New user here

[Simonpi]

Hi all,

Just registered and am trawling my way through the website loads of interesting reads on here so probably be a long time till i need to ask anything just thought i'd say hi and introduce myself,

I'm 36 started off at 18st / 252pounds got myself down to just under 17st now so pleased with that result from eating better and a little light excercise.

So i am ready to step it up bought myself a marcy mp3500 multi gym got a road bike for some cardio and go running 5k on saturdays takes about 40 minutes got a speed ball on the wall in my home gym and planning on a running machine\bike in there too at some point.

Going to go through the forums and try and put together a workout and diet plan (need to read up on supplements too) but at the moment i need to lose belly fat as I carry most of my weight there.

Any recommendations or suggestions I am all ears i'd be glad of any pointers my ultimate goal is to transform this stereotypical english beerr bellied body I have had for the past xx years into something I can be proud of but for the moment my main concern is get rid of the belly fed up of being barrel shaped.

[repsandsets]

Hi. Well done on losing your first 14lb. Sounds like you're doing all the right things to make a start.

Diet is most important in these initial stages. You want to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is how much energy your body uses just to maintain itself. If you Google "BMR", you'll find various formula and calculators to help estimate this. You then factor in how much exercise you do - and from this get a multiplier, to work out your daily energy needs in calories. Naturally, the more exercise you do, the more calories you'll need.

General advice for safe weight loss is to aim to lose about 1lb per week. 1lb of body fat is the equivalent of 3,500 calories. So you need to create a calorie deficit of 500 per day. You can do this either through diet changes or exercise - but it's best to do a combination of both.

For your diet, you'll need to initially be monitoring your calorie intake carefully until you get a feel for it - then it gets easier. And watch the quality of what you're eating and the mix of energy foods (carbs/protein/fat). Since you're in the UK, I'd recommend the NHS website as a great source of science-based dietary advice.

With regards to exercise - you're proposing a combination of cardio and weight resistance, and this is ideal. If you can afford it, I'd consider getting a qualified personal trainer to work with you in hour home for at least a couple of sessions, to make sure you're using your equipment correctly and safely.

Congrats again on losing your first 14lb - you've already made a great start.