Body Mass Index what a load of rubbish!

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

You look suitably moderatorial!

If you can squeeze an exercise bike in somewhere (needn't cost much), I found it's a big help in getting off to a good start. It's as boring as f*ck, but 15-20 minutes* 3-4 times a week will really help (and you can always distract yourself with music). Also has the advantage that it doesn't matter what the weather is like, which is an excuse I've seen some get derailed by - but basically whatever gets you out of breath will help (subject to usual caveats about seeking medical advice etc).

*when starting off, I think these things underestimate calories burned too - though that will level off.

Feel free to use this thread as a 'keep up to date' thingy if you want - knowing someone else is aware of what's going on helps with discipline!

 

[Deleted member 2457]

You look suitably moderatorial!

If you can squeeze an exercise bike in somewhere (needn't cost much), I found it's a big help in getting off to a good start. It's as boring as f*ck, but 15-20 minutes* 3-4 times a week will really help (and you can always distract yourself with music). Also has the advantage that it doesn't matter what the weather is like, which is an excuse I've seen some get derailed by - but basically whatever gets you out of breath will help (subject to usual caveats about seeking medical advice etc).

*when starting off, I think these things underestimate calories burned too - though that will level off.

Feel free to use this thread as a 'keep up to date' thingy if you want - knowing someone else is aware of what's going on helps with discipline!

Thanks mate. Can you recommend a exercise bike for me with a link preferably somewhere like Amazon or Argos? Cheers!

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Ours must be 10-12 years old, it's a York Magnaforce model allowing you to adjust how hard the pedals are to turn - I suspect this is a broad equivalent now:

York Active 110 Exercise Bike

The York Active 110 Exercise Bike is not presently available for online ordering. Please see alternative selections displayed on the page.

www.sweatband.com

Neither Amazon or Argos seem to stock York bikes (I can at least vouch for their longevity) but there are a lot of reviews against the ones at Argos:

Results for exercise bike in Sports and fitness, Exercise machines, Exercise bikes

Get set for exercise bike in Sports and fitness, Exercise machines, Exercise bikes at Argos. Same Day delivery 7 days a week £3.95, or fast store collection.

www.argos.co.uk

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Ours must be 10-12 years old, it's a York Magnaforce model allowing you to adjust how hard the pedals are to turn - I suspect this is a broad equivalent now:

York Active 110 Exercise Bike

The York Active 110 Exercise Bike is not presently available for online ordering. Please see alternative selections displayed on the page.

www.sweatband.com

Neither Amazon or Argos seem to stock York bikes (I can at least vouch for their longevity) but there are a lot of reviews against the ones at Argos:

Results for exercise bike in Sports and fitness, Exercise machines, Exercise bikes

Get set for exercise bike in Sports and fitness, Exercise machines, Exercise bikes at Argos. Same Day delivery 7 days a week £3.95, or fast store collection.

www.argos.co.uk

Thanks mate! I like the look of that, why are exercise bikes so big these days? I remember having a small one.

 

[Gray]

Can you guys recommend a diet for losing weight? Eg breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I wonder if you've ever been asked to keep a food diary gel (chances are you probably have).
Whenever I've seen anyone give accurate (honest) accounts of the amount and size of every meal - and details of all between-meal snacks....the reason they're overweight is usually obvious.
There are no end of fad diets, often promoted to desperate people by 'celebrities'. I think it's as much about what you don't eat as what you do.
Sensible eaters will tell you that it doesn't need to be boring.
Realistic people know that it really is boring!
Best (boring) advice I can give:
3 sensibly sized meals a day. Don't allow cakes, chocolate, sweets or too many biscuits* into the house - if they're there, they will be eaten.
*Some biscuits allowed.....almost impossible to have a cup of tea without one.
I know some people say you can burn it off with exercise, but as a lazy person I prefer not to have to

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

You're spot on about the amount people eat - that's why I said gel needs to count calories rigorously.

Doing exercise does help it be less boring because you need to reduce your calorific intake less, and can choose to treat yourself just a little with calories you've burned already (probably not where gel should be starting ideally for best initial results), but there for the future!

It does also make it a hell of a lot easier to get an initial, tangible result - either on the scales or through clothing being looser. Never underestimate the power of a little positive feedback - though neither of these tops the first time someone says 'have you lost weight?'

