Himu is tired of being overweight. Help him!

[Himu]

IT'S OVER. I'M DONE. 

I PLAN ON LOSING 60 POUNDS BY THE END OF THE YEAR. NO MORE TACO BELL. NO MORE!!!

I don't know what the hell I'm doing!

This is my current diet:

I'm not counting calories but I'm feeling healthier already now that I'm changing my diet.

I eat a simple banana or low fat/calorie breakfast bar for breakfast, salad and/or veggies for lunch, and light meat with salad and some veggies for dinner.

I tend to drink a bottle of water at every meal. I've been doing that throughout the week and I'm feeling much healthier already.

As for the exercise side of things. Tonight I started my exercise plan: rotate between power walking and jogging for an hour. I did pretty well and I swear I'm feeling pretty good and energetic right now. Thing is, when I jogged my legs got cramped up FAST. I can only do it for so long because of this.

However, I know nothing about toning or anything. At the end of the day I want to be fit, muscular and have a body similar to this:



Unfortunately I have no access to weights now. Would you guys suggest doing sit ups and push ups in the mean time? If so, how many should I do at a time?

I need some help guys! I'm trying to turn my life around!

[drew]

http://www.sixpacknow.com/six_pack_abs.jpg

smh

Are you sure you really want to look like that?  Being that ripped screams douchebag.   
Plus you have to devot your life to fitness, which is not cool.  Think about it.

[Eric P]

hi

i lost 50 pounds and six inches off my waist line last year and a half

here's how i did it.

walk, don't run.  you can really mess up your joints.  even with jogging

start off small.  i started doing a mile a day before work.  by the end of the year i was doing 6 miles in an hour every day

you have to want it

you have to really really want it because it's easy as shit to get lazy and complacent and "skip just one day"

i hit a depressed streak where nothing in my life was going right at all and i just stopped.  i've been eating like shit and haven't exercised in a long ass time and i've been on track to regain all the weight i've lossed.

so don't do that.

because i can't start back up again for the life of me.

[Himu]

I have the will, and I really want to do it! Himu is trying to turn his life around for the better!

[Powerslave]

i hit a depressed streak where nothing in my life was going right at all and i just stopped.  i've been eating like shit and haven't exercised in a long ass time and i've been on track to regain all the weight i've lossed.

so don't do that.

because i can't start back up again for the life of me.

you're still in this streak?

[Cormacaroni]

Ah-hah! A topic i can sink my teeth into!

Naturally, if you have access to Wii Fit, you should do that exclusively  

Seriously, all the answers you need right now can be found at:

http://crossfit.com/

http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/start-how.html

as Coach says:

'World-Class Fitness in 100 Words:
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports. '

The 'What is Fitness' pdf linked to at the bottom is a great overview of the theory too.

It's all very hardcore and intimidating at first glance, but it really is possible to start this stuff from zero...just takes a bit of research and preparation first. Remember that the official workouts are aimed at ELITE athletes and it may take you months or even years to work up to just being able to complete them as prescribed, never mind crushing them like the folks in the videos.

I started off by doing this programme for about 6 weeks:

http://www.simplefit.org/bodyweight-exercises.html

Been at Crossfit for about 7 months now, haven't missed training for anything other than a week or so 'cause of the flu. At age 36, I'm rapidly morphing from a cubicle slug into a lean wall of muscle. It's fun as hell too, especially once you get some friends doing it too to get the competitive juices flowing. You don't even need a gym membership for this stuff if you get some basic equipment. Even if you can't, the bodyweight stuff alone can keep you busy for years.

Also, don't listen to any nonsense DCharlie may tell you about 'running' and 'treadmills'.  

[Mupepe]

i told you!  Eat well and get your heart rate up for 30 minutes a day.  fuck man, just do some sit ups and pushups.  you KNOW how to exercise.  We were taught that since 3rd grade!  you can do it!

