Gym Members

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by los panda

awesome job, dirt!

and great , thanks man.

Thanks. I could go on this topic for hours as I've gone up and down over the years with multiple strategies but theres still a few other things I need to add then I'll stop I promise.

- Be patient. I got to a point where I wanted to loose x amount of weight in x amount of time and it was not uncommon for me to step on a scale 10 times in a day on top of taking measurements with measuring tape and calipers.

And when you're stuck at that point where you've lost weight/fat but you're still far from your goal it can drive you insane. Don't go insane get just enough urgency to progress and stay on track but don't become neurotic like me. If you look at the chart there was a point where I stopped weighing myself every week but still stayed on track. Thats probably the best balance.

- Get an electronic food scale for $20. It's a little expensive and the checkout person might thing you're a junkie or a dealer but it's easy to underestimate and overestimate how much food you're eating.

- Avoid and/or limit alcohol. Not only does alcohol have no nutritional value but it makes you want to gorge large quantities of the worst possible foods.

- And finally track calories. Diet is about 90% of what you will be doing (this coming from my teacher in weight training during college). Best sites to use are the following.

Free Calorie Counter, Diet & Exercise Journal | MyFitnessPal.com
or
Calorie Counter | Food Nutrition Data for Healthy Eating Choices

Personally used Weight Watchers online as I liked that system but unlike the above two Weight Watchers cost money (~$18 a month). Regardless all three have knowledgeable and supportive communities who can give you great advice as you go along.

Good luck and I'll shut up now.

[los panda]

i care much more about losing fat than losing weight. it's just a number - not something tangible, not something i can see in the mirror. overall health/wellness is #1

the last time i was going hard in the gym (similar regimen), in 2 months i had
a. gained 10 lbs
b. lost over 1" off my waist

if i can achieve similar results this time around, i'll be a happy camper.

the awesome bonus is that the gym is right next to my office building, i go straight after work. i get to beat a lot of the traffic from my 40 mile, orange county to la county commute.
last night i worked out for 90 minutes, commute was 50 minutes, usually my commute is roughly 1 hour longer.

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by los panda

i care much more about losing fat than losing weight. it's just a number - not something tangible, not something i can see in the mirror. overall health/wellness is #1

the last time i was going hard in the gym (similar regimen), in 2 months i had
a. gained 10 lbs
b. lost over 1" off my waist

if i can achieve similar results this time around, i'll be a happy camper.

the awesome bonus is that the gym is right next to my office building, i go straight after work. i get to beat a lot of the traffic from my 40 mile, orange county to la county commute.
last night i worked out for 90 minutes, commute was 50 minutes, usually my commute is roughly 1 hour longer.

Why I never live in southern CA. Beautiful place too many people.

[los panda]

Originally Posted by mredskins

Why I never live in southern CA. Beautiful place too many people.

it seems people only move here, nobody moves away from here. it's a trap

[skinsguy]

Panda kind of sounds like me, except I was about 150 pounds in 2010, and three years later, I'm up to 192! Doc says I need to lose at least 25 pounds, but the weight is not budging...but bulging, lol!

Anyways, since I have moved, I live an hour from work. Therefore, by the time I work a full day and then have to drive an hour home, I'm tired. Plus, my wife insists on having dinner as soon as I get home. If I wait the hour after eating to do my workout, then it's 8pm. We go to bed around 9! I've tried working out in the morning, and I am NOT a morning person. I just seem to do better working out in the evenings. So, I feel like I can't stick with an exercise program right now.

We have been trying to eat healthier, but my weight was actually up this morning after eating super healthy yesterday, lol! I feel like I'm never going to get this weight off!

[los panda]

Originally Posted by skinsguy

Panda kind of sounds like me, except I was about 150 pounds in 2010, and three years later, I'm up to 192! Doc says I need to lose at least 25 pounds, but the weight is not budging...but bulging, lol!

Anyways, since I have moved, I live an hour from work. Therefore, by the time I work a full day and then have to drive an hour home, I'm tired. Plus, my wife insists on having dinner as soon as I get home. If I wait the hour after eating to do my workout, then it's 8pm. We go to bed around 9! I've tried working out in the morning, and I am NOT a morning person. I just seem to do better working out in the evenings. So, I feel like I can't stick with an exercise program right now.

We have been trying to eat healthier, but my weight was actually up this morning after eating super healthy yesterday, lol! I feel like I'm never going to get this weight off!

from what i've been reading on health/fitness/exercise forums, try eating less than you usually do (even if you're eating the same foods). dirtbag gave great advice when he said to track your calories.

i use this free app for android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....android&hl=en

and here it is for apple/iphone:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/calo...341232718?mt=8

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by los panda

just joined a radical gym, haven't exercised since april or may, can barely shoot hoops w/o losing breath. anyways, it's time to get active.
up to 180 lbs (probably 25% body fat) from 150 lbs when i moved here 1 year ago.


anyone else a member of a gym? or just exercise regularly?
figured this would be a good spot to share advice, tips, inspiration, etc.

