Korean Job Discussion Forums

[matthews_world]

I've been exercising up to an hour per day, 5-6 days per week over the past 5 months. I perhaps have gained muscle and yet my overall weight has stayed the same. I had my BMI measured my BMI yet it hadn't changed.

I've been doing a combination of Insanity and P90X over this period but seem to be plateauing. I could have gained weight the past 5-6 weeks over vacation due to fixing my meals at home.

I possibly do need to change or increase my fitness regimen to compensate but my clothes do feel smaller and feel that I have more muscle definition and my abs could use work. My age could also be a factor in slower fat shrinkage.

I wonder if it's also a seasonal thing where many store fuel for the cold months and eat more.

Could I actually be gaining muscle weight? I know it's difficult to diet well as so much food here is carb-based.

Normally I stay away from fast food.

Any ideas?

[matthews_world]

I found this on Wiki:

[Lastrova]

I've also done Insanity and P90X, but the most sustained weight loss for me has been with one kettlebell. Something about the resistance, ballistics, whole body workouts. I did this 16 week program called Kettlebell Burn that just broke me--and all my plateaus. Basically, do one exercise for as many times as possible for 15 minutes with a weight that you can only do a max of 5 with. Then, do another exercise for 15 minutes with a weight that you can do a max of 10 with. Then, as a finisher, do timed kettlebell swings. Here's an example of but one workout I did:

1. 15 minutes of turkish getups with a 20 kg kettlebell (a total of 44 for both sides).
2. 15 minutes of snatches with a 20 kg kettlebell (a total of 210 snatches).
3. 10 minutes of swings with a 20 kg kettlebell (40 seconds swing, 20 seconds rest).

*I'm advanced so I used the same kettlebell for all the exercises--and I didn't have a heavier kettlebell.

Rest when needed and for about 2-3 minutes between exercises. And for any exercise, don't rest more than 45 seconds.

And the usual question, of course: How is your diet?

Finally, for a cheap and pretty accurate check on your body fat, just use the size of your pants + the mirror jump. Stand in front of a mirror in a pair of shorts or gotchees and jump up and down a few times. Fat wiggles a lot more loosely than muscle and you'll see the difference after a few months.

[Vagabundo]

if you're exercising and especially if you're doing any sort of resistance training, throw BMI out the window.

the scale itself is also of limited use actually.

How your clothes fit and how you look in the mirror tends to be the best indicator.

if you need to ask yourself or anyone else if you look fat in these jeans, the mirror is always the best answer. No need to ask anyone so they can deny the obvious (a hint for the ladies)

as to your overall regimen, I can't comment on what you're doing since I have no knowledge./exposure to it, but you never list what exactly you're hoping to accomplish.

different goals beget different approaches.

[Illysook]

BMI is only one measure of fitness and probably not the best. Do you feel stronger? Is it easier to touch your toes? How is your blood pressure? Is that time on the treadmill getting easier? Are you starting to walk/jog/run a little faster? Are you lifting heavier weights? These are significant things that should help you stay motivated. Exercising should also help your mood/affect. That sense of well-being reflects the mind/body aspect of being fit.

I know nothing about that Insanity and P90X thing, so I can't comment on that, but I can tell you that I'm getting a lot of improvement by setting an activity goal of 350 minutes a week. Most of this is cardio, some of it is yoga for strength and flexibility. Some people think that Yoga is nothing, but I usually manage to work up a good sweat and I feel so much stronger and taller since I started doing it, so I think those people are wrong. It probably doesn't matter what you do, just that you do enough of it.

Diet is another important thing. There are small but meaningful improvements that you can make. I swapped my giant Costco bagel habit for bowl of oatmeal with fruit and yogurt, remembered my fondness for the dinner salad with chicken on top, and started exploring more foods at my local Korean restaurants. Those big bowls of soup are healthy and satisfying!

[Caffeinated]

You can keep track of your fat loss if you have access to a scale that also measures body fat. If your body weight stayed the same but your body fat went down, then the difference will be mostly muscle gain.

If you've been doing the same workout for 5 months your body has adapted and plateaued. Time to change your workout. You should make changes to your diet depending on your workout goals as well (feeding your workouts for muscle gain shouldn't be the same as feeding your marathon training, for example).

I think the mirror in my officetel is a slimming one so don't trust just any mirror!

[dongjak]

[RMNC]

As a resident BGIK (Buff guy in Korea):

Lift weights. Low carb. Lose fat.

[Vagabundo]

[Lastrova]

[tottenhamtaipeinick]

To gain or lose weight first thing is you need to understand your body through what you eat to maintain weight and the amount of fitness you need to lose weight or gain muscle.

I suggest you record your findings if you have an iphone it is easy as. Try an app like 'myfitnesspal' which can record your findings easily over time and it measures calories and how much of what your body is consuming.

Though fitness generally builds strength, physique and stamina over weight loss.

Too much detail to go into but if you want to be more toned and lose weight at the same time the deal breaker is cut down on carbs especially when you do cardo. A lot of people mistake in order to do cardio they need a ton of carbs. Yesterday was my cardio day and I ran for 40mins yet the only carbs I had the whole day was 2 weetbix and a piece of whole grain toast. I find Tuna or fish is ideal for cardio days. I think you are mistaking that athletes generally are trying to maintain weight and tone while gaining stamina and strength. You don�t want to do that so don�t pack on with the food. Also you need to understand complex carbs and simple carbs.

Is that helping at all?

[Captain Corea]

My lesson: don't eat complex carbs at night

[sadguy]

[Vagabundo]

puffy nipples is usually an anabolic steroid side effect.

referred to as b__itch t__ts.

[Koreadays]

stop eating.
most weight loss happens in the kitchen not in the gym