Fat Loss (Diet Good, Need Excercises)

ontheway

Hi, as the title suggests the diet is good (GP approved). There is absolutely no crap in my diet (lots of frut, veg, lean meat, eggs). I have been doing that for a few weeks and that alone has chopped about a half stone off.

I was approx 223lb and am only 5'8", Male, late 20s. So not good in other words. Fitness was out the window, so I got a Wii fit. For the past 2 weeks I have been doing mainly Cardio exercises for about 35mins a day. In the last few days (without changing my diet/routine) I noticed that I might lose 0.2kg one day, put on 0.3kg the next and then lose 0.4kg the next. Can anyone shed some light on why my weight is fluctuating like this? I'm afraid to cut down on my exercises the slighest in case it piles on again. I have weak enough ankles (long story) so my GP told me to not to do too much too fast on my feet (Wii fit is fine, until I strengthen them a bit). So the most I have been doing is about 5mins jogging consistently each day. TBH that's all the jogging I can handle as it takes me a min or two to catch my breath. Yes I'm that unfit. For the remaining 30mins or so (first thing in the morning) I mainly do boxing as Wii Fit recommends these exercises for fat loss. I really work up a sweat and have noticed my energy levels since I started have really improved.

I also have some dumbells lying around. Just this evening I decided to take them out just to work up a sweat. I hear people going on about increasing your RMR with weights which sounds like a great idea, which I'm sure would help me, but I worry about correct form. Are there any exercises with the weights you can suggest I carry out, reminding again that I'm a complete beginner with a goal of fat loss. I am committed to this but just lack knowledge. I am afraid my body is telling me to change what I'm doing hence the weight increases over the last few days. Also I really cannot afford a gym membership right now before it's suggested.

Is there any hope for me? Can anyone suggest an exercise routine for me (or should I stick with the above)? How long should I keep up the same routine before changing it again?

Hanley

GP approved diet =/= good diet for weight loss

Stick it up there anyway... people will better be able to recommend workouts etc if they know how many kcals you're consuming.

EDIT: and the daily fluctuation is down to hydration and what's sitting around in your tummy. It's a reasonable enough swing to be honest. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning and last thing before bed. There'll be an even bigger difference there.

ontheway

Hanley wrote: »

GP approved diet =/= good diet for weight loss

Stick it up there anyway... people will better be able to recommend workouts etc if they know how many kcals you're consuming.

Cheers Hanley, appreciate it

This is my Day (diet/exercise)...
Up @ 7am...
Straight in to Wii Fit for 35mins (with above cardio workout). Water to drink.

30mins after workout, I eat breakfast: 30g Bran Flakes with low fat milk (or) 1 slice toast with a fried egg (egg is fried using 3 x sprays of 1cal spray oil) with a mug of tea (low fat milk, no sugar). Breakfast rarely deviates from that these days.

Around 11am, I'll eat a snack: Coffee (black), apple

Around 1 - 2pm, I'll eat lunch: Wholemeal bread sandwich (scraping of butter, turkey(or)ham(or)tuna with spinach leaves), Water to drink.

Some days around 4pm, I'll eat a snack: Coffee (black), peach

Somewhere between 6 - 8pm (depending on work) I'll eat dinner: This is usually approx 60g (uncooked) wholemeal pasta, tin of chopped tomatoes, chilli, veg, chicken fillet. Water to drink.

Some days at around 10pm, I'll have a snack: Mug of tea (as above)

Then at this part of the night I have some time to devote to lifting weights (if it's a good idea).

That's it!, there is very little difference from day to day. Perhaps I would swap pasta to noodles/rice (similar portion size) and make a homemade curry using fresh herbs/spices. I love spicy food. How I got to the size I am now is down to the fact that I have a desk job/couch lifesyle, extremely unfit, no exercise, and my portion sizes were quite large. I might have eaten food that's not exactly McDonalds, but my problem is that I would have eaten too much of it. That's one of the hardest changes I've had to make, also making sure that keep my hunger levels at bay by eating a piece of fruit in between meals. I used to go for long periods without eating, then absolutely horse in to huge dinners.

What do you think. Again very unfit, need to lose the belly/fat, and am open to suggetions. Cheers

Tevez101

Hello, i'm 19 and was 265 pounds 3 weeks ago and am now 247 pounds. I have been eating pretty similar anounts to you and have also been using Wii Fit. But I haven't been using it for training but just to weigh myself because of the graph on it, makes you see your progress on a chart.

