The 2009 Slimming Thread

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Marcel

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As promised, here is the thread for the new year :)

Last year was quite a non-starter for me personally, yet many people did so well.
Let's see if we can get more people involved this year and more people motivated.

Following the end of my 365, Marcel 2.0 has been launched, complete with early nights, less food, a happier but more stern and carefree demeanour.
Part of this is a new healthier eating regime. No eating for eating's sake. No eating to relieve boredom. No eating late at night. Eat breakfast every day.

As per last year, I'm using an excel spreadsheet to monitor my weight loss.
It's a spreadsheet I created myself a couple of years ago.
You simply enter the date, and your current weight (in stones and pounds), and it works out the rest (the difference since the last entry, the cumulative loss, conversion to kilos etc too).

You can download it here (Opens in MS Office / OpenOffice etc)

You only need to enter into the following columns for it to work.
20090109-pc2bnumgex4uf8e8fk4uh6wpp4.jpg


I use the left hand column for targets, notes etc, and the right hand columns for measurements (BMI, etc). I've put a conversion chart on there too :)

So come on, lets get that flab shifted!
I'll start with my measurements.

As of New Years Day, I was 21st 4. It's now the 9th Jan.

Start Weight : 21st 4lb
Current Weight : 20st 9lb

Current Weight Loss : 00st 9lb
Time Taken : 9 days
 
Thats great marcel! I shall make good use of it!

So, seeing as we're logging our process:

Start Weight 17st 12lb.
 
Feel free to cut/paste my advice from the 08 thread... spent a while typing it, shame to let it see be drowned in the sea of posts lol.
 
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Its absolutely no bother Ras - I love helping others out especially when it comes to fitness/health.

I personally train and advise two of my friends who have dropped the weight and are looking nice and toned, Funnily enough both got a girlfriend now, However im still to shy to ask >.> i'll get there lol!

And what job do you have mate? I could perhaps advise some meals to pre-prepare or products I know of that are good to eat to get you through work when you cant get access to proper food.

I eat bowl of porridge with 3 saches (3 servings in one go) with honey and protein powder (Tastes yuck,but it keeps me nice and energized till lunch (1PM from 9 am -.-) At college. Then I'll have a small bag of 30G of Cashew nuts, followed by a chocolate protein bar.

I also carry a shaker with pre-prepared powder inside ready for mixing and I take 50p with me a day to buy a small carton to mix it all with, drink and that puts me all off till I get home.

Pancakes with porridge oats mixed with protein powder and honey yet again. When I get in and followed by some scrambled eggs, toast a hour later.

I also chuck in other meals anything with high protein, high calories, low in saturated fat. SUGAR is the most important thing to avoid, Sugar without exercise turns to fat over time, the kind of fat thats harder to shift. Drinking green tea helps alot it flushes the crap out of your system and overall makes you more alert/awake than normal.

Also another thing, please note that FAT is NOT a bad thing! Saturated is, and FAT is energy when you deplete your primary energy. Eating a big -ass meal with loads of protein - Preserving your muscle when the metabolism kicks into overdrive and then when your energy stores are dead from lifting/running thats when your fat stores are digged into.

Oh and did you know after a workout your body still burns fat for 18 hours? - Thats right your constantly loosing weight in one sense. Water flucuates your weight ALOT, dependant on how much you drink a good 2lbs more can be seen on scales due to a bladder full of water haha. So Make sure when you weigh yourself, its on a even surface, flat, and its the same time and the same pattern days throughout the week, if you distrupt the pattern you weigh yourself in, you will not get a fair result, often it makes you feel dissapointed and you feel like you wasted time, but trust me its not the case.

Note: I never eat salads, and I never eat fruit just about, its very rare I do. Odd apple here and there.


For your Cardio Freaks out there - DO NOT think cardio means you'll reduce fat quicker, Its been scientifically (and ive done it myself) proven that weight lifting for STRENGTH and not endurance is actually quicker at losing fat, and at the same time you define your muscles alot more than cardio and thus - you get more defination all around and look a hell of a lot better in a shorter space of time.

Try it out for a few month and tell me im wrong

Another note: when doing weight lifting be sure to split your bodygroups into different days, giving time to relax more than 18 hours after your workout, preferably a full day to be safe working the same muscles. If you work dont worry aslong as you dont do to much you wont be un-doing what your trying to achieve by working your muscles when theyre tired.

Think of food as fuel - It keeps you going and thats that. Aslong as you eat right you can punish yourbody in more ways than you can possibly imagine.

