New Year, New Man

Tom Dunne

Ok, it's not often I am seen over on these parts, especially given that I am chief instigator of nonsense over on BGRH.

However, being a man of portly stature, I feel it is time to get in shape for the new year (cuddly is so last year, I am told). So where do I start?

I know I need to cut down on the old pizza, beer, fries, (I could go on), but in terms of losing the beer belly, I need some direction.

So, where do I start? Gym, walking or something like this?

RoundyMooney

I'm a traitor to the cause as well. My threads here and in fitness logs refer.

I'm also a raw n00b, so don't take anything I say too seriously.

I'd start with the diet. Have a read of the stickies first off. It can be scary to count up the calories in your present diet :eek:

A daily walk is an excellent start.

Colm_OReilly

You start here, and then wonder why anyone would do anything else!

If you're unused to exercise we'll be able to teach you how to move your body and weights around, how to exercise properly, and the fun friendly atmosphere will make it easier to stick to it.

Eventually, you'll be able to end up ripped and still dish out the cuddles as well.

If you see this soon enough, we've an open day Saturday from 1-4. Otherwise feel free to come along to a few classes to see for yourself.

If you'd like to workout by yourself, let me know and I can advice you on where/how to start.

Colm

celestial

Do your 'comrades' know you've tiptoed over to fitness?;)

The stickies contain all the info on food you will need for losing fat.
In a nutshell, interval training (HIIT) + lifting heavy weights + excellent food and drink choices (creative avoidance of the word 'diet') = fat loss. Also consistency is key. That is as much as I'm gonna write on a Friday night. Will get back to you shortly again. I'm off to the pub in a bit:)

Reg'stoy

Do the brothers know you have crossed over to the 'Dark side' Tom . So you want to lose the gut eh, well I started down that road some 8 months ago and here are a few free lessons I learned the hard way.

Firstly get some good footwear do not I repeat do not head on down to Champion sports or Life style and ask some spotty young fella for a pair of runners. Go somewhere where they will check out your feet properly like Amphibian King in Bray, I did and have never had problems with the feet. Now you've got decent footwear you can start off by walking 'small steps' as they say, remember if you can't talk and walk you're going to fast, you should be able to chat and walk, not sing mind you if you can sing you're walking to slow or you've stopped off at your local and had a few too many .

Get a heart moniter 22 euro in argos because eventually you might start some jogging and these are invaluable, I wear one and it's the 'bees knees'. Remember 'small steps' don't run, before walking doesn't make you sweat anymore.

Now you might have noticed I haven't mentioned diet :eek: yet, well simply put Tom others will tell you to give up the pints Chinese etc. completely, not me just cut back on them. We all need to live our lives, by that I mean a little bit of everything is ok. I still have my pints and takeaways at the weekend if I want, but during the week I eat healthier, brown bread and rice etc.

Rome wasn't built in a day Tom but in saying that it will take a hell of a shorter time to lose the belly then it was getting it, not as much fun mind you but it won't be torture.

Set yourself a goal, say lose a stone in 2/3 months or one less notch on the belt or whatever but make it achievable. Weigh yourself tommorrow morning and then stay away from the scales for the next six weeks.

Oh by the way, in the last 8 months I've gone from bursting the button on a new 36'' waist jeans to last weekend fitting into a size 32'' not comfortable mind you but I now need a belt on my new 34'' jeans. I can run 10K in 52 mins, I won't win a medal but I'm not in a heap next day either, most important I'm not gonna turn into a health nazi hopefully. I just said I didn't want to turn forty in a couple of years and have a jean size the same as my age.

Finally Tom, take it easy don't put yourself under pressure, let us know how you get on.
P.S. An interesting side effect of all the above is the 'wimmen' notice how "so much better you are looking" which if we are all honest is the real reason we do it.

celestial

Reg'stoy wrote: »

Do the brothers know you have crossed over to the 'Dark side' Tom . So you want to lose the gut eh, well I started down that road some 8 months ago and here are a few free lessons I learned the hard way.

