AFF Weight Gain/Loss Program

[ehast13]

I've gone on two major diets (and about a hundred minor ones)

I went to weight watchers in 1998 and dropped 15kg in 15 weeks. I stayed trim for about 5 yeats

In 2006 I went on atkins (carb free) and lost 18kg in six weeks.

I put it all back on after atkins. I was up to 115kg by June last year. I lost about tenkg mid year but fell off the wagon.

Got back on the diet on 5th January

Was 107.6kg 5/1/2009
Yesterday I was 106.3kg 12/01/2009

Only 1.3 kg but a healthy weight loss. After atkins I found it really dissapointing not to lose more than 2 or 3 kg a week. Still feel a bit disappointed because I am a really cranky bugger when I'm on a diet.

My goal is to get below 105kg by the 19th. If I can just lose 1.4kg it will get me below that psychological barrier. 104.9kg - Then I'll only have 30kg to go.

SIGH!

[Mechan1k]

I have been on and off with the work gym (it's in our campus). Now that my shuifts have changed I get more chance to get to the gym there during opening hours.
I have reduce meal sizes a bit and added odd snack of fruit in between.

The weird thing is I have put on a little weight ... but I have dropped couple of cm around my stomach and upper legs. I guess it may be just due to canging fat to muscle mass ... I don't know.

One thing I do know though is i feel fitter ... and less tired than I was.

Shiftwork is hell of trying to keep fit and have a balanced diet ... but I'm having a good go at it.

I'm currently 95kg and 5"10'-ish ... i am classed as obese (weird) ... but I don't look overweight really.

[Turbotory]

Hi guys, great to hear everyone is interested in making an effort and getting into shape! I have actually made a heap of progress too of late. Ive never been overweight, just frustrated at never seeing results from the gym. Im 25yrs old, 180cm tall, and have weighed around 75kg for the last 8 years or so. During that time I have always been pretty dilligent and gone to the gym but never really gotten the look I was after. Same old routine too... 3 sets of 8-10 and about 8 different exercises. Boring as hell, took over an hour and left me buggered at the end of it. 8 years pretty much wasted.

Just before chrissy last year I got fed up and started looking for info on the net. I saw all sorts of different programs and ended up picking a pretty well reputed one and giving it a crack. It's honestly changed the way I look at weight training! Ive never had these sorts of results before and am kicking myself for all those wasted years.

The basic principal is less is more. I now only do 3 excercises per gym session. Workout for around 30mins every 2 days with a 15 min cardio session on off days (when im not being slack!) and doing heavier weights with a max rep of 5. So for example: 2 sets of 5 for bench, 2 sets of 5 for squats and 2 sets of 5 for weighted chin ups. Thats it. I would rather only spend 30mins in the gym than hours anyway! Im seeing better results, not totally exhausting myself and I dont have to waste hours every week in the gym. (I have a gym in my garage btw, I figured I could spent $$$ on a membership or just get some basic stuff and do it in the privacy of my own home! Those expensive machines at the gym are a toss anyway, free weights are the best and fortunately the cheapest way to do it!)

I tipped the scales at 88.5kg this morning and its not fat! I have gone from a 32 to a 36 belt size over the past couple of months (the legs really responded to squats, if you dont do them your mad!) and am feeling the best I have ever felt. Im just kicking myself for doing the same old lame workout for the past 8 years!! Now I know the aim of many of you is to lose weight but putting on muscle is a far easier way to shed body fat. The more muscle you have the more energy your body will burn every moment of every day. Who cares what you weigh, its about how you feel. And im sure we all want to end up a little easier on the eye too!

Another thing I did which I think is vitally important is to get a mate involved! Without someone else there im sure I would have fallen back into the same old 2 weeks hard work then a month of "yeah ill do it tomorrow..." which im sure you are all familiar with. My mate comes round every second day and by simply being there forces me to get out there and do it. In my desperation to get on track last chrissy I even put an ad on gumtree and craigslist for a training partner! If you dont have someone you know that is interested I suggest you do the same because unless you are one of those unrelenting terminator types you will struggle flying solo!

