How Can I Loose More Weight?

[snowflake]

Hi,

I first posted here last year when I started to run seriously every day... I can now do about 8KM a day, everyday in 40 min. I have stopped drinking all the coke( I have had 2L since new years, down from 1L a day)... and I eat food that I cook at home, not always the healthiest option, but I have to eat and I like nice food... This way I know atleast what I eat...

Here is a normal day for me...

I wake up at 0500( to go for a run)

I have breakfast with a friend (some breadthing I buy with water/coke (small bottle not finished)

I go to work and I walk all day in school)

When I get home I watch TV untill 1700 when I go joggin with a friend (he calls it jogging, I call it walking but I get a sweat out of it)

Then I go home and cook dinner (spaghetti with a meat sauce/ or chicken wings from CP)

I eat dinner at 1900 most days...

That is the last I eat for the day and I either go out or watch TV untill 2300, then I go to bed...

My question is, why am I not loosing more weight? I have not done this much and I eat less than before???

Can anyone please explain in plain English what is happening?

I do have to say that I feel much better these days and I do not feel as fat as I used too... Still, looking at the bubbly body I have, I do wish it was a bit smaller! Any ideas?

(PS... Do not mess with the food, I do not believe in diets, they work for the time you are on it but once you are off, the KG comes back)...

[bangla]

how tall are you and how much do you weigh?

if you don't want a blubby body then you might have to consider working out insteqad of just running (which is bad for your knees if you're to heavy anyways)

[chiang mai]

I agree, perhaps if you introduce an element of resistance or weight training into your exercise schedule you will begin to convert some of the fat into muscle, however, it sounds like you will still need to make burning calories a priority as well. At some point in this thread, someone will come along and tell you that calories in versus calories burnt results in an excess of fat and the only real way to address that is with your diet - rather than go on a diet why not consider adjusting your diet in stages and making those steps permanent. May be step one would be, no food after 7pm at the latest. Step two might be, no more than 1L of coke a month. Step 3 might be, a large meal at lunch time and a low carbohydrate meal in the evening. Somehow though I sense that the introduction of muscle building routines into your exercise schedule might be all that you require for the time being. For what it's worth I believe that the things you are trying to do should be done in small discreet stages rather than trying to go all out for a a large loss of weight via a radical diet, that approach tends to get undone very quickly, as you have found out.

[snowflake]

Thanks, I am going to join the gym next month... I am too busy this month (no excuse, I have to work extra and I am finished at 1900...

Next month I was thinking of starting out at the gym 3-4 days a week, not focusing on the cardio, but the streghtening/toning side.

Should I go high weights few reps or low weight and many reps, which is better? When I worked out before I used to prefer 4 reps of 20... and once a week, 3 progressive reps of 20, increase weight 10 reps, increase weight max reps... Used to work well, not big muscles but strong... (I have always been stronger than I look)...

Please advice on that...

I am about 187cm... and I weigh 120+Kg... atleast last time I weighed myself (long time ago)...

I know I am too heavy to run, but I feel great after 5KM... I don't want to stop running, my goal is 15K 3 times a week, I just have to lose more weight first...

I do not want to do the diet thing, I try to eat my main meal earlier than before and not much other than water or fruits in the evening (if I want a snack)...

The 1L of coke a month is never going to work, I like it, and I still want to eat what I want when I want (Maybe it will change inthe future), it might not be the way to go, but I don't want to stop living just because I want to lose weight...

Thanks for your answers and it confirmed something I have thought a long time... (Hit the dumb bells)...

[quiksilva]

I dont believe in fad diets either. At the end of the day whichever way you do it your goal should be to eat less calories than you burn in one day.

Your doing plenty of exercise which is great, if you won't do more exercise you must address your diet if you want to shift more weight.

The simplest way to do this is to count your calories.

Most adult males need no more than 2,000 Kcals a day to maintain their weight. Eat less than this and lose weight. Or burn more.

1500 Kcals a day works for me and I still get three square meals a day and no dramatic impact on my eating habits, and I go to the gym 3 times a week and the weight has been dropping at a nice steady pace.

