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Author Topic: Weight Loss Advice  (Read 5063 times)
Darth Knox
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« Reply #15 on: February 28, 2017, 01:38:02 AM »

By "do something" I meant do something more than you would normally do.  Which probably didn't help explain anything.

I did not mean, do some form of strenuous exercise every day.  I meant, don't just sit around.  Stand up and walk 5 feet and then back during a commercial.  Heck, just stand up during the commercials.  Have a tennis ball you toss back and forth between your hands while you watch TV. 

I guess what I mean is, be more active, even if it's in a small way.  Don't be passive.  I've spent the last hour on my iPad.  But I've been walking around the house, or at least standing up, rather than sunk into the couch with it propped on my stomach. It's something, and even though it's small, it makes building up to the bigger things easier I think, and it helps keep you going as you work your way up.
Ah ok. I thought you meant exercise every day. My bad. Your bad. Our bad. Simple misunderstanding easily fixed.
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Darth Tepes
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« Reply #16 on: February 28, 2017, 02:10:52 AM »

I forgot to mention another main hurdle...energy.  Here is my 5 days out of the week:  Wake up at sunrise, drive 2 hours to work, Be on my feet the entire day except for the 30 min I have for lunch (no desk job for me), drive the 2 hours back home, get home and have just enough time/energy to do a few small chores and eat something.  Then its shower and bed and hope I can actually fall asleep so I am not falling asleep on the way to work.  The gym I have access to is a Military gym so there are no real trainers to talk to, just 18 year old soldiers who run all the time.   Not trying to be difficult, just giving a picture of where I'm at.
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Darth Knox
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« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2017, 02:21:15 AM »

I forgot to mention another main hurdle...energy.  Here is my 5 days out of the week:  Wake up at sunrise, drive 2 hours to work, Be on my feet the entire day except for the 30 min I have for lunch (no desk job for me), drive the 2 hours back home, get home and have just enough time/energy to do a few small chores and eat something.  Then its shower and bed and hope I can actually fall asleep so I am not falling asleep on the way to work.  The gym I have access to is a Military gym so there are no real trainers to talk to, just 18 year old soldiers who run all the time.   Not trying to be difficult, just giving a picture of where I'm at.
The more you exercise the more energy you will have. Plus, you will also sleep better and easier.

As for having no-one to talk to, some people prefer to train alone, some prefer to train with a partner. I personally prefer to train alone. It means I can focus purely on exercising and not get distracted unnecessarily.

As for your typical day, look into ways you can save time so you have 30 mins after work to exercise. It may be hard, but eventually (hopefully) you can make training part of your daily routine and it will just be another thing you do that day.

If you really cannot do that, then you may want to look into wrist and ankle weights that you can wear all day.
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Darth Tepes
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« Reply #18 on: February 28, 2017, 02:34:44 AM »

The more you exercise the more energy you will have. Plus, you will also sleep better and easier.

As for having no-one to talk to, some people prefer to train alone, some prefer to train with a partner. I personally prefer to train alone. It means I can focus purely on exercising and not get distracted unnecessarily.

As for your typical day, look into ways you can save time so you have 30 mins after work to exercise. It may be hard, but eventually (hopefully) you can make training part of your daily routine and it will just be another thing you do that day.

If you really cannot do that, then you may want to look into wrist and ankle weights that you can wear all day.

Ill see what I can do...Exercise is out for now though as I am coughing every 3 seconds due to a chest cold.  I will keep ya'll updated..thanks for all the advice.
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Darth Knox
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« Reply #19 on: February 28, 2017, 02:35:59 AM »

Ill see what I can do...Exercise is out for now though as I am coughing every 3 seconds due to a chest cold.  I will keep ya'll updated..thanks for all the advice.
Man-flu? Or something more serious?
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Darth Tepes
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« Reply #20 on: February 28, 2017, 02:45:04 AM »

Man-flu? Or something more serious?

Dunno, just started yesterday.  Did have fever so I took the day off work.   
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Majobu5
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« Reply #21 on: March 01, 2017, 12:59:31 AM »

Let me slide in and say a few things. No one take offense, cuz none of this is from an offensive approach. Just can't relay tone of voice well on a webpage.

