Getting motivated with an exercise pattern?

DrJazzTap

I've piled on the pounds in the last few years. I know exactly what I've done, I know my diet isn't great and that I've done no exercise to counteract it. 
I need to reduce the amount of meat I eat and go back to eating more greens. 
I would guess that I possibly tip the scales at just over 18st now which is shocking (6ft, fairly broad shoulders, but I'm definitely carrying around something which belongs to Michelin).
I start my new job on Monday and I want to start walking or cycling to work. That's only a two mile journey. 
My behaviour is cyclical, i get pretty fit and then when the nights start to draw in I fall off the tracks (most likely sad related). That compounded with the mentality of "it's Christmas relax" I put on the weight I've lost in a few short months. 
I am going to get down to 15st again as that's a healthy weight for me. I know in work well to objectives and targets "cycle x thousand miles a year". I do miss going to kung fu as i miss kicking the shit out of a shield.

I've been drawn to strength training in the past. Nothing major but I'm tempted to buy a bench and weights set from my local Argos. I'm tempted to do a marathon next year, or a tough mudder event with my sister.  

I'm not sure what the point of this post is, I guess to share my experience or pick up tips for people in the same boat.

crunchman

Cycling to work will help, but 2 miles isn't really enough to make a big difference.  I know that from experience.  I used to cycle 8 miles, but now I cycle 2.

Maybe take the long way home two or three days a week, and do 6 miles instead of 2.  Should only take 25 minutes or so longer, but will make a difference.

I find I get hungrier when I do more exercise, so ultimately it is about the discipline of eating better.

octatonic

You will get a lot of competing ideas here but what tends to work is lifestyle change.

You can do high protein/low carb/fat or plant based (so low protein/fat, more carbs) but it is all about calorie restriction.
Or you could just eat less of what you do now and achieve the same results.

Some people like intermittent fasting, some prefer to cane it in the gym.

I'm a few months into eating a plant based diet, bordering on vegan and I'm feeling really good for it.
I also tend to not eat from about 10pm until midday the next day (so essentially a 14 hour fast).
 
I was previously a committed carnivore and somewhat surprised I've ended up here but for me it is motivated for health rather then weight loss.
Weight loss has occured but it is somewhat of a bonus, rather than a goal in itself.

The number one diet killer though is alcohol, because the body will preferentially use alcohol as a fuel source rather than carb/fat/protein when you consume it.

One idea that might resonate with you is doing more exercise makes you hungrier, and unless you have good control of that you can find yourself eating all the calories you r previously burned- and then some.
I am not saying you shouldn't exercise- you should.

I would look more at food quality- lean protein, lots of leafy greens and fewer carbs if doing a carnivore diet.
If a vegetarian then look at lentil, chickpeas with lots of green things, rather than going heavy on the bread, cheese or rice.
Processed food is usually more calorie dense- sticking to foods that are less processed is going to help you more.

roundthebend

Although cycling 2 miles isn't going to be a serious workout, it's an ideal starting point especially if you can push through the winter months. Get some basic waterproof kit, or if you can shower/change at work get that sorted.

The regularity of it will get your endorphins going, and you can use it as a foundation to build on. Sounds like you need to break out of the cyclic behaviour and into a continuous one.

I started about 10 years by cycling 1 mile to work. Changed jobs and it went to 3. Did that for about 8 years. When I started working in London I then cycled to the train station, and used Boris Bikes in London. I got so hooked on the cycling that I hate it whenever I can't ride to work.

A few years back I bought a decent road bike and frequently do 30+ miles on it as a hobby. I'm starting a new job and am contemplating the 20 mile cycle each way.

From that foundation I'm planning to do a triathlon next year and the training for it doesn't feel very daunting at all.

cj73

It's a good idea to use the commute as part of your exercise plan but, as crunchman alludes to above, you'll soon be doing a 2  mile cycle in 15 minutes (Unless you live on the side of a mountain!).