Anyway, ive ranted too long. My points are these!
1) Dont overtrain. You will burnout. No question about it.
2) Get a training partner. No one can do it alone.
3) Cut back the time in the gym to no longer than 40 mins. (40 solid minutes that is!)
4) Keep your cardio to 20 mins and make it short sharp explosive activity like sprints, it will keep your metabolism higher for much longer afterwards than a 2 hour jog would.
5) Eat more meals (5-6 per day), smaller portions and good food, lets get serious - soft drink, sugars, processed food... give them the flick. An older friend of mine lost a ton of weight by simply not eating after 5pm. That was it! Maybe give that a try if you are a little on the heavier side and need to shed some kg's before you can train hard.
6)Use progressive overload. Every time you train you should aim to beat your previous best. If you dont you will plateau and get frustrated with the lack of results. You have to shock the body into adapting!

A favourite quote of mine... the deffinition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Food for thought!

Best of luck guys, pm if you want to chat about training techniques or want some advice. More than happy to share! I didnt mention the program i bought cos im not sure i can mention it here...? PM me if you want to know what it was. Cost me about $100. Worth every cent though!

Cheers,
Ryan.

[SNB05T]

i thought I'd post an update of where i am with this.

since i bought the bike, my wife and i joined the biggest looser club.

the diet menus are very similar to what i was on when i played AFL (such as more stir fry's, lean meats and lots more veggies and fruits)

i am currently on 2100 calories per day ( it sounds really high, but you need that much energy to keep the exercise up) and in the last week i have been able to get my intake to within 200 calories of my target.

im riding 3 times a week ( i have already racked up 119kms) and walking 1-2 days a week (depending on how many km's i've done on the bike) as well as going up and down the stairs at work all the time (to the office, lunch room and change rooms).

I've gone from 103.2kgs in Jan to 100.1kg last sunday. my body fat % has gone from 38% to 31%.

as well as the obvious pay off's for the above, i can fit into my size 38 shorts i have only worn twice before, im noticing the gut slowly dissapear, and muscle definition in my lower arms and legs (which i haven't seen since i was 17!!)

oh and according to my wife, because i have ALOT more energy, i have also become more sarcastic (if that was at all possible )

My next target is 92kg by easter.

this year will be the first easter i have ever had without any chocolate, so it'll be an interesting challenge.

i'll keep y'all posted. cheers

[Windsor220]

Does anyone have any good advice on getting rid of the love handle/gut area?

I go to th gym regurlarly and do some cardio(running). Im 5'8 and weigh 76kg so Im not huge or anything but I seem to be geting fat on my obliques and a bit on the gut. It makes my body look a bit wierd.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Torxteer

Does anyone have any good advice on getting rid of the love handle/gut area?

I go to th gym regurlarly and do some cardio(running). Im 5'8 and weigh 76kg so Im not huge or anything but I seem to be geting fat on my obliques and a bit on the gut. It makes my body look a bit wierd.

You can't selectively lose fat from a particular area without surgery. You need to reduce your overall fat % and/or build muscle in a problem area to keep things in place and better balanced.

[Turbotory]

Originally Posted by Torxteer

Does anyone have any good advice on getting rid of the love handle/gut area?

I go to th gym regurlarly and do some cardio(running). Im 5'8 and weigh 76kg so Im not huge or anything but I seem to be geting fat on my obliques and a bit on the gut. It makes my body look a bit wierd.

GTP006 is right, no such thing as spot reducing... despite what those convincing late night infomercials will have you believe! Best thing to do if you want to shed a few kg's is some short burst, high intensity training. If your in reasonable shape and can run at a sprint then get out to the local park, set up a couple of markers 100m apart and run half a dozen flat out sprints. Taking time in between to catch your breath. Its the easiest way to give your metabolism a huge boost and leave you burning calories for the rest of the day while you go about your business! Much easier and more efficient than running for hours on end! I do this on my non weight days and it really helps to keep the body fat down.

