How much weight do you think I'll lose?

[Jesse1725681523]

I am new to Karate. I started Kenpo not to long ago. I'm a "big guy". I'm 15.. Two main reasons I started Kenpo are to learn how to fight just in case I get into a fight, and to lose weight. How much weight do you think I will lose and how long do you think it will take? When my Dad was my age he started a sport (not sure which one) and my Mom sais his weight melted off of him. Same thing with my cousin, same age. Is there any tips you can give me to help me lose it faster? Any tips on how to eat? Certain workouts? All info is appreciated, thanks guys!

[Truestar]

Take each workout seriously, when you feel you want to quit: don't. Make sure to attend every class you should, and if you miss one make it up. either 2 days, or if you can 3 or 4 days a week is ideal.

Drink plenty of water all day, before, during and after. Stay away from gatorades and stuff like that. Water water water.

If you can, also get a good intake of protein after class. Look into protein bars or protein shakes, and if you can make sure to get this protein as soon as you can after class. If you have to, do it before.

Since I started taking Tae-Kwon-Do much more seriously I've lost a lot of fat and gained a lot of muscle in a matter of 6 months and less.

[Jesse1725681523]

Take each workout seriously, when you feel you want to quit: don't. Make sure to attend every class you should, and if you miss one make it up. either 2 days, or if you can 3 or 4 days a week is ideal.

Drink plenty of water all day, before, during and after. Stay away from gatorades and stuff like that. Water water water.

If you can, also get a good intake of protein after class. Look into protein bars or protein shakes, and if you can make sure to get this protein as soon as you can after class. If you have to, do it before.

Since I started taking Tae-Kwon-Do much more seriously I've lost a lot of fat and gained a lot of muscle in a matter of 6 months and less.

Thank you Truestar! I'll do that.

[Throwdown0850]

I am new to Karate. I started Kenpo not to long ago. I'm a "big guy". I'm 15.. Two main reasons I started Kenpo are to learn how to fight just in case I get into a fight, and to lose weight. How much weight do you think I will lose and how long do you think it will take? When my Dad was my age he started a sport (not sure which one) and my Mom sais his weight melted off of him. Same thing with my cousin, same age. Is there any tips you can give me to help me lose it faster? Any tips on how to eat? Certain workouts? All info is appreciated, thanks guys!

the how long and how much weight you lose is entirely up to you. with that said, as Truestar said, water, it will help keep you hydrated. as for workouts, hopefully there will be a lot of running in your workout. and you cant go wrong with crunches. lots and lots of them. eating, don't starve your self for one. low sodium, low fat foods, high protein just stuff like that.

[sperki]

Jesse, Welcome to karate and welcome to KarateForums.

To lend myself some credibility here I was a personal trainer for several years during college and continue to work as a cycling and running coach. Every body is going to respond at different rates depending on a host of factors from previous lifestyle to genetics. Depending on your current fitness, start off slow. It's easy to jump in, guns blazing, and get really, really sore, decide exercise kinda sucks, and go back to the Play Station 3 and potato chips. You'll probably be sore to start; you'll be working a lot of muscles that you haven't used much before. But you don't want to overdo it; make sure it's a level of exertion you can stick with and gradually build upon. Running and other cardiovascular exercises are great, but I would add some form of strength training. Increasing your lean muscle mass will raise your resting metabolism.

I'm not a registered dietitian so take this with a grain of salt (although it is based on research). Eat small, regular meals; not eating actually slows down your metabolism (your body thinks it's starving) drink lots of water and don't worry about protein too much (unless your vegetarian). You're better off eating real foods as opposed to meal-replacement bars or bizarre powder drinks. You'll absorb more of the nutrients if it's real food - your digestive system has spent a long time evolving to be able to extract multiple nutrients together.

And Jesse, I don't know what time you get up, but 4:00 am is WAY earlier than I made it out of bed as a 15 year old (that's still true). Keep in mind that your body actually recovers from workouts while you're sleeping, so make sure you get plenty of if.

