Shifting Belly Fat

[Lako42]

Picking up some equipment later today from decathlon 

 

Resistance bands

Push up handles 

Pull up bar 

Kettle bell 

Skipping rope

 

Just need to put something together as a plan as a complete beginner now. 

[filbertway]

On 08/09/2023 at 20:43, Bourbon Fox said:

I agree with you on everything but this AI-assisted REHIT bike, because the way it pushes back cannot be replicated on a normal bike and that's where the sci-fi effects on the body come from.

 

Or maybe, it's a load of bollocks and they paid a bunch of pseudo-scientists for that research. 

This cracked me up

"You'll burn more calories in 15 minutes on this bike than you would on a 30 minute run"

 

Maximum Metabolism - CAROL Bike UK

 

"We're also including the calories your body burns for 3 hours after the 15 mins"

 

[fox_up_north]

1 hour ago, Lako42 said:

Picking up some equipment later today from decathlon 

 

Resistance bands

Push up handles 

Pull up bar 

Kettle bell 

Skipping rope

 

Just need to put something together as a plan as a complete beginner now. 

Do not overestimate your skills or underestimate the difficulty of some things. Years ago I started with an 8kg kettlebell and had some woman try to shame me about it not being a "man weight". Told her where to go.

 

Form and stretching/ warming up is so important. 

 

As for skipping - start with this channel and don't be afraid to slow down and learn. 

 

https://youtube.com/@JumpRopeDudes?feature=shared

[Langley]

7 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Picking up some equipment later today from decathlon 

 

Resistance bands

Push up handles 

Pull up bar 

Kettle bell 

Skipping rope

 

Just need to put something together as a plan as a complete beginner now. 

download the nike training app.

 

its great.

[ian__marshall]

8 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Picking up some equipment later today from decathlon 

 

Resistance bands

Push up handles 

Pull up bar 

Kettle bell 

Skipping rope

 

Just need to put something together as a plan as a complete beginner now. 

What's your training goals @Lako42? 

[Lako42]

1 hour ago, ian__marshall said:

What's your training goals @Lako42? 

Not sure

 

Want to lose some belly fat / love handles and most importantly just gain some upper body / core strength. 

 

Never trained in my life other than cardio. 

[ian__marshall]

17 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Not sure

 

Want to lose some belly fat / love handles and most importantly just gain some upper body / core strength. 

 

Never trained in my life other than cardio. 

If you're completely new to resistance training, I'd check out Jeff Cavaliere and his Athlean-X youtube channel and training plans. It's so important during the early years to focus on form and muscle movement patterns as that'll give you a solid foundation for progression during the years ahead. Cut corners now and I guarantee you'll pay the price later.

 

Jeff offers great advice related to technique which is very much centred around science and injury prevention as he is a practicing physical therapist working with lots of elite level athletes. I've been resistance training on and off around 25 years and previously worked in the industry and I'd say his advice is very much evidence based so is a good starting point. 

 

I haven't personally followed any of his programmes but I trust his principles so don't think you can go far wrong.

[Raj]

20 hours ago, Langley said:

download the nike training app.

 

its great.

Yep been using this for a few months and got rid of some love handles.

 

[Lako42]

6 minutes ago, ian__marshall said:

If you're completely new to resistance training, I'd check out Jeff Cavaliere and his Athlean-X youtube channel and training plans. It's so important during the early years to focus on form and muscle movement patterns as that'll give you a solid foundation for progression during the years ahead. Cut corners now and I guarantee you'll pay the price later.

 

Jeff offers great advice related to technique which is very much centred around science and injury prevention as he is a practicing physical therapist working with lots of elite level athletes. I've been resistance training on and off around 25 years and previously worked in the industry and I'd say his advice is very much evidence based so is a good starting point. 

 

I haven't personally followed any of his programmes but I trust his principles so don't think you can go far wrong.

Yea cheers mate but I don't think I'll be taking fitness advice off Ian Marshall..........

[Stadt]

12 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Yea cheers mate but I don't think I'll be taking fitness advice off Ian Marshall..........

