Burning fat and eating right!

Valeron88

Hello!

I was looking for some advice on this from some wiser folk. I joined a gym about 2 months ago,and have been going 4 times a week,working twice on weights and the other 2 times on running 5km. i feel this is a substantial enough change to my lifestyle but im not really seeing much of a difference in my body fat,and surely i should be seeing some differences from 2 months of this?

Another factor could be my diet; i eat only fresh foods, but my oven works when it wants to, so all the meat i eat has to be fried. having said that,i dont drink fizzy drinks or eat junk food...basically just looking for tips I could use to speed up the process of my gym work, because im not feeling much different after these last 2 months!

cheers in advance!

tatumkelly

Post a typical daily menu? It'll help see where you're falling down... you'll get lots of good advice here..

If your nutrition isn't right, no amount of training is going to save you

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

if you're frying lots of stuff grab yourself some virgin coconut oil from superquinn/dunnes/supervalu too I think. the cocowel stuff is only 5.99 for 500ml, it'll last you an age and is pretty damn good for you

Mellor

You can cook on a hob, even in a frying pan, without it all the meat being "fried", in any sense that's unhealthy. A good non stick pan and little or no oil will be no different to using the oven.
Plus there's boiled, poached, steamed, braised etc

the groutch

invest in a halogen oven, you can cook anything in it (fast than a normal oven too) without all the unnessecary oil.

RobAMerc

Congrats on your change of lifestyle !

I don't think 2 months of just increased exercise is really long enough to see any drastic change in body shape.

2 months of a drastic diet change however is a very different story.

As previously said, post your avg daily diet and you'll have a better idea where you are at.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

the groutch wrote: »

invest in a halogen oven, you can cook anything in it (fast than a normal oven too) without all the unnessecary oil.

halogen ovens are the bees knees, uses less electricity than a regular oven too. so it cooks faster and it uses less power while doing so, love mine.

Valeron88

Thanks for all the replies so far!

A typical day would consist of:

cornflakes for breakfast,and glass of water

for lunch, a sandwich with lean ham,a slice of cheese,and flora butter

for dinner, its not very varied! either: boiled potatoes and a fried meat (chicken,pork or beef) or a pasta (with chorizo or chicken). I might have a carbonara once a week as well,I know that aint good for the body either!

The only things i drink are water,tea or 0cal orange juice (except weekends,beer on saturday nights!)

Other than that,i try to snack on pistachios before and after a gym session (i heard its a good idea to get more protein in just before and just after a session?)

The thing is,i live in Spain so i dont get to eat dinner til after work, which normally means eating at 11 or so, does that make much of a difference?

About the cocont oil,i thought that was one of the worst things to cook with to burn fat,no?

SunnyDub1

Valeron88 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies so far!

A typical day would consist of:

cornflakes for breakfast,and glass of water

for lunch, a sandwich with lean ham,a slice of cheese,and flora butter

for dinner, its not very varied! either: boiled potatoes and a fried meat (chicken,pork or beef) or a pasta (with chorizo or chicken). I might have a carbonara once a week as well,I know that aint good for the body either!

The only things i drink are water,tea or 0cal orange juice (except weekends,beer on Saturday nights!)

Other than that,i try to snack on pistachios before and after a gym session (i heard its a good idea to get more protein in just before and just after a session?)

The thing is,i live in Spain so i dont get to eat dinner til after work, which normally means eating at 11 or so, does that make much of a difference?

About the cocont oil,i thought that was one of the worst things to cook with to burn fat,no?

You mentioned in your first post you only eat fresh food Please define what YOU call fresh foods ? Cause from what I am reading your diet is very carb heavy and you are eating a good amount of sugary processed foods. and drinking beers EVERY Saturday night won't help burn fat either.




Cornflakes - processed, full of sugars,salts and carbs. have oats or eggs instead.
Bread - processed, sugary and carbs. try having salad instead.
Potato's - carbs.
pasta - processed, carbs.


