[Closed] New year fitness and weightloss thread

Need to decide on what version of diet to go for, it needs to work with the rest of the family too, dithering between 5:2 fasting and carb cutting.

Best you can do is stop eating crap, don't eat sugars, up your protein and only eat "good" carbs (ie no potatoes or pasta etc). And exercise more, incorporate some weight training (stronglifts 5x5) if you can. This makes for a sustainable change rather than something drastic like the two options you're looking at.

Plus squats seem to be beneficial for biking as well. And make your thighs look awesome/terrifying after a while.

I shall be looking to put on a few pounds on as I'm back on the weights, need a bit of beefing up after a year + of running.

Quick question for those of you doing the 5:2 who do you cope with the hunger pangs on the low calorie days and do you eventually get used to it?

Had a quick weigh-in this morning, worse than I thought 14 stone 2 pounds.

how do you cope with the hunger pangs

Several ways.

1. Fill up on stuff that keeps you feeling full in the am - protein is reported as keeping you fuller longer and it works for me, so maybe a couple of eggs / omelette for breakfast.

2. Drink lots of water - keep your belly full and it tricks you to keep hunger at bay. Anecdotally, warm / hot water is even better as it triggers the full reflex better. Personally I don't like drinking warm water, but mix in half a stock cube to give flavour, is less than 10 cals, and that works for me.

3. Do something more exciting than think about being hungry. It will pass, and if you're doing something that takes your mind off it it'll pass faster.

4. Man (or woman) up. You're not going to starve to death, it'll be dinner time in 4 hours or if it's later in the evening, it'll be a normal day tomorrow. You are doing this because you want to lose weight, enjoy the fact that feeling hungry is doing you good. A significant proportion of the world goes to bed hungry, wakes up hungry, and has no idea when it'll pass. Suck it up.

You should expect to feel hungry, it's par for the course. For me the worst weeks were about the 3rd and 4th. The first couple felt good cos I knew it was a good sign. After a month, I knew what to expect and how to deal with it better. Push on through, it is worth it - IMHO of course.

Being a serial gainer and having lost 4 stone on two separate occasions and 2 stone a number of times in the past, I have eased up to 15st 1lb or 96.7 euros 😳

Not just caused by Christmas, have been a bit slack exercise and eating wise for about 4 months!

Exercise regime has started in earnest and will consist of 4 bike sessions a week (outside or turbo, weather dependent) and 2 gym sessions, also gonna get some of those suspension strap things TRX style and plan to do a core strength session everyday that doesn't include a gym session!

Initial target 13st 7lb for April with longer term target 13 stone.

@ Renton, yes you do. I drink more water/squash on the fasting days which 'fill you up' also if you eat more protein on those days you feel 'fuller' for longer.

Hexhamstu how have you lost two stone in 10 weeks???

I have managed that as well 23rd Oct 15st 10 this moning 3rd Jan 13st 10

I lost 5 stone on the idiet. I stopped doing it 2 week before xmas, I put 1 stone back on.
I am back on the idiet, and hoping to ride 500 miles a month for the next 12 month, hopefully this will help me move the stone I gained.

60 this year and currently heavier than I've ever been 🙄
Started the year by dropping below 14st for the first time in 30yrs 😆 only for a chest infection to set in again and scupper my biking.
I have a dodgy back, bad knees, upper spine/neck/whiplash injury issue and asthma to name a few auld age dilemmas to add to shift working and loads of other excuses 🙄
Currently tipping the scales just over 15st 😳
By Oct I would like to be under 14 if not closer to 13 ➡
I am night shift on Sunday, my exercise regime starts from then 💡 😆

On the 5/2 diet how could I get through a night shift which can be quite physical on occasions ❓ I hit a low around 3-5am and need sugars ie Coke !

ton - Member
I lost 5 stone on the idiet. I stopped doing it 2 week before xmas, I put 1 stone back on.
I am back on the idiet, and hoping to ride 500 miles a month for the next 12 month, hopefully this will help me move the stone I gained.

Interesting thread.

Joined a gym for first time in my life in November so I will crank that up doing more and more core improvement exercises using mainly kettlebells and increasing the weight, and eventually squeezing in burpees in between the different exercises.

