weight Loss advice ?

Maguined

I am 21, a shy under 6ft and weigh a gluttonous 16st.

So i want to actually get fit for once in my life and feel healthy for a change. my biggest problem is my belly, i have too much fat all around me but my big pork belly is just getting plain ridiculous now.

I own a bench, a bar and dumbells. i was using these a while back and was beginning to loose some fat and got down to 13st. but i got a bit sick couldnt use them and i ballooned out to my present 16st. i am better now and intend to start using the old weights again but i have a few questions.

My end goal would be to have a bit of muscle and a bit of fat so i am not muscle bulky or too skinny looking, but my immediate concern is to loose my belly.

should i try and build some muscle up first and then work off the fat ? or would the other way around be better.

what exercisies should i then be doing to the answer of the above question ? mostly weight lifting or else walking,running etc ?

is there an effective way to concentrate on my belly and loose the disproportionate amount of fat located there ?

my diet is pretty crap, i am not a big fan of the veggies as spuds,peppers and beans is about as far as i go there, am i just being a wimp and should i just swallow my greens and take it like a man ?

i know i may be asking alot but i am not too sure about how i should realy go about with the difference between building up my weak muscles while i also want to loose the flab as well.

one final thing, when i did use the weights i noticed something strange about my right elbow, i read the other thread and i think my condition is a bit different, it did not cause me any pain when i lifted but a lot of the time my right elbow was a bit stiff and would straighten out as much as the left. after a while i get a "pop" sensation and its alright but i keep trying to intentionally "pop" it when i warm up and occasionally it does but most of the time it didnt. any thoughts on this as well ?

cheers for any advice and sorry if this has all been answered before but most of the threads i read seemed to be about bulking up rather than slimming down.

Emboss

it's pretty simple

1. Cut out the crap, cakes choc etc
2. eat plenty of veg and 1 portion of meat daily (i know you don't like your greens tough **** )
3. when you feel peckish grab an apple or some form of fruit.
4. walk,cycle, take up a sport of some kind
5. if your a heavy drinker cut down,
6. don't make the diet so boring you won't stick it mix it up and every now and then treat yourself, with something nice!

If you're having problems with free weights have a chat with a gym instructor make sure you're warming up properly too

Maguined

yeah i dont really eat that much chocolate and junk, just mainly my dinner is usually lots of pasta, a frozen pizza etc. i suppose i better cut that crap out.

but what i realy want to know is the difference between building muscle and loosing fat.

i need to do both and which should i concentrate on first ? or should i be trying to have a balance ?

and what types of exercises should i be doing to focus on loosing the fat ? i have already read the advice on building muscle but was not most of that advice starting from the point of someone who is fit and just needs to gain weight ?

Jak

Right, given your situation, and a cleaned up diet I would suggest simply an active walking program for about a month.

With anyone who is in very bad shape to start, it is the easiest, most accessible and most easily maintained option.

You need to get your body used to activity again, and a bit of weight loss and adjusting to the routine of training is the best initial approach. Weights is my preference for getting in shape, but it is much harder to get into and more risky for people starting fresh.

Try to get in four 5k walking sessions a week. Vary your routes. Increase the distance if you feel able.

Just make it a routine. Come home - get changed into "training gear" go walk. If you can keep this up for a month then come back and we'll suggest weights.

This may seem overly simplistic, but my over riding experience with people is over eagerness and impatience early on lead to a fast burn out and return to doing nothing.

Right now a training mentality and routine is more important that cultivating muscle or weight loss. However the walks should impact very positively on weight loss if you keep the diet clean.

JAK.

