Just joined a gym to lose weight... What should I do?

[David.Seth2]

Basically I'm a fat sack of lazy shit. And I'm not going anywhere with my life too. So I decided to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and join the Navy. So I went down to the recruiters office to get evaluated. Everything was good until they took my weight and told me that I had to drop some weight before I could be eligible to join. So I cut back on fast food, beer, and other junk foods, and I switched to diet soda. I also have been riding my bicycle to work for the past 4 months (that's 10 miles a day). I didn't lose one f***ing pound. So I started running around my neighborhood, but after a couple weeks I'm already starting to get shin splints from running on pavement. So I joined a 24 hour fitness that's less than a mile from my work, and got a decent deal too. But I really don't know anything about fitness... Is there a proper routine? Like do cardio first then lift weights? Or just focus on cardio? How long should I work out? I'm 5' 7", 195 lbs. I need to lose at least 10-15 pounds, and preferably in the quickest was possible (as long as its safe). Any thoughts? I tried looking online, but every site seems to say different stuff. Anyone have any routines that helped lose weight?

 

[bam23]

Actually be going to the gym.

Whatever you do, it's important to remember not to overwork your muscles. Rest is good.

 

[Danimal]

Don't bother drinking diet coke and just drink water, you'll find anything you buy that isn't water has some kind of stupid catch with it.

Vitamin water? Contains no nutrients.
Nutrient water? Contains no vitamins.
Diet coke? Full of preservatives that apparently cause brain cancer/worms.
Juice? Sugar.

etc.

Um. Keep a schedule of at least 90 minutes of intense working-out three times a week, allowing a "break day" for your body to sit the **** down and connect it's teared muscle bit by bit.

EDIT: Totally didn't read any of your post but the navy/diet coke thing 'cause I'm a fat sack of lazy shit, myself.

 

[David.Seth2]

Don't bother drinking diet coke and just drink water, you'll find anything you buy that isn't water has some kind of stupid catch with it...

The only reason I even drink diet soda (diet Mt Dew or diet Red Bull) is for the caffeine. I hate coffee, so that's really my only choice. I do drink a lot of water though

 

[Danimal]

Take Guarana, not caffeine!

You can get either in a pill form, legally. Right?!

 

[Saturos]

Cut out sugars. Completely.

Even sugar alternatives and diet sodas.

I did this and lost 20 lbs after the first few weeks.

Also, do your intense training at least four times a week and allow the rest of the week for a rest period. Believe it or not, it's during that period the body strengthens the most as it heals and re-builds itself.

Curl-ups (the better, most constructive sit-up) are crucial to slimming your gut so do hundreds of them before or after running.

Also, some fitness experts have found recently that the warm-up period isn't as beneficial as the cool-down period, so just start exercising and do your stretches, curl-ups, and push-ups after your running routine.

Also stay away from rice and noodles if you want faster results.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Cardio, its all about the cardio. In other words, you don't necessarily even need the gym, just RUN FORREST, RUN.

 

[Dynasty]

Essentially you need to get your heart rate up. Anything that does that can be considered a cardio workout; weight loss.

Yes, therefore sex is a workout for example.

You NEED to do cardio (running, swimming, bike riding etc) for atleast 30 minutes, and then weight training. Its the combination of the two that will give you quickest results. You need to burn fat and increase your muscle mass at the same time.

Workout with a kettlebell. The exercises are really easy to learn and do, but damn it its a good workout. Start with, say, 14kg or so depending on how strong you currently are. As it gets easier, increase the weight.

Most importantly, know in your mind all the time that this going to take time before you see results. We're talking a good part of a month, atleast 3 times a week. Workout one day, rest the next, workout the next, rest the next, until you get fitter and fitter, then you can increase the frequency.

 

[xdrive]

Trying to lose weight sucks. I use to be fat, not now since i lost it but when i was fat, i would eat healthy, i would exercise my ****ing ass off, no fat, no sugar no nothing, just 3 meals a day. Did i lose anything? NOTHING. it's bs.

