Want to lose my gut! Time for a change!

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lgadeke
lgadeke Posts: 7 Member
in Motivation and Support
Ok so basically, im 19 years old in 2 weeks and weigh 177lbs at 5ft 10".
I really want to lose my gut and get toned.

I very recently started using myfitnesspal because it's a great way to count my calories so I am not aimlessly trying to lose weight with no way of tracking it. I set up my profile with my height and weight etc and I am on 1500 calories a day.

This being said, it's sometimes hard to count my calories for my dinner as I live at home and get what dinner i'm given basically.

Sometimes I do go out and buy something for myself so I know the exact calories, but most of the time it's hard to do so, so I just go for a long walk after dinner to burn 300-400 calories to be on the safe side.

Eating the 1500 calories a day seems perfectly fine to me and it's not a bother to do, however I am really clueless on what to do to help me tone up and how to go about the whole process. I downloaded a 7 minute high intensity work-out app that I am yet to try out however some people say it's nonsense.

I would really appreciate any help I can get as I know there's a lot of people out there that are really clued up on this sort of thing. If this post has made no sense in the goals I want to achieve please let me know, I can answer any of your questions as I would really like all the help I can get.

I have the motivation, I just don't have the knowledge.

Thanks :)

Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
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    toning = combination of losing fat and gaining muscle, nothing more

    i can relate to not being able to accurately count supper, i live with my parents until returning to school, just do your best to estimate. i've still managed to lose 70 lbs while living at home despite not being able to count all that accurately

    your best bet is to eat your 1500 cals/day (maybe even a bit more, 1500 is a wee bit low for a guy of your size) and do some sort of 5x5, heavy weight routine involving compound movements like squats, OHP, deadlifts, and bench. Starting strength and stronglifts are two great examples. you wont build much (if any) muscle while eating below your TDEE, but you will preserve muscle mass better and you can still get stronger.

    eta; cardio is good but not necessary depending on your goals.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Start helping your parents make meals. 1) You'll know better how many calories they are. 2) You need to learn to cook anyway and there's no time like the present.

    Do you belong to or have access to a gym? Do you know anybody who lifts? You are going to get a lot of people telling you to start lifting with a program like Stronglifts. You can look it up online and use the videos to learn how to do it or have a friend help you.
  • ajnb88
    ajnb88 Posts: 339 Member
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    Bear in mind that long walk may not be 400 calories' worth. That was the big mistake I made first time around - It's good to get out and about, raise your heartrate etc, but assuming a walk burns x calories can easily lead to overestimating just how many you have left.
  • lgadeke
    lgadeke Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks for the replies, I did hear that lifting helped a lot, and I was thinking of buying a set of weights.
    However having absolutely no knowledge of what to do makes it a challenge. I wouldn't know how heavy to make the weights, how many reps or sets do or what type of lift to do etc so it's hard to get started.

    If you could help me with this that would be great!

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