I'm really struggling....

[Shaun81]

For years now I have been intent on losing weight and creating a body to be proud of, but I can never seem to stick to my goal and actually achieve.

I am still in the same position as maybe 10 years ago - overweight and uncomfortable with my body.

The frustrating thing is that I KNOW that I will feel so much better when I achieve this goal and I would love to be able to tailor my life around fitness and wellbeing.

I joined up here approx 3 weeks ago with a strong state of mind to actually set out, get my head down and get this sorted! I am STILL failing.

I guess this is a plea for some guideance from some of the better experienced people on here to help me get on the right path and stick to it. I am currently at 21% body fat and feel I need to be below 15% as a goal.

I need to lose approx 6" from my waist where all my fat seems to be storing itself. I am 5'10 and 82kg with a good muscular base and good base fitness.
I am confident that if I can just shed the fat then a decent looking body awaits below

Shaun

 

[evolutionX]

You need to get a handle on your eating. I'm almost like a broken record advocating but if you'll read Lyle's articles, you'll get an understanding of how and when to eat what for certain goals.

 

[Shaun81]

An exert from my 3 week old journal:

Day 1

Today I took measurements:

Waist - 39" - I wear 34" pants comfortably so this was a true surprise to me but if I breathe out and be honest, this is the size just below my naval :-o
Weight - 82kg
Fat - 20.7%
BMI - 25.4

Breakfast
1 x pint water, 1 x banana
Snack
1 x pink apple
Lunch
1 x veg soup, 1 x wholemeal bread
Pre-workout snack
1 x chicken salad on wholemeal bread
Dinner (Post workout)
1 x sea bass with roasted veg
Pre-sleep
1 x protein shake

I only drank water througout the day, approx 5 pints.

Exercise

2 sets of the following:

Gym ball press-up x 12
Single leg romanian deadlift x 10 each side
Dumb bell hammer clean x 12
Dumb bell curl to press x 12
Burpee x 12
Chair Dip x 12
Dumb bell chair step-up x 10 each side
Gym ball press-up jacknife x 12
Side lunge x 10 each side

I then did 1 minute front plank, 2 minutes side plank.

All in all about 45 minutes worth.

Day 2

Breakfast
Oatmeal cereal with skimmed milk
Snack
1 x pink apple
Lunch
Vegetable Soup & wholemeal roll
pre-workout snack
Chicken salad on wholemeal bread
Dinner (post workout)
lean beef & vegetable stir fry
Supper
1 x protein shake

15 minutes of HIIT Training (really tough day at work, the force was not with me tonight)
I used 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off for 15 minutes.
I alternated sprinting on the spot, starjumps and burpees

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will read the link that you posted for sure, but I feel that I have some pretty decent eating habits in mind, and when I am focussed, the above WILL happen.

The problem is by Thursday of the week I slip away and back into bad habits like a Chinese or a couple down the pub, then the weekend becomes a total write-off. The same pattern emerges every week, I think I just need some solid support and guideance to keep me on the straight path.

 

[evolutionX]

Your gym workout is frazzled and I'm not really sure what you're doing. You don't have any real intensity or volume. If you're really looking to drop some fat, go to The site has a workout of the day that will help you focus.

From your diet you have a low amount of protein.

I don't know if it's motivation that you need as much as you need dedication. Losing weight sucks. But you either want to or you don't want to.

 

[Valentine817]

Alright, what Evo is propsing by saying "you either want it or you don't" is malarky. Everybody "wants" to lose weight, give me a break. Some people, however, just are not sure how to go about doing it. THIS IS WHY THEY DON'T SUCCEED. Don't read these "Super weight loss diet" books. I'm sorry to tell you weight loss...SOMETIMES, is gentic, this is good and bad, you can fight gentitcs, they will only take you so far. If you are predicped to being overweight, then, of course, your body will naturally turn that direction. There are 10000 myths about weight loss, there are 1000 exectptions and rules and what if's. What it comes down to is, do you have somebody that will keep you in check? If you are having trouble on your own, then you need a coach. It's not wrong to need one, it happens. You just like many others are struggling, it's not wrong to look for help. be weary of the information you get though, one diet may make you lose weight, but it may defect yout brain, which is the central control of...yourself. Don't fall into a low carbohydrate diet. Don't believe 15lb a weerk weight loss scams. I don't know how else to emphasize this. You can lose weight, it will not be a "diet" that will do it, though. It is a lifestyle change.

