Its time for me to change

Target cals - 2160 approx.

Ive now been shopping and purchased loads of fruit veg and meat, pasta, potatoes and eggs as ell as brown wholemeal bread, and very low fat spread.

Breakfast
2 slices wholemeal bread @ 100 cals/slice = 200 cals
2 teaspoons lurpak extra light @ 52 cals each - 104 cals

I recognised good slow release complex carbs here, but not much protein, so I also had about 25grams of oats @ 75 cals, plus 200ml of skimmed milk @ 75 cals.

Total = 454 cals for breakfast - on par for my approx 400 cals/meal.
Also did 11 push ups, 10 sit ups and 10 leg raises this morning before breakfast - come on fat demons... grrrrr!!
 
Good to see you goin on the road to victory mate!

My company has employed a bloke from UK recently, he has a real beer belly! He's reducing naturally though from the climate here in Oman, it's too hot and he keeps on sweating. I don't know if he does any exercises but he told me his weight has reduced already!
 
He he - thanks Riv! Probably anxiety and stress lol!
What does your company do? Is it your business then?

I remember when I started my current job - I lost about 20 pounds in 2 months due to the activity and then it levelled out to nothing.. probably all the beer I was drinking - hence my beer belly... erm.. ahem! :eek:
 
oh, shoosh, lol, not my company! the company I work for, lol. We're a Logistics company in 4th party logistics involved in Rig movements. Oil n desert! but I work in the headoffice, in the city, so I'm good!

Well if I can get rid of the beer belly, you can too! After all, we're all human, flesh n blood!
 
early lunch 11am - I am now "trying" new foods - stuff I dont normally eat.. to try and add huge variety to my meals to avoid boredom and hence quitting eughhh NOOOO!!!

I plan to try one new food every week from shopping.

Today... drumroll - smoked mackerel - LOVED It!!! Nice and oily, good for the omega 3 and protein. Had one strip at 155 cals.
Also had some plain white rice at 200 cals
PLUS some tined peas at 45 cals - reasonably well balanced - with a glass of water to help plump up the rice as it goes down and aid in the feeling of fullness for longer....

Today, breakfast was 454 cals, early lunch was 400 cals - right on my daily target...

IM feeling GOOD again today - Im fidning this easyier than I ever imagined(so far..)
Im learning as much as I can, educating myself, and follwoing the advice - so far no major hunger pangs, balanced meals, sticking to my cals limits(20% less of daily BMR) for gradualy weight loss and minimal if any muscle loss.
Im also backing it up with jogging, push ups, sit ups and leg raises.

Do I feel good?
YOU BET!

I know for a fact Im gonna hit hard times, so Im getting myself armed to do battle with "me" when "me" screams for bad foods...

Im not saying Im not ever gonna drink or eat crap again,. hell no! and if I am 100% honest with myself, last week I was afraid to do this coz I enjoyed my beer too much - but as I stand right now, wholly educated, enlightened and motivated I dont even desire any alcohol - in fact I had been planning to have a good "session" on the beer tonight.... but funnily enough Im not really bothered if I do.. and more excited to think about my jog in the morning..

"weird..."

This is why Im posting in here like a psyched up freak, coz I dont wanna quite, I wanna look incredible - I want cut abs, toned cut chest, muscular arms(again!!), my marital bed back(I snore due to too much weight!), and the associated.. ahem.. sex life :eek:

More than anything I think its the confidence it gives you.. you feel "good"... nothign can knock ya and you can ahndle almost anythign coming your way..


OK.. enough blabbering shaun... back to work fat boy!!!
 
3pm
cheese and cucumber sandwich:
2 slices wholemeal bread bropwn - 200 cals
margarine 104 cals
3 small thin pieces of cheese 100 cals
cucumber 1 cal...!

Packet of low fat crisps 125 cals

854cals so far, plus this meal(530 cals) = subtotal of 1384

still got about 730 left if needed - but planning on a litle relax tonight with a beer - Ive cut down immensely from 4-5 cans a night, to 1 can so far all week.

will see how I feel - anyhow.. still on target

For some reason Im finding it a little hard this afternoon - afer I ate the crisps I wanteed chocolate - thank goodness weve got none in the house.. but right now could kill for some!!! lol.. Im ok.. just thinking out loud... Ive not quitye purchased enough foods to give me a low cal sweet fix, but, Im learning as I go.
Plus, weekends are normally quite relaxed, and plus theres not as much going on, to take my mind off things, so Im thinking about food quite a bit today.... darn and drat.. my mind is fighting me!!!!

I do have my targets, although perhaps not clearly enough, better define them now:
Want to be around 150 pounds, with body fat below 10%

Ive not had a workout so Im not calorie deficit, so its a sweet craving Im experiencing...
I know it will pass.

