Help! I'm Fat - *** Official Exercise and Weight Thread ***

Cloned4Life

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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.
Right there with you. Hate running!
 

FriendlySpartan

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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.
Great advice however if you haven’t played a sport in awhile please take it slow, especially of you’re trying something like tennis, basketball or pickleball.

This goes double if you’re over 35 and are pretty sedentary or have a high BMI.
 

clonechemist

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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.

Right, you posted unsolicited advice as a quote on my post, saying I ‘needed’ to be doing more lifting. And advising me to walk, instead of running. Thanks for the hot tips I didn’t ask for bro. You then posted a link showing health benefits for EXACTLY the amount of lifting I said I’m doing (one session per week, which lasts 60 minutes)

Also, just for the record, I burn plenty of
fat running and biking. Every study I’ve seen suggests walking does NOT burn more fat than running or biking, it actually burns fewer calories than those higher intensity activities. But because low intensity exercise burns primarily fats, the percentage of calories coming from fat is higher when you’re walking at lower intensity. But the total fat burned is still higher if you’re running for the same amount of time.

I run because I like it and it makes me feel good. And I have very limited time. So I’d rather use what time I have with higher intensity exercise than walking.

Glad you found exercises that work for you.
 
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cyclone4L

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Halfway through 10 weeks at Farrell's, so I figured it’s a good time to check in and keep myself accountable! Weighed in yesterday at 269—down 12 pounds! I’ve also lost 3 inches off my hips and 1 inch off my belly. Arms and chest measurements have stayed the same, but I'm feeling stronger and more motivated to keep pushing forward
Keep it up my man! What have you learned in these 10 weeks?
 

cyclone4L

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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 way to add excitement to your runs is racing yourself. There is no better feeling than running a course faster than you did the week before.
 
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cyphoon

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I weight myself daily but I don’t live and die by that number. It’s a lagging indicator.

I also weigh every day, and throw the number into a spread sheet where I have it graphed on top of a set of trend lines that show what I should lose if I maintain a certain calorie deficit. Any given weight means nothing, the key is whether I am trending down over time.

H

weight_tracking.png
 

Cloned4Life

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Right, you posted unsolicited advice as a quote on my post, saying I ‘needed’ to be doing more lifting. And advising me to walk, instead of running. Thanks for the hot tips I didn’t ask for bro. You then posted a link showing health benefits for EXACTLY the amount of lifting I said I’m doing (one session per week, which lasts 60 minutes)

Also, just for the record, I burn plenty of
fat running and biking. Every study I’ve seen suggests walking does NOT burn more fat than running or biking, it actually burns fewer calories than those higher intensity activities. But because low intensity exercise burns primarily fats, the percentage of calories coming from fat is higher when you’re walking at lower intensity. But the total fat burned is still higher if you’re running for the same amount of time.

I run because I like it and it makes me feel good. And I have very limited time. So I’d rather use what time I have with higher intensity exercise than walking.

Glad you found exercises that work for you.
What in the literal f*** is this type of response. The entire purpose of this thread is unsolicited advice. The stuff people take offense to is baffling. If you want to run, then f***ing run. Obviously it is very, very good for you. Literally no one said it isn't good for you, not even the person you're offended/triggered by for some very odd reason. I f*cking HATE running. I absolutely f*cking hate it. I've played football, basketball, baseball, track, golf, etc. up through high school, and intramural basketball up until a few years ago (intramural football post college until I blew out my ACLs). "Sprinting" is the only form of running that doesn't absolutely piss me off.

Walking (a lot) and on an incline, with a weighted vest, at my age, has literally changed my entire life this last 2 years. So yeah, walking is f*cking excellent. If folks want to run, that is also excellent for them.
 

clonechemist

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What in the literal f*** is this type of response. The entire purpose of this thread is unsolicited advice. The stuff people take offense to is baffling. If you want to run, then f***ing run. Obviously it is very, very good for you. Literally no one said it isn't good for you, not even the person you're offended/triggered by for some very odd reason. I f*cking HATE running. I absolutely f*cking hate it. I've played football, basketball, baseball, track, golf, etc. up through high school, and intramural basketball up until a few years ago (intramural football post college until I blew out my ACLs). "Sprinting" is the only form of running that doesn't absolutely piss me off.

Walking (a lot) and on an incline, with a weighted vest, at my age, has literally changed my entire life this last 2 years. So yeah, walking is f*cking excellent. If folks want to run, that is also excellent for them.
Why u mad bro?
 
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cyphoon

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2.) Aim to get 2 cardio workouts and1 lifting session per week

I am not a fitness expert, but most of the pro advice I see is to do more strength than cardio. Consider a second lift session per week if you can find the time. Mayb legs one day and upper body the other.

4.) Aim to avoid eating anything after e7:30pm. If necessary (ie to keep my brain functioning for evening work) keep it reasonable like 1 granola bar or 1 yogurt

If you absolutely have to snack at night, try nuking some frozen peas and carrots, topped with parmesan cheese when you take it out. Lots of protein and not a ton of calories.