My aim is to spend 5 mins warming up on the bike, 25 mins on the kettlebells, 15 on the resistance machines for upper-body toning and strengthening then 20 mins on the rower and treadmill (1 minute 11kmh, 2 mins 13kmh, 1 min 11kmh, 3 mins 13kmh, warm down)

Finish with a couple power plate exercises.

And just as importantly - drink less beer! Which means back to the no drinking mon to thurs.

Don't feel I have to change my eating habits as eat loads of chicken, stir fries, homemade curries.

On the carbs front, I understood pasta and bread and obviously beer are bad-carbs as they refined and their calories are dense and so difficult for the body to retrieve and use but I've noticed POTATOES mentioned as bad-carbs which are not as far as I'm aware.

potatoes are regarded as "bad" based on having a high glycemic index. The problem with pasta etc isn't that they're hard for the body to use but that they're all too easily broken down and the excess is stored as lard. There are times when high GI isn't bad (quick energy when you're about to pop on a climb) and times when it is bad (other times)

(I await someone more knowledgeable and less pissed pointing out the errors in what I've just said...)

Trekster, leeds is full of em mate.
nearest one is city gate, right on the river, and offroad all the way from my house.

Let the flaming begin, but inspired by several things, including a friendly comp at work, as of Sunday I am going to attempt to kick start my new regime with a sevens days of nothing but water, then go into a no bread/potato/bad carb plan after that... Say what you like but I'll see how I get on, if I don't make a full seven days to start on just water that's cool, but I'm intrigued to see how long I can do it for

I have 5 or 6kg to lose to get back to 75kg after letting things slip recently.

Fitness is more important, I would like to have a 20 min power of >360 watts in the tt position, not sure what is possible as I may have hit a ceiling.

Well, off to a good start - gym today and despite a month away I'm still squatting, benching and deadlifting the same as before 🙂 Legs feeling a bit stiff now, got to love a squat session!

@ Trekster I manage to do the 5&2 on night shifts, although I can usually plan around it but sometimes it falls when I've got a night. I try and eat just before I start my shift and it goes ok for me but it's not a physical job. I'd try it and the usual drink more water/squash if you feel hungry and see how you get on.

At the end of August, I had a flat stomach, the makings of a 6 pack and was generally pretty toned <10% body fat.

Then I knackered my arm, stopped biking, stopped gym'ing and ate/drank my way to putting on a stone and a half, have a beer gut and the makings of moobs - my aim is to get back to my fighting weight by March.

Should be easily do-able, I've dropped 2.5st in 3 months before.

Started to put on weight at the start of last year due to a heavy workload and lots of overseas travel that got in the way of training.
Just about fit again by October then hit by a car and broke my collarbone.
So at the start of the week was 76.5 KG ( 5ft 10). Target is to lose 7 KG

Have cut out alcohol completely and on a low carb diet.Keeping away from processed food. Lost 1 KG so far Also any foods likely to provide an insulin spike.Collar bone slowly healing so up to a 100 miles a week ( on the road) and will steadily increase so will see what happens.
Also making sure I don't overdo it so will have a banana ( around 30g of carbs after 1 1/2 hrs of harder riding.

Put on 6 lbs over Christmas and did my first FTP test of the season this morning. Plan is to get back down to my race weight of 69 kilograms by the end of February and bump the FTP up to around 320 watts ready to race.

Also, in the nature of the thread - 5'11" and eating a Paleo diet. Two strength sessions in the gym and about 12-14 hours on the bike per week.

granny_ring - Member
@ Trekster I manage to do the 5&2 on night shifts, although I can usually plan around it but sometimes it falls when I've got a night. I try and eat just before I start my shift and it goes ok for me but it's not a physical job. I'd try it and the usual drink more water/squash if you feel hungry and see how you get on.

ton - Member
Trekster, Leeds is full of em mate.
nearest one is city gate, right on the river, and offroad all the way from my house.

Thought I'd join in here in a bid to humiliate myself further and push the weight loss 🙂

Right now I'm the heaviest I've ever been in my life. (242lb, 5'11" and 42 yrs young)

Starting again with weight watching and joining a gym to get some motivation into losing.

Having been very fit in my 20s thanks to the gym and cycling everywhere, I know how good it feels to be fit and fast. Not expecting to get there again for various reasons, but to look down and see my feet would be a good aim !

