Alright so 10 weeks ago (on my 11th week) I started doing a full routine of lifting and running. I lost 23 pounds over those 10 weeks. My goal is to be down to a strong 220 by June of 2007. My current weight is 265 (OMG IM HUGE) Is this really a feasable goal. I work out 6 days a week. Run/walk about 1 1/2 mile a day. So really my question is what can I do to lose the weight. Should I look into any weight loss pills or go all natural like I have been. Sorry if this is a jumbled mess but its 2:45 AM lol
Its definately feasible. You're on the right track being in the gym 6 days a week. Are you spending an hour in there? Should be about 40 mins lifting, 20-30 of cardio. You need cardio and diet to lose weight, sounds you have the gym taken care of so how about your diet? Here is a generic diet plan for you to try. Im actually going to do this next week with a few extra things in there to put on muscle and lose some fats, but this plan with your gym should make you shed pounds and help you reach your goal. The diet doesnt look to bad and remember to drink plenty of water too.
I would say just keep doing whatever it is you're doing. If it's worked for you so far, then there's no need to change it. 23lbs over 10 weeks may not seem like too much when you break it down and figure that's about 2-3lbs a week, but I always remember that the faster you burn it, the faster you'll gain it back. I've been doing pretty much like you around 2-3 lbs a week. I started around the middle of October at about 210 and I'm about 190 now. I started strong with speed walking 2 miles a day and the weight started coming off pretty nicely, but since the holidays came, I haven't really exercised much with the exception of a little basketball in my back yard. I'm still losing the weight just by eating healthy, and even when I decide to have a piece of pie or a taco, it doesn't affect my weight because I balance it with about 2-3 bottles of water a day and my metabolism has been working steadily .
Just in case, you didn't read all that.
Cliff Notes: Keep up the work you're doing and you'll be fine. Stay away from pills, they screw up your body.
I concur. I would like you to be aware of two things though
1) The first amount of weight lost is usually the easiest and weight loss tends to slow over time.
2) If you hit a plateau, change things up.
I agree that you have been doing a great job and I commend you on your efforts to get healthy!! I mention the two things above to prepare you for them. If you are getting stale (feeling depressed, feeling fatigued, etc) take a break for a few days. Also, your weight loss MAY slow down. You gave yourself a 5-6 month weight loss goal of about 40lbs...at about 1-2lbs a week, you could accomplish it in 20 weeks. Finally, if you hit a plateau, start changing things up in your work out.
thanks guys, as for my diet I actually kind of have it mapped out thanks to my friend who is trying to become a personal trainer. She has me drinking myoplex shakes, but yea it feels good I cant wait to get down to my goal weight tho, it takes forever!
thanks guys, as for my diet I actually kind of have it mapped out thanks to my friend who is trying to become a personal trainer. She has me drinking myoplex shakes, but yea it feels good I cant wait to get down to my goal weight tho, it takes forever!
I don't want to confuse you or go against what your friend is saying, but I would suggest getting some more pure protein and eat more veggies/fruits. Myoplex is a meal replacement. It is to be eaten in place of meals. Personally, I don't like meal replacements because they tend to be full of things like high fructrose corn syrup. I am not saying that they are all bad or that you can't have them, I just think they should be limited and real food should be used. It is easy to plan meals of consisting of protein, veggies, fruit, and a small amount of carbs (wheat pasta, brown rice). The more "raw" foods you can eat, the better.
I know it takes awhile, but it will be worth in the end and your heart will love you more
jeffsta17, congrats on the weight you've already lost! it's not easy to do, but keep it up. for weight loss, i'd say diet is probably the biggest factor with cardio being next and lifting a close third. what you eat will make or break your progress. i agree with what robbclark1 says below. more protein from solid foods, more veggies and limit the carbs. a meal replacement is okay as long as you still keep your calories balanced for the day. those meal replacements make me feel hungry in an hour (due to the sugars like robbclark1 said) and i wind up eating even more which doesn't help with weight loss.
