New here, trying to get into shape before putting myself out there for dating and such ! Help is greatly appreciated

[Yaxir]

Hey, i did the cardio today but had to opt for a lighter plan that what Ashrt suggested, because i hadn't ran in like an eternity

here's the program i went for, in case it's important

https://www.verywellfit.com/learn-to-run-continuously-2911965

strangely enough for a lazy ass like me who hadn't ran for a long time, i did not feel too tired after this .. but for the sake of self-commitment and important consistency, i will keep doing this program at least for one week. If i don't feel tired after that, then i will look to move to a more challenging program

From your questions it sounds like you're a total beginner to working out.

You're spot on ! i am a total beginner, i had no idea what to do and how to do. Which is why i feel grounded and at peace after getting guidance from you guys, it really gave me somthing to focus on

never really took working out seriously before

not anymore, i'm going to change that once and forever

So as long as you're doing SOMETHING, that's better than you were doing before.

perfect, that's really motivating !

makes me believe in the process

thanks ^^

i really hope i can post any kind of encouraging results after some time

 

[Lostcause]

Still, average daily caloric intake for a man is 2500. For a woman it's 2000.
I have no idea where your number comes from, but it seems unreasonably low.
I took some effort to put your measures into some random maintanance calories calc online. Even there, on the least favorable settings it gives over 1700 calories, and it's assuming you do literally no activity every day.
I suggest recounting, or you will starve yourself.

 

[Yaxir]

Still, average daily caloric intake for a man is 2500. For a woman it's 2000.
I have no idea where your number comes from, but it seems unreasonably low.
I took some effort to put your measures into some random maintanance calories calc online. Even there, on the least favorable settings it gives over 1700 calories, and it's assuming you do literally no activity every day.
I suggest recounting, or you will starve yourself.

oh boy ..

can you please take a look, i edited my previous post and posted the website screenshot with all the measures i entered ..

otherwise, i am open to suggestions

any reliable method of calorie calculation that you know ?

there's a lockdown and i'm not sure if the dorm office will allow us to go outside of dietician visits

much appreciated !

 

[Lostcause]

I've put your numbers in the same calculator and it still gives 1,785 kcal as a result. the only difference is that I left the bodyfat percentage field blank. I haven't read all the thread, but if you are not sure of your bodyfat it's better to leave it blank, then do guessing. What's more, aren't you gonna start exercise? If so, then you should not consider the 'sedimentary' setting, which further increases your maintanance point.

any reliable method of calorie calculation that you know ?

Count calories you eat every day for some time without making changes to your diet. 2 weeks maybe. Then count the daily average. As simple as that. As long as your weight is somewhat stable right now, it should be as accurate as it gets.

there's a lockdown and i'm not sure if the dorm office will allow us to go outside of dietician visits

Are you forbidden from leaving the dorms? What is it, a prison? lol.

 

[Yaxir]

Are you forbidden from leaving the dorms? What is it, a prison? lol.

haha think of it that way lol

it's really bad in Turkey so the lockdown has been tightened for now,

we can wander in campus but not outside

I've put your numbers in the same calculator and it still gives 1,785 kcal as a result. the only difference is that I left the bodyfat percentage field blank. I haven't read all the thread, but if you are not sure of your bodyfat it's better to leave it blank, then do guessing.

yes you're right !

i really don't know my body fat, just went along with Ashrt's estimate of 25%

i'll leave it blank now

What's more, aren't you gonna start exercise? If so, then you should not consider the 'sedimentary' setting, which further increases your maintanance point.

ah ofc !

hmm .. i should probably choose 'light exercise' setting at least for the first 2 weeks

and ok, i did that just now before posting this; so it's come to 2045 calories and 85% of that is 1738 which i will round to 1700 calories per day ( screenshot attached )

i'm not going to starve lol, thanks to you mate

 

[Yaxir]

Lostcause one last thing, talking about diets

since now i need to eat a lot more ( from 1300 to 1700 calories ) , is it ok if i snack a little on unhealthy stuff ?

like chocolate biscuits or Lays chips ? i don't know if this is junk food, but it is definitely not healthy

however, to keep my calorie intake in check i might have to do snacking on the side

let me know if this is a good approach or should i try something different

 

[Lostcause]

Ditch the idea of eating healthy. Your goal is losing weight, not eating healthy foods. There is a lot of healthy foods that are terrible for weight loss. Eg. nuts.

