hope this helps, if I confused you or wrote somthing stupid in anyway feel free to ask for clarifications, or just write me off as an idiot its all up to you. Congrats on making a good decision for yourself, your joints are going to love you for this.

edit, saw the post above mine... I will say the best way to excersise with a low heart rate is to excersise in some way that gets it up high and do it alot, eventually the rate will go down and you strengthen your heart. not trying to attack or anything I just support the long term view of this stuff.
 

Ricknub

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Dec 19, 2007
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One thing I have heard about running/jogging is that the best way to lose weight is to alternate speeds (I'm not fully sure about this). When I use the elliptical machines at the rec center I go to, the "weight loss" preset is set up so you run on a flat surface with low resistance for five minutes, then on an incline with greater resistance for 5 minute, then back to the low setting, and so on. I've also heard this referred to as "Fartlek (sp?) Running."

Also, using an elliptical or running on a track are much lower impact than running on concrete and asphalt, which means you probably won't get shin splints (at least as badly).
 

cleverlymadeup

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Mar 7, 2008
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biking and/or walking, do one or both for about 20 mins a day and you will lose weight. for cardio, do more biking. if you live in an apartment walk up and down your stairs a few times a day, go all the way up and all the way down 1-2 times, even try going up them a bit quicker than normal, not running but not walking if that makes sense

avoid running, as many ppl will say it's good and blah blah, it can have more dangerous side effects such as bad knees and shin splints. you've said you have been not the healthiest eater and such, so you might not be getting the 1-2 glasses of milk you need, which makes running even worse.

as for biking, i'd suggest if you got trails, park or forest, go on those, you burn more energy and get better cardio that way.

also if you do go biking i'd suggest getting a camelback pack, they have a water reservoir in them and are great, i love mine and can't go biking without it. it keeps the water cold and you aren't reaching down to grab the bottle and definitely not dropping your water bottle when trying to put it back into the holder and most certainly not watching your water bottle pop out of the holder into a river or off a cliff, not that stuff like that has happened to me before. the water will be cold to, even in 35 C (97F or so) temp when you're sweating
 

call me alo

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May 8, 2008
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Hey guys saw this and i thought i could help, This ones going to be a long that will cover alot so bare with me. I see your main goal is to loss weight? The first thing you have to ask yourself really is how much? You being around my height (5'9) id say shoot for 180 pounds first then if you like the way its going you can keep it up or choice to go down another road like toning or weightlifting. I see alot of people have the wrong idea when it comes to things like weight lifting and muscle toning but ill get to that. Right now i just want people to think of there ideal weight, Got it? ok now read up ;)

THE FOOD
Ok so this part is by the most important. You are what you eat. Change your diet right now, its the by far the most simple part of all this! Cut the things you don't need. Any fast food must go. Dont eat something you'd wouldn't expect to see on your dinner table. What you is to loss weight right? So first thing you gotta cut down is fats. Stop eating fats. Not completely you need your fats for your body to work properly. The best way of thinking about fat is like this, all you need is already within the food. You shouldn't adding to it like say adding butter to that stake, your stake has enough on it to keep your body healthy.. i hope that makes any kinda sense. Second thing is carbs. Now i know alot of people will be quick to say... Cut out all your carbs if you want to loss weight and you know what that will work. You'd loss alot of weight fast, infact Thats how a famouse diet that starts with a "A" and end with a "kins" works. The problem is when you get hungry. Your body has evolved in way that when you get hungry it craves the most necessary things to stay alive, AKA carbs and fats. So this is what you do, eat your carbs but please try to cut down, i often think this is people biggest eating problem. Carbs after all help fuel your muscles(trust me youll need that when you get to my workout part) The best thing to do is cut out all the excess like you did with that fat, its simple. Dont eat that dinner roll. Dont eat all that pasta. its things like that that will really make a difference. Lastly this is something you do want. PROTEIN. trust me this stuff is golden. Your body needs because well look at you, your all protein! your hair, your nails, your muscles, your organs. Its everywhere! Eat meat, since your going to want to lean up id say stick to stuff thats lean like "fatty" fish (dont worry the fat in fatty fishes are omega 3's which are good for both your heart and brain) and white meat that isnt pork like chicken and turkey. Im not telling you have a stake or a burger, im all for it. Just try not to over do it. How often do you wanna eat? ALOT... 5 times at beast 3 times at least. Breakfest? its a must its not a question, you must have breakfest. Dont have time? thats bs. One of the best things to eat in the morning is oatmeal, its full of protein and carbs(which you really need in the morning) and there something call instant which you only need about a minute in the microwave to make. Lunch? eat damn it! you need too. The whole point is getting your body to process all this food via your metabolism, which you want on high at all times. Dinner? go light people eat way to much here. So wheres the other 2 meals? snacks before lunch and after dinner. How much to eat? Well you want to eat something around 2,000 calories. Eat from every food group, i could go on hours about why you need everything so i wont but ill high light important things for weight loss. vitamin C. and no dont drink juice... thats 200 calories a glass! Eat the fruit, its way better. Calcium. This ones easy, milk,cheese,yogart,etc etc. Heres my break down of this.

