Furious5k

Erm..yeah, the options I stated very extremes and I really won't go for them, unless I get into some sport in which case I probably would have helluva lot of excercise. As for UK, I don't know, I haven't really seen all too many fat people around here. Most are either slim or a bit chubby. Although I am in UK for less then a year, I am originally from Latvia. As for chockolate bars and other sweets, I prefer to snack right after a meal, which makes me take in too many calories in a single meal. Like eating a pack of chockolate cookies (2.5k calories) right after a large meal. One train to large-belly town. Anyways, I have a question: At what rate do people get fat assuming they eat large amounts of calories, fat stuff (fries, chicken fingers etc.) and pretty much don't excercise at all? It just seems that gaining 10-15kg extra over about 4 years of sitting on my behind in front of a pc and eating all that crap should have had me fat sooner. Or is it just my subconcious making me think that I have a fast metabolism so I would feel happy that I will be able to eat more sweets when I drop weight? Also, aproximately how much calories is a large sized blueberry/double chock muffin?

I don't even own a microwave since i moved But yeah, I have started cooking and I have "arranged" to dump anything that is still left in my refrigirator of fries, chicken fingers and such to be replaced by vegetables, boiled chicken, fruits, juice and what not. However, you can't possibly be telling me that even after I loose weight and get a good figure that unless I put fingers down my throat after a desert, do helluva lot of excercise or have a damn fast metabolism that I won't be able to eat "real" sweets. Don't take my dreams away! I mean sure, I am likely to pick up better eating habbits on the way to a healthy body, it's an inevitable effect, but I will still want to slam a pizza in the oven, get coke, some chocolate and eat my behind off at least once a week. So how do people deal with that?

I was wondering if you had any tips on what things I could have as snacks (the normal ones, fruits aside) that would be decently low on calories (I don't like them low fat yogurts). I've been doing rather good, 4 days practice in a row (decided to take today off since somebody said I shouldn't do all days of the week and this is the most tiresome day of the week for me). I ate a decent meal, trying to stay in the calorie range which I did and I really wanted something sweet. I went down to a shop and picked up a small 150g 25% Reduced Fat Choc Chip Cookies. I won't lie, I did look at the calories first but I really wanted something for my "hard work". The thing is like 2000 calories per 100g..I do realize that having been eating these kinds of things every two or even every day I will need some time to get the craving away, but I really need some alternatives that aren't fruit for when I want to have a "cheat meal". I know for sure that I won't be able to do away with sweets completely. Now I know that I have reduced the calories I have been eating daily by a huge amount (because so far I've been over-eating a lot, in fact I am suprised that I got so little over weight over 6 or so years of somewhat passive and 3 years of extremely passive life and huge amounts of calorie intake. Although this may somehow be linked to the fact that before this I was very, very skinny [in a good way, not annorexic] and that might be lending or something. Honestly, I don't know). But I am rambling, as I was saying, even though I am reducing the amount of calories I take by at least 200%-300% (Yes, looking at how much a pack of cookies is, I could have easily been eating 6,0000 calories on some days) I need to stay below my calorie need to loose weight. So any alternatives, throw them my way. I'll try to drink more water, although I already consume large amounts of fluids, and since I dropped "Coke n' the gang", I drink tea (black) which is my second favorite drink. P.S. Thanks guys (and girls), I really appreciate your help!

er..i'm male. I ment the information I heard was about woman, so I added an extra 5% since..well I don't know why I assumed a man needs more. So tell me what i should have. I am dropping calory intake as much as I can BUT I am eating enough that I don't feel hungry. Although I believe that changing what I eat without taking any less calories in itself should give me a good boost, because I ate rather large amounts of bad stuff and sweets Previously I was eating lots of bad stuff and probably consuming around 3000-4000 calories a day, which is a lot more then I need.

I ran the BMR calculator, and I need around 2100 calories, which is good, since even if I eat 5 meals of 400, I am still taking 100 less, although I will try to aim for 1600, to loose 3500 a week. I also ran the body fat calculator, I am not completely sure on the info I input, it might be an inch off here and there, I got a 23.4% so including the room for error it would be safe to say I am at 25%, which I am guessing is pretty bad. What should it be? I don't recall where, but I heard about 8% being great (for a woman), so I am guessing I should have 10%-15% for a decent figure? P.S. yes, I meant squats, since I've never used any excercise terms in English, sit ups sounded like the right word. Oh well, now I know.