That said tho.. there are few problems with most unhealthy snacks. They have little volume and a lot of calories, so you may easily reach your daily limit and still be hungry.
And when you eat them you will want more and more, especially as you get leaner.

It's fine eating those once in a while tho. But I suggest going for low calory alternatives. Eg. snacking on popcorn instead of chips or making low calory greek joghurt ice cream at home instead of store bought milk and sugar based ice cream.

 

[Yaxir]

2 neck circles each direction
8 shoulder rolls each direction
8 big arm circles each direction
8 hip circles each direction
8 toe-touches
That thing kids do when they're bored where you swung your arms from side to side while turning your torso in each direction. 10 of those.

1050004 user_id=548][/quote]

found all the exercises to do except the last one lol, don't know what that is ( feel free to post a video if you can )

as for toe-touches, someone on youtube was saying it can cause back problems ( herniated discs ) but i chose to ignore that, let me know if that is a legit concern

oh and its raining today, so ihave to do all exercises inside the dorm room, which means i can't do the negative pull ups (bummer !)

going to post a log soon as i'm done with the workout !

 

[Vice]

It is NOT advisable to get into the habit of "I will date girls after X part of my life is handled."

This is a very common mistake made in the dating success world, because it builds neural pathways in your brain that builds a habit of delaying action until a certain criteria is met. That criteria tends to shift over time, so if losing weight is your current "X" value, you may pick up making money as the next delay strategy.

 

[Yaxir]

It is NOT advisable to get into the habit of "I will date girls after X part of my life is handled."

This is a very common mistake made in the dating success world, because it builds neural pathways in your brain that builds a habit of delaying action until a certain criteria is met. That criteria tends to shift over time, so if losing weight is your current "X" value, you may pick up making money as the next delay strategy.

Bro, i am open to advice

i am open to suggestion

if i can have some of your time, i can give you a concise overview of my current situation ( logistics, economy etc ) preferably in a chat

i actually want a healthy dating life, but everyone here has told me to first work on myself

unless i display some value to the girls i want to get with ( i am aiming for mostly girls from Tinder and Bumble, wouldn't mind women from OKCupid either seeing as how many women use that app in this country )

no one will pretty much swipe right on me

i admit, i haven't read Andy's Tinder guide in full ( just the first introductory page so far )

but i have other problems too ( conservative upbringing & social condition, a proverbial 'virgin' at approaching women etc ) that have to be dealt with once and for all

i hope i don't come across as someone making excuses but i really want to get something right this time, get some results that benefit me in the long run of life

i reckon you have a bit more life experience than me, so i'd love to hear your feedback

and ofc, i look forward to if we can have a brief chat in the forums ( assuming there's a chat option here )

i appreciate your participation in helping me out

thanks much !

 

[Vice]

Just post it on here so everyone can chip in advice.

Step one would be to finish reading that Tinder guide. You'll have to read it multiple times; I refer to it frequently myself. It's the cutting edge in online dating for 2021.

But think of ways that you can incorporate building a better social life while you work on your goals. Why not do group exercise or join some kind of active club?

 

[Crypto]

Just a quick link on how to effectively calculate and adjust your TDEE over time

 

[Yaxir]

Plank (20-60 seconds)

quick question - i am back to doing planks with the crossed palms fashion and it seems to work better for me

i am holding 60 seconds in 3 reps of 20 seconds - is that the right way to do it ? or should i go for 60 seconds in one whole rep ?

