New Year Resolution - Time For Some Self Control

[poanoi]

I'm down to 99 kg myself, but cant work out at the moment, so strength isn't going anywhere

[robblok]

I'm down to 99 kg myself, but cant work out at the moment, so strength isn't going anywhere

Great work, under 100 is always good.. its a psycological barrier.

[tropo]

I'm down to 99 kg myself, but cant work out at the moment, so strength isn't going anywhere

Great work, under 100 is always good.. its a psycological barrier.

LOL, that's used to be my goal - to break 100kg i.e. go higher.

[robblok]

I'm down to 99 kg myself, but cant work out at the moment, so strength isn't going anywhere

Great work, under 100 is always good.. its a psycological barrier.

LOL, that's used to be my goal - to break 100kg i.e. go higher.

For most people its the reverse but yea in your situation i get it.

I seem to be cruizing around 84-85 at the moment with increased food. Its not going up though im not pigging out but i decided to keep it here for a while to try to make it a set point. Anyway i do seem to become leaner strange but true. Also cut down on cardio a bit but that will come back soon enough once i figured it all out.

[poanoi]

This sux, i'm down to 96, which is good,

but after a month of inactivity my strength and arm size is gone altogether

[robblok]

This sux, i'm down to 96, which is good,

but after a month of inactivity my strength and arm size is gone altogether

That is bad indeed but the weight loss is good, strenght especially at that level is easy to get back

[SlyAnimal]

This sux, i'm down to 96, which is good,

but after a month of inactivity my strength and arm size is gone altogether

Nice to hear your weight is going down, even if you lost some muscle aswell.

Are you more after strength, muscle size, weight loss or definition?

Maybe if you can work out more what you're after and then try to find a way of measuring your progress and setting goals.

E.g. Maybe rather than just measuring your weight, maybe also use a tape measure to measure your straining and relaxed muscle size of the areas you're working on, then you can work out muscle size gains. Or measure your bodyfat (I'm not sure how, but I know there's a way, is it called a 1inch pinch test?) as a way of measuring estimated definition. Or measure your strength by testing your maximum weight over x reps etc.

Or ideally do a mixture of tests, to give you a bit of a full picture on your progress. As you have different goals to me, so while simply weighing myself is sufficient measurement of progress for me at present, you have different goals to me so need different measurement tools (although ill start measuring progress in other areas once I've met my initial weight loss goals).

As you need to measure your progress otherwise you'll potentially end up floundering aimlessly. As when you have to start doing the really hard yards, you need the motivation of seeing measurable progress, ideally recorded in a journal which records your daily exercise, daily food intake, weekly test results (some like weight you can measure every day) and a few notes about your training/diet etc. How much of that record is upto you, but the more you record the more you become aware of how your diet/exercise routines effect your goals/measurement tests. Also having to write into your journal/logbook when you don't train or when you cheat on your diet, will make you more mindful of them.

However in saying that, I ditched writing down my diet and additional notes as it was too much work and not measurable enough for me as i dont count calories. I only do my weight and training details now, usually with a time aswell for my runs (although I haven't run, or even exercised, much this month, I should get back home tomorrow though, and hopefully will get my focus back again)

[tropo]

There is no easy way to measure body fat. The best method doesn't seem to be available in Thailand - a DEXA scan.

The only other way is skin fold measurements. These are good as comparative measurements rather than absolute measurements. Once a month should be often enough to measure these as the change will be slow and such measurements are not very accurate.

No matter what your goal - losing weight or gaining muscle - these measurements are equally important. You may be losing weight, but that could be muscle too. Running is an extremely catabolic exercise and can strip quality muscle away quickly if you don't take steps to maintain it with resistance exercises. If you're not careful you could end up skinny-fat. i.e. skinny with a high body fat percentage.

Certainly losing fat is a lot easier than gaining muscle.

People tend to confuse skinny with lean. Most skinny people I know carry a higher percentage of body fat than I do at a body weight of over 100 kg. A skinny person can be obese in terms of body fat percentages.

We should be talking about losing fat, not losing body weight.

Edited March 31, 2013 by tropo

[Tolley]

There is no easy way to measure body fat. The best method doesn't seem to be available in Thailand - a DEXA scan.

