Lifestyle overhaul-zero effect

Ferris Bueller

Basically ive decided to get back in shape for sunday league football and change my diet of chips and junk food everyday.Basically i have been doin this for the last two weeks wit almost no effect!Im really becoming disillusioned so any advice is really appreciated.Ok my new diet(which i know is high in carbs but i hear this is good for playin sport?)is

Breakfast - porridge

snack (2 ish) - 2 slices of brown bread

dinner (5-6 ish) - 1 chicken fillet,rice and so kind of sauce

snack (10-11ish) - 2 slices of brown bread

I know this isnt perfect but it is surely better than my previous diet.Now my exercise goes as follows

30 situps
30 pressups
30 bench press 10kg dumbbells
30 shoulder press 10kg dumbbells
30 tricep curl 10kg dumbbells
30 bicep curl 10kg dumbbells

30mins on a treadmill at 10km per hour (roughly 3 miles)

As im currently not working this is all done daily so i really did expect results soon enough. My main goal here is not so much to become soccer fit but really to lose weight,id be reluctant enough to change my diet as i do feel healthier and more energised with my new diet but if it is wrong any advice would be gratefully appreciated. Also seeing as i have time on my hands i heard that for weight loss purposes maybe going on the treadmill for 45mins or an hour at 6km per hour might be more beneficial?thanks in advance for any assistance.

Khannie

That's a terrible diet. I'm not on for long so I'll leave it to someone else to give you some advice.

Also, 2 weeks isn't enough time to turn anything around.

Hanley

Khannie wrote: »

That's a terrible diet. I'm not on for long so I'll leave it to someone else to give you some advice.

Also, 2 weeks isn't enough time to turn anything around.

+1

Patience and an effective overhaul is needed.

But alas, to bed I go. Hopefully someone helps ya out.

Astrogeek

I'm far far from an expert.

But there's no veg in your diet??

Add veg, drink at least 2L of water a day and you will feel healthier.

--amadeus--

I'll leave teh experts to give a proper run down on teh diet but I would suggest reading the stickies.

Carbs are good but as fuel for working muscles. Carbs not burned off get stored. And you seem fairly light on quality protein, which is needed to build muscles and of course fruit and veg for vits.

In terms of your exercise routine I would up the cardio. Rather than faffing about on a treadmill get yourself out on the roads - maybe follow something like the Couch to 5k training plan to give a bit of structure. If you're not into running then cycle, row or whatever but plenty of mid intensity cardio will burn off fat.

Again weights aren't my strong point but you should cycle through the muscle groups - legs one day, arms teh next, core teh next or whatever. That allows for better recovery and so better workouts. Crossfit would probably be ideal as a fast way of building both strength and fitness.

Lastly if you are looking to build fitness specifically for football try running fartleks - run at a steady pace then intersperse it with faster bursts of speed, anything from flat out for 50m to fast running for 3 - 400m. Try and incorporate rapid direction changes as well. It's teh training that best mimics football and so gives the most effective fitness benefits.

[edit] forgot to say you'll see and feel no difference in two weeks. Two months and you'll start to be getting somewhere but the lifestyle changes need to be permanent otherwise you'll lose whatever you've gained.

metamorphosis

Ditch the bread. Way too much.

Up fruit/veg. protein too as well as your good fats.

Porridge is a good brekkie. Change it up. throw protein in their. eggs, cottage cheese, peanut butter too. meridon are a brand and have a 1kg tub for roughly 6e in holland and barrets. go easy though - very calorific.

Lunch - veg / lean meat or fish. 2 slices of bread is not substantial. Load up on your greens as they are fiberous and filling. Tuna is good or chicken/steak.turkey etc.

You can snack on things like unsalted nuts - full of good unsaturated fats which your body needs. Almonds/brazils/heazlenuts/pine nuts, linseed and flaxseeds. Snack on fruit like berries(blueberries/rasberries/strawberries etc), cottage cheese again.

Staw away from white carbs. Like white pasta/bread/rice etc as they send your blood suger levels soaring through the roof only to come crashing back down and leave you hungry again. Go for slow releasing carbs like wholegrain rice.

Ryvita is a good snack option again. roughly 3 of these would be equal to your one slice of bread and are full of fiber too.

TommyKnocker

Hi Ferris

I also am no expert, but in my opinon your diet is

a). Not that good/balanced
b). I don't believe that you are meeting your daily calorie requirements if this is all you are eating.

Eating too few calories will result in your matabolism slowing down which will not help with fat loss.

Also as has been stated already, there is no mention at all of fruit or veg in you diet!!! You also don't mention anything about your fluid intake. Fruit juices, fizzy drinks and alcohol will all quickly replace calories burned during training. And as was also stated, two weeks is a very short time to notice any changes. It takes time and you will have to be patient.

To help the more expereinced folks provide the best guidence you should provide your gender, height, weight and goals.

My typical daily food intake (which I think is fairly good, though others here will probably have other opinions) is like this

06:00 Breakfast: Musili with added mixed seeds, Nuts (Brazil, Almond, Walnut & Hazelnuts), Goji berries, Berries (Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberries & Blackberrires) & Grapes. I take skimmed milk with this and an organic natural yogurt. I have a mug of green tea also.

10:00 Morning break: 100g mixed nuts with some dried blueberries and cherries, an apple, a kiwi and a mandrin & a mug of green tea.