I do intend to have some beer tonight - my target is not to be an athlete - fit, healthy, toned, without a beer gut - so my realisticness needs to remember that I should make sure I allow for this.
 
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ok... 15 minutes on, and a large glass of water I managed to get rid of the sweet craving.. only just..

Thats my first official craving in 5 days...

Will power worked
water worked

guess I need more of the alternative sweet stuff in the fridges.. gonna work on this...


OK, now Im feeling in a clear mind, I do want to have a drink tonight - so does anybody know the best way for me to do this?

drink tonight, and eat less tomorrow?
drink tonight, follow my normal plan tomorrow?
or dont drink at all?
 
ok... 15 minutes on, and a large glass of water I managed to get rid of the sweet craving.. only just..

Thats my first official craving in 5 days...

Will power worked
water worked

guess I need more of the alternative sweet stuff in the fridges.. gonna work on this...


OK, now Im feeling in a clear mind, I do want to have a drink tonight - so does anybody know the best way for me to do this?

drink tonight, and eat less tomorrow?
drink tonight, follow my normal plan tomorrow?
or dont drink at all?

The most important thing, IMO, when you are wanting to lose fat tissue, is keeping your sanity, but playing within the known and understood basic rules and concepts.

Personally, I view "excessive alcohol consumption" as a potentially detrimental to one's fat loss goals. However, a few alcohlic drinks are not going to kill one's fat loss quest, when its under control within the known and understood basic rules and concepts of fat tissue loss.

With this said, if this specific "drink" becomes a "facilitator of undesirable habits" and/or a trigger that tends to excessively break the rules and concepts of fat loss, then get rid of it...period; "it's handing you an ass whoopen" in your fat loss quest by controlling you, instead of you controlling it within the confinement of the basic rules and regulations of fat loss.

The above (when reading comprehension is spot on), is the main reason, I press "education" in the basic concepts of fat loss. These concepts can provide the tools to work with various items within one's diet (that are not "necessarily" that great to consume), and still stay on track with one's fat loss quest.

When one is fine tuned in the understanding of the calorie requirements, basic knowledge of good food consumption, calories in certain foods, calories burned during certain activities, and become educated in the "good" dieting concepts (such as Berardi's 90-10 rule), a person becomes armed with making plans within their life to handle many, many, different things that would "possibly" knock them off their goal track.

Most people say "drink", but in reality, for most its many "drinks" (or more than two). Which is it?

With what you know about your personal calorie requirements (BMR, with what you do at work, and training), how do you think you could "plan" for these "drinks", keep your calorie requirements, and stay on track for weight loss?

I am going to let you think first, and see what you come up with.

Then I can provide some opinions and options for you.



Best wishes,


Chillen
 
I think deep down I already know :bncry:

I should take less calories in that day if possible, keeping nutrients as normal as possible to void sugar spikes/more food cravings, and limit alcohol to small amounts.

I have a bad habit of having a "right good session"... including several drinks, which I know leads to munching on bad foods - thankfully no sugary foods in the house now.

Still, over-eating is detrimental..

If Im honest I knew the answer, I guess I just didnt want to hear it..
So, back to motiovation huh.....
 
well.. couple of points to not today... last night ..... Ok.. it got the better of me, and controlled me.. I had a few drinks.. and then a few more..and some rather bad food but strangely all the way through I had an incredible feeling of guilt, something Ive not had before... so being in here has helped.. and would you believe it.. got up today and joined a gym!

I spent 1.5 hours in there, kicked off with about 20 minutes on the treadmill, and then I went round most of the machines to basically get used to them.

I did 3 sets of 10 on most of the machines.

food: target 2160 max cals
Breakfast
2 slices wholemeal bread @ 100 cals/slice = 200 cals
2 teaspoons lurpak extra light @ 52 cals each - 104 cals
tea with skimmed milk 20 cals
total: 324 cals

Lunch @ 12.00:

very small baked potato 100 cals
Tuna in sunflower oil 197 cals
mixed salad(carrot & lettuce & Cucumber) 18 cals
low fat natural yoghourt + 2 strawberries and some blueberries - 70 cals
glass of water
x3 low cal apple bars @ 55 cals each (165 cals)
total 550 cals

subtotal 550 + 324 = 874 cals


Im gonna try harder next weekend to limit the alcohol vastly more than this...

Now Ive worked out most of my body parts - I ache! My triceps hurt and I feel tired!

Gonna get some more water in me.

My next step is to devise a training plan for the weights.
I'm not looking to grow any bigger, but become defined, so keep the muscles, get sharper, lose this mound of fleshy fat around me...

