Weight loss limit?

zorkmundsson

Afternoon all,
This might be an utterly stupid/unanswerable question, but this is the internet after all. Built on the idiocy of posters like me.
Anyway, I recently tipped over the, for me, psychological barrier of 12 stone. I'm 26, male, and 5'10". Would like, ideally, to be no more than 11 and a half. Is this reasonable/doable?
cheers.

rubadub

Of course it is doable! Most here might brand you skinny at 12stone!

I am 5'11'' currently 165lb, and would like to lose some fat, but not necessarily weight, i.e., I would like less fat and more muscle.

Lifting weights is the best way to lose fat IMO, but not necessarily weight, i.e. you will build muscle, which adds to weight.

g'em

rubadub wrote: »

Of course it is doable! Most here might brand you skinny at 12stone!

I'm over 12 stone and I'm only 5'6"

zorkmundsson

rubadub wrote: »

Of course it is doable! Most here might brand you skinny at 12stone!

I am 5'11'' currently 165lb, and would like to lose some fat, but not necessarily weight, i.e., I would like less fat and more muscle.

Lifting weights is the best way to lose fat IMO, but not necessarily weight, i.e. you will build muscle, which adds to weight.

you're right, i meant lose "fat" as opposed to weight. i am allergic to doing weights, though. so time-consuming, and kinda boring.

will just have to put in some more hours on the bike and cut out the chocolate. the joys.

g'em

zorkmundsson wrote: »

i am allergic to doing weights

Are you from Cork?

And weights are the way to go. If they're boring you just haven't found the right program

zorkmundsson

not from cork, but went to college down there. i quite like that "allergic". it's useful.

seriously, though. does The Board reckon that it's so much easier to lose fat through a weight-lifting programme that it's the "only" way? as i say, i have found it pretty dull in the past, and am hoping that pushups, chinups and situps, along with long spins in the bike, should do me.

rubadub

zorkmundsson wrote: »

you're right, i meant lose "fat" as opposed to weight. i am allergic to doing weights, though. so time-consuming, and kinda boring.

will just have to put in some more hours on the bike and cut out the chocolate. the joys.

Your 26, so your metabolism is starting to slow. Lifting will increase it, so you can get it to a level where you still can have your chocolate. I still had an average of 25+pints per week this month, and lost 2-3lbs during it, and got stronger during that time too.

Lifting doesnt have to take much time, I reckon I only do 90mins a week now. I would not want to lose fat only to reveal a bag of scrawn underneath.

Get started now lest you end up morbidly obese like poor g'em

rubadub

zorkmundsson wrote: »

i have found it pretty dull in the past, and am hoping that pushups, chinups and situps, along with long spins in the bike, should do me.

Well by weights we mean resistance training, and pushups & chins & pullups are fantastic resistance exercises. Just vary them to a stage where they are not easy. Put your legs up on a bed/table to do the pushups. Work up to handstand pushups. If you can do moe than 12 chinups then add some weight in a backpack. Check out the link in my signature for some ideas, I much prefer bodyweight exercises myself, find them much less boring. Gymnastics rings are great, there is guides on how to build them in my link. The site first on the list in the link is the best.

It is not the only way, I cycled to lose fat, then I plateaued, weight training knocked off another stone, and then my metabolism was raised. I still drink and eat some junk, if only cycled I would have taken far longer, and my metabolism would not be raised so I couldnt get away with eating and drinking what I do now.

g'em

zorkmundsson wrote: »

not from cork, but went to college down there. i quite like that "allergic". it's useful.

'tis. I throw in a few NIM's here and there too.

zorkmundsson wrote:

seriously, though. does The Board reckon that it's so much easier to lose fat through a weight-lifting programme that it's the "only" way? as i say, i have found it pretty dull in the past, and am hoping that pushups, chinups and situps, along with long spins in the bike, should do me.

