Weight Loss / Training Diary
Discussion
For the second time in my life I have reached a point where I feel like I'm too fat. I'm currently 23, 5'10" and I think about 14 stone 13 pounds. This happened about 2 and a half years ago also and I managed to shift about 2 stone by eating better and a lot of running.
Fast forward to now and whilst doing my masters degree the weight has crept back on.
I'm aiming to get down to about 12 stone eventually but would also like to get some good running times, ultimately a 20 min 5k and 45min 10k would be brilliant, the closest I have come before was 50 min 10k but I've been marathon training for the last 2 years so didn't concentrate at all on short distances.
I'm planning to use this as a bit of a training / dietary diary and will also be adding photos to show how I'm getting on so any advice is very welcome.
I've registered for the 5km parkrun so will be starting to do that weekly from this saturday, hopefully the weekly competition will keep my motivation up, will aim for a 30 min 5k to begin with. That should be acheivable.
So To start:
14 Stone 13 Pounds
And here's the gruesome pictures!
As for food, Monday consisted of
Breakfast:
- Peanut butter and jam sandwich, white bread
Morning Snack:
- 2x Oranges
Lunch:
- Chicken and vegetable with rice
Late Snack:
- 1x Orange
Dinner:
- Mushroom stroganoff, new potatoes and 2 slices of ham
Fast forward to now and whilst doing my masters degree the weight has crept back on.
I'm aiming to get down to about 12 stone eventually but would also like to get some good running times, ultimately a 20 min 5k and 45min 10k would be brilliant, the closest I have come before was 50 min 10k but I've been marathon training for the last 2 years so didn't concentrate at all on short distances.
I'm planning to use this as a bit of a training / dietary diary and will also be adding photos to show how I'm getting on so any advice is very welcome.
I've registered for the 5km parkrun so will be starting to do that weekly from this saturday, hopefully the weekly competition will keep my motivation up, will aim for a 30 min 5k to begin with. That should be acheivable.
So To start:
14 Stone 13 Pounds
And here's the gruesome pictures!
As for food, Monday consisted of
Breakfast:
- Peanut butter and jam sandwich, white bread
Morning Snack:
- 2x Oranges
Lunch:
- Chicken and vegetable with rice
Late Snack:
- 1x Orange
Dinner:
- Mushroom stroganoff, new potatoes and 2 slices of ham
Hi K87! I love seeing stuff like this so I'm going to be watching this thread!
Can I say your diet on Monday was not good?
Also I don't want to run riot on your thread so feel free to tell me to get lost if I say something you don't agree with, I've just got an enthusiasm for training and helping folk in any way I can train!
Good luck and keep updating this often so we can see how you're doing!
Lee
Can I say your diet on Monday was not good?
Also I don't want to run riot on your thread so feel free to tell me to get lost if I say something you don't agree with, I've just got an enthusiasm for training and helping folk in any way I can train!
Good luck and keep updating this often so we can see how you're doing!
Lee
Good Luck K87!
I am same height/age and I was around 14st 5lb at the start of the month. I am now 13st 12lb and feel like the weight is falling off me. I have changed my diet (low-carb, high fat/protein) and finding it really easy to stick too. Not doing any more cardio than I used to do.
I am hoping to get down to about 12st7lb by the end of July - should be doable at current rate.
I am same height/age and I was around 14st 5lb at the start of the month. I am now 13st 12lb and feel like the weight is falling off me. I have changed my diet (low-carb, high fat/protein) and finding it really easy to stick too. Not doing any more cardio than I used to do.
I am hoping to get down to about 12st7lb by the end of July - should be doable at current rate.
young_bairn said:
Do you have an ipod touch, iphone android thingy that connects to the web? If so I suggest downloading the calorie counter app by my fitness I think. It's great for keeping tabs on your eating and execising and will even show you projected weight goals.
