My Dilemma (help!)

[ShockerGuy50]

First I just want to say Hello and thanks for the tons of great material here.

Now my problem. I am 21 years old, 285 pounds, and 5'11". I want to get serious about changing my life and by that I mean I really need to cut weight. I just registered at the local rec and have gone the past two days mostly doing time on the elliptical but also breaking with walking on the track and treadmill. I thought I was doing things right but after checking some basic logs I feel I am way off.

My goal is not to really bulk up but mostly just cut weight. I am open to bulking up but I never touched weights since freshman year of high school. Should I be combining cardio activity with weights? I am assuming that will be a yes, but I feel that I should focus on losing a lot first just because that is my biggest problem right now. So what kind of things should I be doing?

I also need to find a diet that will work for me. I cannot get too extreme for monetary reasons. Should I be taking any supplements at this point?

I am sure I am forgetting things of importance so please ask anything that may help you help me!

thanks guys

edit: I should also mention that I am asking because most logs also seem to be for those trying to bulk, not lose.

 

[Being_the_Don]

First I just want to say Hello and thanks for the tons of great material here.

Now my problem. I am 21 years old, 285 pounds, and 5'11". I want to get serious about changing my life and by that I mean I really need to cut weight. I just registered at the local rec and have gone the past two days mostly doing time on the elliptical but also breaking with walking on the track and treadmill. I thought I was doing things right but after checking some basic logs I feel I am way off.

My goal is not to really bulk up but mostly just cut weight. I am open to bulking up but I never touched weights since freshman year of high school. Should I be combining cardio activity with weights? I am assuming that will be a yes, but I feel that I should focus on losing a lot first just because that is my biggest problem right now. So what kind of things should I be doing?

I also need to find a diet that will work for me. I cannot get too extreme for monetary reasons. Should I be taking any supplements at this point?

I am sure I am forgetting things of importance so please ask anything that may help you help me!

thanks guys

edit: I should also mention that I am asking because most logs also seem to be for those trying to bulk, not lose.

You should check out the Vault, there is a lot of useful information there including a thread by Warboss Alex about Losing Fat while gaining muscle. There are also journals you can link to from the Vault, check out what the regular posters are doing eg Quicksilver, Quagmire, etc. And not all of us want to bulk up. I'm training to gain strength while maintaining in the 150s class.

 

[ShockerGuy50]

Thanks, theres so much info there I have spent all my free time reading over the past few days. I think I might just try to find a diet plan and stick to my basic plan for now after reading the noobs should try to stick to long term 'less intense' cardio. At least until I feel like I have established a tolerance for longer durations.

Also is it bad to simply do cardio 5-6 days a week?

 

[HandyAndy]

You should lift weights Mon, Wed, and Fri. Or Tue, Thu, and Sat depending on your schedule.

Weight lifting builds muscle and muscle burns more calories.

 

[ShockerGuy50]

I think a big problem of mine is the fact that the weight area seems so intimidating and going alone makes it even worse. From everything I have gathered though rotating day to day seems to be the way to go. Thanks Andy I will start looking more into a more full circle routine and diet then.

 

[Throttle]

keep a precise log of everything you eat. figure out calories using nutritiondata.com or other sources, and when in doubt, overestimate your intake slightly. it's hard to recommend changes to your diet w/o knowing what you're already eating.

losing bodyfat happens primarily through diet, not cardio. you need to reduce your intake at least 500 calories below your needs to stimulate noticeable fat loss, and a bigger deficit may be better. but don't go below 1500 calories or so, as this drives your body into starvation mode.

you will probably want to get rid of lots of simple carbs (white sugar & white starches) and get comfortable with eating more fat, protein, and fibrous veggies. but this is just to make the calorie deficit more tolerable -- ultimately it's the deficit that drives your body to use up fat stores.

particularly if you do decide to lift weights, ignore your weight and pay more attention to your waist (use a tape measure) and how you look in the mirror/photographs from week to week. the latter are much more consistent & reliable.

weightlifting is useful, and for many people a better self-esteem lifter, but andy is only partly right. ACTIVE muscle burns more calories than moving around the equivalent weight in bodyfat. But lifting weights, doing cardio, and maintaining a calorie deficit can put a lot of stress on the body, esp. if like most guys you start with a burst of over-enthusiasm. find exercise you enjoy, ramp it up slowly along with a moderate calorie deficit, and you can always add more intense cardio and/or weight training later on.

one helpful approach to maintaining any exercise plan, esp. lifting, is to find a partner so that you're NOT doing it alone.