 

[Danimal]

You need six meals a day, man.

Though small ones, paced out. It increases metabolism!

All the scrawny pale waifs that consist of most of this forum will tell you a fast metabolism keeps a dude skinny.

 

[David.Seth2]

Cardio, its all about the cardio. In other words, you don't necessarily even need the gym, just RUN FORREST, RUN.

I was doing that, but it started to give me shin splints. The only good time for me to run is at night, and none of the parks around where I live are lit up. This was one of the main reasons I joined a 24 Hour Fitness, they have treadmills and a track and I can go run whenever I want.

Yes, therefore sex is a workout for example.

Yes, well, being a fat sack of shit really limits my possibilities for that form of cardio

Cut.... diet sodas.

I need my caffeine! Danimal recommended guarana pills. Where can you get them? I see those little shots of caffeine at 7-11 ("5 hour energy")... it says it only has a few calories. is that ok?

 

[Danimal]

Caffeine wrecks you, the "come-down", iirc, ends up being worse for you energy-wise than not taking it in the first place.

Do you really need caffeine in the first place? A lot of those diet plans always say to cut out as much of it as you can.

EDIT:

Infact? Replace your Diet Coke with a mug of ****ing Green Tea. Best source of anti-oxidents and a big boost to the metabolism. Your body will stfu about caffeine, too.

Spoiler

But you see there's a trick to this post

Spoiler

if you're not Dave.Seth and/or fat you can't continue here.

Spoiler

I know it's ironic of me to do so, but please, David, don't continue!

Spoiler

Green Tea has no caffiene, I was trying to make a placebo for you!

 

[Saturos]

Trying to lose weight sucks. I use to be fat, not now since i lost it but when i was fat, i would eat healthy, i would exercise my ****ing ass off, no fat, no sugar no nothing, just 3 meals a day. Did i lose anything? NOTHING. it's bs.

I guess the, "small athletic man in a fat body" theory isn't always the case. Sometimes it's a "fat man in nothing at all".

Do you reckon it's because these people can't fit into anything or is there some other message I'm not grasping?

Anyways, some people say sweating profusely is also key. Recruiters around here have actually recommended people to wear something like a trashbag or a wetsuit during the hottest period of the day during exercise or while in a sauna. They claimed to have made someone lose up to 15lbs. in just one week doing this.

Of course all that weight probably was just water.

 

[David.Seth2]

Do you really need caffeine in the first place? A lot of those diet plans always say to cut out as much of it as you can.

It helps me from killing dumb ass customers at work, but I guess I don't really need it. Interesting you say that diet plans say to cut it... I was told by a lady who worked at a vitamin shop that caffeine helps metabolism if consumed after meals. But she was a land whale too, so who knows lol

ed: im not as dependent on caffeine as Im making myself sound. I actually just went a couple weeks without, and just had my first red bull today. Thats why Im still up

 

[Vegeta897]

Trying to lose weight sucks. I use to be fat, not now since i lost it but when i was fat, i would eat healthy, i would exercise my ****ing ass off, no fat, no sugar no nothing, just 3 meals a day. Did i lose anything? NOTHING. it's bs.

So how DID you lose weight?

 

[xdrive]

It helps me from killing dumb ass customers at work, but I guess I don't really need it. Interesting you say that diet plans say to cut it... I was told by a lady who worked at a vitamin shop that caffeine helps metabolism if consumed after meals. But she was a land whale too, so who knows lol

ed: im not as dependent on caffeine as Im making myself sound. I actually just went a couple weeks without, and just had my first red bull today. Thats why Im still up

Take something like ecstasy, gives you energy, makes your heart beat fast, gets you racing. You will lose heaps of weight,

 

[David.Seth2]

yeah, um... im good

 

[Kadayi]

If its a decent gym then they should have someone on staff who will create a program for you tailored to your wants. However at a guess I'd say you want to do something like this: -

1) warm up with stretches (very important)

2) 15 minutes intense cardio on the rowing machine (adding 5 minutes every week) until your upto about 45 minutes

3) rest for a minute

4) 10 Stomach crunches (get an instructor to show you how to do those properly). Add 5 every week until your upto 40 or 50.

