It's time to get fitter and shape up ......advice for a salad dodger please

[welshyoot]

Nothing fancy, I just use the "Health" app on my iPhone to count my steps. If you have an iPhone, it's the white app with the small red heart on it, that is one of the standard ones. I always keep the phone in my pocket when I walk so the steps are registered. Alternatively there are plenty of other step-counting apps you can get for free.

I know lots of people use watches or other devices, but this works for me. I just need to remember to keep the phone in my pocket, even when I'm just walking around the house, back and fore to the garage etc.

Good luck

Thanks mate, very helpful

[stan butler]

I haven't read any of the replies
So! why bother with weights if you're not planning on muscle gain?
Go for a brisk walk ...one album's length (about 40 mins) a day
Drink water through the day.
Drink a full glass of water 45 mins before your evening meal which should be no later than 7pm (eat nothing after that)
DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF EVERY WEEK. Try every second to third week.

I do weights but don't do it for building muscle.
It relieves stress improves stamina helps fat burn and metabolism plus it does help with toning.

[stan butler]

Map my Walk is a decent app. It’s free and it gives you your distance walked (K’s or miles), duration, average pace, steps, calories, el again (ft) and average cadence. Also gives you detailed analysis of pace, elevation etc. you can get weekly totals and plan your routes. Also gives you a map of where you’ve walked.

They also have one for cycling, Map my Ride and one for running Map my Run although you can use the same app for all and just adjust it accordingly.

All you have to do is put in your weight, height etc.

Decent app i used for ten years.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Unfortunately, I've known Sludge much longer than most people around here have, since his mid-teens in fact.

By the time he approached his 18th birthday in 1984 he was already a seasoned rotter. So much so that it surprised nobody when he declared his intention to seek membership of the Conservative Party at the earliest opportunity.

He was succesful in his quest on his 18th birthday. He reported that he received several hearty "hear, hear's" when he praised Margarat Thatcher's leadership and expressed a desire that Arthur Scargill be publicly hanged. (The Tories were in the process of smashing his National Union of Mineworkers and with it bringing the Trade Union movement to its knees.)

He said the selection was really a screening process to ensure the party didn't become sullied with manual workers, social housing tenants and "other scumbags of similar ilk."

Soon after he departed for three years to a northern England university. This confused me as I knew he was thick as feck. That mystery was solved when I Iearnt he was there as a cleaner rather than an undergraduate.

I understand he skived his way through the duration. Often seen hurrying with a bucket in hand, it emerged his mop remained in the same pristine condition when he handed it back as when it was issued. It likely never touched water.

When he returned he regaled anyone prepared to listen about the double first he gained whilst away. Depending on how gullible he adjudged those who listened, he bagged everything from biophysics and Greek mythology to embroidery and needlework. All of It was utter bollocks, of course.

His sole academic qualifation didn't really count. That was the 25 metre breaststroke. He sank on his first two attempts and was only awarded the certificate when the lifeguards didn't fancy rescuing him a third time.

What a kent that fella is!

There is a line

It's been crossed

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I work in a leisure centre with free access to two gyms however, they just don't do it for me, even though I know the gym is a great avenue for getting healthier and losing weight. We're all different but walking has worked for me. Hopefully it does for you too, as it's the easiest, cheapest and most basic form of exercise out there.....if we're keeping this clean

I can't do any impact exercise and I find swimming so boring . Cycling is a death mission these days .

[The Hooded Claw]

If you’re pre-diabetic (I’m already mid-diabetic), then you need to cut your carbs.
That means no crisps, few chips, lentils in place of rice where you can and wholemeal pasta.
Do that and you will lose weight and your blood sugars will also drop.
Walking will help a lot as well.
Good luck!

[ToTaL ITK]

I do weights but don't do it for building muscle.
It relieves stress improves stamina helps fat burn and metabolism plus it does help with toning.

Weights don't improve stamina my friend. During an intensive high impact workout it will burn calories. You need to walk(at pace) bike or swim to
improve stamina.
The best thing you can do is to strengthen your core as you get older to protect your back etc...balance is also important

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

If you’re pre-diabetic (I’m already mid-diabetic), then you need to cut your carbs.
That means no crisps, few chips, lentils in place of rice where you can and wholemeal pasta.
Do that and you will lose weight and your blood sugars will also drop.
Walking will help a lot as well.
Good luck!