Paella's full of protein

[ian__marshall]

3 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Yea cheers mate but I don't think I'll be taking fitness advice off Ian Marshall..........

Can't beat a Protein Beer after a workout 😂

[JonnyBoy]

diets don't work, you will simply put it back on (often more weight than before) you also can't spot reduce (burn fat from certain areas). Lifestyle change - don't count calories (a lot of people will tell you too) concentrate on eating foods your body can actually use and not end up storing fat when you spike your insulin with crap processed foods. Eat as many whole foods as possible, avoid ultra-processed foods and move about more. We aren't robots so still have treats/"bad" foods else you will go mental. Most importantly follow the 80/20 rule 

Edited 26 September 2023 by JonnyBoy

[adam1]

I'm in a similar position to OP, used to cycle etc but I'm well out of shape for fitness, and about 2stone over where I want to be.

 

I have been rowing 10k 2 days a week which is split into x2 5ks (a "quick" 5k and a relaxed 5 with high impact sprints at the end)  with a bit on a bike inbetween. Within 4-6 weeks the difference in fitness is noticeable. I have been taking it easy, without overdoing it so I started off with just doing 5k.

 

I've lost 9lb during that period, but I have also been combining the above by watching what I eat. I drink more water (I never drank enough), eat more fruit, cut out anything I do not need (chocolate, reduced carb intake etc). I still have the odd takeaway, chippy tea, beer etc. 

 

 

 

 

[Sampson]

I recently discovered kvarg and it really helped as a better alternative to chocolate, ice cream and other sweet treats. I think trying to find healthier replacements to the junk food you’re addicted to helps a lot, rather than thinking about just going cold turkey or cutting out the junk food.

[JonnyBoy]

41 minutes ago, Sampson said:

I recently discovered kvarg and it really helped as a better alternative to chocolate, ice cream and other sweet treats. I think trying to find healthier replacements to the junk food you’re addicted to helps a lot, rather than thinking about just going cold turkey or cutting out the junk food.

chocolate is good if you chose 85% or + dark, packed with polyphenols 

 

the problem is most of our country/western world are now addicted to ultra-processed foods. To the point where people pick up a "low fat" yoghurt which has been packed with artificial sweeteners/flavourings completely changing the properties of the food and having a negative impact on our gut microbiome and is being marketed as healthy 

[Sampson]

29 minutes ago, JonnyBoy said:

chocolate is good if you chose 85% or + dark, packed with polyphenols 

 

the problem is most of our country/western world are now addicted to ultra-processed foods. To the point where people pick up a "low fat" yoghurt which has been packed with artificial sweeteners/flavourings completely changing the properties of the food and having a negative impact on our gut microbiome and is being marketed as healthy 

That may be true but it’s not helpful to people who are trying to gradually shift and it’s working to say “you’re doing it wrong, you need to do it this way”. Find what works for you as an individual

[JonnyBoy]

49 minutes ago, Sampson said:

That may be true but it’s not helpful to people who are trying to gradually shift and it’s working to say “you’re doing it wrong, you need to do it this way”. Find what works for you as an individual

 

It's the major food companies who are pushing this message out is what I am saying, not me 

Edited 2 October 2023 by JonnyBoy

[turlo]

I put on about 3 and half stone during covid lockdowns, mainly due to lack of motivation to exercise, depression, too much booze and eating a lot of takeaways from Deliveroo. I decided to do something about it last year as I was experiencing early  symptoms of type 2 diabetes and a blood test confirmed I had pre diabetes & high cholesterol.

 

At first I tried creating a big calorie deficit by cutting out as much fat as possible, reducing carbs and eating loads of fruit & veg. This worked well for a while and was shifting 2lb per week but found that my body adjusted to the lower calorie intake over time and the weight loss slowed down. I also felt i was starving most of the time which could make if difficult to concentrate while working. 

 

After doing a bit of research, I incorporated the following into my diet/lifestyle. 