5) Pyramid weights working each of the muscles groups. Basically you do three repetitions on all of the machines of every exercise, for example bench press. Start off with say 15 lifts of 50KG, have a minutes rest, then do 10 lifts of 60 KG, minutes rest then do 5 lifts of 70KG. Up the weights by 5KG every week. So next time its 55, 65, 75, then 60, 70, 80 the week following etc. Needless to say only lift what you can comfortably manage whilst pushing the muscles capacity. There is no point is pulling muscles simply because you don't want to appear less macho than the other people in the gym.

Just work your way around the machines doing those until you've worked all the muscle groups. Also do the same with any free weights they have. Always have a minute between repetitions and machines though, so that your muscles can oxygenate.

6) repeat 2 thru 5 then head to the (cold) showers to cool down and go home.

Do that 3 times a week and you'll start to notice some change after a month or so. Its a fairly intense routine, but it will burn off fat and build muscle evenly around your body.

If for any reason you have an extended break from the gym, its very important to drop your work out settings back a few weeks because your body will have weakened. I had 3 weeks off due to a holiday and foolishly tried to go back to where I left off and ended tearing the ligaments in my shoulder which put me out of commission for 18 months, so be careful.

More than anything try and get a gym instructor to give you a program, they will be able to gauge what you can comfortably manage initially.

Kad

 

[Danimal]

Take something like ecstasy, gives you energy, makes your heart beat fast, gets you racing. You will lose heaps of weight,

Stupid idea, you get dehydrated much faster on Pingers. Then you'd start to look at the chicks in the gym, you CHARGE IT working out and doing heaps, but you're probably doing it with a massive boner that everyone can see (And you subtly try to make touch).

Then comes the time after you accidently do 5 hours of gym and unsuccessful pickups and you start to get all Scattered and shit.

Bro.

You don't expect to keep going to gym after getting scattered, do you?!

 

[xdrive]

Stupid idea, you get dehydrated much faster on Pingers. Then you'd start to look at the chicks in the gym, you CHARGE IT working out and doing heaps, but you're probably doing it with a massive boner that everyone can see (And you subtly try to make touch).

Then comes the time after you accidently do 5 hours of gym and unsuccessful pickups and you start to get all Scattered and shit.

Bro.

You don't expect to keep going to gym after getting scattered, do you?!

lol, i wasn't actually serious.

P.S I was in a game of tf2 with you the other day

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Do a montage.

 

[Mr Stabby]

Diet is the key to weight loss, if you have a bad diet all that excercise is pointless.

 

[Kadayi]

Diet is the key to weight loss, if you have a bad diet all that excercise is pointless.

This. On top of what I said earlier. Try and avoid fried foods, stick to grilled meat only. Pasta & rice are good options for filler instead of potatoes. Eat fruit rather than chocolate.

 

[Saturos]

This. On top of what I said earlier. Try and avoid fried foods, stick to grilled meat only. Pasta & rice are good options for filler instead of potatoes. Eat fruit rather than chocolate.

Pasta & rice? Are you serious? Those are the absolute worst things to eat on a diet. If you have very small portions though, then maybe. Lean meats like turkey are a better weight-conscious filler, but are more expensive in larger quantities.

Then again with correct portioning, you could eat anything. More lean meats and veggies, less carbs. Careful with what veggies you choose though as some like carrots have natural sugars.

The, "very small" portions of carbohydrates and starches like pasta and rice during meals would only serve to fight that carb crash many people experience when cutting back.

 

[Maria Flores]

Then again, carbs are your primary energy source... so eating them in "small portions" is just way too ambiguous for my taste.

If you want to lose weight, you need two things primarily (the third being about 7-8 hours of adequate sleep, which is the easiest part).

The first is diet. Keep in mind that the healthiest rate at which one can burn fat is 2 lbs per week, tops. Anything more than that and you may be losing muscle mass, which you want to avoid at all costs.

