Author Topic: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike  (Read 8261 times)

CoCo

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Hey all, I will be climbing Ben Nevis in a few months and i need to lose some weight. What is the best way for me to lose weight and at the same time build some mussle. I work shift and cant afford a gym.

Can anyone help ???  O0
« Last Edit: 19:05:14, 10/04/08 by CoCo »

Mr Sam

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Re: Bent way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #1 on: 17:31:49, 10/04/08 »
Well mile for mile walking will burn of more fat that running. However that mile takes longer.
It depends on what you can do and what you like doing. Also just by simple changing your diet you can lose quite a bit of weight just by cutting out the [censored] you eat.

My advice is if you want to get fitter for a walk, then walk. Nothings more specific to the exercise than that exercise.
« Last Edit: 17:33:39, 10/04/08 by Mr Sam »
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jude

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #2 on: 18:32:25, 10/04/08 »
Hi coco

I think the best way is to eat a healthy low fat diet and not much junk food ,  keep walking and definitely no crash or faddy diets . Died fruit , seeds and nuts make healthy walking snacks , I keep off the chocolate as best as I can ( can be hard though)
Good luck!
p.s. Its worth it cause it's easier to get up the hills a few pounds lighter. O0 :)

CoCo

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #3 on: 19:00:37, 10/04/08 »
Well i like dried apricots and raisins is that a good  O0 or a bad  :knuppel2: ? also i work in a building with 14 flights of stairs what i go up every night and back down again will this help ?

Mr Sam

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #4 on: 19:02:29, 10/04/08 »
Yea it would help. However your probably have to walk up and down it a bit more.

Remember "every little helps!"
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CoCo

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #5 on: 19:04:49, 10/04/08 »
Cool i will keep it in mind  O0

Dizzy

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #6 on: 19:30:15, 10/04/08 »
Hi,

Like the others say a healthy low fat diet is best.I know that some would argue that the best way to build muscle and lose fat would be to go on a high protein low carb diet but I'm sure I've read somewhere that the body needs carbs for energy when going on long walks...I'm sure the more experienced walkers will know more about this.

Hill walking is a pretty good way of building up the leg muscles-thats what I'm finding anyway.You could even add some extra weight to your rucksack..this combined with climbing hills will really build the thigh and calf muscles.I know cus being a woman my rucksack is always full of all sorts of things I think I might need!!I'd take the kitchen sink if I could ;D.Another thing you could try although it might get a bit boring is to do step ups on the stairs or even just running up and down stairs.Those mini steppers aren't bad either..only cost around £20.

I'll be interested to read the replies myself because I'd like to lose a bit of weight.I thought it would happen naturally after I started walking but what I'm finding is that after a day in the hills I'm flipping starving and so eating more!!

Good luck,
Claire

CoCo

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #7 on: 19:37:01, 10/04/08 »
thank you for all your reply i will try them all if i can and irl try the steps at work and may take some extra weight in my bag  O0

ogy

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #8 on: 21:20:53, 10/04/08 »
Yup agree with the healthy diet, no fads just plain clean eating, we do indeed need the carbs for slow burning energy, The night before a marathon or before a long walk I load up on them but otherwise try and keep the pasta meals down to once or twice per week and get plenty of protein down ya.

Start running, easy at first then maybe with a bag getting heavier and heavier, Running off road is fantastic, press ups, situps for toning all free and all effective, get a gym ball, they rule, just sitting on it watching telly can tone the mid and great for crunches or press ups!!!

If you have the room check ebay for a cheap weights bench and build the upper body, People buy them all the time and leave them sat in the corner till the time comes to sell it so they are usually cheap and in great nick.

Like Dizzy says, hillwalking for the thighs cannot be beaten ;)

Ogy
There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. - Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Mr Sam

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #9 on: 21:27:04, 10/04/08 »
I would watch out with running with weights. I've ehard you can damage your ankles if you use ankle weights.
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ogy

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #10 on: 22:09:48, 10/04/08 »
I tried some ankle weights once, very very uncomfortable. Not recomended at all

I'm talking about weight in a rucksack, It makes a hell of a difference to your usual runs and is a good way of building strength whilst running. If theres any concerns about the extra weight pounding the joints I hear glucosamine is good ;)

Ogy
There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. - Sir Ranulph Fiennes

tonyk

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #11 on: 22:43:38, 10/04/08 »
 Plenty of running to condition the cardiovascular system.Try to aim for six miles in around 50 minutes but build up slowly.I would avoid running with the pack as it can mess your back up.It would be better to put a fair amount of weight in it and really hammer it up the stairs with a fast walk.This will really strengthen your legs. You can also do press ups and squats whilst wearing the pack.

CoCo

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #12 on: 05:29:40, 11/04/08 »
Cheers for all the reply's I will try what I can I wont be able to run to long as I damaged my knees in a previous sport but I can walk like hell  >:D So i think I will try the speed walking up the stairs at work and try use my fiancées gym ball her at home. please keep the ideas coming AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE HELP!!!

Ian s

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #13 on: 08:43:21, 11/04/08 »
I'm told  (I'm no expert) that in order to lose weight by walking it's best to do several consecutive days. As pointed out by another poster if you go and have a big day out in the hills then you come back starving. After 2 or 3 days of repeated work your body then adjusts to "fat burning mode" much more efficiently.

My own experience bears this out - first couple of days on a walking trip I eat like a horse, but after that my appetite subsides and I hardly feel hungry at all.

I'd tend to go along with what most people on here are saying - walking is the best training for walking. And slightly increasing the load in your pack does help.

Most people stiffen up after a walk because they're not used to having to make the fine control movements which moving over uneven/steeper terrain calls for so they get tired and tense up. This is borne out by the number of people I come across who are much more "gym fit" than me but suffer really badly in the hills after a big day out, especially if it's steep or rocky.

Something that seems to help, according to my physio, is working on core stability as well as  more general fitness by using one of those great big excercise balls or doing some Pilates-type excercises. This improves your balance, posture and fine motor control allowing you to be more relaxed when moving over uneven terrain.

I'm geting plenty excercise at the moment from chasing sheep out of the garden. They are on a mission to devour all my trailing jasmine and the new shoots on the honeysuckle, as well as stealing the bird feedersand carrying them off. And they laugh in the face of my rather amateurish attempts at mending the fence >:(

Ian
www.mountainfreedom.co.uk
www.mountainfreedom.co.uk - Guided walking, scrambling and mountain skills throughout Scotland and further afield

CoCo

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Re: Best way to lose weight and gain mussle for big hike
« Reply #14 on: 10:47:22, 11/04/08 »
Thanks Dude for your help  O0

 

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