Hello

[Darren76]

Hi; just wanted to check in and say hi and ask for people's advice;

So I've decided after years of obsessing with my weight and physique that I'll commit to something and stick with it;

I'm not a huge fan of gyms but thought I would keep it simple and stick to a paleo diet and follow the strong lifts app and hiit 2 times a week?

How does that sound?

I was thinking of getting an online personal trainer mainly for the accountability; I feel like I want someone I have to check in with as I know from past attempts if I don't have anything to train for or accountability then I'll give up;

Any advice how to over come this would be great

Thanks everyone

Darren

[DeanaDimples]

I hear ya. I'm not a fan of gyms personally. Ive been successful several times over the years by working out on my own. What works for someone else may not be a fit for you and vice versa.

My advice is to do whatever workouts you will enjoy enough to keep doing. That's key. Doing a workout type that you don't like is just another hurdle. I tend to enjoy things more when I start to see their results so try different things and you will eventually find a workout that will fit you both for enjoyment and results. Same with diet. Simple start is good. You can always build from there. Gotta start somewhere! (Don't recommend the couch).

Pale I isn't for me but I try to pick natural foods when I can. I do basic calorie deficit and monitor macro goals for diet. I have spreadsheet that calculates my BMR, TDEE, deficits etc. But I'm a numbers geek so they keep me on track. For workouts I tend to mix it up since I can get bored with routine. I do weights, DVDs that work strength, sometimes I run just for kicks. Well I try to anyway. It's more walk/run but I'm working on it. I like it the least but burn out is the end of me so I try to avoid it at all costs. Plus I just like to be a jerk to myself once in a while for all those couch days.

[SpecialSundae]

Hello and welcome!

Sounds like you've got a good plan. I started off with StrongLifts and still recommend it to beginners. If all you're looking for from a PT is accountability, Nerd Fitness might be able to help with that, but I'd recommend posting up form videos if you're going it alone.

Feel free to fire me a message if there's anything I can do to help.

Sundae

[RedStone]

Hi Darren!

 

I'm new too! I just started strong lifts last week! I'm not strictly paleo, but something close to it for the past 6 month or so. (Down 20lbs since starting my nutritional life changes.) I also have experience with HIIT, as well as some precautions attached for beginners, depending on your experience level, of course.

 

NF has been awesome for accountability, this one up here ^ (SpecialSundae) has been a big inspiration, but I also respect the idea of putting energy towards something (ie: paying for a service) to give it more gravity. But if you're looking for a free accountability partner, NF is a rich source.

 

I'm not a fan of gyms either, but in the last week I've been touring local places and think there may be a silver lining in one of them. 

 

Feel free to hit me up as a fellow noob if you like!

[MissoulaSquatch]

Hey, welcome!

I feel like the #1 argument I hear from people who don't like gyms is that they feel intimidated by the people in them, I'm going to let you in on a secret: most everyone there cares about themselves more than anything around them.  No one there is judging you.

If they're still not your thing, fear not, the home gym is an excellent tool for getting in shape!  

Your starting plan sounds solid, just one tip from me: don't try to change too much too fast.  Go steady and find what works, then add more.  

Just my .02!

[RedStone]

I feel like the #1 argument I hear from people who don't like gyms is that they feel intimidated by the people in them, I'm going to let you in on a secret: most everyone there cares about themselves more than anything around them.  No one there is judging you.

 

This was totally me. I was super intimidated (which I hate to admit, but it's true.) My first day, I sucked it up and asked a big muscly dude for help with the squat rack, and I totally heard myself saying out loud that it was my first day and that it was intimidating! But he was super sweet and just chuckled, and said that it's like that for everyone. 

 

The first gym I tried was not for me - kind of a sensory assault to my eyes and ears, (I'm sensitive to noise and bright lights and color), but the one I'm looking at now is huge and serene and made me feel super relaxed when checked it out. Going to do a trial week there and see if it's a fit!

[EllieTheMage]

Hey there, Darren. Welcome to Nerd Fitness!

 

I'm Ellie and I'm pretty new too. I too benefit from having someone to relay my progress to and to keep me on track. I sometimes do this with charts and by writing down my progress but I'm hoping to branch out to the accountabilibuddies subforum that's available during the four week challenges. Some people do it with only one other person whereas others do it in groups. Seems good to me. I hope to try it out. Perhaps you should too?

 

Also, as others have said, sounds like a pretty solid plan to me! The strategy is clear - always a plus. I sometimes make the mistake of having vague goals; "ie. tone up a bit or 'clean up diet'" and find myself running off-track.

 

Anyways, best of luck! Hope to see you around on here.

 

[Darren76]

Hi Guys

 

Thanks for the replies; I actually weighed intros morning so that’s a start and plan to start the gym tomorrow; I work in a sporting university so it’s quite intimidating seeing all these young super fit people! Haha but hey I gotta start somewhere; 

 

I’ve been active in the past, 2 marathons and a triathlon, but have let it all go south to be honest so got no excuses;

 

I didn’t know there was an accountability forum, If anyone has tips or advice for keeping motivated that be great, I don’t have a training partner which is hard but it is what it is;

 

Was wondering if anyone wanted to start a whatsapp group for motivation and accountability, posting food, exercises, weigh in, goals and generally positivity, just a thought;

 

Thanks for all the welcoming replies too :-)

 

Appreciate it

 

Darren

[SpecialSundae]

I've never quite got to grips with WhatsApp, but always up for more socialising! I'm really sociable with my health and fitness stuff (too sociable if you listen to my coach and one of my training buddies...).

Which uni do you work at?

