Lifestyle Change Advice Needed

[johnny02004976]

ok ive been putting this off for months now but ive finally decided its time for a change of lifestyle, at the moment its all drinking and eating crap with limited exercise, but ive decided enough is enough. I currently work in an office so i find im just sat down all day and the weight is piling on - only problem is i dont have much time out of work to get down to a gym or ride my bike.

i was thinking of getting some basic gym equipment for my house just so i can do weights etc when im watching TV, any suggestions - EDIT: cheaper the better really

Plus im looking to totally change what im eating, any ideas as well??

Cheers guys

[bigblue]

Good move

A good starting place would be www.menshealth.co.uk (I know a lot of people on forums scoff at the idea of reading mags but fitness info is less subject to opinion than computing. Also, I'm guessing there will be exercise experts on in a mo to criticise me for recommending such a mainstream method of info but it helped me more than anywhere else when I was new to it !) They have (or used to at least) a decent forum over there with plenty of advice on exercise, diet and so on.

And as far as equipment goes it depends just how tight your budget is and what you're trying to achieve. As eveyone says, you can get started to a degree with a decent pair of running shoes and a set of weights. Only thing I would say is the notion of doing stuff while watching the telly was one that I had too, but it quickly went out of my head once I got started ! As with anything else, you really need to give it all your concentration to get anywhere.

Whatever you do, just try to get yourself into a routine as quickly as possible. There'll be some nights you come in from work and really can't be arsed doing anything but those are the nights that you've gotta suck it up and get the weights out or go for a run. Once you get started (and hopefully get the fitness bug) and you see how you're progressing you'll wonder why it took you so long. When you start seeing the benefits is when you'll become a changed man... out will go that DX10 card and in will come a gym membership... I'm warning you, it's addictive stuff !

As the cheesy infomertials all say: After 1 week you'll feel better, after a couple of weeks you'll start seeing a difference and after a couple of months everyone else will see the difference too

I'm a lucky beggar in this regard in that I've studied health & fitness and the missus is a qualified dietician (tho' chooses to pull sprogs out by the ears instead, I dunno) so if you've any more specific queries we'll see if our combined knowledge can be of any use. Doubt it but hey...

Good luck !

[herulach]

have you conisdered a turbo trainer? You can pick them up pretty cheap second hand, and theyre eminently suitable for sitting infront of the tv on.

Shy of that, it will only take a couple of weeks of shoe horning a gym trip in before you get used to it and cant live without it.

[johnny02004976]

cheers for the tips mate i really need to get my ass in gear and sort myself out, im not in the best condition tbh so i need to get into a routine like you said, ive tried to change before and ive got bored after a couple of days so i want to get really focused on things, although it was winter when i tried last time and had no motivation to go out in the wind and rain.

i think it will be a case of getting some weights and maybe a bench and use those in the week, then when im off on the weekend i'll go out on my bike and then hopefully do some running when im fitter - im lucky i live in the valleys in south wales so lots of nice places to go riding and running.

I need to sort my diet out as soon as possible, i find myself eating way to many carbs and then becuase im sat at work for 8 and a half hours a day just not burning them off

Thanks for the tips so far tho, im sure i'll be back posting away over the next few weeks.....any ideas for the best place to pick up weights from??

EDIT: Herulach any idea where i can get one from??

[bigblue]

Powerhouse are good if you have any locally. Not sure where else. JJB sometimes have decent stuff (usually the ones with gyms, funnily enough )

You could always try eBay or second hand ads since (as with pc's) people tend to upgrade quickly. Entry level gear should be relatively plentiful and there's not too many parts to wear out. Threads on bars are usually fairly durable and it's fairly easy to replace collars.

I'd seriously consider joining a gym if you're gonna take it at all seriously. For the price of a set of half decent weights you could join for a couple of months. If you can find one that doesn't tie you to a long contract that is. You could go for a couple of months and if you don't enjoy it you can walk away, no harm done (and you won't need to run the risk of walking into a dumbbell when you're hurrying for work in the morning, splitting your toenail in the process ).

