Getting into shape

[lonelyd00d]

Hi people,

 

I'm wondering if anyone here knows whether it's possible to get into shape relatively quickly with a lot of excercise. I'm 6ft and currently about 215 pounds, I guess. It's not all fat, I have some muscles!

 

Maybe if I know firsthand from someone who's been overweight and started to exercise a lot and lost a lot of weight, I'd be more motivated to do so too.

 

Maybe someone would even like to sorta coach me, or at least give some pointers.

 

Thanks =)

[annie24]

Go to a gym, hire a trainer, and then do what he says Good luck!

[RayKay]

I also advise a personal trainer if you are just starting out. Find one that is recognized by whatever board in your area overseas that, and find out their credentials. Some also are educated in nutrition which can be even more beneficial.

 

Anyway, depends what you mean by "quickly" and what your goals are. You should be going for a lifestyle change not a quick fix, and sometimes that takes longer but is livable with forever. And your body also needs recovery time, especially when you are just starting out, otherwise you may hurt yourself. It is less about exercising LOTS, and more about exercising EFFECTIVELY (hence why a trainer will be good to come up with your personal fitness plan).

 

You will want to do a mix of cardio to burn the fat stores, strength training to build muscle (that also burns more calories), flexibility training and your nutrition is INTEGRAL as well. And worry less about "weight" and more about how you feel and look. Muscle for example weighs more than fat so if you are lifting, you may be gaining weight even if you are losing fat!

[ms anthrope]

i lost a lot of weight. it's important to exercise ANNND diet. what you eat should be lots of low fat proteins like baked chicken and fish. try to cut out all sugars and lower your complex carb intake dramatically (breads, rice, etc). also, try to drink 1/2 gallon to 1 whole gallon of water a day....drinking lots of water also helps make your metabolism go faster.

 

try to do minimum 30 min of cardio workout every other day.

 

good luck!

[lonelyd00d]

I should've mentioned: I don't like gyms. Heh.

 

Yes, I know about muscle being heavier than fat. 5 years ago, I was about 230 pounds all fat, now I'm about 215 but way more muscle. (my lowest was 180, I guess)

 

I have changed my lifestyle a bit to make that possible, but I guess I need to do a little more, still. I know it's not a quick fix (nor do I want to) It's not that I'm overly worried, I just want to lose about 15 pounds of fat. More muscle is always welcome.

 

I guess my problem is partly rooted with my fear of failure. Afraid of looking stupid when running down the street for 100 yards with my fat *ss, and then being out of breath. oh, I do get out of breath pretty badly. my throat seems to narrow which makes it hard to breathe, is this normal? will it get better?, that's the main reason I like walking and swimming better, as I'm able to pace myself more.

 

Also, since I'm still rather heavy and my knees aren't the best pair in the world, I don't think running a lot is the best choice for me. Tho, they haven't hurt me so far.

 

The last couple of weeks, I've taken walks/the bike instead of the car to get me to someplace relatively closeby. (since I'm out of a job right now, I also have to watch my costs, so no driving->no gas )

 

I'm just wondering if someone here has a good way or pointers to stay focused on this goal.

[Riley]

I'd say just do what your doing now and more of it. Walking and biking are great. Power walking is great. Im not a runner and walking was a way to build my body up. I power walk 2-3 miles.

[lifeiscash]

Well I used to be about your size and frame and then I decided to lose some extra flab.

 

What I did was relativley simple but you have to be determined and dedicated. First, I cut back on what I ate. I started to cut back on breads, rice, cookies, desserts, and all the high fat carbs that people love to eat.

 

I then cut back on what I ate in general, I used to eat until I was full, now I eat smaller portions just a little more frequently. Also don't eat LATE at night!!! Also DONT EAT OUT! trust me on this one.. in one month if you do this, it will help you dramatically.

 

What I would recommend eating is, fresh fruit, veggies, meat (ham, turkey, sandwhich meat) and other healthy foods such as those. Eating high sugar foods is an addiction and if you go a week and half without, your cravings will go away, trust me.

 

I also excercise daily, I usually run, alot.. just job for about 25 minutes or so. I usually ran for length, I started running 3 miles and biking 7 miles daily (gradually built up to that). If you dont like running play some basketball for an hour, go swimming, just be active.

 

If you cut back on what you eat and if you just increase your cardio then you will see results in just a couple of weeks, guranteed, but be realistic your not gonna have a banging body in just two weeks.

 

AND cut back on beer! I switched to liqiour

[lifeiscash]

Being healthy is a lifestyle, make it yours. Plus you feel better about life when you are healthy.

[drydupfob]

One year ago. 6'0 240. 22 percent body fat

 

Now 175. 13 percent body fat.

 

You said that you didn't like the gym, so there is only one option for you. That is to diet and run. The diet should be high in protien and low in fat. And eat about 6 times a day in smaller amounts instead of 3 big meals.

 

Running - important. You should do sprints along with jogs. So if you live near a track, use it. sprint the straight ways and walk the curves. do that for like a mile 3 times a week. And add some jogging sessions in the week also. If you keep at it, i promise you that the lbs will come off.

 

gl.

[lonelyd00d]

Thanks people.

 

I'll try and do the smaller portions. And be more strict about cutting bad sugars from my diet, cos lately, I have been slipping a bit on that one. The biggest problem is getting myself to move! lol Actually, I do bike and walk more than I normally did, but I still think it's not enough, and I've been lithargic lately, so not really doing anything too active. A vicious cycle I need to break.

 

Eating out will be a little problem, as I'll probably will be quite a bit for the coming weeks. But I can do the little portions there too, I hope. Lately, I've been fixing myself salad and meat at home. I go easy on the dressing.

 

I don't need to get in tip-top shape. It's just that after losing a lot of pounds/fat in the last couple of years, I've come to a certain stand-still. I suppose this means I need to adjust my lifestyle once again.

[I_love_rain_hugs_and_you]

Well, that depends on WHY you want to get in shape. Are you doing this to please some girl? Because people are picking on you? WHats your motivation? People should be happy with their weight, as long as their weight isn't causing serious health problems. I am happy with my 200 pounds because I am healthy. Maybe you should be too!!!

[lonelyd00d]

My motivation is to generally look and feel better. I don't like my belly, I never did. Most of the time, I actually feel fat. But I'm generally too lazy to really do something about it. Of course, I also hope to be more attractive to the opposite sex when I'm rid of all those extra pounds.

[Minty80]

I'd suggest the couch to 5k program to get started link removed

[RayKay]

Well, that depends on WHY you want to get in shape. Are you doing this to please some girl? Because people are picking on you? WHats your motivation? People should be happy with their weight, as long as their weight isn't causing serious health problems. I am happy with my 200 pounds because I am healthy. Maybe you should be too!!!

 

Maybe he is doing it for HIMSELF.

 

Keep in mind that being in shape also makes you FEEL great - you feel more "alive" and energetic, some people new appreciation for their body and their limits - they get involved in competition which can be very fun.

 

And just because some extra weight does not cause health issues now does not mean it won't later - what people do as teens in terms of their eating habits for example has long term consequences. Muscle tone prevents osteoporisis, an active body keeps the mind and brain active warding off more serious degenerative disease in body and mind later in life. Physical activity and healthy eating habits also keep your arteries clear, aid your digestion, keep your heart strong.

 

There is nothing wrong with wanting to work out and be in shape and eat healthy - there is more to it then looking good physically.