[BamYouHaveAids]

join fitday.com it's free and allows you to see how many calories you burn and intake daily.

toning is a buzz term that means nothing.

if you want muscle definition the only way to get it is to burn fat. don't you go to an university? they don't have a gym there?

[Eric P]

then seriously start slow and cook all your meals.

don't go out to eat.

i allowed myself one day a week where i could eat whatever i wanted within reason to remind myself why i was doing it

so don't be afraid to do that.  but you should really walk that day.

judging by your picture, don't worry about extreme cardio or anything like that.  it may be too hard and you may get discouraged early.

what i would do is get home from work and immediately change into my work out clothes and hit the outdoors so i wouldn't even have a chance to take a break to think about getting lazy.

once you do something for 30 days, it's pretty much ingrained and it's easy peasey, but the GREAT news is that you'll start to feel results in two weeks.  that's two weeks of at least 20 minutes with an accelerated heart rate.

that's the bare minimum.  anything after that is bonus, esp when you first start out. 

so try to incriment it.  20 minutes the first week, then 30 minutes the rest of the month, then 45.

as your muscles get used to it, you'll actually start to go faster and farther within the time period.

get an mp3 player if you can.  get books on mp3 or podcasts to pass the time, because i'll admit, when i was going for an hour, i got so freaking bored some times

[Eric P]

you're still in this streak?
[/quote]

yeah, it's horrible

work is so bad that i just come home and want to die

so i lay in my bed and read or surf the net or game

2007 was not a good year for me at all

[TVC15]

No matter how much you exercise, you won't be that white, Himumu.

I suggest some delicious pomegranates.

[Eric P]

join fitday.com it's free and allows you to see how many calories you burn and intake daily.

in my experience it's GREAT for tracking caloric intake, but horrible for an accurate view of "spent" calories

[Cormacaroni]

This thread needs more pics of fat bastards. Come on you spineless slugs, it'll be motivational! You can look back in 6 months and we'll all just laugh (sending our bulletproof abs into paroxysms)

[Powerslave]

Eric I'm in the same or even worse position. I am procrastinating on everything, ugh it's actually safe to say that I'm not doing anything these last few months and my condition is just awful. I eat and sleep bad, and pretty much never do an outside activity.

[Phoenix Dark]

Boneless/skinless chicken breasts son. You should eat it everyday. Get a Foreman grill and some nice spices - it's healthy and gives the body what it needs. Also, eat your tuna. You don't have to eat it everyday, but try to eat some 3 days a week I guess. Drink LOTS of water. No more pop/bad juice, unless it's as a reward a couple times a week. Don't drink OJ: eat an orange. V8 may be nasty but it's good for you: drink it. And if the veggie one is too nasty for you, try V8 Splash which is awesome. Also, EAT NUTS. Great protein

I'm not a fan of running so I walk. I just get my iPod and walk all the way downtown, then walk back.

I wouldn't start weights yet. Get started with cardio - the walking, treadmill, etc. That will give you the stamina and confidence to move to weights.

[Himu]

Eric I'm in the same or even worse position. I am procrastinating on everything, ugh it's actually safe to say that I'm not doing anything these last few months and my condition is just awful. I eat and sleep bad, and pretty much never do an outside activity.

Welcome to my life for a period of 5 years!

[Himu]

I wouldn't start weights yet. Get started with cardio - the walking, treadmill, etc. That will give you the stamina and confidence to move to weights.

I will have to buy an annual pass at the local gym. Costs about 150 or something iirc. I guess it'll be worth it in the long run!

[BamYouHaveAids]

join fitday.com it's free and allows you to see how many calories you burn and intake daily.

in my experience it's GREAT for tracking caloric intake, but horrible for an accurate view of "spent" calories

well, yeah, the spent calorie portion tries to be too all-inclusive and isn't specific enough; the options are just too general, but for basic exercises like walking and running i think it is a decent tracker.