Excellent suggestion, it's a brilliant app. Best of luck with shedding the pounds chap, suffice to say you've considerably less than me to lose
Ordinary_Chap said:
Hi K87! I love seeing stuff like this so I'm going to be watching this thread!
Can I say your diet on Monday was not good?
Also I don't want to run riot on your thread so feel free to tell me to get lost if I say something you don't agree with, I've just got an enthusiasm for training and helping folk in any way I can train!
Good luck and keep updating this often so we can see how you're doing!
Lee
Thanks for the support Lee, with regards to the diet any advice would be great... this is where I struggle the most and so should be able to see the best improvements. My trouble is though that I eat a lot of carbs, most meals will be potato, pasta, rice or bread based, this just seems to be the foods I enjoy most! Can I say your diet on Monday was not good?
Also I don't want to run riot on your thread so feel free to tell me to get lost if I say something you don't agree with, I've just got an enthusiasm for training and helping folk in any way I can train!
Good luck and keep updating this often so we can see how you're doing!
Lee
What in particular was not good about monday?
Thanks everyone else. For the time being I will mostly be doing cardio but can start doing weights if necessary.
I've just started restoring my mountain bike so that should hopefully become a good part of the training in the future.
Also... how do I quote multiple posts in one reply?
I do have an Ipod so will get hold of that app.
Tuesdays diet was not so good....
Breakfast:
- 2X small scrambled egg rolls
- Diet Coke
Lunch:
- Vegetarian curry and new potatoes cooked with a bit of onion and cheese
Dinner:
- 2x small chicken fillets, and small portion of curly fries.
- Muller Rice, and small cupcake.
Going to go for a run this morning to make up for it.
Tuesdays diet was not so good....
Breakfast:
- 2X small scrambled egg rolls
- Diet Coke
Lunch:
- Vegetarian curry and new potatoes cooked with a bit of onion and cheese
Dinner:
- 2x small chicken fillets, and small portion of curly fries.
- Muller Rice, and small cupcake.
Going to go for a run this morning to make up for it.
My thoughts;
85% of the end result is diet so having a good diet is the real key to results not mountains of cardio, cardio won't overcome a poor diet generally.
I've said it many times before but learning about the principles of weight loss and how the body works is key. I can't recommend Lyle McDonald's work enough. He trains many A list celebrities and other sports stars.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/
Ultimate Diet 2.0 is the book I'd recommend reading! If you want to check it out before buying it a quickly google for the book name + pdf in the search will show you many download links.
My stance on a high carb intake is an absolute no-no (I lose weight quickly on a low/zero approach, actually 1 1/2 stone in the past 6 weeks), however there are different schools of thought on this and I'm not going to insist my preferred school of thought is the only one in existence. Although this approach is the one that is generally the most accepted in the bodybuilding circles.
I'd also strongly recommend weight lifting as a effective form of weight loss and creating a body that will look good at the end of the period.
So with cardio you may burn 500 calories in an hour and then the body will return to its normal mode about an hour after exercise dependent on a few different things. Weight lifting will cause you to burn about 350-400 calories in the same hour, however you're body will spend around the next 3 days burning many more calories in rebuilding damaged muscle and then on top of that lean muscle will cause you to burn far more calories just existing as muscle is expensive in energy terms.
So in short, weight lifting + some cardio will cause a big change on the body.
If you've got the time Ken 'Skip' Hill who is a legend in the bodybuilding world produced a series of videos explaining everything to do with training as a way of putting something back into the community who have given him a great lifestyle.
http://www.teamskip.net/longevitydvd/
85% of the end result is diet so having a good diet is the real key to results not mountains of cardio, cardio won't overcome a poor diet generally.
I've said it many times before but learning about the principles of weight loss and how the body works is key. I can't recommend Lyle McDonald's work enough. He trains many A list celebrities and other sports stars.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/
Ultimate Diet 2.0 is the book I'd recommend reading! If you want to check it out before buying it a quickly google for the book name + pdf in the search will show you many download links.
