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whimsicalspirit

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Alright, I think it's high time that I do something about my health. So here's what's going on: A few weeks ago me and my parents ate out more than usual. I was fine with it at first, but I noticed that all this time I tried to to keep my weight in check, I went from 183 pounds to 190 pounds.

I haven't focused on losing weight for a few years since graduating from grade school in 2013, but my weight has been on my mind since it happened. I've been reluctant to ask anyone for help up until this point.

I want to start off by saying that I'm not looking for some life hack or a quick solution. In this case, I have absolutely no belief in such a thing, and I feel like I'm patient and ready to start improving my health now that my mind's at a better place. That said, I'd like you guy's input on starting out because my college opened up a gym that's free for students this year and I want to make good use of it.

Oh and one last thing, no fad diets, or diets in general. I don't believe in that stuff anymore. I'm looking for a long term solution for a better, healthy lifestyle.

Thanks for your help.
 
Unfortunately we need to eat ... unlike addictions like smoking or drinking alcohol we cant quit eating

A couple things to keep in mind
Most fast food or dinning out, the "portion" is bigger than we should be eating .... portion control is sometimes more important then the actual foods we are eating
Water water water water ..at least 4 bottles a day 7 days of the week ...it will also curb hunger
A balanced diet ...you could reluctantly eat nothing but twigs and berries but sooner or later you will revolt and probably end up in a worse place than you are in now
Activity , the weather is getting better for most of us ...a 1/2 hr walk daily is something most of us can do
Take it one day at a time ...you can do it

take a look here ...lots of links and references
http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/eatin...alimentation/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
 
It's not much so far, but I guess it's a start. What about exercising tips? I'll do some research on that in the mean time but I'm happy to get more help on this if you're willing to offer advice.
 
Seriously, running up a hill will beat using a treadmill anyday as long as you have enough discipline.
 
Any muscle you create or build will increase your metabolism, which will allow you to burn more calories. A variety, as in cardio that increases your heart rate, as well as building muscle, would be healthy and productive.

There is merit in 10 000 steps a day, and you can read about walking programs that allow you to maximize your calorie burn. There are also apps available for "walking to run". I've read 30 minutes of activity a day is a good place to start.

Start small, ask for some expert advice on where and how to start...maybe someone at the gym or your doctor?....and build from there.

I'd recommend not overwhelming yourself with a huge goal...plan your meals for the day so that you have snacks available that are healthy and low calorie ( a banana, some cukes etc) Try to not place yourself in a place of being hungry that day and not having a plan. And water water water and portion control, as BG mentioned,are important.

There are some great on line apps for weight loss like "less to lose" and " my fitness pal" that also have community support networks and tips, they help you track your caloric intake, water, weight and exercise,offer helpful tips and give you encouragement.

The commitment and desire are the biggest part....and you are off to a great start!! Excellent!! You can do this!
It sounds like you're looking for a life style change not a "diet"...and you are taking very positive steps!
 
whimsicalspirit said:
Paraiyar said:
Seriously, running up a hill will beat using a treadmill anyday as long as you have enough discipline.
I know but what about push ups, crunches, squats, all of that stuff?

Well I'm no expert at all but I'd say that if your main goal for the moment is to drop weight then you might be better off just focusing on cardio and leaving that stuff till later. I'm sure someone more in the know than me will comment if I'm wrong.
 
whimsicalspirit said:
You're just about in the right, actually. Are there other cardio-based exercises besides running that you also do?

Not really although I did give a rowing machine a go the other day. Truth be told I'm not really doing cardio at the moment because I'm trying to put on muscle instead.
 
Swimming! About the best exercise you can do. And great for your joints too, since it doesn't put the stress on them that most other exercises do.
 
whimsicalspirit said:
You're just about in the right, actually. Are there other cardio-based exercises besides running that you also do?

Take a look at FitnessBlender's site.They have free videos with workouts for men and women,also programs to lose weight,build lean muscle and so on.
 
You can focus on different areas to work on each time, and any extra activity you do definitely can't hurt. YouTube has a lot of fitness vides - Magalie suggested a good channel that works for a friend of mine.

In my experience, you should go for exercises that you find that you might like doing so that you can keep to it and not give up so easily. Start slow, and gradually do more and more so that you don't end up discouraging yourself right at the beginning.

Diet plays a huge role too, cutting out a lot of the crappy foods, reducing or cutting out the empty calories and taking in a balanced amount of fruit and vegetables. Not to mention, water.
 
Same here, after completing school in 2013 (I am 21), decided to build up my body. The situation you are facing is my past. I hope you will take the time to read what I have to say, so I am taking the time to write it. I will tell you everything you need to know, but you will have to read till the end.

I was 93kg (around 200 pounds I guess). Now I am 74kg (around 160 pounds).

So I searched on the internet like everybody does and went to a nearby gym.It had a lot of modern equipment, trainers,etc. He gave me a diet plan and workout that I had to follow daily. So I did. Well, nothing happened. I complained. He said that it takes time. Around 4-5 months. After 8 months, I was around 91kg. So it would take roughly 7 years to reach the average weight. So I quit.
I was still researching regularly. I noticed that all the things on the internet had a contradiction. For example, I searched about hips. They said,"DO SQUATS." On the other site,"NEVER DO SQUATS." One poor guy (who wanted to reduce hips) ended up with big hips after using an advice of a forum, and when he complained, people said,"come on, women like men with big hips." he was like,"BUT WHHHHAAATTT THHHEEE F*CK IF I DONTTTTTT LIKE IT MYSELFFFFF??"


