Official Diet & Exercise Tips Thread

[Derek The Infamous]

Post your most successful diets/workouts that have worked for you, and get advice on what diets/plans to pursue in this thread.

Discuss!

[Jesse]

As for myself I usually do 100 sit ups, 100 cruchces and 20 push ups a day but for the last two weeks I've done none.. haha.

I run a few miles every other week also. It helps to relieve stress and thus make me feel better.

And this is very bad dieting advise so please don't do it. I basically eat anything I like any time I like where ever I want. :lol:

[Theazninvasion68]

Dieting / weightloss will make you feel like you are suffering.

Stick to a plan no matter what with active dieting and excersise.

^ imo, best tips ever.

[Hawk]

Do some sport maybe. Some running even.
Sport is a fun, easy way to loose weight.

[L₳ζ₳Я]

Interesting thread.

I've been working out for 5 weeks now and my god it feels great. I never really bothered with weights and all that stuff, it was all football (or soccer) for me in the past. So it was a bit difficult at the start because my left hand is soooo much weaker than my right hand (wonder why? Fellas know why:D ). So after two weeks of sweat and blood poring down my face i've finally gathered strength to do biceps/triceps exercise in the same intensity. And yes the results are already showing.

A little tip for those who want to lose weight: do cardio and stay away from sugar and eat less. It's actually that simple. If you can run a lot already i suggest you doing some HIIT. Tabata method is probably the most known and one of the best methods. Sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, 8 circuits (you are done in 4 minutes). You think it's easy? Try it and let me know what happens. Note: You see that thing you're trying to brush off your face? That would be the floor.

[Jesse]

Does anyone know of a diet that isn't expensive that will actually make me gain weight? I'm way too skinny as it is right now but no matter how much I eat or how much lack of exercise I get I still manage to stay thin.

[L₳ζ₳Я]

Don't know about the price but i have some meal plans, i'll post it when i find them.

EDIT:

Here are some examples:

Day: 1

Schedule: 11:00 am Snack 8:00 pm Snack
6:00 am Breakfast 1:00 pm Mid Meal
9:00 am Snack 5:00 pm Dinner
Workout: Weight Resistance at 9:30 am

6:00 am Breakfast

1 1/4 cups Cottage cheese, light/low fat
2 cups Bran cereal, all varieties
1 cup Strawberries
1 tsp Olive, Flax, Hemp or Salmon Oils

9:00 am Snack

28 grams Protein powder
2 cups Strawberries
2/3 tsp Olive, Flax, Hemp or Salmon Oils
2/3 cup Oatmeal

11:00 am Snack

42 grams Protein powder
2 cups Fruit juice

1:00 pm Mid Meal

2 oz Cheese, low or non fat
3 oz Turkey breast, deli style
2 slice Whole grain bread
12 Peanuts
2 tsp Mayonnaise

5:00 pm Dinner

4 oz Chicken breast, skinless
1/3 cup Applesauce
1/3 cup Fruit cocktail
2/3 cup Rice
1 1/3 tsp Olive, Flax, Hemp or Salmon Oils

8:00 pm Snack

2 oz Cheese, low or non fat
2/3 cup Applesauce
12 Peanuts

Day 2:

7:00 am Breakfast

5 Eggs, whole
1 cup Mushrooms
1/2 cup Onions
1 cup Jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup Salsa
3 cups Tomatoes
1 tsp Olive, Flax, Hemp or Salmon Oils

9:00 am Snack

2 cups Yogurt, plain, low fat
2 tbsp Almonds, slivered

11:00 am Mid Meal

4 oz Chicken breast, skinless
2 slice Whole grain bread
4 tsp Mayonnaise

2:00 pm Snack

21 grams Protein powder
1 1/2 cups Yogurt, plain, low fat
1 cup Peaches, canned
1/3 cup Oatmeal

5:00 pm Dinner

4 oz Chicken breast, skinless
1/2 cup Mushrooms
1/2 cup Onions
1 cup Tomatoes
1 1/3 tsp Olive, Flax, Hemp or Salmon Oils
2/3 cup Rice

8:00 pm Snack

7 grams Protein powder
1 cup Milk, low fat (1%)
1/2 cup Peaches, canned
2/3 tsp Olive, Flax, Hemp or Salmon Oils

etc

So if you want to gain weight you have to eat 6 times/day. This is all high protein food, incorporate that with interval/resistance traning and cardio and you'll get the best results.

[esaul17]

You don't have to eat 6x/day to gain weight, nor does it effect your metabolism. Calories in - Calories out = change in weight.

[Jeff]

I lost 35 pounds since last November, pretty much just riding my bike 6 miles a day (mainly since its 3 miles to work, and 3 miles back) and watching what i eat. Plus it helps that I'm riding my bike in 90 degree weather, so I sweat a LOT which helps contribute.

[L₳ζ₳Я]

You don't have to eat 6x/day to gain weight, nor does it effect your metabolism. Calories in - Calories out = change in weight.

Yes but what i showed is quality food. If you want to build muscle you need to eat protein. But if you want to gain weight (fat and muscle), well, eat everything.

[Timothy]

You don't have to eat 6x/day to gain weight, nor does it effect your metabolism. Calories in - Calories out = change in weight.

True, but it's hard to eat all of the calories necessary to put on lean mass in just three meals.You need to eat a lot of good protein and clean food to build muscle (unless you're some genetic freak), and spacing out meals makes it much easier.

@Jay: Congratulations on the weight loss! I know how tough losing weight is, so keep up the good work.

[Jeff]

@Jay: Congratulations on the weight loss! I know how tough losing weight is, so keep up the good work.
thanks! i think if i lose about 10 more pounds, im going to treat myself to a new tattoo ^_^

[Jesse]

Being as I don't have a job I really can't afford to eat six times a day.. :lol:

[Joe]

I never really eat breakfast, I've never really been able to stomach food so early in the morning. That can't be a good thing, maybe I should start, haha. Do all of you guys eat breakfast?

[L₳ζ₳Я]

I never really eat breakfast, I've never really been able to stomach food so early in the morning. That can't be a good thing, maybe I should start, haha. Do all of you guys eat breakfast?

I eat my first meal ~1 PM. Funny thing is that breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal. Well, not in our book.

[Jesse]

I never really eat breakfast, I've never really been able to stomach food so early in the morning. That can't be a good thing, maybe I should start, haha. Do all of you guys eat breakfast?

Somtimes, actually meal times vary for me every day. And I don't really eat breakfast food much for breakfast.. but a lot of time I eat bacon and eggs for dinner.. haha. But really me, I'm totally random in what I eat. :lol:

[Timothy]

I never really eat breakfast, I've never really been able to stomach food so early in the morning. That can't be a good thing, maybe I should start, haha. Do all of you guys eat breakfast?

I used to be the same way, but I eat breakfast every morning now. I think it gives me more energy to start the day.

@Jesse: Breakfast for dinner is awesome. It's filling, easy to cook, and less time consuming than making a traditional dinner.

[Dean]

I never really eat breakfast, I've never really been able to stomach food so early in the morning. That can't be a good thing, maybe I should start, haha. Do all of you guys eat breakfast?
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

[Tomi]

Why wouldn't you make breakfast? Honestly, even it's just a bowl of cereal, or a quick toasted sandwich, it's pretty beneficial for you to start off the day with. Besides, you just woke up, why would you want to do anything at all, when eating doesn't require much work? :P

[Jesse]

Today for breakfeast I had steak with mozzarella cheese and for dinner I hate a 3 baked potatoes and a cold salad with sliced grilled chicken . for lunch i had some mcdonalds french fries and a cheese burger.

[Colonel Sanders]

No one can have a perfectly balanced diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle - however, we can get pretty darn close. In order to get top notch results you'll have to stick to what you can afford, what works, what is enjoyable, and what you like.

You've probably seen it on TV, or you've heard about. Now's your chance to jump on the boat with millions of other fanatics who have changed their lives. To get ideal results you can research plans and products and unify the best of the best together. I absolutely love P90x created by Tony Horton and distributed by BeachBody. This is a product you can use if you have a good enough space at home, the money to afford it, and the character strength to stick to the program and grow. This is an amazing program that if coupled with a healthy diet will give you awesome results.

For more info visit the site below:
http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/best_sellers/p90x.do?tnt=P90X_REVIEWS_A2

p.s. BRING IT! I promise to BRING IT ALL DAY EVERY DAY!

[Mr. Long]

No one can have a perfectly balanced diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle - however, we can get pretty darn close. In order to get top notch results you'll have to stick to what you can afford, what works, what is enjoyable, and what you like.

You've probably seen it on TV, or you've heard about. Now's your chance to jump on the boat with millions of other fanatics who have changed their lives. To get ideal results you can research plans and products and unify the best of the best together. I absolutely love P90x created by Tony Horton and distributed by BeachBody. This is a product you can use if you have a good enough space at home, the money to afford it, and the character strength to stick to the program and grow. This is an amazing program that if coupled with a healthy diet will give you awesome results.

For more info visit the site below:
http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/best_sellers/p90x.do?tnt=P90X_REVIEWS_A2

p.s. BRING IT! I promise to BRING IT ALL DAY EVERY DAY!


This program is no joke. I own both p90x and Insanity. Ive have done extensive research on nutrition and workouts and this is the best. My really good friend is a personal trainer and MMA fighter (amateur) and says he has a love hate relationship with this program. It takes away his business :lol: I own the Bowflex Selectech dumbells and theyre perfect for this program. There isnt anything better. Most of the guys on twilight used this program. Professional athletes use it as well. Best program EVER!

[Colonel Sanders]

Yes man, seriously, those programs coupled with periodic endurance building, work outs at the gym, and a healthy diet is the ideal exercise schedule pieces. The good thing is that Beach body programs can be modified for wherever the buyer is at. JUST LOOK AT IRA, THE MAN! I wonder what he's up to now a days...Probably keepin up with his nephew!!! haha

[L₳ζ₳Я]

Heh and i wanted to ask you people what you think about P90x because i heard some great things about it. I am a biginer but i might give it a try one day, once i get stronger. Is this program really worth it?

[esaul17]

I've never done it, but I will say that if you are a beginner you should probably do the Power 90 workout by the same company. It is a beginner's program, p90x is intermediate.