I used to work out in my first few months till I'd drop, or be close to it, Light-legged and barely able to walk. Id barely be able to get out the bed the following day, yet I managed to get myself down the gym on that night at 9-11pm

- I did my extreme 5 months during the waiting period for the term to begin at college (first year) after school.. Decided to prove others wrong and show I could do it.

Had a good few lasses from school who wouldnt even bat a eye at me in school asking me out not even realising who I actually was this being after I got fighting fit and carrying myself with confidence I never even dreamed of having thanks to the gym

And for people curious to know what I said, I sent them packin'!

I changed my outside, but I kept my sound mentality of my old self - One thing I ask of you guys is to do the same, Ive seen some people let it go to their head, becoming cocky, arrogant and obnoxious pricks (to be blunt,unfortunately) And out a matter of principal and pride... is why I said no
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Old Yesterday, 23:34 #633
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Oh and sorry I almost forgot to mention.

If you do NOT eat enough protein and enough calories in total (2200 ish when first starting as a male) and approx 2000/2100 for a female? Not entirely sure as Im a man lol.

Muscle A-Trophy kicks in, this is when your body EATS muscle for energy, and leaves fat were it is, so eating more, is actually better for losing weight! Sounds crazy I know but its true. This past week or two I have felt a lose in strength dramatically, Birthday,new year, xmas in the same fortnight... No gym for me, alot of drinking and junk food eating haha.

So Begin to calorie count untill you unconciously can measure up what your eating without being paranoid and worried about not eating enough. Make sure you

When you eventually get slim/toned and want to gain size, you want to be eating 2500-3000 cals a day, and you want 1G of protein per LB of bodyweight to improve the best possible.

Back to the gym tomoz for me, PS - A TRAINING PARTNER is absolutely vital, pushing eachother is a great way to make progress. Luckly I have a elder brother whos 25 I train with him 3 days a week and we push eachother on and on, being brothers its perfect, the sibling rivalry hehe.

Hope i've been of help, Most bodybuilding sites try to prey on people who dont understand, ive tried to break it down into plain englishfor you to grasp what the body does with your intake before/after workouts to get a understanding of how important food is.

20% Of progress is in the gym... the other 80 is in the kitchen! must remember that!

1 Protein shake before gym, 1 after, 30-1 hour later, eat a meal.
Days off - One when you wake up with breaky, And then one before you goto bed.

Well thats it for now, Anymore tips let me know.
 
only a quick copy and paste, as i'm off for dinner, but i'd saved the info for myself at home! V useful, but not sure if i could cope with 2 hours a day! *** i intend to work up to 1 hour a day on the bikes, running machines, and lil bench they have in there!
 
Workouts should last 45 minutes maximum, anything more your over-doing it and you wont get any benefit from it - thats if your doing it properly and pushing yourself ofc.
 
Hi.. great to see this thread again.

Well Done Marcel!!! Great start!!
As of New Years Day, I was 21st 4. It's now the 9th Jan.

Start Weight : 15st 3.6lb
Current Weight : 15st 0.6lb

Current Weight Loss : 00st 3lb
Time Taken : 9 days

Im hoping for a slow and steady progress of 2lb a week and target of a loss of 2st, whilst this will still make me overweight, my health will have drastically improved, and I can always adjust my target :rules:

Hopefully my wii fit will arrive at end of month and then I will be able to up my exercise, at min its just me and the dog on a walk.

K x
 
The Wii Fit is a great little bit of kit for weight loss and exercise. I bought one for the missus but now I find myself using it.
One of its many uses is that it has built in scales so you can weigh yourself regularly and accurately and it will chart your weight loss.

So far I have hit the gym every other night since Sunday and watched what I ate (not dieting just eating a little more sensible) and so far its 4lb lost. Im not pushing myself because I dont want to find going an inconvenience and so far its all good!

Also cant recommend enough going with someone else. I have noticed that if the two of us are on the treadmill side by side and chatting you dont even notice how long you are spending on there and you can push yourself harder. I tend to want to give in easily because I hate running by my mate is quite good so he keeps me occupied and helps me to do that little bit more.
 
Stick me in for this aswell

Current weight: 16st 2lb (was on the 26/12/08)
Currently (no scales in house, will be bought next friday)
Target 14-13st by July.

Dunno if thats a realistic target. Starting Monday (gym induction) ill be the gym 3-4 times per week for 1-2hrs + i surf and mountain bike a few times a month. Im fit (ish) but fat lol. Never been slim in my life even whilst training and coming 3rd in NI Downhill mtb leauge or running 800m and x country for my school. I think 13st would leave be how id prefer to look.