Quote:
Originally Posted by robbclark1
I don't want to confuse you or go against what your friend is saying, but I would suggest getting some more pure protein and eat more veggies/fruits. Myoplex is a meal replacement. It is to be eaten in place of meals. Personally, I don't like meal replacements because they tend to be full of things like high fructrose corn syrup. I am not saying that they are all bad or that you can't have them, I just think they should be limited and real food should be used. It is easy to plan meals of consisting of protein, veggies, fruit, and a small amount of carbs (wheat pasta, brown rice). The more "raw" foods you can eat, the better.
Here's a sample diet that i followed for 3 months and lost 10 lbs (190 to 180), dropped to 9% body fat all while increasing my bench from 250 to 300. this was taken from a bodybuilding forum and written by a competitive body builder. take what you want from it, but the big things are the protein, and diet structure. i did the postworkout nutrition, the flax and EFA's, some supplements (not all they recommend), and of course the diet. the diet works. plain and simple. again, i didn't write this:
Let’s get a few things straight…
1. All of the insights I’m about to provide are not person-specific. What that means is that it is a general guideline, not a bible.
2. I truly do believe that bodybuilding is 80% diet. You can lift your ass off daily, and still look horrible if you aren’t eating right.
3. You are what you eat. It’s just that simple.
The BASICS-
1.Postworkout Nutrition- I’m a firm believer that PWO nutrition is hands down the most important aspect of dieting. It is within the 15 minutes after a workout that your body is in dire need of nutrients. It is a completely anabolic state, and what you take in can be optimized to ensure maximum results. A general rule of thumb is 40-60 grams whey protein, and double the amount of whey in carbohydrates (50% dextrose/50% maltodextrin).
2. Carbs- You are **** right, carbs. In a strict cutting diet the majority of your carbs should come in the form of PWO nutrition, and the remainder in breakfast. Fibrous veggies are a staple, but keep in mind that they don’t count towards intake, as they have negligible impacts on blood sugar levels. (Exceptions: Carrots, Peas) All high glycemic carbs outside of PWO should be avoided. The best sources of low GI carbs can be found in oatmeal and brown rice, as well as yams.
3. Protein- You need tons. 1.5-2.0 grams per pound of lean bodyweight is a good general rule of thumb. You should take in a good portion of your protein in the source of real meals, avoid intaking too many shakes, as real food comes to a better benefit. The list foods with high protein bioavailability is extensive, and I will only cover a few, (Egg whites, Lean steak, Chicken breast, the list goes on forever….).
4. Fats- Guess what? You need fat to lose fat. We are talking about the granddaddy of fats, the EFA (Essential Fatty Acid). Good sources of fat are ( Flax Oil, Nuts, Salmon, Olive Oil).
5. The separation of Carbs and Fats- This is a hotly debated issue, but again, in my opinion, an important aspect nonetheless. Remember that it is often when you eat items and with what you eat them that is more important than what you are eating. A mouthful, I know, but stay with me. Remember that when you take in certain carbs, you can spike your insulin levels. If you are taking in fats when your insulin has been spiked, you are allowing the basic laws of physiology to act out, and you allow for a higher propensity for fat storage. Separation is key. The sample diet will give a good example of how to separate them.
6. Supplements-
Glutamine: Helps prevent catabolism when cutting. Best used in dosages of 10grams daily, 5 grams before cardio, 5 grams at another interval, but not after workout as it fights for absorption with the glutamine peptides in whey.
ALA/R-ALA- Gets my supplement of the day award. R-ALA is effective in lowering the spike of insulin when certain carbs are consumed. I could give you a dissertation on the stereoentisomeric properties of the R, but all you need to know is that it has been found to shuttle carbohydrates away from adipose and into myocytes. Translation: Away from fat cells, into muscle cells. It’s a supplement, however, not a miracle worker. It’s not a crutch, and won’t do anything about fat intake. ALA and R-ALA can also aid in the expedition of the ketogenic state. Remember that if you buy R-ALA that you supplement it with Biotin. Glucorell-R is prepackaged with it. If you can afford it, go for it. As far as dosage, with the R, you are looking at 1-2 pills of Glucorell R for each 30-40grams of carb intake.
