Help! I'm Fat - *** Official Exercise and Weight Thread ***
- Thread starter cyclone4L
- Start date
Great job on the progress! Really smart to do the measurements because you could be losing fat and the scale stay not move much due to adding some muscle.
Yeah for sure. Scale lies. You could be losing muscle and the scale says you weigh less. Not good. Use the measuring tape. It's fine to weight in evey month. I weigh in once a month. Usually i put on ten pounds in the winter. Right now I am losing fat and gaining muscle. Even though my muscle is smaller because I am losing some fat around the muscle which makes it look like I have lost muscle.
Been using the Me360 app. Body scanning app. Really helps to see real changes. Can feel the difference for sure, but it helps to see the differences as well. Down inches everywhere, lowered body fat by 1.7% so far, down another few pounds, feeling muscle mass come back as well
More weights during the week. One is okay, but aim to get 3 or more. Weights are an amazing tool to gain muscle and lose fat. Incline treadmill at a lower speed is the best way to lose that fat too.
1000%. Especially if you are newer to weight training. Muscle replacing fat isn’t going to lower the scale but you will look much different. I will always maintain that lifting heavy, and doing 30 minutes cardio after the lift in a 10-12 inline at 3mph will help you shred that fat. Counting calories is good for some but not the end all be all. Eat more real food. If it has a mom and dad, grows on a tree or grows from the ground, that should be 80% of your food intake. Protein is a big one too. More satiating foods will help curb the snacking that occurs with a lot of people.
And for the love of god don’t fad diet. Carbs are not the enemy, sugar isn’t bad, on and on. Eat good foods most of the time and it’s okay to indulge in pizza, wings, etc every so often. It won’t ruin your goal. There are so many influencers out there that give such horrendous advice. Lifting weights is one of the best things you can do for a healthy lifestyle. Don’t just stick in the 12 rep range on everything. Challenge yourself, up the weight, work hard, eat mostly good and you will be alright.
you pretty much nailed it. Focus on strength training for exercise. Make sure you allow rest between workouts because you build muscle during the rest periods (strength training provides the signal to build muscle). If you don't give yourself enough recovery, your just repairing and not building.
For cardio, don't go too crazy. I focus on walking for my cardio and maybe do one HIIT workout a week. If you focus too much on cardio, your body will pare down muscle. Think about how the build of an endurance runner vs. a sprinter. Sprinters have a lot more muscle.
From a nutrition standpoint, focusing on satiety and whole foods is the way to go. Protein, fiber and water. I tend to do more lower carb but whole grains, berries, sweet potatoes, quinoa, etc are fine because they provide a lot of fiber too. One snack I utilize a lot is air-popped popcorn. Popcorn is actually a whole grain and has some fiber. Don't add the butter and sprinkle a little salt for more flavor.
Focus on having half your plate be veggies and make sure every plate has plenty of protein. I try to target one gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight. This is more than enough but it is simple to calculate and keeps me full. Try to get most of your protein from whole foods. A lot of food companies are adding protein to foods because people are emphasizing it more, but stick to the more whole food side. Those processed foods that are "high protein" are also full of sugars and calories that you don't need. Protein powder should only be used when you struggle to get your protein needs (that's why it is called a supplement).
On a one off day I agree but over time if you are weighing yourself consistently it will show you your overall trend. Absolutely shouldn't overreact to a day or few days spike or flatline.
What does that end up paying when you donate twice a wk? I donate double reds every 16 wks.
A lot of good stuff here. I too prioritize walking as my cardio (usually weighted/incline)
I might adjust a bit in that, folks can only work with what’s accessible/affordable for them, and while we can all learn to like and tolerate foods, it’s also good to focus on things you LIKE to eat. Some of the produce at some of the grocery stores looks (and is) gross. Some whole foods taste like garbage, even when cooked. Like all things, it’s about balance. Buy and eat things you are going to enjoy. I wouldn’t tell anyone to avoid supplements or even processed food. There are plenty of good whey protein powders that have less than 4 ingredients, and plenty of powders they are just pure whey with nothing else added (all of which can be easily bought and shipped from Amazon). I enjoy having a shake after a workout of any kind, any day of the week. No, I’m not going to sub out my simple whey protein shake with a 10oz steak and potatoes because that’s not practical for me, and again, I find the shake to be delicious and enjoyable, and convenient. A lot of folks fall into this bucket and it’s OK to prioritize ‘this’ overall whole food when needed. I also love breakfast cereal, just like I did as a kid. They’re actually plenty of really good breakfast cereals out there with very simple ingredients, and no mysterious additives. Some are expensive, others not too bad at all. If I time it right on Amazon or Costco or whatever, I’ll buy in bulk. I’ll even use the protein shake as the milk for the cereal sometimes - so damn good. Point is, there are plenty of “processed foods” out there (and canned goods no bad additives) that are perfectly fine to include in a really good diet. As long as they are not ultra processed
I agree on this. you've got to find foods that work for you. I tend to utilize a lot of frozen veggies (especially ones in the steam bags) for convenience. I'll do a lot of baked sweet potatoes in the microwave for a quick/easy healthy carbs.A lot of good stuff here. I too prioritize walking as my cardio (usually weighted/incline)
I might adjust a bit in that, folks can only work with what’s accessible/affordable for them, and while we can all learn to like and tolerate foods, it’s also good to focus on things you LIKE to eat. Some of the produce at some of the grocery stores looks (and is) gross. Some whole foods taste like garbage, even when cooked. Like all things, it’s about balance. Buy and eat things you are going to enjoy. I wouldn’t tell anyone to avoid supplements or even processed food. There are plenty of good whey protein powders that have less than 4 ingredients, and plenty of powders they are just pure whey with nothing else added (all of which can be easily bought and shipped from Amazon). I enjoy having a shake after a workout of any kind, any day of the week. No, I’m not going to sub out my simple whey protein shake with a 10oz steak and potatoes because that’s not practical for me, and again, I find the shake to be delicious and enjoyable, and convenient. A lot of folks fall into this bucket and it’s OK to prioritize ‘this’ overall whole food when needed. I also love breakfast cereal, just like I did as a kid. They’re actually plenty of really good breakfast cereals out there with very simple ingredients, and no mysterious additives. Some are expensive, others not too bad at all. If I time it right on Amazon or Costco or whatever, I’ll buy in bulk. I’ll even use the protein shake as the milk for the cereal sometimes - so damn good. Point is, there are plenty of “processed foods” out there (and canned goods no bad additives) that are perfectly fine to include in a really good diet. As long as they are not ultra processed
I like to throw in some chocolate protein powder into my Greek yogurt. It tastes like chocolate pudding.
