The middle-aged weight loss thread

[Poser]

Any threads around here for quitting/cutting back on the booze? I am off skiing in late march and plan to move drink until then, but my lifestyle is very booze unfortunately.

If you find one let me know. All I can taste this morning is last night's bottle of wine .

I think that can be discussed here. I very, very rarely drink now. Mainly for mental health reasons, but obviously it has physical health and financial benefits as well.

Thinking of getting one of those toning belt things which I hope will help when combined with proper exersice. Anyone got any experience of using something like that?

I'd tend to say it'll be a waste of money. I had one years ago when I was still sprinting. I was lean as strawberry float (<10% body fat) and exercising a lot, and it didn't make any tangible difference. As you say, if you're combining it with proper exercise, then any benefits are very likely to be as a result of the exercise, not the belt.

I'd personally spend the money on some really good technical running clothes that might enable you to go out more comfortably in worse conditions. I bought an Adidas running hoodie just after Xmas. It's warm but light, doesn't hold moisture, the hood stays up in the wind and it's got thumb holes so the sleeves don't ride up. I'd definitely say find a way to do the stuff you know works rather than spend it on something that I 100% guarantee will end up unused at the bottom of a cupboard.

Edit: this is the hoodie. It's great. £30.

https://www.adidas.co.uk/own-the-run-hoodie/DZ2332.html

Also: without treading on the fitness thread's toes, there is stuff you can do for abs/stomach that shouldn't hurt your neck. Variations of planks (there are loads), and different types of leg raises tend to be better for you all round than crunches. Probs best to do to a detailed request for help there, I reckon.

t:grfit--fitness--weightifting--martial-arts--join-the-club-or-do-it-next-week?f=7

[Rocsteady]

Any threads around here for quitting/cutting back on the booze? I am off skiing in late march and plan to move drink until then, but my lifestyle is very booze unfortunately.

Get a liver disease, works like a charm

[7256930752]

Seriously strawberry floated off with my belly at the moment. I don't snack, rarely have sweet stuff in the evenings (:datass:), drink water all day, have a couple of wraps and a yogurt for lunch, and I've STILL got a podgy belly back thanks to Christmas and the weather being so gooseberry fool that I can't ride my bike as much as I need to. I wish the weather would get better so I can go running and cycling again regularly. I have no tone to it which is most of the problem, and every time I try to do sit ups I end up hurting myself (no matter how many different methods I try out, I always get a sore neck). Thinking of getting one of those toning belt things which I hope will help when combined with proper exersice. Anyone got any experience of using something like that?

Don't waste your money. Being 'toned' is about muscle mass and body fat. Try calculating how many calories you're eating, just because you're eating what some say is healthy doesn't mean it's not full of calories.

It's a very simple process,. calculate the calories you eat each day and weigh yourself. Give it 2-3 weeks to get some reasonable information. If you're weight is going up or staying the same you need to reduce the calories to lose weight. As a reference the rough guide is you need to burn 3500 calories to burn 1 pound of fat which would be 500 calories per day if you're eating at 'maintenance' (weight isn't going up or down) to lose a pound a week.

[Rocsteady]

Don't do sit ups ad, or buy the belt. Neither are great for ab development, particularly the latter.

The best isolation ab exercise I've found, as poser mentions, are hanging leg raises. You need a very low bf% for them to shine through though. Front squats are great for stomach development too, if you can find a weight to hold in the correct position to do them (obv a gym is better for this but you can improvise).

[Red]

I've just started running. I have become soft and plump over Christmas and because my cycle commute (20 miles a day) has now ended and I've not replaced it. I'm 35 and it's defs harder to lose the weight these days. Also as I've started in a new place, making friends involves a lot of pub type activities.

I'm not a natural runner really but it feel good overall. I need to get fit for the digging season which starts in April and runs across summer. Then I'm getting married so it'd be nice to be my normal size for that too. The digging will help anyway but good to approach it in shape or it can be a killer. Need to do weight training etc for that too.

