[benj_d]

Hi,

I am currently 18 yrs old, about 5"10 and I weigh about 9 and a half stone.

I am quite concerned about starting to put weight on... especially when I look at my father...

Just turning 18, I have been opened up to the world of beer. This is nice but it isnt too good.  = Fat

I only drink it to have a 'nice time', I never get drunk.

How much should I be limiting myself to? But also what other kinds of things should I be careful with, i.e junk food, food full of sugar. What kind of limits would be good here?

I appreciate my questions may sound a bit daft but any help would be nice. I am not planning out any strict routine, I still want to enjoy food and drink..

[Jim]

It depends how active you are and what your motabolism (sp?) is like.
I don't think you should have too much to worry about for another 12 years as long as you do everything in moderation (except crack etc...) and stay fairly active which I presume you will do seeing as your posting on a bouldering forum.
9.5 stone is about the weight of my leg, get a good steak dinner down you!

[Twiglett]

I only drink it to have a 'nice time', I never get drunk.

your missing out dude 

[Mike Tyson]

Ahh, the days of only being 18 and weighing 9.5 stone. I miss them dearly.

I have recently started eating more healthy after bulking up. I have also limited my alcohol consumption as well. I used to drink every night and now treat myself twice a week.

Diet wise I have cereal or toast for breakfast, a small snack in the morning eg a muesli bar or equivalant. I have soup or sandwich for lunch. A decent square meal for tea and try and avoid crisps and chocolate. If I'm going to the wall after work I have some carbs like pasta or rice but not much then have something like tuna, poached or scrambled eggs to get some protein in me. It seems to be working and the weightis slowly coming off.

The key is trying to keep off the beer though. It is torture however.

Good luck and enjoy it though pal!!

[benj_d]

thanks for the replies.

Golt, I like your ideas. I often find that chocolate biscuits and other sugary stuff let me down.. I probably just need to discipline myself.

With regards to what Jim says about being active because I am into bouldering (as most of us are on here, if not all). Is this exercise enough to keep weight off? Do any of you do much running/cycling etc. ? And more to the point does it help a whole lot?

[Mike Tyson]

I'm getting a new bike in 6 weeks and it will most certainly help shift the pounds. I can't go running as I have a gammy leg but cycling is doable.  With regards to bouldering alone keeping the weight off, I think most people on here partake in other sports as well and don't rely on bouldering alone.

Some people are lucky and naturally stay trim but I certainly can't do it.

[benj_d]

I used to cycle to and from work 3 days a week. (Its only about 3 miles to where I work) But since the bad weather came back I stopped and started getting the bus. Plus I have been trying to pass my driving test for a while.

But, if the weather is as good as we've seen this week, I think it might be time to get the bike out again!

[Falling Down]

I'm impressed and surprised that you've only started drinking beer at 18.  When I were a lad an all that... 

[benj_d]

I'm impressed and surprised that you've only started drinking beer at 18.  When I were a lad an all that... 

Well I only ever drank it at home. But now I have freedom to buy it anywhere and it keeps shouting come and get fat and rubbish at climbing..

[Jim]

don't worry about your weight, your 18 ffs!
Get out there, drink plenty of beer, get out of your mind and shag some munters
you can start worrying about your weight when your 30 like me

[a dense loner]

jims quite right

[benpritch]

if you saw jim (self professed giant man) and dense (giant legs) you would probably start worrying about your weight now!

 so don't listen to them, stop drinking, become an obsessive runner, eat less, drink loads of strong black coffee, train every waking moment and every time you go climbing pull as hard as possible.

[a dense loner]

pritch is quite right

[meatball]

My dad is 6'5 an 25 stone, i'm 6'1 an 12.5. i dont do anythin particaular with my diet, just keep it in moderation.
at 18 your weight should be the last thing to worry about (unless you think it is a real issue). Healthy balanced diet and exercise are the key. nout wrong with a kebab when your on the lash (unless you dont eat meat, if you can call a kebab meat) just dont do it all the time.

[robertostallioni]

You're half the man your father is.....

[benj_d]

dense loner, arent you funny..

in reply to meatball, I think weight is an issue as it helps me climb as well as I am climbing at the moment.

Like I said above, i just need to discipline myself, keep an eye on how often I have a beer, macdonalds, pizza, curry, chocolate biscuit etc..

Maybe I should improve my exercise too, bit of running or cycling here and there.

[Krank]

If your that worried about weight gain, due to the beer, then the simple solution is to get beered up on a friday then wizz your tits off to 8 hrs of hardcore on a saturday. I found the hardcore diet kept me rather trim in my raving days. Dense dont need to be funny if he is right.

[slackline]

Maybe I should improve my exercise too, bit of running or cycling here and there.

That would be the obvious way of burning off any excess calories, and has the added advantage that improved cardiovascular fitness aids recovery times after anaerobic exercise.

[route149]

Hi there,

If you're 18 and you've just started having a beer or two, I think you're right to be aware how it can affect athletic performance and weight gain.
At the levels you're describing, probably not a lot will happen, but it's easy to drink more and more and before you know it, you could be putting away many many pints a week over say three sessions. So stay aware and you'll be okay.

I seemed to get away with boozing until I hit 25,  although I've no doubt it had started to damage my peak performance a couple of years before that.  This was about 70 years ago.  I've learned my lesson now...

[slackline]

The only damage booze has ever done to me has been to my liver, well that and my memory  .

If you're really, really bothered about it the calories in beer, then the simple answer is to drink slim-line gin and tonic instead.  The only caveat is that you must have ice and slice in it (and the closer to 50/50 the mix is the better ).

Ultimately it boils down to how much you "want" to improve your climbing and how much you "want" to drink.  No one can tell you either and everyone's body is different and will be able to cope with the effects of alcohol differently.  Why not try drinking what ever you want, but if you find you're either a) drinking more and more; b) your performance is sliping (in light of a) or otherwise) then cut back the booze or cut it out.

Still running/swimming/cycling would be a good thing to do anyway on "active" rest days.

[benj_d]

If you're really, really bothered about it the calories in beer, then the simple answer is to be a woman

[mrjonathanr]

If you're really, really bothered about it the calories in beer, then the simple answer is to drink slim-line gin and tonic instead.  The only caveat is that you must have ice and slice in it (and the closer to 50/50 the mix is the better ).

total nonsense! Single malt with one ice cube, or none at all. Gin with slim-line-cat's-piss is for men with white shoes and cravats, slack-line knows what I mean.
As for weight, received wisdom is diet best consumed over 4-5-6 mini meals, 15% fat, 15% protein (about 1 gramme per kilo of bodyweight daily) and the rest carbs. Beer counts as carbs, so does scotch, so really you can consume ALOT before you upset the delicate metabolic balance required of a top athlete. Ditch the sugar (refined carbs just a waste of time/insulin - unless you're in a diabetic crisis) and the unnecessary amd largely hidden fats in processed/sweet/junk food.
Just remember - beer is your friend. Homer Simpson put it best:
'Beer - the source of, and solution to all life's problems.'
Enjoy