TheRedEyeJedi
New member
Hi - sorry I dont have any pics but thought people might benifit from hearing my weight loss progress just like ive benefitted from hearing yours.
Im 26 and have been overweight all my life. Im a tall lad and ive naturally got a big build as well so although i was almost 20 stone at my heaviest I never really looked badly obese if that makes sense - but I sure as hell felt it. I have always been active, I played cricket when I was younger and I now play bowls at close to international level. Ive always had a good social life but deep down I know the weight has always held me back in certain aspects of life. I have been in a cycle of trying to lose weight since I was about 16 and have had success at certain points but eventually the diet has failed and I have piled on more weight than I had before.
================================================================================================
September last year was the turning point for me - my friends all play football and they needed to get fitter so we all clubbed together and bought a modest weight/bench set.
IMO IF YOU WANT TO GET FIT YOU HAVE TO DO WEIGHTS
I have found weight training to have so many benefits that imo you can not enter into a fitness programme without doing some kind of resistance training.
Since september 08 I have started weights and cadio on opposite days. Now weighing in at 16 stone 9 - and im starting to get hooked on weight training. My arms, shoulders, chest are starting to look like they dont belong to me which is a huge confidence boost when you look in the mirror. Weights also make the cardio training easier because my whole body feels tighter and more powerfull.
I tend to do more squat variations than benching but I started off for two weeks doing 5 sets of 20 x 25kg on bench and squat, then went on to 5 sets of 20 x 35kg, then just gradually increased it while lowering the reps.
Now im doing 3 sets of 12 x 55kg for the next fortnight. All done slowly with proper form. I do as many sit ups and press ups as I can and do lots of dumbell training.
My cardio is just cycling from my house to a friends house and back again a couple of hours later. Its about a 2 mile ride but im gradually going a longer route each weeks to make the ride longer. I do this a HIT training. Cycle for a bit at a decent speed, then sprint for a bit, then recover ect
Im not actally looking to lift that big- im doing this to aid weightloss and get definition under the fat that will hopefully show as I keep cutting.
I know this time im not going to put the weight back on because this time im not on a diet- ive changed my daily routine and embraced fitness as part of it.
The good news is im not actually on a diet- within reason I eat what I want - ive cut out fizzy drinks, greasy food, ready meals and take aways but my diet is varied and I eat what I want pretty much. If we go out for a meal or drinks I try to cycle to wherever we go- that way I can eat what I like and not feel guilty because I know im still doing cardio that night before the meal and after- its little changes in my behaviour like that, that make all the difference.
=================================================================================================
For example yesterday I ate...
pint or water
1 mile walk before work
Breakfast - 2 slices of starbucks luxury fruit bread with no butter or jam, and a starbucks skinny latte.
pint of water
Mid morning - coffee no sugar and skimmed milk and half a mexican chicken baguette
sit ups and press us in the office
pint of water
Mid afternoon - coffee no sugar and skimmed milk, other half of baguette
weights session
6pm - home made lasagne with salad.
=====================================================================================
The day before i ate
pint or water
1 mile walk before work
Breakfast - greek yoghut with honey and strawberries, and a starbucks skinny latte.
pint of water
Mid morning - coffee no sugear and skimmed milk and toasted salami and mozzarella pannini
sit ups and press ups in the office
pint of water
Mid afternoon - coffee no sugar and skimmed milk, grapes, bannana and apple
cycled to mates house, 2.5 miles high impact interval training
6pm -chicken and bacon, jacket potato with some melted brie, broccoli and sugar sna peas
cycled home, 2.5 miles hiit training
=========================================================================================
Im eating good- but eating what I want(its actally alot cheaper cooking your own quality food than it is buying crap as well)
Im doing excersise that I enjoy - cycling, weights, bowls, walking, bit of football in the park, table tennis
Im losing araound 2 pounds per week but I dont take too much notice of the scales because the weights will give a misleading effect anyway- I prefer to look in the mirror.
It really is easy to lose weight and get fit- and I never thought I would say that- you just have to take a look at your life and change little things that allow fitness to become a part of your daily life - Diets are crap, gyms are great but not needed- im doing all this in my mates garage and on a bike. Dont think about will power as theb issue because we are all over weight because we dont have will power when it comes to food. If you incorporate health nto your normal day then you dnt need wilpower- you do itall naturally and it becomes second nature. Your unlikely to binge if you have worked out because you know how hard that workout was and it doesnt seems worth wrecking that for a bag of chips.
I have spent hours on the net at work educating myself about fitness- im no expert but I do now understand why people get fat and how people have successful lost fat, and kept fat off permanantly.
I have a long way to go yet - im not settling for half measure this time - over the next year I plan to slowly get down to 15- 16 stone of pure muscle - I dont see why it cant happen because it all feels natural now. I have alot of fat still hanging around and im sure I will have to work harder, get stricter to get rid of the stubborn areas but I dont believe a strict regime is neccesary for people to get fit - you need to change your life style to make it easy. I have bad days- but I dont care because I know im going to have a good week and work off that curry or cream cake. I no longer binge eat like I used to because Im happy at the moment and binging only happens when your stuck in a rut in life-- you can climb out.
I would also like to thank everyone on this site for your invaluable help and inspiration- especially steve in the weight loss through exercise section- he speaks more sense than anyone else I have read on line and if ou follow his advice you cant go far wrong.
