Blonde will make thin ....Here we go again !

[leethefish]

will update all over the weekend ......good start all

[jezza777]

Okay here goes

I am currently 15 stone which is worse than I thought .

I want to lose around 3 stone I guess , but also want to get fitter and bulk up a little. Anyone know the best way to do this? do I need to drop the weight first before I start muscle building and stuff.

My main problems are drinking , eating too much chocolate and bad food , having a poor lifestyle in terms of when I eat. Also no exercise to speak of doesn't help.

So I want to be 12 stone by the end of march. I am going to stop drinking completely and also stop having chocolate. Start eating regular healthy meals with careful portioning and do some exercise.

[Leatherman]

Okay here goes

I am currently 15 stone which is worse than I thought .

I want to lose around 3 stone I guess , but also want to get fitter and bulk up a little. Anyone know the best way to do this? do I need to drop the weight first before I start muscle building and stuff.

My main problems are drinking , eating too much chocolate and bad food , having a poor lifestyle in terms of when I eat. Also no exercise to speak of doesn't help.

So I want to be 12 stone by the end of march. I am going to stop drinking completely and also stop having chocolate. Start eating regular healthy meals with careful portioning and do some exercise.

Same as me fella, GL us

[Marky147]

Okay here goes

I am currently 15 stone which is worse than I thought .

I want to lose around 3 stone I guess , but also want to get fitter and bulk up a little. Anyone know the best way to do this? do I need to drop the weight first before I start muscle building and stuff.

My main problems are drinking , eating too much chocolate and bad food , having a poor lifestyle in terms of when I eat. Also no exercise to speak of doesn't help.

So I want to be 12 stone by the end of march. I am going to stop drinking completely and also stop having chocolate. Start eating regular healthy meals with careful portioning and do some exercise.

Absolutely don't need to drop the weight before you start, once you start building muscle it will in turn help you shed fat. I posted this in response to a thread Aaron started earlier asking much the same and it should be quite helpful for anyone looking to do similar to yourself m8.





Obviously you don't want to withdraw the foods you like completely, that will just lead to rebounds, which I always have and you just end up regressing to yoru previous state (or worse).

If you're working in a calorific deficit over the week, you will lose weight and it's that simple. An easy way to do so is operating at 500 calories per day below your maintenance rate, this will see you lose 1lb a week without exercising and more if you're working out regularly.

When I'm dieting I try to keep proteins high, carbs under 100g and fats under 50g. That means with supplements I can get around 200g protein, 100g carbs and with under 50g fat I am around 500 below maintenance level.

1g of Protein = 4 calories
1g of Carbs   = 4 calories
1g of Fat       = 9 calories

I've never met you personally, but I would hazard a guess from your height/weight that you're not that thick set and of a medium build. I would guess that you don't need to ditch too much weight, so would be better cleaning up your diet which sounds terrible (like mine atm) and then using exercise to alter your body composition.

I don't like boiled or mashed potato, so that leaves me somewhat limited and the easy way to get around that is replace chips with Sweet Potato wedges.

Wash and cut one s/potato up like chips.

Spray a baking tray with 1cal, spread them evenly across it season, spray again and then cover with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes at Gas 5, remove foil turn them and then put back into the oven until they're cooked to your preference.

Much better for you and with a steak and some pepper sauce it's a nice meal!

Stir fries are an easy way to get good meals in without going overboard on carbs and crappy stuff.

Chicken Breast sliced
Stir Fry Pack
Soy Sauce
Garlic

Uncle Ben's rice or some Rice Noodles and you're away.

Can have a decent meal that's good for you in 20 minutes and it saves doing dough on takeaways too.


If you must drink pop make  it diet and replace the sugar with sweetener if you can't lower the amount of real sugar.

Bread has to go, or at least eaten very infrequently. It's one of my trigger foods and like many others I could sit and murder a Tiger loaf in a day no problem!

For chips see above.

I rarely drink anymore and haven't had a drink for almost 4months as it stands, but when I do it's normally Vodka and Diet Coke, or Gin and Slimline Tonic.

When I'm away on weekends, which is even more rarely I will still drink Sambuca, Jaegerbombs etc. and I don't worry because it's such a rarity. Also the fact I can't walk straight without a drink influences my habits too Cheesy

Replace the chocolate/crisps/crap with fruit,nuts or even vegetables like raw carrot if you can handle it (I can't)

I use protein bars, protein cookies and even protein desserts to quench the pangs for crap and of course once or twice a week allow yourself a treat!