 

[Kerpal]

I used to be intimidated by the gym and the people in it... All that equipment just looked like some kind of medieval torture chamber to me. Now I know that 95% of the stuff in there is useless anyway and know how to use the other 5%. I used to hate it when other people saw me working out and would always go to the gym during off-hours so I would have the place to myself, now I go during peak hours and don't give a ****.

Don't be intimidated by the weight room or the people who use it. I used to be before I started reading about weight training and now I lift more weight with better form than most of the other guys in there and people come up to me and ask me questions about what I'm doing all the time. 99% of the people in there have no idea what they're doing and if you just do a little research you will be WAY ahead of the game.

I suggest Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength, 2nd edition.

 

[mikeyb]

The most effective way to lose weight has always been and will remain a good diet and cardio. Don't know what's up with the weight lifting craze these days, but losing weight fast doesn't happen just by pumping iron.

1) Clean up your diet and eat below maintenance (400-500 or so below). This is the one most important thing.

2) Walk or jog slowly for 30-45 minutes, or as long as you can. Go slow enough that you aren't breathing heavily. Repeat this at least 3 times per week, preferably 4-5. Eventually, try to work your way up to an hour of light jogging (an hour of light jogging can burn about 500 calories for a guy my size, probably 700 or more for you).

Supplements: If it's not too hot where you live and you don't have any heart problems you could try caffeine/ephedra, but I've never tried them and don't know that much about them so can't make any recommendations for sure.

 

[ShockerGuy50]

Thanks guys. I am starting to notice how awful my diet has been. I will start documenting what I eat so I can post it up in a week to ask for suggestions. I am totally new to understanding a good weight loss diet. I am trying to get in about 4-5 smaller meals a day. I def notice being more hungry when not eating for longer periods so its a good start. I also realize that I need to cut back on carbs. If I tend to wake up and get in about an hours worth of jogging what would be some simple things to eat before (if anything) or after?

To give a basic idea of what I did today and any tips would be good here is what I had.

-2x white toast
went in for my workout an hour later
-leftover eggplant parm
-dry cereal
-chicken w/ pasta

As for finding a workout buddy that is impossible bc my friends are mostly 150 pound gamers with no desire to do anything but smoke pot and drink. I will just have to get in there after finding some things I can do on my own for now.

For now I think I will focus most on getting a healthier and more rounded diet and continue jogging and using the elliptical and treadmill.

 

[Being_the_Don]

The most effective way to lose weight has always been and will remain a good diet and cardio. Don't know what's up with the weight lifting craze these days, but losing weight fast doesn't happen just by pumping iron.

1) Clean up your diet and eat below maintenance (400-500 or so below). This is the one most important thing.

2) Walk or jog slowly for 30-45 minutes, or as long as you can. Go slow enough that you aren't breathing heavily. Repeat this at least 3 times per week, preferably 4-5. Eventually, try to work your way up to an hour of light jogging (an hour of light jogging can burn about 500 calories for a guy my size, probably 700 or more for you).

Supplements: If it's not too hot where you live and you don't have any heart problems you could try caffeine/ephedra, but I've never tried them and don't know that much about them so can't make any recommendations for sure.

Cardio is good but aerobic exercise only burns calories WHILE you are engaged in the activity. Muscle burns up more calories than any other tissue in the body-even at rest. So weight training is benficial because it builds muscle which then speeds up your metabolism burning fat stores for energy. And you don't need to get BIG by weight lifting; you can work out for strength and definition, too, without becoming very big. Of course, it's always to each his own but don't knock weight training, it is beneficial to weight loss.

 

[Apollo]

Thanks guys. I am starting to notice how awful my diet has been. I will start documenting what I eat so I can post it up in a week to ask for suggestions. I am totally new to understanding a good weight loss diet. I am trying to get in about 4-5 smaller meals a day. I def notice being more hungry when not eating for longer periods so its a good start. I also realize that I need to cut back on carbs. If I tend to wake up and get in about an hours worth of jogging what would be some simple things to eat before (if anything) or after?

To give a basic idea of what I did today and any tips would be good here is what I had.

-2x white toast
went in for my workout an hour later
-leftover eggplant parm
-dry cereal
-chicken w/ pasta

As for finding a workout buddy that is impossible bc my friends are mostly 150 pound gamers with no desire to do anything but smoke pot and drink. I will just have to get in there after finding some things I can do on my own for now.

For now I think I will focus most on getting a healthier and more rounded diet and continue jogging and using the elliptical and treadmill.

Shocker, change the whitebread to whole wheat and start eating more fruits/veggies! Apples, oranges, brocolli, carrots, peas, aspharagus, and brussel sprouts are my favorites!

 

[Throttle]

i hate to say something like "find new friends" but...

...how do you stay motivated to do ANYTHING around those guys?