Sorry if that was a bit long winded, fitness is a topic I'm pretty passionate about. Good luck and stick with it!

[TheHighlander]

I have dropped 13 lbs in the past 7 months.

I have been studying Shotokan for just under two years. Between when I started and last October, I had lost a few pounds and definitely felt more fit.

Then that October, I competed in a tournament and found myself winded pretty quickly. Since then, I began working hard to increase my wind and speed (interval cardio/weight training) for the next tournament(s). THAT'S when I saw the weight begin to melt off. There was a snowball effect - better conditioning helped me start to eat better which in turn improved my karate training. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I guess this is just a long-winded way of saying that going to the dojo once/twice a week will definitely help, but the work you do outside the dojo will transform you.

[bushido_man96]

Good advice from everyone here.

With that said, I don't think I can add too much more. One thing I would say is not to compare the experiences of others with what you hope to attain; it can lead to disappointment. Your body will react differently to exercise than others do, so you have to take that into account when beginning your training program. I especially agree with starting slow and building up.

Welcome to the Forums, as well.

[white owl]

Good advice from everyone here.

With that said, I don't think I can add too much more. One thing I would say is not to compare the experiences of others with what you hope to attain; it can lead to disappointment. Your body will react differently to exercise than others do, so you have to take that into account when beginning your training program. I especially agree with starting slow and building up.

Welcome to the Forums, as well.

I agree with bushido here. It really depends on the intensity of your workouts and what you eat. It also depends on how often you practice. you need at least 3 days a week and a good hour long class. and it would not hurt to practice at home for a half in hour to an hour on your off time. Good luck to you but remember not everyone is built the same it will take time and sweat. A lot of it.

[DWx]

To be honest I wouldn't worry so much about weighing less but being in better shape. Good diet, hydration and a decent amount of exercise will help shift the fat but more than likely you will gain muscle so don't be too obsessive about getting the scales to read less because you may find that the numbers aren't going down as fast as you'd like even though you are getting fitter and in better shape.

[Jesse1725681523]

Jesse, Welcome to karate and welcome to KarateForums.

To lend myself some credibility here I was a personal trainer for several years during college and continue to work as a cycling and running coach. Every body is going to respond at different rates depending on a host of factors from previous lifestyle to genetics. Depending on your current fitness, start off slow. It's easy to jump in, guns blazing, and get really, really sore, decide exercise kinda sucks, and go back to the Play Station 3 and potato chips. You'll probably be sore to start; you'll be working a lot of muscles that you haven't used much before. But you don't want to overdo it; make sure it's a level of exertion you can stick with and gradually build upon. Running and other cardiovascular exercises are great, but I would add some form of strength training. Increasing your lean muscle mass will raise your resting metabolism.

I'm not a registered dietitian so take this with a grain of salt (although it is based on research). Eat small, regular meals; not eating actually slows down your metabolism (your body thinks it's starving) drink lots of water and don't worry about protein too much (unless your vegetarian). You're better off eating real foods as opposed to meal-replacement bars or bizarre powder drinks. You'll absorb more of the nutrients if it's real food - your digestive system has spent a long time evolving to be able to extract multiple nutrients together.

And Jesse, I don't know what time you get up, but 4:00 am is WAY earlier than I made it out of bed as a 15 year old (that's still true). Keep in mind that your body actually recovers from workouts while you're sleeping, so make sure you get plenty of if.

Sorry if that was a bit long winded, fitness is a topic I'm pretty passionate about. Good luck and stick with it!

Thank you Sperki, that's excellent advice and I will definately be following it. And about the sore part, I'm already feeling it. First it was my abdominal area, now it's the back of my knees. My abdominal area isn't as sore anymore so I'm taking this as a good thing, but the back of my knees are extremely sore.. but I've already lost 4 pounds from just 3 classes. I'm blown away on how fast I lost a couple pounds already!