Excerise Advice/Discussion

[GNR4LIFE]

Making exercise a part of your routine is the go.
Make it like second nature like brushing your teeth each day.

Realistically we've all got an hour each day where we can put in some work.
Weight lifting can be therapeutic - think of it as "your own time" when you can take some frustrations out on the iron.
It's a stress release for me and I look forward to it each day.

If you want some inspiration check out Dorian Yates on JRE or Valuetainment podcasts.
and anything Henry Rollins has done when he talks about fitness.

Walking is good but if u can incorporate some weight training - you'll see some real results.
You can transform your body with a set of dumbells and a barbell.

I thought about doing weights, but haven’t as yet. My body has a lot more definition than it use to. My legs are pretty solid with muscle.

 

[Dyloh]

Big plus one from me for keto and intermittent fasting, jumping on the scales every day helps me stay on track which also made me notice just how much weight I'd put back on after a night on the brewskies. Cutting down on the beers has made a big impact for me personally.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Big plus one from me for keto and intermittent fasting, jumping on the scales every day helps me stay on track which also made me notice just how much weight I'd put back on after a night on the brewskies. Cutting down on the beers has made a big impact for me personally.

I know everyone’s different, but I wouldn’t recommend getting on the scales everyday. Your weight fluctuates too much. I get on once a week. I wouldn’t weigh myself more than twice a week.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Making exercise a part of your routine is the go.
Make it like second nature like brushing your teeth each day.

Realistically we've all got an hour each day where we can put in some work.
Weight lifting can be therapeutic - think of it as "your own time" when you can take some frustrations out on the iron.
It's a stress release for me and I look forward to it each day.

If you want some inspiration check out Dorian Yates on JRE or Valuetainment podcasts.
and anything Henry Rollins has done when he talks about fitness.

Walking is good but if u can incorporate some weight training - you'll see some real results.
You can transform your body with a set of dumbells and a barbell.

I thought about doing weights, but haven’t as yet. My body has a lot more definition than it use to. My legs are pretty solid with muscle.

Tbf, this is a bit of an exaggeration. They’re not solid, but they are toned. I have a cyst on my thigh. When I was at my biggest, the cyst was as big as a golf ball. Now it’s a minor bump.

 

[Dyloh]

Big plus one from me for keto and intermittent fasting, jumping on the scales every day helps me stay on track which also made me notice just how much weight I'd put back on after a night on the brewskies. Cutting down on the beers has made a big impact for me personally.

I know everyone’s different, but I wouldn’t recommend getting on the scales everyday. Your weight fluctuates too much. I get on once a week. I wouldn’t weigh myself more than twice a week.

Yeah I grew up the same way but those fluctuations kick me into gear, made me realise how much weight I'd put back on if I did silly things like have bread with dinner or a can of soft drink. Lil things like that seem harmless but for me personally that's what was ruining all my good work.

 

[Dyloh]

Demps is also on the money with JRE. Watch his ones with doctors like Rhonda Kilpatrick for information/motivation.

 

[Demps]

Making exercise a part of your routine is the go.
Make it like second nature like brushing your teeth each day.

Realistically we've all got an hour each day where we can put in some work.
Weight lifting can be therapeutic - think of it as "your own time" when you can take some frustrations out on the iron.
It's a stress release for me and I look forward to it each day.

If you want some inspiration check out Dorian Yates on JRE or Valuetainment podcasts.
and anything Henry Rollins has done when he talks about fitness.

Walking is good but if u can incorporate some weight training - you'll see some real results.
You can transform your body with a set of dumbells and a barbell.

I thought about doing weights, but haven’t as yet. My body has a lot more definition than it use to. My legs are pretty solid with muscle.

Tbf, this is a bit of an exaggeration. They’re not solid, but they are toned. I have a cyst on my thigh. When I was at my biggest, the cyst was as big as a golf ball. Now it’s a minor bump.

Have you ever lifted weights consistently before?
Chances are a few months you'll notice changes.

My friend runs every day and has thick legs but when you start doing weighted squats, lunges, calf raises, stiff leg deadlifts that's when you really shape out. I've taken my training to another level since setting up a home gym. My legs have sized up dramatically with very jacked calves.