[Darren76]

It's good fro group chats; my short term aim is to eat clean for a month and try not to be put off by the gym goers :-) If anyone wants to set up a group just PM me there email address I’ll see if I can start one! There will be lots of pictures of food! :-)

 

Im in Cardiff, its quite a sport orientated campus so good facilities just need to bite the bullet and get in there!

[SpecialSundae]

What's your definition of "eating clean"? Don't let yourself be intimidated by gym goers. Usually they're happy to be helpful if you let them.

You might do well with an accountability group or running a challenge thread. There are a lot of people on here who won't necessarily want to WhatsApp but who would be really supportive on the forums.

[Darren76]

Well my plan is a 2 egg omelette for breakfast; chicken and broccoli for lunch and shake or fish and veg for dinner;

 

I like just eating the same food so that’s what I plan on eating, whats peoples thought on milk? Ive changed to soya but have read mixed stories on milk;

 

Yeah this your right; might be best about setting up a thread on there; I’m a newbie when it comes to forums, and prefer a small group thing of the same faces etc;

 

Planning on starting strong lifts tomorrow but wondering what weights to start at; it says a bar but would prefer a little weight on it;

[SpecialSundae]

If you feel good on milk or soya or hemp or hazelnut (totally my favourite, by the way), keep drinking it. I don't tend to recommend soy for men because the evidence balance tilts slightly towards the negative, for women it's more marginal. There are so many options these days that you're as well going with what you enjoy.

Start with the bar unless you have been lifting recently and have a good strength base and perfect form. I'm working with a guy who I had start above the bar because he could squat easy fives with 60kg and look like there was a good 40-50kg left in the tank, so we started him on 40kg so he could drill in the new form without injuring himself.

No carbs? That sounds like you're eating next to nothing in terms of calories, fat and carbs, even if you might hit your protein goal. If you're doing Stronglifts and you're not totally sedentary, you should be aiming for at least 1800 calories a day.

[Darren76]

Well I like Soya but turned to it purely because it was better for cholesterol;

 

I haven’t been lifting that recently, maybe 8months ago; and that wasn’t regular; Well I’ve been toying with the number of calories and carbs;

 

I was aiming for 1200 calories but limiting carbs â€“ I am quite sedentary, my job is office/desk based so Id say yeah Im pretty sedentary;

 

I was thinking of stronglifts in the morning, fasted and 20mins cardio afterwards, maybe the stepper and maybe 2 HIIT in the week, any advice on HIIT? How long and duration etc?

 

Sorry for all the questions Im a bit of a need to know person lol 

 

Do you have any links for a body composition calc? I know my weight and body fat, well what it tells me on my scales, so wondered how I’d go about setting targets, like weight, body fat and time frames etc;

 

That’s for all your help btw! Really appreciate it!

[SpecialSundae]

Men should absolutely not be aiming for 1200 calories. That's low for a woman, and horrific for a man unless you're under medical supervision. Aim for 1800 calories and see how you go. Totally sedentary would be working from home in a one bedroom flat where it was no more than a couple of metres from your workspace to kitchen and bathroom.

Don't worry about lots of questions, I'm happy to help!

Start off with StrongLifts, and cardio after if you like, and adding in more walking (go out for half an hour at lunchtime and make the choice to go to a toilet a bit further away than your closest one). Hold off on adding in HIIT until you've established the lifting side of the regime change or do it instead of the 20 minutes cardio after you lift. The last thing you want to do is too much too fast and end up burned out.

Let's put it this way. I started off just doing walking and StrongLifts and lost 17kg eating 1900 calories a day (including around 200g carbs a day)... and I'm a short-ish woman.

In terms of body composition, next to nothing other than a DEXA scan is even close to accurate. You're as well going with watching for downward trends on the BF scales and liking what you see in the mirror. Aim to lose 0.5-1kg a week. You'll lose a bit more the first two weeks, but if you're still losing more than that in week four then increase your calorie intake.

Fasted or fed is entirely personal preference. The evidence for fasted training being better is ropey at best.

[Darren76]

OK I’ll up the calories â€“ think I fell into the trap of wanting to lose weight quickly and came to those figures working out my BMR minus the amount I wanted to lose in the amount of time etc;

 

Think your right with the holding off of HITT, too much too soon sounds like me all over!

 

Wow 17kg that’s an inspiration!!! Especially as I worked out I should be losing around 18kg, an impossible task in my eyes!

 

 I’m 95 this morning, and worked out I should be around 76;

 

Yes I’ve read theres a bit of debate about the fasted or fed state, think I was only thinking fasted because Id want to get in the gym early and making a breakfast beforehand would be pushing it a bit, I’m not a morning person at the best of times :-)

[SpecialSundae]

Your BMR is your basal metabolic rate or what you burn totally at rest. What you want to subtract from is your TDEE or total daily energy expenditure. That's comparatively hard to guess so usually I recommend people choose a calorie intake which is reasonable and then increase or decrease their calories once they have a handle on how much they're eating and how their weight is reacting.

We all want to do all the things right away, but as someone who did that at first and wound up on crutches, I tend to recommend taking it a little easier than I did!

My old personal trainer used to recommend having a banana before morning training. Just something light that you can eat quickly and that won't come back up, then having breakfast after. I'm not a morning person so I train after work, but I get that wouldn't be for everyone!

Take it easy, make it fun, don't deny yourself treats if you can make them fit your calorie and macronutrient goals and it will be so much easier to get to where you want to be!

[SpecialSundae]

I've just realised I know a couple of seriously awesome trainers in Cardiff. If you're ever in the market, let me know. They're people I know from powerlifting (she was GBPF 63kg champion last year) and really, really lovely people. 

[Darren76]

That would be great; I was looking out for someone but most I've been in touch with are just not what I'm after; so if be defo interested in hearing from them

Thank you again!