Posted: 3/16/2009 5:17:35 PM EDT
| Like it says guys. I am 300lb and very out of shape i have just for the past week been hitting the gym. I walk at a pretty quick pace for 10 min then hit just about every maching doing 2 sets of 10 reps. I then get back on the treadmill again and walk a tenth and jog a tenth for 10 min. That is my routine as of now. I also need to figure out a diet. I know how i am and how i will stray if i do not have a strict plan. I need to have a set list and prep it each week. Any advice would be greatly appriciated guys thanks in advance. |
1st of all - good on you for making a positive difference in your life.  that's fantastic.
read this for some ideas don't do more than you can comfortably (well, push a little, but you don't want to damage anything...). this site helps keep track of what you eat and how much you've exercised. you want to change your routine up fairly often (every 2-3 weeks), and make sure you're taking in the "right" foods (good mix of carbs, protein and fat with a caloric deficit every day). remember to take your basal metabolic rate into account, add in your exercise, and then subtract that total from your food calories - negative number (maybe -100 to -200 a day) means a reasonable rate of weight loss. (BMR calculator here) good luck - keep us posted - it'll encourage you and keep you focused. (look for threads by mjohn3006 and chapperjoe as two success in progress stories )
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all i can say is
ive lost over 70lbs, and damn once you get past your first 30 or so, it gets really ingrained in you so look forward toward 30lbs then look towards 60lbs lost and so on set small goals that meant the world to me 279 starting now im 206 and still losing about 3lbs a week. it can be done |
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Awesome, thanks for the info there. So being my BMR is 2325 calories per day and my total energy requirements are 3255 calories per day means that on top of me burning about 150-200 calories a day in the gym 5 days a week means i burn 2500 calories a day with my current routine? and that means i should only be taking in 2200-2300 calories a day to be supporting weight loss??
Is all this right? I have never really looked into the fundamentals of loosing weight so I don't really know if I am understanding it right. A little bit of an update, I am able to walk a tenth and jog a fifth of a mile now after only a week. |
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Workout A:
Squat, Deadlift, Benchpress Workout B: Squat, Power Clean, Press Week 1: Monday- Workout A Wednesday- Workout B Friday- Workout A Week 2: Monday- Workout B Wednesday- Workout A Friday- Workout B Alternate between week 1 and week 2. Read 'Starting Strength' to learn how to do the exercises properly. good luck! |
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Quoted:
Awesome, thanks for the info there. So being my BMR is 2325 calories per day and my total energy requirements are 3255 calories per day means that on top of me burning about 150-200 calories a day in the gym 5 days a week means i burn 2500 calories a day with my current routine? and that means i should only be taking in 2200-2300 calories a day to be supporting weight loss?? Is all this right? I have never really looked into the fundamentals of loosing weight so I don't really know if I am understanding it right. A little bit of an update, I am able to walk a tenth and jog a fifth of a mile now after only a week. yes. about how much are you taking in now? (keeping a food diary, whether online or in a notebook will be incredibly helpful...)
that's great!!! you'll see a lot of progress if you'll stick with it and stay positive...
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Awesome, thanks for the info there. So being my BMR is 2325 calories per day and my total energy requirements are 3255 calories per day means that on top of me burning about 150-200 calories a day in the gym 5 days a week means i burn 2500 calories a day with my current routine? and that means i should only be taking in 2200-2300 calories a day to be supporting weight loss?? Is all this right? I have never really looked into the fundamentals of loosing weight so I don't really know if I am understanding it right. A little bit of an update, I am able to walk a tenth and jog a fifth of a mile now after only a week. yes. about how much are you taking in now? (keeping a food diary, whether online or in a notebook will be incredibly helpful...)