If you dont want to change your eating habits you'll just have to burn more.

Personally I think its far easier to reduce consumption of Kcals than it is to burn that much in exercise. The immediate benefit of a 30 minute run is about 130 Kcals or about as much as a pack of crisps. Although you do burn about the same amount as that again after exercise has completed, it still is not that much. But if you do that and then drop consumptions by the same amount each day, you should see more results.

Oh and keep evening meals small (I personally dont eat starch after 6pm on weeknights, weekends I do what I please and still lose weight Why not switch to Coke Zero its tastes pretty good and relatively it is much better for you.

Edited January 13, 2010 by quiksilva

[snowflake]

This month is a bit special since I have taken more work... My normal days do not fit into this pattern... But I do run every morning at 0500!!

[12DrinkMore]

Thanks, I am going to join the gym next month... I am too busy this month (no excuse, I have to work extra and I am finished at 1900...

Then buy some weights and lift at home. You don't need fancy machines.

Next month I was thinking of starting out at the gym 3-4 days a week, not focusing on the cardio, but the streghtening/toning side.

Should I go high weights few reps or low weight and many reps, which is better? When I worked out before I used to prefer 4 reps of 20... and once a week, 3 progressive reps of 20, increase weight 10 reps, increase weight max reps... Used to work well, not big muscles but strong... (I have always been stronger than I look)...

Please advice on that...

Try a mix, but 20 reps is too many. Try 3 lots of 5-6 reps for each exercise, aiming to just complete the last rep. Concentrate on form.

I do not want to do the diet thing, I try to eat my main meal earlier than before and not much other than water or fruits in the evening (if I want a snack)...

The 1L of coke a month is never going to work, I like it, and I still want to eat what I want when I want (Maybe it will change inthe future), it might not be the way to go, but I don't want to stop living just because I want to lose weight...

Sorry to give you the bad news, but unless what you want to eat is healthy, then eating what you want when you want is never going to work. The only way is to aim for a new lifelong lifestyle, nothing else has any long term benefits, might as well accept obesity.

No 7/11 snacks, no odd bits of oily fried chicken from the market. As an encouragement, after a while you will find that it gets much easier to give up all this unnecessary crap.

Instead of one main meal, switch to spreading the meal over the day.

There are lots of websites, here is one that has no adverts and talks a lot of common sense.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/

[SeanMoran]

Muscle weighs much more than fat. You're on the way to running 4 minute kays once you get to 10km in 40 minutes. That's A-grade marathon quality.

Be happy with the work you're doing. The clock doesn't lie. You're fit!

[sceadugenga]

I've found calorie counting works for me, along with a balanced diet. It means you can treat yourself on occasions.

I'm down more than 40kg in nearly 18 months, the last 10 I want to lose are harder but I'm doing it without any pain now.

Exercise about 8-10 kms walking the dog in two sessions every day. No sweet drinks and booze is poison, puts on weight and destroys will power.

[eurasianthai]

The dinner is probably the problem.

Eat earlier in the evening and avoid carbs for dinner.

But you should probably eat more during the day.

[bangkokrick]

Eat little and often. This way your metabolic rate will remain high and burn the fat. As someone already mentioned, muscle weighs heavier than fat so you should see the inches reducing rather than the weight. I think that also you should consider swimming if you think that you are too heavy to run. This kind of exercise is more friendly on the knee joints. I agree that lifting weights is also must if you want to get fit. I personally used to do 3 X 8 reps per exercise and the maximum workout time should be no more than 40 min's per session.

Cheers, Rick

[123ace]

Simple:

1. Use more cals than you consume and you will see weight loss. the 2,000 k's per day is an absurd quideline put out by the US food industry.

2. Keep running. Adopt felxible running styles such a sprinting between lamp posts, or 20 seconds burts followed by 20 second jogs, for 5 mins etc. Your body is used to running an dif you stop you may balloon!

3. This 'fartlek' style will shock the system and potentially burn fat at a far acceleted rate, and will much improve your running performance.

