I want the body of a Greek God
Posted by: Mick P on 05 June 2002
Chaps
I am 53 yrs of age, now weigh 14 stone, my waistline is 38" and I am only 5ft 9". I want to become slim again.
I have a rather good lifestyle in the sense that I do indulge in numerous lunchs and dinners because of business and social requirements. Also Mrs Mick is a very competent cook and generally we eat well.
Today for instance business lunch consisted of soup, steak and kidney pudding with a selection of veg, pineapple upside down sponge with custard. This was washed down with a bottle of red wine and a pot of tea.
Mrs Mick usually does a pasta dish on Wednesday evenings followed by cheese and biscuits. We will probably drink half a bottle of wine between us and then I will have a large glass of whiskey at about 9.00.
We eat out every Satuday and also some Sundays
This may sound indulgent but it is typical.
I do not take any exercise and as such my waistline is inching up.
What is the best way of slimming down, I can modify the lunches and dinners by eating more healthy etc, but am I better off going to a gym or buying a bicycle or what.
I need to lose a lot of weight, say two and a half stone, Mrs Mick who also eats a lot, is still relatively slim, needs only to loose 7 lbs.
We are soon embarking on a quick 7 day holiday in Rhodes and on my return want to start the fitness campaign.
Any advice would be most welcome on how to regain my figure.
Regards
Mick
I am 53 yrs of age, now weigh 14 stone, my waistline is 38" and I am only 5ft 9". I want to become slim again.
I have a rather good lifestyle in the sense that I do indulge in numerous lunchs and dinners because of business and social requirements. Also Mrs Mick is a very competent cook and generally we eat well.
Today for instance business lunch consisted of soup, steak and kidney pudding with a selection of veg, pineapple upside down sponge with custard. This was washed down with a bottle of red wine and a pot of tea.
Mrs Mick usually does a pasta dish on Wednesday evenings followed by cheese and biscuits. We will probably drink half a bottle of wine between us and then I will have a large glass of whiskey at about 9.00.
We eat out every Satuday and also some Sundays
This may sound indulgent but it is typical.
I do not take any exercise and as such my waistline is inching up.
What is the best way of slimming down, I can modify the lunches and dinners by eating more healthy etc, but am I better off going to a gym or buying a bicycle or what.
I need to lose a lot of weight, say two and a half stone, Mrs Mick who also eats a lot, is still relatively slim, needs only to loose 7 lbs.
We are soon embarking on a quick 7 day holiday in Rhodes and on my return want to start the fitness campaign.
Any advice would be most welcome on how to regain my figure.
Regards
Mick
Mick,
This is the second time you've asked this question on this forum. I also have the feeling that this is only a "what if?" kind of question and that you don't have enough commitment behind your intention. I say that because commitment is what you need in this "game".
Commitment, commitment, commitment, COMMITMENT (have I stressed it enough?).
Let me tell you some basic facts on progress.
1) Your body shape and body mass index (the percentage of fat in your body) does not start changing overnight. It takes about 3 months before your body starts to respond to its new lifestyle.
2) It takes 9 months for any improvement to be really noticable.
3) It takes a year for the effects to definitely show.
4) At 53 it is still possible to improve your shape and health drastically.... just takes commitment (that 'c' word).
Here's the motivator... in your lifetime have you ever been the shape you want? If not, then treat this as an experiment to see how far you can go towards your ideal objective - I reckon you can get very far if you put your mind to it and TREAT IT AS A HOBBY.
Here's the thing... people's body shapes are generally a running average of what they've done over the past 3 months (except from the start of a program). This means that if you keep 100% commited 6 days a week, you can afford to take Mrs Parry on a slap-up meal during the 7th day (whenever that is). Again this takes *commitment* over the initial 6 days, treat the 7th day as your reward. Your body takes a running average, so providing you don't add additional "reward days"
you should be fine.
Diet.
Sugar is the biggest flab-factor.... far bigger than fat. Sugar gets converted into fat far easier than fat. Sugar is technically termed "Simple Carbohydrates" - they are smaller molecules than starchy "Complex Carbohydrates" and therefore easier to break down and absorb into the blood. Simple carbohydrates include the refined stuff (white sugar, brown sugar, added sugar) and unrefined stuff (fruit, honey etc). So skipping puddings will make a massive difference.
Fruit, when taken in moderation is good for you - it contains many essential vitamins and minerals. Refined sugar MUST BE AVOIDED at all costs (except on your reward day when pudding is allowed).
Complex Carbohydrates are OK, these include cereals, rice, potatoes, bread (anything starchy). They are good to eat, although AVOID EATING THEM AT NIGHT (after 8pm).