[Colonel Sanders]

You can use P90x to suit your current level of general fitness and for your goals. If you are looking for the baby hills go and get the 10 minute trainer first. Esual17 has a good point regarding the benefit of using P90 before P90x. P90x is literally a work out routine for Spartans, and whats even better than that is the fact that Tony Horton made a P90x+! No way. I love this stuff; no hate, but even Tony has a love-hate too (from ab ripper X ..inside joke). INSANITY looks self-evident. Do tell more about your personal experience with the product mr. long. I'd love to rise up to a new challenge like INSANITY.

[Shark Attack]

I've been doing this for the past 3 weeks, and feel a lot better-

Workout for 1-2 hour a day, including 20-40mins on treadmill/bike and an hour or so on weights
Drinking only water or diet coke (diet coke is basically water, its THAT healthy)
Taking a protein shake after my workout and before bedtime (helps your body heal)
Just having little snacks like fruit and nutrition bars through the day, with a solid meal around 200-400 calories around 7pm

Makes me feel a lot better, i sweat a ton and even though its hard to stick to (i have slipped and had the occasional takeaway) i have lost a couple of pounds...

Some help i need though is how to lose the beer belly, whats the best routine for abs? Is it just a case of cardio+sit ups?

[Luke]

I'm in the middle of finally getting down to losing some weight. I've always been a fairly big person (and slow metabolism seems to run in the family) but since I left college 4 years ago I slipped downhill a bit. Now I'm getting into the habit of eating healthy and being more aware of what I eat and I'd say awareness is certainly the first step for any weight loss regime. Always read the neutricional information on any food you get and make sure that it's low in saturates, sugar and not too high in calories. It's also important that you start your day with a good, healthy breakfast as it gets your metabolism running. When I say healthy breakfast, I don't necessarily mean a bowl of cerial...As long as you grill it (this works better if you have a george foreman grill), you can technically have bacon or sausages. It's important that you start off your day with around 400 calories though so you have suitable energy to take you through to lunch.

As for working out, little things like walking or cycling more go a long way. Being on a treadmill for around an hour is good aswell as it will keep your heart rate up and a higher heart rate means faster metabolism.

[L₳ζ₳Я]

I've been doing this for the past 3 weeks, and feel a lot better-
Some help i need though is how to lose the beer belly, whats the best routine for abs? Is it just a case of cardio+sit ups?

You should try doing some HIIT. HIIT will burn fat much faster than regular cardio. You should also incorporate ab exercises in your work out plan. Weight lifting (max 1 hour)+HIIT (15min-20min top) will do wonders for you (basically ~1.5 hours/day). It will boost your metabolism.

By the way resting is also very important, right now i am working out 3 days (mon, tue, wed), 1 day (thu) rest and then 2 days (fri, sat) workout and again 1 day rest (sun). So that's 3 (1)+2(1). Do HIIT and weight lifting 5 days/week, avoid sugars and eat less. That would be my tip.

[Shark Attack]

You should try doing some HIIT. HIIT will burn fat much faster than regular cardio. You should also incorporate ab exercises in your work out plan. Weight lifting (max 1 hour)+HIIT (15min-20min top) will do wonders for you (basically ~1.5 hours/day). It will boost your metabolism.

By the way resting is also very important, right now i am working out 3 days (mon, tue, wed), 1 day (thu) rest and then 2 days (fri, sat) workout and again 1 day rest (sun). So that's 3 (1)+2(1). Do HIIT and weight lifting 5 days/week, avoid sugars and eat less. That would be my tip.

Whats HIIT?

[L₳ζ₳Я]

Whats HIIT?

HIIT - high intensity interval training. Say you are running, you do it like this - run 20 seconds (sprint), rest 10 seconds. That's one circuit, complete a total of 8 circuits should take less than 5 minutes. But be warned - it is extremely hard to do this.

I'd start off with this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGWAm5nMZG4

Looks easy and stupid but it's not. HIIT all the way.

[Shark Attack]

HIIT - high intensity interval training. Say you are running, you do it like this - run 20 seconds (sprint), rest 10 seconds. That's one circuit, complete a total of 8 circuits should take less than 5 minutes. But be warned - it is extremely hard to do this.

I'd start off with this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGWAm5nMZG4

Looks easy and stupid but it's not. HIIT all the way.

Thats basically what i do on my way to the gym, i sprint all out until im near death, then chill, then sprint, then chill, i also do it when on the treadmill, my friend laughs and says "your only sprinting for one minute and your knackered" but i have it a lot faster than he does...

Any recommendations regarding using protein? As a few heavy built weightlifters i know swear by it...

[Louis]

Well, there are a few weight-loss tips I know of and am trying to stick to this summer, because I know I've definitely put on a few extra pounds this past semester and need to lose those pounds before I go to college.

1) Smaller portions - To be quite honest, you don't really have to change what you're eating. Sure, you might have one cheese burger a day for lunch and then eat other things for breakfast and dinner. Well, what if you only had half a cheese burger one day, and saved the other half for the next day? What if when you go to that favorite Italian food restaurant of yours, you eat only half of that Fettuccine Alfredo instead of all of it? You'd be quite surprised to find that it makes a huge difference.

2) Eat less, but more often - The whole idea of eating three big meals a day takes its toll on some people's metabolisms. Eating 6 small meals a day helps to keep your metabolism going, which is crucial if you want to lose weight. A small meal could be like a bowl of fruit, or maybe a small bag of Chex Mix.

3) Watch how much you sleep - Sometimes having poor sleep habits can result in weight gain, from what I've heard.

4) Exercise regularly - You really don't have to run three or four miles each and every day to lose weight (although I'm sure that'd be helpful). You could run for 1/2 - 1 mile each day and still get some results. But either way, make sure you do it on a regular basis. I try to run 1 mile every other day if not every day, and if I've got the endurance to do so, I'll run a bit more. Also, swimming is one of the best ways to lose weight without putting a lot of stress on your body. If you have a pool, just swim a few times back and forth each day and you'll see progress.

But also in regards to that, if you're the sort of person who lifts weights but wants to see a loss in weight, don't get scared if for whatever reason you're still as heavy as you were before...by lifting weights you're building muscle and muscle is heavier than fat. You should also know that cardio exercises are the most effective in terms of losing weight.

5) Drink a lot of water - You have no idea how good this is for you in terms of weight loss and just feeling good. To give you an idea of how much water you need to drink, if you're not peeing clear, you're not hydrated. Plain and simple. You need to drink water. Here's something from a website that does a great job of explaining why water is helpful.


There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs.

Unfortunately, another of the liver’s duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can’t metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you’re also setting yourself up to store fat.

“I’ve tried it and I couldn’t stand it!” The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It’s understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you’re running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it’s going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless.
Do take heed , though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of “survival mode”. It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn’t need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn’t need to save these stores anymore; it’s trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It’s true. This is called the “breakthrough point.”

When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just be what's missing.

6) Be active - Seriously, don't just sit around the house all day. Keep doing some stuff during the day. Go play sports, go for a walk, do some sit-ups or something. This helps keep up your metabolism and all the while you're burning calories. A good game of ultimate frisbee helps. Also, I hear having sex does some of the same (OH BABY).

7) Avoid refined sugars - In other words, avoid candy. Not only does this help with weight loss, but refined sugars make you feel awful. The average person consumes about 92 grams of sugar a day, and only needs about 8 a day for energy, which is an amount that can be satisfied with the natural sugars you get from fruits, vegetables, and grains. Refined sugars also impair your immune system. Trust me, you'll sleep better, you'll recover from works outs more quickly, and you'll have more energy. The easiest way to start?

CUT SODAS. Seriously. You're basically consuming a glass full of sugar. There is a study that says that people who have one can of soda a day gain 15 pounds in a year. 15 pounds! That's considerable! Cut soda from your diet, and you'll find that your tummy might be getting just a bit flatter rather soon. And you know what you can replace that soda with? WATER! Oh my goodness it's all coming together.

I probably have more tips which I can put up later. The only other one I can remember is this:

8) Watch your calories. They say that the average person should only have up to 2000 calories, but you can live with less than that. Also, you need to consider this when you're working out: You'll only lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume. That's why running is so effective. You burn a lot of calories.

EDIT - MORE TIPS:

9) When you sigh, you're done - So, we can't avoid social eating, and sometimes that's really the most common reason for weight gain. You might be at that Italian Food Restaurant again with your friends and you're having that irresistible ravioli. Well, if you're eating and you sigh once, you're done. When your body first realizes that you're getting full, the natural response is to sigh, as if to try and shake off that heavy feeling. If you keep eating after you sigh, you're going to sigh more and more and then you'll feel worse and worse because you're eating more than your stomach should handle in a sitting. You all probably know what it feels like to be completely and utterly full to the point where you absolutely need to sit down (sometimes on a toilet). You need to avoid that as much as possible, and the best way to do it is to stop after the first sigh.

10) Small sacrifices = big results - This sort of thing basically goes along the lines of everything else I've said, but it's something to think about. For example, I used to eat Apple Cinnamon Cheerios regularly, and honestly, those aren't bad for you. It's about 160 calories for one serving with milk (which, by the way, is a cup. Most of you probably eat more than a serving's worth of cereal for breakfast). However, what if you went from Apple Cinnamon Cheerios to just plain regular Cheerios? That removes at least 10 calories. Also, take a look at the milk you might be having? Do you have whole milk? Try 2%, 1%, or even skim milk! What else...oh! You know how some restaurants give you bread before your meal? Maybe normally you'll have three pieces. Try having two instead (this goes back to the smaller portions bit). It adds up in the end, I promise.

One more example. Let's say you *love* chocolate (like I do.) Well, a Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar is pretty bad for you. It has more calories than that cup of cereal we were talking about before and it has all of these refined sugars you're trying to avoid. But, you still want your chocolate. Try Dark Chocolate, which is considered to be "healthy chocolate." Dark Chocolate contains less calories, it lowers your blood pressure and contains anti-oxidants.

Another small sacrifice that might be significant for all of you: Fast Food is absolutely awful for you, but if you don't want to cut it out of your diet, there is one simple change you can make. Don't go to McDonald's, don't go to Burger King or Jack in the Box. Instead, go to In N' Out. They make the food right there. They don't cover everything in oil like the fries at other places. Sure, that makes the fry less tasty, but a lot more healthy. Their burgers are cooked right there, not pre-frozen. Their milkshakes aren't made from lots and lots of syrup but from legitimate milk and ice cream (which is considerably healthier). Also, In N' Out is still really inexpensive.

Last thing I can think of again for now:

11) Food Pyramid - Seriously, try and follow it. When your body is getting all of the right servings and nutrients that it needs, you'll feel a lot better and begin to lose weight. Overall you're just going to be a healthier person by doing so. Look it up. That shit's good for you.

I hope this all helps!

[Shark Attack]

I eat this per day since i started my diet:

One small bowl of porridge for breakfast - 200kcal
One nutrition bar - 100kcal
One apple - 80kcal
One salad, ready made - 250kcal
One yoghurt, low fat - 150kcal
One protein shake before bed - 150kcal

And thats it, i only drink water or diet coke, figures if i stay to that, within 3 months i'll have lost my target of 1-2 stone...

[esaul17]

"2) Eat less, but more often - The whole idea of eating three big meals a day takes its toll on some people's metabolisms. Eating 6 small meals a day helps to keep your metabolism going, which is crucial if you want to lose weight. A small meal could be like a bowl of fruit, or maybe a small bag of Chex Mix."

For a heads up, studies have been done to show that increased meal frequency doesn't help your metabolism. It may make you less likely to get hungry and binge on calorie dense food, but it comes down to what you eat, not how many meals it is eaten in. Calories in - calories out. Look at http://leangains.blogspot.com if you want to see an example of a diet schedule that has you eating all your food for the day in a 8 hour block to lose weight.

Meal frequency is more about what fits into your lifestyle, not something that magically speeds up metabolism.

Also, about your #7, while agree that sugars tend to be empty calories that have minimal nutritional and satiating properties, if you still manage to get the right number of calories and right macro-nutrient ratios, a bit more sugar won't kill you. It is a lot easier to binge on candy than fibrous vegetables though.


Most of your tips are pretty good though!

[Louis]

Huh. Well, I figured that eating 3 big meals would leave you with a slower metabolism than eating 6 smaller ones, but I guess I was mistaken. And no, sugar won't kill you, but cutting those refined sugars out of your diet does you a lot of good. A lot of athletes actually try to avoid sugars for those purposes.

[L₳ζ₳Я]

Sugars won't kill you but if you want rock abs you'll have to stay away from them.

[Jesse]

Reading this thread. It seems that I'm doing everything wrong in losing weight. Yet I don't gain weight at all.

[Theazninvasion68]

Theazninvasion68 Tips to dieting and exercise.


TIP #1. - Eat smart. Don't go out eatting heart foods, or items that are made out of lard. Be smart about it. Really. Eat your veggies, your fruits often, and have a fair carb start.

A bowl of cereal, a sandwich, or something. An Idea on how to eat.. Get a plate out. It should be 1/2 veggies, 1/4 rice (lolasian) or potato. 1/4 protein. Have some fruit after you eat, as sort of a desert. NOTE: Tofu counts as carb AND protein. If your going to work out, Tofu helps with dieting. IF you're going to eat tofu, eat it first. that is important.

TIP #2. - Be disciplined. I know you might have an almost unbearable craving for something fried or baked with sugar and sweets or fries. Just don't for a while. This is one of the hardest tips to keep by and easiest to say "well..." Seriously. When something greasy or you think might be really good, don't eat it. Stick to your diet plan and don't go off course.

TIP #3. - Have a disciplined work-out. You're body loves when you plan out and has a regular schedule. An example would be like this: Every Monday Wednesday Friday, you shall work out. The weekends, you should do cardio but take it lightly. Tuesday and thursday are the days your body rests.

TIP #4. - Cardio then work-out. It helps to strech your body out and prepare, and it also helps to prepare your heart too. Having a good Cardio work-out is just as important to a tough physical work out on your muscles. A stronger heart means more reps, and everything else follows through.

TIP #5 - Swimming. It's Cardio, and a workout all in one. Not only that, but the water is nice and sweating a storm wont make you smell horrible. If your workout routine is as i said, you have the weekend dedicated to swimming an hour or two.

[Harlz]

Take up a team sport.
Don't snack on rubbish throughout the day.
Don't eat within 2 hours of going to bed.
It's fairly simple.

[esaul17]

1. Calories in - Calories out = Change in weight. Eat more than you expend? Gain weight. Expend more than you eat? Lose weight. It doesn't matter what the food IS, whether it be green vegetables or big macs, it just matters how many calories are in it.

2. Macros = Body composition. Most specifically, protein is needed for muscle. Be sure to get enough of it. Carbs vs fat is far less important. "Clean" vs "Dirty" foods also matter little for this. They may have longer-term health consequences in terms of long term consumption, but don't tend to have immediate body-composition effects.

3. Resistance training = body composition. No matter how much protein you have won't matter if you don't actually give your body a reason to need muscle. Whether trying to lose weight or gain mass, weight training gives your body a reason to improve the weight lost (more fat, less muscle) or weight gained (more muscle, less fat).

4. Cardio is far less important than diet. A week's worth of cardio can be canceled out by one extra McDonald's combo. Cardio has it's place- most notable it can help increase the calories to be consumed in a day in lighter individuals (usually girls) who can't manage to eat as little as necessary to actually lose weight. If you do some cardio in the morning then come home and down some recovery shake though you probably just canceled out the calories you just burned off and would have been better staying in bed.


I am going to say those are by and far the most important things when it comes to body composition. Not when you eat, not the amount of preservatives in your food or how "processed" it is, not how many meals you eat a day, etc., etc., etc..

Consume the amount of calories needed to promote weight loss, gain or maintenance. Eat lots of protein. Lift heavy. Look good.

EDIT: Apparently I am forgetful. Here is a great source:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/

[Timothy]

I finally gave in and bought a George Foreman Grill. I made a turkey burger with some sliced eggplant (seasoned with garlic powder) for dinner. Not too shabby.

[Mark]

I finally gave in and bought a George Foreman Grill. I made a turkey burger with some sliced eggplant (seasoned with garlic powder) for dinner. Not too shabby.

CAUGHT.

[Joe]

I finally gave in and bought a George Foreman Grill. I made a turkey burger with some sliced eggplant (seasoned with garlic powder) for dinner. Not too shabby.


CAUGHT.

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz249/zibzib200/gifs/OHDAMNLOL.gif

[Hawk]

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz249/zibzib200/gifs/OHDAMNLOL.gif

HAHAHAHAHA!
. POST OF THE YEAR!? lol

[Timothy]

Thank God. That competition was tough. :lol:

[Jesse]

Thank God. That competition was tough. :lol:

Told you that you should yield and that resistance was futile. Not my fault you didn't believe me. See, you think post-whoring would help, but I knew it wouldn't cause it gave you more chances to screw up. :P

[Arlene]

I eat this per day since i started my diet:

One small bowl of porridge for breakfast - 200kcal
One nutrition bar - 100kcal
One apple - 80kcal
One salad, ready made - 250kcal
One yoghurt, low fat - 150kcal
One protein shake before bed - 150kcal

And thats it, i only drink water or diet coke, figures if i stay to that, within 3 months i'll have lost my target of 1-2 stone...

Cut the diet coke. Diet soda is honestly no better for you than a regular soda. Just cut it completely, and have maybe one a week as a reward or something. Stick with the water.

I personally find that portioning and just being smart about what I'm eating keeps me with a fairly flat stomach.
JOE: Always, always, always eat breakfast if you're trying to get your body on a healthy trend. Breakfast is so important. You need it to function throughout the day. Plus, for a while, my morning schedule was screwed up so I stopped eating breakfast, would wait for lunch and eat a decent sandwich and then have a small portion of dinner with veggies and my stomach was quickly becoming less flat and I constantly felt more tired. I firmly believe in breakfast. And water.
I think it's good to note that people who are desperately trying to lose large amounts of weight, make sure that you're still eating enough. I think people tend to think that if they skip breakfast, have water, have a yogurt for lunch, and then a salad for dinner they will become skinny and healthy. False. Yeah, for the first week or two pounds will shed off fairly easily since you're cutting everything. However, your body is basically starving so anything you eat will be stored as fat, as part of human starvation mode stuff. And then you'll be so hungry all the time that you'll just say eff it and give up and eat all the crap again and all the weight comes back. And it's usually all the weight and then some. This happened to my best friend several times. She doesn't learn that her "dieting" (more like starving) isn't good. Especially since she would go try to work out at the gym while running on absolutely no protein or carbs. Silly.

So yeah, portioning and being smart. As Louis said, you can still eat things you like, but just cut out unnecessary stuff. Only eat half of the cheeseburger, or take off the roll and have just the meat. Stuff like that. When I was a ballerina that helped keep me "stage thin." 1-2 eggs in the morning with a slice of toast or some yogurt, a salad with chicken or tuna or something in it for lunch, and a meat, potato/rice, and vegetables for dinner with some snacking when you get hungry, like a yogurt, fruit etc. throughout the day...it worked for me. I just need to get back on it. It's hard to keep up with when you work 4pm-12am haha.

[esaul17]

Arlene: Why are 0 calorie sugar-free diet sodas just as bad as regular sugary ones?

[Luke]

Arlene: Why are 0 calorie sugar-free diet sodas just as bad as regular sugary ones?

I can answer that. One of the main ingrediants of Diet Soda drinks (and alot of supposedly sugar-free diet drinks) is something called Aspartame. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener which has been proven to reduce your metabolism burning capeabilities. Chronic drinking of diet drinks that contain Aspartame can reduce your metabolism by up to 30% and when you're trying to lose weight your goal is to increase your metabolism so you can burn calories quicker. Drinking excessive amounts can make it much harder to achieve your goals.

That said, if you have the choice to drink a regular soda or a diet one then chose diet. I wouldn't say they're equally as bad but diet drinks should still be avoided if you're trying to lose weight.

[esaul17]

Interesting Luke, do you have a link to the study that showed that? I've tried to Google for it, but the only sites that seem to mention it at all at a glance are anti-aspartame sites which go on about "aspartame poisoning", it causing cancer, etc..

