Since November I've lost 16 pounds total weight but as I've put on a fair bit of muscle idk how much more fat I've lost.
Some things I've found that work for me is starting small. If you can only do the least intensive version of an exercise do it. Eventually work up to doing the most difficult version.
I used to barely be able to do a push up. Now I can do 20 in a set, and do 2 to 4 sets a day. I do one right when I get out of bed, and then another after I use the restroom so I kind of get my body into gear and sweat a bit before my shower.
Then I pretty much do what ever I feel like. If the weather is bad, I lift weights, do pilates, crunches, and other basic exercises you typically learn in elementary school.
If its nice out I go for a walk. In my case I live a short walk from a hiking trail. It is a mile down hill at a 40 degree angle for half of it over rocky terrain, so you pretty much have to watch where you are going and keep balance or you will be in for an injury. At the end it actually keeps going for longer than I've wanted to explore, but leads down to the river.
I barely break a sweat going down, but it still gives a decent leg workout. Its the coming back up that is the real workout. As I said the path is almost diagonal, so within moments of turning around I'm already feeling it. Now, my lungs are crap because I had to breath smoke since before I was born until I was 17 because my parents were retarded. So while my mother and even my grandfather can manage the trip back up with little effort (seemingly) MY heart is pounding and I'm breathing in a manner that would cause a person with working lungs to hyperventilate.
At the top (easily 200 feet from the lowest point) I sit on a stone barricade thingy to catch my breath and then march home, still going uphill.
I've done this several times now and sadly the only real proof that it is working is that I can do it with fewer pauses on the way back up and unlike the first time I'm still able to walk afterwards. The first time my calves were pretty shredded for 4 days.
The best and simplest way to burn calories is to not sit on your ass in the first place. If you are planning to sit down and watch some tv for a while, you could just as easily be standing up and lifting dumbells, or doing push ups/crunches during commercials. If you are going somewhere nearby, walk there, or ride a bike. If you are reading this and you sitting hunched over and using an arm rest sit up straight and engage those abs.
If I can get in shape with nothing more than a pair of 8 pound dumbbells and some exercises I saw on youtube, then pretty much anyone can.
I started in response to having spent the previous part of last year in a pretty miserable state. I had 2 kidney stones that refused to come quietly and so spent months pretty much huddled in the fetal position or high on painkillers until they finally had to break out the lasers and deal with it. Needless to say, being a lump for the better part of a year tends to turn you into one.
If you can't workout every day like I do, start every other day like I did, and try to mix up what you do. Don't just work your arms all day every day.
Finally and probably most importantly eat well. Try to eat something evert 3-4 hours, and try to eat lots of protein. I tried whey powder and noticed zero benefit for how gross it tasted.
I like cottage cheese, hummus, greek yogurt, honeydew melon, green tea, and multigrain bread/crackers. Things to avoid would be mac and cheese, anything frozen/out of a can, pretty much all chinese food, and anything with the words "diet" or "lite" on the packaging.
I find it much better to do push ups and other ab exercises BEFORE eating or well afterwards. You don't want to be halfway through your set and have to deal with digestive quirks.
I drink primarily water, and more water. This is healthy and practical, but also due to having no money.
TLDR:
By far the best workout I've ever done was water aerobics. I took it a few times in college, and I was typically one of the only guys there and the usually only one in the class under 50. Despite that, its a really good workout if you augment it with heavy water weights like I did. But I haven't had access to that avenue of fitness in many years.
, so ill ask. Ill be dorming at college soon, and be stuck on a meal plan, subjugated to whatever they have at the cafe. What suggestions do you have for a diet that would be optimal for weight loss.(assuming i am doing cardio with it)