P.S : i might pm you a snapshot of me doing planks so you can judge me posture during the exercise , later on

 

[Yaxir]

Hey, Adam and Master

quick question(s) for you guys - should i buy a Resistance Band for upper body exercises ? Are there any useful Resistance Band Exercises for my upper body ? Especially those that don't involve any type of pressure on the knee

I am thinking of getting one of these :

https://www.decathlon.com.tr/direnc-bandi-5-kg-id_8552664.html

https://www.decathlon.com.tr/training-band-15-kg-id_8484819.html

Also , i have another question regarding the Dumbell sets i am ordering - should i order one with or without Barbell

I believe right now i can't do any barbell exercises to protect my left knee from any extra weight, so i am thinking of skipping the barbell purchase

One VITAL fact to keep in mind - i will PROBABLY move countries in ~ 2 years , so transporting heavy things will also be a challenge i have to consider

https://www.hepsiburada.com/serspor-20-kg-yayli-halter-dambil-seti-p-HBV00000YF2TV ( this is JUST dumbells , without barbells )

https://www.hepsiburada.com/fitset-25-kg-kombo-halter-seti-ve-dambil-seti-agirlik-fitness-seti-p-HBCV000007M2PO ( this is the one with barbell included )

without barbell is the total weight is 20 kg, with barbell is a total set of 25 kg

so , what would you advise ?

While answering, please assume i have close to ZERO understanding of weightlifting and weightlifting exercises

 

[Hopeless]

I will make it simple:

losing fat:
- high protein 1.5g per kg bodyweight
- track your bodyweight everyday with a scale, every week you calculate you weekly avg.
- track calories from everything you eat, the first two to four weeks you need weigh everything to get a feeling how much calorie something contains.
- try intermittent fasting eg 16h hours fasting including sleep.

building muscles:
- search for some beginnger calisthenics routine and try to switch to a real gym as soon as possible imo.

 

[Yaxir]

I will make it simple:

losing fat:
- high protein 1.5g per kg bodyweight
- track your bodyweight everyday with a scale, every week you calculate you weekly avg.
- track calories from everything you eat, the first two to four weeks you need weigh everything to get a feeling how much calorie something contains.
- try intermittent fasting eg 16h hours fasting including sleep.

building muscles:
- search for some beginnger calisthenics routine and try to switch to a real gym as soon as possible imo.

Hey mate ! thanks for chipping in and helping me out !

Actually most of these things the guys here have already told me and i was following them strictly

i hurt my knee about a month ago ( a bone bruise ) for which the doctor advised rest and no running / exercise that involve actively using the knee or putting pressure on it

as for the gym, well it's closed due to covid restrictions - as soon as it opens, i will literally run to the gym lol

which is why i am asking the questions

P. S : i realize i should have asked the dumbell / barbell this in my the other post -> https://killyourinnerloser.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=673&start=45 ( check out the last page or the latest 5-6 replies , you'll know what i am talking about )

 

[Yaxir]

Master , Lostcause , Adam and Ashsrt - you guys wanted to know my Weight and body fat levels

I weighed several times on Honor Scale 2 - wearing just a piece of underwear on my waist and the aforementioned result is what i got

Also my dumbells should arrive this week

I know Adam suggested some exercises - but i am going to need help deciding the actual routine ?

how many reps ? how many circuits or sets i can do ? or rather how many should i do ?

Please keep in mind i cannot exert any pressure on my left knee at all - and the bad news is i am feeling other kind of pain on my knee after i tried casual practicing football ( soccer in US ) and tried to play stationary basketball

at this point i am kind of desperate - because the campus can open any time in the next few months - girls are coming and they're going to find me absolutely unattractive with my belly , skinny arms and brown colored skin ( can't change the last one - but girls might be picky af lol )

shit , this feels awkward to type but i feel needy and desperate af - this is exactly what i wanted to avoid , but it seems like these shitty feelings come up every time a pretty girl comes into sight - i sometimes hate this , because it's a huge distraction ..

maybe with bigger arms i can at least save face or something ..