I thought wholemeal pasta , brown bread and brown rice was OK......but the practice nurse said keep off any carbs

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Weights don't improve stamina my friend. During an intensive high impact workout it will burn calories. You need to walk(at pace) bike or swim to
improve stamina.
The best thing you can do is to strengthen your core as you get older to protect your back etc...balance is also important

Apart from sit ups, which wreck my lower back , what can I do to strengthen my core ? Surely erect upright walking is a good start?

[Sloop_Jon_Bee]

Not much more I can add to the above really.

I'm now 50 but this time last year I weighed around 17.5 stone (I'm 6'2). I've since lost six stone, partly through a change in diet but mainly walking. I'd started going for little walks during lockdown, just to get out of the kitchen and away from the laptop. I was aiming at 8k a day, but now do 20k a day (which is around 7-8 miles). I try to do it in three chunks - early morning pre-work, lunchtime and evening. Finding the right Podcasts has been essential, as once you get into the right one, you forget you're exercising. It's also been great finding new routes, paths, shortcuts etc in and around the area I've lived all my life, that I never knew existed. It can feel like a chore sometimes, either when the weather is bad or when (in my case) you realise at 11pm you've done 19.5k steps and you end up trudging aimlessly around the house for 10 minutes to get to 20k. It has become an obsession, but one that will hopefully be of benefit.

Definitely weigh yourself regularly as with the right diet - I cut out my lifelong favourites such as pasties, pies, sausage rolls and, in particular, crisps - and plenty of exercise, the weight will definitely come off. One note of caution, it may cost you a few quid as I've had to pretty much invest in a new wardrobe for anything that didn't involve my feet!

Good luck

Well done mate. Great effort. Wish i could do the same.
Spedger

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Surely erect upright wanking is a good start?

It's better than nothing I suppose.

[tforturton]

Start off with the easy stuff, or you'll get cheesed off with it very quickly. Cut out the white stuff - bread, pasta, potatoes, rice. Eat lots of chicken and fish, with salad or vegetables. Cut the beer right down. If you take sugar, use sweeteners instead. Eat fruit for lunch. Try to take a walk every day - even it it's a short one. Half an hour (say 3,000 steps) is fine. You can always build up if you like it.

[Wash DC Blue]

Apart from sit ups, which wreck my lower back , what can I do to strengthen my core ? Surely erect upright walking is a good start?

I just got a NordicTrack Rower.
I didn't get any oars though, so just having a drift about :)

Seriously though with a rower, it's great for core.
You use 80% of your muscles so it gives you resistance training as well as cardio.

[Lither_1927]

55
6 foot
16 stone
Fairly big build , doctor wants me to drop two stone if possible as my blood sugar is pre diabetic

So , diet wise I know what to avoid and what to eat etc

I am not going to be building any muscle mass at all at my age so heavy gym work is out ......thank feck as I hate the gym

I don't enjoy cycling and can't swim like I used to .....my ankle is reconstructed so no running , 5 a side

I thought plenty of walking , some pilates and yoga classes ?

Mixed in with some basic dumbells and home exercises ?

Anyone got any decent links , there's absolutely stacks out there and I don't know where to start

Keto diet, intermittent fasting.

[Optimistic Nick]

55
6 foot
16 stone
Fairly big build , doctor wants me to drop two stone if possible as my blood sugar is pre diabetic

So , diet wise I know what to avoid and what to eat etc

I am not going to be building any muscle mass at all at my age so heavy gym work is out ......thank feck as I hate the gym

I don't enjoy cycling and can't swim like I used to .....my ankle is reconstructed so no running , 5 a side

I thought plenty of walking , some pilates and yoga classes ?

Mixed in with some basic dumbells and home exercises ?

Anyone got any decent links , there's absolutely stacks out there and I don't know where to start

Nowt wrong with exercise, but diet will make a big dent in your excess.

When people say they normally want to lose weight they often really need to lose fat, but at 16 stone and 6 foot you can probably focus just on losing some weight in the early stages. Which is great, because that just means a calorie deficit and that is easy.