Maybe because of my age, and higher weight, I have been losing it alot easier than you, but this is what I do anyway.

Start off 5 mins jogging outside each day, increasing every days jog by 2 mins. Another great way to burn off fat is using a skipping rope, I found it brilliant it really works up a proper sweat and all you need is a back garden! I know you said you drink water but I do it the whole time and find it really helps to supress hunger and make me feel better as it has zero calories.

I'm sure you will lose plenty of weight if you keep your diet up, and add some other exercise besides wii fit. Remember the skipping rope, its excellent.

Mellor

The weight flucuations are a big deal. As said, its down to lost water/gained water and to food and drink. Think of it this way, a pint of water will add 0.5kg to the scales, but obviously its not the same putting on this weight in a normal sense. Clothes can also have a small influence
For example, i was at the gym yesterday and today. Weighed in almost a kilo lighter. I'm obviously not.

Your are better off to jump on the scales once a week only. In the same clothes. This should be more accurate, but my no means perfect.

rubadub

ontheway wrote: »

30g Bran Flakes

Do you have a scales to weigh ALL your portions, because it is essential, especially when measureing small portions like this, most people would eat far more than 30g of cereals, it is a very small amount.

Also bran flakes are pretty bad, did the GP really recommend them? unfortunately I suspect even doctors are taken in by the bogus ads on TV. Bran flakes are 22% sugar porridge oats would be a far better choice, if you don't like porridge you can just eat the oats without cooking. I make pancakes using oats, milk & egg.

ontheway

@ Tevez101 Seriously well done to you /shakes hand
I am using the Wii fit every day for both Body Testing & Training. E.g. between yesterday morning and this morning I had a change of 0.0Kg. I have to applaud you, that 5mins of jogging on day one and 2min increments each day after are quite a lot. I think it would take me a few weeks to pull off 5mins straight first. Though heavier, your age and fitness must be a contributing factor.

@ Mellor Yeah I had read that it was most likely water weight. Since I'm doing it at more or less the same time every day (give or take no more than 1hr), and also after a nights sleep, before breakfast, I'd imagine there is little food in my stomach. I know weighing myself each day is probably only going to show me odd weight fluctuations, but my reasoning is that I'm merely following the Wii fit guidelines for Body Testing. I also do not have another scales in the house.

@ rubadub I actually have a kitchen scales permanently resident on the kitchen counter for the past few weeks. I am weighing: breakfast cereal, pasta, rice, noodles, etc. My GP was advising more fibre in my diet, hence the bran flakes.

Has anyone heard of/used Interval training and would it be of assistance in this case. I suppose with the Wii fit, the jogging would be fairly intensive and the boxing not so much, so I tend to hop between the two during a session. I also have an ab roller, but again I need to lose the fat and am no where near ready to be talking about definition (:D LOL "definition" on me, the thought makes me laugh. Hopefully some day).

corkcomp

rubadub wrote: »

Do you have a scales to weigh ALL your portions, because it is essential, especially when measureing small portions like this, most people would eat far more than 30g of cereals, it is a very small amount.

Also bran flakes are pretty bad, did the GP really recommend them? unfortunately I suspect even doctors are taken in by the bogus ads on TV. Bran flakes are 22% sugar porridge oats would be a far better choice, if you don't like porridge you can just eat the oats without cooking. I make pancakes using oats, milk & egg.

TBH If the guys doctor recommended bran flakes I dont think its right to criticise that ... We all know bran flakes are no health food but they are a hell of a lot better than some of the crap like processed meat + sausages etc that people often have for breakfast ... so what if porridge is better, its like saying chicken is better than steak because it has higher proten + less fat per 100g? that doesnt mean people should never eat steak? there will always be "better" food choices - Op, the diet you posted is fine for your current goals imo ..

ontheway

corkcomp wrote: »

Op, the diet you posted is fine for your current goals imo ..

Thank you very much, at least I have something right

The bran flakes I'm eating are actually 13.9% sugar. I have looked at porridge oats and they're only 8.x% sugar, but seem to be higher in cals and protein and lower in sat fat for a comparable portion. The funny thing is that they are actually higher in fibre than the bran flakes. I like porridge oats and will certainly give them a go. My doc wanted me to introduce more fibre in to my diet, and suggested bran flakes off the top of his head, I think if the oats have more fibre then that might be a good thing.

