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Sugar how i will miss thee

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JO420 polycounter lvl 18
Dont know how many of you guys work out or diet to be and look healthy.

I just recently began working out and eating well but now comes the biggest test for me,quitting sugar, ive done many things in my life which could have addictive qualities but the only real thing that i have been addicted to is sugar and now i have to quit it. This seems like the best opportunity ive ever had to slim down and i guess not look like the typical look of a game developer aka fat or unhealthy looking.

So who else fights this image and what do you do cause im looking for suggestions.

So far my daily regiment is 4 miles of biking two and from work,1 and a half hours of gym,mostly cardio and healthy eating.

So far when i arrived in Holland i was 328 and i am currently down 317 in a months time with this routine butthankfully being 6'4 it doesnt look as bad as it would if i was shorter.


one thing i notice living here is how bad for your health living in the states can be.

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  • poopinmymouth
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    poopinmymouth polycounter lvl 19
    Living in the states is only as bad for your health as you make it. I live in the states, in a major city, and I'm just as able to bicycle to work. There are probably more gyms in my city (LA) and more closer to my house, just because of the sheer size of it. I have access to any type of food I want, and can eat as healthily as I desire.

    Sure if you were to say the average american lifestyle is bad for you, I can agree to that. But it's not like it's impossible to eat healthily and exercise here. It comes down to most Americans being lazy. I'm 6'3" 185, and I don't really fit into the typical game physique just because I don't sit on my butt all day and drive a car to and from work, and I eat healthily.
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    Poop come now, you had the availability and option to live near your work. Others are not so fortunate.

    Lazy is a catch all phrase when one doesnt want to be challenged with listening to others stories. Oh Im sure there are people who just eat. But there are others who also who cannot find the time or energy to put into healthness or education on how to be.

    Anyhow JO420, sounds like you are on the right track. There are natural sugar alternatives you can investigate. Like honey or fruit juices. But it sounds like at this point you need to cut your carbohydrates down?

    (Also if your cat is you smoking, that would help you out also)
  • JO420
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    JO420 polycounter lvl 18
    Well the problem i had back home was distance, i had to wake up at 5am to make it to my job by 8am,there was no bus which went to my job so walking to the bus or to work were both not an option. 60 mile drive daily Houston pretty much had no public transpotation system reliable to the point which i could use it and conserve that energy

    here living a pedestrian life is quite possible and more convinient.

    time and energy have alot to do with it but also in terms of portions and how food is prepared there are dramtic differences in europe and the states and availability is also much different.

    and yes poop eating healthy in the states is not impossible but its way easier to do it here, for example every single tuesday in the part of town i live in the whole area is shut off and vendors sell all types of things like fresh fruits,veggies,fish,meats cheeses. It may be me but it feels easier to live a healthier life here,there junk food and fast food but no in numbers like in the states.


    and the gyms here rock as well, for 31 euros a month i get access to the gym everyday,personal trainers who help without extra charges, a nutrionist,weights,cardio,boxing training area complete with a full ring,use of the boxing equipment,free boxing and areobic classes,saunas and even tanning beds.


    oh yeah all the hot women here serves as motivation as well,i wonder when they deported all the fat chicks because ive seen 1 really out of shape woman but it was in amsterdam so she could have been american



    EDIT:Oh yeah in terms of distance the gym i go to now is 10 minutes from work walking and 15 from the train station
  • Toomas
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    Toomas polycounter lvl 18
    Be warned sugar free sweet stuff causes impotense!
    Atleast thats what some research claimed.
  • Joshua Stubbles
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    Joshua Stubbles polycounter lvl 19
    American's aren't lazy people, we work too damn hard. That's the problem. European companies, on average, give their employees 3-4x more vacation time than American companies do. While we're stuck in our chairs for 12+ hours a day, 5+ days a week, euro employees have enough spare time to have fun and work out. Hell, I'd forgo some cash for more vacation time smile.gif