Im 26 and have been overweight all my life. Im a tall lad and ive naturally got a big build as well so although i was almost 20 stone at my heaviest I never really looked badly obese if that makes sense - but I sure as hell felt it. I have always been active, I played cricket when I was younger and I now play bowls at close to international level. Ive always had a good social life but deep down I know the weight has always held me back in certain aspects of life. I have been in a cycle of trying to lose weight since I was about 16 and have had success at certain points but eventually the diet has failed and I have piled on more weight than I had before.
================================================================================================
September last year was the turning point for me - my friends all play football and they needed to get fitter so we all clubbed together and bought a modest weight/bench set.
IMO IF YOU WANT TO GET FIT YOU HAVE TO DO WEIGHTS
I have found weight training to have so many benefits that imo you can not enter into a fitness programme without doing some kind of resistance training.
Since september 08 I have started weights and cadio on opposite days. Now weighing in at 16 stone 9 - and im starting to get hooked on weight training. My arms, shoulders, chest are starting to look like they dont belong to me which is a huge confidence boost when you look in the mirror. Weights also make the cardio training easier because my whole body feels tighter and more powerfull.
I tend to do more squat variations than benching but I started off for two weeks doing 5 sets of 20 x 25kg on bench and squat, then went on to 5 sets of 20 x 35kg, then just gradually increased it while lowering the reps.
Now im doing 3 sets of 12 x 55kg for the next fortnight. All done slowly with proper form. I do as many sit ups and press ups as I can and do lots of dumbell training.
My cardio is just cycling from my house to a friends house and back again a couple of hours later. Its about a 2 mile ride but im gradually going a longer route each weeks to make the ride longer. I do this a HIT training. Cycle for a bit at a decent speed, then sprint for a bit, then recover ect
Im not actally looking to lift that big- im doing this to aid weightloss and get definition under the fat that will hopefully show as I keep cutting.
I know this time im not going to put the weight back on because this time im not on a diet- ive changed my daily routine and embraced fitness as part of it.
The good news is im not actually on a diet- within reason I eat what I want - ive cut out fizzy drinks, greasy food, ready meals and take aways but my diet is varied and I eat what I want pretty much. If we go out for a meal or drinks I try to cycle to wherever we go- that way I can eat what I like and not feel guilty because I know im still doing cardio that night before the meal and after- its little changes in my behaviour like that, that make all the difference.
=================================================================================================
For example yesterday I ate...
pint or water
1 mile walk before work
Breakfast - 2 slices of starbucks luxury fruit bread with no butter or jam, and a starbucks skinny latte.
pint of water
Mid morning - coffee no sugar and skimmed milk and half a mexican chicken baguette
sit ups and press us in the office
pint of water
Mid afternoon - coffee no sugar and skimmed milk, other half of baguette
weights session
6pm - home made lasagne with salad.
=====================================================================================
The day before i ate
pint or water
1 mile walk before work
Breakfast - greek yoghut with honey and strawberries, and a starbucks skinny latte.
pint of water
Mid morning - coffee no sugear and skimmed milk and toasted salami and mozzarella pannini
sit ups and press ups in the office
pint of water
Mid afternoon - coffee no sugar and skimmed milk, grapes, bannana and apple
cycled to mates house, 2.5 miles high impact interval training
6pm -chicken and bacon, jacket potato with some melted brie, broccoli and sugar sna peas
cycled home, 2.5 miles hiit training
=========================================================================================
Im eating good- but eating what I want(its actally alot cheaper cooking your own quality food than it is buying crap as well)
Im doing excersise that I enjoy - cycling, weights, bowls, walking, bit of football in the park, table tennis
Im losing araound 2 pounds per week but I dont take too much notice of the scales because the weights will give a misleading effect anyway- I prefer to look in the mirror.
It really is easy to lose weight and get fit- and I never thought I would say that- you just have to take a look at your life and change little things that allow fitness to become a part of your daily life - Diets are crap, gyms are great but not needed- im doing all this in my mates garage and on a bike. Dont think about will power as theb issue because we are all over weight because we dont have will power when it comes to food. If you incorporate health nto your normal day then you dnt need wilpower- you do itall naturally and it becomes second nature. Your unlikely to binge if you have worked out because you know how hard that workout was and it doesnt seems worth wrecking that for a bag of chips.
I have spent hours on the net at work educating myself about fitness- im no expert but I do now understand why people get fat and how people have successful lost fat, and kept fat off permanantly.
I have a long way to go yet - im not settling for half measure this time - over the next year I plan to slowly get down to 15- 16 stone of pure muscle - I dont see why it cant happen because it all feels natural now. I have alot of fat still hanging around and im sure I will have to work harder, get stricter to get rid of the stubborn areas but I dont believe a strict regime is neccesary for people to get fit - you need to change your life style to make it easy. I have bad days- but I dont care because I know im going to have a good week and work off that curry or cream cake. I no longer binge eat like I used to because Im happy at the moment and binging only happens when your stuck in a rut in life-- you can climb out.
I would also like to thank everyone on this site for your invaluable help and inspiration- especially steve in the weight loss through exercise section- he speaks more sense than anyone else I have read on line and if ou follow his advice you cant go far wrong.
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