I have been following this guy on youtube, and I like his approach to food choices



H
 
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CychiatricWard

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Right, you posted unsolicited advice as a quote on my post, saying I ‘needed’ to be doing more lifting. And advising me to walk, instead of running. Thanks for the hot tips I didn’t ask for bro. You then posted a link showing health benefits for EXACTLY the amount of lifting I said I’m doing (one session per week, which lasts 60 minutes)

Also, just for the record, I burn plenty of
fat running and biking. Every study I’ve seen suggests walking does NOT burn more fat than running or biking, it actually burns fewer calories than those higher intensity activities. But because low intensity exercise burns primarily fats, the percentage of calories coming from fat is higher when you’re walking at lower intensity. But the total fat burned is still higher if you’re running for the same amount of time.

I run because I like it and it makes me feel good. And I have very limited time. So I’d rather use what time I have with higher intensity exercise than walking.

Glad you found exercises that work for you.
You started the ******** bro science ****, so **** off. Maybe I did give unsolicited advice and I can own that, but I know how many people are adverse to lifting weights for whatever reason. Weights are good. Then you doubled down on your assness by doing whatever it is your are doing. Weights are good.
 

clonechemist

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I am not a fitness expert, but most of the pro advice I see is to do more strength than cardio. Consider a second lift session per week if you can find the time. Mayb legs one day and upper body the other.



If you absolutely have to snack at night, try nuking some frozen peas and carrots, topped with parmesan cheese when you take it out. Lots of protein and not a ton of calories.

I have been following this guy on youtube, and I like his approach to food choices



H

Frozen peas are a gosh darn super food. Incredibly cheap, convenient, and packed with protein and fiber too. I love carrots but for me they have to be fresh over frozen, which makes them less convenient.

And so far the night eating is something I’ve been able to limit with self discipline. The only exception has been a few late nights of working due to impending deadlines, and for those nights I find I really need some simple carbs around 9pm to keep my brain working. Keeping the amounts to a modest level are the real challenge there
 
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clonechemist

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I am not a fitness expert, but most of the pro advice I see is to do more strength than cardio. Consider a second lift session per week if you can find the time. Mayb legs one day and upper body the other.



If you absolutely have to snack at night, try nuking some frozen peas and carrots, topped with parmesan cheese when you take it out. Lots of protein and not a ton of calories.

I have been following this guy on youtube, and I like his approach to food choices



H

One issue I find with lifting ‘heavy’ and also pushing on running and biking fitness:

If I lift once per week I can really push hard every time I lift. And that doesn’t seem to interfere with pushing hard for running and cycling workouts.

In the past I’ve had a lot more issues with nagging aches and pains that compromise both lifting and running/cycling workouts when I do a bunch of workouts on back to back days.

So I find one hard lifting session and two hard running/cycling workouts seems to maximize my returns while limiting minor injuries that get me off track
 

cyphoon

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Gotten back into a healthy routine over the last few weeks, lifting and exercising, hardcore tracking of macros and calories, caloric deficit, and just not seeing the scale move the way i want it too.

Whenever I resume working out after taking a couple months off, the scale always seems to go in the wrong direction for a week or two. I attribute it mostly to increased water intake and water retention by sore muscles.

I resumed my workout program on 2/11 after being lazy since early December. The scale climbed or held steady for 8 days despite working out 5-6 days per week and counting calories. I am just now dipping below my starting weight.

H
 
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clonechemist

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Checking in today:

All good on eating behavior and exercise goals (really enjoying getting back into consistent cycling and lifting!!)

I should've written out as an explicit goal to go to bed by 9:30-10PM every night. I've been OK there but had a few slip-ups. It makes an incredible difference on how I feel and function.

Weight this morning is 260 pounds. It always feels great to see the scale move and it's a good sign, but I know this first 10 pound loss is the easiest (largely water/glycogen weight).

I haven't strictly tracked calories, but I'm pretty good at estimating (it helps that breakfast and lunch are very consistent), and I've been consuming roughly 2300-3000 per day. Will try to keep in that range, and will roughly adjust if sustained weight loss over the next ~2 months is too slow (<1 lb/week) or fast (>2 lbs/week)

January is over, and with it the temporary boost in motivation and mindfulness that many of us experience after the holiday and New Year. February and March is time to grind, stay strong everybody!
Back for another monthly update:

Again, all good on eating behavior and exercise goals. I managed OK through a 3 day vacation at a resort with a really good buffet (thankfully they had great meat and produce options), and a work deadline in early February - for the deadline, I had several nights where I overdid it a bit on granola bars to fuel writing at night, but it could be a lot worse.

For sleep, I've been slipping back a bit into later bedtimes - not terrible, but I know I feel much better with 8+ hours of sleep, vs the 6-7 that I've been drifting back towards.