Will remember this thread next year and post back with my weight.
Aiming for sub 180lb.

These threads are a great motivational tool.

Roughly this time last year I was 15 stone, smoked 20-40 cigarettes a day and drank ~5 pints every night. I was a mess and looked and felt like crap. Had a word with myself ( ok I had a bit of a breakdown ) and now I'm 11 stone, no longer smoke and only drink a glass or two of wine a few times a week. It was tough going but my outlook has changed dramatically, I'm much happier and more confident now. I feel great.

No real trick to it either, just eat more intelligently and exercise. I eat a lot of oats ( just plain oats with sometimes raisins or chopped banana on them, my preference is for Scott's old fashioned porage oats ), plenty of salmon and chicken, lots of salad and protein shakes when I train. Training consists of 3 or 4 gym sessions a week; squats and free weights, maybe some crunches.

Aim this year is to put on a stone of muscle.

Good luck on your journey all!

*steps on scales

**crys a little

***enters garage and gets on turbo trainer

We don't have any scales, I go off how I look, feel and how my clothes fit. Not too good on all fronts at the moment. Feel like I'm quite bloated. Worked out that I started upping the seasonal intake with a corresponding drop in exercise around early November. 😳

On dry January now with a BIG focus on eating better and getting back into a good exercise / sleep routine.

I've not seen my racing/fighting weight since about 1982.

However I do have a few goals. Over the years I've been up as high as 20st. Currently sitting on 15st 6. My weight usually sits around 15 0, so I've snuck a few on pre-xmas and over xmas.

I'm on the 5-2 diet and trying to mix it up a bit this year with the 5 days not being "all you can eat" days... just having them as what normal people would eat. I do seem to have a massive appetite compared to normal humans... which doesn't help... But i'm in the process of being strict.

For me, apart from the obvious health benefits I was very disappointed with my finish in the SPAM event on the 29th Dec... Although it was around 50%, 160th out of 315 riders, I felt that I was losing out a LOT on the up bits... despite the fact I don't mind climbing generally, the racing lightweights were destroying me on the up. So the goal is the get the gap in weight between me and them a bit closer this year, making the riding a bit more even.

I'm on the diet that worked well for my friend. There are 2 rules, eat less + move more. I try not to have naughty snacks but I still have a yard of Jaffa cakes from Christmas!

On the plus side went for a 5 mile run the other day and the lactics stills stuck in my legs... *sigh*

Having been up as high as 20 Stone and down as low as 13.5 I'm currently sitting at 17 after 6 weeks of poor diet and no exercise.

With a tough mudder to complete in October and a summer full of activities coming up I'd be happy to be under 15 stone by April so about 6 lbs a month to lose which should be do-able with a sensible diet and plenty of exercise.

Will be good to keep track of everyones progress and see what's working for everyone.

january 2013 14st 0 🙁

june 2013 11st 11 😀

january 2014 13st 9 🙁

I lost 19Lbs on the Idave Diet back in Jan 2011 in about 3-4 months

Junior 2 was born and gradually I fell off the wagon
I`ve put it all back on again 🙁

Cant seem to string 2 or 3 days "Diet complient" together at the moment, not helped by the fact I seem to be constantly sick / ill at the moment.

Really want to shift a stone before 1st Feb to give my knees an easier time snowboarding.
Need to do some squats to get some leg strength back again too.

5'6" 12st7 this morning = officially fat ba$tard

Heres to sub 11st this year and a lot less fat.
Unfortunately I don't have the quick wins like cutting out alchohol, as I haven't drunk for 18 years, so its got to be all diet and exercise for me 😳

So I've lost over a stone since October (down to 13st) through more riding and eating less - simples!

I went out for a run today for the first time in about a year and did 3.5 miles at a 9 min/mile pace which I was quite pleased with. Didn't have to stop either despite it being reet hilly round here.

But now I'm in serious muscle pain. Can't walk down the stairs type discomfort. I'm sure the answer is to stretch - but I'm not clear on what to stretch and when to stretch it! Any tips?

And I still prefer riding, but can see the benefit of a run for fitting in some exercise in a short space of time when I haven't got the bike with me.

Cheers

Si

Cr500dom - I couldn't string diet days together due to work and travel more than anything. 5:2 worked (works) for me, in that you can pick and choose the 2 days to fit in better.