My stance on a high carb intake is an absolute no-no (I lose weight quickly on a low/zero approach, actually 1 1/2 stone in the past 6 weeks), however there are different schools of thought on this and I'm not going to insist my preferred school of thought is the only one in existence. Although this approach is the one that is generally the most accepted in the bodybuilding circles.
I'd also strongly recommend weight lifting as a effective form of weight loss and creating a body that will look good at the end of the period.
So with cardio you may burn 500 calories in an hour and then the body will return to its normal mode about an hour after exercise dependent on a few different things. Weight lifting will cause you to burn about 350-400 calories in the same hour, however you're body will spend around the next 3 days burning many more calories in rebuilding damaged muscle and then on top of that lean muscle will cause you to burn far more calories just existing as muscle is expensive in energy terms.
So in short, weight lifting + some cardio will cause a big change on the body.
If you've got the time Ken 'Skip' Hill who is a legend in the bodybuilding world produced a series of videos explaining everything to do with training as a way of putting something back into the community who have given him a great lifestyle.
http://www.teamskip.net/longevitydvd/
K87 said:
It isn't a diet I'm following, I was just keeping track of what I'm eating, hopefully so people can give me useful advice not just tell me how bad it is.
What particular parts of it are so horrific?
Eating healthy is mostly common sense. Here are a few random thoughts:What particular parts of it are so horrific?
1. Try to eat foods in their natural state where possible, and avoid highly processed foods (e.g. ready meals) as they're usually full of added salt, sugar and/or additives.
2. Swap white for brown whenever you can e.g. swap white bread for brown bread, white pasta for wholemeal pasta etc... Brown/wholemeal/wholewheat contains more fibre and will fill you up more.
3. Ditch the unhealthy snacks (crisps, chocolate, sweets...) and replace with healthy options e.g. nuts, seeds, raisins, fruit... It goes without saying, but avoid salted/roasted/chocolate covered nuts, and raisins coated in vegetable oil. Natural is best!
4. Eat as much fruit and veg as you want. Try things you haven't tried before, and go for the full rainbow of colours. Keep loads of tins of fruit in the larder; it lasts for ages. Just make sure it's canned in its natural juice, not syrup.
5. Drink loads of water; aim for 2-3 litres a day.
6. Choose low-fat dairy instead of full fat. Go for semi-skimmed milk instead of whole milk for example.
7. Eat lean meat and oily fish. Remove visible fat from meat.
8. Have a grill-up instead of a fry-up.
9. Allow yourself a treat every now and then.
10. Try to cut back on alcohol. It's full of calories and sugar.
11. Eggs are good. Don't worry about the cholesterol.
12. Oats are good. A big bowl of porage oats at breakfast will set you up for the day.
13. Olive oil is good. As are all monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs).
14. Keep your fridge, freezer and larder stocked only with the good stuff. You can't be tempted by crisps or chocolate if you don't have any in the house.
15. Eat five or six smaller meals, instead of the usual three big meals. Spread your calories out over the day. I try not to go more than three hours without eating something, even if it's only an apple or a hand full of nuts.
Like I said, just a few random thoughts.
Edited by toddler on Wednesday 25th May 22:33
K87 said:
As for food, Monday consisted of
Breakfast:
- Peanut butter and jam sandwich, white bread
Morning Snack:
- 2x Oranges
Lunch:
- Chicken and vegetable with rice
Late Snack:
- 1x Orange
Dinner:
- Mushroom stroganoff, new potatoes and 2 slices of ham
Peanut butter is good if you buy a natural one that's not packed with palm oil and sugar. Myprotein.com do a great one. Ditch the sugary jam, and swap white bread for brown.Breakfast:
- Peanut butter and jam sandwich, white bread
Morning Snack:
- 2x Oranges
Lunch:
- Chicken and vegetable with rice
Late Snack:
- 1x Orange
Dinner:
- Mushroom stroganoff, new potatoes and 2 slices of ham
Try to vary the fruit instead of just having oranges.