 

• Not eating food past 8pm in the evening (before i was eating a big evening meal between 9&10pm and often a late snack before bed)
• Cut out as much refined carbs, sugar and ready meal type foods as possible.
• Made sure I was getting sufficient protein (between 60-80 grams per day)
• Added in some "healthy" fats into my diet, such as nuts, olives and Greek yogurt.
• Gradually increased daily exercise - just increasing steady walking to start with massively helped
• Added in some resistance exercise , with mainly body weight exercises and using resistance bands (nothing heavy as have quite a few dodgy joints!)- I read that this can increase your resting metabolism, so you burn more calories throughout the day + it helped with my dodgy back and knees, which enabled me to do more exercise. 
• cut down booze from most nights a week, to a drinking wine or a beer 2-3 nights a week

 

A year later my blood sugar levels etc are all back in normal range and pretty much all of the symptoms that built up have gone away, although I still have to be careful with my sugar intake. An unexpected benefit was that a lot of the joint inflammation I've been having for years (started well before i put on weight) has reduced significantly, which combined with weight loss means I can do a lot more exercise that I could in recent years.

 

[Mickyblueeyes]

Can I lose 25 pounds in exactly 12 weeks. I've done it before but I was much much younger. 

 

Will calorie count and hit the gym 3 maybe 4 times a week. Increase my steps and throw in 3,4 cheat days/meals in there. 

 

Give me some hope guys!

[JonnyBoy]

8 minutes ago, turlo said:

I put on about 3 and half stone during covid lockdowns, mainly due to lack of motivation to exercise, depression, too much booze and eating a lot of takeaways from Deliveroo. I decided to do something about it last year as I was experiencing early  symptoms of type 2 diabetes and a blood test confirmed I had pre diabetes & high cholesterol.

 

At first I tried creating a big calorie deficit by cutting out as much fat as possible, reducing carbs and eating loads of fruit & veg. This worked well for a while and was shifting 2lb per week but found that my body adjusted to the lower calorie intake over time and the weight loss slowed down. I also felt i was starving most of the time which could make if difficult to concentrate while working. 

 

After doing a bit of research, I incorporated the following into my diet/lifestyle. 

 

• Not eating food past 8pm in the evening (before i was eating a big evening meal between 9&10pm and often a late snack before bed)
• Cut out as much refined carbs, sugar and ready meal type foods as possible.
• Made sure I was getting sufficient protein (between 60-80 grams per day)
• Added in some "healthy" fats into my diet, such as nuts, olives and Greek yogurt.
• Gradually increased daily exercise - just increasing steady walking to start with massively helped
• Added in some resistance exercise , with mainly body weight exercises and using resistance bands (nothing heavy as have quite a few dodgy joints!)- I read that this can increase your resting metabolism, so you burn more calories throughout the day + it helped with my dodgy back and knees, which enabled me to do more exercise. 
• cut down booze from most nights a week, to a drinking wine or a beer 2-3 nights a week

 

A year later my blood sugar levels etc are all back in normal range and pretty much all of the symptoms that built up have gone away, although I still have to be careful with my sugar intake. An unexpected benefit was that a lot of the joint inflammation I've been having for years (started well before i put on weight) has reduced significantly, which combined with weight loss means I can do a lot more exercise that I could in recent years.

 

 

The amount of times I have heard inflammation reducing by eating the right foods is incredible, can't emphasise enough that food is medicine. I still think a lot of GP's are programmed to push medication as apposed to looking at Sleep/Diet/Exercise etc as first protocol. 

[casablancas]

On 02/10/2023 at 15:07, JonnyBoy said:

 

The amount of times I have heard inflammation reducing by eating the right foods is incredible, can't emphasise enough that food is medicine. I still think a lot of GP's are programmed to push medication as apposed to looking at Sleep/Diet/Exercise etc as first protocol. 

Disagree. It’s the amount of abuse and reluctance from them when you are telling people to drop the pounds. A lot of gps at least in my experience and I probably have more than most try to actually avoid meds. It’s more patients want/demand/expect the easy route.  

