What to do next?

[bazzadigz C+]

Hello Folks,

4 years ago I weighed 22st and thanks to cycling (2stone) Weight Watchers (2stone) and cutting out the Beer (1stone) i'm now down to 17st. On a side note im 6ft.

As highlighted above the main reasons for my weight loss is cycling and healther eating. The problem now is I've seemed to hit the wall as i cant seem to get and fitter or lose anymore weight.

I regulary play football (an hour of 5-a-side on Tuesdays), cycle atleast twice a day (16miles round journey) and have recently (last week) joined Fitness First thanks to the BUPA free gym membership.

I've also been told that i'm suffering from Kyphosis of the thoracic spine which is causing Tietze's Syndrome. The long term solution being to build the muscle up my in my spine and upper body. My leg muscles buldge after a work out but my upper body still has "love handles" and "moobs (man boobs)".

Now i know the key for the upper body is the 2-3stone I still need to lose but i'm at a loss as to the best way to acheive this. I can stick to CV and try to lose 3 stone or mix the CV with weights and aim for a 2st loss. i've been told Skinless grilled chicken is good for muscle development as well as other protein based foods but wouldnt this add to my weight?

Has anybody here been in a similar position or can offer any advice on how to beat this wall? Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[walker]

Hello Bazza,

it appears that your body is now getting used to the reguime you are putting it through, thus the slow down of weight loss.
When your down the gym I would try and use the swiss ball a bit more to build up that extra core strength for your condition. I would ask a fitness instructor to show you how and why to do certain work outs and get the best out of them, no one here can do that unless they can physically go to the gym with you.

Try tackling other ways of shifting that weight, get on the rower for 1000 metres, try the cross trainer, I'd stay away from the treadmill as it could agitate the spinal area, putting you in a worse place than you are now.

get your instructor to show you and see if you can add back extensions, lat pull downs and bent over dumbell lifts to strengthen your back area, which will give you more comfort with your condition.
I would leave the ab crunches till you lose another 2 stone, they will only make you look fatter, and you have abs already, they don't burn fat.

try doing more milege on the bike, up it to 20 miles a day and work your way up.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Hi Bazza

I lost 8 kg on the GI diet. I was 98 kg, but still fit enough to cycle, dig the allotment etc. The weight wasn't going to go if I just carried on with what I was doing, so I had to change how I ate. Happy to talk more off board if you like, PM me.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Why not try running a couple of times a week. I can plug away on a bike all day and likewise I can spend hours in the gym, but whenever I go out running I always really feel it, especially in my core parts that don't get worked by crunches etc. It's free as well!!!

 

[Twenty Inch]

Why not try running a couple of times a week. I can plug away on a bike all day and likewise I can spend hours in the gym, but whenever I go out running I always really feel it, especially in my core parts that don't get worked by crunches etc. It's free as well!!!

Someone who weighs 17 stone and has spinal problems may well want to take specialist advice before running regularly.

 

[walker]

Someone who weighs 17 stone and has spinal problems may well want to take specialist advice before running regularly.

My thoughts exactly, I just didn't have the heart to tell him he was wrong

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Someone who weighs 17 stone and has spinal problems may well want to take specialist advice before running regularly.

Doesn't 5 a side involve running? I would have thought lifting weights in a gym were just as bad as running. Walker mentions back extensions, IME that would put more strain on a persons back than running. I've also found rowing machines hurt my back more than running does.

 

[domtyler]

I would recomend running too for burning the calories. There is nothing much to beat it, especially if you can run-commute once or twice a week, you will quite literally be able to see the waist line shrink as you watch.

On the downside though, running is very tough on the body and is not for everyone. You should get medical advice first and make sure that you are fitted for running shoes from a proper running shop. Also read up on running technique in order to avoid injury and remember to take it very easy to begin with and build up slowly.