[Poser]

I'm not a natural runner really but it feel good overall. I need to get fit for the digging season which starts in April and runs across summer. Then I'm getting married so it'd be nice to be my normal size for that too. The digging will help anyway but good to approach it in shape or it can be a killer. Need to do weight training etc for that too.

What is digging, beyond the obvious?

[Victor Mildew]

Any threads around here for quitting/cutting back on the booze? I am off skiing in late march and plan to move drink until then, but my lifestyle is very booze unfortunately.

If you find one let me know. All I can taste this morning is last night's bottle of wine .

I think that can be discussed here. I very, very rarely drink now. Mainly for mental health reasons, but obviously it has physical health and financial benefits as well.

Thinking of getting one of those toning belt things which I hope will help when combined with proper exersice. Anyone got any experience of using something like that?

I'd tend to say it'll be a waste of money. I had one years ago when I was still sprinting. I was lean as strawberry float (<10% body fat) and exercising a lot, and it didn't make any tangible difference. As you say, if you're combining it with proper exercise, then any benefits are very likely to be as a result of the exercise, not the belt.

I'd personally spend the money on some really good technical running clothes that might enable you to go out more comfortably in worse conditions. I bought an Adidas running hoodie just after Xmas. It's warm but light, doesn't hold moisture, the hood stays up in the wind and it's got thumb holes so the sleeves don't ride up. I'd definitely say find a way to do the stuff you know works rather than spend it on something that I 100% guarantee will end up unused at the bottom of a cupboard.

Edit: this is the hoodie. It's great. £30.

https://www.adidas.co.uk/own-the-run-hoodie/DZ2332.html

Also: without treading on the fitness thread's toes, there is stuff you can do for abs/stomach that shouldn't hurt your neck. Variations of planks (there are loads), and different types of leg raises tend to be better for you all round than crunches. Probs best to do to a detailed request for help there, I reckon.

t:grfit--fitness--weightifting--martial-arts--join-the-club-or-do-it-next-week?f=7

I thought as much. Thank you.

[Red]

I always take this Viz pic to heart when thinking about how I've put on weight and how to lose it.

[Drumstick]

Because you lose all the water and glycogen. Seriously that is terrible advice and why you see low carb diets as the 'lose X in 6 weeks!' adverts.

While running will obviously help you lose weight, as Rocsteady said most would be far better off doing some resistance training as you have the double whammy of getting leaner and more muscle increases your metabolism (so you can eat more). My advice would always be some kind of calorie counting to lose weight as you can adjust your diet to eat the things you want so it becomes less of a chore and something you will actually stick with.

I really hope I'm not coming across as a bit of a twat here but I'd be happy to help out if anyone needs a bit of help.

You're not. My goal was to simply lose weight, I was not concerned about fitness because I simply do not have the time, or, if I'm completely honest, the necessity or drive.

[Green Gecko]

I sometimes worry about the terrors of "fat inside" but apart from that I'm happy with my weight. I'm almost 31 and have been underweight in the past, I'm about 5 foot 10 or 11 and have hovered around 10 to 10.5 stone depending on the time of day for what must be about 10 years. I am getting a bit of a paunch though. My gut bloats whenever I eat a normal meal which doesn't help and I try to maintain my posture which is also a contributing factor to appearance (lie down and it doesn't really bother me at all).

We are going to go swimming more and I can probably borrow a bike from time to time. I don't really enjoy intense "workout" type excercise because my aches from depression can make even basic movements miserable but don't mind some longer cardio type exercise like going to and fro some somewhere or gently repeating some things. So to reduce that bit you can grab ie a small belly, maybe just losing a few pounds would help what would anyone recommend?

My diet is very low meat now and no pastries or bread at all because I'm coealiac. If I do its riceflour. I enjoy some low fat Greek style yoghurt (three heaped tablespoons) for desert some days and some seeds or couple of chocolate peanuts or honey flakes in that I.e. A muller corner and for lunch it's corn, oats or rice with hummus and vegetables. My diet is like 70% rice and corn and oats. I drink tea with a squirt of honey maybe 7 times a day. No direct caster sugar intake and pretty much zero chocolate bars or crisps or other junk food, only max one healthy snack per day. Dinner is basically variations on rice, beans, cottage pie, rice pasta, noodles etc. Vegetarian style "meats". I'll have bacon or actual meat like 5 times a month max or eggs. Occasionally fish. If we eat something like lean mince well splice it 50% with lentils.

