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Friends / help / motivation

DPJH
DPJH Posts: 2
edited February 21 in Introduce Yourself
Hey guys / girls / lads / ladies / anyone and everyone out there !

So I've never written on an online forum before so please bear with me while I go about my thoughts and try to put these down this is all about me but ideally I just want to make some friends out there and get some motivation and help!.

So I pretty much hate my body I hate having man boobs and a big belly it's a nightmare and really not good to look at. So people close to me have told me I'm silly and I don't and I'm skinny etc but realistically I'm not and the fat is there!

So sizes -
Height. - 5ft 10 ish / 178/179cms
Weight - around 11st 10llbs / 164llbs / 74kgs ish

Measurements -
Belly / ( around my belly button / widest part ). - 34/34.5inches / 87/88cms
Chest. / boobs - 36/36.5 inches / 92/93cms
Arm -12 inches / 31cms
Thigh (widest part) - 22inches / 56 cms

Oh and my age I'm a. 28 year old male.

So I know imp am within my bmi range so I think I'm not actually classed as overweight but I feel like I am - I'm pretty sure my body fat must be shy high but that's where I am right now.

So I've done a lot of reading online and although it can be majorly confusing with all the websites / forums. / help. / advice etc It can be broken down pretty simply -

1) Eat less / do more
2 ) eat less calories than you burn and you lose weight
3) have a calorie deficit of. 500cal per day and you lose a pound a week.

Cool so I have it sussed - but I need help !

I have had a look online again and from what I can gather my body should burn around 1800 calories a day just being alive (let me know if this is horribly wrong - help !) in fairness my days are mainly sitting around and I deffo wouldn't say its a massively active lifestyle.

So I had to burn more calories! I have a gym in my building which is mega lucky so I started going just a bit at first then reading more online I built up until I was doing the following

I don't use the treadmill I just find it hurts my knees so I use the - Elliptical trainer and bike for cardio

Elliptical between somewhere between 20/30 mins this is one with the hand bars too - so I hear that's a better machine than just the legs

I start in gear 13
5 min warm up
Then on mins. 5.5/7.5/9.5/11.5/13.5/15.5 and so on I go hard and fast for 30 seconds on this I push the gear to 16 then back to 13 for the 1.5 min slower pace I'm trying to do interval training.
Then 5 min cool down normally

Now the machine spits out a few numbers but it does at the end flash up with an average - now the RPM - which I think means reps per min although I don't know ?? I have at around 70/75 ish average - I look to go for around. 80/85 when I'm going fast and the watts around 175/180

Now is this good? Is this burning calories?
RPM - 70/75ish
WATTS - around 180
Help'!

I do the same with the bike start gear 13 then push up to 15 for my fast sprints. - during my sprints I'm trying to get up to 120. - RPM

So my averages here are higher
RPM - 80ish
WATTS - 200ish

Again helpl!

I know I needed to do weights too especially with my tiny arms and massive boobs so as there are no big bars in the gym I use the two machines they do have

First the bench press machine. - it's one where you lie down now a seated press

So I set it to first,
1) Shoulders
2) Bench
3) Incline

Then use the other machine which is a rope pull machine like a rower in one setting then you change the seat and do pull downs so,
4) Row
5) Pull down

Now clearly I have little knowledge so help is useful and I have no idea how much I'm lifting because it's just numbered blocks but to give you an idea

Shoulders - number. 4
Bench - 6
Incline - 3

Row - 8
Pull down - 8
Are this numbers pounds? Kgs? Neither? Not that it really matters - when I started I couldn't do 2 on the bench press !

I know it's not all about sets but I try to do 16reps 3 times with around a 20 second break between each.

Often I have started to do half the cardio first then weights then the other machine when I'm down weights.

I also once a week try to go for a 5k run when it's in park my knees hurt less so I walk there and do that sat. - normally around 27mins which I get isn't fast so I should really try to improve that but I couldn't make it round at first,

Now I know you need to keep track of the calories so recently I downloads the app for my fitness pal to keep a track of meals etc now I know this can't be. 100% accurate but deffo helps I think so to give an example of food I'm trying to keep to around 1400 calories a day ish

Breakfast -
Two rashers of bacon. (not the whole rasher though no fat just the medallion the round bit in the middle)
Two poached eggs
Tea with milk - no sugar
Half banana

Lunch -
Chicken breast i just dust with tumeric and paprika and a little veg oil
In a wholemeal pocket / wrap
Green tea

Dinner -
Varies more
Mostly meat / fish
Roasted carrots
Sweet corn
Green beans

Snacks -
Apples normally. 2
Half banana
Mandarin
Glass of milk
Green tea
I mostly drink water throughout the day

So that's my diet weight height etc can anyone point my in the right direction I'm going travelling in around 6 weeks and would love to look better on the beach! In all honesty recently I've lost a bit of motivation so hoping you can help any idea how many calories I might be burning? If the diet seems reasonable? If I should be doing more?!

All advice is really appreciated!

Thank you for reading!

Replies

  • chr12bu
    chr12bu Posts: 13 Member
    Hello!

    I'm not an expert by any means... and have only been doing weight loss in any earnest using MFP for about a month (although supported my wife through weight loss, and have been actively exercising myself for a number of years).

    I think you've got it summed up pretty well... Weight loss = eat less + exercise more.

    What I would say is don't worry about the actual values on all the machines. You're not comparing yourself with others - you need to compare yourself to yourself, and look for improvements. So if you can do 180 watts this week, aim for 190 in two weeks. (I'd say work on a 2 week cycle, because sometimes you have good / bad weeks).

    If you're looking to build muscle, keep an eye on the protein in your diet (ie, you need more) - MFP has a good nutrition pie chart where you can check this out. I don't do free weights, but use the various "machines" - ensuring each muscle pair is exercised.

    The thing to take away is that weight loss / fitness are long term things supported by realistic short term goals. I was amazed that my body could go from barely making 5k through to marathon distance in about 3 months (and then go back again so quickly when I stopped training!)

    Don't be put off if you don't stick to your plan for a day / week... just carry on where you left off.

    Best of luck!
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