Firstly get some good footwear do not I repeat do not head on down to Champion sports or Life style and ask some spotty young fella for a pair of runners. Go somewhere where they will check out your feet properly like Amphibian King in Bray, I did and have never had problems with the feet. Now you've got decent footwear you can start off by walking 'small steps' as they say, remember if you can't talk and walk you're going to fast, you should be able to chat and walk, not sing mind you if you can sing you're walking to slow or you've stopped off at your local and had a few too many .

Get a heart moniter 22 euro in argos because eventually you might start some jogging and these are invaluable, I wear one and it's the 'bees knees'. Remember 'small steps' don't run, before walking doesn't make you sweat anymore.

Now you might have noticed I haven't mentioned diet :eek: yet, well simply put Tom others will tell you to give up the pints Chinese etc. completely, not me just cut back on them. We all need to live our lives, by that I mean a little bit of everything is ok. I still have my pints and takeaways at the weekend if I want, but during the week I eat healthier, brown bread and rice etc.

Rome wasn't built in a day Tom but in saying that it will take a hell of a shorter time to lose the belly then it was getting it, not as much fun mind you but it won't be torture.

Set yourself a goal, say lose a stone in 2/3 months or one less notch on the belt or whatever but make it achievable. Weigh yourself tommorrow morning and then stay away from the scales for the next six weeks.

Oh by the way, in the last 8 months I've gone from bursting the button on a new 36'' waist jeans to last weekend fitting into a size 32'' not comfortable mind you but I now need a belt on my new 34'' jeans. I can run 10K in 52 mins, I won't win a medal but I'm not in a heap next day either, most important I'm not gonna turn into a health nazi hopefully. I just said I didn't want to turn forty in a couple of years and have a jean size the same as my age.

Finally Tom, take it easy don't put yourself under pressure, let us know how you get on.
P.S. An interesting side effect of all the above is the 'wimmen' notice how "so much better you are looking" which if we are all honest is the real reason we do it.

Hey Reg'stoy, out of interest what kind of exercise did you do to lose the flab? Weights, running, etc?

RoundyMooney

Reg'stoy wrote: »

An interesting side effect of all the above is the 'wimmen' notice how "so much better you are looking" which if we are all honest is the real reason we do it.

QFT.

Excellent post, I enjoyed that.

Reg'stoy

celestial wrote: »

Hey Reg'stoy, out of interest what kind of exercise did you do to lose the flab? Weights, running, etc?

My wife had gotten a cross trainer late in '06 and to be perfectly honest I mocked her when she used it. Anyway after my 'road to Damascus' moment I hopped up onto it and went hell for leather for all of 5mins before I had to stop. Needless to say only managing 5mins was an eye opener and slightly embarressing.

Read up on the net about heart rate training, fat burning zone, cardio zone et al. If your reading this Tom/Celestial check it out just google heart rate fat burning loads of info. Great thing about the above is you go slow, meaning you can keep it up for longer (no pun intended ) I eventually got up to 60 mins at the highest resistance at a heart rate of in and around 155, when I began I had to keep it around 120-130. Different sites recommend different rates from 50%-70% of max heart rate again look it up Tom.

Now here is the strange thing went for a run oneday (thinking I was super fit), had been at least ten years since my last one. Got up the road and had to start walking different kind of fitness as someone said. The same guy sent me to the guys in Bray and advised me to follow the couch to 5k programe. I'll be perfectly honest didn't take me all that long about three months to do 10k, Xtrainer had gotten me fairly Cardio fit.

Weight fell off with the Xtrainer , she got it on the VHI website if you're interested folks 199 euro (good weekend away). Luckily enough we have a gym in work so when I was reasonably fit I went don't make this mistake, if you can, go early. People shouldn't care what you look like if you have a bit of weight on you and if the do sod em.