With weight training - should I go for the heaviest weight I can and do 3 sets of 10?
Is the aim to try and increase weight amount?
Or stay at a lower weight and do more reps?
What would make sense if I was to workout say 4 or 5 times a week?
Should I work certain body parts one day,ánd others the next? Ive heard of this being done.

Any advice on which exercises I should choose for my workouts? Theres quite a few machines?
Thanks
shaun
 
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Wow shaunbaird, you got this stuff down now...you are doing pretty well.

Keep it up!!

:D

:beerchug:

Oh, by the way for the gym - ask one of the employees to give you a tour of the gym, they should be able to explain to you everything that needs to be know about them (muscles targeted and proper form/usage).

For the alcohol - I was in something similar but with soda...I tried cutting back many times and ended up starting again. I decided once and for all that it was enough and went cold turkey for about a year...now every time I take a soda I end up throwing it out because they seem to taste like crap.

Anyhow...I challenge you to go cold turkey for a period of time of your choosing. :D

You will see what all this beer is doing to you then ;)

Good luck man!!!

Track everything, sweat daily and never quit.

:D

Eric
 
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well.. couple of points to not today... last night ..... Ok.. it got the better of me, and controlled me.. I had a few drinks.. and then a few more..and some rather bad food but strangely all the way through I had an incredible feeling of guilt, something Ive not had before... so being in here has helped.. and would you believe it.. got up today and joined a gym!

I spent 1.5 hours in there, kicked off with about 20 minutes on the treadmill, and then I went round most of the machines to basically get used to them.

I did 3 sets of 10 on most of the machines.

food: target 2160 max cals
Breakfast
2 slices wholemeal bread @ 100 cals/slice = 200 cals
2 teaspoons lurpak extra light @ 52 cals each - 104 cals
tea with skimmed milk 20 cals
total: 324 cals

Lunch @ 12.00:

very small baked potato 100 cals
Tuna in sunflower oil 197 cals
mixed salad(carrot & lettuce & Cucumber) 18 cals
low fat natural yoghourt + 2 strawberries and some blueberries - 70 cals
glass of water
x3 low cal apple bars @ 55 cals each (165 cals)
total 550 cals

subtotal 550 + 324 = 874 cals



Thanks
shaun

Tuna in oil is yuck, next time give tuna in water a try. Less calories, without the oily taste.

With weight training - should I go for the heaviest weight I can and do 3 sets of 10?
Is the aim to try and increase weight amount?
Or stay at a lower weight and do more reps?
What would make sense if I was to workout say 4 or 5 times a week?
Should I work certain body parts one day,ánd others the next? Ive heard of this being done.

Yes, you should be doing the heaviest amount of weight you can, and each time your goal is to try and get stronger and to push weight. This is how you build strength and muscle.

Do a search for full body workouts, it will answer your questions.
 
Shaun- I am also like you mate. I live in the UK, used to have a healthy lifestyle, played a lot of rugby and football. Any free time i had was spent boxing doing martial arts. I always had a big appetite but although i always felt I ate healthily what i did was eat lots of fruit and vegetbles but supplement it with maybe 4 bars of chocolate and 3 bags of crisps a day.

I have posted my own thread bout my day-to-day journal, hopes and aspirations.

Ill pop in from time to time and see how you're getting on

I wish you the best of luck
 
Anyhow...I challenge you to go cold turkey for a period of time of your choosing. :D

You will see what all this beer is doing to you then ;)

:D

Eric

Hi Eric - super post! ummm now then.. umm hmm arrrhh mm.. lol... Im actually goiong to decline the challenge.. :eek: I did think about it, but I kind of think I would be okay if I spaced it out more, and perhaps had less.
I really do enjoy a drink, I need to be better at controlling how many I ahve in any one session.
On a sort of serious note, here in the Uk there have been over the years, dozens of claims that actually a small drink a day is good for you.. personally, if I can control the number then I'm happy to continue - my issue is with control though... so Im thinking ahead now.. what I might do in the future is just buy the beer as and when I need it, and only buy a couple of cans... instead of enjoying supermarket offers where you buy 24 cans for like $20(cheap here in the uk!)



Tuna in oil is yuck, next time give tuna in water a try. Less calories, without the oily taste.



Yes, you should be doing the heaviest amount of weight you can, and each time your goal is to try and get stronger and to push weight. This is how you build strength and muscle.

Do a search for full body workouts, it will answer your questions.

