The 2020 OTF Weight Loss Intention & Mutual Support Thread

[HORN]

Further to TG's post, I suspect I've been losing muscle due to insufficient protein in my diet. I've upped it recently and am in the market for a decent set of weighing scales. Any recommendations? Ones that measure visceral fat seem few and far between.

[Uncle Ethan]

Thanks to TG for the cardio 7.5 minute x4 tip. I've found it works really well. Less faffing about and therefore less idleness between exercise. I felt some clothes loosening so weighed myself and I've dropped 3kg. Been eating a little healthier but not radically, so doing more is the key for me I think.

[Tactical Genius]

Further to TG's post, I suspect I've been losing muscle due to insufficient protein in my diet. I've upped it recently and am in the market for a decent set of weighing scales. Any recommendations? Ones that measure visceral fat seem few and far between.

A few questions. I believe I met you a while ago and I remeber you being older than me, what is you age range?
Are you currently doing a weight loss program or you just wasting away muscle?

That might help me give you a more personal answer.

Thanks to TG for the cardio 7.5 minute x4 tip. I've found it works really well. Less faffing about and therefore less idleness between exercise. I felt some clothes loosening so weighed myself and I've dropped 3kg. Been eating a little healthier but not radically, so doing more is the key for me I think.

Glad I can help. The good thing about this exercise is you can easily gauge your fitness and improvements as you up the intensity. Also by keeping it short you don't really get into a rhythm whereby your body can coast along and not burn much energy.

[caja-dglh]

TG is giving a lot of good advice here (including AthleanX even though the guy is clearly an insanely ripped muscle dude, his training is very adaptable).

If you are doing the 7:30 splits TG suggested, I highly recommend reviewing a few videos on rowing form. It is by far the more advanced movement of the four and benefits from a lot of focus (particularly the catch - reaching forward and the finish - the arm movement). When playing with those I typically have a calories per hour screen - you start to learn that you can lower strokes per minute, get more recovery and increase calories per hour with a better stroke.

Few things upset me more in the gym than seeing dreadful rowing form. I am not going to correct folk for trying and actually getting out to the gym at all, but there are such significant gains (and less strain) from getting it right.

Also - set the damper about 5 or 6 for any rowing (or any Erg work at all if they have XCCY ski or a bike Erg). Maxing out at 10 is not efficient, nor means you are strong.

[Tactical Genius]

TG is giving a lot of good advice here (including AthleanX even though the guy is clearly an insanely ripped muscle dude, his training is very adaptable).

Try not to focus on what he look like, he is very ripped but is not a large man, but he shows what you would look like if you lost weight and most of the weight loss was fat.

If you are doing the 7:30 splits TG suggested, I highly recommend reviewing a few videos on rowing form. It is by far the more advanced movement of the four and benefits from a lot of focus (particularly the catch - reaching forward and the finish - the arm movement).

I would agree with this. Many years ago, I worked with a guy who as a kid used to row competitively against Steve Redgrave, just by giving pointers in my rowing technique, he got my 2000m time from 8:25 to 7:20 in two weeks. over three months i was able to do my PB of 6:48.

When playing with those I typically have a calories per hour screen - you start to learn that you can lower strokes per minute, get more recovery and increase calories per hour with a better stroke.

A couple of things, the calories per hour stuff you see on cardio machines are a load of bull put there for mainly sales purposes (I learned this on my PT course). You can do the same exercises on two different branded machines and they will give you a different value.
Also Calculating calories burned takes in so many variables and is so individually based, that it is meaningless to have on a machine.

Few things upset me more in the gym than seeing dreadful rowing form. I am not going to correct folk for trying and actually getting out to the gym at all, but there are such significant gains (and less strain) from getting it right.

Haha, I am not a rowing aficionado, although i went through a phase nearly 20 years ago when I worked with the above gentleman, but year, some of the rowing techniques I see atrocious. You sometimes fear they are going to have a really bad bicep or back injury.

We should do a top 10 of gym stuff we see that pisses us off.

Also - set the damper about 5 or 6 for any rowing (or any Erg work at all if they have XCCY ski or a bike Erg). Maxing out at 10 is not efficient, nor means you are strong.

Yep, guilty as charged for this.
When I first started rowing, I always for some reason had the settings as 10 (we all use the concept II right?) further down the road, I was told to use 5 or 6 like you said, as i mimics the natural resistance of water. But when I turn it down, it never feels right and messes up my stroke so I stick with ten.

With the bike and cross trainer, I focus on the pace or RPM so on the bike I will try and maintain at 90rpm and then do this with as high a resistance as I can. so with my 7.5 minutes i will try and increase the resistance every 30 seconds. by the time i get to a really high resistance i don't have much longer to go and focus on toughing it out.

remember it's a short sharp workout so you have to be physically under the cosh for the entirety and no coasting.

[Sporting]

So short sharp painful stints on the bike/treadmill are better than longer semi-tough ones? I get this but surely stamina improvement comes into the equation somewhere?

[Moonlight Shadow]

Interval training is a very useful training tool for all kind of activities including some that require long periods with a sustained effort.

[caja-dglh]

So short sharp painful stints on the bike/treadmill are better than longer semi-tough ones? I get this but surely stamina improvement comes into the equation somewhere?

I mean, it all depends what you are trying to do. But yes - there is definite value to HIIT and Tabata (2/3 on, 1/3 rest).

