I want to lose wight

[Dirkadirkastani]

Hey guys,

This is my first thread here, I hope everything's good with it.

Right now I am about 6'0 and i weigh like 250+. I am trying to lose weight and my friend at work has given me some good suggestions. But I don't know how much time he's willing to devote to helping me out on this. So wanted to see if I can get some help here too. There's a lot of BS out there about "you should eat this and that or take a pill or use this special equipment and you will get skinny". I am not looking to get super built. I am just looking to lose body fat so I can look good.

The main thing I am running into is what do I eat? How much? When? And what kinds of exercises do I need to do? How often? How long? I am looking into a gym, like Bally's or something. Is that a good idea? Does anyone have any suggestions about gyms? If you know any websites that I can use for reference for anything like that, would be good. That's all I need to know and I will be on my way.

Preferably I would like to get help from people who used to be in my position (i.e. Fat) and are now in shape. I want to hear what was successful for them. But all advice is appreciated.

-Dirk

 

[Phantasmal]

Check out Diesel's Guide to Cutting, which is a sticky on this forum. Also you might want to look at http://www.johnstonefitness.com

 

[Warboss Alex]

Without meaning to offend you man, at the weight you are right now anything will give you results. Your body has a lot of excess fat and will feel no need to keep it if you start even a light exercise program, so nothing intense or drastic is required right now.

You'll get results just by cleaning up your diet, with no or little exercise. Eat smaller, more frequent meals, drink plenty of water, more fruit and veg to fill you up, make sure your meats are lean (trim visible fat, grill not fry, etc), use low-fat dairy produce (no need to drop dairy as people may suggest thoug), try to eat a source of protein with every meal, make your carbs low-GI like wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, oats, brown/basmati rice..

Just by doing those things and having patience for a couple of months you'll see massive results. There's no need to do a 'cutting' cycle or take flax pills or even exercise. Try to walk instead or drive where it's feasible though, and if/when you do want to do some exercise, keep it light, maybe a 20-30 minute walk before breakfast. Don't worry about this eating into muscle, your body has plenty more fat than muscle and will burn this.

There is NO need to eat like a bird or kill yourself with exercise, your body simply isn't ready for it and is in no state to respond. Little steps, it'll take some time but it'll be a gentle transition which will be totally worth it, plus it won't make you feel deprived or destroyed.

Don't weigh yourself every day, once a week at the most and don't pay much attention to the scale, especially if you start working out. If you gain muscle (and most likely you will, once you get some sort of consistent training going) your weight will increase. Go by the mirror, not the scales, the mirror rarely lies.

Patience and consistency are key here.

 

[Tyron]

I was thinking about giving some advice but then I saw that Warboss already posted almost everything I was going to say. He's right.

For the beginner it may be a good thing not to try too hard at the beginning so you wont fall on your ass. Cutting sweets,chips,soda,mcdonalds and stuff should be your primary objectives at the beginning as Warboss stated. Also if you're going to start jogging and hitting the gym you will need a normal night sleep. And you should sleep well anyway, very important. After you have past certain point you can start checking bodybuilding forums etc (there are usuful information there and not just for hardcore bodybuilders but for people like you and me) goodish link which will motivate http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/louis.htm

Remember, you're doing this for yourself. Not for girls or friends, but for you. I promise, you will feel great when in shape and it will boost your confidence and a life as a whole.

 

[Dirkadirkastani]

Wow thanks, that's some great advice, and sort of the same thing that the guy at work was telling me. I am glad to have some good advice from real people, i tend to find that that's the best source. Not news media, or books or anything like that; just another person.

I'd like to get an idea of what a meal should be like. What should i have in one meal. Like if I am going to have meat, what kind? I have heard that fish is good. As long as it is grilled and not fried. Should I eat beef? I am going to start buying my own food, because i live with my family still (I am 19 and live with my parents) and they are all overweight. My dad doesn't really know a lot about health, although he would like to think he does. But before I go out and buy the food i want and learn how to cook it, I just want to know, what should I buy? Does it make a difference whether I drink milk or not?

I can start taking walks, and I don't have a car, so not driving is not a big deal. But i can start walking home, its about a 45 min uphill walk from the bus to my house. I have to get a ride in the morning to be on time, but when i get home in the evening I can start walking.

