Newbie... and i need a lot of help :(

L

luvzccr

New member
hi there, well im jason, 16, and i'm not totally overweight, 170lbs, but i have a big gut and 'love handles' that wont go away. and man boobs to if you will... they're not huge but they're developing and if i dont put a stop to it I dont know what will happen.


basically i never have had a girlfriend, and the last girl i liked told me i am fat and ugly... so that gave me the motivation to work out. yesterday i got a 100lb weight set. i asked my sister to make my diet for me. my friend and I will be running 2 miles every morning for 5 days a week soon.


i just need some basic newb exersizes. how do i get rid of the man boobs, or love handles? should i start running first and be on the diet, then do the weights? much help appreciated please.
 
Hey there,

The main piece of advice I can give you is to make it clear that this won't go away overnight. You can run 15 miles a day every day for a year, swim your heart out and lift weights till your blue in the face... and whilst you may lose weight, it actually won't be as much as if you take the slow and steady approach because if you do overdo it, you will DO YOURSELF DAMAGE.

So, what can I suggest to start? Well Running is a great form of cardio exercise, and cardio is the best way to raise the metabolism (and hence shift more fat off you) but be sure to run at a pace that you can maintain. If you try to keep up with those who are twice as fit as you, it will really knock you for 6, and do so much damage to your muscles that you can't do it another day. Remember: especially as your growing up, not doing permanent damage is more important than how long this takes. I know you'd like to have a girlfriend and now, but seriously, they'll be plenty around a few months later on, and when you achieve your goal, they'll think twice before calling you ugly :)

So, when running, look to be able to run or jog whilst still being able to talk to your partner, even if panting slightly. I don't know if you've run before, but the first few weeks it SERIOUSLY KILLS. But the reward is so worth it; so get your friends to egg you on and keep at it, it will hurt but it will be worth it.

Other tips... don't work out with your weights every single day. Do it like, 4 times a week, twice to start with. When you work out properly, your effectively damaging your muscles so they can be repaired again and made stronger. This is fine as long as you don't do too much damage and it takes too long.

Another danger of working out when you have slightly too much fat is you get the development of 'fatty muscle', where the muscle tissue expands and includes fat as well as lean mass. This is usually not desirable; therefore I suggest instead of working out doing say, 10 reps of the highest weight you can handle, do 2 sets of 30 reps of the next two down... reps increase the toning of your muscles instead of damaging them beyond repair. Either way working out raises the metabolism and burns energy at the same time; its great.

Also, whether you change your diet drastically to begin with or not, DRINK WATER. And plenty. Some say up to 8 litres a day, I say switch slowly and drink as much as you can, avoiding unhealthy stuff like coke and alcohol (hey, your parents could let you drink it! ) :)

I'd also suggest swimming as a great way to start to lose weight... because of the minimised resistance in the water, I find that you get to use your muscles therefore burning calories for the least effort - something which can be difficult to find in the early stages. We all begin with good intentions but sticking to them is what this site is all about, so of course, tell us how you get on. The people here are helpful and nice to be around... I'm sure they'll help :)

Best wishes with your goal,

Arron
 
arron11196 said:
Hey there,

The main piece of advice I can give you is to make it clear that this won't go away overnight. You can run 15 miles a day every day for a year, swim your heart out and lift weights till your blue in the face... and whilst you may lose weight, it actually won't be as much as if you take the slow and steady approach because if you do overdo it, you will DO YOURSELF DAMAGE.

So, what can I suggest to start? Well Running is a great form of cardio exercise, and cardio is the best way to raise the metabolism (and hence shift more fat off you) but be sure to run at a pace that you can maintain. If you try to keep up with those who are twice as fit as you, it will really knock you for 6, and do so much damage to your muscles that you can't do it another day. Remember: especially as your growing up, not doing permanent damage is more important than how long this takes. I know you'd like to have a girlfriend and now, but seriously, they'll be plenty around a few months later on, and when you achieve your goal, they'll think twice before calling you ugly :)

So, when running, look to be able to run or jog whilst still being able to talk to your partner, even if panting slightly. I don't know if you've run before, but the first few weeks it SERIOUSLY KILLS. But the reward is so worth it; so get your friends to egg you on and keep at it, it will hurt but it will be worth it.