    J0420, you don't need to cut out sugar. In fact, it would be damn hard for you to do so. Pretty much every product has some amount of sugar in it. Even fruits and vegetables have high levels of natural sugars in them. It wouldn't be good to deny yourself a tastey bit of life, just because of 'image'. It's about moderation. Don't go eat a cup of sugar in one sitting. smile.gif
  • Mark Dygert
    Try quitting wheat, gluton, barley, beef and pork. I also cut back on sugar (no soda) because it is pretty bad for you. I found out about 4 months ago I have alergies to all of the above. I feel MUCH better after cutting all that out of my diet. Also a bunch of wierd undiagnosed illnesses that would come and go for no reason went away and have stayed away. I'm not so alergic to most of it that I can't sit down and have meal full of whatever. But I have to keep in mind that having some of it will make for an almost sleepless night while my body tries to digest it. I lost about 20lbs in those 4 months and my Dr is still after me to put on a few lbs of muscle. Which is hard to do when I am not getting a lot of protien...

    It was pretty easy for me to cut it all out completely at first since I felt better right away. I think anyone could benifit from cutting fast food out of thier life. When I switched over to this diet my wife was kind of forced to not eat fast food by proxy. The results where really good for her, she feels better and has more energy.
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    I like sugar that comes from sugar cane and beets and other fruits and vegetables. I don't like high fructose "sugar" that's genetically engineered with enzymes from corn, or any other processed foods, or substitutes. You're body needs real sugar in moderation. US soft drinks don't include natural sugar anymore. Mexican soda does, and man does it taste so much better.

    Things I'd rather avoid:
    artificial colors
    artificial flavors
    high fructose corn syrup
    aspartame
    benzoates
    acesulfame potassium
    phosphoric acid
    brominated vegetable oil
    hydrogenated oil
    partially hydrogenated oil
    any oil that isn't olive or coconut
    any thing else that reads like a prescription drug
    fast foods

    My suggestion is read labels. If you don't know what it is, or what it does. Don't eat it. Shop organics.
  • Daz
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    Daz polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    J0420, you don't need to cut out sugar.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Yes, you DO need to cut out sugar If you want to lose weight, or at least seriously cut down or stick to the good sugars. Most of us intake a) far too much and b) much more than we realise ). Javier, I can wholeheartedly recommend http://www.southbeachdiet.com/index3.asp and no, it's nothing to do with nonsense fad diets like Atkins. Alongside my workouts, I've gone from 177 to 173 pounds in a week. When you understand the science behind it, it totally makes sense and it totally works. I was addicted to sugar without even realising it and never thought there was much sugar in my diet. I work out like a man possessed and was getting results, but still had an overall higher body fat percentage than I wanted. Read this book If you're having trouble losing weight. Agreed with Elysium. Avoid anything processed really. White flours, anything that's partially hydrogenated. Any of that crap. Organic is the way.

    Oxy, I live 30 miles away from where I work and am as fit as a fiddle. What's commute got to do with anything?! Poop could just as easily drive to work like most everyone else around him does but he chooses not to. That's just another lame excuse you can use as to why you're out of shape.
  • JO420
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    JO420 polycounter lvl 18
    Well if the diet my nutrionist gives me doesnt work ill try that one it basiclly is


    breakfast big breakfast,lots of toast whole wheat ,cheese lowfat,meats,jams and lowfat milk

    then from then on every 2 hours i must eat a light snack,fruits or vegtables

    lunch: wholewheat bread again,lowfat butter and more fruits

    then back to two hour intervals snacks

    and dinner i eat what i want and after 8pm i cant eat


    oh yes and green tea since it raises you metabolisim
  • Joshua Stubbles
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    Joshua Stubbles polycounter lvl 19
    There is no 'good' sugar, Daz. They all do the exact same thing, create carbs. If you don't burn them off, they convert to fat. Like I said in my post, it's about portion control, and your actiity level. Denying yourself from the occaisional indulgence is utterly stupid.
  • Irritant
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    Irritant polycounter lvl 18
    One word - Splenda - it's just a chlorinated sugar molecule. Tastes the same, but 0 calories.
  • Daz
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    Daz polycounter lvl 18
    Fructose, sugar found in fruit, is better than processed sugar that you'd put in coffee actually.