[Barnsy!]

So does anyone know how affective the cross trainer is vs treadmill for keeping weight down / burning fat? My ankles and knees are hurting quite a bit so taking a break from pounding my feet on the treadmill - just wondered how 5 miles on a cross trainer on a higher resistance compares to running 5 miles on a treadmill (I enjoy both and I also know running on the treadmill isn't as effective as street running).

Also in really simple terms do unsalted cashews (and unsalted nuts in general) make you fat. Theres a lot of conflicting info and think I have quite a lot of confirmation bias when looking on the net - theres a lot of stuff about high calories and fat (but good fat?, high protein?) - I'm basically vegan and nuts are my favourite food but wondering if i need to cut them out of my diet?

[Green Gecko]

Did 300 metres in the pool last Sunday which wasn't that hard. I was expecting to pass out after 3 or 4 lengths. Going back on the weekend.

Put anything I lost back on eating cake and nachos but more doing it for cardio really as I never leave the house (work from home).

[Green Gecko]

Also in really simple terms do unsalted cashews (and unsalted nuts in general) make you fat. Theres a lot of conflicting info and think I have quite a lot of confirmation bias when looking on the net - theres a lot of stuff about high calories and fat (but good fat?, high protein?) - I'm basically vegan and nuts are my favourite food but wondering if i need to cut them out of my diet?

It's about what kind of fatty acid it is, saturated fat you need some of but indulging is bad.

A lot of the fat in peanuts is other fats as well such as monounsaturated fats which don't contribute like saturated fat does to risk of heart disease and weight gain. Things like peanuts can be beneficial because they are high in niacin (vitamin B) for better and more consistent energy release form your foods and contribute to your fibre intake if you keep the skins.

Cashews are quite sweet compared to other nuts as far as I know so they may include a little more natural sugar just like fruit. I think if you treat nuts like a snack or treat at best then it's OK. But if you are eating nuts all day like at least one large packet per day, that might be about the most you want to eat and over time yes those calories and fatty acids (of what there is) will add up.

It's not as bad other snacks like crisps but if you are constantly eating them it might be about as bad as one or tow packets of crisps per day. Yet there are other health benefits to eating nuts. So just try not to gorge on them.

Never have salted peanuts. In fact I'd say don't add salt to anything at all unless it's just seasoning (like 1 teaspoon). Also sea salt is much better than table salt. Throw away table salt, it's junk.

I like nuts and I am objectively not fat. I think it's just one of those things you need to manage like relatively healthy chocolate (dark chocolate, 70% cocoa, low in vegetable oil, added sugar and milk).

I think in terms of healthy nuts, walnuts might be on the better end of the spectrum.

Walnuts are also richer than most other nuts in polyunsaturated fats. The most abundant one is an omega-6 fatty acid called linoleic acid.

They also contain other minerals and vitamins.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fo ... d-minerals

If you did cut them out, you'd probably want to replace them with a multivitamin but while they are high calorie and fat foods it's not like eating butter or hard cheese or something like that which is literally mostly all pure animal fat.

About a handful of nuts per day seems to be a healthy amount, like 1-3 squares of dark chocolate as a desert or treat, and they have many other benefits including anti-oxidants and nutrients for your brain and other organs. That's why seed, nut and fruit mixes are popular as they basically fill all the gaps in people's diets from other comfort foods that may fill you up but aren't especially nutritious.

The high protein content is also probably beneficial on your vegan diet alongside protein rich foods like soy and other things. There's a lot more info out there these days about protein rich meat-free diets but if you eat loads of nuts you're probably getting most of your protein from that so I wouldn't cut them out if you enjoy them.