Weight lifting increases strength as well as builds muscle. These things don't happen from just running. Like hitting the pavement isn't helping you get bigger arms or thicker delts. Depends on your goals tho

Super beneficial and I can talk about it for days.
Get your form and technique right and reap the benefits.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Making exercise a part of your routine is the go.
Make it like second nature like brushing your teeth each day.

Realistically we've all got an hour each day where we can put in some work.
Weight lifting can be therapeutic - think of it as "your own time" when you can take some frustrations out on the iron.
It's a stress release for me and I look forward to it each day.

If you want some inspiration check out Dorian Yates on JRE or Valuetainment podcasts.
and anything Henry Rollins has done when he talks about fitness.

Walking is good but if u can incorporate some weight training - you'll see some real results.
You can transform your body with a set of dumbells and a barbell.

I thought about doing weights, but haven’t as yet. My body has a lot more definition than it use to. My legs are pretty solid with muscle.

Tbf, this is a bit of an exaggeration. They’re not solid, but they are toned. I have a cyst on my thigh. When I was at my biggest, the cyst was as big as a golf ball. Now it’s a minor bump.

Have you ever lifted weights consistently before?
Chances are a few months you'll notice changes.

My friend runs every day and has thick legs but when you start doing weighted squats, lunges, calf raises, stiff leg deadlifts that's when you really shape out. I've taken my training to another level since setting up a home gym. My legs have sized up dramatically with very jacked calves.

Weight lifting increases strength as well as builds muscle. These things don't happen from just running. Like hitting the pavement isn't helping you get bigger arms or thicker delts. Depends on your goals tho

Super beneficial and I can talk about it for days.
Get your form and technique right and reap the benefits.

I’m not really fussed about building muscle. My goal is to just trim down as much as possible.

 

[Demps]

Making exercise a part of your routine is the go.
Make it like second nature like brushing your teeth each day.

Realistically we've all got an hour each day where we can put in some work.
Weight lifting can be therapeutic - think of it as "your own time" when you can take some frustrations out on the iron.
It's a stress release for me and I look forward to it each day.

If you want some inspiration check out Dorian Yates on JRE or Valuetainment podcasts.
and anything Henry Rollins has done when he talks about fitness.

Walking is good but if u can incorporate some weight training - you'll see some real results.
You can transform your body with a set of dumbells and a barbell.

I thought about doing weights, but haven’t as yet. My body has a lot more definition than it use to. My legs are pretty solid with muscle.

Tbf, this is a bit of an exaggeration. They’re not solid, but they are toned. I have a cyst on my thigh. When I was at my biggest, the cyst was as big as a golf ball. Now it’s a minor bump.

Have you ever lifted weights consistently before?
Chances are a few months you'll notice changes.

My friend runs every day and has thick legs but when you start doing weighted squats, lunges, calf raises, stiff leg deadlifts that's when you really shape out. I've taken my training to another level since setting up a home gym. My legs have sized up dramatically with very jacked calves.

Weight lifting increases strength as well as builds muscle. These things don't happen from just running. Like hitting the pavement isn't helping you get bigger arms or thicker delts. Depends on your goals tho

Super beneficial and I can talk about it for days.
Get your form and technique right and reap the benefits.

I’m not really fussed about building muscle. My goal is to just trim down as much as possible.

Fair call.

Running imo will only get u so far tho.
Do u like swimming? It's known that you burn more calories swimming than running because your body is working harder to keep your body warm.

And as I said boxing workouts are amazing. Skipping and bag work really smashes you. 3 min rounds and you've worked after a few.

I can't stress enough how important weight lifting is. Running might work for you but it's by no means a full body workout. Even if u can incorporate a basic full body workout a few times a week (Squats, deadlift, bent over row, overheard press, hammer curl, skullcrusher) your body Will thank you for it in the long run.

Weight lifting can be a cardio workout as well as muscle building depending on your output.

If u like running that's fair enough tho.
Cardio is cardio.

I myself an addicted to training (lifting weights) and without sounding like the meat head you all probably think I am.... there is nothing worse than seeing grown men with tiny arms that look like they've never lifted anything in their life. 90s action hero generation here tho... I looked up to Arnold and Stallone ... not Hugh Grant ?