Emboss

Originally posted by Mikaboshi
yeah i dont really eat that much chocolate and junk, just mainly my dinner is usually lots of pasta, a frozen pizza etc. i suppose i better cut that crap out.

but what i realy want to know is the difference between building muscle and loosing fat.

i need to do both and which should i concentrate on first ? or should i be trying to have a balance ?

and what types of exercises should i be doing to focus on loosing the fat ? i have already read the advice on building muscle but was not most of that advice starting from the point of someone who is fit and just needs to gain weight ?

it really depends on how overweight you are imo go somewhere and get the body fat % get active walking as mentioned is best if we're working on the belly when you come in from you walk well warmed up do various sit ups to start toning up the stomach

it's really about what you want to do and how you want to look, healthy and toned or big and muscly like arnie which is a big turn off for most women

Jak

Originally posted by Emboss

it's really about what you want to do and how you want to look, healthy and toned or big and muscly like arnie which is a big turn off for most women

Not the one's I've met.

Plus Arnie hardly looks unhealthy.

Emboss

start a poll

big stupid looking muscly guys

or well toned

toned will run away with it

logic1

Originally posted by Emboss
start a poll

big stupid looking muscly guys

or well toned

toned will run away with it

A poll of who? the 5 "girls" that use boards?

.logic.

Runfree

Originally posted by Jak
Right, given your situation, and a cleaned up diet I would suggest simply an active walking program for about a month.

This may seem overly simplistic, but my over riding experience with people is over eagerness and impatience early on lead to a fast burn out and return to doing nothing.

Right now a training mentality and routine is more important that cultivating muscle or weight loss. However the walks should impact very positively on weight loss if you keep the diet clean.

JAK.

He is right you know. walking is probably the best to start of with. Power walking as some people like to refer to can also shed a couple pounds. I know your looking to shed a couple of stone but set yourself a target each week/month on what you are going to achieve.

If you have access to a gym then get an instructor to write you a program. First mainly walking/running, cycling, rowing. Rowing is also a great exercise as it works the whole body.

But like Jak said get yourself a good walking program and a good diet and you will feel fitter in no time.

Well let me know how you get on.

RunFree

Crunch

Just a quick copy/paste note on wanting to loose fat on the belly. You can't spot-reduce fat.

*****
Spot Reduction Myth
Contrary to what the info commercials suggest, there is no such thing as spot reduction. Fat is lost throughout the body in a pattern dependent upon genetics, sex (hormones), and age. Overall body fat must be reduced to lose fat in any particular area. Although fat is lost or gained throughout the body, it seems the last area to become lean or the first area to get fat is the midsection (in men and some women) and hips and thighs (in women and few men). Sit-ups, crunches, hip raises, leg raises, hip adduction, hip abduction, etc. will only exercise the muscles under the fat.

Incidentally, fat is also stored under the abdominal muscles and around the intestines and other organs. This can contribute to the "pot belly", pushing the abdominal muscles and the overlying fat outward. This "apple shape" fat distribution has greater health consequences than the lower body "pear shape" fat distribution.
********
So, it just about starting to loose fat, and it will go away from the belly eventually. good luck with it

Maguined

Thanks for all the advie lads, i suppose it is finnaly time to show this belly o mine who is the boss.

yeah i kinda knew about the spot reduction thingie, i was just hoping it was untrue, stupid unlucky males, woman get to store their fat in their ass and boobies the lucky ones. why dont we men store our fat in our johnsons rather than teh bellie

Crunch

heheh would be nice, but imagine the queues of guys outside places like Macdonalds and BurgerKing.

Sparks

In relation to the walking thing, put it this way:
Last year's Paidi O'Se has become this weekend's Paidi O'Se because he's walking a lot. (70-80 miles a week).

(He's giving hope to kerrymen everywhere )

Maguined

hey dont mention the K word, do you want me to get upset, depressed and loose all hope ?

Sparks

Oh dear, was that the sound of a .... limerickman?

reyner

First: Weight Training is an anaerobic form of exercise. You will lose lots more pounds cycling, jogging, walking fast for at leat 25 min continuosly.
Second: Get a book about doctor Atkins diet and decide for yourself. This is simply the best diet there is. And you won't feel hungry at all.:)

Jak

I can't be bothered to reply in detail to the above. It's all been discussed before, but your comment is too loose and ignores an awful lot of other factors.

Weight training with diet can be more productive than cardio training for weight loss and keeping weight off.