Protein and Carb Shakes: I’m not going to cover protein, because even if you can’t afford it, you should sell a kidney to get some. Carb drinks are rather convenient, and companies offer pre mixed dosages, (CarboHit, Glycoload, UltraFuel). Dextrose and Maltodextrin can be bought from most supplement stores or online.
7. Cheating- Cheating is essential. Why? Remember, the body runs on homeostasis, it likes to keep balance. After eating so well after a week, your body begins to adjust, and fat loss over time will not be as rapid. The other extremely important aspect is mental sanity. So many diets crash and fail because people don’t give themselves a chance to breath. Remember, cheating is not an opportunity for you to pillage the entire mall food court. Shoot for a cheat meal, not an all out binge. A fast food value meal can be 2,000 calories. Eat that 3 times on one day, and you’ve consumed 6,000 calories. And that’s not good in any case.
8. Cardio- Cardio and cutting usually go hand in hand. I won't go into specifics about length, other than cardio shouldn't be excessive. 45 minutes to one hour daily should be sufficient, and should be performed on an empty stomach.
Sample Diet:
Note: This is a sample diet for a 200 pound gentleman who is wishing to cut. We can assume his BF to be around 15%. This diet will NOT work for you if those criteria don’t apply to you; however it is easy to customize the below diet to take in account your own statistics. It is the principles that are applicable.. I am not going to post the total amount of calories, only the carb, protein and fat macros for the whole day.
Meal 1:
Lean Protein, 1/2 cup oatmeal
Meal 2:
Protein shake/Lean Protein (2 tbsp flax
Meal 3:
Veggies, Lean Protein
Workout
Meal 4:
PWO Nutrition
Meal 5:
Veggies, Lean Protein, 1/2 cup rice or oatmeal.
Meal 6:
Shake with Flax
That turns into approximately 300 grams protein, 130 grams Carbs, and 50 grams of fat.
*Reminder: This is a PRIMER. It’s not mean to be comprehensive.
Harris Benedict Formula for Calorie Calculations
“The Harris Benedict equation is a calorie formula using the variables of height, weight, age, and gender to calculate basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is more accurate than calculating calorie needs based on total body weight alone. The only factor it omits is lean body mass and thus the ratio of muscle-to-fat a body has. Remember, leaner bodies need more calories than less leaner ones. Therefore, this equation will be very accurate in all but the very muscular (Harris-Benedict will under-estimate calorie needs) and the very fat (Harris-Benedict will over-estimate calorie needs).”
That being said, there are is no concrete number of daily calorie intake your body needs, however using this formula will give you can idea of what you do need.
Harris Benedict Formula for Men
BMR = 66 + (13.7 X weight in kilos) + (5 X height in cm) - (6.8 X age in years)
Notes:
1 inch = 2.54 cm.
1 kilogram = 2.2 lbs.
Example of BMR
You are 25 years old
You are 6 feet tall
Your weight is 220 pounds
Your BMR is 66 + (1370) + (914) - (170) = 2180 calories
Harris Benedict Formula for Men - STEP 2
To determine your total daily calorie needs, now multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
If you are Sedentary - little or no exercise
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.2
- If you are Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.375
- If you are Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.55
- If you are Very Active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.725
- If you are Extra Active (very hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.9
Total Calorie Needs Example
If you are lightly active, multiply your BMR (2180) by 1.375 = 2997
Your total daily calorie requirement is therefore 2997 calories.
This is the total number of calories you need in order to MAINTAIN your current weight.
If you want to gain body weight, you must consume more calories than you burn. One pound of body weight is roughly equivalent to 3500 calories, so eating an extra 500 calories per day will cause you to gain one pound a week. Same goes with loosing weight. Eat 500 calories less per day. Etc….