 

[evolutionX]

Alright, what Evo is propsing by saying "you either want it or you don't" is malarky.

Not malarky. A person either wants to lose the weight and is going to do something about it or they don't want to lose it that bad. The original poster has said he has intended to lose weight for the last 10 years but really hasn't done anything to persue this.

Everybody "wants" to lose weight, give me a break. Some people, however, just are not sure how to go about doing it. THIS IS WHY THEY DON'T SUCCEED.

Fine. But the original poster didn't say, "I don't know what to do to my diet to make better changes." What he said was he eats fairly healthy and then after a few days he slips back into eating horrible and these eating habits are a pattern. So he never truly dedicates himself to really trying for extended periods of time to eating for his goals.

I'm sorry to tell you weight loss...SOMETIMES, is gentic, this is good and bad, you can fight gentitcs, they will only take you so far. If you are predicped to being overweight, then, of course, your body will naturally turn that direction.

Fine. Some people gain weight easier than others. This is not a prison sentence. No one is doomed to be fat no matter what they do.

Don't fall into a low carbohydrate diet.

What's your definition of low carbohydrate? By watching carbohydrate intake we start to introduce a different way of eating in which we get picky about what types of carbs go into our bodies. The data backs up that low carb diets can help with weight loss. In fact, carbohydrates are not essential. We can live on 0 carbs. Sometimes carbs are conditionally essential if someone is involved in high intensity exercise. Am I advocating not to eat carbs? Nope. But we need to keep in persepective that carbohydrates are not essential.

You can lose weight, it will not be a "diet" that will do it, though. It is a lifestyle change.

Your "diet" is simply what you eat. If I eat this and this and some of that, that is my diet. The word diet has now turned to mean something other than what it really means=what you eat.

 

[Typhon]

Your gym workout is frazzled and I'm not really sure what you're doing.

From your diet you have a low amount of protein.

I don't know if it's motivation that you need as much as you need dedication. Losing weight sucks. But you either want to or you don't want to.

From looking at the guys routine I'd say he wants to do a FBW but is training at home with limited equipment. He's only posted one session though so maybe some of the missing elements like upper pulling (vertical & horizontal and lower presses) will be fitted in later.

I totally agree with the rest of that though, the protein count does look like it's probably a bit low and breakfast looks too light.

I'm sorry to tell you weight loss...SOMETIMES, is gentic, this is good and bad, you can fight gentitcs, they will only take you so far. If you are predicped to being overweight, then, of course, your body will naturally turn that direction.

I'll just say I disagree with this and avoid being rude but to suggest that people have any kind of determined fat percentage or weight flies in the face of the laws of physics. You body cannot create fat unless it has the resources to. Your body is always a reflection of what you put into it and training you put it through, genetics is an excuse for the lazy

What's your definition of low carbohydrate? By watching carbohydrate intake we start to introduce a different way of eating in which we get picky about what types of carbs go into our bodies. The data backs up that low carb diets can help with weight loss. In fact, carbohydrates are not essential. We can live on 0 carbs. Sometimes carbs are conditionally essential if someone is involved in high intensity exercise. Am I advocating not to eat carbs? Nope. But we need to keep in persepective that carbohydrates are not essential.

Your "diet" is simply what you eat. If I eat this and this and some of that, that is my diet. The word diet has now turned to mean something other than what it really means=what you eat.