The instructor there gave me great advice be it proper stretching or interval training along with a weight programe. Now I don't want to bulk up like some posters, he just advised me as to toning up LME he called it forgive me but I don't know exactly what that means.

The programe is from memory (I have a card I bring into the weight room) 18 press ups, 12 rear delt 27ks, 12 45k shoulder press, 12 60k lat pull down, 12 Leg ext and leg curl, 12 Triceps dip, 12 dumb bell curl biceps, 20 sit ups and 15 back extensions (lie on front and stretch back up) I repeat this 3 times.

So my week goes like this, Cardio Mon's, Wed's and saturday 5k run two of the days with a longer 10 k run on the other day and the weight programe on Tue and thursday. I'll be honest I don't stick rigidly to that I can and do swap days as in going out on sunday morning if I had a few pints on friday nights etc.

Diet wise as I said we try to be healthy, Normal day is Breakfast, Bran Flakes Banana with a beroca, Tuna brown sambo around 11 run train during lunch so another tuna sambo at around 2ish. Dinner could be a Turkey/chicken/pork stirfry with brown rice or Meat and veg and it's homemade turkey burgers on a friday (Delish). I snack on nuts and sultanas love both of them. Weekends not quite so healthy chinese and pints on a sat (not everyweekend mind you) and I make a roast dinner with all the trimmings most sundays.

I'm sure people will find fault with some of the above and what I will say to them is it's a awful lot better than this time last year. Everyone should be appauled if the make any change for the better no matter how small and not to be made feel as if they are not doing enough, remember Tom 'small steps' do as much as makes you happy after all it's you who wanted to make the change not them. Feel proud that you have bitten the bullet and decided to change your life for the better, well done sir now take a bow.

Tom Dunne

celestial wrote: »

Do your 'comrades' know you've tiptoed over to fitness?;)

Reg'stoy wrote: »

Do the brothers know you have crossed over to the 'Dark side' Tom

No, the Brothers don't know I am going to the Dark Side.

Reg'stoy wrote: »

remember if you can't talk and walk you're going to fast, you should be able to chat and walk, not sing mind you if you can sing you're walking to slow or you've stopped off at your local and had a few too many

Which happens me on occasion. Footwear. Mental Note taken.

Reg'stoy wrote: »

Get a heart moniter 22 euro in argos because eventually you might start some jogging and these are invaluable, I wear one and it's the 'bees knees'. Remember 'small steps' don't run, before walking doesn't make you sweat anymore.

Does it come with a nurses uniform for the wife?

Reg'stoy wrote: »

Now you might have noticed I haven't mentioned diet :eek: yet, well simply put Tom others will tell you to give up the pints Chinese etc. completely, not me just cut back on them. We all need to live our lives, by that I mean a little bit of everything is ok. I still have my pints and takeaways at the weekend if I want, but during the week I eat healthier, brown bread and rice etc.

Now I like your way of thinking. So I can have the few pints and the take-away? Maybe this isn't going to be so bad after all.

Reg'stoy wrote: »

Rome wasn't built in a day Tom but in saying that it will take a hell of a shorter time to lose the belly then it was getting it, not as much fun mind you but it won't be torture.

Whoa there partner, I don't want to rush into this.

Reg'stoy wrote: »

P.S. An interesting side effect of all the above is the 'wimmen' notice how "so much better you are looking" which if we are all honest is the real reason we do it.

Right. Sold. You have me convinced.

justsomebloke

Ok as we seem to have skipped the part about diet, post up what your average daily diet is both on workdays and weekends and we can see what small bits of advice we can give you*

*no more rasher sambos for you in the morning:D

g'em

Jeebus Tom you've brought a whole new meaning to the term "trolling"

Fair play and plenty of good advice so far. There's plenty of additional info given in Roundy's thread from a couple of weeks ago too.

How's the healthier living going anyway?