Even better, if there's one near you offering a few days or a weeks membership try that.

Just try and do a bit at a time, it's not easy to get going. On one occasion I tried to cut out all the crap food, the booze and the late nights while trying to start an exercise regime at the same time and my body nearly rejected me Ended up sitting in front of the PC at 3am with a kebab and a beer.

Simple pleasures...

[PeterS]

You could try an iJoyRide. My wife loves hers and has lost a lot of weight in a short time. It is a mechanical horse and she just sits on it and watches TV for half an hour a night. The maker's website is www.ijoyride.co.uk or you can buy one on Amazon. It is not cheap but it does the business.

[Destroyer^]

Start off with.. cut out any junk food... no mac donalds... dominoes or KFC... and gradually change your meals from using white rice and white bread to granery bread and wholegrain rice..... and always eat breakfast.... poached eggs or weetabix...also half your sugary goodness

[Stewart]

Well, if you'll excuse the pun, don't run before you can walk.

Keep things simple.

Diet - You know what foods are 'bad', so do not eat them. Maccy Ds, KFC, etc. By far the quickest way to improve your diet is to cook your own food. You know whats in it then, rather than eating what you are given.

Cook your own meals - potatos, not chips. A simple meat and 2 veg (ooeer) is easily a healthy enough choice for almost everyone. Your dinner should at no point of it's existence be in a box. Make sarnies and take them to work, no chip shops.

See, you don't need to micro manage to lose weight, you just have to follow some simple rules. Cook your own grub. No danger foods. Make a point of eating fruit, veg, etc.

Exercise, same thing. Before you worry about which make or model of home gym equipment to buy, just get a simple routine of press-ups, sit-ups, squats, and weight lifting down. Get a routine, do it every day.

Lets say for 3 months you do a simple 20 minute set of exercises, eat only home cooked meals, don't eat take aways, and go for a 15 minute jog 3 nights a week - the weight will fall off you.

You don't need a personal trainer, a gym membership, equipment, or a spread sheet of which food your can eat, you need to eat more of the right foods, less of the wrong foods, and move about more than you are.

It really is not rocket science.

[kalniel]

You don't think he'll have figured something out in the last two years?

[0iD]

You don't think he'll have figured something out in the last two years?

Less internets, more exercises!
Prolly why the thread died mid '06

[Stewart]

Aww man, what a waste of my time.

Peter S, you nob, stop bumping threads just to add some inane comment 60 years after the thread had any meaning!

[Destroyer^]

I think the original poster should post if he had any success or if hes 40 stone by now?

[Stewart]

I think we should just wait for PeterS to start a 'Did anyone else see that flash?' thread, refering to the Big Bang.

[SiM]

Aww man, what a waste of my time.

Peter S, you nob, stop bumping threads just to add some inane comment 60 years after the thread had any meaning!

Post your complaint here stewart

[mycarsavw]

You could try an iJoyRide. My wife loves hers and has lost a lot of weight in a short time. It is a mechanical horse and she just sits on it and watches TV for half an hour a night. The maker's website is www.ijoyride.co.uk or you can buy one on Amazon. It is not cheap but it does the business.

Is it wrong to ask for pics?

[Rave]

Albeit that the thread is two years old- start riding your bike to work, if that's at all feasible. It's by far the easiest way of geting regular exercise. You rarely see a fat cycle commuter.

For me boozing and smoking kill my appetite so I've never put more than half a stone despite my ridiculously unhealthy lifestyle. I've just started cycling in on a 'when I can be bothered or when I have no choice' basis though and it feels pretty good. Did 9 1/2 miles in each direction today (it was that or 1 1/2 hours on public transport) and it knackered me, but still tempted to do the same tomorrow. Especially as (according to the weather forecast) I won't have a 20mph headwind on the way in like I did today.