So phase 1: focus on calories. Just eat 200 less calories than you need. The amount you need will flex per exercise, but just stick to a basic healthy diet, drop the booze and any sugary drinks as much as possible, beer in particular. Make sure you get enough protein per day to support your existing muscle mass.

Phase 2: build on Phase 1 by focusing on macros. Fat is NOT your enemy, sugar is. Well, trans fats and crap fats are your enemy too, but there is nothing wrong with healthy fats (olive oil, fish etc). Try to get rid of sugar and other crap carbohydrate- bread, beer, pasta, rice, cereals etc. Try to drop snacking too, there is nothing wrong with having just 2 or 3 meals a day.

If you fancy it, I do think there is a legitimate Phase 3 which is massively reducing carbs and focusing on micronutrients to ensure you've got sufficient fibre and micronutrients from your remaining diet. Get it right and it is like living in cheat mode where your body slashes fat and you just feel far more present and alert. But from what I can tell from your posts over the years you'd be pretty sceptical of something that hardcore - keeping to under 20g of carbs a day is quite a challenge and you really do have to check the nutritional info of everything, even most fruits are verboten if you go for it.

There are loads of other little things that really do help along the way so you can fine tune it, but I'd see it as something where you are going to have to learn on the job, so to speak, and expect to refine and improve on your diet rather than expect to start Day 1 with the perfect diet. Good luck.

Source: did Phase 1 for month 1 and phase 2 for month 2 and went from 93kg to 80kg; did phase 3 (keto) for month 3 and 4 and got down to 73kg. I've generally stayed in phase 3 for the last 2 years and in that 2 years I've yet to go above 75kg. Muscle mass has remained largely unchanged throughout and body fat is down from around 25% to 18%.

[Wash DC Blue]

Keto diet, intermittent fasting.

I'd say Keto works for a quick hit or kick start...however it is very difficult to maintain IMO.

No doubt it can produce incredible results, but slow and steady wins the race for me personally.

[Optimistic Nick]

Apart from sit ups, which wreck my lower back , what can I do to strengthen my core ? Surely erect upright walking is a good start?

Can you get an appointment with a physio? I'm seeing one who is helping me strengthen my core. Some of the stuff I have to do is super-basic and takes a few mins a day but has made a big difference. I'm not going to say what because mine is for a specific purpose and it might be entirely wrong for you, but lower back pain plus need to strengthen core sounds like a job for a physio.

[Optimistic Nick]

Those packet stir fry sauces are an abomination

And often more than 25% sugar. Give them a miss. If we are having stir fry in our house, I just do my own version flavoured with 5 spice; chilli/garlic/ginger; a bit of soy and a lug of sesame oil. It's not authentic anything, but it tastes a lot better than the stuff from the sachets and has materially no carbs.

[Tuerto]

I'd say Keto works for a quick hit or kick start...however it is very difficult to maintain IMO.

No doubt it can produce incredible results, but slow and steady wins the race for me personally.

Good, Simple advice

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Nowt wrong with exercise, but diet will make a big dent in your excess.

When people say they normally want to lose weight they often really need to lose fat, but at 16 stone and 6 foot you can probably focus just on losing some weight in the early stages. Which is great, because that just means a calorie deficit and that is easy.

So phase 1: focus on calories. Just eat 200 less calories than you need. The amount you need will flex per exercise, but just stick to a basic healthy diet, drop the booze and any sugary drinks as much as possible, beer in particular. Make sure you get enough protein per day to support your existing muscle mass.

Phase 2: build on Phase 1 by focusing on macros. Fat is NOT your enemy, sugar is. Well, trans fats and crap fats are your enemy too, but there is nothing wrong with healthy fats (olive oil, fish etc). Try to get rid of sugar and other crap carbohydrate- bread, beer, pasta, rice, cereals etc. Try to drop snacking too, there is nothing wrong with having just 2 or 3 meals a day.

If you fancy it, I do think there is a legitimate Phase 3 which is massively reducing carbs and focusing on micronutrients to ensure you've got sufficient fibre and micronutrients from your remaining diet. Get it right and it is like living in cheat mode where your body slashes fat and you just feel far more present and alert. But from what I can tell from your posts over the years you'd be pretty sceptical of something that hardcore - keeping to under 20g of carbs a day is quite a challenge and you really do have to check the nutritional info of everything, even most fruits are verboten if you go for it.