4. Eat late if you want, the dont eat after 7pm is for sedentary people. It is so irrelevant for an athlete. 3 meals a day is not ideal 5 - 6 small meals is better - so enjoy yr snacks.

5. You will probably injure self doing weights and may burn less cals - certainly when compared with running. It helps building muscle mass but that takes time, burning fat can be done in days - literally a few days.

6. You will have heard about carbs etc - try eating none, literally 100% none for a week only and you will shed kilo's. During this week eat what ever else you want, so need to feel starved and empty.

7. Beer is a shocker - but who cares.

[ronz28]

Maybe u eat 2 mutt ... and don't realize it. I found an easy calorie/nutrition tracking program that automates keeping track of calories I consume that is promoted by Lance Armstrong called Livestrong at http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/

My doctor tells me just don't eat.... but when you do... eat fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, etc. because labels on prepared foods are too misleading and restaurants may use sugar, salt, etc. that you don't need.

Sounds like your running routine is great!

[gmac]

Snowflake quote "(PS... Do not mess with the food, I do not believe in diets, they work for the time you are on it but once you are off, the KG comes back)..."

That ain't necessarily so! I had been weighing around 93 kilo's for a number of years but every visit to a doctor for a check-up or minor ailment came back with a regular "high blood pressure and you're a bit overweight" so, middle of last year I decided to do something about it. I dieted for 3 months eating mainly chicken and salad stuff, cut out coke and coffee and drank water, exercised regularly, only an hours walk and maybe 30 minutes swim per day, but in that 3 months I lost 15 kilo's.

Now 3 months later my weight is staying a pretty constant 78-79 kilo's, I'm back to eating crap, still walk most days but haven't swum for several weeks and the weight is staying off. I do keep an eye on it but really, if you were at a constant weight before dieting then go back to your original eating pattern afterwards, there is no real reason why the weight should come back. Maybe you need to cut back a few calories to take into account your slightly lesser body mass but other than that it does seem to work. Might be worth a try if the exercise alone isn't doing it for you.

Good Luck.

[hhgz]

"Do not mess with the food..."

You need to change your relationship with food. Rather than a "best friend", beer should be a mere acquaintance.

[terenceyeo]

it is nothing to do with 5am or 5pm run.

it has something to do with food intake.

try taking less carbo, less meat, and more vegetables.

[babuhavas]

Try yoga

[dmax]

mumbai, 5000 uk pounds, www.forerunnersinhealth.com gastric sleeve op ..... i lost 28 kilos in 1 yr

[czGLoRy]

its not about eating less, its about eating better. Your diet seems pretty terrible (coke, chicken wings, spaghetti). You should be eating things that are nutricious , and generally avoid anything wthat comes with a label (or would come if you bought it at a store). You said your a runner, so if you need a better source of carbs try things like potatoes. Nts fruit, vegetables chicken . Reading starting strength and follow the program.

[snowflake]

I will this vacation, starting March 8th go on a diet as well...

I have tried to eat smaller meals, but 6 times every day...

0800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

could anyone tell me exactly what to eat? Dont say chicken as that can also mean KFC!!!

I keep getting more busy work wise as well, but come March 8th... I will go to the gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday...

I would love to go to try YOGA, but down here in NST there is only one place that offers it (I can't go there... Female instructor(long story))...

Thanks for all your comments...

I have lately started to make a soup, do you think it is healthy?

600G beef

6 large potatoes

3 large carrots

3 large onions

1 large White cabbage

1 small Red cabbage

Some parsly...

Made with loads of water with chicken stock

What do you think???

[Mighty Mouse]

You may not have lost too much weight with your running routine but how much size have you lost?

Forget the scales and start looking at the tape measure. With your feet together and hands by your side, get somebody to measure around your shoulders, your chest (nipple height), your waist, each thigh, each calf, each bicep (flexed). Write it down and measure again at the end of each month. Don't pull the tape too tight whilst measuring. Try to get the same person to measure each month.