Individuals who are large who are attempting to lose weight who have a history of bad eating, come from large families, been big all their lives, you can say, "it's a choice they've made" but there's not enough research that proves that points, nor does the point that just cuz you come from all those factors mean that you're "automatically" gonna be "big".
So, when a trainer, people give advice about just getting up and doing something, appearance of the "it's so simple" method is not so simple to the individual who is overweight. Many times, it is totally "impossible" it seems. Just getting up, going for a walk. A fit person thinks, "How the F can they not just do a simple walk??" Lack of motivation, depression, try walking around feeling sluggish and with alot of weight. Hell, people call in sick if they have a cold, imagine walking with an extra 100 lbs, less energy, and less motivation. It's not easy.
So what I'm trying to get at it is a plan sounds good and all, but Tepes, you gotta work on your mind as well. Without a strong mind, the body won't budge. I've been a chunky little boy, a stalky, buff, badass fast asskicker in high school, and while I'm out of shape now, I know what it's like to feel unmotivated. I'm not signing up for My 600lb Life, but at 255lbs, when I should be 175lbs I feel horrible. I can get there, but so close, so far.
It's the mind though. I have bipolar disorder, admittedly have a seratonin issue that I constantly got to address with freaking medication and therapy. I love the therapy, very helpful. So strong mind will help you. Just my two cents
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Darth Knox
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« Reply #22 on: March 01, 2017, 01:08:35 AM »

Let me slide in and say a few things. No one take offense, cuz none of this is from an offensive approach. Just can't relay tone of voice well on a webpage.

Individuals who are large who are attempting to lose weight who have a history of bad eating, come from large families, been big all their lives, you can say, "it's a choice they've made" but there's not enough research that proves that points, nor does the point that just cuz you come from all those factors mean that you're "automatically" gonna be "big".
So, when a trainer, people give advice about just getting up and doing something, appearance of the "it's so simple" method is not so simple to the individual who is overweight. Many times, it is totally "impossible" it seems. Just getting up, going for a walk. A fit person thinks, "How the F can they not just do a simple walk??" Lack of motivation, depression, try walking around feeling sluggish and with alot of weight. Hell, people call in sick if they have a cold, imagine walking with an extra 100 lbs, less energy, and less motivation. It's not easy.
So what I'm trying to get at it is a plan sounds good and all, but Tepes, you gotta work on your mind as well. Without a strong mind, the body won't budge. I've been a chunky little boy, a stalky, buff, badass fast asskicker in high school, and while I'm out of shape now, I know what it's like to feel unmotivated. I'm not signing up for My 600lb Life, but at 255lbs, when I should be 175lbs I feel horrible. I can get there, but so close, so far.
It's the mind though. I have bipolar disorder, admittedly have a seratonin issue that I constantly got to address with freaking medication and therapy. I love the therapy, very helpful. So strong mind will help you. Just my two cents
I'm lucky that I've never had to deal with excess weight as an issue personally. However, I know I'm lucky. And, as a former personal trainer, I would never assume anything about a person's background based on their weight alone. I know that there are a myriad of mitigating circumstances that can lead to an individual being big.

As I said somewhere on here, the hardest part for most people about exercise is the getting to the gym (the motivation to go there rather than go home/go to the pub/go eat/whatever). This is a factor for many many people when exercising.

As M5 and others have said, the mental component is key. I know it's not that simple, but hopefully you (and anyone else who is looking to lose weight) can stick with it, stay motivated and eventually reap the rewards of all your hard work.

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Taegin Roan
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« Reply #23 on: March 01, 2017, 01:17:06 AM »

While I am not that old, have that much experience, and am not in shape right now, I will say that I agree with what M5 just said. If you don't have the will to get in shape, you wont be able to. I am having problems staying motivated right now, but that is mostly because it is Winter, and I am really busy. Yes, those are just excuses, but when you live here, they are pretty good excuses. I have recently been trying to get back into shape, and I have had some success. This biggest thing is like what Viv said, do something everyday that you normally wouldn't. This will help you to overcome the "I can't do it" mindset.

Just an example, but for the last few years, I have been trying to get myself to do a back-flip (on the trampoline). I know that I can do it, and I have almost done it multiple times, but then I think "what happens if I don't land correctly, and I hurt myself", this is what has kept me from doing one. I know I can, and I could probably land it perfectly the first time. However, I just can't get past the fear factor. Once I do that, no stunt will be to hard for me to do. I used to be scared of doing simple things like shoulder-roles. Now I jump off the trampoline and hit the ground, and use them to break my fall. Sort of a bad example, but it is simple enough to make it easy enough to understand. I don't know much about you, and so I cannot give you any other advice other than to just do it.
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Majobu5
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« Reply #24 on: March 01, 2017, 01:18:27 AM »

I'm lucky that I've never had to deal with excess weight as an issue personally. However, I know I'm lucky. And, as a former personal trainer, I would never assume anything about a person's background based on their weight alone. I know that there are a myriad of mitigating circumstances that can lead to an individual being big.

