I've decided to go swimming 3-5 times a week, depending on whether or not I have anything else to do. I'll be doing a minimum of 3 swim sessions a week, of about 2 hours or so. I'll increase how many lengths and widths I do as I progress and become better and fitter at swimming
My question to you guys is what's the best way to lose weight? Now, I'm not disgustingly obese, I'm just "festively plump". I wanna burn off all this fat I've gained during Christmas and just general laziness.
Getting quite fed-up when I get invited out and all my mates are swimming in the sea and I refuse to, because I feel I'm a bit too tubby. Thing with me though is it all accumulates on my chest and stomach. My legs, arms and neck is fine. Hence the reason why everyone thinks I'm an alright size and don't know why I don't like getting in the ocean.
So, is swimming the best way to tone up and lose all my weight or is there a better way? I'll be going to the gym as well (most likely before swimming) and I'll be taking protein shakes to bulk up a bit. I'm not looking to get ripped, I just wanna look healthy, as a 17 year old guy should.
I'm going to start jogging every morning as well before showers, so that'll also help. I'm prepared to take a month or so to become a decent size. Right now, I'm about 6ft 3" and weigh around 74KG so using [URL="http://rhondascooking.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/bmi-chart.png"]this chart[/URL] I'm pretty much healthy (a BMI of 20). But like I said, fat just likes to accumulate on my torso.
Any helpful tips you guys can give me, and any sort of timeline I can have if I take this really seriously? I'm not sure what to do about food, I'll start eating REALLY healthy, but I do like to eat tasty foods like meat and stuff.
That's a lot of chlorine, it does bad shit to you man.
It doesn't matter what you eat so as long you burn more than you consume.
[QUOTE=Rhinovirus;22978922]It doesn't matter what you eat so as long you burn more than you consume.[/QUOTE]
What he said. Also, drink lots of water... A 500ml glass every hour or so, that way you'll make it to the ideal 2L per day without even noticing it
Stop drinking soda. Seriously. I didn't need to lose weight but I quit smoking, started eating healthy and working out daily a couple months ago. I lost about 20 pounds from only cutting that out of my diet to start. I've gained weight back now but it's muscle.
I would also suggest improving your diet beyond just cutting sugary drinks out. Eat greek yogurt (low in fat and high in protein). Cottage cheese is great too, I eat a lot of that.
[QUOTE=Pretiacruento;22978968]What he said. Also, drink lots of water... A 500ml glass every hour or so, that way you'll make it to the ideal 2L per day without even noticing it[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I plan to. Gonna go out and buy about 7 1.5l bottles of water and just drink one a day. A bit more if I'm working out or sweating a lot.
[QUOTE=Benji;22979011]Stop drinking soda. Seriously. I didn't need to lose weight but I quit smoking, started eating healthy and working out daily a couple months ago. I lost about 20 pounds from only cutting that out of my diet to start. I've gained weight back now but it's muscle.
I would also suggest improving your diet beyond just cutting sugary drinks out. Eat greek yogurt (low in fat and high in protein). Cottage cheese is great too, I eat a lot of that.[/QUOTE]
To be honest, I don't drink soda. At all. Only ever times I have it is with a fast-food type of meal (so McDonalds or a Kebab) but those are rare enough. I hardly ever drink soda. So I guess that's good.
I love greek yoghurt and I eat it like crazy. Tastes delicious. As for cottage cheese, I have to eat that. I don't enjoy it, but it has a lot of protein, so I snack on it a lot when I've been working out at the gym.
But anything about the swimming? Will that help me shed a lot of this weight or will that just make me feel fitter rather than actually looking fitter?
Don't drink soda and don't go to fast food places except maybe Subway.
You can do maybe 100 pushups and situps in the morning right when you wake up and right before bed. It helps you burn some calories. On some days you can go to the gym I guess.
I personally suck at swimming so i'm taking lessons. My only tip is just because you're in water doesn't mean you're drinking it.
Swimming is probably one of the best forms of exercise out there for losing weight. Works almost every muscle in your body (make sure you alternate different strokes to get maximum benefit from it) and is a really athletic exercise.
Keep it up on a regular basis and you will lose weight easily providing you don't eat an absolute fuck ton of fatty or sugary food.