    Like I said in my post, cutting down on sugar will help you lose weight. Occasional indulgence is another matter, and not something I even mentioned.
  • Cubik
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    Cubik polycounter lvl 18
    I do think that Atkins work, however, that eating the ridiculos amount of fat the diet allows don't. Stick to the proteins and lose the sugar. I lost 17 pounds in a month, starting with a two weeks Atkins diet (which is the maximum recommended time when you try the diet for the time according to the Swedish health ministrary).
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    Oxy, I live 30 miles away from where I work and am as fit as a fiddle.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Yea, and you also live in a very urban area with lots of health options around you and the money to spend for a better diet. You have the educational opportunities to realize how things work. (BTW Im in good condition also, so Im not trying to defend because Im so overweight junky)

    What Im saying is we can use our own situation as proof one way or another. Each persons circumstances are different. Without knowing those circumstances its ignorant to claim laziness... to a point (me shudders as remembers Mojos FAT chick porn link [think BEYOND Fat]).
  • Daz
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    Daz polycounter lvl 18
    I can accept that it costs more to shop in Trader Joe's over Safeway perhaps, but geography? Nah, I don't see how geography has anything to do with personal physical fitness sorry. Of course each persons circumstances are different! We could all find an excuse to be fat. I could quite easily use my long working hours as an excuse but I don't because no matter how busy I get at work, I don't let it jeapordise fitness. And as for suggesting that because Im educated I have access to info about health and nutrition, Im not sure I buy that argument either anymore. Anyone who in this day and age eats mcDonalds every day and doesn't exercise and can't understand that that's the reason they're obese, well, frankly they deserve to be obese If they're really that stupid. I think laziness is a pretty common reason for obesity so call me ignorant smile.gif
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    There is a difference between stupidity and ignorance. Stupidity is when faced with the knowledge, you continue the same thing without even thinking about.

    k love u, by by pretty lady.
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    The best diet you can have is to just eat a few peices of lettuce for lunch and dinner, skip breakfast, a glass of water with lemon, and jog 4 miles a day. Or just do crack. You lose more weight that way. After all, there's no difference in weight loss programs, and healthy eating. */sarcasm*

    Cutting down on natural sugar to safe moderate levels will help you cut lots of things. Like risk of cancer. Problem is, today most foods include processed sugars, which often have worse side effects, and are given in larger amounts than should normally be taken. HFCS is an epidemic in America. So avoiding large quantities of sugar, fat, or carbs, means avoiding most foods. Which leads to these bullshit diet fads. Eat natural organics, and stay active. If high fructose corn syrups is the 1st or 2nd main ingredient, put it back.

    edit: anyone who claims eating an apple is risky, where as a dish of steak and potatoes is encouraged, has to be mentally impaired.
  • Ryno
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    Ryno polycounter lvl 18
    Increase your activity, decrease your consumption. It is pretty darn simple.

    I've been trying to lose some weight and get back in shape for the last 2 months, and have had great success. I cut down on "empty" snacks, decreased portion sizes, began running stairs 2x per week, one distance run, and about 10 hours boxing/martial arts a week.

    My starting weight was 235, currently 217, goal is 208 at which point I will once again look like an athlete.

    The reason why I gained so much weight was due to the computer job (duh) in conjunction with the fact that I still ate like the high school athlete that I used to be. Not too surprising that I packed on a few pounds.

