Weight issues

Well, I have the same problem, I´m not agree with my body, I have´nt weight problems but I want to be strong and healthy at all. At first I recognize its that I´m sedentary, first thing to change. I´m thinking to start learning Aikido too. With this and walk a lot, I think will be healthy, not very strong but healthy sure !

Greetings, Siothurn,

I'm so glad you've found a community you can trust in which to discuss these things! Like you I have struggled with weight and body-image ... from growing up obese in the 60s, bullied by even my teachers, to trying to keep a healthy weight as I age into my mid-50s, and beyond. The body and its processes do change over time, especially accounting for gender (hormones), stress levels, genes, etc.

As others here have said, "N=1," and what works for one of us may not work for any other of us. *My* breakthrough as a post-menopausal woman was low-carb/primal (ish) and intermittent fasting. Now, ironically, I "worry" about losing too much weight (like, lean muscle mass). When I was 14 I weighed 225, in junior high school. Now I weigh 133, bike and run, lift weights, throw kettelbells around and ... do ... PULL UPS!

It's never too late, and congratulations! How brave you are to invite us in to your life and allow us to share your challenges. Thank you.

May the Force Be With You!

--Zabeth

Depending on your build and genetics, you may never be an abercrombie model. However you can still maintain a healthy body fat percentage. I'm gonna break this down into two sections.

Section one - muscle
The more muscle you have, the more calories you spend doing everyday things. Even starting with a simple pushup routine can make a difference. I started off with pushups, sit ups, and pull ups at home. I did all of them three times a week. I drop from a 38 to a 34 pants size in three months. I also notice some muscle growth. I advice you to eat a protein rich meal about two hours before you work out and get some protein ASAP after.
Section two-eating
On days you don't workout you should avoid eating carbohydrates, especial simple carbs like sugar and white bread. Sources like potatoes and beans are a much better source as it is harder for the body to break them down and convert it to fat. If you change your food intakes, cutting it down or adding calories, you should always do it gradually. Increase or decrease by around 200 a week. If you need help Noom is a very helpful app to teach you how to judge calories.

The thing to remember is unless you gained it all over night, don't expect to lose it all over night. Weight loss takes time and so does building muscle. You can speed it up with some short cardio between pushups. You step up and down on a stool or do jumping jacks. Anything to increase your heart rate. My general rule is move more, eat right.

Agree with Master Ryujin i do -

In this regard as well - Using hot water daily - a hot bath or hot tub per say. You must make yourself sweat for a 10 minute period minimum, the more you can handle after that 10 min mark the more fat gets burned without doing a THING... You see when you sweat you body is working very hard to push that water out - simply drinking cold water during this process will allow you do do it longer, and better.

HOT WATER - I went from 205 lbs - in one year down to 168 lbs - no running, no diets, just basic muscle work outs 3 times a week, not to intense. BUT a hot bath EVERY day for a month, and you WILL loose the weight you wish - shoot you may even see your abs! (points to his stomach) "Hello abs!"




Strength comes from the force, and those who are trained to use it - YOUR strength is within, find it

muscle definition is a tricky thing as genetics and build do play a big part...when i was young i played high school football, and worked out twice a day everyday...despite being one of the strongest guys on the team i looked like a stick figure....no muscle definition....even now i still don't get definition, i gain strength, i gain muscle mass, but i don't gain definition....at 135 pounds i never seen my abs, at 190 pounds i still never see my abs....

it's important not to hold yourself to the same aesthetic standards as others....definition and mass are both matters of aesthetics....the only important part of exercise and diet is to be healthy, anything else is purely aesthetic....

Siothurn wrote: Hi I am Geoff Since high school I have had issues with weight, and the emotional struggles from it such as self-image issues and some depression. I Belive that one of the steps to having a healthy mind is to work on a healthy body. So I ask you all who have struggled and overcame a weight problem what are some tips to help whether it advice on a good eating routine, advice to resist temptations of unhealthy things, exercise tips, or tips on dealing with the emotional side of things. My hopes are to have helped some of the peoples through the advice shared on this post including my self.