[Nocturnal Submission]

Down to 13-3 which is the lowest I've been since (checks notes) the autumn of 2018, so progress, if rather sedate. Almost down another notch in the belt too which is an encouraging area to see flab disappearing from.

[ad hoc]

What's the gap between these 7.5minute bursts of cardio?

Good work NS. Lowest weight for well over a year sounds excellent.

[nmrfox]

Despite last nights Carabao cup excesses (and disappointment) the scales tipped into the 14stone mark and whilst I only lost a pound in the week, seeing that 14 has been a real boost. Next week will be tough as flying with business to the US at the weekend, so lots of free food and drink, and I'll be wined and dined very well while over there for the week. Still, will try and resolve to be as good as possible, and the hotel does have a gym and pool, so will make use of them to try and keep on track.

The hotel pool was the size of a small puddle and the gym was closed for refurb, so the week away wasn't great from a weight loss perspective (though the food was wonderful). Back on the scales this morning and have gone back into the 15's (15 1 1/2lb to be exact), so got to get back on plan again.

[Tactical Genius]

What's the gap between these 7.5minute bursts of cardio?

Good work NS. Lowest weight for well over a year sounds excellent.

Minimal, enough time to transition and maybe have a swig of water. Keep below a minute, 30 seconds optimal.

[Hot Pepsi]

I felt too tired to go to the gym tonight. Just exhausted. But we went for a walk. About a mile and a half. That’s all I could manage.

[Moonlight Shadow]

Latest set of figures...81.5 kg, 25.8 BMI, 21.7% body fat, 39.99% muscle, 52.4% water...

Steady progress!

[Lurgee]

I seem to have broken the 82kg barrier this week. Goal at the start of the year was to get to 81 (starting from about 84) which may not seem very ambitious but I like to under promise and under deliver, but not by as much as I under promised, if you get what I mean.

I think my ideal maximum weight might be about 78kg, but I'm damned if I can see where that extra 3kg can come from, short of amputating a limb. Even if I eradicate my middle-aged pot belly, I can't see it being worth more than a kilo or two. It isn't that big.

Formula I'm working on is vague diet control (two meals + two snacks a day, coupled with long term vegetarianism; fruit and veg don't count as long as they are in pure unadulterated form) and a slightly committed workout (three days on, two days off).

[HORN]

A few questions. I believe I met you a while ago and I remeber you being older than me, what is you age range?
Are you currently doing a weight loss program or you just wasting away muscle?

That might help me give you a more personal answer.



Glad I can help. The good thing about this exercise is you can easily gauge your fitness and improvements as you up the intensity. Also by keeping it short you don't really get into a rhythm whereby your body can coast along and not burn much energy.

Hey TG. I'm 56 though I believe the nearest we came to meeting was Spurs v Port Vale in 2006 when we were in adjacent stands.

I fast until 1pm. Ive been doing that for about 15 months. According to the scales at my gym I'm 17% fat (9% visceral). My muscle (12%) hasn't changed in two years despite me training at least twice a week.

[Sporting]

Im not sure the morning fasting is efficient?

[Moonlight Shadow]

I am not taking my scale figures for body fat, etc too seriously by the way...

[HORN]

Im not sure the morning fasting is efficient?

In what respect? Certainly an endurance athlete I'm acquainted with reckons protein at breakfast is essential, but two personal trainers I spoke with disagreed.

it's certainly been efficient in terms of eradicating my belly.

[caja-dglh]

A couple of things, the calories per hour stuff you see on cardio machines are a load of bull put there for mainly sales purposes (I learned this on my PT course). You can do the same exercises on two different branded machines and they will give you a different value.
Also Calculating calories burned takes in so many variables and is so individually based, that it is meaningless to have on a machine.

Just to hop back to this - I would agree, but for the Concept 2 it does have some form of value. Basically their math is from some corporate decision not to use watts, and is based on the same power curve. So while the number is irrelevant, the basis of what it means (consistency in power irrespective of stroke speed) is actually of value. But certainly it is not to be viewed as earning food as that isn't near the truth (this is especially obvious on airbikes where the Schwinn models clock calories at 2x an Assault Bike, which ranks among the hardest machines on earth to hit calorie targets as a measure on)

Haha, I am not a rowing aficionado, although i went through a phase nearly 20 years ago when I worked with the above gentleman, but year, some of the rowing techniques I see atrocious. You sometimes fear they are going to have a really bad bicep or back injury.

We should do a top 10 of gym stuff we see that pisses us off.

Ten would be restrictive! A friend sent me a picture this week of a guy on the squat rack with the barbell loaded with 10x 5lb weights on each side.

[Stumpy Pepys]

I've just had to order a smaller belt.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Didn't fancy punching a new hole through the old one then?

When I was a kid, in the absence of an awl, my dad would get the carving fork out of the cutlery drawer if a belt had to be "adapted".

[Stumpy Pepys]

Didn't fancy punching a new hole through the old one then?

Tried that, but the result was a big flappy tail. And I can't adjust it at the other end without some serious leather skillz.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Fair enough, though the long tail advertises to all and sundry that you've lost weight, though also that you're too cheap to buy a new belt.

[elguapo4]

Didn't fancy punching a new hole through the old one then?

When I was a kid, in the absence of an awl, my dad would get the carving fork out of the cutlery drawer if a belt had to be "adapted".

I hope you weren't still wearing it at the time.