OK Joel... let's go

[nature boy]

i wouldn't even know what a realistic goal for me would be. i don't really weigh myself or check my bmi on any sort of regularity, nor do i watch what i eat.

i think i know why i'm sick, guys.

[joel]

in general for fat loss, i think 1-2pds of fat a week is average, if dieting and excercising.

apparently 1 pd of fat = ~3500 calories. if you do the whole calorire calulator thing, you look at how much calories you typically spend and consume in a day. So to work off fat you simply need to spend more than consume.. and if you want to lose a pd of fat a week you need that difference to add up to 3500...

[nature boy]

that's hard when i get offered goodies everyday.
literally.

every day.

[joel]

ask for low cal goodies.

[nature boy]

haha, they're usually baked by the time i get there. it'd be rude to be like, "could i get a nutritional manual on your cake?"
i guess i could always refuse but then that's rude as well.

i guess for my goal (whatever it may be) i'll have to work extra hard as my diet isn't really something i have 100% control over (maybe just 75%)

[jeSteR]

[joel]

i turn down goodies from co-workers all the time...

but that may explain why they all hate me...

[joel]

ok see you guys tonight.

[se7entse7en]

I turn down goodies often as well and feel awkward doing it at times. Occasionally I'll have something, but then I'll try and offset it by eating healthier in the other meals. Sure, I'll have a piece of cake... but then I probably shouldn't have that double mozza burger and fries for lunch the next day.

To build a bit on what Joel was saying earlier. Increasing muscle mass increases your metabolism. Increasing your metabolism means you burn more calories when you're at rest and sleeping. Lose weight while you sleep!

Oh, and one other thing. The idea that you have to eat like a pig in order to build muscle is not really that true. As a beginner, you can gain muscle mass and lose weight at the same time.

(Just trying to throw out some options for you)

[jeSteR]

My goal is simple.

Currently 210 lbs and probably around 24ish% body fat

Get to 185 lbs and say, 13% body fat before my kid turns 1.

[nature boy]

ok, let's everyone post up their goals then.

that way i can get some ideas lol.

[se7entse7en]

It depends on what sort of timeline we're looking at and will depend on the sort of winter that we have. Here are four of the goals that I'm considering for 2011:
1) BMO Vancouver or Scotia Calgary Marathon in under 4 hours. 5:41/km pace
2) Come within 1 minute of my Scotia Vancouver Half marathon (downhill course) pb time of 1:46:20 in a non-downhill course.
3) Do the GranFondo Vancouver-Whistler or some other long distance ~100km+ bike race/charity ride.
4) 10k in under 45 minutes. Current pb 47:18

I'd like to do 2-3 out of the 4.

Not sure what's appropriate for this challenge though.

[nature boy]

you did 10k in 47 minutes???
whoa that sounds really fast to me. awesome man.

i think the problem for me is that my goal has to be something that can be achieved at home that doesn't require me to be away much. i guess it'd just have to be something like reaching an ideal weight (which oddly everyone says i'm at, at 185ish) for my height or be able to bike for 30 minutes everyday for 3 months or something.

[se7entse7en]

Yep, 47:18. I had a good day.

Can you spare an hour or two a day 3 times a week?

Riding a stationary bike is good exercise, but I'm not sure I'd use it as a goal. How about something like one of the Rona Ride for MS bike rides?
http://mssociety.ca/bc/bike_fv_2day.htm

[joel]

I'd like to get down to around 175 by my 30th... not sure about fat% coz i don't know exactly what i am now... without knowing my fat% it hard to know how much weight I can actually drop too. so 175 may be not enough still.