Dieting alone doesn't do a great deal for your underlying fitness. If you can do both, as gel seems to want to, it's the best option. The people I know who've dieted alone have backslid as often as not, whereas those who've done both and made it stick have made real progress. And I say all of this as someone who is far from the naturally active type...

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Thanks mate! I like the look of that, why are exercise bikes so big these days? I remember having a small one.

Was talking about the bike to Mrs 12th when out with the dog - we think it must be more like 15 years old, so whilst it's had periods of inactivity I think it demonstrates it was pretty well-made - maybe that's why some of them are bigger/heavier?

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Thanks guys. I am going back to the gym after lockdown and work harder and follow calorie counting. Cheers!

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Good for you. I view it as something that will hopefully extend my life a little, but even more importantly make my quality of life good for the greatest part of that.

 

[bigboss]

Diets where you exclude groups of food are difficult to be sustainable in the long run. I have lost 10.6kg in 13 months and am maintaining my weight. I put a post on Facebook in December for what I did to achieve my goals. I'll copy paste it here (lost a bit more since the post and another half inch off my waist) :

IT'S DISCIPLINE THAT COUNTS

Many people have asked me tips to losing weight. I can only talk about my experience that worked for me, hopefully this will help others.

Due to poor eating habits and relatively sedentary lifestyle, I was at my heaviest last Christmas. When size 34 trousers started to become tight, I knew I had to do something because statistically, due to my ethnicity, I was at a greatly increased risk of developing Diabetes. I needed a lifestyle change that was sustainable in the long run.

Luckily, I came across The Health Guys and met Sam Archer and Rhys Derbyshire in January who helped me change my mindset towards healthy living. I call them health coaches instead of fitness trainers. A friend joined with me which helped me stay regular during the initial phase when the body tries to find excuses to not go. This helped me set a routine up for the first time of regular exercise which I struggled with all my life. Early morning class ensured I got my exercise out of the way before the family started to wake up, so not compromising on precious family time.

The greatest benefit I found was with diet. Sam and Rhys helped me understand healthy eating with focus on nutrition and calories without excluding any food types. I installed MyFitnessPal app and used it regularly for 50 days, logging every single meal I ate. This helped me understand how to choose the right food without compromising on selections. If I fancied something high calorie for dinner, I would compensate by having light lunch. My aim was to balance things out over a weekly period, to be able to accommodate eating out with friends and family. Thanks to my wife and her unique ideas, I have been able to have healthy dinners regularly with lot of salad and greens.

I tried to maintain an active lifestyle by going out on weekends, playing cricket regularly and long distance cycling as much as possible.

I started feeling more energetic and was able to cycle faster and further which proved to me that I was getting healthier. I was able to cycle 100km in a single day in April and have plans to go further in 2020. What I realised is that the human body is capable of a lot more endurance than we think. It is limited by our mindset. Once we overcome this limitation, we can achieve a lot more. For example, I cannot cycle on an exercise bike for more than 20 minutes but can ride continuously on the road for couple of hours without stopping easily, perhaps more. My mind actively stops me from cycling on exercise bike, so its a constant fight with my mind.

I had a target weight in mind by the year end, which I got to by the end of November. I am now 9.6kg lighter and have taken 3 inches off my waist. I feel much healthier and am much happier. It's the discipline in sticking to regular exercise and healthy eating that has helped me immensely.

I don't like to make new year resolutions. My aim is to maintain healthy lifestyle and focus more on mental wellbeing by removing stress in the coming years.

 

[bigboss]

This is what my fitness coaches posted on Facebook about me:

GUYS STUCK IN LOCKDOWN - Want to know how xxx managed to get from the heaviest he’d ever been, to losing a HUGE 21 pounds AND 3.5 inches from his waist without having to restrict his favourite treats???

Of course you do! Keep reading to find out more!

In January he was the heaviest he’d ever been and he was finding the weight difficult to shift. There’s a lot of sweet treats at his work and he found himself constantly saying that “another chocolate won’t matter”. His wake up call was when his trousers were getting too tight for him as he knows there is a huge risk of getting diabetes (being a doctor himself) with a bigger gut.

Xxx was looking for a sustainable solution because he knew he couldn’t put the weight back on when he lost it and that’s when he joined our program. Since then, he has managed to get back into cycling and he’s now going faster and further than he has ever done before (he smashed a 100km race last year which is the furthest he’s ever ridden!!).