[Squinty]

Gonna have to start exercising. Had one of those awakening moments where I realised that my metabolism is really slowing down.

Had a funeral recently and I had to buy new clothes for it, I couldn't get into any of the other shirts and pairs of trouser I have.

It's weird though, I'm getting a lot of compliments on how I'm looking even though I have piled the weight on. Might just try and tone up a bit.

[Rocsteady]

Gonna have to start exercising. Had one of those awakening moments where I realised that my metabolism is really slowing down.

Had a funeral recently and I had to buy new clothes for it, I couldn't get into any of the other shirts and pairs of trouser I have.

It's weird though, I'm getting a lot of compliments on how I'm looking even though I have piled the weight on. Might just try and tone up a bit.

Were you really skinny before?

Nuts are healthy but don't overdo them, they're massively high in calories. I use them as part of my bulking diet.

[Squinty]

Gonna have to start exercising. Had one of those awakening moments where I realised that my metabolism is really slowing down.

Had a funeral recently and I had to buy new clothes for it, I couldn't get into any of the other shirts and pairs of trouser I have.

It's weird though, I'm getting a lot of compliments on how I'm looking even though I have piled the weight on. Might just try and tone up a bit.

Were you really skinny before?

Nuts are healthy but don't overdo them, they're massively high in calories. I use them as part of my bulking diet.

Yeah, I was pretty skinny up until I turned 30. I probably had room for a bit of weight gain.

[Saint of Killers]

By complete luck I found out a couple of days ago that there's no real difference between fasted and non-fasted workouts. Thank glob I learned that because fasted workouts made me feel like death for the rest of the day. Death and hungry af! However, I only realised how much of a negative effect they were having on me after I went back to working out after eating.

The luck in question:



If you're wary of clicking the vid: he is NOT a gym bro. He comes at it from a sports science background while ripping piss out of gym bros who're only interested in selling you gooseberry fool you don't need.

[7256930752]

By complete luck I found out a couple of days ago that there's no real difference between fasted and non-fasted workouts. Thank glob I learned that because fasted workouts made me feel like death for the rest of the day. Death and hungry af! However, I only realised how much of a negative effect they were having on me after I went back to working out after eating.

The luck in question:


If you're wary of clicking the vid: he is NOT a gym bro. He comes at it from a sports science background while ripping piss out of gym bros who're only interested in selling you gooseberry fool you don't need.

To further clarify every method of dieting works if you are in a calorie deficit. Some people really like fasting as it means they can have one massive meal when they like. The only slight anomaly is keto or low carb as it will cause additional weight loss through reducing glycogen that you will put back on if you eat carbs again (glycogen only, you'll keep the weight you've lost through the calorie deficit).

[Barnsy!]

Cheers for nutty words of wisdom guys. Does anyone have much experience with cross trainers and can speak for their effectiveness? Thank

So does anyone know how affective the cross trainer is vs treadmill for keeping weight down / burning fat? My ankles and knees are hurting quite a bit so taking a break from pounding my feet on the treadmill - just wondered how 5 miles on a cross trainer on a higher resistance compares to running 5 miles on a treadmill (I enjoy both and I also know running on the treadmill isn't as effective as street running).

[RichardUK]

So does anyone know how affective the cross trainer is vs treadmill for keeping weight down / burning fat? My ankles and knees are hurting quite a bit so taking a break from pounding my feet on the treadmill - just wondered how 5 miles on a cross trainer on a higher resistance compares to running 5 miles on a treadmill (I enjoy both and I also know running on the treadmill isn't as effective as street running).

Also in really simple terms do unsalted cashews (and unsalted nuts in general) make you fat. Theres a lot of conflicting info and think I have quite a lot of confirmation bias when looking on the net - theres a lot of stuff about high calories and fat (but good fat?, high protein?) - I'm basically vegan and nuts are my favourite food but wondering if i need to cut them out of my diet?

I have a treadmill and I find that I get better results from a exercise bike, I think it’s mainly because I am able to go for longer and find it easier on a exercise bike rather than trying to run for any long period of time on a treadmill