What about green tea, i have heard that's good for losing weight? Has anyone had experience with that? My dad makes it all the time at home.

Also, what about sleep? Does that make a difference? Because i should probably be getting more of that.

And don't worry about offending me. I know I am fat and I need to change that.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Any food is fine as long as it's as unprocessed as possible. The things that should be cut out completely are stuff like fast food, chocolate and coke, but anything else goes really.

Proteins: lean red meat (beef, pork, lamb etc), chicken, white fish, oily fish, eggs (don't be afraid of the yolks), low-fat dairy (skim milk, cottage cheese, quark etc), lentils, tofu (yuck), tempeh (double yuck).

Carbohydrates: wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, basmati rice, oats, veg (the more fibrous the better), fruit.

Fats: olives, olive oil, avocadoes, flax, seeds, nuts, nut butters.

That's a very, very, very rough list. I don't believe anything wholesome and unprocessed has to be cut out. A lot of people stop drinking milk, but there's no need unless you're lactose intolerant (milk bloats you, makes you sick, etc).

For cooking, frying in a little olive or peanut oil is perfectly fine. Grilling is a healthier option overall though.

Green tea's beneficial but I'd say unnecessary at the moment, and you'd need to drink a helluva lot, like 10+ cups a day to get the metabolism boost.

Keep it simple for now!

 

[Deus]

Dirkadirkastani, you beat me to making this post.

as the warboss said, just eating right is a darn good start. During my military service, I lost roughly 15-20KGs, mostly, by eating right.

Follow warboss Alex advices. and you'll start droppin'.

another suggestion, eat atleast 2 cooked/warm meals per day...

Oh, about the grillin... buy one of those small electric grilles. they can be used indoors, Hence, you won't be weatherbound when it comes to getting a good BBQ going =D

And lastly, try to take a 40-50 minute walk each day after work. Not only is it good for your body, but it helps clear the head. (for me atleast, I sleep MUCH better at nights since I started doing that)..

Good luck mate!

//Deus

 

[Nexxus]

do not eat any sweets at all, no candy, no ice cream whatever (once you start 1 sweet you can't stop having another... at least for me)

in meats cut out as much fat as you can, try to get the meat only and cut off the pieces of fat, that basically means no fast food ever again

I guess you eat pretty much everything you see? hide the things you see somewhere...

if you need sugar have a fruit instead, much more healthy, also have more vegetables, eat lots of italian and japanese food... those are 2 of the healthiest tastiest foods out there. (pasta, pizza, noodle, rice, fish, lean meat)

as for exercise all you need to do for now is cardio... increase your cardio depending on how much you improve

oh ya the scale is NOT your friend

 

[Deus]

*looks at Nexxus*

I've been told that pizza is NOT a healthy food...

*confused*

But, if it is, w00t!!

//Desu

 

[Warboss Alex]

Originally posted by Deus
I've been told that pizza is NOT a healthy food...

Who says? Kebabs, pizzas, hotdogs and burgers are all healthy.

Healthy kebab: wholewheat pitta bread, shredded chicken or lean beef grilled or fried in very little olive oil, tomatoes and onions.

Healthy pizza: wholemeal dough base, natural tomato sauce (ie from fresh tomatoes), lowfat mozarella, anchovies, oregano, peppers.

Healthy hotdog: grilled extra-lean pork sausage, wholemeal roll, a little mustard and ketchup.

Healthy burger: grilled lean beef, wholemeal bap, tomato, lettuce, gherkin, condiments. (I eat these ALL the time)

Food for thought eh? Mostly pro/carb meals too depending on quantities used. (actually, I'm hungry now, damn..)

Nexxus, you're being a bit melodramatic.. no fast food ever again? No sugar ever again? Nonsense, there's no way you could keep that sort of diet up, you'd end up worse off than before. Cutting these out initially to help your body get used to the taste of more wholesome foods and drop some weight is all well and good, but there's no need to eliminate junk completely forever. You'll start to crave and feel deprived, and end up binging and feeling horrible.

Moderation is key.