[drew]

Boneless/skinless chicken breasts son. You should eat it everyday. Get a Foreman grill and some nice spices - it's healthy and gives the body what it needs. Also, eat your tuna. You don't have to eat it everyday, but try to eat some 3 days a week I guess. Drink LOTS of water. No more pop/bad juice, unless it's as a reward a couple times a week. Don't drink OJ: eat an orange. V8 may be nasty but it's good for you: drink it. And if the veggie one is too nasty for you, try V8 Splash which is awesome. Also, EAT NUTS. Great protein

I'm not a fan of running so I walk. I just get my iPod and walk all the way downtown, then walk back.

I wouldn't start weights yet. Get started with cardio - the walking, treadmill, etc. That will give you the stamina and confidence to move to weights.

Do all of this plus amphetamines and you'll be thin in no time.  ;D

[Eric P]

i didn't start with weights until about 5 months after i started walking and that was just doing curls and reverse curls with some simple stuff like that

no diet soda, btw.  the artificial sweeteners trigger an insulin response even though there's no sugar which in turns causes you to store energy in fat instead of burn it

stick to tea, coffee and juice, but not a lot of juice.  there's not much fiber to suck up the sugars

READ THE LABEL OF EVERYTHING YOU EAT.

if it says HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP you dump that shit

there is a lot of stuff on the grocery store shelves which are marketed as 100 calorie snack packs DO NOT GET THOSE.  they're really horrible for you though they're only 100 calories.

instead, check out the south beach diet foods from kraft.  they make two kinds of cracker two kinds of cookie and several wraps you can just eat for lunch.  they also make "salads" but those are kind of nasty.

ignore lettuce, eat spinach.  baby spinach if you can.  broccoli crowns with baby spinach are excellent.  fiber and greens. 

[Phoenix Dark]

I wouldn't start weights yet. Get started with cardio - the walking, treadmill, etc. That will give you the stamina and confidence to move to weights.

I will have to buy an annual pass at the local gym. Costs about 150 or something iirc. I guess it'll be worth it in the long run!

Fuck that. You go to U of Flordia right? Hell even if you don't...your school should have a free gym. Just don't be intimiadated by the atheletes in there :/

[Eric P]

I wouldn't start weights yet. Get started with cardio - the walking, treadmill, etc. That will give you the stamina and confidence to move to weights.

I will have to buy an annual pass at the local gym. Costs about 150 or something iirc. I guess it'll be worth it in the long run!

VETO VETO VETO

unless you live where it's cold as balls right now you don't need a gym.

you need sweat pants.

don't pay to use the gym when you're starting out because you won't be using most of the gym services

pay when you're committed.  pay when you're a few months in

[Himu]

I don't go to U of F

Okay. I'm going to get up at 6 am every morning. IF I'M GOING TO BE MUSLIM, I NEED TO BE ACCUSTOMED TO GETTING UP EARLY AGAIN.

[demi]

This thread needs more pics of fat bastards. Come on you spineless slugs, it'll be motivational! You can look back in 6 months and we'll all just laugh (sending our bulletproof abs into paroxysms)

Yes, I highly recommend this 

[Phoenix Dark]

My mom has these velcro weights she straps above her feet right before walking; she's got like 5 pound ones for the resistance. I'm sure you can get heavier ones. Strap them on your legs and go for a walk.

[Eric P]

Eric I'm in the same or even worse position. I am procrastinating on everything, ugh it's actually safe to say that I'm not doing anything these last few months and my condition is just awful. I eat and sleep bad, and pretty much never do an outside activity.

yeah, it sucks.

i haven't seen anyone but my girlfriend and coworkers for the past several months

i need to become a bit more active.

and when i say "a bit more active" i mean of course "active"

[Himu]

i didn't start with weights until about 5 months after i started walking and that was just doing curls and reverse curls with some simple stuff like that

no diet soda, btw.  the artificial sweeteners trigger an insulin response even though there's no sugar which in turns causes you to store energy in fat instead of burn it

stick to tea, coffee and juice, but not a lot of juice.  there's not much fiber to suck up the sugars