 

[ShockerGuy50]

I like apples and oranges so I will def add that into the diet, wheat bread was on my list. Also pasta is wheat pasta as well. Whats the best way to have veggies though?

And Throttle..hah no doubt man I realized this about a year ago when some were asked to leave university. Then some came back this past semester to take only TWO classes and still waste it away. Its not easy making 'good' friends this late in the game, but yeah I know what you mean.

 

[Quiksilver]

As for finding a workout buddy that is impossible bc my friends are mostly 150 pound gamers with no desire to do anything but smoke pot and drink.

Welcome to my life two years ago!

When I really started getting in to exercising and eating right, none of them had any idea, I did it alone for close to a year. I used to be a little bit chubby, perhaps 10-15lbs overweight. In the first 3-5 months of doing all the right things, most of that fat melted off and I suddenly had by far the best body of anybody in my social circle.

Your road is your road alone, and you shouldn't have to rely on friends for anything. Friends are good, but in some ways they can hold you back, so you have to be willing to blaze your own trail sometimes.

Here's how I started:

Every day after school I went for an INTENSE 10 minute run. A 2 mile circuit from my house to a local park and around the neighbourhood. It was a manageable distance that you'd be huffing and puffing after finishing. But I didn't just go through the motions... Every day, I recorded my times, and every day I forced myself to beat the day before. Again, find something that you CAN do that is still challenging, and push yourself hard!

Then when the summer came I changed again what I'd been doing. I'd heard that Anaerobic exercise(sprinting) burns more calories for longer periods of time than Aerobic(jogging, walking). So, I found 40 feet of pavement, made a line on it, and sprinted back and forth 8 times, took a rest, did it again, rested, then again once more. I timed myself, and again tried to beat my times every day. At the end of those workouts, I was lying on the ground for minutes afterwards from the intensity. Again I took something manageable and pushed myself hard.

When winter came, I was in a gym by then so I had a treadmill to use. I forced myself to run for 3 minutes a day for the first week. 6 minutes a day for the 2nd week. 9 minutes a day for the third week, so on and so forth until I worked up to just over 30 minutes a day. Sprint for 1 minute, walk for 2. Sprint for 1 minute, walk for 2. When I started doing that, I started to notice veins popping in my arms, legs, and shoulders after 3-5 weeks.

As well as all that, I had a small home gym(bowflex) and I began doing random stuff on it. I read up on the net and found a simple routine and just kept doing it, day in day out, always increasing the resistance every exercise. Then once I knew better(came here), I got my dumb ass into a real gym and using the routine in the Where to Start sticky, got pretty darn strong in a short amount of time. How? Every time I went, I increased the weights just a little bit.

Suddenly former chubby kid is now semi buff kid(lol that took some time)

Cardio 5 days a week and weight lifting 3 days a week.

--

While all that exercise is going on, my mouth was busy too.

I won't say I'd had a great diet when I began, because I didn't. For my goals I wasn't eating nearly enough. But I accomplished enough to make it worthwhile. I lived on chicken breast, 6 eggs at breakfast, 2-3 cups of oatmeal a day, and lots of green peppers and other veggies. I was very strict too, almost no cheat days and while the food was boring, it was tasty and healthy. My friends used to laugh when I brought chicken and green peppers into school or as a snack when we went out, but dedication has its rewards.

Dedication, Enthusiasm, and knowledge(there is plenty on this board alone) is really all you need to get exactly the body you want. You have to want it though, or no amount of pushing or prodding from us can make it happen. Just pick a few of the right things(some cardio, some weight work, and fresh food) and push yourself hard!

--

For the past 3 weeks I've been waking up at 6:45am(at my age thats nigh on impossible) and doing 60 minutes of moderately intense cardio every morning before breakfast. Why? Because I want the results, and the only way I'm going to get them is by sticking to it long term.

You've taken the right steps so far, reading info and asking questions, but you have to get in the trenches as well, and fight for every inch of ground and hold it too. There's no reason to be 'intimidated' by the gym, trust me in that you'll learn to love the environment one day.

Just take the 3 big things--diet, cardio, weights--and fit them into your life where you can.

cheers mate

 

[ShockerGuy50]

Wow thanks Quiksilver..very inspiring and much appreciated.

I def am not relying on anyone else. However, I have been talking with my bro a bit who is in good shape and trains moderately. I might move down by him for the summer so I have someone to lift with at least.

We also have one of those home gym things so I will use that for sure to compliment my morning cardio.

On a side note quik, were you ever able to convince your friends to lead a better life? I am failing at that. It is hard to deal with pot smokers because in my experience they have horrible memory and a careless attitude. I pretty much gave up on trying to go with friends during the school year. So here I am on summer break starting things on my own. Love this community so far.

