Advice wanted

[cleardm]

Hello there!

Just recently I've started 12 week weight loss plan (17 stone, 5'8+ feet), and I just completed week 1.

I'm doing well with calorie count and healthy dieting, however, moving to the week 2, I found out I have some difficulties with exercising.

I do not want to run what so ever, because I do not want to stick outside much, but I love swimming, so is it actually okay if instead of doing 150 minutes of Couch to 5K weekly, I will do 150 minutes of swimming?

If so, are there any suggestions for what kind of exercises I should do in the pool (except actually swimming, it's obvious)?

Also, I do not really get the strength exercise part on the chart.

What is this? What should I do? How long is "1 session"?

And finally, a need an advice.

I will be going for vocation for 2 weeks in 2 days to the completely different country to see my family, and I am not sure I will be able to keep it up with that 12-week plan there, so as I probably won't be able to go swimming for those two weeks, and I'll have to attend few birthdays, and even wedding, what means extra calories from drinks and food are just unavoidable, and even more then that, I probably won't be able to access internet either, to count calories and etc., so what should I do?

Would it be a better to just stop this diet plan for those 2 weeks and just keep it up with a more healthier diet and not going crazy over tasty rubbish food, and then just starting it all over from where I stopped when I come back?

Or does anyone has a better suggestion about this situation?

Anyway, thank you for going through all these question I got.

I will really appreciate your answers and suggestions : )

[tootsiepops]

Keep a food journal and write everything down that you eat/drink. Choose the healthiest choices where possible. You could buy a calorie count pocket book before you go. You could also try and do some walking and some indoor excercise while your on vacation. Being over your calorie allowance by a few hundred is better than being over by a few thousand and you can get properly back on track when you come back.

Have a great holiday and enjoy..

[cleardm in reply to tootsiepops]

Thank you, that sounds good to me : )

[Windswept1]

nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/... Lots of advice here on exercise you could do while away. Not sure where you got idea it had to be c25k, it just talks about a minimum of 150 mins aerobic & some strength sessions. Swimming is very good exercise.

I use a wee book called 'pocket calorie counter' to find out calories in food.

Lots of advice here too about eating out etc

nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/...

But it will be difficult to count calories if you are away so may be best to go for the healthier options at the various functions and be sensible about portion sizes. Good luck & enjoy holiday.

[cleardm in reply to Windswept1]

Thank you : 3

[mancbird]

Simply make healthy food choices. Fresh salad, fruit, veggies, fish, chicken etc. avoid foods coated in sauces and fried etc. also avoid cakes, sweets and chocolates. Surely you can fit a half hour walk into your daily holiday schedule. If you are near a beach walk on sand to add resistance. Swim in a pool. You could take a skipping rope and do 10 minutes skipping every day.

If you like the pool do aqua fit exercises such as boxing under water, star jumps, imaginary bike riding on a woggle. Water adds resistance so is a great way to exercise. Look some moves up on the internet. Don't find excuses. Be positive and stick with what you started!!!

[cleardm in reply to mancbird]

Oh, I actually didn't think about skipping... that's a great idea, thank you : )

[gingernut49]

Most people nowadays count calories using a free app called MyFitnessPal. You put in your details at the beginning and it tells you how many calories to eat each day but ignore the exercise calories if you want to lose weight, they're a bonus.

Re exercise indoors, there are some excellent YouTube videos by Leslie Sansone where you walk in front of your TV or computer. Here's a link to a two mile one youtu.be/0cE1jxDS3HY(Not working as expected?) which takes about half an hour but there are some that are only one mile as well, up to five miles. They're really good, and can be very gentle exercise.

As you lose weight you'll be able to exercise more. I used to have painful knees but they don't hurt at all now.

[cleardm in reply to gingernut49]

Thank you for the link : )

Nice to know your knees are better!

[GoogleMe]

Yes, it sounds as though you could do to re-read the exercise suggestions. Couch to 5K does not take 150 minutes a week, as even if you are able to run every other day (which would mean some weeks you are doing 4 sessions, other weeks 3), each session is about 30 minutes.

Is there a reason why you don't want to have the extra benefits of exercising outdoors - Vitamin D, psychological? You might be very, very surprised by the benefits of giving C25K a go, but if not, then there are very few people who would not be well advised to get outside and go for a walk. It is the kind of exercise that is less susceptible to all these interruptions such as your family visit.

Back home you could look up the Swimfit programme - there are specific sessions at some pools but also programmes you can do by yourself to increase the effectiveness of your session (and add some variety) My local pool has lots of laminated cards and you pick one to use.

I think you may have been looking at the chart which shows you how you can combine NHS C25K and Strength and Flexibility programmes. You could perhaps take the Strength and Flexibility podcasts away with you and make a start on those. That's more about improving your all round fitness rather than cardio/calorie burning.

One tip is to put notions of 'healthier' and 'tasty' together rather than one being instead of the other. Just because it is healthier doesn't mean it isn't tasty (often the un-tasty food isn't that healthy anyway eg mountains of iceberg lettuce)

[cleardm in reply to GoogleMe]

I know exercising outside is good for you, but I really don't feel like working out outside around people, I just get paranoid for some reason, and I know I won't be able to focus on training like that. And that's it, really, nothing else. . .

Swimfit sounds good to me, I'll check it out on return from holiday : )

[GoogleMe in reply to cleardm]

It's not really 'working out'

However, I reckon the majority of people who need to lose weight feel the same sensitivity, and it goes... but certainly I and many others did C25K by choosing times and places where we wouldn't be seen. I'm no longer bothered about being seen - but I still prefer to go at quiet times and have no interest in races or running with anyone else. Fortunately I can do that (I run with my dog and we often have a wood or a trail to ourselves)

[cleardm in reply to GoogleMe]

It's kind of easier to be active when you have a dog. . . but I'm allergic to dogs xD

[Reevespg]

Remember this is a guideline not set in stone. If you stick to the 1900 cals per day or 1600 for a woman you will lose weight but don't try to kid yourself by saying some stuff doesn't matter etc. Exercise will speed up the process as long as you don't eat any more as it will burn calories!!

I didn't do the running either as I have a knee issue but supplemented by cycling to work as much as I could which helped, but it was a bit tough in the winter. I can't see why you can't do the same with swimming.

The strength training is mean to help tone your muscles and stop your skin sagging from any weight loss. Do what you can as it will help. Again anything is good and you can be inventive, you can use your bodyweight too doing situps or pressups.

I had a gap for a holiday similar earlier in the year going back to Brazil for 4 weeks to see family and freinds. I stopped for that period and picked up again upon returning. I put 5kg back on in the period but subsequently lost it again.

I've done the programme twice now since January and have lost about 17kg in total. It is not easy and there is a lot of the time when you are feeling hungry, but over time your body adjusts and you can tolerate it better. Over the period of 12 weeks you tend to make lifestyle changes that hopefully stick. For example I'm now buying bulk friut and veg from wholesale fruit and veg market and brining to work for snacks and lunch about 7 pieces a day. I love it its tastier and healthier than sandwich or crisps and biscuits and each peice of fruit is on average 50 calories so over the day i've only had 350 calories which means I can have a big dinner which I like!!

Do what works for you but please stick to it and it will work. Add up your calories accurately though. It takes time at first but you quickly learn how much is in what you regularly eat!!

Good luck and use this forum to ask more questions or keep motivated!!

[cleardm in reply to Reevespg]

Good to know I can do exercise which suits me better : )

I'll try my best, thank you!

[bikergirl]

. Let your family know you are eating healthy and surely they wont throw temptation your way. If there are no healthy options available only eat small portions. If there is no pool or gym and you dont want to run then walking is good exercise like others have said. Takes very little time to burn a decent amount of calories and you can do it wherever you are. As for the parties. Have one drink then drink then move onto water instead. Have one nibble then no more. Its your life. You have the power to decide what you eat or don't. You can still have a good holiday without going over the top

[cleardm in reply to bikergirl]

My family already knows about my diet, however. . . it's just impossible to get away from grandparents without eating something they've cooked for you, and it's also pretty difficult to get away from birthday girl/boy without sharing a cake with them xD

But I'll try my best, by eating smaller portions and making better choices of food when I'm in charge of what I eat : )

Thank you for suggestions, I found them really helpful : )

[bikergirl in reply to cleardm]

I get the grandparent thing. They do like to feed us well dont they

[margrete in reply to bikergirl]

Some grandparents are battling with the same problem ourselves, so don't tar us all with the same brush!

[bikergirl in reply to margrete]

Not at all. Clear dm and i were discussing our grandparents. I certainly would not imply that every grandparent in the world would take pleasure in making sure their grand kids ate as much as they can. Sorry if that came across as every grandparent does. Apologise for any offence caused

[margrete in reply to bikergirl]

No offence taken. It reminds me of what my husband says about his Jewish grandma. She was so keen on feeding him up - 'eat, eat' she would say - that she would put more food on his plate while he was still eating. He used to get up and walk out.

We are still battling with weight even at our advanced age, and going out running is not an option. I wish it was! I'd have been laughed at if I'd gone running round the streets at the time when I really wanted to and was able to. Not any more. No one bats an eyelid. You see people out running all the time.

[Hidden]

I've had a couple of weeks a bit like a holiday going way over what I'm ment to on diet :1330kcals on my fitness pal I'm 17st 9lb so this should mean I lose 2lb a week. I've been careful when I can but feeling sorry for myself so indulged too much on a few things (pizza, doughnuts, chocolate, pop etc.) for past couple of weeks & had hurt my ankle too so couldn't exercise as usual (hence self pity). Yet overall I have managed to stay the same weight. It looks like my calories have balanced out over the week basically as I didn't have as much as I would pre-diet. Did manage a couple of swims though which do burn mega calories. Hope this helps. You'll be naturally more careful & get back on full track when you get home. There are podcasts on the strength exercises or try YouTube & you can do them indoors x

[cleardm in reply to Hidden]

Good to know that, thank you : )

[Hidden]

I'm not keen on running either, but mainly because I'm a bit concerned about doing something to my knees. I'm doing a lot of walking instead, and find it is the only exercise and I can actually keep motivated to do day after day. If you're walking you don't even need to dress up in tracksuit etc, and can just where you're normal clothes, and then people around won;t even know you're exercising; they'll just think you're walking to the shops or whatever.

[cleardm in reply to Hidden]

Fair enough : )

[susan666]

Aqua fit is a great class