The only other way is skin fold measurements. These are good as comparative measurements rather than absolute measurements. Once a month should be often enough to measure these as the change will be slow and such measurements are not very accurate.

No matter what your goal - losing weight or gaining muscle - these measurements are equally important. You may be losing weight, but that could be muscle too. Running is an extremely catabolic exercise and can strip quality muscle away quickly if you don't take steps to maintain it with resistance exercises. If you're not careful you could end up skinny-fat. i.e. skinny with a high body fat percentage.

Certainly losing fat is a lot easier than gaining muscle.

People tend to confuse skinny with lean. Most skinny people I know carry a higher percentage of body fat than I do at a body weight of over 100 kg. A skinny person can be obese in terms of body fat percentages.

We should be talking about losing fat, not losing body weight.

To be fair most people will never get their body fat as low as you but that doesn't mean that they are not healthy as you can have double your body fat and still be in good health.

I haven't been to the gym since I left Patts two and a half months ago and I have lost 4kilos. I have been playing squash so my legs are strong and don't seem much smaller but my upper body and arms have really shrunk. I cant work out if this is better or not as I have sure lost quite a bit of muscle but I think I have also lost a bit of fat so it is a difficult thing to judge. I weigh in at 80kgs now and I was around 84 before. I am thinking of returning to the gym tomorrow but I feel really good it is just that I look a bit weedy and don't feel so strong anymore.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Tolley

[thumbthrob]

Losing weight is a huge topic and these discussions can go on forever.

Here's my contributions to your plan:

1. The very first thing you should do is get some blood tests and check your blood sugar levels. I would suggest a fasting blood sugar test and an HbA1c test. You're carrying a lot of excess fat and there's a strong possibility that your glucose metabolism is impaired i.e. you have insulin resistance. If this is the case, if you modify your diet the right way you'll reach your goal easier.

2. Don't bother with the marathon run. Marathon runners don't weigh 90kg. They're usually skinny guys. That'll put too much stress on your back, hips, knees and ankles.

I'm not suggesting don't run. Running is one of the best fat burners - just don't take it to excess.

Good Luck Kiwi!

Are you a member elsewhere on a Thai based forum per chance?

Sorry to change the thread a bit...

Edited March 31, 2013 by thumbthrob

[tropo]

Are you a member elsewhere on a Thai based forum per chance?

Sorry to change the thread a bit...

No

[tropo]

There is no easy way to measure body fat. The best method doesn't seem to be available in Thailand - a DEXA scan.

The only other way is skin fold measurements. These are good as comparative measurements rather than absolute measurements. Once a month should be often enough to measure these as the change will be slow and such measurements are not very accurate.

No matter what your goal - losing weight or gaining muscle - these measurements are equally important. You may be losing weight, but that could be muscle too. Running is an extremely catabolic exercise and can strip quality muscle away quickly if you don't take steps to maintain it with resistance exercises. If you're not careful you could end up skinny-fat. i.e. skinny with a high body fat percentage.

Certainly losing fat is a lot easier than gaining muscle.

People tend to confuse skinny with lean. Most skinny people I know carry a higher percentage of body fat than I do at a body weight of over 100 kg. A skinny person can be obese in terms of body fat percentages.

We should be talking about losing fat, not losing body weight.

To be fair most people will never get their body fat as low as you but that doesn't mean that they are not healthy as you can have double your body fat and still be in good health.

I haven't been to the gym since I left Patts two and a half months ago and I have lost 4kilos. I have been playing squash so my legs are strong and don't seem much smaller but my upper body and arms have really shrunk. I cant work out if this is better or not as I have sure lost quite a bit of muscle but I think I have also lost a bit of fat so it is a difficult thing to judge. I weigh in at 80kgs now and I was around 84 before. I am thinking of returning to the gym tomorrow but I feel really good it is just that I look a bit weedy and don't feel so strong anymore.

Of course. Anything around 20% or under is probably healthy enough if we are to use body fat as a health guide. Older people are probably safer at 20% than 10% or under.

I think this thread is more about aesthetics than health.

From a health point of view, visceral fat is the most unhealthy type of fat. Unfortunately, to get the visceral fat into the healthy zone, limb fat probably has to be quite low as the visceral fat is harder to move.

My visceral fat was probably around 25% when my limb fat was around 10%. As I lost body fat the limbs stayed about the same as the visceral fat slowly reduced.