-Eat 5 times a day(Breakfest,Lunch,Snack,Dinner,Snack)
-Eat less of things you dont need(That extra bread you stuff down before a major meal)
-Eat things high in protien
-Eat less fats and carbs
-Eat from all the major food group
-Eat just much as you need no more, no less.
-Eat as many veggies as you can, There not only good for you but chances are you'll explode before you've eaten to many

THE WORKOUT
Ok this one's a little more simple so ill keep it fast and painless. You need to workout. Cardio is a must, infact its recommend that you do 30 mins of low impact to just keep your weight where it is so we'll be need more then that. The best way to do this is to pick something cardio you like and do it. Like to swim? hit the pool. Walks in the park? Then walk. You say you get cardio at work, thats great but youll need a bit more. With cardio even step counts, ever lap of the pool, every second on the tread. I wont confuse you with heat rates and other crap all just say this, work up a sweat. Thats how you know your body is doing enough. How much do you want to do? a hour, yes a hour. Not every day tho, thats wrong. you want to do it at least 3 times a week but id tell you to do it every other day. Its a system that wont fail you. Its called having "On" and "Off" days. when your "On" your doing cardio. What do you do on "Off"? no you dont sit on your butt ill get to that. Finally theres no cardio then team sports. Alot of people dont do cardio because its so damn boring. Soccer is a good pick, Never see a fat soccer player do you? Basketball is my fave because it can happen in a seconds notice all you need is a ball, a court and people. You get my point. Now the next question ill answer is, Should i lift weights. FUCKING YES. If you havnt been your really missing out. I just have to say this. Dont listen to anyone else so far when it comes to weight lifting. Its so important ill give it another section. weight lifting is happens on "off" days if you havnt guessed already. So here my break down

-Its a must so do it, In anyway you can get it.
-Never try do it intense carido for more then 3 days a week
-Sweat! it means its working.
-Know your limits, A hour on the tread might be enuff to break ones mans sweat but enuff to give another man a heart attack. You will build up into it and it will get harder when you get more fit but for now stick to what you can handle.

THE WORKOUT PART II: resistance training
Ok so really now. I heard alot of people say do things that are so wrong its sad. Heres one "do multi reps and low weight if dont want to bulk" While that will tone you its not why you want to lift weights. I dont know if people forget this but its all about the metabolism. Lifting weights is the best, read it again, BEST way to keep your metabolism extremely high. Doesnt it make sense? Your body is try to repair itself from a work out so it uses things like calories and stored fats to get the energy it needs to build or repair your muscles. I also hear people saying toning and building muscle is different which is true but for you right now theres no difference, you need to grow muscle to effectively tone it. So what do you do? Find a weight you can do 20 reps of anything with and do 3 sets of it. thats all. Eventually you'll have to move to heavier because you wont be challenged with your old weight.Ill stop here for a second so i can make it clear, muscle is something you want. Every pound of muscle burns 50 calories, if you add more muscle your body burns more keeping you fit without you even trying. You want to gain, it also looks great. So what do you wanna work on as a noob? Well id pick 4 spots to work out during one work out. If you want me to pick id say shoulders,arms or chest,legs, abs. Finally why you want to do all that? Well because if you do body will be burning alot more cal's up to 8 hours after your workout. Remenber its trying to repair. How long is a good resistance work out? Thats a hard one to answer. You could do it in 15 but id give it half a hour till you figure out all the workouts and feel comfy. Heres my break down

-Any resistant training is good for weight loss. even if its body weight resistant like push ups and sits up. Infact do them. as many as you can, there sum of the best things you can do.