Not the "only" way, but generally the most efficient way. Like rubadub said, as you begin to get older your metabolism slows down and the best way to jump-start it is to increase your lean muscle mass (i.e. weight train). We're not talking massive muscles here, just a noticeable increase in "tone". As you gain lean mass, your body gets more efficent at burning fat, so with a good diet you'll harden up a little bit.

zorkmundsson

thanks all. late teens weight level here i come.

celestial

g'em wrote: »

I'm over 12 stone and I'm only 5'6"

You mind if I ask what weight you are exactly g'em?

I ask because lately reading over the forum I'm seeing people come on asking for fat loss tips and more often than not they're taller than me -usually around 5'11" - 6'1" mark- but around the 11-12 stone mark, while I am a very average 5'8" and a half to 5'9" - but 13 and a half stone! What I'm thinking is that this is pretty good as I have defo lost a lot of fat (36-34 inches from waist), but my actual weight has stayed the same, or even gone up (from 13 stone to 13 and a half, I think).

So maybe these taller, lighter guys coming on looking to lose fat just have less muscle mass than myself:)

Khannie

rubadub wrote: »

I still had an average of 25+pints per week this month, and lost 2-3lbs during it, and got stronger during that time too.

What the *beep*??????????

Are you serious? 25 pints a week!?!?!

That's like....*breaks out calculator* 5250 calories if you drink guinness. :eek:

You must be eating feck all if you're drinking that much and still losing weight.

Tell me you're telling fibs.

g'em

celestial wrote: »

You mind if I ask what weight you are exactly g'em?

I'm 173-176lb on any given day, with bodyfat around 18-20% . The lowest I've ever been was 147lb, 12% bodyfat (October 2006) and the highest was 183lb with a lot of bodyfat (last summer after travelling for two months - eating a training diet while staying sedentary = very overweight and flabby g'em ).

If I was to only use the scales to monitor my progress I would get very depressed indeed. My height for my weight puts my as borderline obese for BMI.

celestial

g'em wrote: »

I'm 173-176lb on any given day, with bodyfat around 18-20% . The lowest I've ever been was 147lb, 12% bodyfat (October 2006) and the highest was 183lb with a lot of bodyfat (last summer after travelling for two months - eating a training diet while staying sedentary = very overweight and flabby g'em ).

If I was to only use the scales to monitor my progress I would get very depressed indeed. My height for my weight puts my as borderline obese for BMI.

Yeah, that's it, I was trying to explain to my mother recently about the whole muscle weighing more than fat dealy, but she did look at me strange when I told her I was over 13 stone still, but losing fat:D Don't think she got it!!

Scottty2Hottty

Khannie wrote: »

What the *beep*??????????

Are you serious? 25 pints a week!?!?!

That's like....*breaks out calculator* 5250 calories if you drink guinness. :eek:

You must be eating feck all if you're drinking that much and still losing weight.

Tell me you're telling fibs.

+ 1

Tell me you get hangovers.. Whats the breakdown is it spread over the week or a couple of big nights? Can you still train the day after pints?

Dare I ask your secret

Canis Lupus

Guiness gives you strength lol

Pugsley

Khannie wrote: »

What the *beep*??????????

Are you serious? 25 pints a week!?!?!

That's like....*breaks out calculator* 5250 calories if you drink guinness. :eek:

You must be eating feck all if you're drinking that much and still losing weight.

Tell me you're telling fibs.

For the last 7 months I've been drinking on average about 15 drinks a week (mostly guiness, whiskey or rum) and losing 2-3lb's per week, I think its more the last night chippy runs (which I avoid) that do most of the damage on the belly.

celestial

Pugsley wrote: »

For the last 7 months I've been drinking on average about 15 drinks a week (mostly guiness, whiskey or rum) and losing 2-3lb's per week, I think its more the last night chippy runs (which I avoid) that do most of the damage on the belly.

Rubadub, gotta say I was taken aback too - 25 per week!!! Surely that impedes your performance on those rings?! I presume you don't drink every night of the week, which would mean an average of 4 or 5 pints per day - what gives?!!

But the thing about drink is really what happens during and after - the effects of alcohol on your system, rather than the actual alcohol itself. If you made sure to compensate on days your drinking by eating less, then you could still easily manage to not have excess calories on that day. It's when you take the late night-takeaways, cravings for fatty and sugary foods the next day and the lack of sleep associated with late nights (which stimulates appetite further) into account that you see how drinking can lead to a beer belly.

rubadub

Khannie wrote: »

What the *beep*??????????