So true, Carb regulation is an absolute must, timing, amounts and types need to be controled if you're serious about altering your physique. I wish I could rep you now

 

[Shaun81]

Thank you all for your input.

Let me start by saying I DO want to lose weight and have made concerted efforts over the years to achieve my goal but I fall by the wayside because results are slow to show, I get disheartened and take 2 steps back.

In the summer I was cycling 50-80 miles per week and felt fantastic but the weight loss and body change did not seem to be happening. When winter came I just knocked it on the head instead of getting to the gym and continuing with a similar routine.

It IS a dedication issue you are right but with guideance to get my routine right I feel I could actually achieve some tangable results which will spur me on.

I have bought Paul Chek and NROL, some cast iron dumbells and barbells and a gym ball. I can also easily join a gym but find myself unfocussed and ready to go home after approx 30 minutes because of boredom.

Just being honest, this is where I am right now.

I have calculated my macros and am in the process of logging everything I eat to see which foods I can cut out/swap for "better" foods to suit my macros. I will try and reduce the carbs and introduce more protein, thanks for the tip.

Thanks again, any advice on an exercise routine would be great.

 

[world_is_my_gym]

It seems to me that giving up in the gym out of boredom is a symptom of not having a proper routine that you're working through. If you're serious about your goal then giving up halfway through your routine should be unthinkable unless you're feeling very tired or sick.

Have you tried joining a yoga class, or some kind of martial arts or such? Maybe you just need to spend more time with fitness-focused people to help with the motivation.

 

[Valentine817]

"I'll just say I disagree with this and avoid being rude but to suggest that people have any kind of determined fat percentage or weight flies in the face of the laws of physics. You body cannot create fat unless it has the resources to. Your body is always a reflection of what you put into it and training you put it through, genetics is an excuse for the lazy"




While it sound promising, it's simply not true, yes, of course, your body cannot make fat unless it has the resources, however, your body can make more fat from the resources that you do get. I've been int he training industry for years, I have seen endomorphs turn into ectomorphs and two months laster right back into the endomorph. It's something called the bodys Set Point at which the body tends to gravitate towards.

 

[rjc]

I think a post earlier summed it up nicely, you can only put on fat if you give it to your body. If you don't eat at all you will lose weight, so it then comes down to how much you eat to keep yourself going without adding weight.

The weight loss industry thrives from people like yourself, people who get highly motivated, and then fall back down again. I think you may need to find a partner to workout with, you may just end up motivating each other. I know myself its very difficult to remain motivated when you are on your own. I am in a different position where I have always been <15 % body fat, but always wanted to put on muscle. Its not easy to keep motivated, but right now I think this is your issue, becuase you seem to know somewhat how to go about keeping fit, but you can't keep up with it.

Try looking for a partner, or perhaps look at different types of activities to keep you motivated. Try indoor rock climbing, try anything. If you stick to your plan, and stick to it over a series of months you will reach your target.

 

[Shaun81]

Thanks buddy that's a really good piece of advice, maybe I do overlook the importance of having a like-minded partner with similar goals.

 

[g8r80]

Why don't you resume cycling? During the summer when you were cycling 50 - 80mpw, you would have burned off 1500 - 2400 kcal / week or about 1/2 pound per week just from the cycling. Because you didn't lose weight, you must have compensated for this by eating more. If you were to resume cycling this much and not eat more, that would allow for 1/2 pound+ of fat loss / week by itself.

 

[Shaun81]

Do you cycle as normal throughout the winter?

Cycling at the gym just does not hold my interest the same as getting out on the roads but with the horrific weather and dark nights, cycling doesn't really seem feasible here over the winter?

 

[Maximiliani]

Working out is a whole lot more fun if you have an mp3 player. If you're not using one while you work out, then that might be what's making you bored. I fill my mp3 player up with all my favorite high energy music so I'm compelled to keep going. If it has radio access that's an even better plus.

This might keep you in the gym longer if you don't have one....