Best of luck everyone :)
 
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BreakNeckTurtle said:
Workouts should last 45 minutes maximum, anything more your over-doing it and you wont get any benefit from it - thats if your doing it properly and pushing yourself ofc.
Click to expand...
I agree but some people spend time talking in the gym or too long between sets so workouts can take longer.
Personally I train 7 times a week. I train chest on Mondays, back on Tuesdays, legs on Wednesdays, shoulders on Thursdays, arms on Fridays. Plus two cardio workouts a week which will be Monday and Tuesday or Wednesday and Thursday, depending on what shift I'm on at work. The gap between the weights and cardio workouts is 6 hours. None of the workouts last longer than half an hour. They used to be 45 minute workouts on the weights, but I've cut down the rest time between sets down to about 30 seconds. This helps burn more calories/fat whilst still building muscle mass. There may be a drop off in strength for a couple of weeks due to the shorter rest periods, but it soon comes back.
I'd love to have a training partner to keep pushing me to work harder, but none of my workmates are willing to join me in the gym at work at 5:30 am, although dedicated they also think me a little bit mad.:cuckoo::lol:
The secret to diet is keep meals small and nutritiuos but increase the number of meals. I'd aim for a minimum of 5 meals a day even if its just a peice of fruit and a protein shake. Smaller meals more times a day means the body has a better chance of using what it wants and doesn't have to store the rest for later. I take vitamin tablets etc. to make up for any shortfall in my daily diet plus what will be used up during the workout.
Personally I don't eat past 8:00 pm. I also aim for 6 hours sleep a night.
Never workout when you have a cold you will just reduce your immune system further. Eating properly and working out/exercising will improve your immune system and help your body systems to function better.
 
I refer you to my last reply. Hunt down Stephen Covey and listen real good......
 
Me too.

Heres my Monday 05 01 09 weigh in.

START WEIGHT 22st 9 1/2lb
WEIGHT NOW
TOTAL LOSS
TIME TAKEN

Keep on keeping on:thumbs:
Dean:)
 
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Gonna add my name to this one, recently joined the gym and when i say recently litterly not even a week ago! But thanks to that i am now swimming pretty much everyday, not pushing too hard only doing about 1300 meters, doing this most mornings apart from saturday which is a complete rest day, and sunday/monday when i go in the evening. Also signed up for spinning classes (should save me getting a cold as i used to go out riding at night!) Also be starting to use the gym in the next few days, just wanted to wein myself into it slowly with a bit opf swimming first.

Not too sure on my current weight but shall weight my self in the week and get back to you on that one :)

Although unfortaunlly i dont have a training parter as yet, but still pretty motivated to get my self in good shape.

Although my biggest problem is that i haven't got a clue what and when i should be eating. I love eating, and generally eat at the wrong times! (sandwich before bed isn't always the best idea!!) So could anyone help me out with that and help to create a diet for me?

But here is to a slimmer healther 2009, main goal is to loose some weight but mainly to tone up and above all look healthy :)

all the best everyone :)
Matt
 
Count me back in on this one.

I'm going to use my same weigh in day of a Thursday so I'll post my start weight later in the week, hopefully I might lose a pound before then!!

Much more determined to crack this properly this year. I'm so unhappy with the way I am at the moment.
 
I was watching that Paul McKenna weight loss thing on saturday. All about controlling how much you eat, rather than what you eat. Sounds interesting! I have a feeling i'm eating too much fruit at the moment, as it has all that natural sugar in it! But then 2 clementines = 1 portion of fruit. whereas you have to have 80g's of lettuce to do the same!!! And thats a LOT of lettuce!

Still, moving on thursday to my amazing new flat with on site swimming pool and gym! (On the 19th floor no less! So i can swim in the manchester skyline! can't wait to take pics!).
 
Heres my Monday 12 01 09 weigh in.

START WEIGHT 22st 9 1/2lb
WEIGHT NOW 22st 3lb
TOTAL LOSS 6 1/2lb
TIME TAKEN 1 WEEK

Keep on keeping on:thumbs:
Dean :)
 
I did this last year on my own, changed what I ate completely! I reached my target in the time I wanted though so it is doable. Went from 14st 10lb to 11st 3lb in 200 days. Now I'm eating rubbish again but seem to be staying around the same weight, which is nice :)

Good luck everyone!
 
heres mine as of 05/01/2009:

START WEIGHT: 14st 3lbs
WEIGHT NOW:
TOTAL LOSS:
TIME TAKEN:


as i dont have scales at the mo (will be purchased on friday) i cant measure my weight now, but am changing the way i eat and doing excersice and stuff
 
I joined this last year and lost nearly 2 stone but I have been naughty and regained half of last years loss so might rejoin to lose that.
 