If you want to drop fat & lose weight , reduce your carb intake, cut all processed and sugar foods and eat a clean diet, natural foods (meats, fish,veg, fruit, nuts, proteins, good fats)

Coconut oil is one of the best things you can cook food with - high in good fats. Olive oil is another good option

Merkin

Where are your fruit and vegetables? :eek:

thegreatiam

Its not the method of cooking , nor really the oil you use when cooking that will affect your weight.

I fry "everything". I use olive oil and butter.
It is what you eat and how much you eat that will affect your weight.

where you live and the time you eat will have little bearing on the weight loss too.

Youre in spain, enjoy their fresh fruit and cured meats and seafood. I loved Spanish food when i lived there.

Take a few minutes to search other threads like this that people have already put up and read the stickies, that will explain what you should eat and how much. Baring any medical problems you have the advice is the same.

Work out your calories you burn each day. Eat less than this total and you will lose weight.

To make this easier eat food which make you feel full (protein and fats)
avoid foods which cause you to spike insulin and give cravings.

cook how you choose fried or otherwise.

PS:
The advice of the halogen is very good, they are useful tools, if you work late or awkward hours you can prep your food and put it in the oven, the addition of a plug timer and you can set it to turn on an hour before you come home and your roasted food will be piping hot when you get in.

Also look at a slow cooker for stews and joints of meat. both of these gadgets can really make cooking more fun and easier if you have time and budget constraints.

since youre in spain you can also cure and dry your own meat and veg/fruit in the sunshine, this can add variety to your menu and save money in the long run.

tatumkelly

Like the last poster said, you need to say goodbye to the carbs. Cut out all the processed foods, and replace with natural whole foods.

Brekkie: Bacon & eggs
Lunch: meat/fish & salad
Dinner: meat/fish & veg

Snack on nuts/berries if you need to, and drink lots of water. I'd recommend a small handful of walnuts as a snack because they are a natural anti-inflammatory, and they're yummy :P

You'll find that a change to fresh, unprocessed foods will really help you reach your goals. Not only that, but you'll have more energy, better skin and your mood will improve. A clean diet has so many benefits aside from just weight loss.

Coconut oil is great for cooking with, and has some excellent health benefits. It naturally boosts metabolism & immune system and is easy to digest. It also helps to control insulin levels which is a key factor in controlling your weight.

Give it a go for 30 days, and I've no doubt you'll feel great.

RobAMerc

Sorry OP - your diet is not very good at all.

If you read the stickies at the top of this you will learn an awful lot.

You are very lucky to be living in Spain however as the variety and quality of the real fresh foods and fish there is superb.

Cornflakes are not real food or anything like it !

listermint

RobAMerc wrote: »

Sorry OP - your diet is not very good at all.

If you read the stickies at the top of this you will learn an awful lot.

You are very lucky to be living in Spain however as the variety and quality of the real fresh foods and fish there is superb.

Cornflakes are not real food or anything like it !

Sure they catch it all up here. You could say you are just as lucky to live in Ireland. Barring the sunshine.

RobAMerc

listermint wrote: »

Sure they catch it all up here. You could say you are just as lucky to live in Ireland. Barring the sunshine.

Somewhat true particularly the fish in cities ( not on the coast ) - but in the Med they tend to buy their fruit and veg from a local market which is locally produce. Not something grown on a super farm and bred to look and feel a certain uniform way.

Have you tasted a strawberry or tomato in Spain or Italy compared to the ones here ?

Valeron88

Again,great advice from everyone, thanks a lot. bought myself a geansaí load of oats/oatmeal this morning, and ordered a halogen oven too!

sorry yeah, should have mentioned i eat fruit too, bananas,apples,oranges,at least 1 per day. veg...i really need to start forcing myself to have salads! ok so the main idea here really is cut carbs from my diet. if im absolutely starving, how can i properly be full with just meat and salad?

the only fish i really eat is low salt tuna, starting to have 2 or 3 dinners with that a week...anything else i can be doing? bacon/eggs fpr breakfast sounds good but i always feel guilty about having bacon with the amount of fat/salt it has!

how can i work out how many calories i burn in a day or in a gym session?

thegreatiam

Valeron88 wrote: »

i really need to start forcing myself to have salads! how can i properly be full with just meat and salad?