Of course everyone has different patterns of fat distribution so this will not apply to all. Visceral fat does become more prevalent as we age.

Edited March 31, 2013 by tropo

[robblok]

Tropo,

You should read a bit of Lyle Mc Donald he states that viceral fat goes before belly fat. Its not the hardest to remove, the fat on the lower back and legs is (if i recall) but viceral fat goes long before your in the single digits. I got a nice book removing stuborn fat, and the rapid fat loss diet. Both are great sources of information about fat and what kinds go first and how it works. The guy is great and well respected.

[Tolley]

There is no easy way to measure body fat. The best method doesn't seem to be available in Thailand - a DEXA scan.

The only other way is skin fold measurements. These are good as comparative measurements rather than absolute measurements. Once a month should be often enough to measure these as the change will be slow and such measurements are not very accurate.

No matter what your goal - losing weight or gaining muscle - these measurements are equally important. You may be losing weight, but that could be muscle too. Running is an extremely catabolic exercise and can strip quality muscle away quickly if you don't take steps to maintain it with resistance exercises. If you're not careful you could end up skinny-fat. i.e. skinny with a high body fat percentage.

Certainly losing fat is a lot easier than gaining muscle.

People tend to confuse skinny with lean. Most skinny people I know carry a higher percentage of body fat than I do at a body weight of over 100 kg. A skinny person can be obese in terms of body fat percentages.

We should be talking about losing fat, not losing body weight.

To be fair most people will never get their body fat as low as you but that doesn't mean that they are not healthy as you can have double your body fat and still be in good health.

I haven't been to the gym since I left Patts two and a half months ago and I have lost 4kilos. I have been playing squash so my legs are strong and don't seem much smaller but my upper body and arms have really shrunk. I cant work out if this is better or not as I have sure lost quite a bit of muscle but I think I have also lost a bit of fat so it is a difficult thing to judge. I weigh in at 80kgs now and I was around 84 before. I am thinking of returning to the gym tomorrow but I feel really good it is just that I look a bit weedy and don't feel so strong anymore.

Of course. Anything around 20% or under is probably healthy enough if we are to use body fat as a health guide. Older people are probably safer at 20% than 10% or under.

I think this thread is more about aesthetics than health.

From a health point of view, visceral fat is the most unhealthy type of fat. Unfortunately, to get the visceral fat into the healthy zone, limb fat probably has to be quite low as the visceral fat is harder to move.

My visceral fat was probably around 25% when my limb fat was around 10%. As I lost body fat the limbs stayed about the same as the visceral fat slowly reduced.

Of course everyone has different patterns of fat distribution so this will not apply to all. Visceral fat does become more prevalent as we age.

According to some research even if your fat levels are higher being active and fit negates a lot of the dangers of being overweight.

Conversely a lower body fat without physical activity may not keep that person very healthy.

[robblok]

There is no easy way to measure body fat. The best method doesn't seem to be available in Thailand - a DEXA scan.

The only other way is skin fold measurements. These are good as comparative measurements rather than absolute measurements. Once a month should be often enough to measure these as the change will be slow and such measurements are not very accurate.

No matter what your goal - losing weight or gaining muscle - these measurements are equally important. You may be losing weight, but that could be muscle too. Running is an extremely catabolic exercise and can strip quality muscle away quickly if you don't take steps to maintain it with resistance exercises. If you're not careful you could end up skinny-fat. i.e. skinny with a high body fat percentage.

Certainly losing fat is a lot easier than gaining muscle.

People tend to confuse skinny with lean. Most skinny people I know carry a higher percentage of body fat than I do at a body weight of over 100 kg. A skinny person can be obese in terms of body fat percentages.

We should be talking about losing fat, not losing body weight.

To be fair most people will never get their body fat as low as you but that doesn't mean that they are not healthy as you can have double your body fat and still be in good health.

I haven't been to the gym since I left Patts two and a half months ago and I have lost 4kilos. I have been playing squash so my legs are strong and don't seem much smaller but my upper body and arms have really shrunk. I cant work out if this is better or not as I have sure lost quite a bit of muscle but I think I have also lost a bit of fat so it is a difficult thing to judge. I weigh in at 80kgs now and I was around 84 before. I am thinking of returning to the gym tomorrow but I feel really good it is just that I look a bit weedy and don't feel so strong anymore.

