I'm new on here and in all honesty i am new to the world of trying to loose weight. As a recent graduate i am carrying the leftovers of many cases of beer, takeaway meals and general student grub. I think my main concern is to improve my overall fitness (being able to run down the street without collapsing would be nice) and get rid of this keg of a beer belly.

I am working very hard shifts, 8 - 6 is about average and so finding the time or energy (ironically) to go the the gym is proving easier said than done.

Is there anything i can do at home, any diet tips and simple exercises i can do to get the ball rolling....

Any help or guidance would be appreciated. Sorry if i am repeating old news...

Tom

Hello Tom,

Welcome to this forum. I am no expert but I love to share my opinion.

The good news for you is that your body will respond eagerly and quickly to a better lifestyle because:
a. you are young (I could drop weight so easily up to my early thirties)
b. you are new to fitness (As your body adapts to exercise, it gets used to higher and more challenging levels of workout and it takes "more" to get results)

When I first started resistance training the results were so dramatic. So my first recomendation to you is to buy a few dumbbells and a good book on resistance training. (Or better yet get Jari Love's Home Workout DVDs - URL) Try to put in 3 sessions per week for about 30 to 60 minutes each. Here are some recommendations on books:
URL
URL
URL

You should also get some cardio. Even twice a week is better than none. You could do cardio for 30 to 60 minutes per session. Try walking, running or walk-run-walk-run-walk style training because it is easiest. All you need is to get outdoors and play your favorite music on your iPod or mp3 player for motivation. Another alternative is to swim on the weekends (Sat and Sun add up to 2 sessions per week).

There are two styles of cardio training you can try. The first is steady state training. Here you work to elevate your heart rate to the fat burning zone (i.e. you should feel like you are working but you should not be breathless - very simply) and keep it there for the entire duration of your workout. Think of it as moderate, sustained intensity. The other alternative is interval training. Here you alternate high intensity bursts or sprints with recovery intervals. The advantage is that you can do shorter workouts. Even 20 minutes of interval training counts. URL

You could also join the Cardio Coach Group here at traineo. Sean O is offering a free download of Volume 6 of his audio workout series. You could do them on any cardio machine that you have access to (cycle, treadmill, elliptical/whatever) or even use it to walk or run outdoors. Altough they are designed for a cardio machine a lot of people use them to walk/run outdoors. Words cannot do justice to just how awesome and motivating Sean O's workout programs are. URL

Finaly, eat smart. Cut back on sugar, cookies, soda, cake, dessert, fried foods, junk food. Eat fruits, veggies, non-fat dairy and healthy and nutritious meals.

All the best.

Vrinda is an expert. But, I am going to ask you to focus on eating healthy first. Why... you can exercise till the cows come home, but the weight will not drop if you don't clean up the eating. The reason it is essential to focus on this bit is because it is so motivating to push forward when the scales move in the right direction.. at least initially, it is a great motivator.

One component of eating healthy is to be mindful of the total number of calories going in. But like Vrinda said, at your age, weight loss is easier than when you get older. SO a combination oif exercise and right eating will get you there in no time.

Hi Tom-

Congrats for taking the first steps to becoming healther! Some of my recomendations are to set managable goals. For some people 30 min 3 times week is too much to begin with. I understand being too tired to go to the gym, but try twice a week for 20 minutes. Go for a brisk walk right after work (get in the door and put your running shoes on and then back out the door). The first few weeks are the worst, but your energy will increase. Also cut out high fat foods, and make sure to get some type of protein at every meal. It will keep you feeling full, less likely to snack on bad foods.

Vrinda is a wannabe-expert but Ooty is the Nicest! Thank you, CC Addict.

Thanks everyone so much.

I am not a health junkie and i think i would find it uncomfortable going in to one of these 'mr muscle' gyms where everyone in there are clearly just showing off (or so it seams). I am just wanting to get my self fit and healthy and to get my body into shape (probably better to start after xmas, but what the heck).

I think being a part of a community such as this may well be just what i am looking for. What a great resource!

Now, time to clear the crap from my cupboards i think....

Tom

I've found that setting aside the time is the first step. If it's daily or whatever, keep to that, and do something, even just sitting on a workout bench staring into space, that's the time you've set yourself for a workout. Even if its a walk around the block, the initial commitment, the minimum, is to have some sort of schedule, even if it's once a week that's a start.

