Fitness and Dieting

[Marshy]

I've been wanting to get back in shape just because i feel so lazy all the time lately and i really want to slim down a bit (i'm only 150 ibs.) I've been eating healthy, other then one snack once and a while (like a donut). I run on the treadmill for 20 mins a day and i've been doing it for 2 weeks so far. Now I know its not really enough to see an improvement. Atm i run on the treadmill and work out and lift weights at my house (seeing as i don`t live by a gym) but i would really like to know...

1) What are some good things to eat in the morning for breakfast?
2) What excersizes should i do?

Basically, i'm just trying to get rid of my belly fat to get a skinny figure.

Now sorry moderators if this is the wrong spot.. just haven't a clue where to put it. Anyways, if someone could help me out on some things that would work good for me, it would be much appreciated.

 

[Muninn]

What you eat is important, but the bottom line is if you burn more than you take in you will lose weight. As someone who was a health nut and is getting back into it, I would highly recommend counting calories. On an average day by just not sitting on your ass all day you typically burn about 3000 calories, so if you keep your diet around 2000 and exercise you'll start seeing results in no time.

As for specific foods to eat for breakfast, it's a must that you stay away from pastries (doughnuts, croissants, long johns, cinnamon rolls, etc.) because they're just bad for you and turn into pure fat in your body. Whole wheat cereals and fruit is probably the best choice.

If you're not close to a gym, don't have the equipment or just hate going, one of the best exercises you can do is calisthenics. Calisthenics are simple things like push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, squats, and pull-ups. They are great because they don't require you to spend any money or even leave your house and yet they burn as many calories as playing sports and more calories than lifting weights.

 

[Marshy]

alrighty, thanks for the help with that. I haven't been counting calories much because i didn't know exactly what to look for. For breakfast i generally just eat a bagel with peanut butter (is that ok?). Now i do have a "Soloflex" which is pretty much a rip off of the Boflex, but i got this one for free. Its got a few things to do on it so i use that along with my bench press and treadmill. Anyways, i think that if i just stay on a steady 20 min runs everyday, plus work out every other day i should be on the right track.

Also, if anyone else has any stuff to say on it, i'd love to hear what you gotta say.

 

[Muninn]

Here is a tool to help you count calories. It's free and actually really useful. You just type in the foods you ate and it factors in your height/weight along with body type and activity level so that you can compare your calorie intake to how many calories you burn in a day (you also enter in the exercises you do and for how long) so that you get a god reading of whether or not you're on track for your target (which you also set). It's really helpful, and tells you if you're eating the right food, and gives suggestions as to what you need to eat more of in your diet, and monitors your progress if you enter in your daily weight it can track where you are as opposed to where you should be.

 

[Ness]

Keep in mind that it's not all about calories...but the time of day that you eat food, and the amount of food you eat. For example, if you eat small amounts of food all throughout the day, that's better than eating one big meal a day. Keeping your body working at digesting food is actually a good way to burn calories.

Over this past summer, I actually lost about 20 pounds without going on an actual "diet", as it were. I actually just started running/walking for 30 minutes (not every day, but most days) out of concern for my cardiovascular health. A few weeks into it, I just started to watch WHEN I ate more than WHAT I ate. I told myself that after 9 PM, I wouldn't eat anything...and I just took care to balance my diet a bit (don't eat all carbs and such =P). It worked beautifully, and I never really had to restrict my diet excessively.

I've gotten bad about my running, but I still try to just mind what I eat. Don't be too strict though, or you'll end up quitting due to "I hate this" syndrome.

 

[Fusilli]

I need to start exercising more because I'm really unfit.

My diet isn't too bad, I don't think... I eat a lot of fruit and don't eat many cakes or crisps or chocolate. And I TRY to drink enough water throughout the day but I never manage, even though it's the only thing I drink anyway.

As far as exercising goes, I don't really do enough at the moment. I usually do some stretches in the morning and at night to loosen myself up, but that doesn't really count for much. I really like skipping as a form of exercise. For one thing it's really easy and cheap because all the equipment you need is a rope, and it's really effective as well. I find it fun too, but that's probably just the 8 year old girl in me.
I like doing cardio work-outs like those aerobics videos you get, but I don't do them enough. Now that the weather's beginning to get nice though it's a great excuse to go for walks or out on my bike or on the good ol' trampoline. I like playing sports too like netball, but I'm not into doing sports competitively, and I don't know anywhere I can play it uncompetitively.

 

[Busta]

For exercise, I've been running a lot lately just to get ready for the Air Force. However since my junior year (11th) in high school, I've been trying to do 300 push-ups and 100 sit-ups at night every other night.

I don't get it done all the time because of sheer laziness, or I'll just forget. I know it's a great way for me to do it right before I go to sleep with my iPod on and when I get done, I'm usually ready to zonk out and go to sleep.