As I said somewhere on here, the hardest part for most people about exercise is the getting to the gym (the motivation to go there rather than go home/go to the pub/go eat/whatever). This is a factor for many many people when exercising.

As M5 and others have said, the mental component is key. I know it's not that simple, but hopefully you (and anyone else who is looking to lose weight) can stick with it, stay motivated and eventually reap the rewards of all your hard work.



There was a show called "Fit to Fat to Fit" that had personal trainers gain a ton of weight, then lose it with the over weight individual. Decent concept, putting your mindset in that person's train of thought, but a lifetime of bad habits is different than a period of binge eating. Very dark, hard to explain. It's not saying EVERYONE overweight is like that.
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Darth Knox
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« Reply #25 on: March 01, 2017, 01:19:50 AM »

There was a show called "Fit to Fat to Fit" that had personal trainers gain a ton of weight, then lose it with the over weight individual. Decent concept, putting your mindset in that person's train of thought, but a lifetime of bad habits is different than a period of binge eating. Very dark, hard to explain. It's not saying EVERYONE overweight is like that.
Exactly. That's a really good example.
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ThreadJack
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« Reply #26 on: March 01, 2017, 05:09:11 AM »

I am planning on going back to the gym regularly as soon as this semester is over. Hopefully once I get back in the routine, I can keep it going and end up working it in during next semester. I was really bad with that since I started school.
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Darth Tepes
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« Reply #27 on: March 18, 2017, 01:57:25 AM »

Ok, finally over being sick after weeks of coughing.  Ready to try and do something, anything.  One thing is not only am I out of shape in general, after my illness my Lungs are shot..I get winded quite easily right now.  SO here's my plan, feel free to correct me if it is wrong.  I need to get in shape...so I can get in shape.  I need to build up my lungs and heart so here is what I have come up with...

Mon, Wed, Fri- 30 min (even pace) on elliptical.   With push ups on Wednesdays to keep strength up.

Food is still my biggest hurdle.  Cutting back on calories is one thing, its figuring out how much carbs, proteins etc I need.


Wanting my gut gone and some size in my chest and arms by halloween..want to dress as Old Man Logan....

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Light Side, Dark Side.  I'm the guy with the Saber.
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Majobu5
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« Reply #28 on: March 18, 2017, 02:18:10 PM »

Ok, finally over being sick after weeks of coughing.  Ready to try and do something, anything.  One thing is not only am I out of shape in general, after my illness my Lungs are shot..I get winded quite easily right now.  SO here's my plan, feel free to correct me if it is wrong.  I need to get in shape...so I can get in shape.  I need to build up my lungs and heart so here is what I have come up with...

Mon, Wed, Fri- 30 min (even pace) on elliptical.   With push ups on Wednesdays to keep strength up.

Food is still my biggest hurdle.  Cutting back on calories is one thing, its figuring out how much carbs, proteins etc I need.


Wanting my gut gone and some size in my chest and arms by halloween..want to dress as Old Man Logan....



Nice goal! Nice new avatar too!
Look up online how to build up lung capacity. There's some helpful ideas just by holding your breath that will do, but not for too long, cuz then your brain suffers. You know those things at the hospital that they make you blow into to lift up the ball for X amount of time? Well, that helps too
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Darth Knox
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(Dark points only) Do not hesitate. Show no mercy


« Reply #29 on: March 19, 2017, 05:05:51 PM »

Ok, finally over being sick after weeks of coughing.  Ready to try and do something, anything.  One thing is not only am I out of shape in general, after my illness my Lungs are shot..I get winded quite easily right now.  
Can you elaborate on "you get winded quite easily"? Do you mean you get out breath really quickly when you do something active? If yes, then that may not necessarily be your lung capacity, it could just be a sign that you are just a bit unfit (not trying to be bad or put you down in any way).

If you walk up a flight of stairs and are out of breath, that will mean you are just unfit, but once you start training that will get bette/easier.

If you walk up a flight of stairs and your lungs actually hurt, then it may be an issue of lung capacity and you should consult a doctor to explore your options (last thing you want to do is start doing too much too soon and compromising an medical condition).

I need to get in shape...so I can get in shape.  
As I mentioned before, have a check up with your doctor first and explain to them that you are looking to get back into shape. Also, it's not possible to get in shape to get into shape. There is just getting into shape. Step one is deciding to do it. Step two is starting to do something.

When I was a personal trainer I used to see people coming into the gym who hadn't done any trainer or keep fit for years and the biggest mistake I consistently saw was them trying to do too much too soon.

