Clueless newbie

NightmaresBecomeMe
NightmaresBecomeMe Posts: 2 Member
edited February 3 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there, a clueless newbie looking for a bit of help.

Up until around this time two years ago I was quite heavy, maybe 13 or 14st. Not too bad for a 6'2" male in theory, but I was completely unfit and out of shape. I had what I could understatedly call a mental block about cardiovascular activity. But after contracting an illness abroad and losing some weight as a result, I resolved to turn it around. I lost 2st in about two months and never fell back into old habits, thankfully. I now usually weigh between 11st and 11st 7lbs, though I don't check very often.

I alternate between routines. On average about 50km of street-running one week, 20-30km of treadmill intervals and hill-running the next, and gymball for 20 minutes each day. My 5km record is 19.:07, 10km 42:02, so I guess I'm maybe slightly above average in terms of fitness.

I eat a breakfast of muesli, and a dinner of vegetable rice, sometimes with egg, sometimes with chicken, sometimes on its own. This is not a lot of food, I realise, but it's more than enough to keep me going. The problem is, I'm always carrying excess weight that I just can't shift. As I said, I'm not big into checking the scales, but I can tell by appearance and feel. I look relatively thin I guess. However, it seems no matter what I do I can't tighten my abs; and I really think I do enough! But a more bothersome thing for me is the fact that I can grab handfuls of flab on my stomach and sides. "Handfuls" is not an exaggeration - it doesn't look like they're there, but they are. Given my routine and indeed my weight, I would've thought this shouldn't be the case. If anything I'm probably technically a little underweight for my height, so where's it coming from?! And why won't it go away?!

Hmm... any tips are welcome! And thank you for reading if you have. =]

Replies

  • mydeloo78
    mydeloo78 Posts: 328 Member
    If you can open your diary you're going to get better responses. From what you said you probably aren't eating enough. Oh and great abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. How you look is 80% what you eat, 10% workout and 10% genetics.
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,251 Member
    Not a nutritionist, but my guess is too many calorie dense foods

    Muesli & rice in particular

    The nuts, raisins etc in muesli, and depending on brand, sugar content
  • NightmaresBecomeMe
    NightmaresBecomeMe Posts: 2 Member
    Not sure what it means to open my diary; I'll have a look at my profile and see!

    The muesli I eat is insanely sugary, now that you mention it. I just would've thought that considering I eat a fairly small amount and exercise quite a lot that it didn't really matter. I know I don't even come close to my recommended daily intake of calories, probably not even by half. I'm sure I burn off more than I eat. But I'd say you're closer to being a nutritionist than I am - I have no clue about this kind of stuff!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings - Diary sharing is bottom left so we can see what you're eating
  • harleyjon
    harleyjon Posts: 1 Member
    There is no picture so It can be difficult to determine what your definition of "handfuls of flab" is. I am really just starting out on my journey toward weight loss and I am very unlearned when it comes to eating nutritiously.You mentioned that you lost a good bit of weight and I am wondering if maybe what you perceive as "flab" might really be excess skin from your previously larger configuration (you do say that it doesn't really look like it is there till you grab hold of it). Just a thought!!!???
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