READ THE LABEL OF EVERYTHING YOU EAT.

if it says HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP you dump that shit

there is a lot of stuff on the grocery store shelves which are marketed as 100 calorie snack packs DO NOT GET THOSE.  they're really horrible for you though they're only 100 calories.

instead, check out the south beach diet foods from kraft.  they make two kinds of cracker two kinds of cookie and several wraps you can just eat for lunch.  they also make "salads" but those are kind of nasty.

ignore lettuce, eat spinach.  baby spinach if you can.  broccoli crowns with baby spinach are excellent.  fiber and greens. 

my school has lettuce for salads every day, but rarely ever spinach hmmm

[Phoenix Dark]

Remember Himu: SAM'S CLUB IS YOUR FRIEND. Buy stuff in bulk. Chicken breasts, tuna, nuts, etc.

I don't eat many eggs because I have to watch my cholestorol though

[Eric P]

lettuce is honestly pretty worthless.  devoid of calories it usually is just the excuse to load a bowl full of bacon bits and cheese.  (at least in my world)

[Himu]

lettuce is honestly pretty worthless.  devoid of calories it usually is just the excuse to load a bowl full of bacon bits and cheese.  (at least in my world)

Yeah. That's why I eat carrots, nuts, and tomatoes with my salad.

[Cormacaroni]

smh at the mass of conflicting advice here.

don't do curls, they won't help with weight loss at all. You want to be doing exercises that use as many muscle groups simultaneously as possible. Squats, thrusters, push-ups (nope, they're not just for your arms), box jumps...all the stuff you know will hurt you and grind you into the dust. Curls are either a rest from doing meaningful exercise, or for vanity purposes alone (and misguidedly so, because doing full body exercises will get you looking good much faster).

And enough of this 'too fat to exercise, all i can do is walk' bullshit. If you can get out of bed, you can do a sit-up. If you can stand up, you can do a squat. And if you can walk, you can jog!

[bork]

Naturally, if you have access to Wii Fit, you should do that exclusively 

You know what?  It can actually work for you.  Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution together have made for some fun in-door winter exercise, but mind you I have to do them for over an hour to really feel anything.  For Himuro, just getting off your ass and doing ANYTHING will help.  Walk everywhere you can.  Don't push yourself too hard; you're just starting out.  20-30 minutes a day is okay at first.

Tea, coffee, juice?  NO.  Cut out ALL THAT SHIT, and stick to WATER.  Water, water, water, water.  Do you drink?  If so, not anymore.  Drop the alcohol too.  Go and talk to a nutritionist if you can.  I went to one a few years ago and found out that certain foods are okay to eat shitloads off, and others, including juices (outlaw it!) and fruits (only 1-2 a day) need to be limited.  I was surprised to find out that pickles don't count against you.  Neither do pretty much all raw vegetables, so when you get hungry, eating shitloads of them is fine, just don't slather them in dressing.

My fat ass has only gotten fatter in the past year, unfortunately.  So I'm back to cutting out lots of shit and doing some physical gaming.  I always feel better after I exercise.  It gives me a lot of energy.

If you just give up some of the "bad" drinks and junk food, you'll lose some weight whether you exercise or not, BTW.  Exercising will just help a hell of a lot more and get your ass into shape.

[drew]

  Do you drink?  If so, not anymore.  Drop the alcohol too.

No joke, since I turned 21 I can feel myself balloon up every time I drink.   

Anyway, chicken and amphetamines, Himu, chicken and amphetamines.   

[Ichirou]

Take your daily vitamins, but make sure they're not the kind that gives you appetite.

Cut out the drugs since they make you lazy and complacent.

Walk or use a bicycle whenever possible instead of taking the car or the bus.

Eat healthier.  I'm eating natto every day now.  Don't drink sodas or those sugary iced teas.  Stick to juice (and try to make sure it's 100% juice) or that horrible Gatorade concoction, if you want something sweet.