Lunch sounds good depending on how it's cooked. Grilled lean chicken with steamed veg and brown rice would be spot on.
Mushrooms are a great source of protein, but stroganoff is loaded with fattening cream. New potatoes are okay; leave the skins on for extra fibre. Try sweet potatoes instead of normal potatoes - they have lower GI. The ham's okay if it's good quality i.e. not reformed, loaded with salt or preservatives. If it came from the deli counter instead of a packet, it's probably okay.
K87 said:
I do have an Ipod so will get hold of that app.
Tuesdays diet was not so good....
Breakfast:
- 2X small scrambled egg rolls
- Diet Coke
Lunch:
- Vegetarian curry and new potatoes cooked with a bit of onion and cheese
Dinner:
- 2x small chicken fillets, and small portion of curly fries.
- Muller Rice, and small cupcake.
Going to go for a run this morning to make up for it.
Scrambled egg is a great breakfast. Make with semi-skimmed milk and the minimum of fat. Have it on brown toast or roll instead of white.Tuesdays diet was not so good....
Breakfast:
- 2X small scrambled egg rolls
- Diet Coke
Lunch:
- Vegetarian curry and new potatoes cooked with a bit of onion and cheese
Dinner:
- 2x small chicken fillets, and small portion of curly fries.
- Muller Rice, and small cupcake.
Going to go for a run this morning to make up for it.
Ditch the diet coke and have a glass of fruit juice instead.
Vegetarian curry sounds good if it's not out of a packet or tin. Leave the skin on the potatoes for extra fibre. Cheese is okay but it's easy to overdo it - a portion of cheese is the size of a match box.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but dinner sounds like it came straight from the freezer. Try to avoid processed foods where possible. Buy some quality chicken breasts and grill or oven bake. Replace the curly fries with home made potato wedges or sweet potato chips. It takes a little longer but tastes so much better.
Muller rice and cup cake sounds like a sugar/saccharin overload. Swap for a fruit salad - preferably fresh but tinned in natural juice is okay for quickness - with low-fat yogurt.
toddler said:
Ditch the diet coke and have a glass of fruit juice instead.
Actually if the main requirement is to lose weight I would be careful with fruit juice - it may be better for you than diet coke, but its loaded with sugar, drink low sugar squashes / ribena etc instead.Also be careful with the amounts of any oil thats used in cooking or salads - 1 tablespoon of olive oil is 120 calories, and curries are often cooked in lots of either ghee or vegetable oil
There is a difference between a general "good" diet, and a diet more focussed on calorie reduction - you will find that you can easily lose a lot of the calories from your diet by monitoring everything you eat (apps etc make this pretty easy nowadays)
Also be careful with portion size - at the start weigh things like cerials, nuts etc and be aware of what 125ml of juice / milk actually looks like. Once you know the weight / calories of your normal portion there is no need to keep on weighing every meal
Ordinary_Chap said:
I'd also strongly recommend weight lifting as a effective form of weight loss and creating a body that will look good at the end of the period.
....
So in short, weight lifting + some cardio will cause a big change on the body.
http://www.teamskip.net/longevitydvd/
You're my new favourite poster! I HATE cardio. It's awful and makes me feel like death, a mile and a half on a treadmill and I honestly think my lungs are going to pack up. This is despite trying to build up my endurance over many weeks. The really bizarre thing is that my resting pulse is very low and I have reasonable lung capacity, yet I still need Ventolin to feel comfortable on the treadmill ....
So in short, weight lifting + some cardio will cause a big change on the body.
http://www.teamskip.net/longevitydvd/
Weights on the other hand, good.
Nice aches afterwards, and they pump your arms up instantly. 
I'm aiming to lose a little weight myself so will be watching this thread with interest. I just bought a low GI breakfast cereal for tomorrow which seems to be mainly oats, I'm hoping it helps me get through to lunchtime!
