last time I left the gym I put on a lot of weight....

Bjorn Bored.

Hi There,

I know it sounds obvious but I when I left my local gym 4 yrs ago I piled on the weight,I went from just under 13st to just under 15st and it really pissed me off. Now here is the issue, I do keep relatively fit,lots of walking and tennis also once a week,however my weight flucuates between 14 and a half to 15st.
Now I know you may be thinking its my diet but really its not that bad,I dont drink so dont worry about those calories.

The fact is when I used to go to the gym 3 times a week in the past I did cardio and weights. As I was working out my weight was under control but as I have said within a yr or so I went up by 2 stones.

My local gym has a cracking offer on at the moment and I really want to rejoin, however I am worried that if and when I stop the same thing will happen,my feeling is it was the lifting weights and building of muscles that turned to flab when I stopped, is this the case do you think,if I decide this time not to build muscle but simply to do lots of cardio,will this stop me from piling on the weight if I happen to stop?

The Davestator

Everyone in good shape has made working out a part of their lifestyle and won't stop training. They may change gyms, not go from time to time but they'll keep training.

If you are already thinking about leaving, you need to try harder to make exercise part of your lifestyle.

Good luck with it

Banks

Bjorn Bored. wrote: »

my feeling is it was the lifting weights and building of muscles that turned to flab when I stopped, is this the case do you think

1) Impossible for muscle to turn to flab

2) Your diet is probably rubbish, put up a standard day eating plan without lying.

3) Exercise is essential to keep fit and healthy, SO rejoin the gym.

cmyk

Bjorn Bored. wrote: »

Hi There,
Now I know you may be thinking its my diet but really its not that bad,I dont drink so dont worry about those calories.

Post up your diet and we'll take a look.

Bjorn Bored. wrote: »

The fact is when I used to go to the gym 3 times a week in the past I did cardio and weights. As I was working out my weight was under control but as I have said within a yr or so I went up by 2 stones.

My local gym has a cracking offer on at the moment and I really want to rejoin, however I am worried that if and when I stop the same thing will happen,my feeling is it was the lifting weights and building of muscles that turned to flab when I stopped, is this the case do you think,if I decide this time not to build muscle but simply to do lots of cardio,will this stop me from piling on the weight if I happen to stop?

Some degree of resistance training will trump a cardio only plan when eating in deficit, a calorie deficit which you'll have to create in some form to lose weight.

Bjorn Bored.

guys thanx so much for your replies, let me try to explain a little better,

i only stopped last time because of an accident which damaged my hand, when it healed after a few months i had lost impetus to continue and fell into bad habits i guess.

what i cannot however understand is this, i did gain a lot of weight after i stopped as i have said,but the point is that i gained so much more that i had previously weighed before i ever even went to the gym, is it not the case that my weight training was a factor in my subsequent weigh gaining?
to be honest,i will be joining again but for sheer weight loss is it better to stick solely to cardio?

Bjorn Bored.

cmyk wrote: »

Post up your diet and we'll take a look.



Some degree of resistance training will trump a cardio only plan when eating in deficit, a calorie deficit which you'll have to create in some form to lose weight.

this sounds a bit complex to me! any chance you can explain in laymans terms?

Lantus

You probably think your diet is ok but your very likley exceeding the amount of calories needed to run your body for a day.

Energy in must equal energy out for maintenance.

Sit down and be brutally honest and do a weekly food diary. Work out how many calories your eating and take a good look at your portion sizes.

cmyk

Bjorn Bored. wrote: »

is it not the case that my weight training was a factor in my subsequent weigh gaining? to be honest,i will be joining again but for sheer weight loss is it better to stick solely to cardio?

In order to gain weight your energy intake must exceed energy expenditure or in laymans terms cals in > cals expended = weight gain. Did you continue eating the same (or more) despite lack of exercise?

Bjorn Bored. wrote: »

this sounds a bit complex to me! any chance you can explain in laymans terms?

Sure, basically it's the opposite of the above. In order to lose weight, you'll have to eat less than the energy you expend. You do however want to maximise your fat loss, rather than weight loss in the form of muscle/connective tissue etc. Resistance training has been proven to help preserve the latter, along with adequate protein needs being met.

In short: eat less food or exercise more or a little of both. The truth is that it's far easier not to eat those 500cals than to try to expend 500cals.

Frogdog

OP, eat less calories than you need daily and lift heavy weights.

The above will lead to greater bodyfat loss than loads of cardio.

Also, muscle can't turn into fat. Generally, one gets bigger, one gets smaller. Muscle can't morph into something else, it can only increase or decrease in size. Same thing with fat.

Lantus

Frogdog wrote: »

OP, eat less calories than you need daily and lift heavy weights.

Theres too many people on the boards who shout 'lift heavy' without context. The number of f*t b*****ds in my gym who ONLY lift weights would put anyone off lifting a weight.

Push yourself certainly but use cardio and resistance to reach your goals. Push hard and strive to improve but remember good nutrition is the backbone of whateveryou do. No offense to frogdog, not aimed at U just a general comment that is annoying to say the least.

Hanley

Lantus wrote: »

Theres too many people on the boards who shout 'lift heavy' without context. The number of f*t b*****ds in my gym who ONLY lift weights would put anyone off lifting a weight.

Push yourself certainly but use cardio and resistance to reach your goals. Push hard and strive to improve but remember good nutrition is the backbone of whateveryou do. No offense to frogdog, not aimed at U just a general comment that is annoying to say the least.

No, he said EAT LESS CALORIES THAN YOU NEED and lift heavy weights. He said the exact right things. THe people you see that are fat cnuts and lifting weights are the guys with a crap diet who'd still be fat cnuts if they just say on the treadmill all day.

Frogdog

Lantus wrote: »

Theres too many people on the boards who shout 'lift heavy' without context. The number of f*t b*****ds in my gym who ONLY lift weights would put anyone off lifting a weight.

Push yourself certainly but use cardio and resistance to reach your goals. Push hard and strive to improve but remember good nutrition is the backbone of whateveryou do. No offense to frogdog, not aimed at U just a general comment that is annoying to say the least.

What Hanley said.