Also, keep your diet in an adequate nutrient proportion. That is, in every meal that you eat, eat the same amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. 50% carbs, 30% proteins, and 20% fats has worked ideally for me.

And what Danimal said. Eat around 5-6 times a day, and not 3 major meals. This is to keep your body consuming energy for metabolism, thus burning fat.

Eat high-GI carbohydrates in the morning (some fruits like oranges, bananas, etc.) for an energy burst and then low-GI carbs (pasta, rice) during the day and into the night. Low-GI carbs take longer to digest, but they provide you with sustained energy.

And then comes #2: exercise.

I've read several articles and they seem to agree that the best way to lose weight is by combining a cardio routine with a weightlifting program. Why this is, I'm not sure.

If you want to do cardio, do them in the mornings. Right after you wake up. Drink an orange juice, a glass of water, and exercise for 30 minutes; run for 5 minutes and rest for 1 minute. Do this for 5 times (total running time is 25 minutes, 5 minutes is for walking).

While you run, don't run so fast that you pass out. I recommend you to read this article and also to get yourself a cheap heart monitor watch.

Anyway, i got a bunch of links for this kind of stuff. There was a point in which I didn't do exercise for a whole year, or more, and all of the fat concentrated itself on my belly. And I had been skinny all my life - as in 52 kg, 6 feet tall skinny. Anyway I was at 66 kg till I decided to work out and dropped to 60 kg... my belly being nearly completely gone.

Also remember if you're starting out, losing weight or any bodybuilding goal is a long-term learning experience. At first you'll try things out that you've heard from others and will set yourself a goal and not reach it, feeling frustrated. But keep in mind that you need to keep trying different things and experience them for yourself, in order to see for yourself that some things do work. Like I said before I got a whole buncha links for this, PM me if you're interested. This kind of thing is the more knowledge you have about the subject, the better off you are.

inb4 shortrecoil

 

[Eejit]

Anyways, some people say sweating profusely is also key. Recruiters around here have actually recommended people to wear something like a trashbag or a wetsuit during the hottest period of the day during exercise or while in a sauna. They claimed to have made someone lose up to 15lbs. in just one week doing this.

Strenuous exercise in a wetsuit can kill you from overheating.

 

[Rizzo]

Yeah... That's waterweight. ****ing retarded advice. Pro boxers/fighters do that to make weight before fights.

 

[Ravioli]

I feel really bad for overweight people sometimes, not because they are fat, but because in some cases its really hard to loose weight even though you try really hard. I have been skinny my entire life, but i eat SHITTONS of junkfood everyday. I load my body with soda, chocolate, burgers, fries, pizza...anything thats fatty i shove into my mouth. I dont exercise often, yet im still skinny. Im a ****ing super hero.

Overall, just run on treadmill and then lift some weights.

EDIT: right now im actually eating home made brownies and drinking coke. So ****ing delicious.

 

[Danimal]

Fatty liver disease, s0n.

 

[xdrive]

Why don't you just do what the fat guy did in saw 6? cut off your fat with a knife.

 

[Dynasty]

Im pretty sure that doing stomach crunches has nothing to do with weight loss and are therefore a waste of time.

Situps are useless too. And if youve admitadly never really worked out before, you probably wont be able to do them all the way until you develop your lower back muscles.

Situps and crunches tone the 'abs'. They dont get rid of the fat ontop. By all means do them though, as it will make the visual process of loosing weight more pleasing to you (youll start seeing them as you lose the stomach fat for example), but those exercises wont get rid of the fat ontop of the stomach muscles.

And dont say 'right, im gonna cut all this shit out of my diet and eat vegetables, lean meat' blah blah blah. Dont, for example, ditch coke completely and start drinking water. Your body is effectively addicted if you drink it enough, and youll find yourself getting the shakes, feeling fatigued etc. Just slowly reduce the amount you drink each day (coke that is).

Food is the same. Dont just wipe it out completely and start eating humous and lettuce 24/7.

