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03/11/2020 3:00 pm
Hi all, I'm an 18 year old, 5'9'' and was around 178 pounds a week ago. After not doing much exercise at all and not watching what I eat, not liking the size of my gut etc, a few days ago I decided I was going to lose about 15-20 pounds. My BMI sits at around 26, therefore being overweight. It should be noted I have quite a lot of muscle in my upper body.
Anyway, I started running on Tuesday for the first time in ages, and have now been running each day with my dog for around half an hour walking him after for another half hour, also walking later on for around 15-20 minutes. Unfortunately, going from nothing to much more has caused the muscles in my legs to get really worn out. They ache and it's hard to walk down the stairs or get up, the pain is in my thigh and I researched this as overuse. The same pain has developed in my lower leg.
I initially thought eating next to nothing would be a good idea, but ruled this out yesterday when someone told me it was only a very short term solution and dangerous in the long run. So I've started a new eating pattern, where I have shredded wheat and black coffee in the morning, maybe pasta and some kind of salad with grapefruit, melon and grapes for lunch and dinner is never anything set if you will.
A problem (more physiological than anything) is that I've become a little obsessed with measuring my weight. It measured 179 pounds just over a week ago, and after my first run (two days ago) decreased to 173. This really encouraged me, but it went up to 176 by the day's end. Yesterday after my run it measured 172.5, going back to 176 at the end of the day. After my run today, I weighed 171.5 pounds, but was really angered as it went up to 178 a couple of hours after. I figured it was just because I'd eaten, but it showed how obsessive I'm getting over weight measurments.
Like I said, I want to get down to about 162 pounds, so am I on the right track to achieve that fairly quickly? I'll have to cut down on running to maybe 4-5 times a week but I'll continue to walk everyday.
Overall, is my new lifestyle healthy? I know the way I eat is a lot better, but I'm worried about this muscle pain I've been getting.
03/11/2020 3:17 pm
Please excuse my short response, but I'm pressed for time:
1) You're experiencing such pain because you're doing too much too soon. Try to dial it back a bit.
2) You're not taking in enough protein. Try to add some lean meat to each of your meals. A piece the size of your palm will suffice.
3) 3 meals should be the minimum times you eat a day. Smaller, more frequent meals are better.
4) The reason your weight yo-yos is because every person on this earth weighs less in the morning than they do at night (3-5lbs for a male). In time, your body will most likely adjust to your new exercise routine by adding muscle, thereby increasing your weight. Don't let this discourage you either. Step on the scale once a week, on the same day each week, in the morning on an empty stomach.
5) A sedentary lifestyle is extremely unhealthy. So to answer your overall questions, YES you are on the right track. Stick with it.
"In any contest between power and patience, bet on patience."
~W.B. Prescott
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
~Albert Einstein
03/11/2020 3:33 pm
just to amplify what r2e said, wild changes in weight are possible due to hydration changes (water weight). usually during the first days of a low carb diet, you will drop water and lose more weight than expected from fat loss. i always weigh myself first thing in the morning right after i get up and take my morning piss. once a week say on friday morning is good.
keep up the hard work and you will see your body change before your eyes.
jb
03/11/2020 3:58 pm
Without adequate protein intake and preferably some weight training your going to as much muscle as fat.
liftsiron is a fictional character and should be taken as such.
03/11/2020 4:25 pm
I personally weigh myself every morning after my morning piss and before everything else. I don't worry about the individual numbers as I've been known to change 0.8kg plus or minus to yesterdays figure; I just look at the trend over the week and fortnight. I do it daily because I've been known to jump + - , so if I lost 1kg in the week, it could potentially look like nothing, or 2kg, both are significant on other ends of the spectrum, so to speak.
Weighing multiple times per day however is not that smart
BTW, if '51' refers to your age or year of birth, then sir, I applaud you for taking steps to lead a healthier life (well actually, no matter how old you are, I still applaud you )
03/11/2020 4:41 pm
do one step at a time and do it slowly...
03/11/2020 5:04 pm
Without adequate protein intake and preferably some weight training your going to as much muscle as fat.
Yep !
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
- Albert Einstein