Fasting is an interesting subject. There's studies that show you'll live longer if you do some sort of fasting, as well as burn fat at an increased rate. I'd look into intermittent fasting. You eat the same amount of calories in a day as you normally would (whatever your desired number is), but you only eat in a 6 or 8 hour window, say from Noon to 6PM. You do this 7 days a week as far as I know. I've tried it the last week or two and it's not as hard as I thought. My body adapted pretty quickly. Apparently is doesn't decrease muscle mass, either. But maybe if you're looking to lose more weight at a quicker pace while still being safe, 24-hour fasting a couple days a week might be better. I don't know.
I'm looking to do that, Travz. Hopefully that will kick-start my metabolism. I weighed in at 232.5lbs this morning. True weight.
I've actually recently started going to the gym again. Before March, I weighed in at 200lbs exactly and that is obese for my age and weight so from March - June I worked out like crazy and went on a vegan diet, In 3 months I managed to lose 35lbs (obviously weighing 165), but summer hit me and I got lazy and gained 10 pounds back so now I'm trying to find a good method to lose weight, unfortunately I can't diet, just don't have the effort and I'm actually very shocked at the fact that I was able to do it in the first place, What I need to do now is find some routine to lose side belly fat. I don't have abs, but not too much fat where they should be either, I have a bit on the sides that I am now trying to get rid of, hoping to have them gone before winter kicks in.
You can't use spot treatment with fat. Your body just burns its fat reserves from wherever, regardless if you're targeting a certain area to work on. For men, the last place the body goes to to burn fat is around the waist and stomach, so it's tough to get a 6-pack or a toned middle section. They say you need around 10% body fat or less for your abs to start showing. So the only way to lose fat in a certain area is to decrease the fat on your entire body by having a daily caloric deficit. Just make sure you're eating less calories than you're burning and you'll lose fat. Eating healthier and working out just speeds up the process and will make you more fit overall.
Wowza. This month has been barren for two months? I shall update out of boredom. Currently down to 160lbs on the dot right now. Looking shredded, though this is totally not my goal right now. So I've lost 10 - 15 pounds since I last posted here I believe. Haven't worked on my one rep maxes...ever. But as of right now, this is how I'm performing: Barbell bench: 205 lbs 8 - 10 reps Dumbbell bench: 110 lbs each hand 6 - 8 reps Squats: ...down to being able to perform properly at 135 lbs for each set. Very sad. I've neglected legs for weeks at a time ever since my rotator cuff injury. Goal Bench: 225 lb on the regular Deadlifts: 405 lb max one rep Squats 225 lb on the regular 190 lbs. Bodyfat % - not giving a shits for the time being. Hope everyone is having awesome workout results!
Got my deadlift up to 300 and then haven't worked out more than twice a week for the last month. Pretty pissed off at myself. I feel like 15 pound per week improvements are attainable in the deadlift so I feel even worse for wasting that time.
What if I just want to be really skinny without muscle? I used to be really skinny when I was younger, but I am now basically obese. I have a problem... But I want to fix it.
Be inactive and make sure you are eating less calories than you're burning. You won't have muscle and you'll be losing weight. You'll lose weight quicker and healthier if you work out, though.
You can lose weight faster if you don't work out because muscle loss can occur with fat loss, and more muscle than fat can be lost in the same deficit.
I've been on the keto diet for 2 months and it works fucking wonders. Lost 25 pounds in little over a month.
^awesome stuff Kacy. I just tried out a one serving sample I received of Cellucor C4 Extreme. Really good stuff. Aside from ON Whey, I don't use any other supplement but I'm definitely changing my mind. This pre-workout worked wonders for me, and I am AWAKE as all hell right now. (calling out Travz), try it out.
Ugh, I started eating healthy after the holidays. I decrease my running to 3-4 miles a day and increase my weight training because my personal trainer made me. According to him, muscle helps burn fat. I was first discourage of doing weights because I didn't want to have muscle (I'm a chick) and my trainer said I would actually see some weight gain because of the muscle. But its important and healthy to have it.
Your muscles will help you burn fat because they require much more energy to suffice. Your metabolism is at its peak during weight training than during something such as running or swimming. This is because your body continues to burn fat even once you have stopped. It's why weight training is such a great tool to have. As for starting, to be honest, no one will judge you. Anyone who see's someone working hard in the weight room will be impressed. It's true because everyone has to start somewhere. And you shouldn't worry about the muscle weight. Athleticism and fit isn't simply about the weight. It may start out as that, but eventually, it's all about strength and body image (don't read too much into it). Your muscles are more dense than fat and will, therefore, weigh more. But you won't physically look fatter. Instead, you'll just look in shape
I'm more impressed by people who have really good form than people who lift heavy with shit form. Controlled strength at maximum/near maximum effort is beautiful. Doesn't matter how heavy it is. And I'm impressed by any girl who lifts weights. Especially ones that squat and deadlift. Giggity. Marry me.
A little motivation for those who are down and out and ready to prove their worth and tread through the pain to regain their reward. [youtube]f9926ykBw-w[/youtube]
So all of the weight that I lost last year, I've gained back. Because of that, I've cut my soda intake drastically and I've increased my intake of veggies and fruits. My body is going through withdrawls, not from the caffeine, but from sugar intake. It seems like I have an appetite that is never satiated.
So I've never been in ideal shape, in my mind, but I have played sports my entire life. Over the past year, my diet and exercise habits have fallen way off, and I've gained a substantial amount of weight. I decided to completely cut all fried foods, pizza, sweets, and soda from my diet and have began working out again. The only problem for me is that I'm a very picky eater. So, as it stands now, my diet consists primarily of grilled chicken, grilled cheese, and pasta. Any suggestions on whether or not this is a good track to be on?
Well, just looking at your diet, you don't have any fruit and vegetables in your nutrition. As an athlete, these are very vital nutrients to intake for muscles and cardio. And even as someone who doesn't exercise, you should still be intaking both sources of food. You need the vitamins, fiber, and anti-oxidants that come from both. Plus, eating veggies and fruits will reduce the amount of junk you might intake. Grilled Cheese might be good and okay for a while, but it is not a healthy dish in the long term. Grilled Cheese has a lot of lipids, both saturated and unsaturated, in the making process that's just not good for you.
I'm not a big fruit and vegetable guy, either. Just pick up some fresh orange juice (not from concentrate) and a bag of carrots. Throw in a multivitamin if you want, too. But grilled chicken, grilled cheese, and pasta is seriously fine. You get a good amount of protein, carbs, and fat. The thing you really need to be concerned about is how many calories you're consuming. That will determine weight gain/loss and will affect your health more than anything. As long as you're meeting your protein, carb, and fat needs, your body will be in working order. Don't stress too much on how healthy everything is. If you're trying to lose weight, cut a couple hundred calories from your daily intake. If you're not seeing results after a couple weeks, cut a few hundred more. Unless you're trying to finely tune your body like an Olympic athlete, it's not rocket science. Eat less energy than you expend and you'll lose weight and feel fine as long as you're meeting your basic nutrient needs. Making everything more complicated than it is just confuses people and turns them off to the whole weight loss idea. In the end, you can still enjoy the foods you love. You just need to be smart about it. If you expend 2000 calories of energy in a day, or whatever your daily maintenance amount is, eating a 700 calorie dessert won't leave you much wiggle room for getting the rest of your basic nutrients in. But it can still be done. Just be smart.