In fact, diet will eventually mean ***k all. I lived with 4 guys in the 3rd year of my Uni, and they all played football, golf, lacross, rugby, they were almost always out doing something physical. Theyd come home and eat NOTHING but burgers, chips, onion rings, fried chicken, I swear I think I saw all of them eat a side of vegetables about twice the entire year.

But theyd run it all off the next day. Dont get fooled into dieting. Change your lifestyle and get exercise, not wipe out the things you love to eat.

The first stage in reducing your intakes is the hardest. Its all mental at first.

 

[Rizzo]

Yeah. Wait a couple of years. See how it will go. You'll be a fat slob with clogged up arteries in no time.
I almost never eat junk food. I drink beer sometimes, and when I do, it's alot. But still, I have exercised alot, and I love running.

I ****ing hate Mcdonalds. I have been there a couple of times, but last time, while out on the town. I had one beer with a friend, and we where on our way to meet some others, when I was hungry and wanted to get a burger. about an hour later after one more beer I puked. I mean come on! 2 beers and a big mac makes you puke!

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Why don't you just do what the fat guy did in saw 6? cut off your fat with a knife.

He's so fat that he'd never be able to cut it all off in his lifetime OOOOOOOH BURN jk ilu don't h8 mii pls.

 

[Escaep]

Yes, well, being a fat sack of shit really limits my possibilities for that form of cardio

Well the first thing you need to do is get a better attitude about yourself. If you constantly put yourself down like this you'll never get anywhere, you'll end up frustrating yourself and probably even gaining weight.

Think positively, just think positively.

 

[Dalamari]

Cocaine

Lots and lots of cocaine

 

[hool10]

Get a personal trainer if they have it at the gym.

 

[MJ12]

In fact, diet will eventually mean ***k all. I lived with 4 guys in the 3rd year of my Uni, and they all played football, golf, lacross, rugby, they were almost always out doing something physical. Theyd come home and eat NOTHING but burgers, chips, onion rings, fried chicken, I swear I think I saw all of them eat a side of vegetables about twice the entire year.

But theyd run it all off the next day. Dont get fooled into dieting. Change your lifestyle and get exercise, not wipe out the things you love to eat.

The first stage in reducing your intakes is the hardest. Its all mental at first.

The key there is that they are young men. Just wait, it always happens, when they become more middle aged they'll be fat.

The older you get, the worse your metabolism usually gets, plus you usually exercise less. And aside from being fat, they'll have other problems from eating all that shit.

Diet is important.

 

[Dan]

The fastest way to lose weight, if you actually need to, is pretty much starve yourself and then burn as many calories as possible. Mind you this will take a lot of serious will power and could **** up your attitude and make you really grouchy. It could have other negative health effects. But if you really have to lose weight for a certain date just eat lean meats and vegetables and fruit. Avoid fats, sugars, carbs. You can always drop a few pounds in the last day by not drinking water. This could be a bad idea if you have to perform a physical fitness test though.

Any activity that will make you sweat for an hour is burning fat. Shorter activities up to 20 minutes will largely be using the sugars in your blood stream. Long distance walking is a great way to burn fat without giving yourself overuse injuries, but it requires that you have several hours of free time. I have heard recommendations for going for 4 or 5 day walks while only drinking water to simulate our ancestral nomadic wandering when food was scarce.

 

[Eejit]

The key there is that they are young men. Just wait, it always happens, when they become more middle aged they'll be fat.

The older you get, the worse your metabolism usually gets, plus you usually exercise less. And aside from being fat, they'll have other problems from eating all that shit.

Diet is important.

It's gonna be pretty funny when ravioli balloons out.

 

[David.Seth2]

Dont, for example, ditch coke completely and start drinking water. Your body is effectively addicted if you drink it enough, and youll find yourself getting the shakes, feeling fatigued etc. Just slowly reduce the amount you drink each day (coke that is).

For some reason quitting soda cold turkey has never bothered me. But your right about the food.

Get a personal trainer if they have it at the gym.

It costs too much for that But I may end up getting one anyway just to make sure get the best results