 

[weststigers]

Do intermittent fasting (16:8 or more if you can handle it) & drink lots of black coffee to suppress hunger. Exercise while fasted (preferably body weight exercises like pull ups, muscle ups, push ups, burpees etc.) The fasted exercise is very effective at promoting growth & burning fat - it stimulates HGH production.

I’ve been intermittent fasting for years, long before I got on my health kick. Not even on purpose, it was just how my body was designed. I go to work without eating breakfast, and I don’t eat lunch at work. My first meal of the day is dinner.

I do agree with what a couple of people have alluded to saying, how things work differently for everyone. I remember a couple years ago we had dieticioins come out to our work to offer advice. One told me that you had to eat constantly to lose weight, and it was bad not eating something early in the morning. Never affected me when I knuckled down.

I’m only 3 or 4 kgs lighter than I was 4 or 5 years ago, but I feel 10 kgs lighter. I put it down to muscle. I walked/ran 6 days this/last week and when I weighed myself last night, convinced myself if I had gained weight, it was muscle, and I had put on a kilo. So I’m trying to ignore it. I feel as long as I feel good physically and walk/run every day, the scale takes care of itself.

After being very physically strong and fit during my teens and 20's, then getting into trouble with my weight, then coming back down again, but feeling weak and lethargic, I've experimented with a number of things and I'm now at your stage where I'm in my 30's and I want to look and feel good again so have been trying to incorporate exercise into my schedule.

For what it's worth, here are some things that have and haven't worked for me personally.

FOOD/DIET

1. Rule number 1 is whatever you do must be sustainable.

2. First thing to do is look at what you actually enjoy eating. Some things you like to eat will actually be good for you. The overall aim is to increase the good stuff and reduce or eliminate the bad stuff over time.

3. You have already done this, but make small SUSTAINABLE alterations FIRST prior to hitting the gym or whatever at 100 miles an hour.

- Like you, the first thing I tried to was cut sugar - soft drink/energy drinks and 1 sugar in my coffee were the first things to go for me. My trade off was Equal in my coffee and water with meals. Just cutting sugar made me feel better, look less bloated and, over time, made my energy more stable throughout the day.

- This takes the pressure off you initially and if you go from being totally sedentary with a bad diet to a full scale fitness and diet program, you will fail. I did many times.

4. After you are comfortable with the sugar reduction and you are not cheating, lower carb intake by cutting breads and other high carb foods out or significantly reducing them - again, sustainability is the key. You want to get total control over your food cravings and once you've done that, the odd piece of birthday cake or a few beers once every 2 weeks isn't going to set you back much.

5. Don't calorie count daily - look at food weekly. Naturally, some days your body needs more energy than others. Just make sure you are in deficit by the end of the week. Again, sustainability is key. I started with being happy if I was simply under maintenance each week, then slowly adjusted/replaced foods to reduce calories further the more I went on...I actually never starved on my "diet".

6. You'll drop KG's quickly, but much of it will be water weight - you WILL plateau if you have made the above changes, but if you are not in a genuine caloric deficit and have just reduced sugar and carb intake, you will only ever lose water weight.
- Cutting sugars and carbs depletes the body of Glycogen. Glycogen carries 4x it's weight in water, therefore you will see fast "weight" loss when carb/sugar cutting.
- Glycogen is prioritised by the body as an energy source, so before losing fat, you must burn the Glycogen..."weight" loss is 4 times faster when your body is full of Glycogen, hence the quick results early.
- The plateau is just because it takes longer to burn the fat, so it's a slower process. If you are in deficit, it's happening, but you are probably not noticing it...stick with it.
- That's why people that "diet" by eating salad for 4 weeks put the weight back on. It's not sustainable and the minute they introduce carbs/sugar, bang! water weight comes back again.

EXERCISE

If you want to actually look good after dropping weight, exercise, mainly strength training should be incorporated - it will accelerate your results and as you grow muscle, will make you look better along the way while you're still losing the excess fat.

