2019 weight loss and fitness accountability club

[Felonious Crud]

What is this feeling??? Wait it’s HUNGER PANGS!!!!! Ah I’m dying.....

Fruit, Newton, fruit! Not too much, though, or you'll be sh*****g like a seagull.

 

[CatmanV2]

Fruit, Newton, fruit! Not too much, though, or you'll be sh*****g like a seagull.

If Newton has a carb issue, fruit is not a great idea. And not just for the seagull challenge

Nice lump of protein is what I'd suggest

C

 

[rockits]

Well I'm off for a bike ride.

While I'm there I'll have a measure up for the new Scissor Lift

That is if I can still stand up after.

 

[MrPea]

Good call, chaps!

Weight management/change and fitness are pretty tough cookies! I'd say they're worth a few hundred calories each.
I've been overweight to different degrees since I was about 13 years old. Along with that, when at university, I was medically super-fit, training and/or rowing for 3-4 hours 6 days a week; I had a resting heart rate bouncing just above 40bpm but still had a belly. I then finished being active and ended up with a job on the road and became a podge-monster.

Thankfully I'm now reasonably fit again, but I'd say I only have just more than good base fitness. My resting heart rate is about 50-55bpm. I usually cycle as my commute when I'm in the office. That probably averages out at 3 times a week doing a 12 mile round trip. We're likely to move office a mile further away soon and that'll probably make quite a difference to me. I also try and get to the gym or pool a few times a week. The problems come with the lack of tone in my upper body and the amount of insulation that's useful for little else that's covering/hanging off any tone I do have. No point being strong or fit if I'm constantly carrying Newton around on my back like Yoda.

My main aim is that I need to lose weight - a lot ideally, but I'll aim for something manageable. I'd also like some more tone, but knowing my biology, that'll just happen with more exercise.
My biggest problem comes when travelling for work - I end up knackered, don't have exercise easily to hand, or much time to do it and then you're eating and drinking out.

When I weigh myself, it can fluctuate by as much as 2kg over 24 hours depending on when I've eaten/drunk/made space for food/drink and before/after exercise, so I'll have to watch for the trend.

So, my vital statistics:
Age: 36
Height: 6'4"
Belly flopped: 51"
Waist: 44"
Weight: 19 1/2st

I'd like to be below 18st as a first goal, after which I'll set the next one. Hopefully for about Le Mans, though I'd be chuffed first to see sub 120kg (18st12) on my metric scales.

 

[Oliver6796]

Good effort guys, I was almost tempted to get on the bike but I’ll save that for tomorrow. Chai tea for me .
Ok I’ve now got a goal with stats

Current resting - HR 60bpm
Target - back down to 48bpm

Stay strong all

 

[rockits]

Christ how do people ride bikes for ages with seats like these?!

All done for today. 3 min warm up 15 mins cycle for 5km and 3 min warm down. Not sure my butt could take much longer.

Lowest speed 20.5kph and highest 24.9kph. Lowest 155w and highest 237w.

Lowest 150bpm and highest 180bpm with 160bpm average. No idea if that is good or bad? Felt hard work first time but sure it will get better and easier over time.

Least I'll be in bed early tonight.

 

[GeoffCapes]

Christ how do people ride bikes for ages with seats like these?!

All done for today. 3 min warm up 15 mins cycle for 5km and 3 min warm down. Not sure my butt could take much longer.

Lowest speed 20.5kph and highest 24.9kph. Lowest 155w and highest 237w.

Lowest 150bpm and highest 180bpm with 160bpm average. No idea if that is good or bad? Felt hard work first time but sure it will get better and easier over time.

Least I'll be in bed early tonight.

Get yourself some cycling shorts. Trust me you need them on a trainer as you spend 99% of the time sitting down.

Get on Zwift and do some of the training programs. They ease you in quite steadily.

 

[JonW]

Christ how do people ride bikes for ages with seats like these?!

All done for today. 3 min warm up 15 mins cycle for 5km and 3 min warm down. Not sure my butt could take much longer.

Lowest speed 20.5kph and highest 24.9kph. Lowest 155w and highest 237w.

Lowest 150bpm and highest 180bpm with 160bpm average. No idea if that is good or bad? Felt hard work first time but sure it will get better and easier over time.

Least I'll be in bed early tonight.

Any workout with a 160bpm average for 20 mins is a decent workout.

However, if the aim is weight loss, then I’d suggest you would be better to try and build up to longer sessions, and less intense. I’m presuming 180bpm is a pretty high heart rate for you (it certainly is for me)... and I would suggest using your heart rate as a guide and reducing your effort levels to keep it below (say) 80-85% of your max

 

[Oliver6796]

Christ how do people ride bikes for ages with seats like these?!

All done for today. 3 min warm up 15 mins cycle for 5km and 3 min warm down. Not sure my butt could take much longer.

Lowest speed 20.5kph and highest 24.9kph. Lowest 155w and highest 237w.