13:00 Lunch: Some kind of lean meat (Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Tuna) on a wholemeal Pitta bread with Lettuce, onion, spring onion, baby tomatoes, mixed peppers, cucumber, a banana, a plum, a mandrin, a organic natural yogurt.

16:00 Afternoon break: a tin of tuna, some chicken or some eggs, 3 Kelkin oat cakes, a banana & a kiwi

20:00/20:30 after workout: Whey potein shake (2 scoops Whey, 1 scoop Glucose, 5g creatine & 5g Glutamine) & a banana

21:30/22:00 Dinner: Lean meat (Chicken, Beef, Turkey, Salmon) and mixed vegetables (Brocolli, Green beans, Cauliflower, Sprouts, etc. Usually frozen as it's quicker at this time of night)

I go to the Gym 6 days a week for a mix of cardio and weights and have come from over 13.5 stone to 11.5 stone with 12% bodyfat in two years.

So well done for deciding to change your lifestyle. I am sure that you will get much better feedback from some of the more experienced regualrs. In the meantime, keep the chin up and keep going and you will get to where you want to be.


Best Regards,

M

Ferris Bueller

Hey everyone thanks for the replies so far. Im think im getting that my diet is not good,maybe instead of the bread i could throw in some protein?eggs,cheese,beans?Also i possibly need to eat more or everything?Also im aware of my lack of veg intake mainly because i cant stand them and fish which i know is not a good thing if i want a healthy lifestyle but maybe thats misleading as i dont want to become a health freak just healthier than my previous constant junk food diet which i think i have?I do take berocca which i know is no subsitute for veg but it surely helps?also i do drink at least 2L of water a day,rarely drink alcohol but somtetimes might hav a soft drink. Im male,21,5"8 and 12 stone 5. My aim would be to lose a stone to a stone and a half.realistic? Also thanks for the suggestions on the workout but im happy with the weights regime as i believe treadmill running will build up my leg muscles as much as i will need them and its mainly upper body strength i need to work on?And about my treadmill running what would be more effective for weight loss, run 10km/hr or 45/60mins at maybe 6km/hr?Im not too worried about my soccer fitness really as i am usually naturally fit and surely actual preseason soccer training with my club will help me out?so hopefully i can just aid weight loss with the work i do myself?once again thanks for all your help so far and any more would be greatly appreciated!

--amadeus--

Ferris Bueller wrote: »

Also thanks for the suggestions on the workout but im happy with the weights regime

Do you want to be happy or effective?

I'm not trying to be smart but it's very, very easy to settle into a fitness routine that you enjoy doing and that is fundamentally a waste of time. I'm not suggesting that your routine is a waste of time (although I think over time it will become less useful) but I do think that there are better, faster and more efficient ways of getting to where you want to go.

Ferris Bueller

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Do you want to be happy or effective?

I'm not trying to be smart but it's very, very easy to settle into a fitness routine that you enjoy doing and that is fundamentally a waste of time. I'm not suggesting that your routine is a waste of time (although I think over time it will become less useful) but I do think that there are better, faster and more efficient ways of getting to where you want to go.

Tu che! You make a very good point but you see the thing is my aim is not to become a superfit muscle man its merely to lose a stone ish weight build up some upper body strength and maintain it without letting it dictate my life!Currently i do the exercise regime everyday but when i hopefully find a job or find something to do this will be cut back to 3-4 times a week so as just to maintain a hopefully slim body and decent upper body muscles. Im really interested in an answer to my treadmill question tho if anyone can help?a decent jog for half an hour or a solid walk for 45mins/one hour,which is better for weight loss?

Spiritoftheseventies

You made a positive step in giving up the junk food. But Think you are doing too many reps there. Do lower reps with higher weights. technique is everything. I would recommend you try the circuits class. combines cardio with weights so and you will definitely feel the benefits. Try doing a spinning class as well on alternative days starting with beginners and then moving up to the advanced when you are ready for it.

--amadeus--

Running is better for weight loss than walking, even if you walk for slightly longer AFAIK. You burn calories faster when running and you get an "afterburn" from running where you continue to have a raised metabolic rate after excercise completion which is again lacking in walking.

And seriously, get off teh treadmill. Most people can't manage extended treadie sessions (gets too boring) and so they stop. Also running outside is better as you have varied terrain and wind resistance to cope with as well as losing teh "assistance" of teh treadmill pulling your standing foot backwards

Dragan

Khannie wrote: »

Also, 2 weeks isn't enough time to turn anything around.

While it's not enough time to turn anything around, it IS enough time to notice some improvement which can be tied back to either a dietary change or an excercise routine change.

Basically what i am saying is, if, after 2 weeks on implementing any change, you are not noticing ANY benefit, then the chances are either the change itself or the method by which you went about it were wrong.

As for the OP, both the diet and the routine are pretty bad. They don't really touch off each other in anyway. One is a diet which would be somewhat passable for driving endurance level activity, the other is a mismass of half effort weights and some running.

OP, do a bit of research about the type of training you need to do to acheive your goals and the type of diet you need to sustain that training to the level of positive benefit, then go about implicating both.

Synergy is key and currently your diet/training are lacking that.

rccaulfield

So much goin wrong there-little tip-train way harder but less frequently i.e 2/3 days a week-the rest days are a chance for your body to adjust build-give it 6 months for results-2 weeks????