How to get in shape?

[Kaitou]

I'm by no means fat, but I'm not slender or slim either. I haven't exercised in years, though thanks to genetics, I'm not overweight. I want to get in shape and get back to my skinny days, so I'm wondering if you have some suggestions?

Btw, if you look at me in real life, you'll think i'm skinny, but I'm not. Probably due to not doing exercise for some years, my calves and thighs are a bit...fat (no muscles or whatsoever). I miss my slim legs from the skinny days... :(

[J.T.]

It depends if you want toning or shaping. There are different exercises for different purposes. If you just want to slim and trim, you should do something arobic, something to keep your heart rate up for 20 to 30 minutes. Otherwise, it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

[Kaitou]

Hi J.T. I'm hoping to be as skinny as my old days, so I probably want to "slim and trim", as you say. I'm not very familiar with aerobic though. How do I start?

[Crumb]

Take in fewer calories; burn more. :)

[Kaitou]

Not easy as you say, lol. I eat yogurt, ice-cream a lot and sometimes fast food. But I also eat fruits, vegetable, and fish. Do they cancel each other out? :sashimi: :sushi: :fastfood:

I'm just too gluttonous. :blush3:

[Miisa]

Take in fewer calories; burn more. :)
I always believed in that logic until I tried it this summer, in a still-ongoing experiment. I all but stopped eating around mid-June, spend about 4 hours a week on the excercise bike and doing abs/weights, yet have only lost 2-3 Kg (4-6 pounds) in almost 2 months. I blame the heat, I haven't needed to use much energy to maintain my body temp.
The not eating has probably slowed my metabolism more than I'd like, and the excercising has replaced fat for heavier muscles.
It still sucks. :sadcheer:

[Johnny Pneumatic]

Take in fewer calories; burn more. :)
I always believed in that logic until I tried it this summer, in a still-ongoing experiment. I all but stopped eating around mid-June, spend about 4 hours a week on the excercise bike and doing abs/weights, yet have only lost 2-3 Kg (4-6 pounds) in almost 2 months. I blame the heat, I haven't needed to use much energy to maintain my body temp.
The not eating has probably slowed my metabolism more than I'd like, and the excercising has replaced fat for heavier muscles.
It still sucks. :sadcheer:

Not meaning to sound mean, but that's just dumb! You don't starve yourself when you're exercising. Your body goes into "starvation mode" and it takes longer to loose weight. Not to mention it's not healthy.
Well, what does it matter if you weigh more if you're slimmer and better looking? Gym teacher I had weighed over two hundred pounds. He wasn't fat, just had lots of muscles. Muscles use energy to run, blobs of fat cells *are* energy. You want to replace them, even if your mass goes up via muscle. That's just the way it is. Put a positive spin on it, you can use those muscles for things. I can now do multiple pull-ups, all the way up. The last time I could do that was almost ten years ago. I am, how you say, happy.

[Miisa]

Not meaning to sound mean, but that's just dumb! You don't starve yourself when you're exercising. Your body goes into "starvation mode" and it takes longer to loose weight. Not to mention it's not healthy.
It doesn't sound mean, I do know all that, in theory, anyway. In practise it is harder, life is like that. I wouldn't say that I am starving myself, really, I just lost my appetite around midsummer and I spent about a month forcing myself to eat anything at all, now I am back to around perhaps ½ of what I used to eat, but it is still cardboardy and uninspiring. I never was able to taste food very well, but now it seems to have lost all flavour and even the texture is unappetising after a couple of bites. The only things that still inspire are sugars and fats, really, and even them only in fairly small amounts.
The excercising used to be a daily fix I just had to have, but I have cut back on that, and only make a go of it 3-5 times a week now.

As for the weight: I agree, too much focus is placed on that, but it is really the only visible, tangible evidence one has that one is accomplishing something. An increase in fitness and a reduction in undesirable fat is so gradual that it is hard to notice without the figures to back them up. With weight you have a fixed pont to grasp on to.

[California Tanker]

Join the Army. I guarantee you that you will be in the best shape of your life after Basic....

Only problem is that I object to getting up at Oh-dark-stupid in the morning to cause myself further discomfort by exercise (04:30 this morning). That's the main failing that I see in others as well as myself. There's always great willingness at the beginning, and after a month or so, people say 'sod this, it's not worth the hassle'

NTM

[Annie]

I haven't exercised in years.

My calves and thighs are a bit...fat (no muscles or whatsoever). I miss my slim legs from the skinny days... :(

I want to get in shape and get back to my skinny days, so I'm wondering if you have some suggestions?

Hi
Many people advise "Stick to this/that Diet, & follow this/that Exersize program". Most people may try that for a while 'because it's good for me, I should'. But also, most quit after awhile along the way.

You asked for suggestions: Choose some activities which you, Kaitou, find fun, good clean fun. Maybe something new, you haven't learned yet, which impresses you as a Fun-challenge.
The obvious reason is,
dreadful shoulds, musts, have-tos' cease/ - when you're engaging and absorbed in pleasure :cool: , and you're simply enjoying the time of your life.

(Personally at age 48, I chose to pursue Figure-skating, an activity that has now become my passion, more like an obsession :D Obviously I'm not alone, more & more individuals are getting into the sport as adults. Its benefits include: Flexibility, balance, confidence, muscles/strength, grace, bone-density, new friendships, and many others. The costs are even very reasonable, with only group lessons). I have my own coach; yet don't plan on competing.)

At any rate, make it your first priority to engage activities you, Kaitou find Fun :cheer: to enjoy!

Annie

[ChuckF]

I'm by no means fat, but I'm not slender or slim either. I haven't exercised in years, though thanks to genetics, I'm not overweight. I want to get in shape and get back to my skinny days, so I'm wondering if you have some suggestions?

Btw, if you look at me in real life, you'll think i'm skinny, but I'm not. Probably due to not doing exercise for some years, my calves and thighs are a bit...fat (no muscles or whatsoever). I miss my slim legs from the skinny days... :(
You sound exactly like me! After living behind a Wendy's for a couple of years, I was getting a little pudgy. Then I stopped driving and walked everywhere. I lost all the weight I'd accumulated, and still ate as much of whatever I wanted.

[Kaitou]

Thanks everyone for posting and offering suggestions. Much appreciated. :thankee:

I shall be on my way to getting skinny!