The "Help Nick Out" Thread (guidance needed #2)

[Nick]

Yes, i'm that selfish that i need my own thread. Atleast it's specific, rather than people posting things like "The official 'post in this thread' thread".

Anyway my deal is that every once in a while i'll ask for guidance with something that's happening to me or is about to happen. I suck at making decisions (as jae knows lol) but basically all it is is sometimes i just need some help from random people on the internet.

I'll probably ask for guidance every month or something so yeh... hopefully it works out for the better. If you don't want to read it, well there's a 'back' button on your browser, click him.

Ok, so the first thing i need help with is fitness related. Since school finished last year i haven't been as active as i once was and it's starting to show. I've always been pretty rake-thin. But this year is different. It's kind of embarrasing to admit but my torso isn't looking great. Love handles forming etc. And i REALLY want to get rid of it. Especially before the summer, cos that could get embarrassing.

Who would've thought there's a downside to drinking beer?

I'm like 79 or so kg's at the moment (6 feet tall in height), and my goal is to lose 5 kilo's. So basically what i need guidance with is what is the best way to do that. Time space is leniant. But 2-4 weeks would be good i guess. I'm not really looking to get an extra muscle or anything. I've got enough muscle, i just need to slim down a bit for it to show.

Also little helpful tips are great too. I.e. what are the best foods to eat. what is the best workout schedule. I've heard you have to get to the 30 minute mark during a workout for it to officially improve your fitness. Is this true?

I don't want anything TOO hectic. I'm not a gym freak or anything. Yesterday i went for 2.7k run on mum's treadmil, then tried to squeeze in some pushups and situps (though i barely had the energy. I hadn't had breakfast yet. I figure working out with nothing in the stomach would burn more fat?). I wouldn't mind doing that every 1 or 2 days.

Also, alcohol is not coming out of the diet. No chance with that, lol. But does that REALLY matter? I think it's the main reason for my out of shape look. I mean i play bball etc and i'm fit and athletic, its just the looks that are giving me the shits.

So, what's the best way to go about losing 5 kilo's, and then keeping it off.

Last edited by Nick on Thu Oct 05, 2006 12:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Cut out the beer and you'll probably lose it without doing anything else, or if you drink Coke or any of those non-diet soft drinks, cut them out aswell and you'll be fine.

What I learnt years ago was that beer is probably the worst thing you can drink as far as gaining weight goes, but spirits doesn't seem anywhere near as bad so that's all I used to drink. If you cut out anything with excess sugar or whatever and do a little bit of exercise you'll lose it quickly.

I hadn't had breakfast yet. I figure working out with nothing in the stomach would burn more fat

Apparentely that's very wrong, first you eat then exercise... something about metabolism.

That's why it's called a beer gut.

Mmm... i had a feeling beer was the culprit. I never have any soft drinks though. Ever. Seriously.

Apart from beer, my diet is pretty decent. It consists of a lot of bread though, working at a sandwhich factory and all. lol. Which i'm not sure is a good or a bad thing.

But yeah, as i said, i'm not gonna stop drinking at this stage in my life. So excercise and good foods seems the key at the moment. I just dont know what amounts and how much and all that. (although maybe i could change the beer drinking to bourban and coke drinking? lol)

If you drink bourbon and coke it'll just be the same, but in smaller quantities I guess. If you're eating alot of bread you're taking in alot of carbs, which just means you have to work harder to stop them turning to fat or something. All you'd really have to do is cut out the beer though.

Never!

at your age & only slightly taller, I packed on 30kg's in 3 years....it's all from drinking & eating poorly & not playing sports....I've never dropped it off since (although if I really, really wanted to, I could drop down to my ideal weight)....I drank a shite load, but to top it off, I ate takeaways basically everyday (this was when I first moved out & couldn't cook/everyone else was getting takeaways)....I also drank a lot of coke....

I now drink coke zero/pepsi max, don't drink as much & if I do, it's not really as much beer (although I have been shouted a few in the last few days to celebrate my recent engagement), & I'm playing sports....my weight is steady but it hasn't dropped....I eat a lot better than I did, but still not superb....

if I could go back in time, I would do the following:

1) If I'm drinking beer, drink Pure Blonde's (if you're gonna drink beer, make it low carb beer....unfortunately they didn't have it back in my heyday)

2) If I'm drinking spirits, mix it with coke zero instead of coke....if you're drinking bourbon or scotch, they tend to taste better with dry ginger ale anyways

3) If I was going takeaways, I'd choose a Sub over a Zinger Tower (although, we didn't really have any Subway stores back in the day)

4) Continue playing team sport that involves some semblance of fitness


take this from someone who knows, my family's lack of metabolism caught up with me quick & before I knew it, it was too late....you're only like 80kg's which is healthy weight at your age....don't let it slip out of control like I did, only to realise you're 100kg's....although by that time I was a drinking machine so there were some positives to come out of it

hope this helps from someone who has been there & done that....I think only making slight adjustments will help you out good luck

I guess best way to lose it would be just do some good ole natural exercise. Running, pushups, weights and all that jazz. Join a gym maybe? It all really depends on how much time you have really and what your schedule is. Like Jae said cut the beer out, that could help.