I don't think you need to lose too much weight, but would benefit from recomposition of your body and just trimming yourself down by altering eating habits.

For the gym stuff a good mix of cardio and weights will work wonders. A 5x5 programme is often a good basis for beginners and will see the biggest changes in a short period of time.

Workout A

Squat 5×5   
Bench Press 5×5   
Barbell Rows 5×5

Workout B

Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5


Those are all basic compound movements which will help workout your whole body, once you've had a few months on that you can refine your workout and start working on the areas that you feel need more work.

[StuartHopkin]

Is it not true that diet pop and sweetners are actually worse for you than normal pop and a spoon full of sugar?

[StuartHopkin]

Replies to that question must be backed up by relevant science links or approved by Dan Phillips

[Marky147]

Is it not true that diet pop and sweetners are actually worse for you than normal pop and a spoon full of sugar?

I have no idea, any relevant scientific evidence to back it up?

[StuartHopkin]

Is it not true that diet pop and sweetners are actually worse for you than normal pop and a spoon full of sugar?

I have no idea, any relevant scientific evidence to back it up?

http://news.menshealth.com/diet-soda-heart-disease/2012/02/08/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131092746.htm

[aaron1867]

Dave, in reply to your question..

I am going to be making sure I am in a eating schedule Breakfast/Lunch/Tea, cutting carbs and adding more protein. It also goes without saying I will be cutting out the nasties like chocolate, sugar, pop & bread, so there is a lot of fat to be lost (hopefully anyway).

However you do have a point about exercise plan, need to read up about it as I don't even know what some of the exercises that people mention are. I quit the gym in late 2012, never did sit or press ups, so they are getting put in exercise plan & going to talk to guys in gym about what best to do. Any suggestions welcome. A lot of advice taken from Marky as well, actual printed that stuff out for later reference.

My gym routine is weight > cardio > weight > home. I am not sure that is ideal, whilst also hanging around the 25-45 marks on most weight items in the gym, probably lower now as I gave up. I also think I do much better on cardio doing about 2km in about 12 minutes, generally enjoy walking/running.

Any more exercises to add in? Probably best to explain what they are too, not 100% on most exercise items. Not sure 100% on what bench presses & squats are, but get the jist.

I can't wait to see everyones progress too!

[Marky147]

Is it not true that diet pop and sweetners are actually worse for you than normal pop and a spoon full of sugar?

I have no idea, any relevant scientific evidence to back it up?

http://news.menshealth.com/diet-soda-heart-disease/2012/02/08/



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131092746.htm

One of those 'if you do this then this might happen' 'but the results are unclear'

I meant proper scientific evidence Stu

[Marky147]

Dave, in reply to your question..

I am going to be making sure I am in a eating schedule Breakfast/Lunch/Tea, cutting carbs and adding more protein. It also goes without saying I will be cutting out the nasties like chocolate, sugar, pop & bread, so there is a lot of fat to be lost (hopefully anyway).

However you do have a point about exercise plan, need to read up about it as I don't even know what some of the exercises that people mention are. I quit the gym in late 2012, never did sit or press ups, so they are getting put in exercise plan & going to talk to guys in gym about what best to do. Any suggestions welcome. A lot of advice taken from Marky as well, actual printed that stuff out for later reference.

My gym routine is weight > cardio > weight > home. I am not sure that is ideal, whilst also hanging around the 25-45 marks on most weight items in the gym, probably lower now as I gave up. I also think I do much better on cardio doing about 2km in about 12 minutes, generally enjoy walking/running.

Any more exercises to add in? Probably best to explain what they are too, not 100% on most exercise items. Not sure 100% on what bench presses & squats are, but get the jist.

I can't wait to see everyones progress too!

Is the gym you go to a proper training gym, or a leisure centre gym Aaron?

For a warm up I would maybe walk/cycle to the gym if possible, then once there do your weights workout and then some cardio afterwards.

Not saying that is correct, but from what I've seen on a bodybuilding site I'm a member of, most of them suggest that order for weights/cardio.

I'll get you some youtube videos that show you what each exercise in that programme is and that should help. There are only 6, so it should be easy enough once you've been doing them a short while.

The most important thing and I can't stress it enough. Is to remember that form>>>>>>>>> weight!

If you're trying to lift a weight that you're not comfortable, or competent with it is going to impede your progression. You'll no doubt see lots of young lads there, swinging dumbbells around and rolling at the back to do their arm curls with the 20kg dumbbells, they're the ones who are going to end up walking around like me when they rip something out......

