I'd like some help......
 

But I'm not sure if it's advice I need or a good swift kick in the ass.

This is about a Diet/exercise plan to lose the 20+ lbs that are hanging over my belt but below my chest. IT'S gotta GO!!!

First, I've never been good at keeping on an exercise plan, 2nd I hate doing sit-ups and things like that. I hated it when we had to do it in high school and hated it still when I was in the Navy. Back then it wasn't THAT much of a problem.......

Now that I'm no longer 28, I look terrible.

First what kind of diet should I try and get on.........and 2ndly when I do my situps, crunches whatever........do I need to have the weight off first before doing them.

Won't doing the exercise part of situp's and crunches just build up the muscle under the fat??

I just don't know. Does anyone have any ideas, suggestions? Is anyone else attempting to fight with this problem as well?

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Well, I'm in the opposite boat Admiral Nutworld. I need to gain weight. I'm not sure though that any "diet" truly will work unless you've dedicated yourself to the exercise part as well. I know that you already knew that though.

As far as sit-ups and crunches go, make sure you are careful because you don't want to screw up your back. Ease into it, don't go balls out the first night.

As simple as it sounds, I think maybe the best way to go about it is to count your calories and go with lots of fruits and veggies. But I'm sure there are others here who can give you much better advice on it than me.

I just really wanted to call you Admiral Nutworld. :p

LOL. I've gotten that nickname before since my fantasy baseball team is the "Admirals".

Now you know why. :nod:





Re-enlist ;)

Ya join the Marines this time

The thing I've found is when you go on something you always get off. which is true with dieting. Don't try and take the weight off all at once because if you do it's sure to come back just as fast. (I'm sure you didn't put all the weight on overnight.) Just try eating heathier, drink some water before your meals and then just because. as for doing all that exercise stuff try starting with a walk around the block. Lifestyle changes are the best way.
Good Luck

































MMMMMMMMMMMMM Chocolate Cake (Homer Simpson)

Six small sensible meals a day...because when you "diet" and deprive your body it thinks it's starving and will store fat to prevent it.

Keep your calories in the 2000 to 2500 mark and cut way down on fat, carbs and sodium.

Exercise will build muscle as well as burning fat. Muscle weighs more than fat so you'll reach a plateau at some point and this is usually when people give up thinking they've lost all they are going to lose. This is actually when you should step up the workout and keep eating those six small sensible meals.

Drink PLENTY of water so you can sweat like crazy without dehydration.

Walking...up and down hills...is a wonderful exercise to burn calories. Swimming is great as well. To build muscle you must have resistance. Weights build muscle. Crunches, as opposed to full blown sit ups, can be easier and have the same end result.

The key is to NOT starve yourself but to change the things you eat so that the calories you do ingest work for you and not against you! A car needs fuel to go. We are machines in a sense. We need fuel in order to go as well!

Oh...and grapefruit is an awesome diet food. Low carb, low fat, low sodium soup (organic vegetable, for example)
before a main meal can help cut down on consuming too much more thereafter. Water can give you a sense of fullness as well.

Sorry Lixy, you've caused me to get up on my diet soapbox.

One pound of fat weighs exactly the same as one pound of muscle. The difference is in volume. One pound of fat will take up considerably more volume than one pound of muscle.

I'm also not a huge believer in the exercise for weightloss. To lose one pound you must get rid of 3500 calories, somehow. The most I've burned in a strenuous workout is about 600 calories. Don't trust the readouts on gym equipment they are grossly wrong. Exercise will help to tone and reshape your body as you lose weight.

If you are looking to tone up in the midsection I recommend googling "core exercise" - there is so much more than just straight crunches that will work the midsection.

No one has mentioned water yet, make sure to drink no less than 48 oz of the good pure and clear stuff. Nothing added to it, just plain old water.

A website that I've found that seems to have a good diet plan, calorie counter, and a plethora of information is www.sparkpeople.com

Do make sure to increase your intake of vegetables and fruit. Try to stay away from the starchy vegetables. Also foods higher in fiber will digest more slowly and help stave off the hunger longer. Make sure to keep some fat in your diet, it's essential to digestion as well as the ingestion of certain vitamins. But try to stick to healthy oils - olive, sunflower, canola.