So throughout the day a combination of protein (meat) and complex carbs are great, along with a healthy smattering of green vegetables (which can take more calories to digest than what's in them) which will provide a good base of vitamins and minerals.
Water is essential - I mean mineral or tap water. Ideally one should drink 8 glasses of the stuff over the course of a day. It also helps to speed up the metabolism and prevent the recruitment of fat.
Protein is essential for building muscle, and I know you like your beef (you can have meat every day), muscle increases the metabolism and burns more fat. Meat should be lean, particularly chicken - chicken breasts are the leanest part of the chicken and TAKE THE SKIN OFF.
Cook with a little oil. DO NOT COOK IN OLIVE OIL as the cooking process turns it into saturated fat (I discovered this recently and the results were quite pronounced). Do not have fried foods, except maybe on your reward day.
Timing of food.
The old adage about eating like a king in the morning, like a prince in the afternoon and like a pauper in the evening is true. Eat most of your calories towards the beginning of the day for when you need them (rather than having them left over when you sleep, which will then turn to fat - also related to not eating complex carbs after 8pm).
Another thing I discovered... grazing is better than eating loads in one go. Your body can only use a certain amount of food in one sitting to repair itself (creating or repairing muscle) and fuel its energy. Anything left over is turned to fat. The trick is to eat small amounts more often. Contrary to popular belief, bodybuilders eat around 6 small meals a day, each containing no more than around 30g of protein (as that is the max a body can absorb in 1 hour) and 50g of carbohydrate, nothing exceeded as excess food turns to fat.
6 meals a day can be difficult in a business environment... so I suggest having a smaller lunch and dinner (no pudding) and add some healthy snacks between meals that could take 5 mins to eat (such as 1 banana, a small salad with some bits of meat in it, etc.).
Warning, it will take 3 months before you are comfortable with your new diet. Persist for that time, and then commit afterwards.
Exercise.
Effective fat loss is enhanced with exercise. DO NOT OVERDO IT. Overdoing it makes the whole experience turn from an initial novelty to a chore. Exercise NO MORE THAN THREE TIMES A WEEK. Each session should LAST NO MORE THAN ONE HOUR. Over-training actually wrecks your muscles because they need time to repair, if that time is not afforded to them then they do not develop and replace the fat.
The kind of training you do is up to you. You've mentioned martial arts and that will train strength and stamina and increase your levels of energy. The gym is good, although your training style should reflect your aspirations - there are different ways of training in a gym, methods for musculature, methods for stamina, methods for power-lifting. There are various books on the subject, some crap some excellent - email me and I'll recommend some for you.
First thing you must do before doing any of this.... get a medical check-up to determine your level of fitness and your immediate capabilities (which will be improved on as you progress).
Treat this as a "once in a lifetime" experiment, as a hobby even. Seek improvement in small steps, check your progress on a weekly basis. Don't be too critical (but stick to the routine) to start with, as it takes about 3 months to see the glimmer of an improvement (9 months to see a definite improvement).
Finally, this message has taken quite a bit of effort on my part to write, I don't want to have written this for nothing. If you have any questions, anything you're unclear about them email me at my hotmail address (see my profile).
Andrew
Andrew Randle
Currently in the "Linn Binn"
[This message was edited by Andrew Randle on WEDNESDAY 05 June 2002 at 22:57.]
This is the second time you've asked this question on this forum. I also have the feeling that this is only a "what if?" kind of question and that you don't have enough commitment behind your intention. I say that because commitment is what you need in this "game".
Commitment, commitment, commitment, COMMITMENT (have I stressed it enough?).
Let me tell you some basic facts on progress.
1) Your body shape and body mass index (the percentage of fat in your body) does not start changing overnight. It takes about 3 months before your body starts to respond to its new lifestyle.
2) It takes 9 months for any improvement to be really noticable.
3) It takes a year for the effects to definitely show.
4) At 53 it is still possible to improve your shape and health drastically.... just takes commitment (that 'c' word).
Here's the motivator... in your lifetime have you ever been the shape you want? If not, then treat this as an experiment to see how far you can go towards your ideal objective - I reckon you can get very far if you put your mind to it and TREAT IT AS A HOBBY.
Here's the thing... people's body shapes are generally a running average of what they've done over the past 3 months (except from the start of a program). This means that if you keep 100% commited 6 days a week, you can afford to take Mrs Parry on a slap-up meal during the 7th day (whenever that is). Again this takes *commitment* over the initial 6 days, treat the 7th day as your reward. Your body takes a running average, so providing you don't add additional "reward days"
you should be fine.Diet.
