shorelinelaw wrote:Hi!
I'm brand new. My model E is downstairs and I've loved rowing the last few days. I have a son interested in crew - so we share it.
i used to be VERY BIG (325lbs). A strict-Atkins diet dropped me to 199lbs. But I skyrocketed back to 245. About a year and a half ago, I got serious. Cut my refined carbs. Read Joel Fuhrmans books. Dropped Refined carbs; Then Red Meat; Then Chicken; Then Dairy; Then Fish. Went from 246 - 179lb. Popped up to a trading range of 183-185 for a while. That was great. At 6', in the low 180's I'm actually skinny. (I have a big frame). Cholesterol is fantastic.
However, the winter, holidays, and a recent trip to Rome has put me in the low-mid 190s. Too big! I want to nip this in the bud before it gets worse.
My breakfasts include a mix of tofu and veggies and some soy cheese. Salads for lunch. Dinners have some soy product. I tend to drink a large amount of coffee or espresso. I find, I know this is controversial, that a glass of red wine most nights HELPS weight loss. (More than 1 - not such a good idea.).
Outside of the recent rowing, my primary exercise is walking my dogs for 2.5 miles.
Any suggestions as to a good training path to start out on the rower? I' have been doing 2,500 meters a day set at 3 just to get myself started. I have a gym in my house, so I use the mirrors to make sure i've got the technique "ok".
What about rowing with digitial rowing? Is that a good thing to at first?
Thanks for any advice!
You may want to go back to Dr. Fuhrman's diet plan, or Dr. McDougall's. The key to weight loss in simple terms is: eat less, move more. Based on what you wrote, you are no longer following the lifestyle (Dr. Fuhrman's) that allowed you to lose fat effortlessly. Why are you eating so much fat (tofu, soy cheese, processed soy)? To burn body fat, you need glycogen (which comes from carbohydrates) to burn with it when you are exercising. And the glass of wine is not helping you lose weight -- eat nutrient dense foods instead.
And then start increasing your exercise -- walking your dogs could be problematic if you are walking slow and making stops so the dogs can sniff around. Make them heel, and then put them on a forced march without distraction breaks. If you are walking 3.0 mph, then you should be burning 100 calories per mile. Keep increasing the 2500 meters to say 6000 (rowing 30 minutes) and you should burn about another 550 calories depending on the exertion.
So eat less (refined, processed, high fat food and more unrefined, unprocessed, low fat, plant based whole food), and move more (with some exertion).