 

[Bible_Belt]

If you want to lose weight, cut out meat and most animal products for a week and see how it goes (yogurt might still be ok - it mixes well w/protein powder) You don't have to limit portions nearly at all. A can of beans, with a little brown rice or few tortilla chips is an excellent meal. I cook a can of pinto beans in the microwave for 12 minutes, and then mash them up with a fork like refried beans. To add flavor, sprinkle with a tiny bit of feta cheese or a lot of salsa. One can of beans cost about 40 cents. Reading off the side of the can, the nutrition facts of one can, which is one meal, are:

385 calories
21g protein
3.5 g fat
48 g carb - people are scared of carbs, but the beans also have 17g of fiber. The fiber will clean you out.

fwiw, being a vegetarian worked for me, but everyone has to find their own way. Much of my family is obese, and I can feel myself quicky ballooning when I eat "typical" foods. Beans, spinach salads, peanut butter sandwhiches, and yogurt help to keep my weight in check. I am 6' 165, and the same size as high school, 11 yrs ago. I was up to nearly 200 at one time since, but I lost it back by way of the diet I decribed to you. Americans are fat; you are just normal. When you lose weight and get control of your physique, it will make you that much more of an exceptional person.

 

[simon]

Go low carb. Eat lots of meat, eggs, dairy, vegetables, fruit and nuts. Keep grains low.

 

[Warboss Alex]

No need to go vegetarian or low-carb or low-dairy or low-meat.. if it works more power to you, but it's unnecessary IMO. Cut out carbs at night but that's about it.

Reading about tortillas reminded me of something:

Healthy tortilla: shredded chicken or turkey (fried in a little olive oil), wholemeal tortilla, quark, salsa, green peppers done with the meat, this is BEAUTIFUL.

 

[Bible_Belt]

What's a quark?

I eat a lot of salsa. Arriba is my latest favorite:
http://www.ribafoods.com/p_arriba_salsa.asp

 

[Warboss Alex]

When I was at school, a quark was what protons and neutrons was made out of, but since then it's become an absolutely beautiful german cheese, made from fermented skimmed milk. Gorgeous stuff.

Same nutritional values as cottage cheese with even less carbs and a better taste, but a wee bit pricier.

 

[Bible_Belt]

OK, so its use would be similar to feta or blue cheese crumbles. I have read multiple weightlifter pages where a guy will rave on about feta cheese as a flavoring.

About the other kind of quarks, strings are more in style these days http://www.superstringtheory.com/

 

[Warboss Alex]

Okay, I loved that link. Call me a nerd but nuclear physics was a passion of mine at school, just didn't see a future in it so I never did make a career out of it, heh. Thanks for the url.

Fetta cheese is gorgeous too. I'm greek, I should know.

 

[Dirkadirkastani]

Great, thanks Alex. So basically what you're saying is that I should just try and stay away from things like bleached sugar, pre-cooked meat and bleached flower, etc.?

And I don't eat fast food, like McDonalds and stuff because I hate it. It's too greasy. Same with Pizza Hut and even Panda Express. I have not been eating sweets. It's hard, actually, I didn't realize how difficult it would be. My whole family was eating ice cream today, and refusing it was the hardest thing! I had no idea it would be that difficult!

I am definitely going to go with the walks after work.

What is like a target fitness that I should get to? Maybe not absolutely ideal fitness, but something that is just normal. I mean, I live in California, and man, there are so many guys out here that are in really good shape, and although I know they probably been like that their whole life, i can't help but think to myself how much easier it must make it to get chicks and how much that I want to be like that. So it's kind of a high standard to set for myself, and I don't really want to shoot for that because it just will make me feel worse because I will probably never get there, or it will be years before I do. And what do I use to judge the fitness? I have heard stuff about body fat% how do I judge that?

 

[Warboss Alex]

There's no such thing as 'normal' or 'ideal' fitness.. when you feel good about yourself, that's when you hit your target!

 

[Dirkadirkastani]

Wow, i never thought of it that way. Okay, so i have a couple more questions, and I think that this is about it.

I heard that it was "bad" to eat after like 9pm. Is that true? And i heard that eating smaller portions more often was better than eating three meals a day. Is that true?