    Now, a word on Atkins, which I tried for awhile. If you are sedentary, and plan on staying that way, Atkins may work OK for you. If you plan on doing intense exercise in conjunction with dietary changes, Atkins is a horrible program. You need some carbs to burn during exercise. When I was trying Atkins, I would bonk out after 15 minutes of exercise, even though my body was fully capable of doing much more. I simply had no sustained energy, and would get horribly fatigued, which puts you at higher risk for injury if you try to push through it. Bad. Just bad. I was much better off just decreasing my portion sizes, trying to be a bit healthier with what I was eating, and increasing my exercise level. Plus, this is a much easier program to stick with rather than trying to stick to some bizarre dietary restrictions.
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 19
    JO420: with that much daily exercise I don't really think you'll need to change your diet that drastically. If you drink soda, stop, it's just a sugar slurry you're drinking, I've kind of fallen off the wagon with excercise and diet but I haven't gained any weight back because I don't consume the massive amounts of soda I used to.
  • Mongrelman
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    Mongrelman polycounter lvl 18
    What I did when I was dieting was park my exercise bike infront of my computer then play a game I could use a gamepad on as I cycled (it was Final Fantasy 8 at the time). It takes your mind off the cycling and sometimes there are the "I'll just do this little bit before I stop" moments, that can keep happening, so you end up cycling more than you intended smile.gif
  • Bradfordart
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    Bradfordart polycounter lvl 18
    It seems like the best diet one can have is the same diet we had before agriculture came about (processed foods). So that would be plants and animals strictly. It seems to make sence.. plants for your carbs and nurtrition, animals for fat and protein.
  • motives
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    motives polycounter lvl 18
    Kinda interesting.. JO claims its easier to live healthy in europe than in the states and gets a bunch of replies that's not the fact. In that case, why is it that "everyone" is fattening up to the point of beein obese in the US? If its not due to cultural/ geographic influences then what? People are just more stupid over sea? Beats me...

    Anyways.. You seem to be on the right track JO. Beeing aware of what you eat and gettin that daily exercise is really all you need. Its common sense really. Try think what the human body was originally meant to eat. Meat, fruits, vegetables nuts, berrys etc etc And work your way from there.

    My only tip in the beginning is to not overdo it from the start so you loose motivation after a short while. Also gettin someone to work out with is a real good trick to stay at it.. Gl with the training man, maybe a before and after picture this christmas? (nude ofcourse smile.gif)

    oh and Cubik. 17 pounds in a month? isnt that like 8 kg's? you were able to keep that weight afterwards?
  • Mongrelman
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    Mongrelman polycounter lvl 18
    I'd have to disagree with Atkins being a nonsense fad diet. When I was on it I went from about 82kg to 75kg in about a month. Then I went back to uni and didn't eat particularly healthily and it took about a year to get back up to about 80. I went on atkins again and am down to about 75 once again. Currently trying to stick to it better to shunt more off.
    I never had a problem with sustained energy, I was doing about 30 minutes on the exercise bike a day and still felt fine.

    I guess some diets just work better for some people than others.
  • Ryno
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    Ryno polycounter lvl 18
    Atkins definitely can work. It just isn't for me.

    Personally, I don't consider cycling "intense" exercise, unless you are racing or going at about that intensity level.

    I had really severe fatigue issues when trying to do exercise on Atkins. My exercise program is probably a bit more strenuous than most people on this board are used to, however. 3-7 mile runs, weights, stair running, 1.5 hour bike commute round trip, boxing or full contact stick fighting 5-7 rounds, 4 hours wrestling/Ju-Jutsu, miscellaneous shadow boxing, rope jumping, etc.

    When on Atkins, I was fine doing weights and a bit of cycling. Whenever I needed a lot of energy for the more rigorous phases of my workout, I came up seriously lacking. I would bonk out, and couldn't finish the exercise. This becomes really obvious when you are working out with a training partner of similar abilities. If I was running, I'd get smoked. If boxing, stickfighting, or wrestling, I'd gas out.

    At first, I thought that I was just having bad workout days. But I quickly figured out that for me, zero carbs = poor athletic performance. I began experimenting with more carbs on high intensity workout days, and the improvement in my performance was consistently better.