Surfdad - been there, done that. I have run half marathons in the past, I can do 8 hours on the bike, surely I don't need to start running like an absolute beginner. WRONG!! I could barely walk after a 20 minute run. Start slow and short and build up, your knees and hips and calves will thank you in the long run (in fact, they'll thank you tomorrow, when you can do another run and build up as opposed to being laid up injured)

Can't say I've ever had weight issues been 12st for ever it seems. Just been out for a run instead of bike, uhh don't like it...

So how is everyone doing?

I'm down 2.8 KG so another 4 KG to go

Hunger pains just about disappeared and finding it a bit easier than I expected. However wight loss seems to be slowing so we will see

January 1st - 13st 6lbs
January 9th - 13st 1lb

Purely down to monitoring what I eat, riding to work (its only 6 miles each way, but every little helps) - and sweating my ass off in the gym at least every other day.

Will be honest and say I'm actually really enjoying it 🙂

10 days ago I was 76kg. Changed my diet and back into pre season training and this morning I weighed in at 72kg. 2kgs to go for my first target. Really want to eat cake and chocolate though! 🙁

Jan 1st 16.6
Jan 8th 16.1

.....so going in the right direction for once!

Not weighed myself yet or anything but thinking of going for something a bit more structured with diet. Anyone used the 5:2 diet long term? Sound sl

Like something I could get used to, but is it just short term or something sustainable?

I'm currently 200lbs.

Did get down to 189lbs in the summer.

Want to get to 182 lbs and maintain that weight.

Plan is -

1) Watch what I eat (it's easier to get it on the fork that way!)
2) More riding my Mountain Bike
3) More riding of Road Bike
4) use turbo trainer in between.

4lbs lost in 2 weeks so far.

@wiggles, tried the 5.2 diet last October. Managed two weeks, it's hard work.

I quite often don't get a chance to eat until 6pm after work anyway, so would just mean being more careful when I get home a few days a week.

I'm also tracking everything I eat on the myfitnesspal app. I've also logged exercise/walking but the calorie consumption is way too optimistic!

Anyone used the 5:2 diet long term? Sounds like something I could get used to, but is it just short term or something sustainable?

I have. Barring Christmas which was a free for all, I've been on it for just under a year now.

New Year 2013, i was 15:12 (a big meal away from being 16st) and in 38" trousers

I did a few weeks of calorie counting but found it tough being restricted every day, particularly as i travelled with work / had client dinners, although i generally stuck to it and lost weight.

After 6 weeks i was introduced to 5:2 and found as a means of fitting a 'non faddy, calorie restricting' diet around my lifestyle it suited me fine.

Mid August i got to my lowest, after all my training and riding for a 12hr solo, i was down to 13:2, total loss of 38lbs, and bought a pair of 32" waist jeans.

Since the solo, and with darker nights / no in the dark commuting by bike, my riding has dropped off considerably but i've stayed [i]broadly[/i] on 5:2, with the variation being that some weeks i fasted one day only if I didn't feel like doing two or other things came up, other weeks I did two but went up from a strict 600/day to more like 800-900. And between end of Aug and the run up to Christmas I put on about 3 lbs. That's another reason i like it, it's very flexible to switch between loss and maintenance. If i found weight creeping back on too fast, i went back to doing it properly for a week or two.

Over Christmas, so from mid Dec to 6th jan, when i went back to work, it's been eat what you like, when you like. My 32" waist jeans are 'tight' and on 6/1 I was up to 13:11 😳 But i had a bloody good Christmas. Have been back on the wagon this week and although i don't normally do midweek weighing (or you become obsessive) I am 'some' lbs lighter than i was at the start of the week. Def closer to 13 and a half than 14st.

@rooleymoor. it's not for everyone, and you're right, it's not 'easy' in that for 2 days a week you will be, in the main, hungry. But I vastly prefer being able to psychologically deal with being proper hungry 2 days a week than permanently being a bit hungry but paranoid about what i could eat to deal with it and the impact that'd have on the day's count.

Thanks for that sounds great, I'm in the region of 16st (no scales) myself so that seems like a great amount of weight you manageed to lose. Hopefully will get somewhere near that kind of loss.