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2003/06/24, 04:38 AM
I would like to loose a bit of weight but am unsure as to how to go about it without going on a restricted diet as I work out and need enough energy to be able to do this, can anyone offer me some general tips/advice as to how to do this, ie what kinds of foods I could eat etc.
Many Thanks
Pol
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2003/06/24, 06:49 AM
Well more info is needed for any specific advice (a profile with current situation and aims) but the basic rule to fat loss (which I am assuming you meant by weight loss) is to use up more calories than you take in. This should only ever be a small deficit anything to large is unhealthy. Maximum recommended weight loss is 2-3 pounds a week but this depends greatly upon your current status.
Giving very general tips try to avoid fatty foods, you need certain amount of fats but most people consume far too many. The easiest way to do this is to eat more unprocessed foods; lots of fats and salts (causing water retention) are added to processed foods. Try to eat frequent small meals (to get a constant metabolism), and avoid late night meals and sugary foods. Also ensure you protein intake is sufficient. If you know nothing about nutrition star reading the nutritional info on the back of foods you buy and look up fresh foods (on this site), this site will provide guidelines as to what you should be consuming.
I workout at least 5 days a week and am on controlled diet, the two far from been mutually exclusive are vital for any long term progress. However most importantly is to make gradual sustainable lifestyle changes not drastic diets that cannot be maintained once the initial enthusiasm diminishes.
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2003/06/24, 08:18 AM
I would only like to loose about 1 stone and in the process tone up as well. Is there any way of knowing how many calories I burn when i'm not exercising? Do you know how much of a calorie deficit I would need?
Also on the exercise front I go to the gym 3 times a week and work with weights and do about 20mins on the cardio machines, would I need to do more cardio to help?
Thanks for your help.
Pol
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2003/06/24, 10:03 AM
I read that about 30 mins of cardio is good... I workout a combined total of more than 30 mins of cardio 3 times a week... and have lost 7 pounds since I started about 1 1/2 months ago... the weight lost isn't much, but I noticed that I have gained some muscle mass ( I do weights as well ).
Some people will recommend 45 mins cardio per session, but it all depends on intensity. It seems that varying intensity while doing cardio speeds up metabolism faster.
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2003/07/08, 01:45 PM
Hi all. Well, padams, I don't claim to be a dietician or even know all that much about it. I can, however, tell you what has been working for me. I just recently (about 3 solid months now) stared putting my gym membership to good use, going 4-5 times a week, depending on my FT recomendations. Now for me, I have been working out to lose weight and tone up. Dieting is the absolute hardest part for me, considering the way I have formed my eating habits over time, I'm kinda lazy when it comes to cooking for myself, so I usually opt to go out to eat (which really makes cutting fat hard to do). I have been taking supplements to help me achieve my goals. I eat a small breakfast (usually a powerbar or bowl of cereal) then I take a Stacker3 (Ephedra raises your metabolism and thusly gives you energy, and the Chitosan bonds to some of the undigested fat in your system and passes it on out), I also make my own protein shakes for pre and post workout, I use 100% Whey protein with 'Screamin Vitamins' mixed in for my pre shake and use the Whey protein mixed with 'Super B' vitamin powder to give you that extra energy and faster recovery time. My weight loss has been pretty substanial, going from 250 when I started to, as of about a week ago, 195, and my body fat percentage dropping from 19% to 12%. And now for my Blatant advertisement, I do broker work for DKW-Hyperdyne, and we are sellers/manufacturers of dietary supplements (as I have said before, I am not a certified dietician, but we do have them working for us :) )so if you would be interested in recieving a free catalog of our products and how they can help you achieve your goals, give us a call toll free at 800-874-1288. Thanx for reading this, hope it may help.
-Kev
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2003/07/08, 04:32 PM
padams, please fill out your profile and give us some more info. The first step I took when joining ft was to use their nutrition and workout programs. They will make one out for you. It's not ideal, but it is a good base to start with.
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~Victoria~
...There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.--Beverly Sills
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2003/07/10, 02:06 PM
If you are a big guy do not eat less than 1800 cals a day. As you get smaller, you could go to 1500-1800 per day to lose but NEVER less than 1500 cals. Cut your portion sizes in half as a general rule and heed the advice of six small meals a day. Eat real food and throw out the white stuff ie sugar, white bread , white rice etc. Eat whole grains for carbs. There are many good mags out there with a lot of nutritional info and recepies. I did the weight watchers which has a point system for counting calories and fat and was very easy to use. But you can eat anything on those points and a lot of people look for low fat junk instead of good nutrition and give up because they wonder why they do not feel well. Give yourself a "cheat" day one every week to week and half. When "cheating", that does not mean a whold pint of Haagan Dass followed by the bag of chips and then McDonalds. Pick one or two goodies and do not scarf down the whole pint. I think you get the idea. Pick a way of eating you will enjoy for life cause diets do not work. If you feel deprived, you won't hold to it. And what happens when you go back to "normal". You know, you gain it all back and then some creating that vicious cycle of failure and guilt. If all your activities in life revolve around eating, get some new hobbies. You can't be overweight without a lifestyle to support it as the saying goes and that is so true. And last, the slower, the better. Healthy weight loss involves losing fat, not muscle. Also if you lose slowly, you will feel better, your skin won't sag as much if at all, it takes longer to gain back and you will feel overall better. You did not get the way you are overnight and it does not come off overnight. There are NO miracles, forget all that crap and snakeoil advertised. Weight is directily linked to lifestyle and genetics and sometimes medical conditions but almost all the time you can be the best you can be if you commit yourself to it.
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