Few Qs

nc19

I'm fat.

i got a fair bit less fat and a lot fitter over the course of close to 2 years from 2010 to 2012. then the baby came and the gym fell by the wayside. over the last year ive been back at it but im not getting the same results as the first time. the weight isnt coming off as easy, mainly around the middle.

what can i do to concentrate on the middle in terms of gym work?


also,

is there something in particular like protein shakes or whatever i should be taking before, during and/or after exorcise both in the gym and when i cycle to work(2/3 times pw)

Windorah

So there are plenty of people here much more knowledgeable than me but I see no responses yet so ill throw in my two cents:)

It mainly comes down to your diet. They say its 80% diet, 20% exercise.

Personally (again no expert!) I find weight lifting works for me. I absolutely love running but it doesn't seem to hep me drop the pounds. When Im following a weight lifting programme for a few weeks I tone up a lot.

As regards diet I get a lot of recipe ideas from Paleo style eating. While I don't follow it strictly its helpful to see interesting recipes that substitute flour, rice, potatoes etc!

sdowling04

Good to see that your looking to get in shape again.

What you should be looking for in a gym program is a strength and cardio program along with a good balanced diet. I know it seems strange that a strength/weight program would be included in a weight loss goal but there are several studies showing positive effects on weight loss. You should ask your gym instructor does he/she have any weight loss programs and for help showing you the technique of some of the weight exercises.

How is your diet at the moment? So many people have a different understanding of a good diet so If you could mention a typical meal plan that would be helpful. Make sure to drink enough water throughout the day too.

Protein supplements are designed to promote increased muscle mass when combined with regular exercise. When you lift weights your muscles start to tear. These tears are microscopic in size and when these tears are repairing the muscle grows.Protein works by repairing muscle tissue faster and promoting quicker but natural growth. Protein mixed with a low carb diet is defiantly a good base for weight loss. You might have herd of a paleo/caveman diet before. Buying a protein power is a personal preference really because you can get your protein from your diet such as chicken/eggs/fish/steak and many more foods.

There are some good articles on line about the subject.
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/following-a-cardio-plan-for-weight-loss.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/strength_train_fat_loss.htm

syklops

what can i do to concentrate on the middle in terms of gym work?

Not an expert here either, but you can't concentrate on the middle. You can't spot reduce fat. Excess fat generally gathers in the middle for men first and its the last place to leave. Its annoying, but thats how it is.

is there something in particular like protein shakes or whatever i should be taking before, during and/or after exorcise both in the gym and when i cycle to work(2/3 times pw)

If you are trying to reduce weight then you don't need a protein shake before/during or after.

Post up your diet here and let people critique it. I am sure there are lots of areas you can improve. Swapping the lunch roll for a chicken salad everyday improved my waistline no end. Adding more veg, and reducing noodles/rice from my regular stir fries also helped. Little things here and there help.

As another poster said, you can't out-exercise a bad diet.

My mum bought me a pair of trousers 2 years ago. Really nice ones but they didnt fit so I couldnt wear them until Saturday when I tried them on and they fit like a glove.