From the age of 18 to 45, I swear my weight never once went above ten and a half stone (148 pounds). Now, it's thirteen and a half stone. Something has to be done about my lil' beer gut before things get out of hand. I quit smoking just over six months ago so - weight-wise - that's hardly helped.

The other day, I tried jogging. Two consecutive days, I managed a whopping 800 metres. Every step of the way hurt. Every leap and bound, I could feel my belly flopping around. I was exhausted after the slow jog and had to walk home defeated.

So, I chose to change my gym routine. No more am I trying to bulk up (it's not all lard!). Now, I've got to cut. The diets improved considerably over the last four days or so - I love few things more than baked potato with a salad - and I've started doing some work on the crosstrainers (which I used to use just for my warm up / cool down routine).

They're the best aerobic equipment in the gym, I'd say: I have my own bike and the associated love/hate relationship with riding it. Why would I wish to use the exercise bikes? Regards the treadmills, I'm not that embarrassed about my shape and would happily run outdoors if I could (I'm hardly that out of shape), so I can't see any point with them. Running has me beaten right now. I have to lose a stone or two before I can even think of having another go at jogging, I expect.

So, there's the cross-trainer....

Three's a crowd? - Wikimedia Commons (licensed for reuse)

Day 1, I burnt 320 kcals according to its reading. 2 and 3 saw another 400 cals burnt off per day. I'll be heading to the gym after the post and will spend just over an hour burning off another 400.

1520 in 4 days? That's the daily recommended intake for an adult male? So it's like I've burnt enough energy for 5 days in those 4. And I wouldn't be surprised if my calorie intake is way under 1500 per day, lately.

So, why can I use cross-trainers but fail at jogging?

I suspect it's because the work is shared more between your arms and your legs.
Those 400 cals, I burn in 5 lots of 80.

Each 80, I start on setting 12 for the first 25 calories which is so tedious. It's easy. It's just leg work.
From 25 cals to 40, I move up level 17. This part I love. You need to push / pull with your arms, I find.
40-55, sedate jogging back on level 12.
55-70 more level 17 mayhem.
70-80 an easy stroll to victory back on level 12, covered in sweat and laughing like a maniac.

80 calories burnt in something like 8 - 9 minutes. I walk up and down for a couple of minutes, rehydrating and drying myself off a little. And then I go again.

It's an S/M kind of thing, isn't it?

Got a fitness problem you'd like to discuss? Advice to share? I'd love to hear your views in the comments!