Thanks Phate89 - this is awsome support here in this forum! I do normally eat Tuna in water, always have my wife seems to think when its in oil, ie oily its got omega 3 in it - I know that some fish do(like the one I tried the other day and loved!) - not sdure what she is trying to say about me :rolleyes:


semper-fidelis - thanks for the support too! Im gobsmacked by how much everyone actually does want to help around here.

cool!:newangel:
 
Hi Eric - super post! ummm now then.. umm hmm arrrhh mm.. lol... Im actually goiong to decline the challenge.. :eek: I did think about it, but I kind of think I would be okay if I spaced it out more, and perhaps had less.
I really do enjoy a drink, I need to be better at controlling how many I ahve in any one session.
On a sort of serious note, here in the Uk there have been over the years, dozens of claims that actually a small drink a day is good for you..
personally, if I can control the number then I'm happy to continue - my issue is with control though... so Im thinking ahead now.. what I might do in the future is just buy the beer as and when I need it, and only buy a couple of cans... instead of enjoying supermarket offers where you buy 24 cans for like $20(cheap here in the uk!)


Yes, there are some medical opinions that support having an occassional correct type of alcoholic beverage, once in a while and in moderation, can support one's health. However, you will find a variety of medical opinions that support that "execessive alcoholic consumption" is not good for the health, and likewise not good for ones fat loss quest especially if it is coupled with a "personal control problem".

With you and alcohol:

Either you decide one day to work this in within the rules of fat loss and control it (as it IS your CHOICE--no matter what), or you love the drink MORE than the love you have for wanting your fat loss.

Your choice decides which.

:)

ROCK ON!


Best wishes

Chillen
 
Hi Chillen... Im am very grateful that you still grace my journal with time and comments, despite my attitude towards beer, and I respect your comments.

That said, I would most certainly like to choose the route of including it in within my nutritional budget.


OK.. for all my sins, Fosters lager is my preferred tipple. A full size can (568 ml) is 227 cals
A 440ml can would therefore be about 180 cals approx.

So... I might need your help to help me "do this right" - but Im gonna do all the legwork myself first and hopefulyl get all the info together.

If I want to drink a can of lager, I will need to eat 227 cals less OR do "about" 40 minutes of cardio to burn off these cals... correct?
Apart from the fact there is no nutritional value, I "could" eat less or do some exercise and then that can of lager would be ok.


Now, I dont drink every night anyway.
The worst I would drink is every other night.. and I used to follow this religiously, but since starting here, I didnt drink for 5 days.

I "could" push myself to just have a drink at the weekend, and logic tells me that 2 -3 cans would be the point where I start to want more and logic goes out of the window, and food comes out of the cupboards...

So the place id be "most happy at" is to be able to follow the above, and have the "option" of a dink every other night if I wanted, but it must not be more than 2-3 cans - period. Going further, I would only like this as an option, but in fact what Id prefer to do is simply drink at weekends 2-3 cans, and in the week only if I really want one, but try to limit it to just the one day at the weekend only..

So for 3 cans Im looking at a masive 750 cals...
How can I plan this in???
Could I drop 100 cals a day over 7 days and have 3 cans at the weekend?


Thanks again, to everyone.
 
ok.. today was one of those days when my "regular" small 5 meals was messed up due to "life"..
Because I spent all morning in the gym I missed my 11am feed.. so instead I ate a small meal at 12.30(previously noted)..


Then at 5pm I was HUNGRY!!! Couldnt work out why for a second, then it clicked.. ahaa
so at 5pm both my wife and I ate a quick reasonable snack of tast(2 slices with lurpak very light low fat spreadable) 200+104 cals = 304cals.

Then at 7.45pm we have eaten again..

weird concoction, but never the less, nutritionally quite balanced I beleive.

meat, veg and potato..

x2 sausages @ 150 cals each - 300
mashed potatoe - 100 cals
sweetcorn half tin -114 cals
small serving of gravy - 15 cals
subtotal 529 cals


daily total so far is: 874 +529 = 1403...
target is 2160, so at 8pm I am 757 short! eeek

That means I missed a meal.. now I can see why hunger kicked in earlier....

OK... gonna get a personal plan sorted out tomorrow night at the gym, so I can target muscle groups... nobody at my gym has any sort of tracking sheets with them - do any of you guys here use tracking sheets and carry them round with you?
 
ok.. relax shaun.. chill!

I have phoned the gym and they have me booked infor a personal programme set up tomorroew night at 8pm - which will set me up on routines, and weights, record them and they will be in a tray for me to refer too.. sounds cool..
 
food: target 2160 max cals
Breakfast
2 slices wholemeal bread @ 100 cals/slice = 200 cals
2 teaspoons lurpak extra light @ 52 cals each - 104 cals
3 slices cheese 100 cals
tea with skimmed milk x 2 40 cals
total: 444 cals

teeeming down with rain outside... gonna get verrry wet @ work!
Still got the gym and a personal programme to look forward to tonight
 
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