Some diet and exercise advice needed please!

thenashlegend

Hey guys,

Finally decided to take up some exercise and try to lose a bit of weight, coming up to Christmas and all I figured its a good time to start instead of going for the new year resolution business!
I'm 21, 5' 11" and around 92Kgs. Although I don't feel obviously "fat" in any one particular area, overall I could do with losing some weight.

I try to eat healthily as often as possible, with things like toast and cereal for breakfast, a chicken salad roll at lunch, dinner at maybe 4ish with potato, veg, meat/chicken/fish and then a small tea of maybe bread and cheese or an omlette/scambled eggs/beans around 7 or 8. I'm not going to lie, I eat some crap food too but I try to keep it at bay and only have a small bit every now and then. I might eat chips once or twice a week but instead of a big greasy burger I'd go for fish or chicken from a takeaway.

I don't get a lot of dedicated exercise but the work I do at the minute gives me plenty of chance to move around, up and down stairs/ladders, with a fair bit of walking in between. I've been lifting weights for a couple of weeks now and they've given me a decent arm size but I need something more physical to lose the pounds!

I'd rather stay away from the gym (for financial reasons really) and do this on my own, I've thought of buying a rowing machine but I'd like to hear yer opinions.

But I'd just like to get some advice or help on what I could be doing or what changes I could make to hopefully lose a few of those kilo's!!

double GG

The only thing you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit.

Start up by writing a typical days diet for you.

You say you eat healthily, by eating toast and cereals for breakfast, what cereal is that? there's a massive difference between Porridge and Frosties, and between two wholegrain slices of toast with peanut buter and 4 slices of white bread with a mound of butter and 4 slices of cheddar cheese.

Also a chicken salad roll can be anything up to 1000 calories, Large roll, Chicken fillet, Mayonnaise, Cheese butter etc... What do you get in a chicken fillet roll?

Your dinner seems solid enough. Is the large meal at tea time essential?

Your big greasy burger may actually be better than your healthier option of chicken or fish. The Fish and Chicken you buy are absolutely smothered in fat and processed crap. A simple KFC is easily 1000 calories aswell. Try to cut out the crap and get some fruit and veg into your diet instead.

You say your exercise is very limited. By checking your Maintenance calories is around 2450 calories, simple eat less than this and you will start to lose weight. A pound of fat is 3500 calories so drop 500 calories a day and you could lose 1lb a week.

Also try drink enough water, You're a big guy so aim to drink 2l at least.

On the rowing machine it's as good as you're going to use it. If you use it, it can be a very good exercise machine. However you state due to cost you won't join a gym, if this is your only drawback, surely a rowing machine would be of a similar expense?

Anyhow, best of luck on your adventure!

Orla K

toast and cereal for breakfast,
Together? This is mainly wheat and carbs, maybe some fat(make sure it's real butter and not chemical spread) on the toast? or a bit of protein/fat in the cereal. Eggs are the best breakfast.

a chicken salad roll at lunch,
More wheat, a chicken salad roll is not really healthy, it's mostly just convenient processed food. It best to make or own and this can be something as simple as leftovers.

dinner at maybe 4ish with potato, veg, meat/chicken/fish
This looks fine just don't have half the plate of potatoes. Concentrate more on the meat/chicken/fish and veg. Why have dinner so early? If you have lunch at 1 you shouldn't really need a dinner 3 hours later.

a small tea of maybe bread and cheese or an omlette/scambled eggs/beans around 7 or 8. More wheat, which doesn't do people any favours, it can make people over eat on other things.

I'm not going to lie, I eat some crap food too but I try to keep it at bay and only have a small bit every now and then. I might eat chips once or twice a week but instead of a big greasy burger I'd go for fish or chicken from a takeaway.
It might be best to allow yourself one cheat meal a week, this might be on a Saturday night where you let yourself to have the takeaway and enjoy it. Then get right back on track when it's finished.

Focus on protein sources for your meals, get in about 1g of protein per 1lb of bodyweight. Don't be afraid of fat, it's good for you. Fish is really good for you just don't get the frozen ones covered in breadcrumbs or batter. Avoid pre-packaged and processed food.

thenashlegend

Thanks for the detailed reply

Breakfast would normally be two slices of white toast with butter and possibly marmalade or jam, cereal would be Fruit n' Fibre mostly. Tried muesli before and just didn't think it was for me...now maybe the more expensive brands are better but I got a cheapish one in a supermarket.