Be prepared to admit defeat though once you have given it a good go, as I say, running is just not suited to everyone, but you never know it might just be what you have been looking for.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Some forms of kyphosis are degenerative. The OP is being advised to build up back muscle to compensate for loss of functionality in the vertebrae. The stresses involved in road-running shouldn't be undertaken lightly or without specialist advice in Bazza's case.

5-a-side involves short sprints on dead-flat surfaces, many quick changes of direction and lots of stress and strain on knees and ankles. Most of my footy-playing friends have done their knees in badly by now.

Road running involves uneven surfaces, constant adjustment by the legs to cope with the different terrain or differences in height, frequent repetitive impact, absorbed by the discs between the vertebrae as well as joints. The individual and cumulative forces involved can be tremendous, and very damaging. If you're a big bloke - even more so.

Dom's points about getting properly fitted, and being able to give up if necessary, are also very good.

 

[walker]

Doesn't 5 a side involve running? I would have thought lifting weights in a gym were just as bad as running. Walker mentions back extensions, IME that would put more strain on a persons back than running. I've also found rowing machines hurt my back more than running does.

you've been doing them wrong, consult your fitness instructor.

also the back extensions were to strengthen the back muscles (latimus dorsi) to make sure that the ribs are being pulled into their correct position

 

[Tynan]

I jacked in footy eventually after my knees and ankles got worse and worse

never liked running, cycling is superb for me, hard work without stress and strain

cycle harder/further is all, it's not a magic cure

 

[ASC1951]

Now i know the key for the upper body is the 2-3stone I still need to lose but i'm at a loss as to the best way to acheive this. I can stick to CV and try to lose 3 stone or mix the CV with weights and aim for a 2st loss. i've been told Skinless grilled chicken is good for muscle development as well as other protein based foods but wouldnt this add to my weight?

Once you are out of your teens or early 20s it's almost impossible to shift weight just by upping your exercise. It's a lot easier physically to do it by eating less. The trouble is, eating less is very difficult mentally for anyone who (like me, and probably you) has eaten a bit too much for year after year.

Eating habits often go back to childhood and are very hard to change, but that is where you should concentrate your efforts IME. 3 stone is going to take you the best part of a year to get rid of.

Don't pay too much attention to skinless chicken/tuna/pasta/fruit/magic this-or-that debates. Sure, getting half your calories from chips and meat isn't a good idea, but really all you need to do is to eat a varied and fresh diet but just eat less of it. Get used to being hungry before you eat and less than full at the end of a meal.

At its simplest - "Proper food. Not too much. Mainly plants".

 

[Twenty Inch]

ASC1951 is right. That's what the GI diet sets out to help people with, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

 

[bazzadigz C+]

Sorry for the delay in replying, i've move recently and dont have net connection yet, my work connection has also been off .

Thanks for some great advice. I've googled the GI diet and i've found a website called the-gi-diet. Looks like a great source of information and i'm going to give it a go. 8Kg? thats impressive! How long was this over?

I've started to use the cross trainer at the Gym, its a little annoying to get used to but im nearly there. I'ld love to be a runner but I find it really boring and prefer running after something . You may find it odd but playing football actually makes the Tietzes feel better, if I haven’t played for several weeks I really notice it.

My new plan for exercise is

Sunday - Short Jog with my brother (going to ask the docs first)
Monday - Cycle to work - Cycle home
Tuesday - Cycle to work > Play an hours 5-a-side > Cycle Home
Wednesday - Train to work > Go to Gym (warm up on Cross Trainer 30mins? Rowing Machine 10mins?, weights and swiss ball for 30mins?, cycle for a warm down?)
Thursday - Cycle to work > Cycle home
Friday - Train to work and go gym (allowing me to take a weeks worth of towels and clothes to work and home again)
Saturday - Rest

Does the above sound good? is there anything that anyone would change?

 

[Eat MY Dust]

I would have more than one day of rest per week. You don't want to end up resenting all of the exercise that you're doing, believe me, it happens.