1. As you have done, when you decide you want to incorporate exercise into your life, make sure it's sustainable - walking is a brilliant starter as you won't be sore the next day and you won't fail in the first week because of injury or soreness. You are more trying to create the habit of exercising...early on, it doesn't really matter what it is, you just need to commit the time to it and create the long-term habit. You can add more or different exercise as and when you feel ready.

2. Muscle is a great fat burner. More strength = more muscle. Take push ups...try to get to 10...then when that is too easy, make it more difficult for yourself - add weight to your back, hold for 4-7 seconds at the bottom of the push-up etc. Look into calisthenics as a good way to start working out with no equipment at home. It's designed to use your body weight to increase strength and muscle. You can incorporate the gym, but not everyone can afford to go or their schedule makes it difficult.

3. Progressive overload - all this means is trying to get better/stronger at something each week. If it's walking - try to beat your time from the last walk. If it's push ups, try to get more reps in. Apply what you know about weights (i.e. add more weight as you get stronger) to all exercise. You'll progress quickly with this mindset.

Lastly, well done for drawing a line in the sand and making changes. Sounds like you've laid some great foundations to kick on from here.

I didn't want to give too many specifics of what I'm doing, because everyone is different, but the above principles will hopefully help you adapt your own disciplines around exercise and eating.

 

[voice_of_reason]

Eat less more often , exercise is 80% of weight loss

Respectfully I disagree - in fact it's quite the opposite. 80% of weight loss is what you eat, not what you do. You can't out exercise a bad diet - at least not long term.

Eat for weight control, exercise for body strength. Combined they equal good health.

 

[Needaname]

Do intermittent fasting (16:8 or more if you can handle it) & drink lots of black coffee to suppress hunger. Exercise while fasted (preferably body weight exercises like pull ups, muscle ups, push ups, burpees etc.) The fasted exercise is very effective at promoting growth & burning fat - it stimulates HGH production.

I’d like to know more about this. Specifically the exercise part and gains etc during the fasting period.

I am currently trailing a variation of intermittent fasting. Since I started I’ve lost 6 kgs.
On weekdays / workdays I have a black coffee and first eat when I get home from work around 6. On weekends / non work days I’m more relaxed in order to suit a bit more of a social routine.
Prior to this i was doing my best not to have sugar. Absolutely the worst drug out there. But I always had this notion that I was fit enough. I’ve always maintained a weight of 96-98 through my twenties and into my early 30’s (currently 35) but last November I started getting really frustrated with not being able to fit clothes I’ve always fit. Unfortunately as the increase in weight was extremely gradual I couldn’t pin point 1 area where I’ve increased size. Anyway I got to 104kgs.

Due to other circumstances I moved out from my home and in with a mate and it was there that I started a transition to a fitter and healthier me.
He encouraged me to run the bay with him, about 7kms and each week I was challenged by this and enjoying it, I through in some daily push ups, planks and I probably managed to get into the best shape of my life probably up until April-May this year, I was strong, a solid 94kg my food habits weren’t bad but I still couldn’t shake that excess feeling around my mid area. So I started trialing 16-8 IF window, difficult at first but it worked, but then due to a reverse in circumstances I moved back home. And me and the wife started to get settled into some old habits. I knew it and could see it happening and a week at a time I’d adjust, then for other weeks I’d say ahh whatever. As spring was approaching I wanted a boost to get back into shape. So I decided that I had what I termed a ‘Winter Write Off’ and was heading into a ‘Spring into Action’ term. Anyway, spring came and I still didn’t adjust, I was back into my state of ‘fit enough’ about 97kg. So it wasn’t until I signed up for basketball again from about a 5 year hiatus that I had a reason to change, again. I felt so unfit on the court in the first two games I played that I knew I had to do something.
So I drew a line in the sand and started IF with a window of 16:8 (basically having only lunch and dinner) any drinks outside that time are non caloric. And after about a month I got back to 94. Following that I transitioned to the weekday 1 meal a day and am now around 90kg but doing a consistent IF schedule, I feel stronger than ever, and that carriage in the mid area is almost not existent.

Sorry for long response, I felt compelled to contribute.
One thing I’ve learned is, anything good for you is hard work. If it wasn’t involving hard work it wouldn’t be rewarding.