Further:

"Accordingly, women who consumed aspartame-sweetened foods lost significantly more weight overall and regained significantly less weight during maintenance and follow-up than did those women who were assigned to abstain from aspartame for the study. "

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=547


"Several well-controlled scientific studies were conducted to determine the effect of aspartame on hunger, satisfaction and food intake, and body weight. Based on the overwhelming scientific evidence aspartame does not increase appetite, food intake or weight gain."

http://www.aspartame.org/aspartame_myths_weight.html

Yes, it's an aspartame site, but it cites actual studies done.


"This study suggests possible advantages to supplementing a BDD [Balanced Deficit Diet] with aspartame-sweetened foods as part of a multidisciplinary weight loss program. The small sample size prohibits definitive conclusions but does provide the protocol for a larger, outpatient clinical trial."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3190220

[Luke]

I can't remember where I read the exact article but this (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=artificial-sweetener-linked-weight-gain) taken from Scientific American touches on it a little.

[esaul17]

This is the opposite though: It actually revs up the metabolism.

I do agree that if you end up eating more because you drank the soda, then that does no good. But assuming you can control your urges, then it won't do any damage by itself. Also, this was of course in rats. The study I mentioned seemed to be in humans.

I track pretty much everything I eat every day (though I don't drink diet soda's anyway :P). But ultimately, if you want to drink diet soda and aren't overwhelmed with urges to eat more calories than you should then go for it. It's a cost-benefit thing it seems, if the enjoyment of drinking the soda is worth the extra hunger you may experience.

[Jeff]

so, i know this may be considered "necroposting" im not sure, since its only been a month since a reply. But i weighed myself yesterday, and I am now 230 pounds. Which means i have lost a total of 50 pounds since November :D. Now it is time to start saving money to get ink'd. A new Linkin Park tattoo will do fine :lol:

[F-ck Casey]

I enjoy the Christian diet.

[Jesse]

I need to gain weight. I say about 10-15 lbs. :lol:

[Jeff]

I need to gain weight. I say about 10-15 lbs. :lol:

Take mine :lol:

[LinkinJunior]

I take 30min walks during my lunch breaks now to maintain my current weight. When I was a little heavier I would ride my bike for 30mins daily, and kept with the habit of eating proper foods. Fruit, vegetables, lots of water, etc. Sugary foods and fried foods are a necessary habit to kill if you want to meet your goal weight.

Cheers.

[Mr. Long]

Since Nov. 31st I lost 39 pounds on the Paleo diet. Take that motha fucka! Whats the Paleo diet you ask?

http://desertcrossfit.typepad.com/Paleo_Food_List.pdf

Still doing this until the summit. Started @ 240 now, 201.

[Luke]

You mean november last year yeah? :lol:

[Mr. Long]

You mean november last year yeah? :lol:
:lol: punk! Its not 2011 yet! Meanie


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGWbt3DSje0

[_cam_]

I don't follow any diet regimen at all. I think the vital key of slimming down is to discipline yourself.

[esaul17]

Vital key is to just eat less. Whether paleo helps you do that or avoiding fried and sugary foods or whatever. Just put less food in your body. Some people *really* overcomplicate this, and seem to be desperate for a magic solution that allows them to lose weight without eating less.

You are fat because you eat. too. much.

[travz21]

Consume less calories than you burn and you'll lose weight. That's all you need to know. It has nothing to do with how much you eat. I can eat 3 pounds of lettuce a day and I'll lose weight.

Some people have bodies with a faster metabolism, so they don't have to work out as much compared to people with slower metabolism.

[Mr. Long]

Vital key is to just eat less. Whether paleo helps you do that or avoiding fried and sugary foods or whatever. Just put less food in your body. Some people *really* overcomplicate this, and seem to be desperate for a magic solution that allows them to lose weight without eating less.

You are fat because you eat. too. much.
:lol: at the last part. Albeit, it holds truth, some peoples body cannot handle that type of food/foods because of their metabolism. I hold pure determination and discipline. And when I say discipline, its extreme. Most couldn't even stick with it. Over the holidays I didn't stray nor budge. Why should I? I'm following this plan with two others and they couldn't resist the temptation of the holidays.


Now, the Paleo diet isn't just some fad. Its designed in our very own genetics. Our bodies haven't adjusted to the typical modern diet. The consumption of foods like sugar and bread are new and introduced in such a way that our bodies haven't caught up and we are still in the hunting and gathering mode; hence, deriving from the meaning Paleolithic. While some of you may have a high metabolism, the effects of prossesed food and the chemicals added to it will have its effects on your body. The FDA regulates what goes into our foods and poisons are in our foods and we wonder why cancer rates and obesity rates have gone up. I.E., High fructose syrup and aspartame. Ok I've ranted enough.

[El Muerto]

Vital key is to just eat less. Whether paleo helps you do that or avoiding fried and sugary foods or whatever. Just put less food in your body. Some people *really* overcomplicate this, and seem to be desperate for a magic solution that allows them to lose weight without eating less.

You are fat because you eat. too. much.

You're (partially) wrong.


Consume less calories than you burn and you'll lose weight. That's all you need to know.

And you're right.

The key to losing weight is physical exercise, not just how much you eat (of course don't take this literally, nothing will help you if you eat only tons of burgers every day and drink coke).

As a matter of fact, if you try losing weight by eating only a minimal amount of food, you'll actually gain weight, because our bodies are programmed to respond to emergency situations like lack of food by first using the proteins and carbs from your muscles and storing fat for later when there's no more proteins and carbs. Basically, if you don't eat enough, your body is going to get weak as hell and you're gonna get fatter.

The other question is what physical exercise is the best for losing weight. Sit-ups, push-ups and weightlifting aren't gonna help you. The best way to lose weight is by running.
Now most people can't see results from running because they're doing it wrong. First, it's not gonna happen over night. Don't lose hope if you don't lose any weight in the first month, you're muscles are probably too weak for enough running that's needed for actually burning fat, so you need to get them in shape first. Second, people think that the faster they run, the faster they're gonna lose weight. Wrong. Just like not eating enough, running fast is considered an emergency situation too, thus when you run fast, you're using carbs and proteins from your body, not your fat. So obviously, you need to run really slowly (5-10 kmph) and for a long time (anything less than 20-30 minutes won't really help you). A lot of people are ashamed to go out and run really slowly, so they never actually lose any weight by running. After you come home, you'll be exhausted, but don't be a pig and eat pizza and drink milkshake. Have a tuna fish and tea. You're still gonna be eating as much as you did before, but you're gonna have to change what you eat.

I've been into running for for a couple of years now and I'm preparing for my first marathon in the spring (42km) so I kinda know a lot about running and nutrition in general, you if anyone has any specific questions, just ask.

[iNuBBiN]

I use to drink 3 sodas a day and eat all the junk food in the world and I wouldnt really gain weight. I got a kidney stone(thank god it broke up in my system before I pissed it) and the doctor said my kidneys were stone dry. Since them I have drank nothing but water mostly no soda at all and lost pounds just by doing that. I cut out all junk food and only really eat fruits and turkey sandwiches during the day. I have been going to the gym almost every day except Saturdays and some Fridays, but i feel so much better about myself. When I ate unhealthy I weighed about 155 and stayed there, I really dont gain wain weight. Now I am at 146-148. Tell me if this is a good diet...

Morning- Cereal(about 100 calories but with 1g or less of fat calories)

Afternoon- Apple or banana(something thats a fruit)

Lunch- Turkey Sandwhich

Late Afternoon- More fuits

Dinner- Something Home cooked

8-10 is gym time with a hour of weights and 30 minutes of running or swimming then 30 in the sauna because I love it...

All this changed from a boy who ate nothing but junk. I just want a flat stomach and some abs.(which is being hard)O yeah my doctor told me it isnt really doesnt matter how many calories you take in but how many fat calories you take in because those are the ones your body takes most.

Remember Kids a 6 pack isnt made in the gym but the kitchen!

[esaul17]

You're (partially) wrong.



And you're right.

The key to losing weight is physical exercise, not just how much you eat (of course don't take this literally, nothing will help you if you eat only tons of burgers every day and drink coke).

As a matter of fact, if you try losing weight by eating only a minimal amount of food, you'll actually gain weight, because our bodies are programmed to respond to emergency situations like lack of food by first using the proteins and carbs from your muscles and storing fat for later when there's no more proteins and carbs. Basically, if you don't eat enough, your body is going to get weak as hell and you're gonna get fatter.

The other question is what physical exercise is the best for losing weight. Sit-ups, push-ups and weightlifting aren't gonna help you. The best way to lose weight is by running.
Now most people can't see results from running because they're doing it wrong. First, it's not gonna happen over night. Don't lose hope if you don't lose any weight in the first month, you're muscles are probably too weak for enough running that's needed for actually burning fat, so you need to get them in shape first. Second, people think that the faster they run, the faster they're gonna lose weight. Wrong. Just like not eating enough, running fast is considered an emergency situation too, thus when you run fast, you're using carbs and proteins from your body, not your fat. So obviously, you need to run really slowly (5-10 kmph) and for a long time (anything less than 20-30 minutes won't really help you). A lot of people are ashamed to go out and run really slowly, so they never actually lose any weight by running. After you come home, you'll be exhausted, but don't be a pig and eat pizza and drink milkshake. Have a tuna fish and tea. You're still gonna be eating as much as you did before, but you're gonna have to change what you eat.

I've been into running for for a couple of years now and I'm preparing for my first marathon in the spring (42km) so I kinda know a lot about running and nutrition in general, you if anyone has any specific questions, just ask.

It is true that you need to burn more than you consume. However, you can create a deficit either through exercise or diet. If you create a deficit through diet you WILL lose weight, you just need to eat less than someone who is exercising to create that deficit. Metabolic slowdown does exist, but cardio doesn't necessarily help and can even do more harm than good in excessive situations.

If people couldn't lose weight by just eating less third would countries would be full of obese people due to all the starvation that goes on there.

Exercise is a good thing and I would of course encourage it, but it isn't a necessity if weight loss is your goal. I've lost 15lbs just eating at a deficit and lifting weights. No added cardio at all. Because a deficit is a deficit.

