The Exercise Experiment

Dazzler21

Hi all

So this is difficult for me to spread on here...

But yesterday I launched myself into a six month long experiment... Exercise based, the experiment is based around the effects of exercise without a change of diet. I'm not a gorger but do enjoy food.

Currently I am at 12st 4lbs (I lost a bit of weight last year through diet and exercise reaching 11st 10lbs from 12st 11lbs but my love of food has changed that!)

The blog is here of you are interested in seeing how I do.

Each week a new picture will be uploaded to the blog (guaranteed mockery from that!)

Thanks Darrel

Oggy Red

I'm not a forger but do enjoy food.

The idea is to lose pounds, not print them?

siblers

Best of luck with it. I went from 15 stone down to about 11 stone with very little exercise but just cut down drastically on what I ate, but now I enjoy my food way too much to be able to carry on like that, so I exercise to some extent nearly everyday and haven't gained a pound in years.

smudge7946

What sort of exercise regime are you following?

Dazzler21

What sort of exercise regime are you following?

I'll upload a copy of my regime shortly. It is mainly a warm up run 1.67 mile set route followed by a simple upper body weights program.

Dazzler21

Oh and a 10 minute Abs program

cookierules

Good on you dazzler I've dropped 17 stone at start of Jan to 15 3 without exercise but following weight watchers with the wife to be! Target was 15 stone for our wedding on 30th March so well on course! Look forward to seeing your exercise plan.

Plaaayer

Sorry, you've dropped 17 stone? Bloody hell!

cookierules

No dropped from 17 stone but have reached 19 couple of years back which was shocking even if I am 6ft 3

Dazzler21

Cant upload as i'm using abi word, anyone know if i can convert to pdf?

Converted to .tif not working still...

Leroy Ambrose

Good luck. I've done the opposite to you - I love my food a ridiculous amount, and had gone up to 15 stone by xmas. However, heavy exercise was out for me because of a long-standing back problem and a knee injury I've had since I was a teenager. I lost two stone in a month - doing very little exercise, but cutting my calorie intake down to under 1000 a day (I worked out that it averaged around 2500 a day beforehand). Somewhat unsurprisingly, since losing all the weight, I'm now able to run again and am finding that my back hurts less too.

Dazzler21

Good on you dazzler I've dropped 17 stone at start of Jan to 15 3 without exercise but following weight watchers with the wife to be! Target was 15 stone for our wedding on 30th March so well on course! Look forward to seeing your exercise plan.

congratultations mate! cracking effort. You may have to have your suit taken in at that rate!

Dazzler21

Good luck. I've done the opposite to you - I love my food a ridiculous amount, and had gone up to 15 stone by xmas. However, heavy exercise was out for me because of a long-standing back problem and a knee injury I've had since I was a teenager. I lost two stone in a month - doing very little exercise, but cutting my calorie intake down to under 1000 a day (I worked out that it averaged around 2500 a day beforehand). Somewhat unsurprisingly, since losing all the weight, I'm now able to run again and am finding that my back hurts less too.

I am not eating too much maybe 1250 to 1750 calories per day (thats a good day to bad day ratio)

I just enjoy foods when I do eat them, i'd struggle to fill myself on under 1000 calories worth! That's what I did to drop from 12.11 to 11.10

I always struggled to feel full, i love salad but to make enough to make you feel full is expensive business, so you chuck in bread and boom, then you feel you need to eat more... and more... lol

I am sure I will get back onto the diet as I go but i need to be careful taking in more calories now too, so as to ensure I dont burn out and to aid my muscle repair.

Southendaddick

I went to pilates with the wife last night (bit gay)

Pain in my stomach and hamstrings is incredible today, couple more sessions and I'll have abs like Peter Andre

GreenWithEnvy

Good luck mate! I think you will find that as you do more exercise your metabolism will increase so you burn the calories more efficiently. And you should notice the other benefits too like change in body shape and improved cardio fitness. This will create a positive feedback loop and soon exercise will become a much easier thing to do. Of course if you manage your diet as well then you'll lose the weight a lot quicker, but I'm like you. I exercise so I have less to worry about when I am at the dinner table or down the pub. A bit of the ying and yang really.

Dazzler21

I tried pilates and yoga couldnt take the farting... not by me but it had me erupting with laughter.

smudge7946

I went to pilates with the wife last night (bit gay)

Pain in my stomach and hamstrings is incredible today, couple more sessions and I'll have abs like Peter Andre

You'll be doing zumba next !

Dazzler21

GWE - That is my main reason for it, I'm not a bad build. but certainly looking forward to the positive feedback loop!

P.s does anyone know what kind of things you put in a blog as i've not had one before... i dont think anyway!

AddickUpNorth

Little food swap tip mate. Instead of minced beef in chilli, bolognase etc swap it for Quorn mince. It's much lower in fat and calories plus nothing has had to die in it's production. You could go totally veggie, that would help. I'm 6'3, and haven't been over 14 stone in fifteen years. Not bad considering I was a 17 stone twelve year old.

