Help me lose weight please fitness guru types.

[Will]

Can't agree more with MB. A good weights session mixed in with some steady state (SS) cardio and HIIT works wonders. By building muscle you increase you MBR (metabolic rate) and just by sitting still you burn more calories. Don'/t worry you won't become a beefcake by doing a simple weights routine - I wish it were that easy!! lol!

[Stan_Lite]

Becoming a beefcake would be a pleasant side effect lol.

Really, I'm looking for the most effective way to shed the excess weight and to increase my fitness level. I've been pretty much sedentary for most of the last 20 years and I need to change my lifestyle to include healthy eating and enough exercise to boost my energy levels - being fat doesn't half make you lethargic and it's not easy breaking out of that vicious circle.

I've never been a big fan of lifting weights but if it's going to help, I'm game to have a bash - at least until I've lost the weight and then I can review the situation if I still don't enjoy it.
There are a few free weights in the gym on the rig - including: some dumbbells of various weights, a standard bar, a curl bar and a bench with leg developer and a barbell catcher thingy. I won't be able to do any exercises which require a spotter while on the rig as the gym is rarely used and I can't really ask anybody to give up what little spare time they have to watch me lift weights.
To be honest, I'm not that keen to start faffing about with weights until I get back and join the gym and get some tuition and advice - it's one thing doing a bit of cardio work but lifting weights is potentially dangerous and I'm a bit concerned in case I do myself some damage. If anybody can suggest some relatively safe exercises to see me through the next 3 weeks or so until I get back, that would be splendid.

Thanks for all the help so far

[Matblack]

20 minutes a day of HIIT and moving to complex carbs will get your cardio fitness up to a point where you'll be able to cope with some weight traning when you get back.

MB

[Stan_Lite]

Originally Posted by Matblack

20 minutes a day of HIIT and moving to complex carbs will get your cardio fitness up to a point where you'll be able to cope with some weight traning when you get back.

MB

OK. I had a bit of a Google and the consensus seems to be that for the most effective workout, I should be taking around 50-60% of my calories in the form of complex carbs (e.g. Wholegrain cereal, tatties, rice, pasta, pulses etc). I think my current diet can't be far off that - I'm not eating a lot of meat at the moment.

All I need to do now is a bit of research into HIIT, get myself a plan and get on with it - easy

When I get back home, I'll join up at the gym Kelly is a member of down the road and get some advice on weights and get them to give me some personal advice on a diet and exercise plan (I'm assuming most gyms will give free advice once you've signed up).

[Stan_Lite]

Hmmmm. Been looking into HIIT and it reminds me a bit of an exercise we used to do in football training when I was a lad where we would start on one touchline, jog half the width of the pitch and then sprint as fast as we could to the other touchline, turn around and repeat - several times.

Not sure I'm going to be able to do it on the rig. The only two things in the gym are a treadmill and a rowing machine. It would be almost impossible on the treadmill and the rowing machine doesn't seem to be working properly - I couldn't get it to go any great speed - even at the highest resistance. I don't think I'm going to be able to get either of them to max me out for the short bursts required for HIIT

[Admiral Huddy]

Try and avoid eating empty calories such as sweet stuff like cake!!!, crisps, seweets, chocs and bread.

Subsitute white bread with whole grain but 2 slices a day max.

Rice cakes and bagels make a good snack, Watch the butter though.. replace with low fat spread. I have a bagel with sliced banana just before training.. No butter or spread.

Avoid picking between meals.

Work hard in gym - stick to core strengh exercises, keeping form over weight

[Matblack]

Originally Posted by Bigstan

OK. I had a bit of a Google and the consensus seems to be that for the most effective workout, I should be taking around 50-60% of my calories in the form of complex carbs (e.g. Wholegrain cereal, tatties, rice, pasta, pulses etc). I think my current diet can't be far off that - I'm not eating a lot of meat at the moment.

All I need to do now is a bit of research into HIIT, get myself a plan and get on with it - easy

When I get back home, I'll join up at the gym Kelly is a member of down the road and get some advice on weights and get them to give me some personal advice on a diet and exercise plan (I'm assuming most gyms will give free advice once you've signed up).

I was never impressed with the exercise plans I was given by gym 'coaches' and prefering to use free weights whilst they were advocating machines I discarded them pretty quick.

Nutrition wise doon't over complicate things, I never counted calories when I lost 6 stone, I ate healthly and followed a very very simple rule with regard to food; each meal eat complex carbs, a portion size approximately the volume of your closed fist and a protein portion approximately they size of your palm and as many veggies as you like. Easy!

MB

[Stan_Lite]

Originally Posted by Admiral Huddy

Try and avoid eating empty calories such as sweet stuff like cake!!!, crisps, seweets, chocs and bread.

Subsitute white bread with whole grain but 2 slices a day max.

Rice cakes and bagels make a good snack, Watch the butter though.. replace with low fat spread. I have a bagel with sliced banana just before training.. No butter or spread.

I pretty much follow that when I at home and it's all good sound advice, I'm sure - but almost impossible to stick to on the rig. I'm restricted to what is available out here - I can hardly nip to the shop for brown bread and bagels
I don't eat a lot of sweet stuff anyway and I love rice cakes. And about the cake. It's only one tiny bit once a day - about 50 calories worth and it's my little treat - meany

Originally Posted by Admiral Huddy

Work hard in gym - stick to core strengh exercises, keeping form over weight

Can you explain what you mean by "core strength exercises" please, I'm still a noob at this

[Stan_Lite]

Originally Posted by Matblack

I was never impressed with the exercise plans I was given by gym 'coaches' and prefering to use free weights whilst they were advocating machines I discarded them pretty quick.

Well, I'm the customer and I need to learn how to use what's available to me on the rig and that's free weights. If they won't help me in the way I want, I'll try somewhere else until I find somewhere that is willing to work with me.

Originally Posted by Matblack

Nutrition wise doon't over complicate things, I never counted calories when I lost 6 stone, I ate healthly and followed a very very simple rule with regard to food; each meal eat complex carbs, a portion size approximately the volume of your closed fist and a protein portion approximately they size of your palm and as many veggies as you like. Easy!

MB

Now that's the kind of stuff I need - easy to follow guidelines, no complicated stuff. Basically, big lump of tatties/rice/pasta etc and a small steak/chicken portion etc. and some veggies. That's a massive help Matt, thank you

[Matblack]

Originally Posted by Bigstan

Well, I'm the customer and I need to learn how to use what's available to me on the rig and that's free weights. If they won't help me in the way I want, I'll try somewhere else until I find somewhere that is willing to work with me.



Now that's the kind of stuff I need - easy to follow guidelines, no complicated stuff. Basically, big lump of tatties/rice/pasta etc and a small steak/chicken portion etc. and some veggies. That's a massive help Matt, thank you

Seriously Stan look at the body for life website and spend £10 on the book, yes it talks about using EAS supplements but even if you ignore that and the over the top stuff the program does work, you've probably seen the photos of what I acomplished if not I'll add them later, although they make me a bit sad that I had it and lost it

MB