I'd look to walk that at first then build up to jogging / running.  Even a 2 mile walk to work then a 2 mile run home three times a week would be a great platform

crunchman

cj73 said:

It's a good idea to use the commute as part of your exercise plan but, as crunchman alludes to above, you'll soon be doing a 2  mile cycle in 15 minutes (Unless you live on the side of a mountain!).

I'd look to walk that at first then build up to jogging / running.  Even a 2 mile walk to work then a 2 mile run home three times a week would be a great platform

2 miles is around 12 to 14 minutes on a heavy bike with 38mm tyres unless I catch the level crossing on my route badly.  I might have to slow down marginally if it's really hot to avoid getting sweaty.

On my road bike it's maybe 2 minutes quicker for a similar effort level.  If I'm flat out on the road bike, I could do it in 8 minutes, but would get sweaty and need a shower afterwards. 

Snags

It's the old "eat less/better, exercise more" thing at the end of the day.  How you achieve it really depends on what works for you psychologically and practically.

Much as I hate them, some form of calorie counter/food tracking system (ideally paired to an exercise tracking one) is pretty effective for keeping you on the straight and narrow and dealing with the ScrewIt Fairy who suggests a choccie bar and takeaway because you're feeling pissed off and "just the once" etc.

crunchman

Snags said:

It's the old "eat less/better, exercise more" thing at the end of the day.  How you achieve it really depends on what works for you psychologically and practically.

Much as I hate them, some form of calorie counter/food tracking system (ideally paired to an exercise tracking one) is pretty effective for keeping you on the straight and narrow and dealing with the ScrewIt Fairy who suggests a choccie bar and takeaway because you're feeling pissed off and "just the once" etc.

My problem is that I lose a pound or two, so then use that as an excuse to eat too much (or drink some beer).  Beer really doesn't help.  I'm not a heavy drinker, but even one or two it seems to make a real difference.

Having said that, I am half a stone lighter than I was at the beginning of the year, so headed in the right direction.  Ideally, I need to lose another stone though.

Roysterdoyster

 For what its worth, Ive tried them all, "6 week physique" "12 week physique" personal trainers, and sure, they help get results. Im an up and down sort of guy...its either double cheeseburgers and shake.....or a tuna steak! But for me diet control is the defining factor, the exercise is the icing on the cake. But don't go mental on the diet as it just wont last. Having the right food available to hand when you are hungry is key as well. If theres a bag of Doritos available, youre going to eat them (well I am!) So make sure, even just at work, that you have healthy snacks available, nuts, bit of cooked chicken, fruit etc. Plus eat regularly. Breakfast/snack/lunch/snack/dinner/snack (or avoid the last one of possible). If you don't snack, youll be double hungry at meal times and end up eating loads more.

As for exercise, keep it short and intense. Burying yourself for say 3 x 30 secs sprints as hard as you can,(keep adding an extra one each time you do it)  is better than plodding around for 4/5miles in my experience, unless of course your aim is to get better at plodding around for 4/5 miles, in which case,plodding around for 4/5miles would be better that 3 x 30 secs sprints!

But be patient, stick with it, it takes a little time to feel the benefits. 

grungebob

I have a home gym.  Weights, punch bag, treadmill, rower etc. I used it’s a lot for about 15 months then started to get tired of it all. I took up jiu jitsu 5 months back and it’s spurred me on to spend more time in there again and to eat right. 
Find a sport or activity you enjoy and you’ll keep at it. 

Bygone_Tones

2 mile walk is a great exercise, and plenty for someone who is out of shape. There and back is 4 miles. Do that consistently every working day and the weight should come off. Cycling it will be too easy and not have anywhere near the same benefit.

Just have a pint of water in the morning, do the walk to work, then eat something when you get there to refuel.

Diet is the main thing for losing weight though. I try and stick to the Joe Wicks method, basically a high carb meal after exercise, and low carb meals the rest of the day. Get most of your calories from protein and healthy fats. It does work if you stick to it.  