Please remember: IT IS NOT A RACE and there are no shortcuts. You need to start slow and steady to begin with. Those same people I mentioned before were so desperate to lose weight and get fit they were unprepared for how much it will initially hurt when you're away from the gym.

Whichever exercises you end up doing, because your body is not used to it, you are essentially forcing your body to do something it hasn't experienced before or for a long time. During recovery (ie when you are not at the gym) you will experience pain. It is just a natural by-product of exercising. Now, there is a scale as to how much pain you will be in and also what your threshold for pain tolerance is. But, you need to be aware that this will happen (I won't bore you with all the biological reasons behind why it happens).

Mon, Wed, Fri- 30 min (even pace) on elliptical.   With push ups on Wednesdays to keep strength up.
I would say 30 mins is a good target to begin with. Elliptical machines are great as they are a compound exercise (which means you use several body parts are the same time, which means you work harder and burn more calories).

 May I suggest you have an aim though. So week 1, you do 30mins per session, week 2 you 31 mins etc This way you are working you body a little harder each week, but not in a crazy way, with an aim to build up to 45mins per session. Also, try and make sure that you use the same even pace in each session, so that you have consistent intensity in each session.

If the elliptical machine has digital read-outs, make sure you write down the distance covered from each session. This will help chart your progress and can be  a little boost of confidence when you inadvertently find after 4 weeks that you have made significant gains.

In terms of strength, push-ups are good, but you never mentioned how many reps or sets. I suggest 3-5 sets of 10 reps. Sounds easy, but you may be surprised at how it may feel when you do them straight after getting off the elliptical machine. Don't forget to write down how many reps and sets you do in each session too.

Food is still my biggest hurdle.  Cutting back on calories is one thing, its figuring out how much carbs, proteins etc I need.
Rather than focussing on calories, focus on how many meals you eat a day and what kind of food you are consuming. It's the content of the food that matters not the amount of calories. For instance, you may see a product that says it is "low calorie" but if you check the label for the contents it is high in sugars/fats/carbs. Which can be bad depending on what else you are eating.

Again, this may be something you can discuss with your doctor, but the general rule of thumb is smaller portions of food consumed over shorter period of time, no snacking on crisps/biscuits/chocolate etc. In terms of food content, the basics are

45% should be Carbs
25% should be Protein
30% should be Fat (healthy kind)

Now, this is just a guideline, not a se-in-stone hard and fast rule. Everyone's metabolism is different and reacts differently to exorcise, so it may require some tweaking.

While it's a good idea to know how much protein, carbs and fat to include in your diet, what really matters when you're trying to lose weight is the "quality" of the foods you eat. By this I mean eating food that is minimally processed and rich in essential nutrients (fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains) instead of processed foods, such as white bread, sweets, fast food and processed meats such as bacon.

For example, refined grains and whole grains are both sources of carbs, but whole grains (such as oatmeal and wholewheat bread) are a natural source of nutrients that promote health such as fibre, vitamins and minerals. 

As I mentioned before too, the size of the portions you eat is essential to figure out too. Eating the right portion of food, even the healthy ones, is also necessary for keeping calories under control for weight loss.

You can google food charts that break food groups down into carb/protein/fats content but only a food and nutrient specialist/dietician will be able to help you determine how big or small your overall daily intake should be and from there you can break it down into portions per day.

I know people worry about the expense of food; it appears that buying fresh fruit and veg can be more expensive than buying processed food. In the short term that may be true (and obviously my experience is based on UK prices rather than American ones) however, if I went out and spent £20 on some frozen food and processed meals, that would last me maybe two weeks (just talking about dinner here, not breakfast and lunch). But, at my local farmers market and the local supermarket combined, I can buy ingredients that will make meals that I can have for dinner, have the leftovers for lunch the next day and will last me maybe three weeks.

So my money is going further. Yes, it's a little more effort to cook things and get containers for the leftovers, but for me, I enjoy cooking plus, if I want to look a certain way, this is just what I have to do. Some may view it as a sacrifice, and maybe it is, but I view it as a worthwhile sacrifice; I am much healthier than a vast majority of friends may age, I have more energy during, I sleep better at night, my skin is smooth and clear and I looks abut 10 years younger than I actually am.

One of many mantras I used to use with my clients when I was a PT is, you only get out of it what you put into it. That is true for both the exercising and the food you eat. Your body is a machine, powered by an engine and you need to make sure you are fuelling that engine with best possible fuel.

I know I've waffled on a bit, but I hope that helps.  Smiley
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