Are you serious? 25 pints a week!?!?!

Yes I am serious, I used to drink a hell of a lot more too. I am not bragging about it, nor proud, just making the point it can be done. Over the last few months it was that on average.

Whats the breakdown is it spread over the week or a couple of big nights? Can you still train the day after pints?

Dare I ask your secret

3 nights a week usually. 7 on 1 week night, then 8-10 on fridays & saturdays. There are some "secrets" or rather tricks or penance if you want! I have mentioned them in many other threads actually. The usual advice you hear is not to drink on an empty stomach, the usual reasoning being not to get too pissed, and it is easier on the stomach. Both of which are true, if you usually drink 10 pints and go out on an empty stomach you will be totally ruined on 10. However if you are fully concious of this effect you will realise you need less, so will drink less. The other thing is the empty stomach! i.e. to drink on an empty stomach you need to eat less, so I will eat less that day. I will usually do some weights in the morning, eat well that morning and for lunch, then less as the day goes on.

I do get hangovers the odd time, BUT I will work them off, I will head out for a cycle for a hour or so, it really clears the head and will burn off some of the excess calories. I am not able to do full on weight training after a heavy session, but will try and do something, maybe lower weight or reps.

Khannie wrote: »

That's like....*breaks out calculator* 5250 calories if you drink guinness. :eek:

This is another one I mentioned a few times. Calories do not all cause the same effect. Some will estimate it takes 3500kcal to add/lose 1lb of fat. That is generally the case with most food. BUT calories are not tested on humans, it is not like they feed somebody 1kg of oats and they put on 1lb of fat, and then they say it is 3500kcal. Calories are a measure of fuel. To calculated them they burn substances in labs and calculate the energy released. I have done this myself in college, you burn 100g of a substance and use it to heat a fixed amount of water, then measure the increase in temperature and determine its energy content. Alcohol & petrol are good fuels, they burn up well and release energy, this does not mean that 3500kcal of petrol or alcohol will be used as well by the human body as it will in a car.

Studies have shown this. 2 groups were put on the same diets but then with additional calories of 500kcal per day, one from alcohol the other from sugar drinks. After the study the sugar drinkers had put on more weight. I mentioned this in a thread an somebody said something like "yeah but sugar will cause insulin spikes etc"- but that only further bolsters the point that all sources of fuel do not have the same effect on humans!

In my 20's I used to drink a lot more, I was overweight, not hugely. I had 2 mates who drank more than me, and did eat around 2000-2500kcal per day. One was about 6'1''or 6'2'' and 66kg, this guy drank 50-60 pints per week on top of that, drinking almost every night on the trot for months at a time. If you do the maths on that he should have been massive, but he wasn't, and many alcoholics are not and would drink more than that.

Of course the drink hinders my training, I have no doubt about that, I would be stronger and fitter without the booze. You could say I train to offset the effects of the drinking. Weights have increased my metabolism so I can get away with doing it, I enjoy it and will not give it up. I eat clean enough most days, I do not go off to the chipper and gorge after a feed of pints, maybe the odd burger if stuck in town, nothing compared to some people I know. The late night takeaway is a killer, check my thread here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055209321 at my worst I would have been having 4 of these a week after a massive feed of drink, 2500kcal+ a pop, and eating chipper food too, I got close to 15stone and then stopped.

Perhaps my system has gotten used to it, some say their training results stop after a while, like their daily cycling commute "doesnt count" towards calorie burning, since they got used to it. Some get put off even starting weight loss since so many will straight off say "you must cut out the drink", and they think "feck that, I love my sauce so there is no point even trying". Well it is possible, and I have no reason to be bull****ting about it.

BossArky

Rubadub, what age are you now?

2 quotes spring to mind:

• Work is the curse of the drinking classes - Oscar Wilde
  
• Trying is the first step to failure - Homer Simpson

rubadub

BossArky wrote: »

Rubadub, what age are you now?

32