Hey, I did my bit. Good luck

Edit: Fenix & Cyanide could help you out more seeing as their really into the whole fitness thing.

pepsi max

Wooooord.

I love my metabolism .

This'll help: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/167125/be ... ose_weight

I hadn't had breakfast yet. I figure working out with nothing in the stomach would burn more fat

Apparentely that's very wrong, first you eat then exercise... something about metabolism.

AYE! Some sea dogs say that it be good for ye, but it is not. If anything, just do some simple carrrrrrdio, but no streanth training or anything like that. Fair winds me bucko!

Nothing in the stomach would burn more fat if you worked out first thing in the morning, but the dangers of that is it will eat up muscle too since normally a food reserve is used for energy. If you can dig up the Fitness Thread, then there's a lot of info there.

I've heard you have to get to the 30 minute mark during a workout for it to officially improve your fitness. Is this true?

Generally it's good to go over 30 minutes and no more than an hour. Under 30 minutes, then it's not a good enough workout (though if done in high intensity, then 20 minutes <might> be bare bone minimum) and if over one hour, then cortisol kicks in, and cortisol is a muscle eater. As for metabolism, it is highest in the morning so if you work out in the morning at high intensity, then that high metabolism carries on throughout the day.

In your case, if you have the muscle but want to burn fat, then it's a easier said than done: cut out the beer. Eat leaner meats, space out your meals instead of 3 big ones, drink lots and lots of water, and if you can, try to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Work out (in your case) with either free weights or cardio three times a week or more if you want. All of your workouts should be in high intensity to get the most out of it. The thing about being dedicated to fitness is lifestyle; you have to change it if you want it to work.

run around the block fat-ass

As for metabolism, it is highest in the morning so if you work out in the morning at high intensity, then that high metabolism carries on throughout the day.

Dumb it down a little?

it means if you work out in the morning, then eat a lot of shit all day, the shit wont make you fat.

Jugs kinda put it nicely, except 'shit' really depends

As for metabolism, it is highest in the morning so if you work out in the morning at high intensity, then that high metabolism carries on throughout the day.

Dumb it down a little?

Your body is like a furnace. Whatever you eat, your body will either burn it or store it as fat. Some 'shit' you eat may burn very slowly, like trans fat, which ultimately ends up as body fat rather than being fully burned. What metabolism does, is control the rate of how your furnace burns. High metabolism means high burning, and if you work out, it cranks up your metabolism and therefore, burns more fat than it would if you didn't work out.

hmm sounds like I need to drink more beer to help me gain some weight

but yeah I would cut out the beer, drink WATER. water is good.
I don't think you'll need hardcore workouts, just some running and maybe a little weight lifting if that's your thing.

I hate that I've got the exact opposite problem. I'm 14, 5'6, 120 and look anorexic. Trade you for some of your weight there.

Dont try gain weight from eating alot, its obvius youve got a fast metabolism. Just try gain muscle. Lift weights, whatever. If u wanna get muscular legs i recommend air alert 2, however since your skinny, your legs may not be able to do the full program, so tone it down a bit. I tried Air Alert 2 on 3 different occasions pulling out on all of them early due to knee problems, but my legs are very toned and muscular. I think its a great program, plus you gain a few inches here and there on your vert

I don't think you guys are quite understanding - i'm not cutting out the beer. What i need help with is the best way to lose 5kg's withouting cutting the beer.

Thanks for that info cyanide. Puts it more into perspective a lot more!

If you don't cut out the beer you're pretty much gonna struggle to lose the weight, the best way to lose 5kg's without cutting out beer is to exercise all the time and stop eating

I don't think you guys are quite understanding - i'm not cutting out the beer!

[then you're not cutting out 5 kilos, either.

If the beer stays in your diet, it stays in your gut

Seriously? Heaps of people drink beer and get no side effects. I thought if i just went for a run every 2 days i'd be fine?

Maybe not cut out the beer, just cut down on how much, im doing that a bit (although still drinking at least 2 nights a week) but for a different reason.... SO i can remember my nights

IMO I would say just go for a good old run, but im a runner so I guess a run doesnt seem as bad to me.

Why not go play some Ball somewhere everysecond day, if you get into a good pick up game it will be a good workout

EDIT: Yeah I agree with you Nick, you can still drink beer and be fit, one of the guys I train with on and off is one of the top mulitsport athletes in New Zealand and he still has a big night at least once a week, sometimes even more.

IMO I would say just go for a good old run, but im a runner so I guess a run doesnt seem as bad to me.

Why not go play some Ball somewhere everysecond day, if you get into a good pick up game it will be a good workout

Well i already play ball and am planning to run atleast 3 times a week. So i think if i do that i should turn out okay.

So, consider my needed guidance resolved. Especially since cyanide told some good facts. It's so useful knowing WHY you're doing things and HOW its working etc rather than just doing them because you heard its a good thing.

Thanks all!