There are loads of other little things that really do help along the way so you can fine tune it, but I'd see it as something where you are going to have to learn on the job, so to speak, and expect to refine and improve on your diet rather than expect to start Day 1 with the perfect diet. Good luck.

Source: did Phase 1 for month 1 and phase 2 for month 2 and went from 93kg to 80kg; did phase 3 (keto) for month 3 and 4 and got down to 73kg. I've generally stayed in phase 3 for the last 2 years and in that 2 years I've yet to go above 75kg. Muscle mass has remained largely unchanged throughout and body fat is down from around 25% to 18%.

You are right , I need it simple

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Can you get an appointment with a physio? I'm seeing one who is helping me strengthen my core. Some of the stuff I have to do is super-basic and takes a few mins a day but has made a big difference. I'm not going to say what because mine is for a specific purpose and it might be entirely wrong for you, but lower back pain plus need to strengthen core sounds like a job for a physio.

See one on Monday

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

And often more than 25% sugar. Give them a miss. If we are having stir fry in our house, I just do my own version flavoured with 5 spice; chilli/garlic/ginger; a bit of soy and a lug of sesame oil. It's not authentic anything, but it tastes a lot better than the stuff from the sachets and has materially no carbs.

Stir fry or Pan fry , both healthy ?

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Nowt wrong with exercise, but diet will make a big dent in your excess.

When people say they normally want to lose weight they often really need to lose fat, but at 16 stone and 6 foot you can probably focus just on losing some weight in the early stages. Which is great, because that just means a calorie deficit and that is easy.

So phase 1: focus on calories. Just eat 200 less calories than you need. The amount you need will flex per exercise, but just stick to a basic healthy diet, drop the booze and any sugary drinks as much as possible, beer in particular. Make sure you get enough protein per day to support your existing muscle mass.

Phase 2: build on Phase 1 by focusing on macros. Fat is NOT your enemy, sugar is. Well, trans fats and crap fats are your enemy too, but there is nothing wrong with healthy fats (olive oil, fish etc). Try to get rid of sugar and other crap carbohydrate- bread, beer, pasta, rice, cereals etc. Try to drop snacking too, there is nothing wrong with having just 2 or 3 meals a day.

If you fancy it, I do think there is a legitimate Phase 3 which is massively reducing carbs and focusing on micronutrients to ensure you've got sufficient fibre and micronutrients from your remaining diet. Get it right and it is like living in cheat mode where your body slashes fat and you just feel far more present and alert. But from what I can tell from your posts over the years you'd be pretty sceptical of something that hardcore - keeping to under 20g of carbs a day is quite a challenge and you really do have to check the nutritional info of everything, even most fruits are verboten if you go for it.

There are loads of other little things that really do help along the way so you can fine tune it, but I'd see it as something where you are going to have to learn on the job, so to speak, and expect to refine and improve on your diet rather than expect to start Day 1 with the perfect diet. Good luck.

Source: did Phase 1 for month 1 and phase 2 for month 2 and went from 93kg to 80kg; did phase 3 (keto) for month 3 and 4 and got down to 73kg. I've generally stayed in phase 3 for the last 2 years and in that 2 years I've yet to go above 75kg. Muscle mass has remained largely unchanged throughout and body fat is down from around 25% to 18%.

Is granola and seeds with yoghurt OK or too many carbs ?

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Is somebody can give me a basic home workout with dumbells , light weighted bars , fitball , kettleballs and stetches etc covering the main body groups that would be helpful .

[stan butler]

Weights don't improve stamina my friend. During an intensive high impact workout it will burn calories. You need to walk(at pace) bike or swim to
improve stamina.
The best thing you can do is to strengthen your core as you get older to protect your back etc...balance is also important

Maybe worded it wrong. When i do weights i don't do it with the aim of getting bigger or full of muscle.
When i started doing weights i couldnt do anywhere near the sets and reps i do now.
I don't increase the weight i've increased the reps has i go..
It does work because my arms , chest and legs are toned