EDIT: And pizza and a milkshake is WAY more calories than tuna and tea unless you consume the latter is truly gargantuan amounts.

[esaul17]

:lol: at the last part. Albeit, it holds truth, some peoples body cannot handle that type of food/foods because of their metabolism. I hold pure determination and discipline. And when I say discipline, its extreme. Most couldn't even stick with it. Over the holidays I didn't stray nor budge. Why should I? I'm following this plan with two others and they couldn't resist the temptation of the holidays.


Now, the Paleo diet isn't just some fad. Its designed in our very own genetics. Our bodies haven't adjusted to the typical modern diet. The consumption of foods like sugar and bread are new and introduced in such a way that our bodies haven't caught up and we are still in the hunting and gathering mode; hence, deriving from the meaning Paleolithic. While some of you may have a high metabolism, the effects of prossesed food and the chemicals added to it will have its effects on your body. The FDA regulates what goes into our foods and poisons are in our foods and we wonder why cancer rates and obesity rates have gone up. I.E., High fructose syrup and aspartame. Ok I've ranted enough.

Paleo is supposed to be based on that, but it tends to be rather lacking in any data that shows it does what it claims it does. And in the very least, total calories in vs out is FAR more important than where they came from. You can gain weight overconsuming lean protein and lose weight underconsuming HFCS. And as I referenced above, aspartame has no data showing it causes cancer or really any other harm. HFCS is generally overdemonized as well.

[El Muerto]

It is true that you need to burn more than you consume. However, you can create a deficit either through exercise or diet. If you create a deficit through diet you WILL lose weight, you just need to eat less than someone who is exercising to create that deficit. Metabolic slowdown does exist, but cardio doesn't necessarily help and can even do more harm than good in excessive situations.

If people couldn't lose weight by just eating less third would countries would be full of obese people due to all the starvation that goes on there.

Exercise is a good thing and I would of course encourage it, but it isn't a necessity if weight loss is your goal. I've lost 15lbs just eating at a deficit and lifting weights. No added cardio at all. Because a deficit is a deficit.

EDIT: And pizza and a milkshake is WAY more calories than tuna and tea unless you consume the latter is truly gargantuan amounts.

You're right deficit is a deficit, but in real life it's really hard to burn more than you take in without physical exercise. You went to gym yourself, it still counts for something.. Of course, some people have better metabolisms than others and it takes them less physical activity to achieve it.. Maybe you're lucky, most people can't just stare into computers, eat little and lose weight :)

And about the third world countries, you can't really compare that with not eating to lose weight. What happens to African children is an extreme, I'm sure nobody will really take it that far with no eating in order to lose weight :)




Morning- Cereal(about 100 calories but with 1g or less of fat calories)

Afternoon- Apple or banana(something thats a fruit)

Lunch- Turkey Sandwhich

Late Afternoon- More fuits

Dinner- Something Home cooked

8-10 is gym time with a hour of weights and 30 minutes of running or swimming then 30 in the sauna because I love it...

That's pretty good, but this is how I'd rearrange it:

Morning- right after you get up: Cereal(about 100 calories but with 1g or less of fat calories), after an hour or so Turkey Sandwhich
Afternoon- Apple or banana(something thats a fruit)
Lunch- Something Home cooked
Late Afternoon- More fuits
Dinner- something really light, or you can even skip it, you don't need a lot of food before going to bed

[esaul17]

You're right deficit is a deficit, but in real life it's really hard to burn more than you take in without physical exercise. You went to gym yourself, it still counts for something.. Of course, some people have better metabolisms than others and it takes them less physical activity to achieve it.. Maybe you're lucky, most people can't just stare into computers, eat little and lose weight :)

And about the third world countries, you can't really compare that with not eating to lose weight. What happens to African children is an extreme, I'm sure nobody will really take it that far with no eating in order to lose weight :)

Of course they wouldn't take it that far. All I mean is that it is obviously *possible*. A lot of people sludge away at a treadmill every morning, then have a big thing of gatorade as for "recovery" and have effectively wasted their morning accomplishing nothing from a weight loss perspective. It is just really important to keep in mind that a deficit is a deficit, and one that is known let someone find the easier was to make a deficit for them.

This is all just from a weight loss perspective though. If concerned with not losing muscle when losing fat, it is a different story. As it is if concerned about any other parameter (health, conditioning, etc.) :).

[El Muerto]

Of course they wouldn't take it that far. All I mean is that it is obviously *possible*. A lot of people sludge away at a treadmill every morning, then have a big thing of gatorade as for "recovery" and have effectively wasted their morning accomplishing nothing from a weight loss perspective.

Yeah, that's the most common mistake people make and then complain how they can't lose weight..

I learned from one nutrition expert that the best recovery drink is plain water with a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. That's all you need :)

[Jeff]

I learned from one nutrition expert that the best recovery drink is plain water with a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. That's all you need :)

That sounds kinda gross haha

[Mr. Long]

Ok so, the best recovery drink is actually low fat chocolate milk. The carb to protein ratio is perfect. Ive taken quite a few nutrition classes at my University and they all said the same. Not only that but intensive research. Back in the day thats exactly what I used and it worked. Gatorade has way to much sugar and is basically kool-aid with electrolytes. My dad was a Body builder as well although he was in amateur competitions, he was huge. Also, you loose more weight by lifting. The muscle mass added speeds up your metabolism and the added muscle you pack on makes you burn more calories because your body has to work harder because of the extra weight. If you plan on being a stick, then running is the way to go. No offense

[esaul17]

Ok so, the best recovery drink is actually low fat chocolate milk. The carb to protein ratio is perfect. Ive taken quite a few nutrition classes at my University and they all said the same. Not only that but intensive research. Back in the day thats exactly what I used and it worked. Gatorade has way to much sugar and is basically kool-aid with electrolytes. My dad was a Body builder as well although he was in amateur competitions, he was huge. Also, you loose more weight by lifting. The muscle mass added speeds up your metabolism and the added muscle you pack on makes you burn more calories because your body has to work harder because of the extra weight. If you plan on being a stick, then running is the way to go. No offense

Chocolate milk is a great post-weight training drink. If you are doing cardio and then taking a recovery drink like chocolate milk after, you're just cancelling out the deficit you created though.

Also, you do not lose more weight weight-lifting, but it does effect the quality (fat vs muscle) you lose. Weight lifting burns relatively few calories. In fact, you may even lose less weight weight lifting because your body is less willing to let you lose muscle mass. Which is why a lot of diets recommend no exercise, to maximize muscle catabolism and consequently weight loss.

[travz21]

Slow running is actually worse than doing sprints. It's also worse than weight lifting for losing weight. As long as you refuel within a couple hours, your body will be burning fat from your body over the next couple of days after your intense workouts. Anaerobic exercise is the best for losing fat and building muscle. Most people are still stuck in the past and running 5 miles a day. The only reason you're losing weight is because you're losing muscle and losing water weight doing that from most likely being dehydrated. Ever wonder why all long distance runners at the world-class level are skinny as hell? Running long and slow doesn't do anything for muscle. You have to lift just to maintain your form when you run that far.

If you want to lose fat and gain muscle, lift weights as well as run sprints on a track or open field. You'll get shredded if you follow a decent diet full of protein and carbs. Just drink enough water, too.

[El Muerto]

Ok so, the best recovery drink is actually low fat chocolate milk. The carb to protein ratio is perfect. Ive taken quite a few nutrition classes at my University and they all said the same. Not only that but intensive research. Back in the day thats exactly what I used and it worked. Gatorade has way to much sugar and is basically kool-aid with electrolytes. My dad was a Body builder as well although he was in amateur competitions, he was huge. Also, you loose more weight by lifting. The muscle mass added speeds up your metabolism and the added muscle you pack on makes you burn more calories because your body has to work harder because of the extra weight. If you plan on being a stick, then running is the way to go. No offense

It all depends on what you want to achieve you know.

If you want to look like this guy:
http://tight-shirt.com/pic/tattooed-bodybuilder-rob-krieder-in-classy-black-shirt.jpg
you go weightlifting

If you wanna look like these guys:
http://oneeyed-richmond.com/images/team/training_070109/pic11.jpg
you go running

It takes years and years of extensive running to actually become sticks like those guys you see in the Olympics, so don't worry, that's not gonna happen even if you want it to ;)




Slow running is actually worse than doing sprints. It's also worse than weight lifting for losing weight. As long as you refuel within a couple hours, your body will be burning fat from your body over the next couple of days after your intense workouts. Anaerobic exercise is the best for losing fat and building muscle. Most people are still stuck in the past and running 5 miles a day. The only reason you're losing weight is because you're losing muscle and losing water weight doing that from most likely being dehydrated. Ever wonder why all long distance runners at the world-class level are skinny as hell? Running long and slow doesn't do anything for muscle. You have to lift just to maintain your form when you run that far.

If you want to lose fat and gain muscle, lift weights as well as run sprints on a track or open field. You'll get shredded if you follow a decent diet full of protein and carbs. Just drink enough water, too.

You're confusing things too

Here's a fat guy:
http://blahfeme.typepad.com/blahfeme/images/ist2_1051832_fat_man_1.jpg

Do you think it's better for him to lift weight and run sprints or do 5km every day?
I guarantee it's 5km trainings. And that's not being stuck in the past, that's a fact.

And if you really think that anaerobic exercise it the best way to lose fat, then you really don't know a lot..
Aerobic is the way to do it, but it's slow as shit and most people say it's wrong because they wanna lose 10kg in a month which is almost impossible and would be really dangerous to your health.

[travz21]

I don't know where you're getting your info. Aerobic exercise actually breaks down muscle and uses less fat for energy compared to anaerobic. Anaerobic (sprinting, weight lifting, intense biking, etc.) workouts can boost your metabolism for up to a couple days. That means you'll be burning more fat just sitting around and recovering compared to your rest time after an aerobic workout.

The other good thing about anaerobic workouts is that they take way less time to complete. You can efficiently work them into your weekly schedule. You can get a killer workout on the track in a half hour. Aerobic workouts can take a few hours and don't have the lasted benefits of anaerobic. It's just a less effective way to work out and won't burn as much calories as the shorter workout time of anaerobic. Both aerobic and anaerobic will burn fat, but they are not equal.

