Weight loss questions

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Piff

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
2,722
Location
Suffolk
Car
Porsche Macan S
Over the last 5 or so years I've developed middle aged spread/grown a beer gut:eek:.
Would like to shed about 10kg (possibly a bit more)
I've signed up at a local gym and have had a couple of sessions on cardio machines (rowing, cycling, treadmill, etc).
So far I've been doing 10 minute hits on each machine & the displays on the machines indicate that I burn 85ish calories in each 10 minutes.
I've tried to speak to trainers at the gym to get a programme suggesting the effort I should be putting in to loose this amount of weight, but so far they have been a bit evasive/busy.
I would like to do 4 days a week, for an hour each evening. Over a 4 week period, what sort of weight loss might I achieve?
 
Depends on what you are eating and what alcohol you consume, especially as if you are putting on muscle it will weigh more than fat
 
4 days a week is a good amount.

My advice is try not to listen to too many forum members, Facebook gurus on fitness. So many wannabe personal trainers, know it alls who essentially know nothing.

I've run for Great Britain up to the age of 20 and have been around other sports and gyms all my life to a high level.

Your key point as a starter fitness is 20 minutes of minimum cardio...

If you want to know more just drop me a PM I'd be happy to guide you in the right direction
 
I ended up with a beer gut by doing more walking ! -i'm wired up the wrong way!

Is that not a case of "I'm doing more walking so I can eat this, that, the other"...

Walking is not great for fat burning unless very fast walking for a long time.

You need cardio for that.

And the right diet!
 
I've recently taken up cycling doing approximately 120 miles a week. I've done 4 sportives that were between 25 and 45 miles.

My gut hasn't got any smaller. That's going to be the next hurdle but I'm not sure how to go about it.
 
Depends on what you are eating and what alcohol you consume, especially as if you are putting on muscle it will weigh more than fat

Trying to avoid their "resistance" machines as I don't particularly want to add muscle.

Eating is what I consider a reasonably balanced diet. Don't often eat out or frequent takaways.
Weekdays Breakfast - cereal. Lunch - sandwich (2 rounds of bread with ham or cheese or similar) a slice of quiche or pork pie, an apple and a banana. Evening - tonight for example was salmon en croute, green beans & new potatoes.
Weekends Breakfast - a couple of boiled or poached eggs or a bacon sandwich, sometimes a fry up. Lunch - usually don't bother. Evening meal - much the same as during the week, but one day usually have a pudding or cheese & biscuits.
Alcohol is the downfall. I've largely cut out beer Mon to Thur, a couple of cans on a Friday & Saturday and Sunday couple of cans plus half a bottle of wine. Every night I am partial to a nightcap of scotch & ginger wine. Too much I know, and that is the cause of the weight gain:eek:
 
Or drink less:dk:

I do manual work so I don't particularly think I over eat.

It's all calories, so if calories in > calories used then one puts on weight.

If one consumes the same amount of calories and increases exercise one is likely to increase muscle bulk, which is heavier than fat. You'll be fitter, greater stamina etc. but weigh the same or more!

Unless you change how much you eat, you'll always have to 'exercise'. Reduced calorie intake is the more sustainable route.

If you stand up and tense your stomach muscles, does you 'beer gut' disappear? If yes you need to improve your core strength, sit-ups etc get those muscles toned. If the gut remains you have surface fat, so eat less...
 
Last edited:
Or drink less:dk:

I do manual work so I don't particularly think I over eat.

"Eating less" as a cover all idea is terrible advice; it's not how much you eat, it's what you eat. If you dramatically reduce the amount of food you eat, your body goes into a type of shock and actually stores your fat whilst eating away at muscle!
 
Darrell said:
I've recently taken up cycling doing approximately 120 miles a week. I've done 4 sportives that were between 25 and 45 miles. My gut hasn't got any smaller. That's going to be the next hurdle but I'm not sure how to go about it.

Cycling is great for aerobic fitness but sadly won't shock the body into dramatic weight loss (especially in the core areas such as stomach)

Running, core exercises such as sit ups, and core routines which can be found on YouTube will help this.
 
"Eating less" as a cover all idea is terrible advice; it's not how much you eat, it's what you eat. If you dramatically reduce the amount of food you eat, your body goes into a type of shock and actually stores your fat whilst eating away at muscle!

Definitely ... One must have a good nutritious, balanced diet.

But it's still calories...
 
gunning said:
Cycling is great for aerobic fitness but sadly won't shock the body into dramatic weight loss (especially in the core areas such as stomach) Running, core exercises such as sit ups, and core routines which can be found on YouTube will help this.
My gut is here to stay then!!
 
Gunning is mostly right about ignoring your general noisy advice on FB, here, etc, as some have dabbled and consider themselves experts and give advice as such, and some genuinely are, and it's hard to know what's what.

I would suggest you join a proper fitness/bodybuilding forum though. The bodybuilding.com forum is excellent, it's packed with genuine fitness nutters. When a community is focused on the subject like that, it sorts the wheat from the chaff itself as newbies and overnight experts get called bull**** on immediately, and if you haven't got the photos to prove it, you're talking ****. It's not just for guys who want to pack on as much muscle as possible, there's a broad mix, and as it's their main passion in life, they'll have the time for you that the Gym staff don't seem to have.

Have a look, anyway.
 
I think a really serious look into my diet is the next move. I've never really been a big bloke, I'm 5'11" and up until 18 months ago I be hovered around the 11 stone mark with a 32" waist. Now I'm 13.7 stone and looking at larger strides. Cycling has has put a bit of beef on my thighs but the gut is getting bigger.
 
If you stand up and tense your stomach muscles, does you 'beer gut' disappear? If yes you need to improve your core strength, sit-ups etc get those muscles toned. If the gut remains you have surface fat, so eat less...


I'm both of these :(
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom