195 lbs! can i do this as well?

by shannon
(Vancouver, BC)

I am 26, 195 lbs, 5 ft 9, and all fat has accumulated around my waist

I have been running on a treadmill endlessly, all i eat is lean fish and chicken, lots of vegetables, healthy fats only, no sugar, only water, and lots of fiber . . . AND NO CHANGES AT ALL!

I always seem to confuse myself and discourage myself by thinking that each excersise has to be done PERFECT TO A TEA or it will not work.

Please let me know if this scenario sounds right .. . hop on a spin bike, warm up for 5 mins, stretch, spin as hard as I (at my hardest) possibly can for 30 seconds, and come back down to a very slow spin for 90 seconds, then back up again as hard as I can REPEAT THE 30 SECONDS 8 times? does that sound ok? because I can do that.

Please help this self discouraging person.

thanks



Answer: OK first off, i think you need to stop the self discouragement, its all really a matter of perspective. From my point of view you are in a great position: You are eating healthy and with that your body is getting the perfect nutrients it needs to power itself and make you healthy. You are already exercising and improving your cardiovascular system, blood flow and nervous system - so from where i am sitting you are probably already in the top 5% of the world with regards to healthy habits, so well done!

You can read this article here on giving yourself a pat on the back occasionally.

Ok, now lets get back to the workout. You have it perfectly correct except i would start with what my body could cope with. Eight sprints may be too many.. Most people underestimate how tough even the beginning of this it. If you feel a little shell shocked after even two or three sprints, don't stress, its perfectly normal. Just give yourself extra time to recover. In fact for for most people i let them recover with whatever time they need and build up to 6 intervals of 90 seconds. Be kind to your body and it will recprocate by slowly adapting and improving.

If you do this for three to four weeks with no change in weight, then i would suggest you read through this article on weight loss plateau and check that you are doing everything.

One final note, probably the most important thing - I know this is hard, but if you end up hating it you won't finish it. Instead find ways to enjoy it. Challenge yourself with it, make it an adventure, set very small mini goals for yourself, find exercises you enjoy doing. I hate getting up in the morning to go to gym, but when i get there, i love it, i get 40 minutes to myself, its probably the best 40 minutes of my day, and its a perfect start to the rest of it.

Good luck and have fun with this
Greg