Of course. Anything around 20% or under is probably healthy enough if we are to use body fat as a health guide. Older people are probably safer at 20% than 10% or under.

I think this thread is more about aesthetics than health.

From a health point of view, visceral fat is the most unhealthy type of fat. Unfortunately, to get the visceral fat into the healthy zone, limb fat probably has to be quite low as the visceral fat is harder to move.

My visceral fat was probably around 25% when my limb fat was around 10%. As I lost body fat the limbs stayed about the same as the visceral fat slowly reduced.

Of course everyone has different patterns of fat distribution so this will not apply to all. Visceral fat does become more prevalent as we age.

According to some research even if your fat levels are higher being active and fit negates a lot of the dangers of being overweight.

Conversely a lower body fat without physical activity may not keep that person very healthy.

Tolly,

Your comparing apples with oranges. You should either compare both with exercise or both without and then see what is healthier.

Of course its clear that exercise is healthy and negates some of the dangers but that does not mean its not better to loose some fat.

I also agree with 20% for older people is better as 10%

[Tolley]

Of course I think it is better to have lower body fat and be active but I suppose the point is that body fat is not the be all and end all when it comes to health.

[robblok]

Of course I think it is better to have lower body fat and be active but I suppose the point is that body fat is not the be all and end all when it comes to health.

I agree there bodyfat is just one of the things, but in general its a good indicator of things. But again not in everyone.

Anyway I think we do agree.

[tropo]

Tropo,

You should read a bit of Lyle Mc Donald he states that viceral fat goes before belly fat. Its not the hardest to remove, the fat on the lower back and legs is (if i recall) but viceral fat goes long before your in the single digits. I got a nice book removing stuborn fat, and the rapid fat loss diet. Both are great sources of information about fat and what kinds go first and how it works. The guy is great and well respected.

In my case the belly fat went before the visceral fat. Fat deposition varies a lot from person to person.

I should have said in my post above that visceral fat CAN be harder to move, not always. I think the visceral fat to subcutaneous fat ratio changes as we age. The proportion of visceral fat increases as we age. I believe insulin resistance is the cause.

Edited April 1, 2013 by tropo

[robblok]

Any updates ?

[SlyAnimal]

Yeah, while I've been on holiday my weight seems to have remained roughly stationary around 100kg (give or take upto 1kg).

Since I got back from Vietnam I've been regularly running (3-4 times a week) and occasionally rowing, and mostly sticking to my diet (although both exercise and diet have fallen by the wayside during songkran).

I think it's probably due to less activity during the day, since I'm not walking between classes etc and just "chilling out" all day lol. Likewise my sleeping patterns might be a cause, as I'm

Staying up late then sleeping in late.

I'm heading away to Chiang Mai for a week (am on the bus now), I've taken my running shoes etc with me incase its possible to do some exercise while I'm there. As I know that my weight will likely slide as both my exercise and diet will likely get left by the wayside.

So will have to see how things go. Hopefully whatever I gain while on holiday can be lost easily (I came back 3kg heavier when I got back from a week in Vietnam earlier this month, but once I got back into a routine of running etc, it slid off easily. Also it was largely simply from eating more so disappeared quickly when I scaled back how much I was eating).

[SlyAnimal]

Just thought I'd post an update

Over March / April my weight stayed pretty static around 100kg, give or take a little (more likely over than under though), as I wasn't doing as much exercise and wasn't eating healthily while I was travelling and celebrating songkran etc.

This week I've started getting back into a routine of running each day, and back into my diet. Today I weighed in at 99.0kg, which is probably a good place to start from, as it's the start of the month, and I'm weighing in at a nice round number. I'm going away for my teachers licencing exams this weekend, so won't be eating healthily or doing much exercise, but start back at work next week, which should help with establishing a routine again.

[Tolley]

Just thought I'd post an update

Over March / April my weight stayed pretty static around 100kg, give or take a little (more likely over than under though), as I wasn't doing as much exercise and wasn't eating healthily while I was travelling and celebrating songkran etc.

This week I've started getting back into a routine of running each day, and back into my diet. Today I weighed in at 99.0kg, which is probably a good place to start from, as it's the start of the month, and I'm weighing in at a nice round number. I'm going away for my teachers licencing exams this weekend, so won't be eating healthily or doing much exercise, but start back at work next week, which should help with establishing a routine again.