-You wont beef to the extreme unless you do something call a "max" lift when you lift as much as you can

-Muscle helps burn cals, the more you have the more youll burn.

-It keeps you burning calories when your just chilling watching tv hours after.

Finally remenber a few things. being more active is basically the best way to loss weight. Think about this my gamer friends. standing up burns twice as much calories then sitting down. Really theres no secert to lossing weight its just effort. I think this is really just a very very small bit of everything but if anyone wants help with the workout or eating right ill be happy to give them sample workouts and sample of things to eat. If your interested msg me or add me on msn or something if you want that kinda help. btw this goes for both chicks and dudes.
 

Anarchemitis

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Dec 23, 2007
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Jesus loves you the way you are.
(The above sentence is completely serious and bears no humor whatsoever.)
 

Sparkly Weasel

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May 8, 2008
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Try the Navy's idiot proof diet. My friend's on it, he's lost weight pretty fast. Working out is a plus, too.
 

Melaisis

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Dec 9, 2007
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I suppose my greatest piece of advice to anyone wishing to lose weight is to never, ever eat after six at night.

Ever!

I don't care if you intend to go to bed at three in the morning; somehow most bodies are stubborn enough not to want to digest the food you eat after sundown. It's weird, but this strategy beats any 'usual' dieting hands down.
 

monodiabloloco

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May 15, 2007
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Only do 'work outs' that you enjoy. If you get bored with it, you will have a much harder time sticking to it.
Anything not sitting on your bum is a work out in my book. I have done no more than a dietary change, and play DDR every night for 30-60 min and I have lost about 20 lbs in the last 2 months or so. Find something you like. Play basket ball with a friend, get a punching bag and beat on it for 30 min a night (by the way, that is one HELL of a workout AND it's lots of fun, relieves stress, tones your whole body, and improves hand eye coordination. You can't lose with a punching bag.)
Stop drinking soda.
Count your calories and try to burn about 500 more per day.. that'll lose you about a pound a week. There are all sorts of calorie counters online that will tell you how much you lose all day.
Really, the biggest thing: Keep it realistic. Don't get discouraged after a week, give it at least 4. Don't constantly weigh yourself or look in the mirror for changes. Just do it and forget about the why part until you have been going for at least 1-2 months. Also, DO NOT underestimate your ability to convince yourself to stop. If you have never been a real work out type of person, you probably won't be now. It's very important to do things you enjoy so you don't think of your work out as work.

I know it all may sound bunk especially next to the hard core advice from any health nuts on here, but I have gone from originally 310 to 285 just by cutting out soda and and from 285-265ish just by adding in DDR or walking a mile or two every night.
 

cleverlymadeup

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Mar 7, 2008
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Melaisis said:
I suppose my greatest piece of advice to anyone wishing to lose weight is to never, ever eat after six at night.

Ever!

I don't care if you intend to go to bed at three in the morning; somehow most bodies are stubborn enough not to want to digest the food you eat after sundown. It's weird, but this strategy beats any 'usual' dieting hands down.
i take exception to that and say it's crap, i get home from work at around 6pm, so if i followed that i wouldn't be able to eat dinner. also i've lost weight and eaten stuff after that time, still am losing weight

eating just before bed is a bad thing, tho if you must make it fruit, veggies or something like that. stuff that's not loaded with carbs and calories

the other thing i will say is don't be discouraged if you don't start dropping the pounds, 2 pounds a week is typical, tho you might notice you are gaining weight not losing. you're gaining muscle back and not losing the same amount of fat, muscle weighs more, so check things such as your waisting and such to see how much they are going down.

weight gain + baggier clothing == muscle gain and good
wegith gain + clothing still the same == change diet more and exercise

but what others have said do things you enjoy/can do. a walk is probly one of the easiest and simplest things ppl can do. also you can get an exercise bike and watch tv while pedalling