Also if you have a problem swimming in the sea because you are insecure about your torso, just wear a t-shirt when you swim. Plenty of people do it, noone will think it's weird. And if they do just say you're protecting yourself from the sun or something similar.
[QUOTE=infern0;22979312]Don't drink soda and don't go to fast food places except maybe Subway.
You can do maybe 100 pushups and situps in the morning right when you wake up and right before bed. It helps you burn some calories. On some days you can go to the gym I guess.
I personally suck at swimming so i'm taking lessons. My only tip is just
because you're in water doesn't mean you're drinking it.[/QUOTE]
With the push-ups and sit-ups, I gotta take it seriously. I've been, for the past 3-4 months, doing just 15-20 push-ups a night, missing some nights out. But doing JUST push-ups and sit-ups is extremely bad. You end up with round-shoulder or whatever it's called, which makes you look like you have a hunch, and doing just sit-ups with no back exercises can mess up your posture, because both stomach and back work together to keep you straight.
Also, the whole "just because you're in water doesn't mean you're drinking it" is obvious :v: Chlorine water tastes horrid anyways!
[quote]Swimming is probably one of the best forms of exercise out there for losing weight. Works almost every muscle in your body (make sure you alternate different strokes to get maximum benefit from it) and is a really athletic exercise.
Keep it up on a regular basis and you will lose weight easily providing you don't eat an absolute fuck ton of fatty or sugary food.
Also if you have a problem swimming in the sea because you are insecure about your torso, just wear a t-shirt when you swim. Plenty of people do it, noone will think it's weird. And if they do just say you're protecting yourself from the sun or something similar.
[/quote]
Thanks. The answer I've been wanting the most. Really re-assured me about how amazing swimming really is! Also, I don't think I'd wear a shirt in the sea. Once a shirt is wet, it sticks to you and pretty much outlines your body, except you have two ugly dark rings where your nipples are. You either, as a guy, go topless in the sea, or don't go in at all.
I'm loosing wait over summer and have been for a while.
CUT OUT FIZZY DRINKS. DRINK WATER.
I try to burn 3000 calories a day on an exercise bike. Sometimes I go out and play a little bit of golf. When i'm toned up to my liking, I'll join a proper gym.
I can guarantee if you cut out fizzy drinks, you will loose weight anyway.
edit: oops didnt see that you dont drink soda.
To some extent, swimming will dehydrate you even faster than just running around or something would. I always find that it does for me at least.
I'm going to start eating a lot of fruits, making sure I vary them. No more apples and banana's every day for me! I will make sure to drink plenty more water depending on how exhausting the exercise I'm doing is.
Looking forward to this. Hopefully this thread'll help other people too.
[QUOTE=redonkulous;22979630]To some extent, swimming will dehydrate you even faster than just running around or something would. I always find that it does for at least.[/QUOTE]
At least you don't sweat in water
But yeah, bring a water bottle out with you and keep it near the edge of the pool just in case you get thirsty
Pool water ain't clean, no matter what anyone tells you
[QUOTE=strong_bad;22979719]At least you don't sweat in water[/QUOTE]
Yes you do.
Don't do protein shakes, your body naturally produces enough protein for muscle building. Protein is for people who need more energy... any excess protein is usually turned into fat
Your work out sounds good so far, as for me I would drop the protein shakes. Swimming is great for cardio and it helps work out your stomach muscles so if you swim seriously your stomach should be toned pretty quickly. Maybe vary it up and cycle through running, swimming, and biking; that's what I'm going to do. Also make sure you balance out your cardio with your strength training, you don't want to be super buff but unable to out run a 12 year old girl or vise versa.
Oh and good luck! :patriot:
[QUOTE=Montroze;22981017]Don't do protein shakes, your body naturally produces enough protein for muscle building. Protein is for people who need more energy... any excess protein is usually turned into fat[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure protein shakes are just for people who are building muscle up and don't want to or can't eat 10 chickens to satisfy their protein needs. If I'm seriously muscle-building, I'll just use protein shakes to bolster my natural protein so my muscles grow well.