[StanSP]

I embarked on a similar diet after reading this post at the start of September. 

Got to the point where I was blindly wondering why I wasn't shifting any belly fat even though I was doing exercise a couple of times a week. But then actually realised it is more than that and also got hooked to some of the Sean Casey tiktoks and doom-scrolling videos on FB. 

 

So for 4 weeks I've been on a calorie-deficit diet and can already tell the difference. Changed to low calorie lunches at work - used to be meal deals or leftovers from dinner the night before. Now it's wholemeal tortilla wraps with a bit of cheese, cooked chicken breast slices and some veg. Boring as fvk but the effects are rewarding. Totally cut out crisps during the week which were my deadly vice - I'd munch away 2-3 packets a day sometimes as a 'snack', so have turned those into fruit snacks instead to keep the hunger away. 

 

Also have almost forced myself to go on a walk most days after work and first thing Saturday & Sunday. About 2-3 miles minimum each day but making sure I get the steps in - approx 6000-7000 steps per day. 

 

Have been about 15-16st for about a year. Not weighed myself since I started the diet but I'd be shocked if I hadn't lost about a stone given how much weight I looked to have lost. 

[Unabomber]

1 hour ago, StanSP said:

I embarked on a similar diet after reading this post at the start of September. 

Got to the point where I was blindly wondering why I wasn't shifting any belly fat even though I was doing exercise a couple of times a week. But then actually realised it is more than that and also got hooked to some of the Sean Casey tiktoks and doom-scrolling videos on FB. 

 

So for 4 weeks I've been on a calorie-deficit diet and can already tell the difference. Changed to low calorie lunches at work - used to be meal deals or leftovers from dinner the night before. Now it's wholemeal tortilla wraps with a bit of cheese, cooked chicken breast slices and some veg. Boring as fvk but the effects are rewarding. Totally cut out crisps during the week which were my deadly vice - I'd munch away 2-3 packets a day sometimes as a 'snack', so have turned those into fruit snacks instead to keep the hunger away. 

 

Also have almost forced myself to go on a walk most days after work and first thing Saturday & Sunday. About 2-3 miles minimum each day but making sure I get the steps in - approx 6000-7000 steps per day. 

 

Have been about 15-16st for about a year. Not weighed myself since I started the diet but I'd be shocked if I hadn't lost about a stone given how much weight I looked to have lost. 

He’s very good and dispels a lot of the dieting myths. Best way to lose weight is eat at a deficit and aim for 80% whole foods and 20% whatever. Move more, lift weights and have high protein diet. Easy to make that a lifestyle rather than a temporary fix. Well done mate.

[fox_up_north]

Down to 74kg ish now (or 164lbs/ 11 stone 10). I'd hovered at 76kg for a while but since using calorie counters and, crucially, trying to make sure I get enough protein (powder, eggs, yogurt, meat) has made me drop that 2kg in the last 6 weeks or so of doing it. 

 

This has been coupled with more gym and less running, focusing on major muscle areas - back, legs, chest.

 

Goal is to be under 11 stone 7 by Christmas. 

 

Can say that focusing on the food intake and more muscle building has had an accelerated difference on my shape than pure running.

[filbertway]

Now i'm aiming for certain fiber/protein per day I find it mad how I feel much less hungry than when I've dieted in the past.

 

23lb down since June. Considering the last month has included at least 1 all dayer on the beer I'm quite happy that I'm still able to lose as long as i'm disciplined on the other 6 days.

 

The main go to meals for lunch/dinner seem to be

Beans and tuna on toast

Chicken, mixed pepper and skinny BBQ sauce on a slice of bread in the dry fryer
Chicken, cucumber and lighter than light mayo sandwiches

(oh and a healthy dose of grated cheese into the mix, purely for protein purposes )

 

Increasing fiber/protein intake while calorie counting has been a game changer.

 

Had a few weeks off the gym as well due to work getting crazy so going to see what it's like if I go early doors. Could definitely help accelerate things if I walked to and from the gym rather than driving at lunch.

Edited 14 October 2023 by filbertway