 

[I-tallionStallion]

As Quik says, its all dedication. My friends always invite me to go drink and stay up all hours of the night, well guess what...I don't go because of my goals. Now everyonce in a while I'll do it cause I'm young and partying once a month isn't going to kill me.

By working hard and getting results people will also become inspired trust me on this. My whole family, all my friends wanted to know how i was doing this heh. Funnily enough your friends will start feeling like they should hit up the gym. Be a leader, do what you need to do, don't put friends first because in most cases they really aren't your friends.

You've gotten some great advice so far. Making a journal and getting help on here is a great way of getting motivated.

Something also inspiration is Karmsutra's journal on here. he started at 271 and is down (since last recorded) 30+ pounds in a matter of months.

Check his journal out - http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=132951&page=11

 

[Throttle]

people are hard to change; friends even harder. as the stallion suggests above, role modeling is your best bet. and even so the people you really want to affect may never be affected.

i've pulled off several big chunks of bodyfat and each time kept nearly all of it off before going tackling another round. this was mainly for my own health & self-esteem, not to mention better, uh, performance. but it was also in no small part supposed to provide an example to several friends, including one who is over 300 lbs in his mid-30s, now missing his gallbladder (if he eats too much fat in one sitting he pays for it immediately, painfully & embarrassingly), all the attendant back problems you might guess, unable to do much of anything w/o getting winded, and also desperately single -- the extra weight is a dealbreaker even for the women who can -- almost -- 'see past it'... i don't hold out much hope that he will change the habits that have gotten him here. yet i can still hope that my current round of weight loss will rouse him from his slumber.

 

[mikeyb]

Cardio is good but aerobic exercise only burns calories WHILE you are engaged in the activity.

While I agree with the rest of your post that weight training can be beneficial in weight loss, this statement about only burning calories during exercise is just plain wrong. Studies have shown that metabolism can be increased for up to 24 hours after mostly anaerobic cardio. The more anaerobic, the better (HIIT, for example). Purely aerobic exercise will only increase metabolism for about 30 minutes after the end of the activity, but the calories burned during this type of exercise come mainly from fat, provided the training session is long enough (>30mins). The benefits of cardio in the long run also far outweight the benefits of weight lifting, if you discount aesthetics. As you said, though, there are many ways to achieve the same goal.

The main reason I don't think weight training should be on his program right now is that I doubt he'd be able to gain enough muscle to significantly increase his metabolism while on a restrictive diet to lose fat (which is, after all, his goal). If he were willing to do cardio 3 times a week and weight train on 3 other days like Quicksilver said, then he could get benefits from both, but jumping from a relatively inactive lifestyle to training 6 times a week is the fastest way to overtraining.

 

[Being_the_Don]

While I agree with the rest of your post that weight training can be beneficial in weight loss, this statement about only burning calories during exercise is just plain wrong. Studies have shown that metabolism can be increased for up to 24 hours after mostly anaerobic cardio. The more anaerobic, the better (HIIT, for example). Purely aerobic exercise will only increase metabolism for about 30 minutes after the end of the activity, but the calories burned during this type of exercise come mainly from fat, provided the training session is long enough (>30mins). The benefits of cardio in the long run also far outweight the benefits of weight lifting, if you discount aesthetics. As you said, though, there are many ways to achieve the same goal.

The main reason I don't think weight training should be on his program right now is that I doubt he'd be able to gain enough muscle to significantly increase his metabolism while on a restrictive diet to lose fat (which is, after all, his goal). If he were willing to do cardio 3 times a week and weight train on 3 other days like Quicksilver said, then he could get benefits from both, but jumping from a relatively inactive lifestyle to training 6 times a week is the fastest way to overtraining.

Now you're talking about anaerobic exercise. Read my post: I said that aerobic exercise only burns calories while you're engaged in the activity running and jogging are aerobic exercises, sprinting is anaerobic.

I do agree with you about overtraining, though. When a person first gets motivated to exercise esp after coming up from a relatively inactive lifestyle they'll tend to overdo it. At the same time if he paces himself, reads up on fitness and nutrition then he might just be able to accomplish both goals at the same time. That's why he needs to check out the Vault and pay close attention to Warboss Alex's advice on weight loss.

 

[ShockerGuy50]

Thanks guys I def have a better idea of how I should be going about things. Changed my diet slightly but haven't gone shopping for everything yet. Checking out some of Warboss Alex's stuff now.

Oh yeah and I was prob that guy who may have been overdoing it a bit in this first week. So I cut the intensity a bit for this week and prob next just to get a feel for things again. (being active lol)