Current Weight: 230

ok, common misconception: muscle does NOT weigh twice as much as fat. a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat.

however, if you’re working out with weights, you’re going to build muscle, so it will be hard to judge actual weight loss, but the type of weight you are will be healthier. it’s a good idea to check your body mass index (BMI) to get a better idea of what’s going on.

so, yes, cardio is good, but you can do cardio with weights too – LIGHT WEIGHTS. this includes doing a circuit on machines, just don’t lift heavy weights because the way that one gains mass (and therefore weight) is to break down muscle by lifting heavy weights and when it rebuilds itself, it’s larger.

to burn fat, you need to elevate your heart rate and maintain it at that elevation for at least 20 minutes. do this at least 3x a week. walking doesn’t cut it, unless you walk fast than you usually do for a sustained amount of time in order to elevate your heart rate.

don’t forget to do cool down exercises – including just walking around after working out – which will allow your body to readjust to a normal heart rate. just stopping isn’t good, meaning it can be a shock to the system.

and be sure to drink water do you don’t dehyrate and take a daily multi-vitamin too. sweating can really rid your body of some essentials. smaller meals are good too, and increase your eating – yes, increase – from 3x (no snacking unless fruits and veggies) to 6x a day.

for those who work at home, resist the urge to commute from the bedroom to your office via the fridge. if you can’t, at least try to grab some fruit. some of these well stocked nice offices are dangerous too when employers fill the fridge with yummy but chub-making stuff.

if you have no workout program and can’t get into one, you can still sneak in some exercise – take the stairs on the subway rather than the escalator. walk down the stairs at work rather than take the elevator.

even if you don’t work out, no one is saying that you have to cut out everything tasty, but there is a lot that you can do to help yourself. avoid pop like the plague. cut down on fruit juice. use honey instead of sugar in your tea. switch to milk for your coffee instead of cream. knock off the fast food (see next paragraph). SMALLER PORTIONS at breakfast, lunch and dinner. in between meals, snack smart, not stupid.

once a week, usually Sundays for me, eat whatever you want – just don’t pig out: pizza (couple of slices, not a large one by yourself), pringles, a chocolate bar (not the biggest one in the store), ice cream (couple of scoops, not the whole tub), fast food (smaller meals), ice cap from Tim’s (smaller cup), etc.

fat calipers are a good idea. however, weighing isn’t always that helpful, especially if one is just somewhat overweight (as opposed to being obese/morbidly obese) and actively working out with weights sufficient enough to build muscle (as opposed to toning).

the problem is that one may set a goal of losing say 10 to 40 lbs, work out like a mad fiend while eating correctly, and hydrating, and find that they seem not to have lost weight or much weight. meanwhile, they have lost fat and gained muscle. so, it’s also very much about the quality of one’s weight, sometimes rather than what one actually weighs.

i’m totally in awe of Kris who said he dropped 70lbs in 3 months by playing soccer. i imagine the first few weeks might have been hard to run up and down the pitch, but he(?) kept at it and had an amazing result. that’s pretty inspirational.