You are probably worried about your waist measurements. Start doing body crunches.........lots of 'em. You can do heaps during your jogging routine....stop, get on your back and do crunches....50, 60, 70 until you get a real burn. Relax for a minute, get up and start jogging again. Find another location to stop and do more crunches.

Do leg raises...lots of them too.

If you decide to go to the gym, don't stop the jogging routine. Do a low weight, high repetition work out. If they have a rowing machine, use it. Minimal break between each exercise. Stop long enough to be able to breathe almost normally and start the next exercise. By the end of the routine you should be covered in sweat.

Food, no fried chicken, lots of fresh salads, lots of fruit, (as much as you like) no snacks in between meals, drink a lot of water, especially before meals (helps to deter hunger)

No soft drink, (too much sugar) drink fruit juice, (freshly squeezed).

You are getting fitter with what you are now doing, so just intensify the current routine a little.

Hear from you next month. Good luck.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Mighty Mouse

[czGLoRy]

The soup is okay and sounds like a pretty big improvement over what you have been eating. Try throwing some peppers (spicey or not) in the soup, very nutricious and delicious. Beef isn't healthy, I think it is one of the worst meats you could eat. Try chicken (not KFC or fish, or seafood.

You could basically eat an unlimited amount of vegetables and not think about it and be helping yourself out. Find vegetables that are easy to eat and you enjoy. If you don't like plain vegetables you can think of more creative ways to prepare them that are still healthy. Things like carrots, celery with a small amount of peanut butter and/or raisins, salads are great. Same with fruits, bananas, apples, oranges, and any fruit you see really from the local fruit dealers are all solid.

If you had to eat as few things as you possibly could I would think something like

Any vegetables in any quantity

Almost any fruit in any quantity (debatable)

Fish

Chicken

Eggs

Imagine you own a modest plot of land and have to grow all of your own food. Say it is a 100 meter plot of land and you are a talented farmer. If you could never leave to get things from the market, and were stuck here for the rest of your life, what foods would be at your disposal? Avoid dairy (except eggs) and limit the pork and beef, and eat what you like. Is this meal you are about to eat from your imaginary farm? Lets check: KFC -- close, no cigar. Snickers bar- Nope. Big mac- we have te beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoe, but not processed bread. Also should limit the intake of the beef and not really eat cheese. Nope. Should be a reasonable way to check if you should eat these things.

Soup, do you have all these ingredients? Yes! but should limit the beef, so maybe substitute it with chicken? Its okay though.

Nuts are a great source of carbs, protein, and most have a good amount of fiber. Things like almonds with seasonings (like salt or a modest spice powder) are great healthy snacks (of course I know salt isn't healthy for the nits but substuting salted nuts for a big mac is even a reduction in just sodium intake by itself).

Fruits are delicious and there are cheap fruit vendors everywhere. The mangoes with peppers (not the sugar) are great and very healthy, papayas are probably the healthiest that I see in their carts often. also, drinking a lot of water during the day and especially before meals is great advice. Will help you eat less when you "feel hungry". Most people are dehydrated anyways, so you will also feel a lot better if this is true in your case as well.

So eat food from your farm. Vegetables, fruits, eggs, chicken, fish, water.

You are allowed to eat these, and just these . Enjoy!

Set aside a cheat day, one day a week where you can eat whatever you like. If you stay true to eating healthy throughout the week, you will get a day to look forward to that will help your urges to eat a doughnut or whatever. When you stay with the diet long enough, you will eventually realize you are feeling a lot worse on your cheat day, and dread it, then cut it out altogether.

Also, most people overlook what they drink. If you drink starbucks, a lot of their coffees can have around 700 calories each. If you are drinking this daily, that is a huge source. Try straight black coffee, artificial sweeteners, or cut out the coffee altogether.

Alcohol is also calorie packed. Doing straight shots is a more efficient, and less calorie intensive way to get hammered

Rambling a lot, best of luck!

I saw the bit about weight lifting, don't listen to anyone about weight lifting until you look into starting strength. If you did research, you would find that until you are a pretty sesasoned weight lifter, there is nothing that is even CLOSE to as good or effective. Its also a very quick program and takes like 30 minutes every other day. Don't know if I can link it, but just google "starting strength".