Keep up the hard work GNR and thank you for sharing.

 

[Demps]

Eat less more often , exercise is 80% of weight loss

Respectfully I disagree - in fact it's quite the opposite. 80% of weight loss is what you eat, not what you do. You can't out exercise a bad diet - at least not long term.

Eat for weight control, exercise for body strength. Combined they equal good health.

Yeah they say abs are created in the kitchen not the gym.

They go hand in hand for best results.

Eat healthy and train hard.
Consistency is key.

 

[TheDaBoss]

Been hard to exercise for me for the last week or so..... The smoke has checked my asthma levels up to a all time high, where even mowing a lawn i find it difficult to breathe


Tbh I dont actually weigh myself anything anymore...I prefer to go off the changes u notice...e.g. easier fitting shirt...etc
Have found that a persons/friends will congratulate u even if u don't think u have lost anything...... good motivator

Also for myself I have found its easier in the morning....used to do all my stuff at home in a dodgy home gym..then signed up to any time fitness and yeah I enjoy it 10x better.... if u do it in the morning...The only thing stopping u is ur self getting up... if i do it in the arvo I find I always find excuses e.g. to sore, schoolwork....can't be bothered etc etc

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

About six years ago I was 102kg at my heaviest, I put on 30kg after quitting smoking four years prior, moving into an office role and eating and drinking way too much.

I lost 30kg in seven months. I stopped drinking for six months, ate healthy and well rounded meals (by well rounded I mean to say that I ensured I still ate fats & proteins and less carbs,) and I ran for 15 minutes a day every day after work. I swapped snacks, instead of eating empty calorie foods like chips and stuff I would eat low carb crackers or celery/carrots with hommous. I drank at least 2L of water every day, water is an excellent way to keep full and stave off what you think are hunger pains but actually a thirst response.

I ate two major meals a day in order to go on a 16 hour fast.

You don't need a gym to lose weight. If you want to do strength training obviously it's a handy place to go but you can do cardio anywhere, don't feel compelled to waste however many dollars a week getting a gym membership when you can chuck on a pair of trainers and go for a jog around the block. If you feel you can't do it at first, start with a good long walk, and aim to walk it faster until you basically need to be jogging to get further with it. 15 minutes is the rough amount of time it takes for your body to burn it's sugar reserves. If you can handle to run longer than that, your body will switch to burning fat. I only did the 15 minutes a day during the weight loss phase as I couldn't put too much stress on my heart. Once down to target weight I would run longer.

Most importantly, you have to stick it out, time is the biggest killer of a good diet and exercise regime as some people will give up on it before results truly show. Willpower is everything. Losing weight is 5% exercise, 20% diet and 75% attitude IMO.

While jumping on the scales can give you an indicator, just remember while you're running and especially if you do strength training, you'll find your weight may go up as you burn fat and add muscle mass. Pay attention to the areas you're carrying the weight, that'll give you the best indicator of whether you're actually getting results. A good indicator is your clothes, are they starting to get baggier?

Happy to chat about it further if you want to mate, but most importantly good luck with it.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

About six years ago I was 102kg at my heaviest, I put on 30kg after quitting smoking four years prior, moving into an office role and eating and drinking way too much.

I lost 30kg in seven months. I stopped drinking for six months, ate healthy and well rounded meals (by well rounded I mean to say that I ensured I still ate fats & proteins and less carbs,) and I ran for 15 minutes a day every day after work. I swapped snacks, instead of eating empty calorie foods like chips and stuff I would eat low carb crackers or celery/carrots with hommous. I drank at least 2L of water every day, water is an excellent way to keep full and stave off what you think are hunger pains but actually a thirst response.

I ate two major meals a day in order to go on a 16 hour fast.

You don't need a gym to lose weight. If you want to do strength training obviously it's a handy place to go but you can do cardio anywhere, don't feel compelled to waste however many dollars a week getting a gym membership when you can chuck on a pair of trainers and go for a jog around the block. If you feel you can't do it at first, start with a good long walk, and aim to walk it faster until you basically need to be jogging to get further with it. 15 minutes is the rough amount of time it takes for your body to burn it's sugar reserves. If you can handle to run longer than that, your body will switch to burning fat. I only did the 15 minutes a day during the weight loss phase as I couldn't put too much stress on my heart. Once down to target weight I would run longer.