[Marky147]

Is it not true that diet pop and sweetners are actually worse for you than normal pop and a spoon full of sugar?

I have no idea, any relevant scientific evidence to back it up?

http://news.menshealth.com/diet-soda-heart-disease/2012/02/08/



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131092746.htm

One of those 'if you do this then this might happen' 'but the results are unclear'

I meant proper scientific evidence Stu

Obviously the best solution is to drink water and then there is no issue between diet/full fat

[aaron1867]

Dave, in reply to your question..

I am going to be making sure I am in a eating schedule Breakfast/Lunch/Tea, cutting carbs and adding more protein. It also goes without saying I will be cutting out the nasties like chocolate, sugar, pop & bread, so there is a lot of fat to be lost (hopefully anyway).

However you do have a point about exercise plan, need to read up about it as I don't even know what some of the exercises that people mention are. I quit the gym in late 2012, never did sit or press ups, so they are getting put in exercise plan & going to talk to guys in gym about what best to do. Any suggestions welcome. A lot of advice taken from Marky as well, actual printed that stuff out for later reference.

My gym routine is weight > cardio > weight > home. I am not sure that is ideal, whilst also hanging around the 25-45 marks on most weight items in the gym, probably lower now as I gave up. I also think I do much better on cardio doing about 2km in about 12 minutes, generally enjoy walking/running.

Any more exercises to add in? Probably best to explain what they are too, not 100% on most exercise items. Not sure 100% on what bench presses & squats are, but get the jist.

I can't wait to see everyones progress too!

Is the gym you go to a proper training gym, or a leisure centre gym Aaron?

For a warm up I would maybe walk/cycle to the gym if possible, then once there do your weights workout and then some cardio afterwards.

Not saying that is correct, but from what I've seen on a bodybuilding site I'm a member of, most of them suggest that order for weights/cardio.

I'll get you some youtube videos that show you what each exercise in that programme is and that should help. There are only 6, so it should be easy enough once you've been doing them a short while.

The most important thing and I can't stress it enough. Is to remember that form>>>>>>>>> weight!

If you're trying to lift a weight that you're not comfortable, or competent with it is going to impede your progression. You'll no doubt see lots of young lads there, swinging dumbbells around and rolling at the back to do their arm curls with the 20kg dumbbells, they're the ones who are going to end up walking around like me when they rip something out......

It's a leisure centre and really only small really too. But it's £26 and you can use each gym in the chain (about 5), which is good and one is pretty near, so I walk there anyway, good 10 minute walk to the centre, so there is my warm up.

Last time I went I just saw no improvement on muscle, but felt a lot fitter, after 3 months I would have thought I would have seen some improvement there, so a little disappointing. As for weights, never ever go above what I feel comfortable with anyway. If you are suggesting weights, then cardio then I will do that from now on as I think a lot of people do that anyway or just avoid cardio.

In fact another target is to learn to swim also, heard it's fantastic for your body (and is in the £26 price), but really difficult for me to find time for that.

[Marky147]

It's a leisure centre and really only small really too. But it's £26 and you can use each gym in the chain (about 5), which is good and one is pretty near, so I walk there anyway, good 10 minute walk to the centre, so there is my warm up.

Last time I went I just saw no improvement on muscle, but felt a lot fitter, after 3 months I would have thought I would have seen some improvement there, so a little disappointing. As for weights, never ever go above what I feel comfortable with anyway. If you are suggesting weights, then cardio then I will do that from now on as I think a lot of people do that anyway or just avoid cardio.

In fact another target is to learn to swim also, heard it's fantastic for your body (and is in the £26 price), but really difficult for me to find time for that.

Cool, hopefully they'll have an area so that you can squat, OHP etc.

The most important element of it all is diet, you can train your ass off daily and you'll see minimal change if you're still feeding yourself full of crap.

Best way to be, you'll help yourself looking at it that way in the long run and if you're eating right the improvements will come for sure!

[StuartHopkin]

Is it not true that diet pop and sweetners are actually worse for you than normal pop and a spoon full of sugar?

I have no idea, any relevant scientific evidence to back it up?

http://news.menshealth.com/diet-soda-heart-disease/2012/02/08/



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131092746.htm

One of those 'if you do this then this might happen' 'but the results are unclear'

I meant proper scientific evidence Stu

Ha ha I know

Thats kind of why I was asking, heard a lot about it recently.

Same with margarine, it may have less fat, but general health wise its worse for you than using a sensible amount of butter.