I've also noticed some lingering soreness issues; I've fallen into a regular schedule of hard cardio on Thursday and Sunday, and a heavy lifting session on Saturday. I've noticed some slight lingering aches/pains that feel like more than just muscle soreness after lifting, so I need to continue to monitor that, and maybe lay off just a bit on heavy squatting. There's nothing worse for me than skipping workouts due a slight tweak in the knee or back. I love squatting 'heavy' and hate to limit it, but doing that in between hard cardio efforts has always been a challenge for me. Also, I'm not getting any younger, so maybe this is just what 40 feels like?

Weight this morning was 254. So still right on track there. It's a bit humbling as well, because this is roughly the point where I stumbled last year (I cut from ~270 to 257 over a few months, then got off track with a vacation and kids starting back to school). Aside from that brief period last year, I've been steadily gaining weight since 2020. I really want to find habits and routines that will stick with my current life situation.

This next month looks relatively low stress in terms of work and routines, so I aim to stay on this steady track. Hopefully it will start to warm up enough to get some outside runs/bike rides in.

Sending good vibes to everyone else in the struggle.
 
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RagingCloner

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Back for another monthly update:

Again, all good on eating behavior and exercise goals. I managed OK through a 3 day vacation at a resort with a really good buffet (thankfully they had great meat and produce options), and a work deadline in early February - for the deadline, I had several nights where I overdid it a bit on granola bars to fuel writing at night, but it could be a lot worse.

For sleep, I've been slipping back a bit into later bedtimes - not terrible, but I know I feel much better with 8+ hours of sleep, vs the 6-7 that I've been drifting back towards.

I've also noticed some lingering soreness issues; I've fallen into a regular schedule of hard cardio on Thursday and Sunday, and a heavy lifting session on Saturday. I've noticed some slight lingering aches/pains that feel like more than just muscle soreness after lifting, so I need to continue to monitor that, and maybe lay off just a bit on heavy squatting. There's nothing worse for me than skipping workouts due a slight tweak in the knee or back. I love squatting 'heavy' and hate to limit it, but doing that in between hard cardio efforts has always been a challenge for me. Also, I'm not getting any younger, so maybe this is just what 40 feels like?

Weight this morning was 254. So still right on track there. It's a bit humbling as well, because this is roughly the point where I stumbled last year (I cut from ~270 to 257 over a few months, then got off track with a vacation and kids starting back to school). Aside from that brief period last year, I've been steadily gaining weight since 2020. I really want to find habits and routines that will stick with my current life situation.

This next month looks relatively low stress in terms of work and routines, so I aim to stay on this steady track. Hopefully it will start to warm up enough to get some outside runs/bike rides in.

Sending good vibes to everyone else in the struggle.
Congrats on the progress so far!
 
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Althetuna

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Worked out every day in February less two. Rotation:
Day 1: Lift chest/abs WO #1
Day 2: Cardio run
Day 3: Lift shoulders/arms #1
Day 4: Cardio walk on major incline
Day 5: Lift back/legs #1
Day 6: Cardio walk minor incline (light workout)
Day 7: Lift chest/abs WO #2
Day 8: Cardio run
Day 9: Lift shoulders/arms #2
Day 10: Cardio walk on major incline
Day 11: Lift back/legs #2
Day 12: Cardio walk minor incline (light workout)

Lifting has been lower weight, higher reps. Knee and elbow have held up well.
 

ScottyP

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Worked out every day in February less two. Rotation:
Day 1: Lift chest/abs WO #1
Day 2: Cardio run
Day 3: Lift shoulders/arms #1
Day 4: Cardio walk on major incline
Day 5: Lift back/legs #1
Day 6: Cardio walk minor incline (light workout)
Day 7: Lift chest/abs WO #2
Day 8: Cardio run
Day 9: Lift shoulders/arms #2
Day 10: Cardio walk on major incline
Day 11: Lift back/legs #2
Day 12: Cardio walk minor incline (light workout)

Lifting has been lower weight, higher reps. Knee and elbow have held up well.
Excellent work! Nothing wrong with using the lower weight, higher reps as long as it’s challenging. I’ve tried doing a lower weight and doing each rep slowly, which was actually pretty challenging.
 
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madguy30

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Per lifting: switching to machine weights csn help to prevent injury and maintain control over the movement.

My dumbell free weight game has gone downhill.
 

BoxsterCy

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In a break from the gym bros dissing one another I thought I just throw in that I returned last night from 18 days of resort food in Mexico and gained no weight, even lost a couple poundskis. Did go to the resort gym three times a week and didn't' sit around drinking beer all day. Gym at first resort was okay, gym at 2nd was really nice.

Was interesting to see all of the old farts in the resort gym. Ten years ago one of these guys impressed than 60-something me and thought at that time "I want to be like him when I am 70". Well, he's still at it and now I am "I want to be like him when I am 80-something". No way you would think he is 85, not a chance in million you would guess that as his age.
 

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