Sugar is the biggest flab-factor.... far bigger than fat. Sugar gets converted into fat far easier than fat. Sugar is technically termed "Simple Carbohydrates" - they are smaller molecules than starchy "Complex Carbohydrates" and therefore easier to break down and absorb into the blood. Simple carbohydrates include the refined stuff (white sugar, brown sugar, added sugar) and unrefined stuff (fruit, honey etc). So skipping puddings will make a massive difference.
Fruit, when taken in moderation is good for you - it contains many essential vitamins and minerals. Refined sugar MUST BE AVOIDED at all costs (except on your reward day
when pudding is allowed).Complex Carbohydrates are OK, these include cereals, rice, potatoes, bread (anything starchy). They are good to eat, although AVOID EATING THEM AT NIGHT (after 8pm).
So throughout the day a combination of protein (meat) and complex carbs are great, along with a healthy smattering of green vegetables (which can take more calories to digest than what's in them) which will provide a good base of vitamins and minerals.
Water is essential - I mean mineral or tap water. Ideally one should drink 8 glasses of the stuff over the course of a day. It also helps to speed up the metabolism and prevent the recruitment of fat.
Protein is essential for building muscle, and I know you like your beef (you can have meat every day), muscle increases the metabolism and burns more fat. Meat should be lean, particularly chicken - chicken breasts are the leanest part of the chicken and TAKE THE SKIN OFF.
Cook with a little oil. DO NOT COOK IN OLIVE OIL as the cooking process turns it into saturated fat (I discovered this recently and the results were quite pronounced). Do not have fried foods, except maybe on your reward day.
Timing of food.
The old adage about eating like a king in the morning, like a prince in the afternoon and like a pauper in the evening is true. Eat most of your calories towards the beginning of the day for when you need them (rather than having them left over when you sleep, which will then turn to fat - also related to not eating complex carbs after 8pm).
Another thing I discovered... grazing is better than eating loads in one go. Your body can only use a certain amount of food in one sitting to repair itself (creating or repairing muscle) and fuel its energy. Anything left over is turned to fat. The trick is to eat small amounts more often. Contrary to popular belief, bodybuilders eat around 6 small meals a day, each containing no more than around 30g of protein (as that is the max a body can absorb in 1 hour) and 50g of carbohydrate, nothing exceeded as excess food turns to fat.
6 meals a day can be difficult in a business environment... so I suggest having a smaller lunch and dinner (no pudding) and add some healthy snacks between meals that could take 5 mins to eat (such as 1 banana, a small salad with some bits of meat in it, etc.).
Warning, it will take 3 months before you are comfortable with your new diet. Persist for that time, and then commit afterwards.
Exercise.
Effective fat loss is enhanced with exercise. DO NOT OVERDO IT. Overdoing it makes the whole experience turn from an initial novelty to a chore. Exercise NO MORE THAN THREE TIMES A WEEK. Each session should LAST NO MORE THAN ONE HOUR. Over-training actually wrecks your muscles because they need time to repair, if that time is not afforded to them then they do not develop and replace the fat.
The kind of training you do is up to you. You've mentioned martial arts and that will train strength and stamina and increase your levels of energy. The gym is good, although your training style should reflect your aspirations - there are different ways of training in a gym, methods for musculature, methods for stamina, methods for power-lifting. There are various books on the subject, some crap some excellent - email me and I'll recommend some for you.
First thing you must do before doing any of this.... get a medical check-up to determine your level of fitness and your immediate capabilities (which will be improved on as you progress).
Treat this as a "once in a lifetime" experiment, as a hobby even. Seek improvement in small steps, check your progress on a weekly basis. Don't be too critical (but stick to the routine) to start with, as it takes about 3 months to see the glimmer of an improvement (9 months to see a definite improvement).
Finally, this message has taken quite a bit of effort on my part to write, I don't want to have written this for nothing. If you have any questions, anything you're unclear about them email me at my hotmail address (see my profile).
Andrew
Andrew Randle
Currently in the "Linn Binn"
[This message was edited by Andrew Randle on WEDNESDAY 05 June 2002 at 22:57.]
Vuk,
Anyone who boasts about their prowess with the laydeez on a predominately male internet forum very obviously hasn't pulled in a long time
Dev
quote:
The fact that I continue to enjoy success with girls in their early twenties is that I still look like I'm not much older, even though I'm about to turn 36 this summer.
Anyone who boasts about their prowess with the laydeez on a predominately male internet forum very obviously hasn't pulled in a long time
Dev