Diets

WillPS · Mon 07 Jan, 2013 04.46

So I need to diet. It's a New Years resolution and that.

I'm trying to cut out snacks and I've also got the Hairy Biker's Hairy Dieting thing. Some of it looks quite clever.

Is anybody else trying to do the same?

all new Phil · Mon 07 Jan, 2013 09.06

I've lost loads recently through a combination of eating lots of bacon and eggs, and doing lots of sit-ups. I'd recommend it!

WillPS · Mon 07 Jan, 2013 16.33

Sounds a bit Atkins'y - everyone I know who did Atkins lost a metric fucktonne of weight but have since put it all back on because basically you can't live your life like that.

Exercise is another issue for me. I had thought about doing the gym since I'm now on a salary - but I've so much in the way of student overdrafts which will need to be serviced this year that I'm worried about setting up another £25/month + tram fares. I *hate* running with every fibre of my being, outside moreso.

Going to try Kinect exercise type things and maybe dig out Wii Fit (which I know is rubbish as anything other than a warm up!).

lukey · Mon 07 Jan, 2013 17.02

Bit of a cliché I know but I don't really believe in diets. If you can cut down on crappy snacks and master portion control (sticking a ton of rice with everything being a bit of a weakness for me) it's not hard to eat decently without needing to obsess over the details. If you're willing to move about from time to time, that is...

WillPS wrote: Going to try Kinect exercise type things and maybe dig out Wii Fit (which I know is rubbish as anything other than a warm up!).

I can't vouch for all of them, but many are close to Wii Fit in terms of wankiness. The Nike one is worth a shot. It has - shock - some real workoutage, and is willing to shout at you if you cheat.

Jake · Mon 07 Jan, 2013 17.19

If anything I need to gain weight, but I am planning on starting running a few times a week, using one of those smartphone apps to help keep me motivated.

woah · Mon 07 Jan, 2013 18.22

WillPS wrote: Exercise is another issue for me. I had thought about doing the gym since I'm now on a salary - but I've so much in the way of student overdrafts which will need to be serviced this year that I'm worried about setting up another £25/month + tram fares. I *hate* running with every fibre of my being, outside moreso.

I feel your pain - I'm wanting to diet/exercise to lose a little weight (thought I'm not exactly fat!) but struggling to get myself motivated as I don't usually like exercise very much - though I'm tempted to go to a gym as the fact that I'm paying might motivate me to actually use it and the environment might help be focus on it a bit.

Seeing as you live in Sheffield like me you might want to consider what I'm considering - PureGym. They're opening one at Millhouses in February (conveniently near my work) and one at the Tesco on Savile Street in March near town (where in Tesco, I do not know!) and it's only £10.99 a month with a £15 joining fee if you sign up before they open - which I think is pretty cheap especially considering how much you can pay at other places!

They're not as fancy as some of the other gyms but still plenty nice enough with all the kit you'd want - and they're open 24/7 so you can pop in early in the morning/late at night if you want to avoid people whilst you nearly pass out on the treadmill.

By the way, if you're buying tram tickets, you can use the same ticket to get Stagecoach buses to both places, though the one at Tesco is only a 5-10 minute walk from Fitzalan Square tram stop.

WillPS · Mon 07 Jan, 2013 18.36

I'm in Norfolk Park (off Park Grange Road) so very close to the McDonalds roundabout Pure Gym that already exists. The £25 joining fee puts me off because if I can't find a time of day that works for me (without being stupidly busy as I've heard is often the case there) then it's cost me the best part of £50 to find out.

Ponds Forge is attractive since the membership is reasonable and includes swimming, but the issue is that I don't buy tram tickets more than once a week (I work from home mostly, part of the problem) so all those £1.50 singles would add up if I formed a regime out of it. Maybe in 6 months I could afford that, but not now.

lukey wrote:Bit of a cliché I know but I don't really believe in diets. If you can cut down on crappy snacks and master portion control (sticking a ton of rice with everything being a bit of a weakness for me) it's not hard to eat decently without needing to obsess over the details. If you're willing to move about from time to time, that is...

WillPS wrote: Going to try Kinect exercise type things and maybe dig out Wii Fit (which I know is rubbish as anything other than a warm up!).
I can't vouch for all of them, but many are close to Wii Fit in terms of wankiness. The Nike one is worth a shot. It has - shock - some real workoutage, and is willing to shout at you if you cheat.

I agree with what you say about diets, hence why I dislike Atkins-style stuff. The good thing about this Hairy Diet book is that it's not stuff you wouldn't want to do outside of a diet, and I think that's the key.

I appreciate the Kinect advice. The only part of Wii Fit where I felt 'the burn' was the hoola-hoop thing.

Dr Lobster* · Mon 07 Jan, 2013 22.15

I've put on a bit over the last couple of months and over Christmas - mainly due to eating out and beer. I've got about 1st to lose in total which wasn't as bad as I had dreaded.

Maybe we should have a group weigh in?

As far as weight loss goes, I always found exercise and cutting out the treats works for me.

I don't like anything that is "structured" so I just go for walks everyday. I walk about 3 miles a day, 6 days a week.

I use Endomondo to track my progress. Since August 2011 I have walked 888 miles and burned 84747 calories.

I love walking in woodland, exploring, I'm lucky to have it on my doorstep pretty much. But if you don't want to do the gym, get yourself some walking shoes and explore the public footpaths around you. Its free and you'll be amazed about places you discover.