[Mr. Long]

I don't know where you're getting your info. Aerobic exercise actually breaks down muscle and uses less fat for energy compared to anaerobic. Anaerobic (sprinting, weight lifting, intense biking, etc.) workouts can boost your metabolism for up to a couple days. That means you'll be burning more fat just sitting around and recovering compared to your rest time after an aerobic workout.

The other good thing about anaerobic workouts is that they take way less time to complete. You can efficiently work them into your weekly schedule. You can get a killer workout on the track in a half hour. Aerobic workouts can take a few hours and don't have the lasted benefits of anaerobic. It's just a less effective way to work out and won't burn as much calories as the shorter workout time of anaerobic. Both aerobic and anaerobic will burn fat, but they are not equal.


Chocolate milk is a great post-weight training drink. If you are doing cardio and then taking a recovery drink like chocolate milk after, you're just cancelling out the deficit you created though.

Also, you do not lose more weight weight-lifting, but it does effect the quality (fat vs muscle) you lose. Weight lifting burns relatively few calories. In fact, you may even lose less weight weight lifting because your body is less willing to let you lose muscle mass. Which is why a lot of diets recommend no exercise, to maximize muscle catabolism and consequently weight loss.

I guess im looking at it in the wrong perspective. Im still in strength training mode. Although, the combination of both cardio and strength training will produce optimum and efficient results. And no the cardio doesnt need to be intense. It could be a brisk walk. I hop on the treadmill for 20-30 min before lifting to get the blood flowing. When I used to go to gyms I didnt meet one person who didnt do this. When I first started off a personal trainer approached me and told me you need to do some sort of cardio before lifting. Im just going by whats worked for me.

[El Muerto]

I don't know where you're getting your info. Aerobic exercise actually breaks down muscle and uses less fat for energy compared to anaerobic. Anaerobic (sprinting, weight lifting, intense biking, etc.) workouts can boost your metabolism for up to a couple days. That means you'll be burning more fat just sitting around and recovering compared to your rest time after an aerobic workout.


http://www.marathon-training-program.com/fat-fuel.html

If you have time, read this article.

It's about the use of fat and carbs as a fuel for running.

Here's a glimpse:



In other words, most training should be conducted close to the highest speed that you can run without going anaerobic. This is the speed where fat metabolism is at its highest. For experienced runners, the maximum steady state equals an intensity of 70 to 75 percent of maximum heart rate. For those just launching their running careers, it will be closer to 60 to 65 percent of maximum heart rate.

On the other hand, you can run too fast on your daily runs. At faster paces, oxygen demand exceeds supply. You are now anaerobic. Fuel reliance switches predominantly to carbohydrates, and the result is the accumulation of lactic acid. Lactic acid inhibits the enzymes that break down fat and therefore reduces fat metabolism. If you go out for a 45-minute run at 10K race pace, you will be burning less fat and generating more waste products than if you ran those 45 minutes at only a 60 percent effort. Daily hard efforts will result in accumulation of waste products and decreased recovery, and lead to declining performances. It's better to run a little too slow than a little too fast.

I know there are a lot of theories about losing fat, but as far as I know this is scientifically proven and honestly, nobody I know has lost weight by running sprints.

[iNuBBiN]

Can one of you nutrition experts tell me what I have to do to look like this...... http://i1.cdnds.net/10/08/550w_gayspy_the_big_one_paul_wesley_5.jpg

I go every night and lift for 30-1 hour and to cardio after that for 30 minutes and sauna for 10-20 minutes. Im starting to build muscle on my pecs but cant get the abs!!!!! Im not tryin to get big just really cut

[Mr. Long]

Can one of you nutrition experts tell me what I have to do to look like this...... http://i1.cdnds.net/10/08/550w_gayspy_the_big_one_paul_wesley_5.jpg

I go every night and lift for 30-1 hour and to cardio after that for 30 minutes and sauna for 10-20 minutes. Im starting to build muscle on my pecs but cant get the abs!!!!! Im not tryin to get big just really cut

Cardio after lifting is a big no no. Cardio first. Of course something light. Moderate pace for 20-30 min. Make sure you get all your protein sources from food only. Forget the shakes. Whatever you weigh, cut that number in half and that should be atleast the minimum amount of protein intake. If you want a intense ab workout, send me your address and ill send you a video thats insane and WILL work.

[travz21]

They tell you to do slow cardio because they want you to be warmed up so you don't pull a muscle while lifting heavy weights. Strength training is a form of anaerobic exercise if you don't take many breaks in between sets.


Edit: And anaerobic doesn't directly use fat for energy, but it does burn more fat. It uses up a lot of carbs, raises your core temp, raises your metabolism, and burns fat while trying to restore your energy. It also burns fat because of your raised metabolism and core temp. This can last up to a couple days after the workout, depending on how intense. There's a reason some of the best looking people are world-class sprinters, basketball players, and football players. The ones that are doing short, hard bursts for a long period of time shed the fat and put on muscle.

[El Muerto]

They tell you to do slow cardio because they want you to be warmed up so you don't pull a muscle while lifting heavy weights. Strength training is a form of anaerobic exercise if you don't take many breaks in between sets.


Edit: And anaerobic doesn't directly use fat for energy, but it does burn more fat. It uses up a lot of carbs, raises your core temp, raises your metabolism, and burns fat while trying to restore your energy. It also burns fat because of your raised metabolism and core temp. This can last up to a couple days after the workout, depending on how intense. There's a reason some of the best looking people are world-class sprinters, basketball players, and football players. The ones that are doing short, hard bursts for a long period of time shed the fat and put on muscle.

I just posted a link for you to see where experts are saying anaerobic doesn't burn more fat. It's a fact man, go google it for yourself.. It's a myth that you will burn fat while you're playing video games, no matter what you did before that.. Show me where you read that.

And you're also wrong about world class professionals, they're using both aerobic and anaerobic exercises, plus lifting, swimming and nutrition we can't afford. Have you ever participated in or even seen a football training? (real football, I don't know what they do in american football trainings, probably debate what steroids are the best to use..)
Yes, they're doing sprints, but they're also doing 30 laps around the pitch. Combining all kinds of exercises in the best way to be in the best possible shape, but that's not the topic here..

[iNuBBiN]

Cardio after lifting is a big no no. Cardio first. Of course something light. Moderate pace for 20-30 min. Make sure you get all your protein sources from food only. Forget the shakes. Whatever you weigh, cut that number in half and that should be atleast the minimum amount of protein intake. If you want a intense ab workout, send me your address and ill send you a video thats insane and WILL work.
Ya I cant eat that much lol. Thats to much for me, as I said I am not trying to get big. And I hate doing cardio before work outs because Im all sweaty and shit

[travz21]

And you're also wrong about world class professionals, they're using both aerobic and anaerobic exercises, plus lifting, swimming and nutrition we can't afford. Have you ever participated in or even seen a football training? (real football, I don't know what they do in american football trainings, probably debate what steroids are the best to use..)
Yes, they're doing sprints, but they're also doing 30 laps around the pitch. Combining all kinds of exercises in the best way to be in the best possible shape, but that's not the topic here..

They're running that far because that's what they need to be in shape for for their sport. Real football (soccer here) needs a lot more endurance and stamina. They also need quick bursts, which is why they also lift weights and do sprints. I'm not arguing that doing both isn't the best for you. Doing a soccer workout is probably the best for getting in good, all-around shape. I was just saying which type of exercise is more effective for burning fat.

Most other pro athletes aren't doing that much cardio. American football players are lifting a lot and doing drills during training. Basketball players are lifting and running the court during training. I won't get into what workouts golfers do lol.

[esaul17]

The EPOC effect (which is what people believe in for afterburn) is pretty minimal by most accounts. Certainly not enough to make up for the fact that you can do a light jog for way longer than you can do some kind of HIIT.

Pre-workout cardio outside of a small amount for warm up I think is just stupid. You don't want to drain yourself beforehand.

Being cut is all about low body fat. What you should be doing though depends on where you are starting out. If you're fat, slim down first. If you're super scrawny gain some muscle first. That picture looks like 8-10% body fat to me. I'm not really sure the guys weight, but outside of abs, nothing really looks too developed. I'd say any real basic beginners program that includes a few heavy sets of ab work 1-2 times a week would be fine.

EDIT: Oh, no beginners program should have someone going for an hour a night by the way.

Here is an article on beginning weight training for a site I highly recommend:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/beginning-weight-training-part-4.html

This is the fourth in the series, which contains a few actual programs. You can find the rest on the site.

[Mr. Long]

Ya I cant eat that much lol. Thats to much for me, as I said I am not trying to get big. And I hate doing cardio before work outs because Im all sweaty and shit

Its actually not that hard to get that amount of protein in your diet. And the only way you're going to get big is if you consistently use more intensity/resistance and heavier weights. So stick to whats working for you. Even people who want to stay lean need that amount of protein. But its not all about protein.

Heres an article on dietary needs for abs:

http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/nutritious-powerfoods-abs-diet

Also, when you're doing the cardio beforehand, its not meant to be intense. Walk, it gets your blood going. Your muscle/workout can actually be depleted if you do it after.

[morkel07]

Here is a best source for any type of health information http://www.medexpressrx.com/blog

[Dean]

I just figured out that this year so far I've lost about half the weight I wanted to lose. Just thought I'd boast even though it's not really a lot.

[travz21]

I've been lazy as hell this year. I've been lifting on a pretty lax schedule and haven't really gained any of the weight I'm wanting, obviously since I'm not taking it seriously enough. But by September I want about 15-20 pounds more muscle, which I think is doable. That'd put me around 170-175 pounds. The hardest part will be finding enough food to eat to be able to gain that much weight. I need to eat like 3 hours a day to get enough in me.

I also need to start running. Some long distance mixed in with sprints. I'm really out of running shape.

[Louis]

I'd also like to state that over the past semester I've lost 36 pounds and in the process of losing some more. Pretty proud of myself. :)

[El Muerto]

It's good that you lost weight, but I think 36 pounds/16 kg in 5 months is a bit too much. Take it slowly from now on, you might encounter health problems if you lose weight too fast.