[Marduk]

Looking to gain weight. I'm aiming for 77kg roughly I started at 61.1kg. At 62.5kg when I weighed myself last Saturday (1.4kg in 2 weeks, 0.8kg last week). Weigh myself tomorrow morning i'm confident I will break 63kg im hoping to gain around 0.8kg again.
I am working out at the same time (3 times a week) but I know most of the weight will be fat but i'm just aiming to get to my goal weight and then assess how much fat I want to lose. Currently working out at home but considering going to gym with a mate from work to keep me motivated and to get me to push my limits.

[Scott]

Thought I'd update my quest, since dropping all the weight I've easily maintained my new frame - just that realisation that the gym MUST happen if I want to live the life I do.

Happily ~85-87kgs.

[Cookie-XR8]

:( i need to do something but cant get motorvated

[Marduk]

Almost 1 month since my last post i'm currently at 65.6kg and have started going to the gym. Hope to see some good gains in strength now I can rep to failure with a partner at the gym.

[Skotty]

Hey peeps

Just curious on what diets people on the forums are using? Both my partner and I are looking into diets, I'm fairly keen on using SureSlim (the results on my ex speak for themself I say) - same as the Dr cohen that my mate is doing...

My partner is thinking about speaking to a natrupath but I'm not too sure about that hookuspookus stuff, so what do you guys recomend?

[Iggypoppin']

i enjoy a ritual diet of 2 cigarettes and a coffee in morning with a large fruit salad from SPC, tin of tuna(lemon and pepper) and a large bag of chips with a coke. lunch can be anything from large double quarter pounder add meat and cheese meal at maccas, to a healthy serve of asian food from last night. after work i lesiurely drive to KFC and order their wicked wings and a medium chips before my usual massive meat feed at home. in conclusion, my diet is utter rubbish. i cant seem to gain a single kilo and my incredible food intake just doesnt justify my weight. i do wish you luck on the diet, but seriously envy that you can put on weight. its something i just cant do.

[XR6_661]

Originally Posted by NJXR6

i enjoy a ritual diet of 2 cigarettes and a coffee in morning with a large fruit salad from SPC, tin of tuna(lemon and pepper) and a large bag of chips with a coke. lunch can be anything from large double quarter pounder add meat and cheese meal at maccas, to a healthy serve of asian food from last night. after work i lesiurely drive to KFC and order their wicked wings and a medium chips before my usual massive meat feed at home. in conclusion, my diet is utter rubbish. i cant seem to gain a single kilo and my incredible food intake just doesnt justify my weight. i do wish you luck on the diet, but seriously envy that you can put on weight. its something i just cant do.

I'm with ya there buddy.

I can eat anything and everything and never really put on weight.

It'll prob catch up to us one day =P

[FPVF6X189]

Originally Posted by XR6_661

I'm with ya there buddy.

I can eat anything and everything and never really put on weight.

It'll prob catch up to us one day =P

lol it will catch up one day i had the same diet as you guys and also never put on weight then i ended up having a heart attack at 25 (two years ago) and thats not fun, now im on medication for the rest of my life because i choose to live a unhealthy lifestyle before, so yea dont think it wont catch up at some stage : : :

[XR6_661]

Originally Posted by EGODRIVEN

lol it will catch up one day i had the same diet as you guys and also never put on weight then i ended up having a heart attack at 25 (two years ago) and thats not fun, now im on medication for the rest of my life because i choose to live a unhealthy lifestyle before, so yea dont think it wont catch up at some stage : : :

Woah...

Intense. I guess I'm not that unhealthy though really...I just like to indulge a lot, and I am a regular binge drinker lol.

My usual daily foodage is some toast with vegemite in the morning. Toasted ham, cheese and salami sanga at 10am smoko, washed down with an iced coffee...Lunch usually subway/noodle box/kfc/burger bar...Few biccies at afternoon smoko, dinner is always a home cooked meal from my mother haha. Curries/risotto/meat/fish etc etc....Then I'll snack later after dinner...chips/biccies/ice cream. :

21 btw and I weight probably 60ish kg and 170cm tall.