Been a gym....user most of my adult life (off and on). On at the moment and for the last year. Really making head way. Some of the BEST money I ever spent in my life has been a personal trainer. I like most people have their own opinion as to what is good and what brings results...etc. Much of what I thought was the best was either wrong or largely ineffective.
I don't need someone to "Ra Ra" and I do not go to the gym for company and conversation.
I told my guy I would do a month at a time here and there but not full time because it is not cheap ($180 p/mo @ 1 pr/wk) and I do not need hand holding. Just a tune up from time to time. He has provided my full workout and been a wealth of dietary info and Cardio for off (non-gym) days. Can't say enough good things about it. Bite the bullet and cut expense some place else. It will make ALL the effort you put in worth it.......Good Luck

[TheMalcolmConnection]

All of this is great, so I'll throw in the only two cents that I have for weight loss.

It takes 3 days to build a bad habit and 2 weeks to break one. Basically, my wife and I loooove to party it up on the weekends. Drink tons, eat garbage. That's a GREAT way to gain weight or hover. We stopped for two weeks, then you don't even have the desire to do it anymore.

Stay strong for two weeks and I promise you won't miss whatever was causing the gain. If it's easier, drop just one thing for two weeks, whether it's eating/drinking/not exercising and then drop or add the next thing the following week. All of the above advice is great for work-out plans and diets.

Oh, and my favorite thing right now for a work-out is iPad, bluetooth headphones, and starting Breaking Bad from season one on the treadmill. Doesn't even feel like I'm working out.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

All of this is great, so I'll throw in the only two cents that I have for weight loss.

It takes 3 days to build a bad habit and 2 weeks to break one. Basically, my wife and I loooove to party it up on the weekends. Drink tons, eat garbage. That's a GREAT way to gain weight or hover. We stopped for two weeks, then you don't even have the desire to do it anymore.

Stay strong for two weeks and I promise you won't miss whatever was causing the gain. If it's easier, drop just one thing for two weeks, whether it's eating/drinking/not exercising and then drop or add the next thing the following week. All of the above advice is great for work-out plans and diets.

Oh, and my favorite thing right now for a work-out is iPad, bluetooth headphones, and starting Breaking Bad from season one on the treadmill. Doesn't even feel like I'm working out.

So now I know why the wife dosen't want to have sex all the time. Your saying I get it three days in a row she will be hooked again?

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by firstdown

So now I know why the wife dosen't want to have sex all the time. Your saying I get it three days in a row she will be hooked again?

LOL. Well... honestly there's some truth to that. I won't go into details, but yes, there is some truth to that.

[Hog1]

To piggy back on TMC...start slow and gather momentum. Don't take on to much all at once. To often, it gets overpowering and you just quit.
Your in this for the long haul

[MTK]

Definitely some good advice here.

Tracking calories is a big help, I've had success with the app called Lose It!

Remember everything in moderation. That piece of cake (reasonable size of course) is ok as long as you don't make it a regular thing. In general though try to cut out all soda (shit is garbage) and reduce sugar intake as much as possible. Water should be your new best friend.

As far as exercise try to find something you like to do. You're not going to stick with something you absolutely hate. It's easier when you have a workout partner too. Try to have a variety of workouts to rotate through, it's easy to burn out if you're doing the same thing all the time.

Working out with a goal in mind is helpful too, like training for a race. Just give yourself enough time to properly train.

Booze has always been my biggest enemy. I'm not a drunk or anything but even after just a beer or two it's tough to resist reaching for a snack. When I'm in a zone I find it best to just avoid drinking as much as possible. Easier said than done though sometimes lol

Eating out can be another stumbling block. Skip the apps and desert, and try to always bring food home. So many places give you portion sizes that are good enough for two meals. Eat half and bring home lunch for tomorrow. Try to avoid pigging out on bread and skip the fries when you can.

[NC_Skins]

Calorie Counter, Calorie Tracker & Food Journal | MyPlate on LIVESTRONG.COM | LIVESTRONG.COM


I personally like Livestrong's calorie keeper. Great tool and helps me out a bunch. Best part. It's free.

[MTK]

lol yeah... working out for a few months isn't going to carry you through a year of bad habits.

[Monkeydad]

Sounds like a recipe for a heart attack actually. Abuse the body for a year, then push the body beyond its limits suddenly...lets flip a coin, will he go in a bar with BBQ sauce on his face or in the street with a paper number pinned to his back?