Struggling with Exercise Routine and Eating Habits

adammo2121
adammo2121 Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, will try and keep this short an to the point. I'm a 31 year old male and I want to look better physically. I feel that my arms aren't too big (especially forearms) and I have a bit of excess stomach weight. So i'd like to lose this belly fat, and get my arms bigger to look better. We have a toddler right now and are expecting a new baby early next year, so my time has been limited. At my disposal for my home gym are an upright exercise bike, a bowflex machine and free weights. Here are my questions (or struggle points):

1 - Weights/Cardio: I've been trying to read as much as possible on this but cannot get anything definitive. Can I lose belly fat on diet alone (i.e. can I concentrate on weights for the most part and skip the 30 minute cardio I do?)

2 - Length of workout: When I do weights right now I try to do them when our toddler goes to bed (so around 8-9 PM). I find myself tired and then don't have much time for anything else. Are typical weight lifting workouts an hour long? I don't feel I can get a lot done in 30 minutes but find I am useless by the end.

3 - Snacking at night: I have a ton of trouble not eating before bed. Any tips on this or healthy snacks. I can't avoid the carbs like bread, crackers, chips, etc.

Any tips on any of these items is greatly appreciated. Right now I don't find I have the time to maximize cardio and weight frequencies so any where that I can increase my efficiency is what I am looking for.

Thanks!

Replies

  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    The first thing you need to decide is which is more important to you, getting more muscular or losing fat. They are competing goals and it is difficult to do both effectively at the same time. Regardless of which goal you choose, diet will be the most important factor. Also regardless of which goal you choose you can do both weights and cardio. Weights are needed to grow muscles, but if you choose fat loss you should still lift to preserve what muscles you have and to also gain strength (you can gain strength while losing fat). If you focus on muscle building first I would do only enough cardio to keep up a baseline of cardiovascular fitness (maybe 1-2 sessions a week). If you go for fat loss I'd do a little bit more to help burn calories (2-3 sessions). A decent lifting routine takes around an hour.

    Diet will be the key to losing fat. If you eat less calories then you burn, your will lose weight in the form of fat and lean mass. If you eat adequate protein and lift weights while eating less then you burn you will lose weight but most of it will be fat. This is why it is important to still do weights no matter what you choose. I can give you more specific advice if you let me know which goal is going to be primary for you, fat loss or muscle gains.

    Eating food at night is fine. The whole don't eat before bed things is a total myth. Total calories and macro nutrients for the day are what cause results. If you are a nighttime snacker, save calories for before bed. Also no reason to avoid any specific food. Again, calories and macros are what matters, not necessarily types of foods.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Bump
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    Check out All Pro: A Beginner's Routine on bb.com. I think I was able to do the whole thing in about 40 minutes. Definitely less than an hour.
  • audrast
    audrast Posts: 74 Member
    When you lose weight, you can't just take it from one area. Your body will take fat stores from around the body so focusing all your attention on one type of exercise won't work to shed pounds in that one area. Oh, you'll tone up the muscles but the fat burned will come from everywhere, not just there.

    Trying alternating weight training and cardio, especially HIIT. The workouts don't have to be an hour long and you don't need to go to the gym or have fancy equipment. Body weight exercises will help you with muscle tone and even just adding free weights will help build more muscle mass which will help you burn more calories in the long run.

    There are loads of resources for all kinds of workouts online. HIIT, basic cardio, kickboxing, weight training, kettlebells, abs/core, all varying lengths. If you can find 20 minutes everyday (at least one rest day) to get some activity in, you'll feel better for it. Even if it's just dropping to the floor as you wake up every morning and churning out a dozen pushups.

    Late night snacking is a real no-no. Even if you are up late, snacking that far into the PMs is likely going to be unregulated snacking, lazy snacking, convenience food snacking ... all bad juju. Create a diet plan which includes a couple hundred calories of some of your favorites and then stick to it. If, after 8pm, you're snacky, grab a glass of water. Make sure you are getting enough good fats and protein in your diet so you won't feel hungry soon after meals.

    I think, all in all, small changes you make to your lifestyle have the biggest long term impact. Small changes also don't hurt as much and are more likely to stick. Instead of spending your break at work sitting at the comp and browsing social media, stand up and do 20 squats, walk to the water fountain and back, do three minutes of light stretching. Just the act of getting your blood pumping will burn some extra calories.

    Best of luck with the kiddies. They are awesome but they are really demanding on time and energy. Remind yourself that in order to be a good parent to them, you have to take care of yourself too. It isn't being greedy or selfish, it's being smart and allowing yourself the time you need to stay healthy for your family.
  • adammo2121
    adammo2121 Posts: 22 Member
    Thanks all. Yes time and balancing everything else I want to do is the biggest challenge. For instance my wife likes to watch tv with me. By the time I do a 1 hour workout, shave/shower, wind down it's pretty much bed time :). I guess I have to make the time somehow.

    How about abs? Should I be doing them at all?

    As for HIIT, how long do you do this for in a particular session?

    Thanks!
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Can you switch your workout to an AM workout? I was running into the same issue you are with evening workouts - I was tired from doing stuff all day, I didn't feel like I was able to give it my all, and it basically killed any time in the evening with my husband. I switched to working out in the morning and it has been much better. I mean, it sucks to wake up at 4:45 am to exercise, but I get it out of the way, shower, go thru my day, and don't run the risk of late-night snacking because I don't have the post-workout hunger right before bed. It might be something to try for a week or two if you can fit it into your schedule, and see if that makes any difference in your performance and time with family/snacking issues.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    I personally don't do HIIT for any longer than 20 minutes, and usually if I'm at the gym and it's not late, I'll do intervals on the arc trainer long enough to burn 100 calories after I'm done lifting (about 12 minutes). It works for me, anyway. We get internet through the Wii at home, so I'll do something on YouTube. Fitness Blender's Red Light Green Light is one of my favorites for HIIT. A little ab work never hurt anyone.
  • audrast
    audrast Posts: 74 Member
    I've done 20 minute HIITs and 45 minute HIITs. It's what you have time for that matters. I agree with the previous person on Fitness Blender (YouTube channel. They have amazing workout videos and I'm completely hooked on them).

    Your work schedule and personal demands will set when you have to workout. If your wife wants to watch TV with you in the evenings, you better do it. :)

    If you are an 8-5er like most of us, get yourself to bed before 11pm and wake up at 6am. Give yourself about 10-15 minutes to wake up and check your email, your messages on MFP, maybe drink a glass of water, and then workout for 20 minutes. Change it up. HIIT one day, jog the next, yoga, weights ... Then, you can enjoy the rest of your day knowing you took that time for yourself and enjoy the benefits.

    Abs are important. Core is important. A strong abdomen and back will give you great stability and just imagine seeing those abs emerge as you lose weight. Find a couple of videos for abs workouts (FitnessBlender - I'm telling you, these people are awesome). Most are 5-10 minutes.

    Carve the time out for yourself by eliminating some stagnant time. We all have it. The 45 minutes we spend on Facebook or Reddit or Imgur, gaming or simply sitting there staring out into space.

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