Lunch isn't always an option only 2-3 days a week, but if I was getting a roll it would be brown, with butter, chicken, red onion and cheese.

Dinner is always potatoes, one or two veg, roasted fish or chicken, braised steak, grilled bacon. Something along those lines!

The evening meal isn't particularly large, I'd just have brown bread and cheese or tomato, maybe a scrambled egg and a slice of toast. If I skip it I tend to feel empty around half ten or eleven so rather than going to bed hungry I'd have something light.

On the rowing machine, this particular one is priced at €200.
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9061693/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CSports+and+leisure%7C14419152/c_2/3%7C15701400%7CHome+gym+equipment%7C14419293/c_3/4%7Ccat_14419293%7CRowing+machines%7C14419298.htm

I'd rather spend the money on that and have it at home than to spend 300-400 in a gym for the year and not go, I just feel I'd get more use out of it when its down the hall and convenient to me instead of a gym that's 9 miles away.

You asked for my typical days diet aswell,

Breakfast at 9: 2 white toast, normal butter, marmalade/jam, bowl of cereal and whole milk, mug of tea.

Lunch at 12: Could be anything from a salad roll to a few crackers, maybe a scone, apple or half a sandwich.

Dinner at 4/5: Is usually potatoes(steamed), one or two veg(broccoli, peas, carrots, cauliflower) and chicken, fish, beef or lamb. Some days could be lasagne, tortilla's, a home made curry or sweet and sour.

Then what I call "tea" at 8ish: A slice of brown bread and cheese or tomato, ham, cold chicken, an ommlette or scrambled egg with a mug of tea.

Burkatron

You've been given good advice by the other 2 posters, take what Orla K said & put it into the calorie target of what Double GG said. Forget about cereals they're processed muck & despite what their expensive marketing campaigns tell you they are not healthy! Ideally you want to build your meals around Protein/good fats/carbs.(40/40/20) (unprocessed) Meat,fish, eggs, dairy, veg, fruit, nuts & seeds make up a healthy diet chippers,cereal & bread rolls do not!

thenashlegend wrote: »

On the rowing machine, this particular one is priced at €200.
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9061693/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CSports+and+leisure%7C14419152/c_2/3%7C15701400%7CHome+gym+equipment%7C14419293/c_3/4%7Ccat_14419293%7CRowing+machines%7C14419298.htm

I'd rather spend the money on that and have it at home than to spend 300-400 in a gym for the year and not go, I just feel I'd get more use out of it when its down the hall and convenient to me instead of a gym that's 9 miles away.

If you want to excercise at home you'd be better off investing in a good set of weights (for 300-400 you could get something half decent) &/or a TRX (any suspension rig) a kettlebell (or a few). This will give you a lot more versatility then a poor quality rower. You'll be more likely to stick to a routine that you can vary then one that you can't.

9 miles for a gym isn't far? Is driving not an option? Bike? If I didn't go out to train I'd end been distracted by the tv/couch combo!!

thenashlegend

Orla K wrote: »

dinner at maybe 4ish with potato, veg, meat/chicken/fish
This looks fine just don't have half the plate of potatoes. Concentrate more on the meat/chicken/fish and veg. Why have dinner so early? If you have lunch at 1 you shouldn't really need a dinner 3 hours later.

Sorry what I meant was, if I had a decent lunch I'd have dinner later, towards six probably. If the lunch was something small I'd have dinner a bit earlier!

Thanks for the replies everyone! I have to admit I'm absolutely useless with carbs, fats and proteins. It never really concerned me and I'm not at all educated in that area!:o I don't even know where to begin with them!

As for the rowing machine, I'm probably better off leaving it so. Any other recommendations for some useful/reasonably priced equipment I could look at?

I know 9 miles is close enough to me, but when I trek 50 odd miles a day as it is I'd rather stay at home to do a bit of work, than pack up again and take off.

thenashlegend

Burkatron wrote: »

If you want to excercise at home you'd be better off investing in a good set of weights (for 300-400 you could get something half decent) &/or a TRX (any suspension rig) a kettlebell (or a few). This will give you a lot more versatility then a poor quality rower. You'll be more likely to stick to a routine that you can vary then one that you can't.

9 miles for a gym isn't far? Is driving not an option? Bike? If I didn't go out to train I'd end been distracted by the tv/couch combo!!

Any TRX retailers around Ireland or the UK? Took a look at their website but it seems to be the US alone.