[travz21]

Yeah wtf. Unless you had a ton of extra weight on you, losing that much that quickly can be pretty unhealthy. But it's probably more healthy than keeping that weight on lol. Just don't overdue it. Nice work, though.

[Dean]

I only lost about 10-15 pounds personally, it's just nice that I'm nearly back in the shape I was in a couple of years ago.

[Louis]

It's good that you lost weight, but I think 36 pounds/16 kg in 5 months is a bit too much. Take it slowly from now on, you might encounter health problems if you lose weight too fast.

Well, to give you an idea:

I was 211 lbs starting on January 1st. I have been 175 pounds as of...the first week of May. So we'll just say I lost 36 pounds from January until April. It's essentially been 17 weeks. 36 / 17 = 2.1 lbs per week. Doctors say tops 2-3 pounds per week is healthy, so I'm actually fine. I appreciate the concern, though. And I think it just works out that way because if you are decently overweight, pounds drop really easily. If it were like 5 pounds a week, I'd probably slow down. :lol:

[Timothy]

Well, to give you an idea:

I was 211 lbs starting on January 1st. I have been 175 pounds as of...the first week of May. So we'll just say I lost 36 pounds from January until April. It's essentially been 17 weeks. 36 / 17 = 2.1 lbs per week. Doctors say tops 2-3 pounds per week is healthy, so I'm actually fine. I appreciate the concern, though. And I think it just works out that way because if you are decently overweight, pounds drop really easily. If it were like 5 pounds a week, I'd probably slow down. :lol:

Yeah, I wouldn't be too concerned. I dropped weight like crazy when I first started eating right and working out. Anyway, congratulations!

As for me, I've been meaning to drop about ten pounds since the beginning of this year. I've overindulged a lot on food for the past few months, but I think I've gotten that out of my system now. My goal is to get back down to 170 by the end of the summer.

[travz21]

I was going to make a bet about who can get to 170 quicker, but I might be at a disadvantage depending on how easily you lose weight haha. That would be interesting to keep track of though. Gaining 15 pounds of muscle compared to losing 10 pounds.

[Benjamin]

I need to lose like 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle, haha.

[.Amanda.]

So I'm on my second week of Nutrisystem and it's pretty awesome. I'm down 7 lbs already and the food is pretty decent.
I'll keep you all updated on how it continues.

[travz21]

I need to lose like 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle, haha.

Join the wrestling team next year. Playing around with other dudes is a small sacrifice for a straight man to make to get in really good shape. Although most of my friends seemed to complain how unhealthy their training was.

[Jeff]

I still need to lose about 70 lbs. X_X

[Snail]

Cool thread!

^ Jeff, A few pointers.
- eat less, but more often. 5 - 6 SMALL meals. Your metabolism will be spiked in the process.
- Mix cardio with weight training.


I'm 21, 5'11, 175 lbs.

(re)start date - Feb 1 2011 - 154 lbs
Currently - June 2 2011 - 176 lbs

I've started lifting heavy again since February. I began at 154 lbs, and I've made gains up to 174 lbs. I do an assortment of exercises, switching it up every 3 - 4 weeks but always making sure to stay true to compound exercises. Optimum nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein is the only supplement I've been using thus far.

Achievements thus far - 225 lb lift on Deadlifts, and Benching.

Failures - Went down on squats from 225 lb lifts down to 160 lb lifts. (work got in the way - overtime shifts - terrible lifts for 2 weeks straight on legs )

Goals: 180 lbs as lean as possible by the end of the summer. I want to reach an all time high of weighing 190 - 200 lbs one day.

[travz21]

Damn. Nice gains, dude. 225 on bench is impressive.

[Snail]

^Thanks! I may be able to bench 225, but I'm still working on being able to bang out a full 12 reps as opposed to 6 - 8 for that particular weight.


I've been lazy as hell this year. I've been lifting on a pretty lax schedule and haven't really gained any of the weight I'm wanting, obviously since I'm not taking it seriously enough. But by September I want about 15-20 pounds more muscle, which I think is doable. That'd put me around 170-175 pounds. The hardest part will be finding enough food to eat to be able to gain that much weight. I need to eat like 3 hours a day to get enough in me.

I also need to start running. Some long distance mixed in with sprints. I'm really out of running shape.

I'm no expert, but perhaps some of my tips can help you out.

Figure out a meal plan.

Aim for a 3000 - 3500 calorie intake diet plan. Do not purchase frozen lunches, TV dinners, or anything of that sort. Concentrate on purchasing fresh ingredients. I recommend Chicken breasts, tuna, tenderized beef eye round, lean ground beef, spinach, and asparagus as your protein and fibre. As for your carbs, brown rice is great, but white rice provides for a quick release of energy. These are just my personal preferences, and I suggest you find out what works best for you as an alternative. Also, make sure to check out and compare prices at your local supermakets, shops, etc for the best values. In addition, make sure to cook your meals ahead of schedule (enough for the next 2 - 3 days).

Do not rely on 'Weight-Gain' supplements.

This is just my personal opinion. The consumption of 'real food' is much more beneficial.

Compound exercises!

Benching, Deadlifts, and Squats are key! Trust me! I used to ignore doing squats and deadlifts. I started with 95 lbs in deadlifting, and 135 lbs in squats. Over the course of 4 months I've reached 225 lb lifts on each exercise. This sounds cliche, but if I can do it... you sure as hell can.

Set a goal, not a limit

[travz21]

Thanks for the advice/info.

As for how much I eat now, it's probably around 3000 calories already, and I'm not doing anything near what I usually do for workouts/activities. I swear I might need to eat like 4500 calories if I ever start working out seriously. The problem with eating that healthily is that I'd never get enough calories in my system. I'd get too full before I'd get the right amount of calories in me. But I just bought a lot of tuna for protein and noodles for carbs for the impeding hardcore workouts. I also have some whey protein that I'd probably get 30g of protein out of after a workout. I would also try to drink a lot of milk for another ~40g of protein a day. After that I pretty much try to eat as much calorie dense foods as possible to fuel up. Pizza and baked Ruffles chips is usually my go-to meal at night after I'm done with everything.

One of the big things that I think allows me to do this is that I never consume any pop and I drink around a gallon of water a day. Keeps the pipes clean and metabolism high as hell.


I will be doing everything at my house. I bought some Bowflex Selecttech dumbbells about a year ago that are really slick. 52.5 lbs is as heavy as each one can go, which is good enough. I've been doing 105 lb deadlifts this last week just to see if it's something I'd like to start doing, and I really like them. I guess I would need quite a bit more weight for chest and back exercises. I can do 14 underhand pullups before fail and the 52.5 lbs dumbbell isn't enough to stay in the 6 rep range, so it'll take a little longer to build those muscles. Chest will have the same problem. It'd be nice to be able to do 4-6 reps of heavy stuff for those muscles, but at least I can do that for all the other ones.


And I've never been good about keeping goals of any kind. I've always been a pretty gifted kid who would never need goals to get out of a rut or something. Even right now when I feel like I'm in my worst shape in the last year I don't feel like I really need to do anything drastic. I'm a good weight, I still have decent tone to my body, and I still feel healthy and energetic. But gaining 15-20 lbs of muscle is something I really want to do. I do have the perfectionist gene, but it really only applies to sports. I need to find a way to apply that to other aspects of life, because I'm really laid back in pretty much every other aspect. Just like The Dude. Maybe I need to really dig deep to find that desire to reach my goals.

[Timothy]

Nuts and olive oil are a great way to up your calories and keep your diet clean. They're both easy to incorporate into your meals, too. Vegetables sauteed in olive oil can be really tasty if done right, and you can do a million different things with nuts.

[travz21]

Mmmmm. That's what she said.

[tROCKS24]

i dont do diets at all, i suck so bad at them :lol:!!
i think of many different exercise routines. and i play my favorite songs to make exercising fun.
also, i dance as well. i call them: exercise dancing
have fun**
i made up some new exercising movements, i havent thought of what to call them but they are like stomach crunches. one day ill have to show you all, its better to show
there is about 4 of the new exercises i made up :) and the area burns quickly** i lost a few inches within 2 weeks, man i wish i had a scale!!! :lol:
and i dont count caleries bc i dont know how to :) to keep track of it its way to confusing

[Louis]

Mmmmm. That's what she said.

:lol:

Drinking lots of water is good. Actually, speaking of which, for anyone who is looking to lose some weight, here's exactly what I did to lose weight:

- First, I installed an application on my iPod Touch called "Lose It." It's an application that helps you keep track of your caloric intake (and even your nutrient intake if you'd like it to). They use some sort of formula that requires input of your height, weight, goal in regards to how many pounds you want to lose per week, and how many pounds you'd like to be. It also gives you the options to gain a certain amount of weight or maintain weight. With that said, it'll give you the number of calories you're allowed per day, and so long as you don't exceed it, it works out fairly well. It allows you to record food and exercise, which is very convenient. It's free, but really only for people who are super committed.
- I drank close to 12-15 cups a day. Doctors recommend that you drink 8-10, but the more water, the better. The first couple of days you will have to go the bathroom frequently, but your body will get used to it. You will also drop pounds instantly because it essentially flushes some water weight out of your system, and it can be quite visible too. It's simply good for you because you need to stay hydrated, and the tip is this: if your urine is not clear or close to it, you're not hydrated. It's as simple as that.
- For lent I gave up refined sugars (basically any obvious sweets), and I think I'm going to get back on that soon. It helped a lot with losing weight and it made me feel tons better. The only exception I allowed myself in terms of refined sugars were nutri-grain bars and FiberOne Bars, since I needed more fiber in my diet. Avoiding sweets is surprisingly more helpful than you'd think.
- I never ate after 8:00 PM. If you don't eat after eight, it's actually really good for you. Your metabolism obviously slows down a fair amount when you go to bed because your body is using far less energy, and so the excess energy you get from what you eat before you go to bed will basically be converted to fat.
- I ate more often but with smaller portions. Healthy snacks throughout the day keep your metabolism going, which is the obvious of what three big meals will do. 6 small meals is ideal, and keeps you satisfied longer.
- I exercised, but I did nothing too intense. Walking to classes in Berkeley helped tremendously since it's one giant hill, and I played basketball with friends a few times a week.
- I got my 8 hours of sleep each night. It's good for you, and they say that fewer hours of sleep is correlated with weight gain (I might be wrong).