Wow, guys you're great! Thanks, you have set me on the right path, it's amazing how little I knew (not that I would have needed it, considering i was in good to great form untill i was 14 without any planned excercise). Last time I weighted myself must have been a year ago, so assuming my weigh has increased I am somewhere between 180 and 210 pounds. So if I need 2000 calories a day, and I want to loose weight I need to eat 4 times per 400-500 calories a day..Drats! I'm going to be starving untill summer (not that I intend to stop, I will simply find some form of extra excercise like swimming or martial arts that will mean I can eat a bit more). Oh well, I loath excercise, but there is just something about forcing yourself to do it that gives you a good fealing. Feel free to add whatever you wish to share, I am more then glad to accept any and all advice. P.S. what's with the sit-ups, I read that I am suppoused to not have my knees extend past my feet when I "sit" down and it's impossible, I always loose my balance and stand up in a way that trains no muscle what-so-ever.

The helps been great guys, i really appriciate you taking your time to educate me in the ways of a healthy body. A few more of questions: -How do you manage a 400 calory meals for your daily need of hot food (2 hot meals)?? I just can't figure out anything that fits into that, a decent glass of juice is 100-150 calories in itself and I drink with every meal. -Anyone nice enough to give me a small half hour routine of excercise sets to do (jogging really isn't my thing, BUT I will give it a try + I want something extra or for those days when there's a downpour). -Other then a calory limit, what nutrition in products that i consume should i be looking for and what avoiding (the ussual package has Protein, Carbohydrate, of which sugars is, Fat, of which saturates, Fibre, Sodium; Salt amounts written on it, here in England). P.S. I already started doing some excercise (working my way up, currently it's a 20min thing) and I'm trying to work out my diet, add vegetables (and generally stuff that I dislike )

Thanks, that's quite good advice. Though it would be great if anyone could go into more detail with the following two, because like I said I don't quite have the understanding of excercise [having never done anything structured, nor knowing these terms in english (my third language)] :

erm..thanks, but i was thinking a bit more aggresive approach then that. What I, myself, have figured out so far myself is to replace at least half of oven fried fries with rice and boiled potatos. Juice and spring water drinks in place of coke/sprite etc. More vegetables. Fish to replace at least half the chicken i eat. + some sort of excercise routine (15-30 minutes) before i shower every day. Also, could you please define "long walks" (should i get one of them step counters?)

First I would like to say hi to everyone who reads this, I just came to the forum and it looks like a really good source of trustworthy information. I am (just)18 years old and I am considering, among others things, starting to do martial arts in summer. I do not wish to start them right now due to the lack of time (college). These last two months are the hardest, with exams coming up and needing to do revision and such. However, I noticed that I have a habit of not doing things because of having extra weight, I have put down going to martial arts due to this reason before and I quit my break dance class for it aswell. For one thing, it is harder to do things when you aren't as fit as you might want to which makes it less fun and also there is the lack of confidence involved, which is a major factor for me as I often shy away from things. So I have decided to drop some of my weight before the end of June (which gives me roughly two and a half months). Now i realise this is not a lot of time and neither will i be going to gym due to, as I said, lack of time. Instead I wish to create a better diet for myself (I eat horrible amounts of sweets and fizzy drinks and generally stuff with loads of calories in it) and a light excercise every day(hopefully). I do believe this shouldn't be too hard as I am not looking to drop massive ammounts or even get into my best shape (that's where the whatever practise I choose in summer comes into play), rather I wish to drop 10-20 pounds (5-10kg) over the period of these 2,5 months. I would appriciate any help on a not-too-strict diet (bearing in mind I won't put sweets away completely) and an excercise that won't make it too much of a chore that I might give up. However you are probably better at telling me what I would need to do to achieve this. Thanks! P.S. I am not very good with diet and or excercise terms, so a brief description of anything you suggest instead of just the name would be appriciated even more.