P.S : Maxime, i have tried walking, currently walking just 2.5 kms to save my knee from pain but .. it kinda sucks to walk and expect pain , this is the last thing i imagined would happen to me - but if i have to rest my knee , please suggest any alternatives. I just don't want any trouble with my knee

 

[Ashsrt]

Looking at your original photos, and with your current weight at 60kg (135lb), I think you can make a huge amount of progress in about 12 weeks. Sucks to hear about your knee, I’ve been there with a torn meniscus, it’s terrible. Stick to upper body weights, and light cardio if you can. Do not aggravate your injury, I’ve been doing mma with a fractured rib for 6 weeks and it hasn’t gotten better.

Coming back to your original photos, I think you can get pretty far in just 12 weeks. You don’t have a lot of muscle on your frame, putting some on will make a huge difference in your appearance. Lucky for you newbie gains are a thing. Aim to lose a half kg a week.

My suggestion, count every single calorie that enters your body. Be in a deficit to lose weight. You said you can walk 2.5km, wrap your knee with an ace bandage and do that 2x a day. Get your weights and lift with intensity. As you get stronger your joints takes less pressure and your knee will heal. When that happens add more low impact cardio in (swimming/biking)

If I’m way darker then you and get lays, you can do it too. So don’t focus on that.

And lastly, find a push/pull/legs workout routine. I wouldn’t worry too much about the exact details, you’re new to the gym. Literally any stimulus will make you grow. For the legs part only workout your right leg, but I’d still do some sort of exercise for your left leg just to keep off muscle wasting.

Good luck man

 

[MakingAComeback]

Knee rehab is totally possible, if you have these issues, you will need to get to the core or it will return. Building strong knee over toe ability may be a good idea. I restate this because it doesn't seem like you have put together a rehab program, rather, you are just asking these guys for lifting advice? Not smart. I shared a resource above, consider consulting it if you wish to attain a structure that can be durable and reliably perform with minimal injury risk.

Brown dudes do tend to have a weird time dating, but I have known one in my life who did very well. I know you're not complaining, neither am I (I don't give a fuck what colour a human is). So I had a friend in University who was a total slayer, but I think he was an actual psychopath without feelings, he was ruthless and simply didn't care lol. Fucked endless bitches, he would bring multiple back home for him and my other flatmates. He is now smashing life in corporate law. His confidence levels are insane but although he was a close friend, he was not what I could call a decent human. Some guys are wired differently and it's not what I want to be around. Point being, if you become one of the best men out there, you can overcome any disadvantages. You don't have the luxury of being able to slip on a damn thing, so don't, build the total package and be able to compete with the best.

People have a problem with admitting things like that. I don't. You won't convince anybody either. I wouldn't choose to be anything other than what I am, and I'm guessing you wouldn't either. If I came back to this world, I would choose the life of the warrior again.

Keep working man.

MAC

 

[Lostcause]

Coming back to your original photos, I think you can get pretty far in just 12 weeks. You don’t have a lot of muscle on your frame, putting some on will make a huge difference in your appearance. Lucky for you newbie gains are a thing. Aim to lose a half kg a week.

I am gonna be a pessimist dude as always.
Yeah, in three months you can lose a noticeable amount of weight. But in this case, if he's really 15%bf (which is pretty low, probably you do not want to get lower, but the scales tend to lie in that regard so you should consider your looks first) the issue is the amount of muscle mass which is a slow grind to gain. Yeah, you can see a progress in gaining muscle in 3 months, but not that big, especially if your genetics are not preferable for building muscle (if they were you would not be here asking for advice, would you). Don't make my mistake and be prepared for years of building muscle ahead of you, not weeks. You will be in for a disappointement otherwise.

So in short, do not obsess over not being in form when your uni opens. You won't be and it does not matter. Focus on slowly gaining muscle mass and training cardio - your resting heart rate is literally my heart rate when I do cardio.