that's great!!! you'll see a lot of progress if you'll stick with it and stay positive... I am not really sure about my caloric intake, i have not kept up with it. I usually just have a bowl of special k fruit&yorgurt for breakfast then for lunch i have either a turkey sandwhich on whole grain wheat with a slice of pepperjack and mustard. or a whole grain tortilla with lettuce, tuna, fat free ranch and tomato. Then for dinner something like 4-5 oz. of chicken green beans and brussel sprouts. For fluids either water or diet green tea. I usually will have one oatmeal and raisen cookie a day just to even out everything. Do you know where i can find a calorie chart? some thing showing the typical calories found in most foods? Also i just noticed you were from texas! I just moved down here to the Houston area from Tennessee. What part are you from, if you don't mind me asking. |
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I am not really sure about my caloric intake, i have not kept up with it. I usually just have a bowl of special k fruit&yorgurt for breakfast then for lunch i have either a turkey sandwhich on whole grain wheat with a slice of pepperjack and mustard. or a whole grain tortilla with lettuce, tuna, fat free ranch and tomato. Then for dinner something like 4-5 oz. of chicken green beans and brussel sprouts. For fluids either water or diet green tea. I usually will have one oatmeal and raisen cookie a day just to even out everything. Do you know where i can find a calorie chart? some thing showing the typical calories found in most foods? Also i just noticed you were from texas! I just moved down here to the Houston area from Tennessee. What part are you from, if you don't mind me asking. At 300 lbs, I'm thinking that 2300 calories a day is going to be a bit low. You might want to start at 2600+ and scale from there. Use something like fitday.com or sparkpeople.com to track your caloric intake, both of those sites have nutritional information built in. As for your diet, cereal and yogurt for breakfast is my only issue. Oatmeal and egg whites may be a better start. Or oatmeal and a protein shake. I usually will have one oatmeal and raisen cookie a day just to even out everything.
Even out what, the flab? Cut out the refined sugars tubby.  Seriously, if you have to have a cookie, have it with a protein shake as a post-workout meal.
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| So i checked out that fitday I love that site, soo helpful. I actually created a profile on that. The plan is to keep up with it lol. here is my personal profile on there if anyone cares to check it out and critique it. I also upped my weights to 3 sets of 10 rather than 2 and was able to knock out a mile in 14:20. |
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I am not really sure about my caloric intake, i have not kept up with it. I usually just have a bowl of special k fruit&yorgurt for breakfast then for lunch i have either a turkey sandwhich on whole grain wheat with a slice of pepperjack and mustard. or a whole grain tortilla with lettuce, tuna, fat free ranch and tomato. Then for dinner something like 4-5 oz. of chicken green beans and brussel sprouts. For fluids either water or diet green tea. I usually will have one oatmeal and raisen cookie a day just to even out everything. Do you know where i can find a calorie chart? some thing showing the typical calories found in most foods? Also i just noticed you were from texas! I just moved down here to the Houston area from Tennessee. What part are you from, if you don't mind me asking. sounds like fitday is working for you. if there's something you can't find, try nutritiondata.com... and quit with the "diet" green tea. either drink real tea (green or black) without sugar, or add 1 tsp of sugar to take the edge off the bitterness... 4 grams of carbs won't break you, and "diet" additives aren't going to help and could actually make things worse... if that's all you're eating, you may want to add a protein shake or some raw fruit/veggies in there, maybe some brown rice... doesn't sound like you're getting enough, which oddly enough will make you gain weight. 
I'm in DFW, but I have family in Houston... mind if I asked why you picked there? Quoted:
So i checked out that fitday I love that site, soo helpful. I actually created a profile on that. The plan is to keep up with it lol. here is my personal profile on there if anyone cares to check it out and critique it. I also upped my weights to 3 sets of 10 rather than 2 and was able to knock out a mile in 14:20. great! little improvements every time will allow you to do more and more... keep it up! 
ETA: just checked out your fitday site - you might want to double-check the portion sizes... I find it hard to believe that you ate a cup of shredded cheese and only an ounce of chicken... and no more chow mein...  sorry.
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| LOL yea i guess i should check my portions not quite a cup of chesse just sprinkled it on top of my meal. As far as protien goes what is the best shake i can have for that? and the lo mein i am having is not done traditional style, i changed it up and didn't add all the sauce with it. the broccoli, carrots, and red bell peppers were all boiled or steamed as was the chicken. I put that actully on top of one large spoon full of brown rice. Then i wrapped it in a tortilla. I chose Houston because it was close to the bay area and there are a ton of offshore oppertunities here. Actually have a pretty good shot of getting a job with one company in particular and be goin to work in Singapore for a month. |
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I picked up a thing of body fortress 100% whey protien today. Goin to give that a shot before i hit the gym tomorrow. Should i drink it about 20 or 30 min before i work out? I drink just regular ovaltine or something about 45 minutes or an hour before working out and Muscle Milk afterward... my thought is that I want the protein to rebuild the muscle, not to burn as energy... ymmv, as a lot of folks do drink protein before working out... hell, I drink Muscle Milk every day whether I hit the gym or not - it's delicious and mixes incredibly well... the regular chocolate tastes like German chocolate cake, and the banana creme tastes like a banana pudding shake from Sonic... 
