what is best to get into shape? fasting/ gym? excercise/ cycling/ running?

[schooling123]

I have got a membership to the gym but wanted to ask general advice what si best to get to shape? fasting/ gym? excercise/ cycling/ running? I work full time so would need to do some at home and some in the gym. Please advise

My friends who have got in shape are doing it with weights.

Do you want to lose weight or just tone up what you've got?
A mix of cardio and strength work will tone you up, it needs to be something you enjoy and that you can stick to.

depends what 'in shape' means for you.

Diet-wise, cut out as much sugar as you can, hidden or obvious, and eat veg, lean meat, pulses, and good quality dairy. Drink loads of water. Exercise-wise, combine weights like a body pump class twice a week with some cardio, twice a week.

Agree with acorn - to lose weight, cut out sugar, refined carbs (white pasta, white bread etc) and eat protein such as lean meat, fish, eggs with plenty of veg/salads. Eating fat won't make you fat, it will however keep you feeling full, so cheese, full fat greek yoghurt etc are fine to eat, just keep the sugar to a minimum.

I am loosely following the Harcombe diet which is essentially what I have just mentioned above, but also includes not mixing carbs and protein in the same meal. I have lost over half a stone in less than a month and I genuinely don't feel hungry... Also, the weight has come off my belly area - which has always been the place where it has lingered longest.

To lose weight and look good in clothes you need diet, not exercise. The advice that other posters have given about what to eat is very sound, the only thing I'd add is - if you have a track record of stop-starting diets - maybe join a slimming club as this can be a great way of creating the discipline/impetus to succeed.

To keep the weight off, and look good naked, you need to workout, prioritising weight-lifting or bodyweight exercises. I'd be cautious about going in for cardio in a big-way before you've adjusted your eating habits and the weight loss is well underway because it can increase your hunger in the short term.

Oh, and I desperately need to follow my own advice.

In addition to the advice above, I cut out all snacks and reduced my portion sizes.

Re. not combining protein and carbs in one meal, what does that look like in practice? A veggie rice salad at one meal, chicken and veggies the next? For example?

DeadGood yes essentially you can have, for example a piece of chicken or salmon or omelette with a huge salad or stir fry - you can even add say a creamy caeser dressing if you like, as long as no bread etc in sight. A carb meal might include brown rice or pasta with roasted veggies etc in a tomato sauce, but NO cheese or anything meaty.

It sounds complicated/a bit of a faff, but once you get into it, it really isn't. Eg I am making a lasagne this week, but have found an alternative way to make the bechamel without the flour and will be using courgettes thiny sliced and griddled instead of pasta sheets. Have even been having an indian takeaway once a week, but having cauliflower 'rice' instead of actual rice...

The fat content of the meat/protein keeps you feeling much more full and less likely to binge on crap, so I tend to have less carb meals.

Thank you! Does the non-carb mixing make a difference?

I mean I assume so otherwise people wouldn't do it, it just seems so 80s somehow!

Hiits, weights & good food

Cardio made me skinny but wobbly, weights I put on a stone and went down a dress size

Low carb diets have been around for years, If you read the Zoe Harcombe book, she explains (though a bit repetitively) much better than I can on a quick post on here. Essentially it's about training your body to use the calories from fat for fuel, rather than carbs. Carbs cause a spike in blood sugar and your body produces insulin. It is this spiking and dipping that is really not good for you and causes cravings too, and insulin is known as the fattening hormone. If you mix fats and carbs, your body will use the carbs for fuel, but any excess will be stored in your body, as fat.

I have been mainly eating non-carb meals (although I have cheated at times and haven't been hugely strict in terms of sauces etc) and the weight is dropping off. I have never lost weight so easily before and I don't have that much to lose which is often the hardest bit to shift.

Mixture of cardio, weights and something flexible ( yoga, pilates, dance).

Do i need to join a gym to learn how to do weights? I am slim (active job and healthy-ish diet) but would love to have super toned limbs. I swim twice a week, but its not enough i think.

Do all you weight users do it in the gym? Or at classes? Or home? Any tips greatly appreciated.

I'm not really into the whole low carb, cut food groups out/don't mix certain food groups.

I just eat lots of fruit and veg, cut my portion sizes to realistic ones, don't really snack. Drink a decent amount of water. I have treats 2-3 times a week. I run 3 times a week, do Pilates one day, kettle bells some days, Zumba and boogie bounce. I generally do something, even if it's a small amount of own body weight toning most days.

I am pretty slim and toned, I could probably be more so without the treats but I enjoy them.

Definitely need to learn Hollie, you can't just have a go you'll get hurt and you need to lift heavier than you think. I was squating with 12kgs at home he had me doing deadlifts with 40kg at the gym

diet and exercise. do a bit of everything. Run one day, cycle another, gym one day, a gym class another. Running is the best calorie burning wise but is high impact. Eating when hungry and eating protein plus lots of veg is a good way forward.

Thanks - i better get myself down the gym and see if i can sign up.. Hard work time! I'd love to feel a bit stronger too.

Jesus, 40kg?!

Thank you for the explanation CurlyLJ

I second weightlifting. See if your gym does Body Pump classes so you can be sure you're doing it correctly. I really enjoy them.

But I don't lift 40kg!

His explaination made sense I guess, I'd been fannying around with 10kg bars and 5kgs in each hand doing lunges but as he said, are you improving and are you seeing a difference, given the answer was no 40kgs which was not easy had to be done.

The bar is 20kgs so 10 each side if you look at it that way isn't outrageous