Other tips... don't work out with your weights every single day. Do it like, 4 times a week, twice to start with. When you work out properly, your effectively damaging your muscles so they can be repaired again and made stronger. This is fine as long as you don't do too much damage and it takes too long.

Another danger of working out when you have slightly too much fat is you get the development of 'fatty muscle', where the muscle tissue expands and includes fat as well as lean mass. This is usually not desirable; therefore I suggest instead of working out doing say, 10 reps of the highest weight you can handle, do 2 sets of 30 reps of the next two down... reps increase the toning of your muscles instead of damaging them beyond repair. Either way working out raises the metabolism and burns energy at the same time; its great.

Also, whether you change your diet drastically to begin with or not, DRINK WATER. And plenty. Some say up to 8 litres a day, I say switch slowly and drink as much as you can, avoiding unhealthy stuff like coke and alcohol (hey, your parents could let you drink it! ) :)

I'd also suggest swimming as a great way to start to lose weight... because of the minimised resistance in the water, I find that you get to use your muscles therefore burning calories for the least effort - something which can be difficult to find in the early stages. We all begin with good intentions but sticking to them is what this site is all about, so of course, tell us how you get on. The people here are helpful and nice to be around... I'm sure they'll help :)

Best wishes with your goal,

Arron
Click to expand...




thanks alot arron for your help, but u kinda got me worried here now. just with one of the things you mentioned:



"Another danger of working out when you have slightly too much fat is you get the development of 'fatty muscle', where the muscle tissue expands and includes fat as well as lean mass."



im worried that i wont lose VISIBLE fat off my stomach or chest or 'love handles', now im slightly worried that i'll get bigger? and ya im gonna start running with my friend Gabe at 5:00 a.m. in the mornings before school about 2 miles up and down the road we live on which is really long.

my sister told me to eat breakfast, a snack after breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and not eat after 7:00. and she said to stick to healthy foods like soup, meat, vegetables, etc.

and about the swimming thing, I dont know how to swim lol... and its almost winter so it'll be freezing. i havent had anything other than water in about a week now. except a sip of an energy drink and that was it. my bday is on feb. 24th, and my goal is to get visibly thinner by then. so in the course of 4 months do u think if i run at least 5 times a week, work out with weights 4 times a week, diet every day and drink water only, will the fat on my stomach disappear?

thanks for the help :)
 
Hi there!! Welcome to the forum!!
< this site has some great exercises & meal plans that can give you an idea of where to start. Good job tackling this while you're still young!!

Remember to give yourself wiggle room - don't cut out the things you love, incorporate them into our diet (while staying within your calorie range). You'll be less likely to fail that way. And don't burn yourself out on the exercise. Designate 3 days of the week as running/walking days and 2 or 3 days as weight lifting days. And be sure to give yourself a rest day. Stick with it and I think you'll see the results you want.

Your sister sounds like she knows what she's doing. It really helps to have support like that at home. Good Luck!!
 
The only thing I can promise is that it will decrease. I've manage to shift 70 lbs in 3 months before, so it's possible, but everyone's different, so don't be dissapointed. Also, don't expect results immediately; you'll have to train your body that it's going to change before it actually does, so expect a while where it can't make up it's mind.

Its not working out thats the danger with fatty muscle, its doing the wrong type. If you work out to build strength rather than tone, i.e. use the maximum weight you can for the lowest reps, you will bulk up really quickly and get fatty muscle. If you use a lower weight and increase the reps, you will get toned muscles underneath and still burn off the fat. Trust me, I know, because I've done it lol.

Eating 5 times a day is a good way to keep your metabolism burning... with that still on the go you will lose fat quicker. What's important is to eat the right foods at the right time of day. Some people disagree on this, but I've found that eating high carbs foods like starchy fruit or breads after 3 in the afternoon bad. Aim to include some protein but not that much... just keep it proportionally right. When your body starts to develop some visible lean muscle, then increase the protein in your diet so the body has something to build it with.

