Fitness question (newbie)

[Stef]

Hi All, Im new to these boards and have been reading up quite a bit and am impressed :grin:

Anyway, ill give you my stats, im 5 11', at the moment weighing in at close to 80kgs (heaviest i have ever been) and am determined to get back down to 65-70kgs.

Thing is, i work long hours and dont have a car so cant get to the gym at all for workouts (weekends i am free but thats only two days and wouldn't be worth buying a gym membership for)

What would you recommend as good fat burning exercise for me (walking, running??) and also is it possible to use things around the house for weights or resistance training? i am also interested in the Vibratraining, is this any good?

My diet is clean (now!) so dont have to worry about that side its just the exercise thats a bit cloudy for me.

any help thanks!

[poos_n_wees]

Welcome to the board Stef

Check out the "Tools" section of the board, its got some great tips on putting a weight training program together. You could prolly do some bodyweight exercises at home, but a gym would be more effective as you'd get stronger and all the equipment and heavier weights are there to keep things challenging.

I'm not so sure about vibratraining. Never tried it, but some people swear by it, and others say it does jack From what I've read though, its pretty exepensive...

[bheeman]

Welcome aboard Stef! We are happy to have you here. Walking and running will be a great help in losing fat (depending on the intensity, you can really burn a lot). I understand about not having a car. ever thought of getting a bicycle? You can get a great fat burning workout. Also, a bike may solve the transportation problem to the gum. If you don't plan on going to the gym often, maybe you can talk the gym in letting you have a special membership for you (eg.10 workout amonth deal etc.). I know you will find a way! Again, welcome to the forum.

[Pseudonym]

Hi there! If it's practical, I think Bheeman's bike suggestion is a great idea. As PnW says, a gym is preferable, but you can certainly do a lot a home.

Grab yourself some adjustable dumbells and a swiss ball, and with a bit of lateral thinking and enthusiasm, you're all set!

[Stef]

Hey thanks for that I have purchased some adjustable dumbbells from Trademe, what are some weight lifting i can do with these? Apart from the usual lying on my back and extending them up in the air (best way i could describe that exercise!)

[Stef]

I am going to post up my diet (as i am not sure if its good or not!) any input/suggestions much appreciated!

7am - Porridge (Oats plus super trim milk) chopped up dates on top or two slices wholemeal toast with lite pnut butter

10am - snack, piece of fruit

12pm lunch - usually kruskits with flavoured tuna (4) or brown rice with chicken and veges or soup and toast

3pm snack - another piece of fruit

6pm dinner of chicken/beef stir-fry on rice/noodles or baked chicken breast with veges or pasta of some sort

8pm - cup of Tea with biscuit (I know this is bad but i really love having something sweet at this time of day with my tea)

Is this too much food?? too little??

I also have cheats day on Sunday (eat whatever i like) and usually have more food on Saturdays

[Evie]

Look at adding protien to your Breakfast and snacks.

[getkat]

Hi Stef,

Just wanted to wish you good luck with your goals!

There are lots of things you can do at home, but you really need to make sure your technique is good. I would suggest buying or borrowing the Body for life book for some workout ideas, or seeing a trainer for 1-2 sessions to write you a home based program.

Food wise - Definately need protein at every meal - fruit is digested in about an hour so you are likely to overeat at your main meals if you are too hungry.

Do you have protein powder? Find a good one and use it as your evening sweet fix - you can blend it with ice and a kiwifruit to make the most decadent dessert than tastes like melted icecream, or you can mix it with yoghurt or fruit. I mix it into a paste so it's really sweet. At least it gives you protein and not just the sugar and refined carbs that biscuits give. Think - if you give up eating biscuits every night, that's like 30 biscuits a month - that's 3000 calories gone without even really trying.

Try and keep your bread intake to a minimum - replace it with kumara (done in 5 mins in the microwave) with some tuna and cottage cheese, or even another bowl of porridge and protein powder for lunch or afternoon tea. Think outside the box - snacks can be unconventional! My snacks are usually things like boiled egg whites, porridge, a chicken breast, a small can of tuna, cherry tomatoes, rice and tuna etc.

You also need to include some good fats each day e.g 1/4 avo or a Tbsp raw nuts. This keeps fat metabolised effectively and keeps you satisfied!

Hope this helps!

[Pseudonym]

If you haven't already, Stef, check out our Beginner's Guide to Bodybuilding articles. That'll give you the basic idea behind setting up a routine. It'll also direct you to other sites with detailed instructions/videos on how to perform each excercise.

[Stef]

You guys have been a great help, thank you all this forum is so helpful!