Starting out and after some guidance

[lisapeedee]

Hey,

I've always been athletic but are in a mission to (long story short) to look great for summer.

I'm very active but still carry, what I think is about an extra 5kg that I'd like to shift in the next 8 weeks.

I've heard soooo many conflicting opinions on what to eat, what not to eat, what training is good and what isn't and now I don't know what's "right".

I'm just overall extremely confused. I also struggle mentally with eating and exercising as I've tried and failed so many times. Its mainly my eating that let's me down as I have a massive sweet tooth.

I exercise at least 5 days a week but its often not really intense as I don't really know what I should be doing. I really struggle to push past that point of discomfort.

I really wanna nail down over the next 8 weeks and make this is a priority. But I need a plan.

Does anyone have any ideas, advice....anything?

All advice appreciated

[dannyjay]

i will guide you but u must be discipline,,,,

eat low carbs, high protein, med fat. eat unsaturated fats nd keep saturated fats to a minimum

walk everyday for 1 hour in the morning on an empty stomach

never eat high sugar foods

don't take too many stimulants like caffeine/pre workout supps cuz they raise cortisol levels which inhibits fat loss and is catabolic

eat mostly whole foods, chicken, fish, red meat, ground beef, vegetables.

keep all carbs minimum

use high quality whey isolate powder for additional protein

take omega 3 supp good source of fat

yoar welcome

[Bruce L]

Dont eat so much and start skipping!

Skipping and Burpees.

[Northland Powah]

Hi Lisapeedee

Welcome to the forum :clap:

First of all I know what your going through in regards to conflicting information. The major thing you need to take away from 'dieting' is that you are consuming less calories that you are using (exercise and metabolism).

So whether you want to skip on the 'sweet' stuff or burn it off with a walk will be up to you. I'm a believer in training efficiency (getting more for less), therefore using less time to get the same result. As I'm sure, if you are like me, a 1hr walk and 1hr of resistance training is a lot of time to take out of a busy day.

The other thing to get sorted is this 8 week goal. 8 weeks will bring us to the official start of summer maybe enough time to get to your goal. But with summer comes BBQ's, Christmas day and a hundred other reasons to blow your calorie deficit you have been working so hard to keep. Before you know it you will be back where you started

I'm sure others on here will be able to give you plenty of advice in terms of training and diet that will suit your goals, but personally I think the best approach to use is to think of this as a lifestyle change starting today.

Best of luck

[teamfatboy]

Hiya, and welcome. Don't you just love spring... except when you step on the scales!

Let's start at the beginning... your goal's eminently do-able- it's really only a little more than 500g/ week.

Now, a common rule of thumb is that it takes 3500 calories to burn 500g of fat. That's essentially a 500 calorie-per day deficit in energy, every day.

So, what you need to know is "How many calories is that?"

The deficit can be generated by either extra expenditure - exercise - or less intake (diet). Best results come from a combination of both - exercise contributes to better muscle tone, so that as you lean down, you have a toned foundation beneath.

There's an old saying that "abs are made in the kitchen", and it's true - so let's start with diet.

I use this tool to work out your basal metabolic rate, and then this one to work out what you actually need.

If you were a 65kg, 25yo, woman 1m70 high, for instance, your basal metabolic rate (the calories you need just to exist) would be 1467. If you're moderately active, you multiple that by 1.375 to give your daily needs of 2015.

So, to lose the weight, you set a 500 calorie deficit from 2015 which means you need to get around 1515 calories per day.

You can do that any way you like, but... here are some simple pieces of advice that'll help.

Cut out carbs (biscuits, toast, crackers, chips, nuts) after your evening meal. Those carbs aren't going to get burned 'cos you're asleep, so they will get stored. During the day, while you're active, it's not so important.

If you crave something sweet, like in your tea or coffee, use Stevia or Splenda instead of sugar, both are way better. Try some of the other teas, like licorice tea - tastes better than it sounds!

If you've got a sweet tooth - try to cut out the "hidden" sugars by avoiding processed foods. You would be stunned at how much sugar is in most "muesli bars", for instance, or in processed pasta sauces and the like. So, make most of your meal from fresh/raw ingredients so that you can control the hidden sources of sugar.

Swap fizz for water - try and get thru a good litre and a half or more during the day. Artificial sweeteners in energy drinks, soft drinks and the like will not help.

If you get hunger pangs or a craving - have a tall glass of water (equivalent to a soft-drink can or so) and make yourself wait 15m. Then, if you still want the sweet snack more than the summer figure....go for it, but sometimes it's thirst, not hunger or cravings.

Timing of workouts - if you don't mind being active, and can do some cardio either before breakfast, or last thing at night, that can boost your calorie burn. If you do weights and cardio at the gym, do weights first - you'll be stronger, move more weight = burn more calories.

If you're not sure what you should be doing in the gym, consider whether you could get a trainer to develop a programme, even if s/he doesn't get to train you every week. It'd cost maybe $70.

The resources tab at the top right-hand side of each page on this site is full of good advice.

Alternatively, many people have found Body for Life to give them a great start.

Hope that's a bit of a start - good luck

[Pseudonym]

Just stumbled across this post. Have some kudos, Northland Powah & TFB! :clap:

[vracula]

Bro I Have a massive sweet tooth too and struggle just like you and I have failed before,everytiime u see a sweet treat picture your self ripped and ask yourself "Do I want it bad enough?" ,has helped me through sometimes lol.