Lowest 150bpm and highest 180bpm with 160bpm average. No idea if that is good or bad? Felt hard work first time but sure it will get better and easier over time.

Least I'll be in bed early tonight.

As Mark said, decent shorts. Ale (as in the brand, nothing to with wanting a drink lol) are my preference, they don’t break down when washed. Castelli are good also. Don’t get cheap ones IMO.
I’d probably knock it off a bit, Keep below 170max , average whatever it is.
Sorry it never gets easier, you just go faster and further/longer

 

[rockits]

Thanks boys. My goal is less weight loss and more to improve general fitness to feel a bit better/sharper.

I can afford to lose a.smidge bit not too much.

Thanks for advice on levels. I'll try to reduce it down a bit and go a little longer.

Are cycling shorts padded?

 

[Oliver6796]

Thanks boys. My goal is less weight loss and more to improve general fitness to feel a bit better/sharper.

I can afford to lose a.smidge bit not too much.

Thanks for advice on levels. I'll try to reduce it down a bit and go a little longer.

Are cycling shorts padded?

Are you wearing normal shorts, Ouch! , yeah cycling ones a generously padded. Google wiggle, you’ll have them next day and prevent walking around like John Wayne

 

[Oliver6796]

Cadance aim for around 80-90 rpm let the fitness come up then your heart will stay down a bit more as you put your muscles through el.

 

[Navcorr]

Thanks for advice on levels. I'll try to reduce it down a bit and go a little longer.

https://support.polar.com/uk-en/support/tips/Polar_Sport_Zones
Determining HRmax using 220-age is vague (much like BMI for that matter) but a useful starting point.

 

[rockits]

Are you wearing normal shorts, Ouch! , yeah cycling ones a generously padded. Google wiggle, you’ll have them next day and prevent walking around like John Wayne

Yup, thought it wasn't so comfortable. I'll have a look around.

 

[rockits]

Big Fat Lies About Diet & Exercise on CH5 now btw.

 

[tan55555]

Perfect timing with this thread. I started last year when I stood on the scales and it was nearly 100kg. Losing weight was surprisingly easy, made me realise how much unnecessary rubbish I was eating (like biscuits in the coffee room without really thinking). I dropped down to 85kg after 6 months and this year my plan was to work on my fitness. Very sedentary job and long hours is terrible for fitness.
Tried and failed to keep up with running several times over the years, so trying something different this year. Decided to try joining a new sports club and with a bit of googling found a local Korfball team that trains once a week. First session in 2 weeks.

Age: 39
Height: 193cm
Weight: 87kg
Fitness: Terrible, current 5km time above 30 mins.

 

[CatmanV2]

Fitness: Terrible, current 5km time above 30 mins.

That doesn't mean you're unfit, just that you're a **** runner. Like I was.

What's your resting pulse?

C

 

[MrPea]

Resting pulse is, I think, one of the best signs of fitness levels. The general idea is something around 60bpm is healthy base fitness, down to 50 is pretty darn good and heading towards 40 and lower is elite. I used to like training to heart rate zones (i.e. % of what your max possible is without having a heart attack) but very few people know their max because finding it out hurts. Lots. The 220-age rule is very very loose. That suggests my max should be 184 and I'll do an hour of aerobic averaging 170+ and if I do a sprint finish I can hit 200 no problem so clearly I can't use the "rule".
For fitness, if you want to go to your heart rate zones, then make sure you get a good idea of what your max is - *IF YOU'RE HEALTH ALLOWS YOU TO CHECK IT*.
Look at my stats, though, and you'll see I'm "morbidly obese" (according to generalised calculations) whilst still having good fitness. So, as I have a good starting fitness, I'm just going for the "burn more, lose more" philosophy.

So there was I early this evening feeling all a bit "meh" about doing any exercise (although I'd done about an hour of walking during the course of my day) and I came across this thread. It gave me the kick I needed to go to the gym, so thanks chaps! Tonight was 65 mins on the cross trainer. Tomorrow will be more upper-body weights along with top and tailing with various cardio things, such as the rower. Maybe one day I'll get back to being able to row for hours.

Mmmm, this beer is nice.

 

[JonW]

A big part of my plan to shift some weight is about cycling on Zwift, and in particular to use the couple of hrs from 9-11ish at night, once my kids have gone to bed and my wife is usually ensconced in a book, to do a ride...

This is typically the time that I settle in with a bottle of wine, so if I’m exercising and not drinking it almost has a double whammy. I’m hoping it will also mean that I’m physically tired when I go to bed, and will get better sleep...

Tonight was day 1 of that regime, and I’ve just finished a 70 min bike ride around London and up Leith Hill. This is kinda ironic as I live just round the corner from Leith Hill in real life, but I much prefer doing it in the comfort of my gym, with some decent music playing and a big fan keeping me cool!

 

[tan55555]

That doesn't mean you're unfit, just that you're a **** runner. Like I was.

What's your resting pulse?

C

The average resting heart rate from my watch is 70 BPM.