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who you calling an old lady???
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I picked up a thing of body fortress 100% whey protien today. Goin to give that a shot before i hit the gym tomorrow. Should i drink it about 20 or 30 min before i work out? hell, I drink Muscle Milk every day whether I hit the gym or not - it's delicious and mixes incredibly well... the regular chocolate tastes like German chocolate cake, and the banana creme tastes like a banana pudding shake from Sonic... McDonald's milkshakes are delicious too,but that doesn't mean I'd recommend them for someone looking to lose weight. I wouldn't recommend fat in your pre- or post-workout.
My pre workout is 20-40 grams of whey protein with a small amount of chocolate syrup, post workout is 30-50 grams of whey, with 40ish grams of a fat free carb. I usually use Quaker flavored rice snacks. |
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McDonald's milkshakes are delicious too,but that doesn't mean I'd recommend them for someone looking to lose weight. I wouldn't recommend fat in your pre- or post-workout.
My pre workout is 20-40 grams of whey protein with a small amount of chocolate syrup, post workout is 30-50 grams of whey, with 40ish grams of a fat free carb. I usually use Quaker flavored rice snacks. good point, but "good fats" are necessary for vitamin absorption and for the body to "feel full," so cutting out fats in other areas and allowing the "good fats" (especially the Medium Chain Triglycerides in MM) to fuel the body can make a positive difference... not saying MM is the be all, end all, because it certainly isn't, but it's a good supplement, especially for people who can't stand the other mixes... |
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but it's a good supplement They certainly spend alot of time marketing the MCTs! If it works for you great, I just have a hard time recommending MM for anyone that's trying to shed weight. If you can fit the profile into your macros then fine, but there are plenty of other (and possibly superior) ways to get good fats in your diet. |
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but it's a good supplement They certainly spend alot of time marketing the MCTs! If it works for you great, I just have a hard time recommending MM for anyone that's trying to shed weight. If you can fit the profile into your macros then fine, but there are plenty of other (and possibly superior) ways to get good fats in your diet. most definitely. there we agree 100%. |
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Just a little update, I am now doing 2 sets of 15 reps. I decided i would work my overall endurance before i worry about working any one part hard. I have also upped my treadmill time to 30 min.
I start off 20 min on the tread usully about 1.2-1.4 miles i jog about half of it. then i hit the upper body machines, working my back, abs, chest, shoulder, tri and bi-cep. then the legs. then 10 more min on the tread to cool down. |
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Just a little update, I am now doing 2 sets of 15 reps. How many exercises? I decided i would work my overall endurance before i worry about working any one part hard. I have also upped my treadmill time to 30 min.
I start off 20 min on the tread usully about 1.2-1.4 miles i jog about half of it. then i hit the upper body machines, working my back, abs, chest, shoulder, tri and bi-cep. then the legs. then 10 more min on the tread to cool down. I'll see if I can dig it up, but there is a study that shows increased muscle loss in subjects who did cardio prior to strength training. Those that did cardio last maintained muscle and lost fat. I know you want to lose 'weight' but the last thing you want to do is lose muscle. Lift first, cardio last. |
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hmmm. i will definatly change up my routine then just make it a 30 min jog/walk at the end. all together i do 6 leg machines 1 ab 1 back and 7 or 8 upper body machines.