Vinnie V.

How tall are you?

siblers

Good on you dazzler I've dropped 17 stone at start of Jan to 15 3 without exercise but following weight watchers with the wife to be! Target was 15 stone for our wedding on 30th March so well on course! Look forward to seeing your exercise plan.

congratultations mate! cracking effort. You may have to have your suit taken in at that rate!

I couldn't do that, I nearly always go around 2000 a day but I easily burn 500 or so alone through exercise.

LuckyReds

If you're interested there's an excellent running plan to go up to 5K/3miles - it's C25K. Looking at your run distance, you could probably skip half of it as well. I've been doing it to get back in shape somewhat, not to lose weight mind - just to be a bit more active!

There's also a brilliant website, "fitocracy", it's invite only but awesome for a bit of motivation. I think every member has 10 invites, I can't remember - but I know I havent used any of mine..

Dazzler21

How tall are you?

5ft 8.5

AddickUpNorth

That half inch makes all the difference doesn't it mate

McBobbin

Good luck fella. I was 14.5 stone turn of the year, and I've lost just over a stone doing no exercise, but cutting snacking and crap out of my diet. Little things, like having soup for lunch rather than a double whopper meal with a shake. I'm aiming for 12 stone, but might need to step it up a bit.

InCurbsWeTrusted

Good luck! I've lost 16lb since Jan but cutting out carbohydrates - no bread/potatoes/pasta/rice. I'm 5' 11" and now 12.5 st, which I've not been since my 20s.. Am aiming for 12st by summer.

Dazzler21

How's everyone else doing, I've hit a wall... Cant get below 11st 10lbs.

Can't go running at the moment and back doing weights, I can't wait to be back running. I'm currently learning how to run fore foot first instead of heel first which is a challenge but apparently has 60% less chance of shin splints.

LenGlover

How's everyone else doing, I've hit a wall... Cant get below 11st 10lbs.

Can't go running at the moment and back doing weights, I can't wait to be back running. I'm currently learning how to run fore foot first instead of heel first which is a challenge but apparently has 60% less chance of shin splints.

Could it be that your "wall" is actually your optimum weight if you are both exercising and eating and drinking sensibly?

Unless you are very short and small framed 11st 10lbs doesn't sound excessive to me.

Dazzler21

If you're interested there's an excellent running plan to go up to 5K/3miles - it's C25K. Looking at your run distance, you could probably skip half of it as well. I've been doing it to get back in shape somewhat, not to lose weight mind - just to be a bit more active!

There's also a brilliant website, "fitocracy", it's invite only but awesome for a bit of motivation. I think every member has 10 invites, I can't remember - but I know I havent used any of mine..

LOL Got up to 10k before the splints was really enjoying it. any chance of an invite @LuckyReds?

RodneyCharltonTrotta

How's everyone else doing, I've hit a wall... Cant get below 11st 10lbs.

.

To lose fat (which i presume is what you mean rather than weight) you need to expend more calories than you consume.

Short term diets wont work either as youll drop loads in the early stages but your body goes into starvation mode and learns to store food for longer therefore when you start eating normally again you will put on more fat than before.

Michael Phelps can get away with eating silly amount of crap food because he burns off a shed load of calories on a daily basis (even though his alleged diet will not be good for his long term health).

Most people wont have a lifestyle that allows them to burn anywhere near enough calories to eat like a single 45 year old American couch potato and not gain fat especially if they dont have a manual job or arent smashing the gym/ running 6 times a week.

Youll get aerobically fitter and stronger running and doing weights but unless you eat a healthy diet too there is limits to the body fat you will lose.

JohnBoyUK

Keep going Dazzler.

On 01/01/2011, I was 17st. Today, I'm 14st 11lbs.

Like you, I like my food. I still stuff my face big time but have set myself targets throughout the last 18 months or so to keep me going.

I took up cycling. Covered over 4,000 miles last year. Have covered just under 1,700 miles this year in preparation for the London to Paris ride I'm doing 1st weekend of June but have started running again for the first time since I joined a few of the guys from here doing the Run to the Beat in 2008. Have only ran 10 times this year but have smashed my 5k and 10k PBs each time I've done out. I finally cracked the sub 30 min 5k today, 4 mins quicker than last week. Never done that before. Am really seeing the benefits of cross-training now. The running is helping me cycle quicker and the many miles I do on the bike is helping my running. Cant recommend cross-training enough.

I still eat like a horse though. Having said that, I've not had a beer since 28th December. Was originally only not drinking for the L2P training but come to the conclusion I no longer need it so may well not bother going back to it.

God help me but I'm seriously thinking about running another half marathon again now I'm enjoying the running again.

I'm lucky I've got a Garmin bike computer and running watch to but cant recommend the free Strava app available for either cycling or running. Strava has worked wonders for me, showing me where I'm improving time and time again.

Just remember, you get out what you put in.