Also, I find that eating something small in the morning is quite effective. Basically you just want to get that metabolism going; eating to heavier a meal early on will load you down.

Theres a lot to remember here and many rules to follow, but I guarantee you that if you stick dilligently to every single one of them, you will make great progress.

Hope this clarifies,

Arron
 
thanks for all the help you guys, and yes arron u did clarify it more for me, i appreciate it. in about a week i imagine i'll post something to to tell you how i've done in my first week. i know it wont happen over night, but i just hope it happens relativley quickly because i've wasted 2 years of my high school life already being stuck at home not going out with friends or doing anything. i wanna transform my body so im not ashamed of going out and being seen.

thanks for the help, if i have further questions i'll be sure to ask them
 
Hey there, good luck with everything. I know what you mean about the gut and love handles. If you want to talk more and possible help keep each other motivated, just PM me, or even IM me at xbackstagepass if you want. The same for anyone else :cool:
 
Ok: Chest presses are a great way to work on those man boobs. (well, any boobs really). Hold your weights at shoulder height and push them straight out in front of you.

For the love handles, take a broom stick, put it behind your back and loop your arms behind it (hope that makes sense). Plant your feet on the ground and twist slowly to the left 15 times and then slowly to the right 15 times (do this 3 times). Another exercise that will help with love handles are leg lifts (a little girly but hey they work).

I wouldn't worry to much, you're young and not super duper overweight. I'm sure with the right nutrition and exercise that you'll be toning up your body in no time!
 
for kaitie, i have been doing those leg lifts, but not a lot of them cuz i didnt think they would work. like, i'd take my right leg, and swing it up and across the left side of my body, and opposite for my left leg.

i just got through doing a 45 minute workout for the 2nd time tonight. once was before my shower. i did 50 crunches, weight lifted, did another 50, then showered, ate some healthy cereal

just now i repeated everything again, making a total of 200 crunches. i might try to do that every night. the broom thing u mentioned made perfect sense, i'll try to give that a shot.

but as the fat wastes away, will the love handles eventually go? or are they like man boobs, they're hard to get rid of?
 
Well, the thing is, is that it's very difficult to lose fat in certain areas. What most people tend to find is that you lose fat proportionally over the whole body... for instance... if you do a lot of lifting then the muscle underneath develops using energy from the food you eat and fat from everywhere on the body.

What this means for you is that doing exercises that concentrate on specific areas may not be the right way to go... sorry to disagree Katie. I sort of agree in that some of the flesh there is going to be flaccid muscle, and when you work them out the whole area will firm up, but I've heard from many sources that weight loss occurs across the body and not in one area - this has certainly been the case for me. Does anyone have any experience otherwise?

Areas like the upper thighs, the upper arms and esp the abdomen and the hips are the worst areas for fat deposits on men, but I believe that cardio that works out the whole body will be the best thing to do. You can also tailor a workout regime to the type of fitness you want to display.... do you like swimmers' builds? do you like lifters' builds? do you like footballers' builds? etc they'll all have a different regime that you can research and adhere to to get towards their physical appearance.

:) Hope this helps again,

Arron
 
luvzccr said:
hi there, well im jason, 16, and i'm not totally overweight, 170lbs, but i have a big gut and 'love handles' that wont go away. and man boobs to if you will... they're not huge but they're developing and if i dont put a stop to it I dont know what will happen.


basically i never have had a girlfriend, and the last girl i liked told me i am fat and ugly... so that gave me the motivation to work out. yesterday i got a 100lb weight set. i asked my sister to make my diet for me. my friend and I will be running 2 miles every morning for 5 days a week soon.


i just need some basic newb exersizes. how do i get rid of the man boobs, or love handles? should i start running first and be on the diet, then do the weights? much help appreciated please.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum!

It's definitely not going to happen over night, but I like it that you have the motivation to do something about it. Aside from the looks aspect, you'll be improving your health as well.

as for some exercises, running would be a good place to start. Keeping records of your progress would be advisable too for example:

Week 1 - 20 minutes - X miles

then after 2-3 weeks or so depending on how you feel... try to keep improving... and your body will don't worry :)

Hope I was able to help
 
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