[QUOTE=Fenriswolf;22981284]Your work out sounds good so far, as for me I would drop the protein shakes. Swimming is great for cardio and it helps work out your stomach muscles so if you swim seriously your stomach should be toned pretty quickly. Maybe vary it up and cycle through running, swimming, and biking; that's what I'm going to do. Also make sure you balance out your cardio with your strength training, you don't want to be super buff but unable to out run a 12 year old girl or vise versa.
Oh and good luck! :patriot:[/QUOTE]
Are protein shakes really that bad? My friend just told me it's pretty much the unused whey from cheese-making. So instead of throwing it away, they process it and make it into a powdered form. It's just easier to meet your daily needs of protein and will promote muscle building.
And yes, I plan on mixing it up a bit. I'll be jogging around the block and hopefully cycling soon. Will be great. Thanks for the info, it's bolstered my confidence in this.
I'm trying to lose weight too. Gonna start running every other day and work my upper body with push ups and whatever on the days in between.
Swimming also puts very little strain on your joints I think so that's another benefit. For me the disadvantage of swimming is to get to the nearest pool is 30 minutes on the bus which sucks because I like to just get up and go with exercise (reason I chose running).
If you have a car, ditch it and start riding a bike. I live in a city so riding my bike everywhere is easy but I understand if you live in the countryside it's not the most convenient. It gives me plenty of excersize everyday though.
[QUOTE=loopoo;22981741]I'm pretty sure protein shakes are just for people who are building muscle up and don't want to or can't eat 10 chickens to satisfy their protein needs. If I'm seriously muscle-building, I'll just use protein shakes to bolster my natural protein so my muscles grow well.
Are protein shakes really that bad? My friend just told me it's pretty much the unused whey from cheese-making. So instead of throwing it away, they process it and make it into a powdered form. It's just easier to meet your daily needs of protein and will promote muscle building.
And yes, I plan on mixing it up a bit. I'll be jogging around the block and hopefully cycling soon. Will be great. Thanks for the info, it's bolstered my confidence in this.[/QUOTE]
Protein shakes are really pointless in my opinion. If you want to get bulked up then work out and as soon as you get home/finish then eat some meat or eggs to get natural protein and that should help; I did that for a while and it seemed to help.
Oh and no problem, I hope you reach you goal!
[QUOTE=loopoo;22978726]I'm about 6ft 3" and weigh around 74KG so using [URL="http://rhondascooking.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/bmi-chart.png"]this chart[/URL] I'm pretty much healthy (a BMI of 20). But like I said, fat just likes to accumulate on my torso.[/QUOTE]
That doesn't sound too bad at all, some light exercise is all you could possibly need. Also 6'3 lol lucky. I'm 6'1 at just under 90kg so believe me you have nothing to worry about.
You can give me all your spare fat. I need it. :smith:
fish has less fat (does it have any) than beef, and more protien
I'd really like to run in the morning every day, but my parents are dicks. They wake up at noon every day, and they won't let me go outside unless they are out there too, I try convincing them otherwise but they wont listen. I try playing the maturity card, etc. but it doesn't work. :saddowns:
[editline]06:14PM[/editline]
I guess I'll have to run in the afternoon with my parents watching me intently
[QUOTE=Sir Tristan;22982716]I'd really like to run in the morning every day, but my parents are dicks. They wake up at noon every day, and they won't let me go outside unless they are out there too, I try convincing them otherwise but they wont listen. I try playing the maturity card, etc. but it doesn't work. :saddowns:[/QUOTE]
holy shit are you twelve? why wont they let you go outside?, most parents are opposite, they encourage it
Swimming truly is a great workout. It's one of the only exercises that makes you use pretty much every muscle in your body. It won't make you beef, but it'll burn off that fat pronto, and will give you a minimum amount of muscle mass.
Plus, it's a great way to meet people, and it's fun to do. So yeah, swimming is a good exercise choice.
Jogging will bulk up your legs a bit, but if you're regular about it, it will keep your heart and lungs pretty sturdy.
The protein shakes are useless if you plan to eat healthy. If you eat right, you won't need them, and they could even be detrimental (unused proteins are turned into fats by the system if they're not used).
Contrary to belief, drinking a lot of water doesn't help. Sure, you NEED water to live, but I have no idea where that 2L bullshit comes from (probably from the same place that says pork gives cancer...). But it is true that drinking more water than any other drink is good. Just be sure to drink when you're thirsty (That "When you're thirsty, it's too late" thing is UTTER BULLSHIT.)
