How I lost weight the easy way

[lurok]

Sounds like a spam thread Never grossly obese but did get overweight due to semi-sedentary lifestyle.

These didn't work for me:

Diet - boring, cut out too many good things that make life worth living.

Gym - can see appeal and results if REALLY disciplined but again found boring/routine/smelly. But was a good kickstart...

What worked:

Moderation - eat/drink same as always, just lot less. Last meal early evening (nothing later).

Cycling - daily; minimum five miles.

Rollerblading - daily; minimum 2 hours.

Dead-weights: got some dumbbells (12kg each). 20-30mins arm/chest reps daily.

Sit-ups/ab crunches: 20-30 daily (doesn't sound a lot, but done daily makes a difference after a few weeks)

As others have said elsewhere in RL and here, it's more to do with lifestyle change and consistency than drastic/radical plans...

 

[SchwEnt]

Good post and well done.

My thoughts on your routine lead me to your DAILY rollerblading (two hours minimum) and DAILY dead weights (30 minutes) and DAILY five miles cycling (30 minutes?) and DAILY sit-ups, too.

If you toss in the warm-up/cool-down times and recommended stretching and shower time, are you talking about 4-5 hours daily? That's quite a chunk of time. Spending that much time would have to lead to some positive results, I'd imagine.

That's the equivalent time of taking on a part-time job. How'd you manage that?

I'm not knocking you, just saying.
Glad it worked for you.

 

[lurok]

Good post and well done.

My thoughts on your routine lead me to your DAILY rollerblading (two hours minimum) and DAILY dead weights (30 minutes) and DAILY five miles cycling (30 minutes?) and DAILY sit-ups, too.

If you toss in the warm-up/cool-down times and recommended stretching and shower time, are you talking about 4-5 hours daily? That's quite a chunk of time. Spending that much time would have to lead to some positive results, I'd imagine.

That's the equivalent time of taking on a part-time job. How'd you manage that?

I'm not knocking you, just saying.
Glad it worked for you.

Thanks, SchwEnt. Yes, if following that routine does need time set aside - at least a clear morning or afternoon - which I appreciate is LUXURY not everyone may have. I should point out that routine isn't every day (though ideally most days), unless I had downtime (being a freelance kind of person - office work, been there, done that).
Cycling is more 45mins-1hr rather than 30mins (depends on pace, but personally take at relaxed rather than racing)
Rollerblading - yeah, somedays 1hr, somedays 2hr+. Depends on weather and mood The key thing is: I really enjoy it and don't consider exercise, though clearly has benefits. Could substitute for swimming, etc.
Routine is cycling/rollerblading before weights. No warm-up before cycling (that's my warm-up). So by time do weights/sit-ups I reckon pretty warmed-up

The main point I wanted to make is people don't need to get obsessed about diets and gym. Even my former personal trainer (who I was paying lot of unnecessary money for originally) said I'd found the solution. Finding something that works for you and fits around lifestyle is more important. When I don't have 'free time' to follow normal pattern I outlined, I can still fit in weights/sit-ups (before leave for work) and cycling (to and from place of work). And in summer can rollerblade after work hours.

 

[SchwEnt]

Yes. As I said, putting that much time in every day is BOUND to yield some good results. How could it NOT?

I guess the thing is other plans or ideas that tell people 30 minutes a day, three times a week. Or 20 minutes every day, or some other sporadic plan of attack. Those are the things that evidently don't work as well as people think they will.

Hell, sounds like you're banging out a whole weeks worth of other peoples exercise in one day.
And if you do it DAILY, you're knocking out in one week the same total exercise time as a MONTH for other people. Is that right?

No wonder it's working for ya

 

[lurok]

Hell, sounds like you're banging out a whole weeks worth of other peoples exercise in one day.
And if you do it DAILY, you're knocking out in one week the same total exercise time as a MONTH for other people. Is that right?

No wonder it's working for ya

You know what...until you mentioned it now, never considered that. But I think you may be right. And that was the major change for me. Before, nothing. But once I decided to get bike and skates, all changed. Like I said, it's all about a lifestyle change. It's not about being obsessive (when I say daily, I may or not include weekends ), but finding something you enjoy in short bursts and doing it. I'd never even skated before I took up this regime. I just saw other people other doing and thought: I'd like to do that too.

But on a wider point: yes, if you can devote a lot of time to this it's no surprise actors/movie stars can make such dramatic weight losses...

 

[gh4chiefs]

But aren't these:

What worked:

Moderation - eat/drink same as always, just lot less. Last meal early evening (nothing later).