So, how has he managed to do it?

1. Holds himself accountable

Firstly, he prioritises his exercise sessions (even though he’s working in the NHS) and works hard during them. Then he will also go out cycling when he can too.

Not only that but he turns up by holding himself accountable through his new knowledge in nutrition. He knows now how to incorporate some high calorie foods into his healthy lifestyle but understands that excessive consumption will lead back to weight gain and to where he was before so he no longer makes excuses.

2. He has a good motivation

Xxx understands why he wants to be healthier. He wanted to be able to chase around after his 5 year old kid and at the time and also be there for him when he grows up.

A lot of people say they want to drop the beer belly and most of them give it a go but one of the main reasons they fail is because they don’t know their true motivators. When times get tough, when you don’t want to exercise or you’re feeling like binging on all those foods, that’s when you call on your motivations because it’s something you truly want. Finding out your why is so important.

3. Family

Now that he has made a change, it has impacted his family too. His wife exercises regularly now too, his son gets involved with the stretching, healthy eating is part of the whole family and they’ve even gone on cycling holidays! When everyone is currently in the house, this is a perfect time to get the whole family doing exercise together.

Through this his son now has the best chance at being healthy when he grows up too and if everyone is involved, it’s setting a great example.

What is lockdown going to look like for you?

You can either stick with where you’re currently at feeling out of shape, lethargic and losing your mind.

Or, you can make this a defining moment by saying YES to the results you’ve only ever dreamt of and not just for the short term, these results will go on forever if you stick to the core principles.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Wow - nice one mate! Congrats too.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I cannot cycle on an exercise bike for more than 20 minutes but can ride continuously on the road for couple of hours without stopping easily, perhaps more. My mind actively stops me from cycling on exercise bike, so its a constant fight with my mind.

It's because it's so boring, isn't it? There's no sensory stimulation, and no need to concentrate on what you are doing because no-one's ever crashed a static bike. I've suggested this option because it does at least mean you don't have to go out when the weather is pants!

 

[Gray]

It's because it's so boring, isn't it? There's no sensory stimulation, and no need to concentrate on what you are doing because no-one's ever crashed a static bike. I've suggested this option because it does at least mean you don't have to go out when the weather is pants!

Needs a dynamo to power music to headphones. Incentive to pedal at the required speed 😥.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Thanks guys. I am going back to the gym after lockdown and work harder and follow calorie counting. Cheers!

Any news? Managing to be disciplined?

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Any news? Managing to be disciplined?

Hi mate, went for a walk and bike ride yesterday, the bike ride was my first since I was at the gym, went around half way of the local lake and back again. Seriously not good though my new bike is rubbish. So thinking about buying a new bike. Can’t see me getting back to the gym for at least another year - that’s how long I am likely to be in lockdown for if not longer!

Diet is up and down I am switching to leaner meats for burgers and stuff. Eating more fruit, chicken, fish and lean pork. If I lose weight I reckon I will do it quick on a crash diet to be honest, otherwise just sticking to healthy diet and lots of workouts as long as I don’t fall asleep.

Thanks for asking mate.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

No worries. A year in lockdown? I'd go tonto. I take it you must have some underlying condition, but fully understand that's not necessarily something you'd want to go into here.

Managing to do 20-25 mins on the bike 5/6 times a week. Still boring but I have got faster over the last few weeks - having a target to try to beat always helps.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Had the exercise bike outside in the sun these last two days - slightly less dull!

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Had the exercise bike outside in the sun these last two days - slightly less dull!

Nice one!

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

How are you getting on?

Taking the bike outdoors definitely makes I easier to stick to and to go further. Mercifully there are parts of the garden that are not overlooked at all, though I did have to explain to a neighbour that I wasn't doing it so I could watch him trim the hedge - he looked a bit weirded-out at first...

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I am getting a exercise bike off QVC in the next couple of days so can get down to some long workouts while watching my TV.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

All you need now is something worth watching on TV!

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Managing to do 45-50 mins each weekday this week - something to do with the pub being open and having to compensate...

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I ended up returning Davina‘s exercise bike back to QVC not used. I am done with exercising and dieting they make me feel awful! And I don’t want any stress in my life.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

It's important to recognise when the time's right any when it's not.

Maybe at some point in the future it'll feel right. In the meantime, I won't add to this thread - best to put it out of your mind for now!