If you want to eat whatever you like, and not diet, just think of healthy substitions you won't mind. The coke is a huge problem in your diet and if you can cut one thing out, coke would almost certainly be the best to get rid of. 1 litre of coke is 400 calories per day. Roughly 7,000 calories per kilogram. That means over the course of the year, coke is "costing" you 20.85 kilograms! That means, drop the coke starting TODAY, and keep your diet exactly the same. In one year, you would be roughly 21 kilos lighter. Obviously a rough example and there are a load of variables, but think about it.

Is a litre of coke a day worth even 10 kilos to you per year? And if you are not burning these off, they will become EXTRA weight in the future.

Edited February 20, 2010 by czGLoRy

[czGLoRy]

also the last reply about doing crunches and leg exercises to spot reduce is pretty ridiculous, as is implying you shouldn't be able to breathe normally while working out. Also, low weight high reps is not going to help more than burning calories and wasting time. Its impossible to spot reduce. Starting strength is a higher weight lower rep program that will work out your entire body and give you a better fat to muscle mass ratio. And having more muscle means having a better metabolism.

Before beginning any specific exercise regimine, do some research on forums and stuff like that if you want to be productive in the gym. Yoga is awesome too btw, and starting strength is not just if you want to get "ripped" and lift 1000 kg, although it can do that for you if you wanted too.

[dmax]

go join a mauy thai gym and it is garanteed to fall off !

[snowflake]

thanks guys...

I will make new batch of soup tomorrow but i will use chicken instead of beef... I will not stop running when i start my weight training... I will just add on.. My short term goal for march month is to do 100 situps/ pushups/squats every day... Then increase more over time...

I know that the coke is my problem, but i just cant stop... After a few days i feel all like shit with bad headaches for hours... The only thing i have to replace it with is sun quick, not sure how much better that is...

The final battle has begun against the kilos now... I want to look good on my birthday this september, liposucktion is not really an option...

I have a before picture, and there will be a september picture, and yes... I have gotten smaller, even after a few days of pizza and whiskeys...

Thanks agai and i will try to follow your advices...

[czGLoRy]

caffeine is your problem, not coke specifically.

try substituting it with a healthier caffeine source. or, if you can and want to you can try to kick the addiction to caffeine. I believe caffeine is about as addictive as cocaine, and it has withdrawll symptoms. You can replace coke with, dare I say, diet coke, or something like black coffee. I am addicted to caffeine myself, the one time I quit for a month I felt a lot better. I am not an expert on it, but when you first drink caffeine it elevates your energy level, increases alertness, raises blood pressure, heart rate etc. A lot of beneficial effects and some minor side effects. When you drink caffeine regularly, you build up a tolerance and lower the effect. At the same time, being addicted to caffeine lowers your "base level" of energy. So, you have less energy than you normally would if you were not using caffeine at all. After you drink caffeine, you return to your base leve of energy or above it depending on how much you take. So, quitting caffeine is pretty difficult. Try squatting with real weights. The starting strength is basically

3x5 Squat (3 sets of 5)

3x5 Bench press

1x5 deadlift

on day "a"

then day "b

3x5 Squat

3x5 military press

3x5 pendlay row

Monday day A, wednesday day B, friday day A etc. up to you. It really is hands down the best way to go about a lifting program as a newbie, but at least look into it!

thanks guys...

I will make new batch of soup tomorrow but i will use chicken instead of beef... I will not stop running when i start my weight training... I will just add on.. My short term goal for march month is to do 100 situps/ pushups/squats every day... Then increase more over time...

I know that the coke is my problem, but i just cant stop... After a few days i feel all like shit with bad headaches for hours... The only thing i have to replace it with is sun quick, not sure how much better that is...

The final battle has begun against the kilos now... I want to look good on my birthday this september, liposucktion is not really an option...

I have a before picture, and there will be a september picture, and yes... I have gotten smaller, even after a few days of pizza and whiskeys...

Thanks agai and i will try to follow your advices...