Blaendulais

Take a unflattering selfie of your belly put it as the background to your PC and Phone.  Realise what your partner has to face !!! It worked for me

DrJazzTap

crunchman said:

cj73 said:

It's a good idea to use the commute as part of your exercise plan but, as crunchman alludes to above, you'll soon be doing a 2  mile cycle in 15 minutes (Unless you live on the side of a mountain!).

I'd look to walk that at first then build up to jogging / running.  Even a 2 mile walk to work then a 2 mile run home three times a week would be a great platform

2 miles is around 12 to 14 minutes on a heavy bike with 38mm tyres unless I catch the level crossing on my route badly.  I might have to slow down marginally if it's really hot to avoid getting sweaty.

On my road bike it's maybe 2 minutes quicker for a similar effort level.  If I'm flat out on the road bike, I could do it in 8 minutes, but would get sweaty and need a shower afterwards. 

I used to cycle to work at a previous job, and that was a 20 mile round trip. i know exactly what you're on about, I outfitted my bike with marathon plus tyres. That added some extra weight to the bike, but i'd rather that then fart around with a puncture in the rain. I changed jobs to one which was a 40 mile round trip, and that would have been too much. Although I did meet a guy in Halfords who commutes 37 miles a day and his journey time was 45 mins! I would take me at least an hour and a half.

Thank you to everyone who provided information, @grungebob I have thought about taking up some sort of martial art again. You're bang on, you need to find something that interests you. I know I am target driven. I am exploring getting into jogging or something.

Sporky

Motivation is a myth that people use to not do something they don't want to do. If you actually want to lose weight you'll do it.

Calorie counting is the only thing that works, though there are lots of ways of doing it. 

jonnyburgo

A good tip is to buy a decent juicer, cram loads of fruit and leafy greens in, bit of ginger and carrot. Like eating a massive plateful of raw fruit and veg without the hard work. 5 a day in one hit.

Sporky

Except that by excluding the pulp you're missing out on the most useful stuff. 

roundthebend

Sporky said:

Except that by excluding the pulp you're missing out on the most useful stuff. 

What can we do to get the pulp as well? I've seen people using the pulp in recipes so it isn't wasted.

Sporky

Just eat the fruit and veg? 

duotone

I’m a bit old-school so rather than having a load of ideas/targets & things that I ‘could do’ floating around in my head I like to get it down on a piece of paper, which may or may not work for you.

The first thing I did was start using a pair of scales & weighing myself once a week (on the same day/time) and writing that down, which gave me motivation gradually seeing my weight s.l.o.w.l.y decrease

stimpsonslostson

Lots of good advice already- changes of lifestyle rather that "diets".
Do something sustainable & enjoyable so it becomes habit. 
Commuting by foot/bike is a great idea. 

The Nike Training Club app is worth looking at too. It's a free personal training app- you can tell it what equipment you have available & your goals. It creates a plan & guides you through. MrsLostSon got visible results within a month of starting it. 

BigBearKris

Some good advice here above.

Every time a similar thread pops out I suggest power walks too. I am of a similar size and weight to yours (even heavier) and due to playing basketball in my youth I cannot run because of my knees and ankles. Well - I can run allright, but will have sore knees for next days to come, that eventually stops me from running on daily basis. 
Walks take longer, you cover shorter distance and takes longer to get your heart rate up - but I can do it for a solid hour everyday, and every cardio over 30mins will result in losing some weight and strengthening your core, better general health etc... You will probably eat better too, as the idea of power walking/running after having two pizzas the night before, worse performance and less energy will make you reflect on what you eat. At least it worked in my case. 
Truth is - you cannot eat bad and then expect that working out excessively will balance that out. Been there, done that... doesn't work. Better eating habits, cutting out (or reducing at least) processed food and sugar (it's in everything). Checking calorie and nutrition content when shopping is important and interesting at the same time. Also - drink plenty of water! I'm shocked how little some people drink. Good luck.