So confused.

Silverman.

Hi
I'm looking to get fit and haven't a clue how to do it.
I want to lose a bit of weight and also build my upper body while also tightening it.
However, there are so many different suggestions when you seek guidance. For example, should I lose the weight first before I tone up? How many times a week should I train? What workout regine should I use? What food should I be eating? Etc

Any advice on how to tackle it?

Mellor

Silverman. wrote: »

For example, should I lose the weight first before I tone up?

Toning up is losing weight. Not some separate process you have to go through. The toned look that many people strive for is simply low(er) body fat.
Knowing that, if makes your "what to do first" considerably easier to get around.

The most important factor is you diet. Just eat healthy, fresh, whole food is sensible quantities. There are no magic foods. Avoid the stuff that you know is not good for weight loss.

As for training, 2 to 4 times a week is good. Whatever suits your schedule. Do some combination of resistance training, and moderate intensity cardio. The best workout is the one you enjoy doing and will do most often.

Simplistic approach, but that's really all that is needed.

Hanley

Silverman. wrote: »

Hi
I'm looking to get fit and haven't a clue how to do it.
I want to lose a bit of weight and also build my upper body while also tightening it.
However, there are so many different suggestions when you seek guidance. For example, should I lose the weight first before I tone up? How many times a week should I train? What workout regine should I use? What food should I be eating? Etc

Any advice on how to tackle it?

The simplest thing to do is find a gym close to you that will coach you thru all of this.

Short answers...

Losing weight reveals what's underneath. So if you've decent muscle size, and lose the fat over it, you look harder (toned).

If you've very small muscles under your fat, you still look soft (skinny fat).

Train 3-4x per week for 45-90 minutes a time.

The workout you use depends on what you've access to and how much you know (not much by the sounds of things -t hat's ok by the way, but it just effects recommendations).

You should eat real food. Meat and veg, nuts and seeds, some starchy carbs like potatos and rice, and healthy fats. If it comes from a freezer or out of a brightly coloured cardboard box, it's best avoided.

UnknownSpecies

Hanley wrote: »

Silverman. wrote: »

Hi
I'm looking to get fit and haven't a clue how to do it.
I want to lose a bit of weight and also build my upper body while also tightening it.
However, there are so many different suggestions when you seek guidance. For example, should I lose the weight first before I tone up? How many times a week should I train? What workout regine should I use? What food should I be eating? Etc

Any advice on how to tackle it?

The simplest thing to do is find a gym close to you that will coach you thru all of this.

Short answers...

Losing weight reveals what's underneath. So if you've decent muscle size, and lose the fat over it, you look harder (toned).

If you've very small muscles under your fat, you still look soft (skinny fat).

Train 3-4x per week for 45-90 minutes a time.

The workout you use depends on what you've access to and how much you know (not much by the sounds of things -t hat's ok by the way, but it just effects recommendations).

You should eat real food. Meat and veg, nuts and seeds, some starchy carbs like potatos and rice, and healthy fats. If it comes from a freezer or out of a brightly coloured cardboard box, it's best avoided.

What's the consensus on frozen veg and berries? I use both a lot for convenience. I'm awful for using all my fresh veg before it goes bad.

I always use frozen broccoli fresh otherwise
I think frozen berries still have a diseased warning on them

https://www.fsai.ie/faqs/berries_advice_to_boil_2015.html

jive

UnknownSpecies wrote: »

What's the consensus on frozen veg and berries? I use both a lot for convenience. I'm awful for using all my fresh veg before it goes bad.

Frozen fruit and veg are the exception to the rule, knock yourself out.

Hanley

UnknownSpecies wrote: »

What's the consensus on frozen veg and berries? I use both a lot for convenience. I'm awful for using all my fresh veg before it goes bad.

Yah I was talking more about **** like fish fingers and goujons. Frozen veg and berries are cool.

UnknownSpecies

Will soldier on so. The pre mixed frozen stir fry veg is dead handy when you're feeling lazy.

Mellor

bluewolf wrote: »

I always use frozen broccoli fresh otherwise
I think frozen berries still have a diseased warning on them

https://www.fsai.ie/faqs/berries_advice_to_boil_2015.html

Only applies to berries from china, which was where the virus was confirmed to originated (in australia at least). South american should be fine, or better yet local.
Boil if concerned.

UnknownSpecies wrote: »

What's the consensus on frozen veg and berries? I use both a lot for convenience. I'm awful for using all my fresh veg before it goes bad.

Frozen unprocessed food fine. Fruit, veg, even frozen fresh meat it fine. (I often freeze surplus chicken to have as a back up)

Silverman.

Any good free workouts online? So many contradict each other.

Mellor

Silverman. wrote: »

Any good free workouts online? So many contradict each other.

A weight routine only? Or a more varied workout?

Goal? General weightloss, "tone up", look better naked type of thing, I'd guess.
Number of days a week?

Essien

Silverman. wrote: »

Any good free workouts online? So many contradict each other.

People tend to overstate the importance of a particular workout when trying to promote it. This often leads to contradictions as everyone says theirs is the best, when in reality a lot of them will achieve similar results, particularly for beginners.


The truth is you are by far and and away the greatest variable in whether or not any of them work for you.

If you're sticking to it and seeing results it's the right one.

Silverman.

Mellor wrote:

A weight routine only? Or a more varied workout?

Mellor wrote:

Goal? General weightloss, "tone up", look better naked type of thing, I'd guess. Number of days a week?

I'm male and in my twenties. I want to lose weight round my stomach, chest and face (cardio will get rid if that I'd imagine) I'd also like to do some weights to bulk up and basically get ripped in the long run etc haha

Mellor

Silverman. wrote: »

I'm male and in my twenties. I want to lose weight round my stomach, chest and face (cardio will get rid if that I'd imagine) I'd also like to do some weights to bulk up and basically get ripped in the long run etc haha

I got that from the OP. I was asking the questions specifically about the workout you want.

• Weights only, or a combination of weights and "other" exercise
  (other meaning cardio/HIIT/conditioning, etc)
• How many days a week?
  I prefer it if my training follows a 7 day pattern. But not reason why it has to. You can do a 4 day/week routine over 9 days if you wish.

MightyMandarin

Silverman. wrote: »

I'm male and in my twenties. I want to lose weight round my stomach, chest and face (cardio will get rid if that I'd imagine) I'd also like to do some weights to bulk up and basically get ripped in the long run etc haha

You can improve your body composition through lifting without cardio, as long as your diet is in check.

Some form of cardio might be beneficial for your overall health though.

Zillah

Silverman. wrote: »

I'm male and in my twenties. I want to lose weight round my stomach, chest and face (cardio will get rid if that I'd imagine) I'd also like to do some weights to bulk up and basically get ripped in the long run etc haha

So, first of all, it doesn't really matter where the fat is. You'll gain or lose fat wherever your body feels like it - usually everywhere at once, sometimes with a bit more focus around the mid-section. You can't make it go down anywhere specifically.

Secondly, if your body fat is too high you are eating too much/poorly, and no feasible amount of exercise will change that. It'll help, but the most important thing is sorting out your diet. Not for a special three-week period or any of that nonsense, change your diet to something healthier and stick with that for the rest of your life. More fresh veg, less sugar - probably the best first step.

Cardio won't make you lose weight beyond the fact that it burns a few calories. It'll be good for your heart and fitness but it doesn't have some magical ability to make your body shed fat.

If I were you I'd hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to teach me how to do weights properly. That'll help you build up some muscle, which is great for appearance, posture, and keeping body fat down (muscle burns calories all the time).