Hi guys, basically i'm 20 years of age, weigh about 13.3 stone (186 pounds) and i'm around 6 foot. Im looking to lose weight, maybe to about 12 stone as i have a lot of body fat and i am woefully unfit, i usually go to the gym 2 times a week and do a hour session each time with a good bit of cardio and some weights, just wondering how many calories should i be taking to reach my goal, should i be doing more gym work? Thanks in advance.
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How many calories?
- Thread starter anfieldrd
- Start date
Since you don't give us a whole lot of information, it's difficult to give you a good answer.
First, go use a BMR calc and find out what your BMR is. In case you don't know what a BMR is, it's the very rough estimate of how much calories your body needs in order to maintain basic body functions while you're lying still in bed.
That number is your guide-line.
Now that you have said number, aim to stay at about -200 calorie deficit of that number. You won't see a dramatic change, especially since you're already near your body's natural weight for the most part. While you won't see a dramatic weight loss, it will happen slowly but surely. The most important thing is to ensure that you're consistent with the -200 calorie deficit. You don't have to measure every calorie you eat. Just err on the side of caution and generally try to stay a little bit hungry after each meal.
Fashioning a dietary plan is entirely up to you, but the best conventional wisdom states that you should eat 4-5 times throughout the day in small meals. Certainly doesn't have to happen though, it's simply the optimal method of fueling your body.
Do plenty of protein. Conventional wisdom says about X gram a day. X being your body-weight in lb. So you would eat ~186grams of protein.
Don't avoid carbs. They're a good source of energy. Just don't over-do them.
The same is true for fruits. They are deceptively full of calories and aren't as filling as carbs and proteins. A couple fruits a day can easily throw your deficit off.
In terms of exercise. Try to aim to work-out every day. It's not difficult.
The main priority in exercising daily is to not work out the same muscle everyday. So do your cardio every other day, pull-ups every other day, etc.
Given that you're not fit, it's best to go with body-weight exercises instead of using weights. They'll get you in shape the quickest and require no equipment at all.
The primary body-weight exercises are pull-ups, push-ups, squats, and planks. All four of those target most of your muscles and will be challenging enough to keep you occupied for years, provided that you continue upping the intensity/duration.
Here is a web-site that provides a basic training method for all three of those except planks- one hundred push ups
Here is a web-site for planks-
Top 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises - Plank
Be sure to do those weight training as perfectly as possible. The # of reps aren't important. It's far more important that you do your push-ups in perfect form, as an imperfect form not only harms your muscle but also does jack-****. The same is true for pull-ups (be sure to get the bar to your chest or at least get your chins above them if you're doing over-handed grip. It's o.k. if you can't do them well the first several times. Just try stay in the "up" position for about 10 seconds and resting for a min and a half), and be absolutely sure to do the squat in perfect form or you WILL destroy your knees.
Aim for increasing reps only once you've achieved perfect form.
For planks, try to increase the max time you can hold it by 30 seconds every week or so.
In addition to these, it's also important to do intensive cardio, preferably in the form of HiiT.
http://training.fitness.com/interval-training/hitt-explained-18503.html
You can do it on any piece of equipment except a treadmill unless you don't mind it not being perfect. Best option is to run though.
A sample work-out schedule might be-
M-Push-up/planks/squats.
T-Pull-ups/cardio.
W-Push-up/planks/squats.
Th-Pull-ups/cardio.
F-Push-up/planks/squats.
S-Pull-ups/cardio.
Sun-Rest.
The push-ups and planks do not work out muscles near one another, so they work well together. The planks and push-ups will be iffy, but should be fine if you give yourself about 10 minutes to recover from whichever you do first.
All you'd have to do is devote about an hour everyday.
First, go use a BMR calc and find out what your BMR is. In case you don't know what a BMR is, it's the very rough estimate of how much calories your body needs in order to maintain basic body functions while you're lying still in bed.
That number is your guide-line.
Now that you have said number, aim to stay at about -200 calorie deficit of that number. You won't see a dramatic change, especially since you're already near your body's natural weight for the most part. While you won't see a dramatic weight loss, it will happen slowly but surely. The most important thing is to ensure that you're consistent with the -200 calorie deficit. You don't have to measure every calorie you eat. Just err on the side of caution and generally try to stay a little bit hungry after each meal.
Fashioning a dietary plan is entirely up to you, but the best conventional wisdom states that you should eat 4-5 times throughout the day in small meals. Certainly doesn't have to happen though, it's simply the optimal method of fueling your body.
Do plenty of protein. Conventional wisdom says about X gram a day. X being your body-weight in lb. So you would eat ~186grams of protein.
Don't avoid carbs. They're a good source of energy. Just don't over-do them.
The same is true for fruits. They are deceptively full of calories and aren't as filling as carbs and proteins. A couple fruits a day can easily throw your deficit off.
In terms of exercise. Try to aim to work-out every day. It's not difficult.
The main priority in exercising daily is to not work out the same muscle everyday. So do your cardio every other day, pull-ups every other day, etc.
Given that you're not fit, it's best to go with body-weight exercises instead of using weights. They'll get you in shape the quickest and require no equipment at all.
The primary body-weight exercises are pull-ups, push-ups, squats, and planks. All four of those target most of your muscles and will be challenging enough to keep you occupied for years, provided that you continue upping the intensity/duration.
Here is a web-site that provides a basic training method for all three of those except planks- one hundred push ups
Here is a web-site for planks-
Top 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises - Plank
Be sure to do those weight training as perfectly as possible. The # of reps aren't important. It's far more important that you do your push-ups in perfect form, as an imperfect form not only harms your muscle but also does jack-****. The same is true for pull-ups (be sure to get the bar to your chest or at least get your chins above them if you're doing over-handed grip. It's o.k. if you can't do them well the first several times. Just try stay in the "up" position for about 10 seconds and resting for a min and a half), and be absolutely sure to do the squat in perfect form or you WILL destroy your knees.
Aim for increasing reps only once you've achieved perfect form.
For planks, try to increase the max time you can hold it by 30 seconds every week or so.
In addition to these, it's also important to do intensive cardio, preferably in the form of HiiT.
http://training.fitness.com/interval-training/hitt-explained-18503.html
You can do it on any piece of equipment except a treadmill unless you don't mind it not being perfect. Best option is to run though.
A sample work-out schedule might be-
M-Push-up/planks/squats.
T-Pull-ups/cardio.
W-Push-up/planks/squats.
Th-Pull-ups/cardio.
F-Push-up/planks/squats.
S-Pull-ups/cardio.
Sun-Rest.
The push-ups and planks do not work out muscles near one another, so they work well together. The planks and push-ups will be iffy, but should be fine if you give yourself about 10 minutes to recover from whichever you do first.
All you'd have to do is devote about an hour everyday.
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