Anyone here know much about weightlifting?

[dooley89]

Lots of good info in this thread for ya, Stuntman.
Ultimately you need to decide what you think will work best for you, obviously diet and exercise is how to lose weight, the end - no secrets!
Whether HIIT cardio, low intensity cardio, weight lifting, swimming or something else work for you is up to you!

I would say whatever you decide to do, make sure you are sweating your **** off doing it!

[ericdaoust]

Some random tips about food/drinks that worked for me:

- Water. Lots of this.
- Cut out sugars. No more chips, pop, even milk. I'm down to water, coffee, tea and almond milk.
- Limit your alcohol consumption. At the end of the day you don't even need it to have fun or to calm down.
- Manage portions better, eat 4-5 times per day. If your dinner plan is to have chicken + sweet potatoes, have the chicken at 5:30 and the potatoes at 7:30.
- Put everything under 2 categories: good for you and bad for you. More of the good stuff, less of the bad stuff. Don't even buy the bad stuff. That way you can't consume it. Just about everything I eat is either meat, fruit or vegetable.
- Learn how to become an awesome cook.

But even more important is your mindset. Don't try to act like a person that lives healthy. BECOME that person. Think like that person. Switch your mindset and your body follows.

[lucafen4]

One of two things happen with me when I get negative. I either grab a large bag of smokey bacon chips (or lately Bacon Poutine Chips) and some Philadelphia chip dip and devour both until empty. There's usually a can of coke involved with this mini-binge.

OR

I grab my trail shoes and my Ridgeback (my dog) and hit a nearby trail for a run/walk - mostly walk.

Only one of the two makes me feel good 30 min after finishing. Guess which? You won't even want to sit down and eat the chips after. The fatigue, sweat, freshness you feel leaves you wanting to eat better as well.

The best part about the trail run/walk - that negativeness fades. You think it through - you set it aside - you resolve it - you change your mindset about it.

The hardest part about getting active is getting your ass off the chair or couch in the first place. Once you stand up - the rest is easy. Put the shoes on, and just go.

Being much further north in BC than I am, trail hikes in the winter can be much more challenging. DDP Yoga can get you through the winter - also have an APP which is pay, but there's activities to do regardless.

If nothing else The DDP Yoga clip I posted earlier in this thread is seriously one of the most inspirational videos of weight loss and overcoming obstacles you'll ever see. No smoke and mirrors. It should get you to stand up and take the 1st step.

I haven't had similar weight gain as you in the past year, but I've had my own hurdles to overcome. Specifically I had a full rupture (ripped it in two) of my quad tendon - 2hr surgery to have it reattached & 6wks before I was allowed to even begin to bend my leg. 4mths of physio and tons of challenges of convincing myself I could get active again. 10min walks were near impossible for 2mths, no bike rides, 7mths before I could jog... I can relate.

Just keep going. today sucks, tomorrow will suck more - 2wks might suck even more - but then it'll get easier. You'll get faster, stronger, more confident.

Just go.

[StuntMan12]

Everyday I been working out, doing hamer curls, overhead dumbbell press, 100 lunges, planks which at first i could only do 7 seconds....yes lol pitiful but i worked my way up to doing 40 second planks and am going to keep working at it so i can do 2 minute planks soon enough. so far i noticed a little change in my body appearance. I want to get stronger for baseball season coming up as well and hit homeruns all the time lol

Sure enough these 20 pound dumbbells are getting too light so im going to look around for 25 and 30 lb dumbbells today

[ericdaoust]

What I like the most here is growth. You started somewhere and achieved something better. Well done!

[AngelicAssassin0]

Everyday I been working out, doing hamer curls, overhead dumbbell press, 100 lunges, planks which at first i could only do 7 seconds....yes lol pitiful but i worked my way up to doing 40 second planks and am going to keep working at it so i can do 2 minute planks soon enough. so far i noticed a little change in my body appearance. I want to get stronger for baseball season coming up as well and hit homeruns all the time lol

Sure enough these 20 pound dumbbells are getting too light so im going to look around for 25 and 30 lb dumbbells today

I totally swear by beer can curls and often multitask and do them non stop while watching a sporting event.


Seriously though congrats on making some progress. Get with a plan and stick with it. Making healthier food choices helps but even those things that are maybe not as healthy for you that you enjoy can still be had if done in moderation. The boss lady and I go for 3 and sometimes even 4 walks a day(pretty much after every meal(unless we're out or entertaining) and a late night walk. And swimming as i think has been mentioned here. You lose weight and don't even realize it's coming off. You could be wildly overweight but in the water you are for all intents and purposes weightless-no sore knees or back or what have. Get an exercise bike and set it up in front of the TV and every time you watch something spend part of that tv watching time on that bike.

Also as mentioned drink lots of water. Water at room temperature is best as you will drink more. The colder the water the quicker you thirst is quenched. Zing it up with a slice of lemon or lime or a teaspoon or so of the juices of either. Look up other ways to give your water some flavour without resorting to artificial sweetneers.

Oh yeah and more fantasy leagues helps, lol.

[Doug Glatt]

Everyday I been working out, doing hamer curls, overhead dumbbell press, 100 lunges, planks which at first i could only do 7 seconds....yes lol pitiful but i worked my way up to doing 40 second planks and am going to keep working at it so i can do 2 minute planks soon enough. so far i noticed a little change in my body appearance. I want to get stronger for baseball season coming up as well and hit homeruns all the time lol

Sure enough these 20 pound dumbbells are getting too light so im going to look around for 25 and 30 lb dumbbells today

Great job man. Glad to hear you are being consistent. That is the key. Keep working, keep challenging yourself, and the results will come. Definitely look into yoga like some of the guys above mentioned. I have added some of that into my program as age had begun to tighten me up and I really notice the difference. Feeling looser and more relaxed. Better balance and better core function. Less sore after lifting too. Its an outstanding complementary activity for a weight training program.

[Bass56]

What I like the most here is growth. You started somewhere and achieved something better. Well done!

Exactly! You could have said that you can only hold your planks 20 seconds and it would have been great since you started at 7! You are aiming to hold it for 2 mins in the near future; kudos for setting the goal and continuing to better yourself on a weekly basis.

In terms of the changes in your body appearance, don't worry. They are there; you just aren't fully seeing them. They will eventually show up and you will be amazed by the progress you've made. At that point, you will be at a crossroad where you may be inclined to sit back on your results and ''cheat'' or push yourself harder and get to that next level. The ''cheating'' aspect typically happens when you see those results and know that it's possible to achieve them so you will reward yourself with food, rest, alcohol or all of the above. One cheat day turns into 2, and eventually your routine stars to slip. The appearance is still there so you don't take notice but eventually, you will be mad at yourself. Always keep in mind that YOU are in control and YOU can generate these results or lack of them. As long as you keep setting your priorities and sticking to them, you will be amazed at what you've done!

Congrats SM! Keep it up buddy!