Ok it maybe slow but its still in the right direction :) still waiting for wii fit to arrive so need to do a few more dog walks in meantime!

Hoping slow and steady will win my race...

Start Weight : 15st 3.6lb
Start Fat Percentage : 50.5%

Current Weight : 14st 13lb
Current Fat Percentage : 49.2%

Current Weight Loss : 00st 4.6lb
Time Taken : 14 days
 
Its so boooorrriiiinnnng being healthy!!

I want chocolate!!!! *stamps foot*
 
Well here's my start weigh in

Start Weight : 13st 6lb
Current Weight :

Current Weight Loss :
Time Taken :

I've start by bringing my own lunch to work so instead of Chicken, Bacon and Cheese in Mayo with a bag of Crisps and now having a Ham Sandwich with cup a soup. Also eating a slightly bigger breakfast to stop me from snacking on biscuits in the morning and I've bought sugar free polos for the afternoon but normally a packet lasts three days!! Tea is just whatever but I'm trying not to eat anything after that at night.

Also started to do some exercise, am starting very slowly and building it up gradually so I don't feel like I'm losing time out of the day.

Initially I want to lose 1 st but 2st would probably make me feel pretty happy with myself. Don't want to be stick thin just feel healthy and happy with myself.

My goal is to feel healthy enough to climb the whole mountain (Seefelder Spitze 2220m) out in Austria in one day rather than break it down into different sections on different days like I did last year.
 
Marcel that spreadsheet is awesome, I've dowloaded it and will use it. I had my first workout of 2009 today, but forgot to weigh myself. Just weighed myself now and I have a start weight of 17st 8lbs (111.82kg). I have a target weight of 14st by the end of the year.
 
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Anyone want to take part in a challenge? I find it very hard to diet, and I feel I really should as I do not want to get fat, and I am 14 stone and getting heavier. Last time I did a "diet challenge" I lost 2 stone.

Anyway! Here is the challenge, simple really.

No Meat
No Cheese
No Pizza
No Chips
No Fizzy Juice

For a timescale of at least 12 weeks.

I'm in. Anyone want to join me? :D

Gary.
 
Why no meat? Nothing wrong with chicken and Turkey breast meat, almost zero fat.
I'd give up bread if I were you or reduce the amount you eat, it just bloats you out.
 
Heres my Monday 19 01 09 weigh in.

START WEIGHT 21st 9 1/2lb
WEIGHT NOW 20st 13lb
TOTAL LOSS 10 1/2lb
TIME TAKEN 2 WEEKS

Keep on keeping on:thumbs:
Dean:)
 
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Good work Dino!! Keep it up :)
 
That's ace!
22 9 to 20 13 is more than 10lb's though!
 
I need help / support with this so I'm in. I've got an app on my iPhone that tracks my weight. Although my projected weight of 14 stone is years off. At this rate I'll lose 2 stone this year. I need to lose 8. I guess 4 years isn't tooooo bad but meh. Now damn it! :)

My current diet has got to be the worst you'll find on TP. I'm currently alternating between meat and cereal days. One day I have nothing but toast n cereal. The next I'll throw a bacon sarnie in. I figure that'll cut down things. The issue I have is when I'm out and about freelancing. Can't get a decent meal in. Ideally I want to be a vegeterian because I have issues with eating meat. I've tried a few bowls of salad and its ok but a little bitter.

I took up cycling in the new year. Did 4 miles every other day. Then the next week I could barely walk. Seriously leg pains. I've been reluctant to get back on but I know that if I don't its only going to be harder, get worse and stuff.
 
Hi Pete

I think we are all in a similar boat in here. My weight has been due to eating rubbish at work and munching biscuits and portion sizes at home that were just totally not necessary.

I guess we'll all have slightly different ways of getting the weight off. I've started making my own sandwich at lunch instead of buying a SPAR scrummy sandwich which I always had to have a bag of crisps with. Am having a cup a soup instead of the crisps, the newish varieties with pasta in them are lovely.

Maybe build up the exercise a little slower. I'm up to 10 mins on my stepping machine now. Am doing it slowly otherwise it gives me knee problems and when the weather starts getting back nice again and its a bit lighter at night I'm going to walk, even if its just round the village.
I'd managed to get very lazy.

I also eat more when I'm fed up so just trying to make life more enjoyable is helping.

Oh and Sugar Free Polo's are the greatest invention. I hate eating if my mouth tates of mint and I can normally make one packet last 3 days, haven't touched the office biscuit tin in 3 weeks.