Rember everyone is beautiful, and you are loved. Have a wonderful day.

May the force be with you always.

Sincerely Siothurn (Geoff)

All you need to do to loose weight, is to consume fewer calories than you burn. It's really that simple and easy. Fad tricks like special diets, hot showers, or exercise programs aren't going to do anything to expedite this process, in the end it really comes down to diligence and discipline.

There are many calorie and nutrition tracking applications available on the web now, many of which are free. The one I always recommend to people is MyFitnessPal due to the large community that follows it, and the massive food database it employs.

It's also very possible to loose muscle and gain fat at the same time, despite many claims to the contrary. It is also extremely difficult and rather expensive to do so. In order to achieve this, you have to eat a 50 40 10 diet, or in other words, 50% of your diet must come from complex carbohydrates, 40% must come from lean proteins, and 10% must come from healthy fats. Attention to everything you eat and it's nutrient value is the key to making this program work.

Losing a pound a week is also the maximum weight loss goal you should be shooting for. Anything more than that will cause your body to begin cannibalizing muscle in order to supplement essential nutrients such as amino acids (which can only be obtained from food sources or muscle cells).

I have been bodybuilding for eight years, and have seen results from sticking to these simple, yet difficult concepts. It takes time to become overweight and unhealthy, and it will take just as long to reach your goal state of health and fitness.

As far as workouts go, I will say that Ab workouts are pointless for the most part. They will give you a stronger core, but let me state this clearly. Ab workouts will not spot reduce fat on your midsection.

YOU CAN NOT SPOT REDUCE FAT, IT'S BIOLOGICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. The only way to do this is through liposuction or other form of surgery.

RyuJin wrote: muscle definition is a tricky thing as genetics and build do play a big part...when i was young i played high school football, and worked out twice a day everyday...despite being one of the strongest guys on the team i looked like a stick figure....no muscle definition....even now i still don't get definition, i gain strength, i gain muscle mass, but i don't gain definition....at 135 pounds i never seen my abs, at 190 pounds i still never see my abs....

it's important not to hold yourself to the same aesthetic standards as others....definition and mass are both matters of aesthetics....the only important part of exercise and diet is to be healthy, anything else is purely aesthetic....

Then your bodyfat isn't low enough.

I know it may be hard to believe at 135 pounds, but you may very well be both underweight, and emaciated. Clear muscle definition will only begin to show at body fat percentages of 10% or less. I would suggest figuring out your body fat % to get a better idea of where you stand.

i had 8% body fat when i was at 135...

people with low body fat tend to not float well in water, while folks with higher body fat float well....it's how the air force used to measure body fat...they weighed you out of water, then weighed you in water...the difference in weight determined your body fat percentage...i sink like a brick....water survival training in navy bootcamp required a good amount of effort from me to stay afloat...

Losing a pound a week is also the maximum weight loss goal you should be shooting for.

while a fitness coordinator in the navy i was taught that 3 pounds a week was the maximum....funny how things are always changing...

YOU CAN NOT SPOT REDUCE FAT, IT'S BIOLOGICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

and some things never change...lol

like you i firmly believe you can lose weight without fancy diets or workouts....to prove this i lost 64+ pounds in around 2 years, and i did it without anything more than normal activity and modifying the way i prepared my foods, i also reduced the amount of food i ate at 1 time and increased the number of times i ate throughout the day....

metabolism is like a fire, throw a large log(big meal) on it and it takes forever to burn off, throw smaller logs (small meals) on it throughout the day and they burn off quickly...

I agree as well - Allow me to clarify that my results will not be yours - however this is simply what i have done to achieve them. Every "body" in the sense is different, differently able and capable of many different things. For instance, those of higher weight class, may see themselves as over weight, personally, i see a serious challenge when sparing! Your center is low. With one strike you deliver the same as 10 of mine. You are the tree in the woods. The wind moving your branches. You are motionless unless moved. A solemn and powerful force.

Whether 100 lbs or 500 lbs - you are yourself, and how you are. How you find your peak of fitness and health is your tasking of course. With many minds however that tasking does not seem so arduous. Everything takes but one thing - effort and discipline!