34 And need some real help.

[Gismo72]

Hi my name is gary.
I am in real need of help. i am 14 stone and would like to turn all my fat into muscle.
Please could anyone give me some advice on where to start and what to do.
Ive been looking at gyms.
The only form of Exersize i do is ride my mountain bike 7 miles 5 days a week.
But need help with the top half of my body.
Please can anyone give mesome advice.

[GreenWave1]

The biking is a good start, if you are getting a workout from it. 5 miles isn't that far, unless you are doing a lot of hill climbing. You may want to stretch it out a little.

If weight is a problem, then the first thing you will want to look at is your diet. Do you get enough fruit and vegetables? Do you drink enough water? Do you take a multi vitamin? Cut back on junk food, fast food, and take out. Do it a little at a time, or you may not stick with it. Add a salad to your lunch, have a piece of fruit with breakfast. If you have a candy bar in the afternoon (I used to, every day), try switching to a piece of fruit. If you have to have a chocolate fix, then go to the grocery store and buy a bag of chocolate chips (preferably dark, less sugar). Put 20 in a bowl and eat them one at a time. You'll get the fix, some flavonoids, and you won't be any worse for wear.

Now as far as working out, again start slowly. Don't burn yourself out right away or you may not want to continue. This is a life style change. You don't need to do it all at once.

If you can afford to join a gym, then by all means, do so. You'll have access to all of the equipment you'll need. If you don't have the cash, then you can do some body weight excercises to get you going. Try this 3 times a week:
1. Pushups
2. Pullups
3. Chair dips (feet on one chair, hands on another, dip between them)
4. Squats (without weight)
If you want to add some ab work, leg raises and crunches don't require equipment.
If you want to work out at home with weights, you can get a great workout from an incline bench and a set of dumbells. You don't have to buy a whole set up front. Add the higher weights as you need them.

Good luck. You want to improve and you can do it. If you can make it through the first 6 months, you'll never look back.

[Nikonguy]

Welcome Gary!

Kevin has given you great advice. If you are unfamiliar with lifting weights starting with a gym can be a great source of information about exerecises and proper form. With summer almost here many US gyms offer introductory memberships with some time with a trainer but without a long term contract. It may be the same where you are.

Post a couple of days of your diet and details about your biking and you'll get some great info here.

[IronIc]

Hi Gary!

Awesome advice already given

There is a HUGE exercise/article database here that will help answer your questions.

If you want to lose bodyfat, you must adjust your diet. Again, Kevin Miller gave great advice on this subject. There is also a nutrition and fat loss forum here.

Good luck! The biking is awesome


~I

[Gismo72]

Hi
Thanks for all the advice.
I am going to try and start a new diet and cut down on all fat foods.
I have just been given a multi gym from a friend who does not use it anymore and i have been finding out about gyms in my area.
I found one that i really like so thinking about joining.
Anyway thanks for all the advice and lets hope everything goes my way.
Thanks again
Gary

[Daimozz]

adjust ur diet.......and aim for 6 meals.......small meals not 6 big meals.....increase ur cardio and get a resistance training program going on ur off days of ur cardio.......

[Ramon66]

Hi my name is gary.
I am in real need of help. i am 14 stone and would like to turn all my fat into muscle.
Please could anyone give me some advice on where to start and what to do.
Ive been looking at gyms.
The only form of Exersize i do is ride my mountain bike 7 miles 5 days a week.
But need help with the top half of my body.
Please can anyone give mesome advice.

I hate to be the one to say this but, you cannot turn fat into muscle its impossible.
you can however loose body fat and gain muscle. for this you should try to stay around 30min of cardio 4-5 day a week any more and adding muscle becomes a fight.
fat can be lost with a good low carb high protien diet. and you will have to lift wieght, heavy weights. light weights and body weight routines are good for tonning. but to realy develop muscle and grow, you need to lift 4 days a week preferebly and lift as heavy as possible with proper form.
good luck.

[enigma60]

I got this a few months ago form one of the other people on here (thanks again Chocolategirl). I have gone from 197lbs on March 11 to 179.5lbs as of 8am today
I eat 5-6 times a day and average around 2200 calories a day.

Just follow the advice. Calculate the calories you need and use FitDay to track EVERYTHING you eat. Treat it like a religion and it will work.

__________________________________________________
First off, you need to find your maintenance calories ? this is the number of calories you need to stay at your current weight.

Step 1. Find your BMR

Katch-McArdle formula (if you know your bodyfat %): BMR = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)

Harris Benedict (if you don?t): http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Step 2. Multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor. This will give you your maintenance calories. To lose, eat 15%-20% less.

Little or no exercise: 1.2
Light exercise/sports 1-3 days a week: 1.375
Moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days a week: 1.5
Hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week: 1.65
Extra active ? training 2x per day, extremely physical job etc. :1.8

Food Guidelines:

Eat every 2-3 hours -- this will result in 6-7 meals per day
Keep each meal roughly the same size
Eat lean protein, starchy or fibrous carbs and healthy fats at every meal (exceptions below)
Eat as close to nature as possible -- no processed foods, no sugar, no white flour
Get between 1 - 1.5 g protein per pound of body weight, evenly split across your meals
Get between .3 - .4 g fat per pound of bodyweight, evenly split across your meals (except post workout)
Fill in with complex carbs to reach your desired calorie level
Cluster starchy carbs at breakfast, preworkout and postworkout
Have whey protein shakes postworkout only
Make your last meal of the day protein + fat only
EAT YOUR VEGGIES
Supplement with multi-vitamin, multi-mineral and EFAs

Lean proteins: Boneless, skinless chicken or turkey; egg whites; tofu; protein powder; ostrich; buffalo; top round beef (aka London Broil); canned tuna; fish and shellfish (including fatty fish like salmon, catfish and mackerel); cottage cheese; yogurt

Starchy carbs: Oats; brown rice; quinoa; sweet potato; beans (kidney, black, pinto, northern, white, etc.); legumes (lentils); Ezekiel/sprouted bread; whole wheat pasta; whole grain bread (in moderation - very processed)

Fibrous carbs: Pretty much any vegetable, especially green ones. Broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, artichokes, escarole, kale, green beans, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, lettuces

Healthy fats: Seeds (esp. ground flax), extra virgin olive oil, salmon and other fatty fish, nuts and nut butters (walnuts and almonds are great), avocado

Fruits: Strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, apples, pears

Meal 1 - 7:30am - Whey protein shake, 1 bowl of oatmeal, 1 tbsp flaxseed oil
Meal 2 - 10:30am - 3 Whole Eggs, 1 cup of hash browns, 1 cup orange juice
Meal 3 - 1:30pm - 6 oz. chicken breast, 1/2 cup of brown rice
Meal 4 - 4:30pm - Meal replacement shake, 1 apple, handful of peanuts
Meal 5 - 7:00pm - 6oz. lean beef, 1/2 cup of brown rice, 1/2 cup green beans
Meal 6 - 10:00pm - Whey protein shake, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 tbsp. virgin olive oil