also i am so much worried about weight. I have always been stocky and preffer it. even when i was in shape and i had the six pack and all i was 220lb |
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hmmm. i will definatly change up my routine then just make it a 30 min jog/walk at the end. all together i do 6 leg machines 1 ab 1 back and 7 or 8 upper body machines. 6 leg machines? If you must do machines, do hack squats and leg presses. Do them with intensity. |
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Yea i do one for the back of the thigh one for the front one for the inner and one for the outer. then a one for the calfs then a leg press which i have recently began doing 3 sets of 20 on that. what exactly is a hack squat? Wouldn't it be great if there was one exercise that worked all those muscles plus the core and made you stronger overall? Wait, there is. It is called the squat. Seriously, you will get way better result from squatting than you can possibly get from all those machines. Plus squatting will improve your heart/lung capacity and strengthen your entire body at the same time. |
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Wouldn't it be great if there was one exercise that worked all those muscles plus the core and made you stronger overall? Wait, there is. It is called the squat. Seriously, you will get way better result from squatting than you can possibly get from all those machines. Plus squatting will improve your heart/lung capacity and strengthen your entire body at the same time. Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner! |
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ok, there is a squat machine also will start using then. not really a machine just a bar that is connected to some rails on a machine. hell i don't know wtf i am talkin about... i will just use it tomorrow lol That is called a Smith machine, and it is not a squat. The squat is the bar on your back and nothing else. |
| This machine Is this a smith machine? So i should use free weights rather than this? |
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All you need is you, the bar, and someplace to rack it once you complete your set. Here's a decent look at squat technique. Do yourself a favor. Use the bar and only the bar the first few times you squat. It's an easy exercise to let your ego determine the poundage, but nailing the form down just right is far more important than how much you can do at this point. YouTube: squat rx for a bunch of tutorials. |
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Yeah, that's a smith machine. They suck. I definitely recommend the above advice about finding good squat form videos on youtube. Look for Mark Rippetoe coaching the squat. There is a ton of info on his forum at strengthmill.com |
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So i decided rather than to strain my brain about how many calories and yada yada yada there is in each food i eat i decided rather than abstain from eating anything bad i would just eat a lot less of it.
So in the mornings i'll have a bowl of special k and a banana, hit the gym then have a snack, usually whole grain toast with crunchy peanut butter and sugar free jelly. then maybe a turkey sandwich for lunch. a snack, maybe an orange or crackers and cheese. then for dinner i'll have a slice or 2 of pizza or maybe 5 or 6 hot wings. Doin this on top of hitting the gym mon-fri for the past 2 weeks has got me a total weight loss of 6lbs and from 45.6bmi to 44.7 not a huge change but meh. slow and steady right?
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So i decided rather than to strain my brain about how many calories and yada yada yada there is in each food i eat i decided rather than abstain from eating anything bad i would just eat a lot less of it. So in the mornings i'll have a bowl of special k and a banana, hit the gym then have a snack, usually whole grain toast with crunchy peanut butter and sugar free jelly. then maybe a turkey sandwich for lunch. a snack, maybe an orange or crackers and cheese. then for dinner i'll have a slice or 2 of pizza or maybe 5 or 6 hot wings. Doin this on top of hitting the gym mon-fri for the past 2 weeks has got me a total weight loss of 6lbs and from 45.6bmi to 44.7 not a huge change but meh. slow and steady right? Good progress, slow and steady is the way to go. You don't have to strain your brain to eat right, but you gotta get more protein in your diet. A few slices of turkey and a half dozen chicken wings ain't gonna cut it. |
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Can't go wrong with Rippetoe's Starting Strength, as mentioned above. Big +1.
ETA: Thelastgunslinger is wise. Listen to him about the squats, he knows of what he speaks! Quoted:
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I picked up a thing of body fortress 100% whey protien today. Goin to give that a shot before i hit the gym tomorrow. Should i drink it about 20 or 30 min before i work out? I drink just regular ovaltine or something about 45 minutes or an hour before working out and Muscle Milk afterward... my thought is that I want the protein to rebuild the muscle, not to burn as energy... ymmv, as a lot of folks do drink protein before working out... hell, I drink Muscle Milk every day whether I hit the gym or not - it's delicious and mixes incredibly well... the regular chocolate tastes like German chocolate cake, and the banana creme tastes like a banana pudding shake from Sonic... MM's banana creme flavor is freakin' delicious.... Try putting two scoops in the blender with 16 oz. of milk and a handful of strawberries.
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I go every day cept sunday.
Bowl of special K with a banana in it, raquet ball for 45 min lift for 45 min then do one mile. have a protien drink and a small lunch. then a healthy dinner. #1ETA: I kind of look at my AR as a motivational tool... what good is it to defend myself if i can't get my ass up stairs quick enough to get it? #2ETA: BTW if you have not joined the NRA you have no reason not to now. IT IS FREE!!! |