Cycling - daily; minimum five miles.

Rollerblading - daily; minimum 2 hours.

Dead-weights: got some dumbbells (12kg each). 20-30mins arm/chest reps daily.

Sit-ups/ab crunches: 20-30 daily (doesn't sound a lot, but done daily makes a difference after a few weeks)

As others have said elsewhere in RL and here, it's more to do with lifestyle change and consistency than drastic/radical plans...

just a variation of these?

These didn't work for me:

Diet - boring, cut out too many good things that make life worth living.

Gym - can see appeal and results if REALLY disciplined but again found boring/routine/smelly. But was a good kickstart...

You moderated your food intake (a diet no matter what you call it) and you exercised, pretty impressivly I might add.

Point being, and congrats to you by the way, the old standby of diet and exercise. Works everytime it's tried. (just wish I had your willpower)

 

[lurok]

But aren't these:

What worked:

Moderation - eat/drink same as always, just lot less. Last meal early evening (nothing later).

Cycling - daily; minimum five miles.

Rollerblading - daily; minimum 2 hours.

Dead-weights: got some dumbbells (12kg each). 20-30mins arm/chest reps daily.

Sit-ups/ab crunches: 20-30 daily (doesn't sound a lot, but done daily makes a difference after a few weeks)

As others have said elsewhere in RL and here, it's more to do with lifestyle change and consistency than drastic/radical plans...

just a variation of these?

These didn't work for me:

Diet - boring, cut out too many good things that make life worth living.

Gym - can see appeal and results if REALLY disciplined but again found boring/routine/smelly. But was a good kickstart...

You moderated your food intake (a diet no matter what you call it) and you exercised, pretty impressivly I might add.

Point being, and congrats to you by the way, the old standby of diet and exercise. Works everytime it's tried. (just wish I had your willpower)

Yes and no. For many people, diet conjures images of cutting out things we enjoy. I did try diets - including notorious Atkins with consequent results - but as you rightly point out and I discovered, it's not about denial but moderation - which can can only really successfully go in tandem with exercise. That old maxim of: burn more than you're consuming.

As for exercise: yes, willpower and persistence is a big part of it. First time did bike ride since kid, I was in PAIN. . PAIN. But once you get back on the next day, then next day, then next day, pain subsides.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I slimmed down quite a bit two years ago by walking twenty miles a week. Didn't really have to change anything else - I wasn't overeating habitually to begin with.

 

[gh4chiefs]

BTW, based on the amount of exercise you're doing, I would not classify that as the "easy way" to lose weight. You're working pretty hard at it.

 

[lurok]

BTW, based on the amount of exercise you're doing, I would not classify that as the "easy way" to lose weight. You're working pretty hard at it.

Thanks, gh4chiefs . But unless I'm in serious denial, I really don't consider myself as working "hard" at it. I'm just genuinely enjoying what I do. Like I said, when I'm 'paid-working', that schedule above goes by the way but I still keep some elements of it. I just wanted to outline things in this thread that might have discouraged some who thought weight loss equalled gyms + boring diets From someone who allowed weight to creep up and was in denial for many years.

Oh...one interesting thing I noticed is that less interested in sex. Which is kinda ironic. Not sure whether other exercisers have noticed, or just me. Doesn't bother me, but curious...

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

Sounds like a spam thread

Yes, it did. I was ready to nuke it from orbit.

Good job on the discipline and weight loss. How much total have you lost and what was your starting point?

 

[lurok]

Sounds like a spam thread

Yes, it did. I was ready to nuke it from orbit.

Good job on the discipline and weight loss. How much total have you lost and what was your starting point?

I deliberately avoided mentioning starting/end points and targets as again this wasn't my intention and think people can get fixated over. Especially if don't reach target. Actually, didn't lose that much weight (less than 30 pounds) but big difference was in clothing fit, tone, definition and general well-being which I think are much better factors to judge than weight measurement.

What I'll say is: was clinically over-weight for age/weight/sex/height. Not obese. After this program, not over-weight. Actually under-weight currently, but that's mine/separate issue.

 

[RoJoHen]

But aren't these:

What worked:

Moderation - eat/drink same as always, just lot less. Last meal early evening (nothing later).

Cycling - daily; minimum five miles.

Rollerblading - daily; minimum 2 hours.

Dead-weights: got some dumbbells (12kg each). 20-30mins arm/chest reps daily.