    For me, it is just easier to watch what I eat a bit, and exercise more. And I definitely need carbs to exercise.
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    Someone once told me the Atkins diet is ideal for short pudgy women. You know, the kind watching Oprah and eating bonbons.
  • flachdrache
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    flachdrache polycounter lvl 18
    If you have to quit sugar quit salt too. Salt, sugar, milk products and meat - it`s just in every kind of food.

    Imo is hard work and staying hungry the only way to go.
    If you think you dont have the energy to do hard training
    than you are just not quit there. After a week or so the adrenalin does its job. smile.gif

    In my case i need more diffinition, muscles are fine but overall iam a walking watertank.
    Six pack is next but i just cant stand any rice with boild chicken anymore.

    Even w/o sugar your still pale white, with glasses and long hair. You nerd tongue.gif.
  • Daz
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    Daz polycounter lvl 18
    Yes, Atkins certainly works. I've tried it. You can easily lose weight on Atkins. The slight side effect is that you then die.
    Atkins works, it's just downright fucking dangerous longterm.
  • KeyserSoze
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    KeyserSoze polycounter lvl 18
    Yes, Atkins works for weight loss... so do tapeworms.
  • Mark Dygert
    [ QUOTE ]
    What I did when I was dieting was park my exercise bike infront of my computer then play a game I could use a gamepad on as I cycled (it was Final Fantasy 8 at the time). It takes your mind off the cycling and sometimes there are the "I'll just do this little bit before I stop" moments, that can keep happening, so you end up cycling more than you intended smile.gif

    [/ QUOTE ]

    DS and or PSP work great when at the gym. Personally I like my PSP, because I can watch a movie, play a game, or just listen to music as I go. It takes some getting used to, running and playing so make sure you have the wrist strap on the first few times =P
  • Irritant
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    Irritant polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    Yes, Atkins works for weight loss... so do tapeworms.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    LOL smile.gif

    Truthfully, the best way to get in better shape and health is to combine both a healthy diet with exercise. Fad dieting alone is fine for some people, for short term, "getting started", but all you're really doing is creating a "skinny fat person", but like others have said, it won't work if you're trying to change your body by working out. You need a diet that will give you energy. The results may take longer, but in the end, you'll have a body that can consume 2500 calories per day all on it's own. Muscle burns calories in your sleep.
  • JO420
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    JO420 polycounter lvl 18
    irritant is right the best way to lose weight is to excercise,eat right and lose the weight over time.


    but so far my will power has held i guess,around the office i no longer snack on things like Dutch Chocolate or Chocomel(chocolate crack) now im snacking on strawberries,kiwi,grapes and nuts.



  • pogonip
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    pogonip polycounter lvl 18
    Maybe the Atkins does not work for everyone but I was on a strict atkins diet when I was 270 lbs at 5'10 . I lost 110 lbs in 6 months on that diet and using Trimspa and working out 5 days a week for an hour of heavy cardio and weight lifting . It was mostly the working out that did the trick but the diet and the pills really sped up the process . I went off the Atkins and I started to gain back weight so I just started working out a little more and I can maintain . That's the downside to Atkins ..you gain weight when you go back to eating carbs and sugar . I just eat 5-6 small meals a day and work out and I stay in shape .
  • Mongrelman
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    Mongrelman polycounter lvl 18
    I only tend to use atkins for fairly short periods of time, just to shunt off some weight.

    Anyway, I'm wanting to put on more muscle and lose more fat, does anyone know any good resources to look into on a good way to do this? I can't afford to join any gyms here and was hoping there are decent exercises I can do at home. Short of stuff like lifting weights (ie. dumbells which I could probably afford) I'm not sure what exercies would be best to do.