On topic, WW doesn't seem to bad, my missus was on it for a while there...can still eat what you want really, as long as you stick to a certain amount of 'points' per day...Like 20 or something.

She'd usually have some toast for brekky, salad sanga for lunch and maybe snack on some peanuts during the arvo if she came peckish, and that was pron 1/3rd of her 'points' there. Which would leave the rest for dinner so she could pretty much have whatever she wanted...big stealks, chips, chickin snitty, etc etc.

[Skotty]

Haha, I wish I had your diet issue...

I guess the main thing before my partner and I make a dissesion is the cost factor... Becuase of them can be expsensive like the sure slim is $800 for a diet plan - blood tests to make sure what you can and CAN'T eat, and what not...

alltho amen to the 2 ciggs for breaky

[mrghia]

the tony furgison diet work i'v seen the results on my sister-in-law she has lost about 20kg after putting weight on after having a baby. Thats the one me and my missus will use after she has our baby

[EgoFG]

Hmmm

Diet.

I am 103 kg and 6 feet two.

I have tried almost everything.

The ONLY workable solution is to eat less than you poo.
It is not really about WHAT you eat, it is about how much.

As such a calorie controlled diet, and a good excercise program (resistance and cardio) is the best you can do.
The calorie controlled diet needs to be one that you can maintain for life.

All the crazy diets will only work while you are on them, and rebound is very bad.

So that having been said, if you need to spend money on a diet - WW or one of the other calorie control diets are the best.
Avoid one that relies on any 'product' - unless you want to be using that product for life.

hmmm ... now to put my own advice into practice !

[Iggypoppin']

I wish it would catch up sooner. I'm sick of spending money on junk food and minimalising my excercise for nothing. 2 cigarettes breakfast, 8 or so for lunch, exponentially the number rises after work. I also try to scarf plenty of food in the cupboard at home. Annoys the parents to no end. Oh and definetly drink alot too...why can't I be unhealthy like every body else :(

[Skotty]

the thing that I like about the ones such as Sureslim is that is changes your matoblisim(spelling), and you can get off medications if your a diabetic - wich sort of attracts me to them... at the same time its like a catch 22 on if its worth spending big dollars on one since my partner and I are going to try for a bundle of joy around october..

[smasht]

be careful of diets, some work some dont, EVERYBODY is different and will respond differently to any given diet...as said above some people cant put weight on and some people look at junk food and put weight on.

I personally have seen basically evey diet there is and i have also seen people end up in hospital from these diets (obviously worst case etc)

The idea behind ANY diet is to limit the amount of calories that you ingest. Simple equation - burn more calories than you ingest = weight loss. Obviously there are other factors that influence this.

If you eat sensibly and have a regular exercise rotuine you will see results. Remember its not ALWAYS about the weight on the scales....as is sometimes seen you will put kgs ON doing exercise and diets before you loose them.....

A diet and exercise should be used as a tool to get a better lifestyle, to make sleeping better, walking up and down the stairs easier, getting under the car more comfortable, playing with the kids more enjoyable!

If you are going to diet PLEASE make sure your not throwing money down the drain - whats to say that once you reach the numbers you are looking for, you stop the diet, how are you going to stay at that weight???

Eat more often!!!!!

Change your eating to 5 meals (small) a day instead of 3!! You will notice a major difference in your weight and energy levels!

LOOSE the SUGAR!
Get a good source of Protine into you every day
DONT skip breakfast
DRINK plenty of WATER! (approx 1lt / 25kg of body weight)
Get a good night sleep
EXERCISE (cant stress this enough) - you will be blown away (if you dont exercise already) by what this will do - everything from losing weight to better and healither looking skin, from depression to being happier, helps majorly with mental stress and even help with certain bedroom activities!
Ditch the Ciggs (this is hard and some people just cant i relise this)

Ultimately the decisio is yours about which avenue you are going to take - remember there are no quick fixes and its a process that you need to work through. look at it like this - if your not sure about it dont do it yet, its a lifestyle change that needs to be made and for that to happen you have to get everything ready and stick to it. Yo yo dieting is really bad for your health and that is generally what happens if you start somewthing your not quite ready for / havent put your mind 100% to it