Finally, I have a few tips for you about eating healthy. First things first, cook your own meals. Many people neglect this aspect; first, something few people know, is that the smell of a meal cooking helps activating the digestive process (hence why you salivate more), leading to a better digestion overall, which helps the system. Also, take your time. Your body takes 20 minutes to register you've eaten. And it'll feel much more satisfying, too. As it's well-known, dark green vegetables contain a lot of vitamins, beans and such help too. Don't overdo on fried goods (and when you DO eat them, do them yourself. If you're interested, I know quite a lot of recipes for fried stuff, like fried pork nuggets. Delicious.), but don't avoid them altogether, it's just silly. Don't put red meat and the such out of the way either; instead, try to get it from a genuine butcher if you can (not only are they less fat, better-tasting and overall healthier, but most of the time they lack the growth hormones and heaps of antibiotics that make supermarket meats that unhealthy. Seriously, when I was younger, my mom had to bought meat from the supermarket for a year I don't remember why. It was my fattest year. And if you're lucky like me, the butcher will actually cost LESS than the supermarket.). That doesn't mean you can overdo it, either. Fish, obviously, is a good choice, although you should watch out, some of them might have a certain dose of mercury. Pick river fish instead of seafish if you can.
Finally, eat at regular hours. Regularizing your meals help your body with digestion. If you can, try to settle on smaller meals but with (healthy) snacks throughout the day instead of three larger meals. Also, bananas. They contain a lot of nutrients and are a great addition to any healthy diet. Still don't overdo with them, they still hold a lot of sugar, which will come right back at ye if you're not careful.
Word of the end: moderation is health, and congrats on picking up the courage to do something actually few people even dare of thinking.
[QUOTE=shatteredwindow;22982742]holy shit are you twelve? why wont they let you go outside?, most parents are opposite, they encourage it[/QUOTE]
I turn 16 in two months...
my parents are way overprotective though, they think if I go out there alone that I'll get kidnapped or run over or some dumb shit like that
the only problem with that logic is that, even if they are watching me that could still happen... whats the difference between watching me get killed by a car and not watching it
but yeah, yesterday I ran down my stairs really fast and jumped over the last 7 or so and my mom GASPED, threw her spoon full of spaghetti sauce all over it onto the ground, went over to me and said OH MY GOSH, ARE YOU OKAY?? DONT EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN, YOU UNDERSTAND? As a reply, I :geno:
[editline]06:36PM[/editline]
Speaking of swimming, for our sophomore year of highschool we are required to choose a sport and I chose swimming. However, I have never been on a swim team or any competitive swimming before, or anything like that, so I really don't know what to expect. Is it difficult? Is it straining? Should I practice anything before hand? On a scale of 1-10, 1 being not in fit at all and 10 being incredibly fit, I'd say I'm about a 5 or 6. So what do you guys think, can you give me any tips on what to expect and or what I should know/do/practice before?
Thanks for all this info. Honest to God I've read it all, and I'd reply to you all in turn but it'd take ages. So, instead, I'll summarise what I read and throw a few points out there. Again, seriously, thanks for all this. Serious confidence boost yeahhhh! I've also rated you all hearts.
So, I've nothing to worry about food-wise really. My mum cooks mostly, and she cooks everything from scratch and only uses organic vegetables and free-range and organic meat. She dishes out that little extra money for good stuff, rather than buying the steroids-infested meat which can mess you up.
All-in-all, everything you guys have done will help me, and I'll remember it at the end when I'm a fine and healthy 17 year old guy. Gonna be great.
Just been to the gym and I've got that amazing feeling of utter-exhaustion. Arms feel like deadweights (just did biceps today, they were closing early!). Also, if I get my diet right, I won't use the protein. It's just hard getting the stuff I need cause I haven't got a job at the moment, so I gotta keep asking my mum for money or asking her to get it for me, and she has a lot of other stuff on her mind!
Walking. lots and lots of walking.
Get a job where you're constantly moving. Like a retail store where you're stocking or something. I take fuck knows how many steps a day at one of my jobs alone. I should that pedometer or something they have for ipod touch and see what that comes out to actually..
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