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

[Harry Paget Flashman]

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

Surely erect upright wanking is a good start?

It's better than nothing I suppose.

[tforturton]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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 :thumbup:

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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