I will say good luck and i wish everyone who is wanting to lose weight the best of luck.

please feel free to pm me if you have any questions or anything ill be glad to help

Ben

Edit: - just to let you know

Uni - Nursing and Exercise Science and Human movement
Qualified Personal Trainer running my own business

[escapin]

NJXR6 if u want to put some wieght on quit smoking that will get the kilos on u

for the others try ISOWHEY its a meal replacement shake but has the protien in it which a few of the others dont have or dont have as much, but i know its worked for a mate and for my mum,

mate has lost 34kgs with just changing his diet and later adding these shakes
mum has been losing about 2 kg a week with swapping a meal for the shakes

[redranga]

I put on weight just by looking at food. Its hard to get it off.

Ive been doing the healthy diet for 2 months. I lost 10kgs in the first 2 weeks and nothing since. Although im not losing weight my man boobs are shrinking and my jeans are getting looser, so I'll stick with it.

I have been riding 100 kms a week and walking the dog a couple of times a week.

Even though i cant get the weight off im feeling really good and have a lot more energy than before.

Whatever diet you choose to do stick with it for a while. After I went healthy I had headaches about two weeks into if for a while, but they have now gone and so have my craving for Farmers Union Iced Coffee every day for breakfast.

[*Sloxr6*]

SmashT spot on mate you don't need all these fancy diet programs.
Eat well and EXERCISE REGULARLY and you will be amazed at the results.

[atec77]

Originally Posted by Skotty

Hey peeps

Just curious on what diets people on the forums are using? Both my partner and I are looking into diets, I'm fairly keen on using SureSlim (the results on my ex speak for themself I say) - same as the Dr cohen that my mate is doing...

My partner is thinking about speaking to a natrupath but I'm not too sure about that hookuspookus stuff, so what do you guys recommend?

Just take a look at what your grand parents ate , meat fish veggies and brown nread and sugar , as I have got older I stopped drinking stupidly , dropped ciggies and take away , also dropped 13 kg and now in the mid 50+ at 6' 4" at 117 kg with reasonable fitness... I still see food diet now and then but normally lotsa good stuff as takeaway tastes bad compared to well prepared stuff...

[BAGT161]

Hi there I did the Dr cohen plan. Very good and very quick. I started at 118kg got down to 87kg. I didnt get to my goal weight which was 81kg but was happy with 87kg. Over xmas, easter and been over sea's I have put 6kg to 8kg back on.
Back on a healthy eating plan and do 3-4 four days of exercise.

[Skotty]

Originally Posted by BAGT161

Hi there I did the Dr cohen plan. Very good and very quick. I started at 118kg got down to 87kg. I didnt get to my goal weight which was 81kg but was happy with 87kg. Over xmas, easter and been over sea's I have put 6kg to 8kg back on.
Back on a healthy eating plan and do 3-4 four days of exercise.

How well did you find the dr cohen, how long did it take you to shread the kilo's mate?

What was the initial cost for the Dr cohen...

Did they do the bloods tests with you before you started to see what you can/cant eat?

[Skotty]

Oh yeah and for what its worth, I'm 21, and my partners 20 and she's had a baby 2 years ago if that affects how she will lose weight??

[smasht]

Age does affect your weight some what (metabolism) - as i said above some people are lucky! Oh btw just because someone is skinny does not mean they are healthy! (i have a client that is about 12kgs away from his goal weight and he is running 10kms is 49mins! - blood pressure and cholesterol are all down in the normal range now and he is sleeping like a baby, even got married and had to get his tux altered! oh he is still up at 96kgs after starting at 110 kg and not touched a diet just altered what he was eating, times etc and started exercise)

Skotty - 2 years is a long time ago...the biggest thing that will be stopping your gf from losing weight is if she cant get time to prepare food and exercise due to the little bundle of joy! (accept if any damage had been sustained from the birth e.g lower back and a few other things which would affect exercise)

WW can work but you need to beaware of a common mistake - some people 'save' there points up during the day so they can binge during dinner - not good at all!