Another good one, on days that you don't feel like it, commit to doing 15 minutes. If after 15 minutes you still don't feel like it then let it be okay to put on your street clothes. I've done this, when I'm feeling sick or didn't get enough to eat before going in. No shame. Go again next time to make it up or count it as a skip day, or count it as a workout. That's just me.

Personal workouts are an evolving and changing thing, which is how it should be.

Tom,

I'm with Leo (again, man, haha).

You need to schedule your workout. For me I'm up @ 5am at the gym by 5:30 done at 7am leave for work by 7:30...etc. I had to make it important.

I don't mean to be rude, but in fear of sounding that way, most people who I talk to on a daily basis that tell me that they "don't have time" to excercise are just making excuses. If you spend anymore than 30 minutes sitting while not at work. That's a jog, walk, pushups, situps, something, anything.

You say you would be uncomfortable going into the gyms with the big muscle men and women...get over it (there I go being rude again, sorry).

Some of those people(showing off) may have been just like you...I am 6'6" 230lbs. and now when I go to the gym, I probably get looked at like the mr. muscle (I'm definitely not, still 21% BF, but whatever). Some of those people may be body builders and make their living that way. Some of them are show offs and do it out of complete and utter vanity. But, don't let those people stop you from your goal.

Now, clearing the crap from your cupboards is definitely a good start.

Hi Tom,
I'm new as well: both to Traineo and to serious fitness. To me, serious fitness means exercising and watching my diet every day. I've realised that, if I want to lose weight and have more energy, this is the only way to go.

I'm a big multitasker and have lots of interests, so it's been a significant change for me to spend 1 hour every day exercising (and another 1/2 hour waking up and getting to the park). It's also very very hard to wake up at 5:30! But for the past 4 weeks or so, I've been doing it.

What I've learnt is that, if I'm tight on time, I should incorporate exercise into my daily life. When I drive to work, I should park as far away as possible. If I take public transport, I should try and incorporate a long walk. I should always use the stairs. If I go to the loo and no one's there, I should do a quick stretching exercise. I should be less like me and more like my 8-year old niece: she's always jumping off the steps or skipping down the road.

I say "should" because I'm still not there!

Exactly... somewhere along the way we forget the joy of movement and then reinvent it all over again. This is the truth.. hop, skip and run ... I , for one, jump in glee with my new found joy.

Congrats Suchi for making the change. You will get there.

Hi Tom,

Welcome to the site - i am quite new here too and have found some great advice from other members.

I totally agree with the advice about setting manageable and realistic goals and rewarding yourself when you achieve them. You also need to track your progress so when you are reaching a tough time you can look back at how much you have done so far.

I also keep a blog which keeps me focused on what I am trying to achieve - http://aminime.extrapounds.com/ - makes me feel more accountable.

I put on weight at uni too - seems to be part of the course but at least we are making the steps in the right direction!

Let us know how you get on.

Lou, Tom,

NYCinephile invited me to join his team at 43Things of people with common fitness goals. It is a bit like blogging but with a sense of community. It keeps me more accountable than any other technique I have tried. I enjoy keeping track of how the rest are faring.

The original 43T teams that NYC invited me to:
URL
URL

The new ones I adopted:
URL
URL

You will see quite a few familiar traineo faces there too.

Let me know if you want to join any of these and I can send you an invite.

WOW

What an amazing response. A lot of things here really do hit home, i know i just need to get off my ass and do it. A lot of the time i tell my self i don't have time etc but in reality i just need to include it in my daily routine...

The healthy food tips are especially helpful because these are shortcuts i can simply make when i do my weekly shopping. I always eat meals because i have the ingredients and if i can fill my cupboards with healthier stock i will loose the temptation to cut corners.

Now if only the Chineese Take-away 4 doors away would close down!!!

Thanks again everyone! Its great to be around people that ACTUALLY know what it's like....

Tom

Hello All, seems you all have a certain expertise.
My personal experience I started by parking the car further away and getting off one stop earlier, now i tend to walk to the train <2 miles> and get off 3 stops earlier. Also realized that getting up 1.5 hours earlier I have time to weight train at the gym.
I am a yo-yo dieter but this time seems I found my niche like Vrinda I am 39 and want to look 29 at my 40th!

Happy New year all !!!!