If you can do those things, you will be a-okay. It worked for me!

[Benjamin]

Well, fuck. I drink too much pop in general....and it's past 9:00 and I just ordered Pizza. :lol:

I really gotta get better with the pop thing especially.

[gambir]

I do walking, running, jogging, swimming, situps and push ups...
I eat the natural organic one foods and have the best one body figure....
I also drink fresh fruit juices and got the much energy after the workout.....

[jedibeaner]

I used to skip breakfast when I was young, but since I started college I started to eat breakfast. I realized that it makes me really hungry. could've of gone without food until 2pm in the afternoon in my younger days. Now, I have to have 2 meals (breakfast & lunch) by 3pm.


I try to watch what I eat. I mostly buy organics and I don't eat pork or beef. I also run 3-5 miles a day and try to do weights at least 2 times a week.

[laurahill]

I lose almost 10 pounds weight in this year...Swimming and aerobic exercise works great..I am taking 3-4 month acomplia medicine with proper medical consultation.And It works great.

[Sarah]

Can I ask a question in here? I want fo lose my post pregnancy body as I have all this ugly loose fat around my stomach. What exercises can I do to tighten and tone my stomach? Also, do those meal replacement plans work with the protein shakes etc.?

[travz21]

Unfortunately you can't target what fat you lose. Like if you have extra belly flab and do a lot of situps, the fat can come off of your ass instead. Our bodies suck in that regard. All you can do is burn more calories than you consume so you know you'll be losing fat some place on your body.

Now, if you want to tighten and tone your stomach muscles, there are lots of different exercises out there for that. Toning your muscles gives them a more slender look to them. And while you're burning fat off you'll see nicely toned muscle underneath.


Diet is still a really wishy washy thing and is being researched quite a bit now. Basically all you need to worry about is eating less calories than you're burning, but the healthier you eat, the more energy you'll have and the better you'll feel. You can't really go wrong with chicken, eggs, low fat cheese and milk for poultry and dairy protein. Noodles are great for grains. And pretty much any vegetable or fruit. The only shitty thing is eating healthy costs a lot more than eating unhealthily.

But I recommend googling a lot of this stuff. There's probably quite a few videos on YouTube about this very topic.

[GekiLPL]

I figured I would post this here...I need some help...in a serious way. I am a 20 year old male, I am 6'2, and I weight a whopping 235 pounds as of right now. I need to lose 70 pounds in order to be what would be considered average from my height and gender. Can somebody help me with this??? I have been trying the past few days to drink water, but I've stupidly been drinking diet coke and the 0 calorie monster energy drink. It's stupid because I know diet drinks are actually worse for you and make you gain more weight. So first off, I'm going to start drinking ONLY water for a beverage, nothing else ever. And my other problem is that all my life I have ate junk food, and I am an extremely picky eater. I need to stop eating fast food, first off. But idk what to make at home or buy at stores? I love plain turkey sandwiches, which are not bad for me because I don't eat red meat at all so that's my source of protein. I should probably start exercising 30 minutes a day to start? I live down the street from a track, maybe I'll start going up and walking everyday or jogging. If I wasn't serious about this, I would NOT have posted this, it took a lot for me to throw this out on here. Somebody, please help me with suggestions?

[travz21]

Keep track of how many calories you eat during the day, just so you know your average amount. Then you can either increase your physical activity (exercise) and keep that calorie count the same, or you can decrease your calorie count and keep the same physical activity you have now. Both options should theoretically result in weight loss. That's a very simplistic way of putting it, but it should work.

I'm not sure if reducing your caloric intake and increasing physical activity all at once at first would be great, but I'm not an expert. I'd try it and see how you feel. Don't overdo things. As for what exercises, it depends on what kind of shape you're in now and what kind of intensity you can handle.

And diet is another topic we could go on and on about, but basically just keep your caloric intake in check and eat as healthy as you want. Quantity is more important that quality.

[Dean]

Diet coke in and of itself doesn't make you gain more weight.

What it can do is trick your body into expecting actual sugar and spreading insulin, and when it doesn't get it this can make you hungrier.

Not that it's 100% healthy itself, and if you're ok with drinking only water just do that. But it's not the worst thing you can do either as long as you have the self control to either a) not drink loads or b) not eat too much if the above ever takes place.

[GekiLPL]

How long do you think it will take me to actually lose 70 pounds? Should I just stop eating alltogether?

[Timothy]

How long do you think it will take me to actually lose 70 pounds? Should I just stop eating alltogether?

It's hard to say. Everyone's a little bit different. However, if your diet consists of mostly junk food and you don't exercise much at the moment, the weight might come off pretty quickly after you switch to a healthier lifestyle. That's by no means a sure thing, mind you.

The two most important things are to (1) take it slowly, and (2) do not starve yourself. Keeping track of your calories will become important later on, but don't overwhelm yourself at the outset. If you're like me, you probably have a lifetime of bad habits you need to break, why stress out over tiny details? It takes time to right the ship.

For your diet, what I did (and what I think is easier to maintain) is I slowly started to phase in cleaner food. One month I stopped drinking sodas. The next month, I started eating wheat bread instead of white bread. The month after that, I began to eat leaner meats. I never made too many changes at once. I gave my body (and my palette) time to adjust. If you're used to eating Cheetos as a snack, vegetables won't be very tasty . . . at first. But if you give it time and experiment
with different types of fruits and vegetables (which are very important), you'll actually start to like them.

As far as exercising goes, like travz said, don't overdo it. You spoke about walking and jogging, and I think that's a simple enough place to start. Let your body get used to more physical activity. I can tell you from experience, trying to do too much too soon fucking hurts, haha. It sounds like you have the right idea, though.

[GekiLPL]

It's hard to say. Everyone's a little bit different. However, if your diet consists of mostly junk food and you don't exercise much at the moment, the weight might come off pretty quickly after you switch to a healthier lifestyle. That's by no means a sure thing, mind you.

The two most important things are to (1) take it slowly, and (2) do not starve yourself. Keeping track of your calories will become important later on, but don't overwhelm yourself at the outset. If you're like me, you probably have a lifetime of bad habits you need to break, why stress out over tiny details? It takes time to right the ship.

For your diet, what I did (and what I think is easier to maintain) is I slowly started to phase in cleaner food. One month I stopped drinking sodas. The next month, I started eating wheat bread instead of white bread. The month after that, I began to eat leaner meats. I never made too many changes at once. I gave my body (and my palette) time to adjust. If you're used to eating Cheetos as a snack, vegetables won't be very tasty . . . at first. But if you give it time and experiment
with different types of fruits and vegetables (which are very important), you'll actually start to like them.

As far as exercising goes, like travz said, don't overdo it. You spoke about walking and jogging, and I think that's a simple enough place to start. Let your body get used to more physical activity. I can tell you from experience, trying to do too much too soon fucking hurts, haha. It sounds like you have the right idea, though.

Thank you for the advice. My whole life I have ate pretty much whatever I wanted and I don't exercise at all at the moment. I'm switching to water and diet soda's for now, and everytime I eat a meal, I am going to write it down and write down what it was that I ate. I'm going to eat healthy meals that I like. And I'm going to start exercising. Hopefully soon, improvement will show. I think cutting out high calorie drinks like shakes and energy drinks and regular soda will help a lot, and if I start maintaining what I eat, that will help too.

[1STPKLOSER]

100 sit ups then a cup of milk thats my idea

worked for me

[tROCKS24]

I'm a strong female, i need to time my self for doing push ups for 1 minute, like how we used to in elementary school [even then, i did about 80 to 100, and the 1 minute thing is for beginners or if you havent done exercise in a while]. For the advancement, do faster situps for 5 minutes without stopping. I do mine fast any way, im used to that. Its been a long time since running. I run almost as fast as the road-runner, a cartoon bird who is known for running fast. zipping through! When i was in 3-5th grade, I was the first girl and person to be done with track, i was that fast. However in 6 gd, a newbie student came now she is known to be the fastest runner and be done quicker than me. :)

For my new exercise plan, i just made this one up a few days ago:
stretch for 5 mins
exercise for 25 minutes that would be like for sit-ups in many different ways. Be creative! Because of creativity, it helps with your stomach, arms and upper leg areas. Plus it'll burn much faster.
then i, for me, I Belly dance for over 1hr. more like 2 hours at the mininum. if i get into the belly dancing [more than likely] then i Belly dance fo rlike 3 hours.

The exercise is helpful because it creates more energy for your body.

advice before start,
1. before start stretching, make sure to not eat and drink for 15 minutes. If you eaten before 15 mins, then you wait 15 mins. then your body, stomach as already started digesting.
2. it doesnt make sense to eat lunch, wait 15 mins. do the stretch/exercise/[and possible belly dance] and then when a few hours are up, you are ready for dinner. Dinner is usually the heaviest food on plate according to breakfast and lunch. so it's like adding back all of the things you lost=it equals to neutral meaning the same. so that plan was a waste. For me, i just eat dinner and if i am awake enough, i will then do the stretching/exercises/ and belly dances.
i just thought, it would be a good idea to eat dinner a little bit earlier like around 8pm that way if you are busy, your stomach will digest a little faster then to go about the plan.

i try to do my exact plan every day. I'll do what i can. i also record everything. we don't have a scale at home to measure weight. i just record when [the days specifically] and how long i stretch/exercise/and belly dance. I do that per month now. this tracking calender thing helps measure if you are having more energy for like doing everything [stretching/exercising/and bellydancing] for 140 minutes=equivalant to 2hours and 20 minutes. Plus the timing may change like it was 140 one day, then the next day, it'll change to 180= equivalant to 3hours and 0mins. that's huge improvement according to a day or just a lot of hours. and have fun*

i am at 168 lbs before i started with this plan that i simply made up. Im glad that i made it up. i also read part of a belly dancing book- it talked about not eating for 15 mins and yes exercise for 25 mins. i just added the rest of the plan. im doing this extra exercising full plan so i can lose weight. I would be surprise if i were to lose about 20lbs in 5 weeks. [one month] with keeping up with the plan. i do love to eat so that'll be the balance.