I searched,"eggs for weight loss." Internet said,"eggs are great for weight loss."
I searched,"eggs for weight gain." Internet said,"eggs are great for weight gain."
I went crazy.
During that, I visited South India, and I was amazed by what I saw. There was an akhara (ancient version of gym) and the guys working there had bodies no gym trainers had.Also, there were no equipments like treadmill,cycle, dumbells,etc. I talked to them and learned something that nobody tells you on the internet.
You are right about the lifestyle thing. About that in a minute.
Here is what I learned:
********************1. DIET *************************
(DONT IGNORE, THERE IS SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW) (NO BS)
--> Start your day with juice made of lemon and honey in warm (not hot) water. Tastes ugly at first,but cuts belly fat very fast. Tea shouldn't be the 1st thing you drink.
--> SAY NO TO PROCESSED FOODS... They are the reason why gyms earn so much. Indians are having more and more health problems since they became available here. Before that, we didn't have problems of obesity, diabetes,etc. (means, stop eating instant noodles, chips, fries, biscuits,etc.) Sometimes I hate modernization!
--> Replace cold drinks with coconut water, sugarcane juice,lassi (low fat and sugar version), buttermilk and fruit juices.Control the amount of caffeine (I never have tea or coffee. I have fresh juice instead)
-->I bet there may be so many people who may have advised you to eat oats. Well, oats and cornflakes are a relatively new thing in India, but before oats, there were healthy people too. If it was not weight loss, people won't eat it. Means our brain doesn't like it much. So don't eat it.
--> No dairy products except milk and buttermilk. If low fat, better. No cheese, butter, cream.
--> I can't advise you to avoid pizzas and burgers, because they are more prevalent there. But if i wanted an amazing body, I would avoid them. Indian grandparents never ate them (my grandpa never heard of them), and you know, they almost never had weight problems.
--> Chicken should be eaten regularly. I noticed that almost every male celebrity in Bollywood eats chicken almost daily. Have a look at their bodies. Especially Arjun Kapoor before and after becoming an actor. Eggs, fish and chicken are sufficient non-veg foods. (also see Anant Ambani weight loss. He lost 240 pounds in 18 months. , if he can do it, anybody can do it).
--> never ever go to McD and other fast food restaurants. If you want to eat burger, make it yourself using fresh vegetables.
--> You might have heard about burning more calories than consuming. Well, people use the logic that if they eat less calories, they will have to burn less. Thats false. your metabolism will slow down, thus reducing the rate of fat burn. So,"eat more, burn even more." is more logical.You feel hungry because your stomach needs food. Our stomach isn't stupid. It asks because it needs.
--> Don't eat rice for dinner.Have it for lunch if you want. And white rice is fine. Eat it bindass. No need of brown rice. White rice has been our staple food for several thousand years, and we haven't always been chubby.
--> Lots of green vegetables, some amount of fruits,pulses, dry fruit, juices, meat, etc. is what you need.

***************************2. Exercise****************
--> Do you know the best exercise in the world? It is gender independent, age independent, it is universal. It is beneficial to everybody. And the best thing, IT ACTUALLY WORKS AND DOESN'T NEED ANY EQUIPMENT. Its called Suryanamaskar. Read about it, I promise you won't regret. You won't need crunches, pull ups,sit ups,etc. after this. It exercises all the areas of your body including your brain.
--> No need to go to the gym if weight loss is your plan. I lost weight without gym, and faster.
-->Don't jog. Instead,run as fast and as much as you can.
--> Yoga. (No words for that. It is the best. Don't underestimate its power)
-->Swim, a lot. It is fun and an enemy of fat.
-->Skipping helps a lot.
--> Laugh. Try laughter yoga.
--> Play soccer.
*************************3. LIFESTYLE***************************
Air, water, sun and food give us life. Just like your gym and dumbells, these are your resources too. Use them, they will bless you.
So,we already talked about food.
Air: Avoid staying in a room all day.Go out and get some natural air daily. If you go for a walk, do it in the morning, because air in the morning is fresh and less polluted. Exercise in a park instead of a gym.
Water: You know that you can't live without water, same is for your cells. Keep yourself hydrated, your body will thank you.
Sun: During the British rule when people did Suryanamaskar in the sunlight, Britishers used to laugh at us, calling it a blind faith. They didn't know that we did it because of the health benifits we get from the sun. Sun represents energy, embrace it. keep windows open, do yoga in sunlight.
--> Avoid staying in front of computer or phone as much as you can. Don't harm your eyes.
--> Sleep well. 8 hours is NOT compulsory. Deep sleep is what your should focus upon.
--> Quit alcohol.The state I live in has a ban on alcohol. And I haven't died. I haven't even tried it, and I am happier than ever. Quitting is better than simply controlling it.
--> Quit smoking if you smoke.
Weight loss isn't only about reducing in size. Prepare for building up your body. And focus on staying healthy.
 
YOU ARE SO HELPFUL RIGHT NOW LIKE YOU HAVE NO IDEA

Thank you so much for making time to type all of that. I happen to be your age as well.

I'm going to save everything you said on my laptop so I don't forget. Thanks!
 

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