I am new and want to start losing weight. 19st

[DaveFitness]

Hi Guys,

My name is David and I am 27 and I have been sitting on ass for most of my life, no physical activity, have a IT desk job.

I want to start a new life and therefore set out on a new challenge to increase my self steem and boost my health, I am looking for friends and guidance to support me on this new journy.

Just bought a Aria scale and I am glad to have joined this commmunity.

[nickdiable]

Hey David,

Good luck with the weight loss - I'm sure it'll go great.

I've been trying to lose weight too, for me I'm focusing on cutting body fat rather than worrying about what I actually weigh.  I had surgery last year and let myself pile on the pounds.

Not sure I have much advice to give.  At the moment, I'm eating all the time and seem to be losing.  Mostly sticking to chicken and veg with some carbs like sweet potatoes or lentils etc.  It's actually been pretty good because even though I'm eating more I'm not spending as much on food or spending as much time in the kitchen and I'm losing.  But it's pretty tough sticking with it if I'm honest.  Still I guess it doesn't matter if it takes a while as long as I get there in the end.

Nick

[DaveFitness]

Hey, 

I just bought a Static Bike, I have started doing 15 miles everyday, My weekly goal is 100miles. I am loggin those on my dashboard.

Just set a goal for 16 st, according to fitbit I should reach that goal by December 4, cutting 1000calories from my daily intake. Furthermore, I am thinking of doing Insanity workout just before going to bed, But I'll probably start on Monday.

On another note, I have also bough some suplements I have started taking just before lunch.

That is Acai berry, raspberry ketones and green coffee bean. adittionaly I am thinking to start doing a detox called the master cleanse detox (lemon and cayenne pepper).

Bike Diary
Date	Time(minutes)	Distance(miles)	Speed (mph)	Calories	time start	time end
25/06/2014	60	15	15.5	368	12:20	13:20
26/06/2014	60	15.43	16	372	21:00	22:00

[nicolasa]

I'm trying to lose weight too (also got an IT desk job - I'm a test analyst)

It's great of you to take the initiative and do something about it.

Let's support each other.

I don't have an ARIA scale but have taken my measurements.

Am planning to lose 17kg

[nickdiable]

That's a pretty impressive effort on the bike... I'm certain I wouldn't manage that.  I ran 5.8 miles on a treadmill the other day, although I have to admit I surprised myself since a) I hate running; b) I've never gone even close to that far before; and c) most CV has been putting my back out lately after a few minutes so I'm not really supposed to be running!  Weirdly, I can cope with weights no problem but cycling and running have been ruining my back.

How are the supplements working out for you?  I have to be honest, I read about raseberry ketones the other day and I'll be amazed if they are anything but a marketing ploy... though that may not be important since if you feel like something works for you then that can be enough to see real results.

I'm trying to eat 40% protein,  40% carbs and 20% fat each day, which seems to be working for me.  I'm using protein shakes to boost the protein as I'm already forcing down three chicken dinners per day and I can't face any more of the stuff.

Are you gonig to a class for the insainty workouts or is this something you're putting yourself through at home?

Right, I have to get my lazy fat arse to the gym since I'm out tonight for a mate's birthday and I hear he wants beer and curry.

[DaveFitness]

About the suplements, I actually don't know if they are working as I sometimes forget.

I guess is the power of the mind really whereby you believe in something and it works like a placebo. thankfully is not expensive so I dont mind spending a few pounds on some bottles.

I have done research on Jingseng and have started drinking it in teas and adding it to foods.

[DaveFitness]

Having the Aria scale is really great as it syncs automatically with your dashboard.

[josephz2va]

Supplements without exercise doesn't really work. The stationary bike is a good start, but you need to add other exercises into your daily activity. It relies on three things:

 - Minimizing your idle time (sitting)

 - Performing cardiovascular (walking and running)

 - Doing strength training (weight lifting, body weight training, and optional cardio classes)

Food quality is also key to losing weight. Processed foods are not very good for losing body fat. They contain excessive amounts of sodium. The higher the sodium, the more it takes per day to burn off fat and more water you'll need to drink to flush the system out.

In my case, I have to do Strength in the morning and Cardiovascular in the evening to lose body fat and build muscle tone and lower the idle time.

[voodoogmr]

Congrats on taking the step towards a healthier life. I'm a Web dev, so I know exactly what it's like being stuck at a desk all day.

I had great sucess with weight loss by doing 4 things:

1.) 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week, using the Focus T25 program. It eases you into cardio, and then picks up in intensity. Just finished this, and lost 36 pounds. About to start P90x3 on Monday, which should be a bit more intense. I'm ready for it now!

2.) When I can't stand to look at jQuery, CSS, or Bootstrap code anymore, I force myself to get up from my desk and walk around the building. I work in a large complex, so I can easily walk a mile or so in one lap around the perimeter. This not only has great physical benefits, but it gives me time to think clearly without the distractions in my office. I try to do this twice a day.

3.) Strength training 3 nights a week. I use a mix of a SoloFlex machine and free weights, focusing on one area each night (upper body, lower and middle, and shoulders). I started off with light weights, building up to 15-20 reps. Great way to get lean first. Add heavier weights and fewer reps later if you want to build more mass.

4.) Eat healthier! I was eating nothing but fast food, frozen dinners and lunches, and drinking Cherry Coke with every meal. I gradually weened myself off of all that and have started eating lean meats, vegetables, and fresh fruit. And I drink nothing but water now.  Wow, what a difference! I feel incredible.

I track all this with the FitBit Flex, Aria scale, and the Strava Run app, which all syncs to my MyFirnessPal.com app, which is where I log my food.

I don't regularly take supplements, but will occassionally drink a whey protein shake after strength training. I really haven't noticed any benefit. Actually notice more of a difference if I just eat a banana.

I wish you the best in your journey!

[nickdiable]

The bit about eating healthier is definitely the way to go - a few people have said that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise.  I saw a friend and his wife on Friday - both have lost a LOT of weight and neither of them do any exercise at all!

I've eaten relatively healthy foods for years, but I've always done at least two things wrong (probably more but I've yet to work those out yet): a. I ate way too much of the otherwise relatively healthy foods; and b. there would always be one or two days where I'd eat sh1t and it would really make a big difference.

A couple of months ago I worked really hard, ate really well all week.  I was well under my weekly allowance and on course for decent losses.  Then came the weekend.  Few drinks on Friday and Saturday - neither night felt particularly excessive at the time - and some junk food.  Again, didn't go mad with the food but it was all rubbish in the evenings.

In just 2 nights of drinking and eating I wiped out all the good I'd done on the previous five days and ended the week over my calorie allowance!

[AlaskaSue]

Right on David, you are off to a good start just realizing what you need to do!!  One of my good buddies, an extremely smart computer geek who happens to be my pod-buddy at work, uses an "in-stride folding cycle" under his desk to cycle while he is spending a zillion hours on his many computers.  Something to consider and they are not very expensive.  Just a good idea for those of us who have to sit at those desks all day!!

Other than that, just remember that you cannot outrun your diet, you do have to dial it in and eat within what your caloric limit is..and eat smart too - no junk calories. Your body (and brain!) deserves good nutrition. Good luck to you!!