Sit-ups/ab crunches: 20-30 daily (doesn't sound a lot, but done daily makes a difference after a few weeks)

As others have said elsewhere in RL and here, it's more to do with lifestyle change and consistency than drastic/radical plans...

just a variation of these?

These didn't work for me:

Diet - boring, cut out too many good things that make life worth living.

Gym - can see appeal and results if REALLY disciplined but again found boring/routine/smelly. But was a good kickstart...

You moderated your food intake (a diet no matter what you call it) and you exercised, pretty impressivly I might add.

Point being, and congrats to you by the way, the old standby of diet and exercise. Works everytime it's tried. (just wish I had your willpower)

Yes and no. For many people, diet conjures images of cutting out things we enjoy. I did try diets - including notorious Atkins with consequent results - but as you rightly point out and I discovered, it's not about denial but moderation - which can can only really successfully go in tandem with exercise. That old maxim of: burn more than you're consuming.

As for exercise: yes, willpower and persistence is a big part of it. First time did bike ride since kid, I was in PAIN. . PAIN. But once you get back on the next day, then next day, then next day, pain subsides.

Well, this is just semantics. Not to diminish anything you did, because it's awesome that you've made it work, but it really is just diet and exercise.

Whatever the connotation of words like "diet," moderating your food intake is a diet.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Finding an extra 4-5 hours a day to exercise doesn't sound like the "easy" way to me.

It would cut into my TrekBBS time!

 

[Kirby]

^^ No doubt. Great job lurok for getting after it and dropping weight!

I've been trying to work out between 5am - 6am 4 days a week since every other second of the day is spent at work or dealing with my kids and their activities. It's all my wife and I can do to keep the house (relatively) clean after the kids go to bed.

 

[Maestro]

Sounds like a spam thread

Yes, it did. I was ready to nuke it from orbit.

It's the only way to be sure.

Ahem... anyway...

I wish I had your discipline. I'm 34 and still eat at night like a teenager. If I could just give up that second helping of dinner!

And substitute a crunch or 20, I'd be in a lot better shape.

Any suggestions?

 

[lurok]

^^ No doubt. Great job lurok for getting after it and dropping weight!

I've been trying to work out between 5am - 6am 4 days a week since every other second of the day is spent at work or dealing with my kids and their activities. It's all my wife and I can do to keep the house (relatively) clean after the kids go to bed.

Sounds like a spam thread

Yes, it did. I was ready to nuke it from orbit.

It's the only way to be sure.

Ahem... anyway...

I wish I had your discipline. I'm 34 and still eat at night like a teenager. If I could just give up that second helping of dinner!

And substitute a crunch or 20, I'd be in a lot better shape.

Any suggestions?

thanks, Kirby. And hope goes well with your efforts. Same too, Maestro. I know what worked for me won't work for everyone, coz of people's time, commitments, etc, but I just wanted to post something positive here. The crucial thing I found, which was also the hardest by a long way, was to be disciplined. At height of regime, I'd get up at 6-7am (whatever time) and even if it was raining, I'd put my raingear on and still go cycling. Obviously not in a storm, but I think you get the point Oh, one other thing: as suggested in most exercise regimes, good to take a day's break. Not sure of science, but something to do with re-acclimatising body...

 

[leegrace]

What i feel is skipping and walking is the most easiest way to reduce weight. So if you add it in you daily life schedule. You will never be worried of your fitness.

 

[hamudm]

I have to agree with other posters that doing that much exercise, of course you'll lose weight! I'm 29 now in "OK" shape, but in my early 20's, I would do the following 6 days a week:

- 6km run
- 1 hour free weight training
- 30-60 mins either martial arts training or basketball

I would also play hockey (ice or roller) once or twice a week.

I ate like a gorilla, yet I was jacked to the nines. But now, I have a full time job, family, etc... my job particularly keeps me at a desk all day. I still play hockey once or twice a week and I do p90x and Yoga as well but my overall activity level is WAY down from what it was and I can see it in my body.

EDIT: BTW Lurok, congrats on the lifestyle change and weight loss! At this point, I'm hoping I can drop 25lbs and be back in that lean/toned physique I used to have. Hopefully when the baby starts sleeping and I can catch up on my zzzz!

 

[rubgi]

If you are looking for ways to lose weight and feel that helps you with soda, think again. You'd better soak soda for filtered water, unsweetened juice or iced tea. In any case, just put a "stevia or raw sugar in your diet does not drink of choice and stop looking for fast food options. Take small steps with exercise, diet and patience. It is a lifestyle, not a quick fix.