Salad (lettuce, cucumber,tomato,etc) are really only just water and vitamins with very low calories. they arent a major part of your diet.
think veg, not salad.
meat with 2/3 veg (cabbage, brocolli, kale, onions, peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots beetroot etc) will easily keep you going.

Valeron88 wrote: »

the only fish i really eat is low salt tuna, starting to have 2 or 3 dinners with that a week...anything else i can be doing? bacon/eggs fpr breakfast sounds good but i always feel guilty about having bacon with the amount of fat/salt it has!

Steak, ham, chicken, turkey, mince pork, beef, bacon is fine.
Kippers, cod, etc

Valeron88 wrote: »

how can i work out how many calories i burn in a day or in a gym session?

with a heart rate monitor, or look it up on-line. If you are using a calorie counter that will usually give a rough estimate. Dont forget it doesnt need to be exact.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

the carbs could be what are making you hungry all the time, if you switch to a more protein/fat filled diet your appetite will stabilise and you'll be able to go longer without feeling the need to eat something

a spoonfull of coconut oil's great for getting some fat into you

Valeron88

ok! so less of the pasta/potatoes,ill try my best to replace them with some of the options suggested.

maybe i should have stated at the start,i wouldnt classify myself as over weight really,im 24 years old,about 5'9,and weigh roughly 12.5-13 stone,what im looking for mostly is to lose that extra layer of body fat on my chest and stomach.

so what people are saying is,it doesnt rwally matter if i fry the meat in olive oil (until my halogen oven arrives) as long as im having a side of veg with it?

also,is 1 serving of carbs a week ok or should they be totally got rid of? because to be honest,im not sure if i could sustain 0 carbs all the time.

one last thing,switching my beer in take to whiskey and water mixer...thoughts? much of a difference?

Stench Blossoms

Nobody said 0 carbs. Fruit, vegetables and oats are all carbs.

thegreatiam

Valeron88 wrote: »

so what people are saying is,it doesnt rwally matter if i fry the meat in olive oil (until my halogen oven arrives) as long as im having a side of veg with it?

also,is 1 serving of carbs a week ok or should they be totally got rid of? because to be honest,im not sure if i could sustain 0 carbs all the time.

one last thing,switching my beer in take to whiskey and water mixer...thoughts? much of a difference?

Sounds to me like you need to learn about what you are eating, your understanding seems very limited and a bit skewed. Spend some time in the stickies and try to get an understanding what carbs and protein is and how they work.

Protein comes from meat, dairy and a few nuts and is basically what your body is made of (the bricks of a house, windows, timbers etc) YOu need protein in your diet.

fat, (animal and non animal) is the oil which creates hormones and helps move them around. You need fat in your diet.

Carbs is pretty much everything else, beer is carbs, veg is carbs, pasta is carbs whiskey is carbs, sweets are carbs.

CArbs is the fuel your body burns to move. It is converted to sugar which your body burns to keep going. If it doesnt burn the sugar it ends up as a layer of fat on your body. You do not need carbs to survive. you can use fat as an energy.

You do not NEED to go carb free to lose weight.

You do NEED to eat less calories than you use to lose weight.

This is simply easier by limiting the carbs to vegetables. rather than sugar or starch.

Eat a portion of meat and at least one veg per meal and you will be in the right balance. cook in olive oil or butter and you will most likely be in the right range of fats.

Avoid processed junk food and bread as much as possible and you will be limiting the number of poor quality carbs in your diet.
You dont need to remove them 100% from your diet, its just calories from these sources tend to be fairly nutrient light and will leave you feeling hungry soon after. something that is slower digesting and nutirent heavy (like unprocessed food) makes you feel fuller for longer and less likey to over indulge.

But above all, read the stickies.

Valeron88

sorry guys,what i meant to say is 0 non complex carbs,like white bread,white rice,white pasta.whats the verdict on brown pasta/rice? very hard to find over here..!

ill be having a look at the stickys as soon as im home from work.as always,thanks again guys.

Stench Blossoms

There isn't a huge amount of difference between white and brown pasta. If you can live without it then do.