You have made a good start by trying to do something but from your posts it doesn't seem that you are really committed to a change of lifestyle.

It seems all a bit half hearted and destined not to be a long term success unless you change your attitude.

[SlyAnimal]

You have made a good start by trying to do something but from your posts it doesn't seem that you are really committed to a change of lifestyle.

It seems all a bit half hearted and destined not to be a long term success unless you change your attitude.

lol, I relaxed when I got to half of my 12 month weight loss goal, in only 2 months. Then over my summer holidays, I maintained my weight, even though my routine had been broken, and my "lifestyle" took over. Which is a good sign, as it shows that my lifestyle has changed enough, that it's maintaining a steady weight, rather than increasing it.

I've now started getting back into my routine, and with 8 months, in which to lose 9kg. I am still definitely on target to achieve my primary goal, of 90kg (a total weight loss of 22kg), before the end of this year.

So I really don't think that I'm being half hearted, or that I need a change of attitude.

I don't have the right attitude to be a body builder, or a world class athlete, but that's alright, as neither of these are my goals. My goals are to lose some weight and maybe run a marathon, that's enough for me at the moment.

[poanoi]

I'm still at it, but i strained my elbow,

anyone...err tropo got experience ? how long can my elbow be expected to be messed up ?

or rather, it is above and below the elbow, in triceps and the tendon below elbow

Edited May 23, 2013 by poanoi

[tropo]

I'm still at it, but i strained my elbow,

anyone...err tropo got experience ? how long can my elbow be expected to be messed up ?

or rather, it is above and below the elbow, in triceps and the tendon below elbow

I wish I had an answer. Believe it or not I'm suffering from a messed up forearm just below the elbow. It hurts whenever I grip something. Even a glass of water.

I would suggest active recovery where you use very light weights to keep the blood circulating and trying to keep as much strength in the injured areas as possible. Total rest doesn't always work as the injuries can stagnate. I've had injuries persist through 6 months of layoff in the past. Swimming can be a very successful way to get rid of weight training injuries.

Mine's a grip injury and very difficult to get around, but triceps injuries can sometimes be worked around by changing the exercises and angles.

One thing is certain....if you keep hurting it in the gym it will only get worse. Voltarin can be useful in the short term... by tablet and/or topical cream. Warming up very thoroughly will also help. Something caused the injury in the first place, so understanding the cause could help in preventing it in the future.

Edited May 24, 2013 by tropo

[poanoi]

Can the shoulder w/o that looks like i'm attempting to fly like a bird cause problems with shoulders ?

it didnt happen when i was young but now my shoulders ache like hell all the time,

inside in the joint, with some occasional sound

Edited June 17, 2013 by poanoi

[poanoi]

I have so much pain & injuries so i cant continue unless i start to warm up,

but the catch is my back cant last a warm-up,

i have about 5 min. window of opportunity before my back is messed up,

so that pretty much exclude treadmill & rowing,

suggestion that does not include standing ?

[robblok]

I have so much pain & injuries so i cant continue unless i start to warm up, but the catch is my back cant last a warm-up, i have about 5 min. window of opportunity before my back is messed up, so that pretty much exclude treadmill & rowing, suggestion that does not include standing ?

As others stated the rowing machine is a good way to warmup. I really think it wont mess your back up unless you go all out on it.

[SlyAnimal]

Just thought if have a quick update.

Just finished the Pattaya Half Marathon.

It wasn't fast, but its my first one and I'm

happy just to have finished.

It has also dampened any aspirations of me running a full marathon this year though lol (although you never know lol, if I step up my training and run another half marathon I might consider it lol, but probably not this year).

I've still managed to keep to my maximum 2 beers per day (Although due to friends moving away from Thailand, this hasn't been much of a challenge lol, since I very rarely drink these days anyway lol)

And my weight is around the 97-98kg mark, which is still on track with my initial goal, but starting to fall behind a little. I'm not too concerned though, as I've been more focused on preparing for this half marathon lately rather than having a large calorie deficit.

Anywho figured I'd give an update, as its been quite a while since I last did so.

[robblok]

Thanks I was curious if you had given up or gone on with it.

Its good to know your still into it it takes time and dedication.