Can anyone comment on my exercise routine, make suggestions on how I can use my dumbells as part of my routine. I used to have larger arms than I do now and I would like to rebuild that. So I'm doing bicept curls and the likes, but I need tips on thigns like correct form. Are there any good places with video tutorials for stuff like this on the web. Any time I go looking for such stuff I end up on really cheesy "You can have this body in 30 seconds for $59.95 with our patented exercise plan" tripe.

Dovers

ontheway wrote: »

Thank you very much, at least I have something right

The bran flakes I'm eating are actually 13.9% sugar. I have looked at porridge oats and they're only 8.x% sugar, but seem to be higher in cals and protein and lower in sat fat for a comparable portion. The funny thing is that they are actually higher in fibre than the bran flakes. I like porridge oats and will certainly give them a go. My doc wanted me to introduce more fibre in to my diet, and suggested bran flakes off the top of his head, I think if the oats have more fibre then that might be a good thing.

Can anyone comment on my exercise routine, make suggestions on how I can use my dumbells as part of my routine. I used to have larger arms than I do now and I would like to rebuild that. So I'm doing bicept curls and the likes, but I need tips on thigns like correct form. Are there any good places with video tutorials for stuff like this on the web. Any time I go looking for such stuff I end up on really cheesy "You can have this body in 30 seconds for $59.95 with our patented exercise plan" tripe.

My advice to you my friend is to ditch the dumbells, join a gym and learn some full body exercises (squats/deadlifts..) Trust me you will never look back

metamorphosis

Mellor wrote: »

The weight flucuations are a big deal. As said, its down to lost water/gained water and to food and drink. Think of it this way, a pint of water will add 0.5kg to the scales, but obviously its not the same putting on this weight in a normal sense. Clothes can also have a small influence
For example, i was at the gym yesterday and today. Weighed in almost a kilo lighter. I'm obviously not.

Your are better off to jump on the scales once a week only. In the same clothes. This should be more accurate, but my no means perfect.

Don't worry about minor fluctuations. like mellor said it's down to whats in the tummy. 1st thing in morning i can register at 67 kgs and 6pm the same evening can register 69gks. i obviously did not put on 2kgs in 10 orr so hours!

For weight tutorials look here
http://exrx.net/Lists/WorkoutMenu.html#anchor1681260

Colm_OReilly

I love my sausages and eggs for breakfast. Waaay better than bran flakes!

OP, I think you should see a decent trainer about a weights routine and start with that. If you're carrying a lot of fat, running probably isn't the best thing for you atm.

rubadub

ontheway wrote: »

I actually have a kitchen scales permanently resident on the kitchen counter for the past few weeks. I am weighing: breakfast cereal, pasta, rice, noodles, etc.

Good to hear, I think portion size is most peoples problem, when you weigh stuff out it really opens your eyes.

corkcomp wrote: »

TBH If the guys doctor recommended bran flakes I dont think its right to criticise that.

Fair enough, I am just saying not to put blind trust in things, and to encourage reading packets etc. I did wonder if the doctor actually specifically recommended bran flakes, or just "high fibre", and the OP could have just heard ads saying it is high fibre.

corkcomp wrote: »

We all know bran flakes are no health food

I actually would think the majority of people DO consider them to be a "health food". And I would bet 95%+ would not guess they are as high as 22% sugar. I think many people are eating stuff they might not actually like, under the assumption it is "healthy". I remember my sister had loads of instant noodles thinking they were healthy, she is also a demon for cereal bars too. A mate of mine would eat whole packs of "go-ahead" biscuits thinking they were fine :eek:

Turned out the OP likes oats anyway. If you find things you like the taste of it is far easier to stick to them.

ontheway wrote: »

The bran flakes I'm eating are actually 13.9% sugar. I have looked at porridge oats and they're only 8.x% sugar, but seem to be higher in cals and protein and lower in sat fat for a comparable portion. The funny thing is that they are actually higher in fibre than the bran flakes.

That is quite low, the kelloggs ones are 22%, some would be natural sugar though, the oats should be less processed overall.

eclectichoney

ontheway wrote: »

The bran flakes I'm eating are actually 13.9% sugar. I have looked at porridge oats and they're only 8.x% sugar

Just fyi, the flahavans oats I have are only 1.3% sugar so if you do change over, you might want to make sure there has been nothing else (honey / sugar) slyly added to the oats you are using!