Most importantly, you have to stick it out, time is the biggest killer of a good diet and exercise regime as some people will give up on it before results truly show. Willpower is everything. Losing weight is 5% exercise, 20% diet and 75% attitude IMO.

While jumping on the scales can give you an indicator, just remember while you're running and especially if you do strength training, you'll find your weight may go up as you burn fat and add muscle mass. Pay attention to the areas you're carrying the weight, that'll give you the best indicator of whether you're actually getting results. A good indicator is your clothes, are they starting to get baggier?

Happy to chat about it further if you want to mate, but most importantly good luck with it.

Cheers brother. My clothes is something I have noticed. I haven’t fully changed my wardrobe, so when I wear clothes that are a size too big for me, I look bigger than what I really am.

 

[NT_Tiger]

CB's advice above mirrors my experience to some extent.
When we moved from the NT to FNQ, I went from 110kg to 94kg over about a two month period. I was exercising pretty hard in a tropical climate, packing, moving, unpacking, fencing and gardening. For a while I was also running 3km each day.
When I was working flat out I rarely ate lunch and just drank water and realised that hunger came and went. I actually didn't feel like eating much as if my stomach had shrunk.
My diet is pretty good with almost no sugar at all, no ice cream, soft drinks etc and no sugar added to drinks or meals. No chips or crap takeaways. As a family we are gradually reducing meat consumption and increasing veggies. Beer and pasta are my dietary downfalls.
I binge occasionally but recognise when I do and know that I'll need to work it off.
As you can see, I agree that gym exercise is optional, not required. Walk, run, swim, dance (don't laugh, one of my brothers in law is ultra fit and maintains it through ballet).
From my experience, if you walk or run, get yourself a good pair of runners before you start. I made the mistake of using an old pair of marathon runners (thin sole, no cushion) and got planar fasciitis. It hurts therefore no more running.
Attitude and persistence.
All the best

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Does excersing in the heat make a difference? Easier to work up a sweat obviously

 

[NT_Tiger]

Does excersing in the heat make a difference? Easier to work up a sweat obviously

I don't really know other than I was sweating profusely thus had to maintain hydration (water and occasional gatorade to replace salts). In my view the consumption of water replaced my hunger and made it easy to skip lunch altogether as well as the exercise making me want to eat a smaller portion at dinnertime.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

CB's advice above mirrors my experience to some extent.
When we moved from the NT to FNQ, I went from 110kg to 94kg over about a two month period. I was exercising pretty hard in a tropical climate, packing, moving, unpacking, fencing and gardening. For a while I was also running 3km each day.
When I was working flat out I rarely ate lunch and just drank water and realised that hunger came and went. I actually didn't feel like eating much as if my stomach had shrunk.
My diet is pretty good with almost no sugar at all, no ice cream, soft drinks etc and no sugar added to drinks or meals. No chips or crap takeaways. As a family we are gradually reducing meat consumption and increasing veggies. Beer and pasta are my dietary downfalls.
I binge occasionally but recognise when I do and know that I'll need to work it off.
As you can see, I agree that gym exercise is optional, not required. Walk, run, swim, dance (don't laugh, one of my brothers in law is ultra fit and maintains it through ballet).
From my experience, if you walk or run, get yourself a good pair of runners before you start. I made the mistake of using an old pair of marathon runners (thin sole, no cushion) and got planar fasciitis. It hurts therefore no more running.
Attitude and persistence.
All the best

I was running for a couple weeks at the end of Oct/start of Nov, then I got tendinitis in my knee. I ignored it the first couple days out of ignorance, thinking it was normal pain from going so hard. Wasn’t till I was in crippling pain after being on it constantly, just going through my day. Had to have a couple days off work. Went to the dr’s and he diagnosed it and gave me some anti inflammatorys. I stayed off it for a couple weeks cos I was little gun shy. But I eventually got back into it, and am very mindful of any pains I get.