Thanks everyone!

Sounds like I've got a lot of research and planning to do. Not to mention getting off my ass.

I'll keep you posted on what happens and if I'm having any success.

Lixy and Maddy- Water?? WATER??? plain old water???

BLEEEECHH!!! (if I HAVE to) :D

As Maddy said "core exercises", they are sinple exercises that help devlop of course core musle groups. The program often uses benches, yoga balls, in addtion to dumbells. Still one of the best ways for men to drop excess weight is to strap on the shoes and go out and run. The downside to running is while at the same time loosing fat mass you will also loose a degree if musle mass.

Go out and buy a pilates tape - not a girly one...but one that will help you learn more about how to do core exercises. They're hard to do right, but they are really good for you.

Walk EVERY DAY for at least 30 minutes - buy yourself a pedometer and set yourself goals for how far you'll walk for the week.

THe water really works. :)

Eats fruits, veggies, and NUTS. Nothing fills me up like a handful of nuts, and they have the *good* kind of fat.

Also - another calorie tracker - www.fitday.com

Ok, water I get, exercise, (which I'm not doing much of) I get. Granted now that I am back to work, I am on my feet more than when I was NOT working, but its hardly "exercise", but it can't hurt right?

Here's a stupid question.......(yet again)

As far as calories go..........I GUESS (as that is what it is at this point) that I am under 2000 calories a day. I'm not eating more than one full meal a day, usually when I grab a bite to eat at work I eat some salad. (now that I know about fruits I'll eat some off the salad bar as well as the salad). When I do eat meat at work it's grilled chicken, but other than that, its not like I'm eating at McD's or any other fast food place. I'm avoiding them. I'm guessing (again) that I've dropped about 5 lbs since starting work.

FINALLY we get to the question............how is it that if I am more active, and not sitting on my butt all day, and I'm taking in less calories -under 2000 a day, and while I'm not starving myself, I'm still not losing any more weight than that? LIKE I said.........stupid question.

I confess I'm a "dieting" Idiot.

I'd say keep at it. I'm not a big one for dieting, because there are some - like winston said - that you will just put on all the weight again after. Sounds like you've got a pretty decent start with your food. I eat pretty healthy meals, but what gets me is snacks. The advice about water is really good, and once you start drinking a lot of water you'll start realising how dehydrated you were before.
Walking is also really good advice. If you get the bus, get off a stop early, if you drive park a little further from your work. Even if that means only another 100 yards or so, it'll add up. It's not strenuous, but so long as you're not strolling along at snails pace, it will help.

The most important thing is not to get into the mindset that you've only got to do this till you lose weight: make little changes that are simple and that you can see yourself doing all the time, that way you won't put it all back on afterwards, and you'll be less inclined to crash and burn.

Meh, just an opinion from someone who certainly isn't the slimmest... But I know where I'm going wrong, I just don't mind right now.

As strange as this may sound but your not eating enough. Or i should say you need to get into the routine of eating 3plus meals a day.

On a standard 1800 cal diet you will be eating 5 times a day. That is the customary breakfast, lunch, dinner with the inclusion of a mid-day snack and a late evening snack. The late snack should not be eaten later than 9:00 at night. If you go to bed before 9:00 your better off skipping the last portion. The key to the diet or meals is choosing the right size portion or serving. So look of the back of packaged foods and figure out what you will eat and what you will save for later. And by scheuleing your means through out the day your are not starving yourself for food.

If you really want to got hard core create a food log and keep track of all that you at during the day and if possible keep track the calories.

If I remember correctly for calorical intake to maintain weight. Is

Your wieght X 10 = The amount of daily calories to sustain your current wieght

210 pounds X 10 = 2100 Cal per day

So just by eating better at around 1800 -2000 cal and light exerise you win start to loose wieght.

Plus don't become a slave to your scale. See how your cloths are fitting you. How thinks fit on you is better indicator that you are loosing inches instead of pounds. Also it maybe time to kick up the exercise program.
But of course this is my :2cents:

I'm doing Weight Watchers and am down 10. I'm looking forward to the summer when I can join a gym. I need to build upper body strength. The Lost Boys are kickin my but lately. I started off with weightloss and will add more excercise now that my metabolism is in gear.