If I haven't lost when I weigh in on Thursday though I'll be seriously peeved.
 
I've been told that you've got to do 30 mins a day. My plan was 30 mins every other day but that killed me :) No pain no gain, but I think theres a certain level of pain that implies you will die so I stopped ;)

I agree with you on the eating more when fed up. Food as a source of comfort is a really really bad thing and I'm fairly sure its led to my current weight. I was 17 stone after having my gall bladder out 3 years ago. 3 stone away from feeling ok. Now its 8.

The really bad thing is that I get low blood sugar quite often. Shakey, dizzy, and break into a random sweat. The solution, something quick like crisps or chocolate :(
 
I say its great that people whant to get healthy but i dont think you need a wheight plan to do it, buy less junk food therefore eat less replace your snacks with something healthy and exercise more. The only reason you eat for eating's sake is force of habbit and boredom, its just about getting out of that cycle just like anything else :D
 
Well yeah its easy to say it like that. I wanna lose weight, so i'll just eat better and excericse more. Ok sure no probs. But then I have a problem trying new foods so there goes that, and I get low blood sugar so theres snacking again and excercising involves spending 40 minutes cycling round in the rain in pretty bad pain. Now I'm depressed. Whats the god damn point? *sigh* *eats* ... Words eh. Easy to paint a picture, harder to live it.
 
Pete - you can't just rush straight into heavy exercise straight away, you need to gradually build it up. For one, it will make you feel how you are feeling at the moment and you won't be able to sustain it.

Can you not join a gym near you. There you can get a programme set for you and this will change each week, the better and fitter you get. Because of my leg/hip problem, I can only swim and this can get quite dull and boring but I bought myself some floats and I alternate legs only, arms only, proper swim etc. I also push myself a bit more each week so one week, I might do only 1.5km so the next week, I'll either try to do few more lengths or I try and do one set of lengths (I do sets of 10 lengths) at a faster pace. But, I don't push myself too much so that I don't enjoy it. The secret is to not sacrifice too much and not to start to find it a chore otherwise you are never going to do it.

Have you seen your GP about this, as they can also help you with your diet so that you don't make yourself ill.

Keep at it, don't give up and you're a step there already. I know easier said than done but just stick at it.
 
Your right no pain no gain. But it must still be better to start with only a little exercise and building it up gradually rather than do none at all. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.

Have you looked into the GI Diet at all, its supposed to be good for keeping your levels more even and helping you stop craving. I must admit I now have porridge for breakfast, I do have sugar on the top mind. I used to hate it but now its become routine and I don't tend to get hungry again now till lunch.

DC - I think it depends on what you call a weight plan. I think you need some definite goals and things you are going to do to achieve them. Having things to look forward to and reaching those goals makes you more likely to try for the next goal rather than give up. I don't think it is always boredom either, it has a lot to do with state of mind and also what else is going on in your life.

I lost 2 stone a few years ago and felt great, didn't wince when I looked in the mirror and had more energy. Then the relationship I was in broke down and I hit rock bottom and started eating again because the more someone tells you you look like **** and are a waste of space you get to the point of believing them. Food was the one thing I enjoyed in life.

I'm not horrendously overweight, nor do I want to be stick thin. I just want to feel happy with myself, and losing weight is just a small part of that.

Sorry, ramble over.
 
petemc said:
I've been told that you've got to do 30 mins a day. My plan was 30 mins every other day but that killed me :) No pain no gain, but I think theres a certain level of pain that implies you will die so I stopped ;)

I agree with you on the eating more when fed up. Food as a source of comfort is a really really bad thing and I'm fairly sure its led to my current weight. I was 17 stone after having my gall bladder out 3 years ago. 3 stone away from feeling ok. Now its 8.

The really bad thing is that I get low blood sugar quite often. Shakey, dizzy, and break into a random sweat. The solution, something quick like crisps or chocolate :(
Click to expand...

Every 3rd day when you start out, really giving yourself 2 days to recover as you will not really feel the most of the sorness until the second day i.e if you train on the Monday your most likely to feel more on the Wednesday. Although most people find it easier to do something like Monday Wednesday Friday, the Monday being the heaviest work out, then making sure the Wednesday is very very light, then friday almost as heavy as Monday. Most stick to something like as its set in stone, change the days leaving the gaps to suit your work week etc.

Only very experianced well trained folk will work 7 day programes
 
ive been forced onto the wieght watchers scheme with the rest of my family... and ive never felt so hungry and unhappy and sleepy in my life. and the food allowed is drab and boring and ****y amounts. :(
 
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