Blue Oval84 said:
Ordinary_Chap said:
I'd also strongly recommend weight lifting as a effective form of weight loss and creating a body that will look good at the end of the period.
....
So in short, weight lifting + some cardio will cause a big change on the body.
http://www.teamskip.net/longevitydvd/
You're my new favourite poster! I HATE cardio. It's awful and makes me feel like death, a mile and a half on a treadmill and I honestly think my lungs are going to pack up. This is despite trying to build up my endurance over many weeks. The really bizarre thing is that my resting pulse is very low and I have reasonable lung capacity, yet I still need Ventolin to feel comfortable on the treadmill ....
So in short, weight lifting + some cardio will cause a big change on the body.
http://www.teamskip.net/longevitydvd/
Weights on the other hand, good.
Nice aches afterwards, and they pump your arms up instantly. I'm aiming to lose a little weight myself so will be watching this thread with interest. I just bought a low GI breakfast cereal for tomorrow which seems to be mainly oats, I'm hoping it helps me get through to lunchtime!
And my thread is here; http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Burrow01 said:
toddler said:
Ditch the diet coke and have a glass of fruit juice instead.
Actually if the main requirement is to lose weight I would be careful with fruit juice - it may be better for you than diet coke, but its loaded with sugar, drink low sugar squashes / ribena etc instead.Recent research suggests that artificially sweetened drinks like diet coke and low-sugar squashes actually make you hungry. After the sweet taste your body expects a sugar hit. When it doesn't get it, your body starts craving food. I can't find a link to the article right now but I'll keep looking; I can't recall where I read it.
Burrow01 said:
There is a difference between a general "good" diet, and a diet more focussed on calorie reduction - you will find that you can easily lose a lot of the calories from your diet by monitoring everything you eat (apps etc make this pretty easy nowadays)
Good point as the OP is trying to lose weight. If calories burned > calories consumed you will lose weight. Just try to get as much of your daily calorie budget from good quality foods rich in essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc...) as you can.Burrow01 said:
Also be careful with portion size - at the start weigh things like cerials, nuts etc and be aware of what 125ml of juice / milk actually looks like. Once you know the weight / calories of your normal portion there is no need to keep on weighing every meal
More good advice All good advice chaps thanks.
Yesterday started off reasonably well but due to being my girlfriends and I's anniversary it didnt finish too well.....
Wednesday:
Breakfast:
- Peanut butter and jam sandwich on brown bread... I know these aren't the best thing I can have for breakfast but I was planning on doing some cardio and have always found this a good start for that, I guess I need some experimenting now.
- Small glass apple juice
Lunch:
- Ham and tomato salad with a splash of balsamic vinegar
- Small glass apple juice
Afternoon Snack:
- Small handful of pistachio nuts
Dinner:
- Wagamammas Chicken Katsu curry
- Chocolate fudge cake
On the plus side I did get out for a run. Decided to finally give my Vibram five fingers a go! Managed a slow 3.3km which from my research seems to be quite good for a first attempt. And judging by the muscle soreness in my legs now I think I must have been finally running properly on my toes!
Yesterday started off reasonably well but due to being my girlfriends and I's anniversary it didnt finish too well.....
Wednesday:
Breakfast:
- Peanut butter and jam sandwich on brown bread... I know these aren't the best thing I can have for breakfast but I was planning on doing some cardio and have always found this a good start for that, I guess I need some experimenting now.
- Small glass apple juice
Lunch:
- Ham and tomato salad with a splash of balsamic vinegar
- Small glass apple juice
Afternoon Snack:
- Small handful of pistachio nuts
Dinner:
- Wagamammas Chicken Katsu curry
- Chocolate fudge cake
On the plus side I did get out for a run. Decided to finally give my Vibram five fingers a go! Managed a slow 3.3km which from my research seems to be quite good for a first attempt. And judging by the muscle soreness in my legs now I think I must have been finally running properly on my toes!
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