Take some nudes of yourself once you reach your target weight and PM them to me.

[TVC15]

There's too much juice trash talking going on in here.  You people are haters.

[Himu]

  Do you drink?  If so, not anymore.  Drop the alcohol too.

No joke, since I turned 21 I can feel myself balloon up every time I drink.   

Anyway, chicken and amphetamines, Himu, chicken and amphetamines.   

amphetamines?

[Himu]

Take some nudes of yourself once you reach your target weight and PM them to me.

There's too much juice trash talking going on in here.  You people are haters.

I AGREE. I LOVE ORANGE JUICE.

[TVC15]

You don't know what amphetamines are?  You're probably fucking doing them already.

[Ichirou]

I cut out booze and sodas and my only remaining vice in the area of drinking is coffee.

[drew]

amphetamines?

amphetamines.

[TVC15]

How does one, having reached age in America, not know what amphetamines are?

Maybe this is how white men invariably top all minorities.  We know and use amphetamines.

[Himu]

Oh. I don't take amphetamines. Used to though.

[Smooth Groove]

Eat more meals/day with smaller portions.  Cut off fatty carbs like rice, pasta, bread for at least 4 days a week.  Don't drink drinks w/high calories like soda or juice.  Eat more vegetables and fruits 'cause they're good for you and the fiber make you feel full. 

You need to eat smarter, not less.  Cutting down your calories drastically will only impede your fat burning.  If you don't eat, you might lose weight but you would still look flabby. 

In terms of exercise, start off slowly so you won't get injured.  Try to do push-ups/weights or cardio on alternating days so that your muscles can rest.  If you run everyday, your muscles won't be able to recover fast enough.  With situps though, you can do them every single day. 

Once you start lifting weights, start with lower reps (6-8 per set) for 6 weeks so that you can build up your strength and endurance. 

[bork]

I AGREE. I LOVE ORANGE JUICE.

Seriously, if you want to lose weight, CUT OUT THE JUICE.  You don't need it.  IIRC I was told Orange Juice was the worst of them all.  I love it too.  Start off slowly though.  You drink a glass a day now?  Cut down to half a glass.  Do everything in small steps.  It's working for me.

[Cormacaroni]

Eat more meals/day with smaller portions.  Cut off fatty carbs like rice, pasta, bread for at least 4 days a week.  Don't drink drinks w/high calories like soda or juice.  Eat more vegetables and fruits 'cause they're good for you and the fiber make you feel full. 

You need to eat smarter, not less.  Cutting down your calories drastically will only impede your fat burning.  If you don't eat, you might lose weight but you would still look flabby. 

In terms of exercise, start off slowly so you won't get injured.  Try to do push-ups/weights or cardio on alternating days so that your muscles can rest.  If you run everyday, your muscles won't be able to recover fast enough.  With situps though, you can do them every single day. 

Once you start lifting weights, start with lower reps (6-8 per set) for 6 weeks so that you can build up your strength and endurance. 

Mostly good advice here. My only quibble is that the key to not getting injured is doing exercises with correct form, not 'starting off slowly'. If you do squats with correct form, it's next to impossible to get injured no matter how many you do. All you'll get is tired and sore (which is fine - suck it up buttercup), not actually HURT.

[Himu]

What can I use for calcium aside from milk then? I don't like milk. My school has soy milk which white man makes sound like is the most delicious thing ever tho

[Cormacaroni]

What can I use for calcium aside from milk then? I don't like milk. My school has soy milk which white man makes sound like is the most delicious thing ever tho

Egg shells 

ffs, drink some milk you pansy. you managed it when you were a baby; how hard can it be

[Ichirou]

What can I use for calcium aside from milk then?

Semen. 

[Cormacaroni]

Well, obviously lactose intolerant people are SOL. Just not liking it is no excuse. Milk is awesome. Except the shit we get here in Japan.