    Any tips? I wouldn't mind dropping off atkins again if need be.
  • TNSLB
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    TNSLB polycounter lvl 18
    Pushups are always good. I would totally recommend vinyasa flow yoga as well. For fast muscle work, I like the '8-minute' series, there's 4 DVD's, only the arms one uses weights. I bought mine off amazon for like 15$ for all 4 (they come 2 to a dvd...abs & arms, legs & butt)
  • Ryno
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    Ryno polycounter lvl 18
    Pushups, situps/crunches, pullups, no weight squats (lots), and jumprope.

    Buy yourself a 10 dollar jumprope. It is a great workout that you can do while watching TV. I do it a ton during winter months instead of running when it gets really nasty and rainy. Try going for a half hour straight, it's a real challenge.
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    I do it a ton during winter months instead of running when it gets really nasty and rainy.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Hoh hoh. Me real man. Me brave cold of seattle. Ryno weak man. Me crush him with rock. Hoh Hoh.
  • Ryno
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    Ryno polycounter lvl 18
    Yeah, yeah. I do actually run during light rain, but it really sucks when it is pitch black and dumping. So go ahead, call me a wuss. (and remember that I also enjoy full contact martial arts :P)
  • Daz
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    Daz polycounter lvl 18
    If I had a garage I would install a bag. Cos jump rope and a bag workout rule for fat burning. There aint nothing like it. This guy is awesome and I finally figured out how to do the crossover woohoo!

    http://www.warriorforce.com/jumprope.wmv
  • Mongrelman
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    Mongrelman polycounter lvl 18
    Cheers.

    Pushups, crunches and squats should be fine, I'll see if I can get one of those pullup bars to stick in my doorway. I don't really have room to use a jumprope though frown.gif (student in a small room in a small house).
    But twice a week I do martial arts (sieken do) so the grappling should be enough exercise to make up for that hehe. I'll look into the vinyasa yoga. Thanks again.
  • Daz
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    Daz polycounter lvl 18
    hey ya know Lupus those fitness balls are really damn good for exercising in limited space. You can do an amazing range of stuff with them

    http://www.muscletech.com/TRAINING/SWISS_BALL/Swiss_Ball.shtml
  • Ryno
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    Ryno polycounter lvl 18
    Martial arts? Well then, be sure and do some shadow boxing too!

    Daz, I agree. Heavy bag workouts are the best. I've got one hung in my garage, and it is great, even if my wife complains that it sounds like I'm going to knock the house down.
  • Mongrelman
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    Mongrelman polycounter lvl 18
    Been meaning to try some shadow boxing but my memory is like a.....thing.

    I've seen those ball things before, I'd just thought you could do the same exercises without the ball, I'll look into it more smile.gif

    Anyone done any chi kung? I've been doing zhan zhuang (though stopped over the summer when I was working). I feel good after doing it, I have more energy. Do you think it would be better to do that before or after exercise, be that pushups etc. or swiss ball stuff? I was thinking after, but I'm obviously no expert.

    I'd recommend zhan zhuang, it sounds odd but you do feel good afterwards and can do it even when watching tv.
  • JO420
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    JO420 polycounter lvl 18
    Well its been close to a month now since i joined the gym and like 2 weeks since i began my diet, i began the month at 150 kilos which is 328,today im down to 140 kilos which is 310lbs, 18lbs lost in less than a month.yay
  • TomDunne
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    TomDunne polycounter lvl 18
    I don't mean this at all to be discouraging, JO, but most people experience tremendous scale weight loss numbers in their first few weeks of any planned lower-calorie diet that can be somewhat misleading. In general, about half of what the scale says you've dropped is fat and the rest is water weight. When you're eating a 'typical' diet (which in America includes an excess of salt and simple carbs and not enough H20), your body will retain extra water. Once a proper dietary balance is created and you start getting enough water, your body will stop holding on to the surplus. For people with a lot of fat, there's also likely a lot of water to be lost as well. Even at over 300lbs, I'd say that you really shouldn't be losing more than 2.5-3lbs of fat a week without jeopardizing your muscle, and that's not a good thing. How many calories are you consuming in a day?
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