From a cereal standpoint, a friend of mine recommended Magic Spoon. Its a processed food but low in sugar and higher in protein. I might have to give that a try. Do you have any "healthier" cereals you like?
I love Magic Spoon. But it is crazy stupid expensive per serving, so I really only buy it when I can find it only sale (and then try to stock up). Same with Seven Sundays cereal. Sometimes I'll buy the 'bigger' boxes of these at Costco when I see them on the shelves.
I enjoy Three Wishes cereal as well. Usually easier to find this at a cheaper price than the others. The "Unsweetened" variety has literally 4 ingredients. The Marshmallow one has a couple grams of cane sugar (which is perfectly fine, IMHO). I also don't mind (or steer away from) "natural flavors" as some influencers like to scare people about. To help these expensive cereals "last longer", I'll cut it with regular plain Cheerios. What can I say? When I eat cereal, I want an overflowing giant bowl.
I'm also a huge fan of mixing protein powder into Greek yogurt. Ghost and Ryse have some delicious flavors that mix extremely well with vanilla or even plain Greek yogurt (although these powders definitely have a few extra additives in there - oh well, can't win em all!)
If you think that then I don’t know what to tell you. What an ignorant comment.
Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier
Strength training can help you look good — and feel even better.
Evidence mounts on the benefits of strength training | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
A recent meta-analysis found that people who do muscle-strengthening workouts are less likely to die prematurely than those who don’t, adding to previous evidence that strength training has long-term health benefits.
hsph.harvard.edu
I never said lifting weights isn’t healthy.If you think that then I don’t know what to tell you. What an ignorant comment.
Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier
Strength training can help you look good — and feel even better.www.mayoclinic.org
Evidence mounts on the benefits of strength training | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
A recent meta-analysis found that people who do muscle-strengthening workouts are less likely to die prematurely than those who don’t, adding to previous evidence that strength training has long-term health benefits.
The BroScience comes in when you start claiming the lifting weights and walking on a treadmill are the ‘best’ ways to ‘shred body fat’
Did you read the second article?If you think that then I don’t know what to tell you. What an ignorant comment.
Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier
Strength training can help you look good — and feel even better.
Evidence mounts on the benefits of strength training | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
A recent meta-analysis found that people who do muscle-strengthening workouts are less likely to die prematurely than those who don’t, adding to previous evidence that strength training has long-term health benefits.
Can you read back to me what it says about how many minutes per week of weightlifting was beneficial?
Then go back and read your original post I responded to. I can wait
I don’t know about best, but both together are fantastic options (for losing body fat) for any age group, male and female.
It said 30-60 minutes may be enough. I’m pointing out that lifting weights is a great way to burn fat and obviously gain muscle. I’m not sure what you are trying to prove here. Nothing about what I said was bro at all, but apparently you are triggered by a healthy lifestyle or lifting weights. And a steady state cardio, something like incline treadmill at a reasonable speed is going to burn more fat than other types of cardio.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said best, but certainly best for me, and what a lot of science seems to back up too. I’m not sure why that poster is calling what I posted bro science. Nothing about lifting weights is bro. Lifting weights are one of the best things you can do for your overall health.
I've got a tip. Try to play sports. Golf, tennis, pickleball. I haaaaate just running. It's too boring.
A two hour tennis or pickleball match a couple times per week. That's good excersize. Find a buddy who will play regularly and you've got it made.
If you're golfing, man up and walk the course. Saves money too. 5-7 miles carrying a 20lb bag on a hilly course will wipe you out pretty good.
Obviously this doesn't work too well in the winter months though.
A two hour tennis or pickleball match a couple times per week. That's good excersize. Find a buddy who will play regularly and you've got it made.
If you're golfing, man up and walk the course. Saves money too. 5-7 miles carrying a 20lb bag on a hilly course will wipe you out pretty good.
Obviously this doesn't work too well in the winter months though.