How about yoghurt? Almost exactly the same thing but even healthier. 

[TVC15]

Himumu, a glass of orange juice won't kill you.  As long as it is all natural.  It's like 100 calories in 8oz.  A life without juice is a life not worth living.

[Smooth Groove]

TVC, do you have six pack abs? 

[Himu]

What can I use for calcium aside from milk then? I don't like milk. My school has soy milk which white man makes sound like is the most delicious thing ever tho

Egg shells 

ffs, drink some milk you pansy. you managed it when you were a baby; how hard can it be

Milk tastes like shit unless it is chocolate or strawberry

[Cormacaroni]

Naturally, if you have access to Wii Fit, you should do that exclusively 

You know what?  It can actually work for you.  Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution together have made for some fun in-door winter exercise, but mind you I have to do them for over an hour to really feel anything.  For Himuro, just getting off your ass and doing ANYTHING will help.  Walk everywhere you can.  Don't push yourself too hard; you're just starting out.  20-30 minutes a day is okay at first.

Tea, coffee, juice?  NO.  Cut out ALL THAT SHIT, and stick to WATER.  Water, water, water, water.  Do you drink?  If so, not anymore.  Drop the alcohol too.  Go and talk to a nutritionist if you can.  I went to one a few years ago and found out that certain foods are okay to eat shitloads off, and others, including juices (outlaw it!) and fruits (only 1-2 a day) need to be limited.  I was surprised to find out that pickles don't count against you.  Neither do pretty much all raw vegetables, so when you get hungry, eating shitloads of them is fine, just don't slather them in dressing.

My fat ass has only gotten fatter in the past year, unfortunately.  So I'm back to cutting out lots of shit and doing some physical gaming.  I always feel better after I exercise.  It gives me a lot of energy.

If you just give up some of the "bad" drinks and junk food, you'll lose some weight whether you exercise or not, BTW.  Exercising will just help a hell of a lot more and get your ass into shape.

I'm just taking the piss about Wii Fit. I'm sure it helps in some way. Better than playing COD4, for example. I just think you'd be much better off putting that time, money and effort into something else. For the same price you can buy a kettlebell, a stopwatch and a jump rope and you'd have a great set of tools for working out at home.

[Himu]

How about yoghurt? Almost exactly the same thing but even healthier. 

Yogurt is great. However, isn't the yogurt that has fruits in it full of sugar?

[Cormacaroni]

How about yoghurt? Almost exactly the same thing but even healthier. 

Yogurt is great. However, isn't the yogurt that has fruits in it full of sugar?

Yes. That is why we learn to read the labels. That stuff can be just as bad as chocolate milk.

I make my own yoghurt (don't even think about it demi). All you need is a spoonful of live yoghurt and some milk. It tastes great. And you can add real, fresh fruit. My breakfast this morning was a banana, half an apple, some strawberries, raisins with yoghurt on top. And black coffee. Plenty of natural sugars in there but I seriously need extra calories these days.

[Himu]

what about cereal?

[BamYouHaveAids]

TVC, do you have six pack abs? 

i do and i drink a 16oz glass of orange juice everyday  

it's too delicious to ignore

what about cereal?

depends on the brand, but generally i would recommend oatmeal

[drew]

I was kidding about the amphetamines.  But really you should avoid sugar like the plague.  Sugar is one if not the biggest reason people get fat.  Soy milk is full of sugar, so is juice.

[Smooth Groove]

what about cereal?

Cereal could be fattening.  Watch out for those that have a high fructose content.  Fructose is really bad. 

TVC, do you have six pack abs? 

i do and i drink a 16oz glass of orange juice everyday 

But you're already at where Himumu wants to be.  He needs to make some sacrifices to get to that point.  Props to you btw.  A six-pack is really hard to maintain.   

[abrader]

i wouldnt even know what to say about weight management...i eat horribly and sit at a desk all day...

Good luck!