I started working out again and need to lose weight..

I am working out with a buddy of mine at the gym and he tells me that weight training is the best way to lose weight because the muscle will burn more fat than just cardio ever will.

Anyway, I'm looking for some help on losing weight and getting fit.

I currently do 30 minutes of cardio.  I do that every time I go to the gym, which is 0 to 3 times a week lol.

How much wieght training should I do?  Is there a guide online somewhere?  what my friend says is to do chest/shoulds/back one day, biceps/triceps/legs the next, and then rest for the week.

Should I eat before I go to the gym?  If I don't, after 03 minutes of cardio I'm starving.  I don't have much energy for lifting.  But if I eat, am I not just buring off what's in my stomach and not the fat itself?

FYI I am 6'5" and 310#.   I would love to get  down to 220-230.  

The distance of one mile equates out to between 100 and 120 calories burned, regardless of how fast time-wise you cover the distance.  It takes 4 miles on a bike to get the same caloric burn.

3500 calories is one pound.

Any change to regular exercise will cause you to start dropping weight, cardio or lifting.  Try not to increase your food intake when you start exercising regularly.

A few years back, I went from 210 to 150 (I'm 5'-7") in just over 6 months.  All I did was eat less (actually, a lot less) and started running.  It is about 6 years later, and I'm still at 150.  The key is to get off your couch and do something...  anything...  kill your TV.

30+ minutes of aerobic excercise 3+ times a week. Run a circuit on the weight machines with high reps at about 60% of your max weight on each machine 3 times a week - your friend was right, building muscle increases where your metabolism runs. That means your burn more calories even when you are sitting still. And watch what you eat. Cut your sugars and saturated fats way down.

hope that helps

r/s

Dan

Keep track of youre measurements and weight.  Also dont feel bad if youre weight jumps, muscle weights 3 times more then fat.  You want to burn fat and gain muscle, so dont panic if you see the scale go up.

Dont expect a huge improvment at first, it takes time.  Dont give up.

Set a schedule, follow a plan.  Start of slow, and work youre way up.

Walking burns more cals then running, but running is better for the body. Cross train.  Dont just do weights, and dont just to cardio, For example, with running, what if you ran 3 times a week.  1 day, a medium speed, moderate distance(for you).  another day, a long slow run, and the third a short fast run, say alternate sprinting/jogging

What they said.

A couple of additions:

Do your cardio after your weight workout.  Most people do it before, and you will get more out of it at the end of your workout.

Watch what you eat.  Cut back on the carbs.  Here's why:

A gram of fat takes 9 units of energy to burn.  A gram of protein needs 4 units of energy to burn, and a gram of carbohydrate also needs 4 units of energy to burn.  The first thing to go is the carbs at 4.  The next thing is the protein, also at 4.  The last thing to go is the fat, at 9.  So to hasten this fat burning, lower the carb intake.  

Think of it this way - everything your body does, including sustaining itself, requires energy.   The more mass you have to sustain, the more energy it will require - i.e., it will have the net effect of increasing your metabolism.  Also figure you have that extra mass that you are carrying with you everywhere.   So in that sense, if you weight train and build mass, you will see an effect above and beyond the actual energy expended during the workout.

However, on the flip side, it is difficult to both lose a significant amount of fat and gain a significant amount of muscle at the same time.   If you are losing fat, it is because you are running at a caloric deficiency - that is, you are burning more energy that you are consuming on a daily basis.   Because this, your body will not be using as much energy to build more muscle mass than it would otherwise.   Your body can also break down existing muscle for energy, which is why it is generally bad to lose more than a rate of ~2lbs a week, or much lost will be muscle in addition to fat.

If your goal is just weight loss, the single most significant thing you can do is look to your diet.   As mentioned above, a single bottle of soda is probably about what most people would burn during an average workout.   Of course, exercise is important to long term help as well, and will certainly help with the weight loss too.  And as mentioned, carrying more muscle mass will allow you to consume more and maintain.

Change your diet by using portion control, then cut the bad stuff out of that diet: stop eating so many carbs, sugar and processed foods.  Dont cut the carbs entirely just portion them to the other items in your meal.  Eat good carbs, ones that dont burn so fast.

Go to the the Wanna Be Big web site and check out the wannbebig routines.  Start with the first one.  I'm doing the first one along with cardio each of the prescribed days.  I use the eliptical runner for 20min of cardio. After the first few weeks I got over the soreness and I'm really getting into it.  Eventually I'll start mixing it up by adding reps and weight and time to the cardio.
I never thought I could get started on it till I found a routine to go by.  I take a 3x5 card to the gym with me that has each days routine and I keep notes on it.  

Make it a personal science project. You'll keep improving and you wont want to give up.

Dont turn on your television, and you will drop some serious weight. I am dead serious too. I dont own, or watch TV anymore, and I went from 6'6" 290 down to less than 220. There were some non-lifting related injuries in there too, which stalled my progress, and I am actually trying to gain muscle after shattering my leg a couple of years back.

I am now more muscular and strong than ever. It all started when I picked up a weight and a body building magazine, after I turned off the TV.  

As far as eating goes, I would get 1g of protein per lb. of body weight per day, and attempt to eat enough calories every day that will allow you to lose about 1 lb/ week.

"Eat less, eat better, and move around more."-Henry Rollins

Cut out bread, pasta, fried foods and soda from your diet.

As to the cardio part, go and actually walk.  As you do more, you'll want to start jogging.  My suggestion is to drive a walking route so you can measure the distance.  Keep a journal of this. I actually lost 30 lbs one semester as a college student by simply parking on the opposite side of campus from where I needed to go and hiked it. Every day, rain or shine. You'll be surprised at how quickly the weight will come off with walking at a "brisk" pace.  I would suggest that you only use cardio machines on days where the weather is such that you can not safely walk outdoors - a little rain won't hurt you.

Keep track of your workouts in the gym as well. 3-4 times a week. Mix it up to give your workouts variety. Some days with barbells, some with dumbbells and some machine. Even add things like pushups, pullups, etc. If you can't do them, keep trying. Eventually, you get one, which becomes two, etc.

Write down your goal weight on a card and keep it with you in your wallet. That way, your goal is always with you and you can look at it frequently.

RUN, forrest ,RUN!!!!

South Beach diet.

TX_guy:

My suggestion is that you pick a SYSTEM.  It can be the Wanna Be Big system, the Oprah Winfrey system or whatever one floats your boat.  When you've picked one, STICK TO IT!  Don't skip workouts, and eat everything that's on the menu and no more.

If after a while you find you're still not meeting your goals, invest the $$ at your gym and hire a personal trainer.  Trust me on this: I worked out on my own for many years, and gained  alot of muscle and looked pretty good IMHO, but when I got a personal trainer I started exceeding my goals.   If you get a knowledgeable and personable trainer, they will push you harder than you likely will push yourself, which will get you the results you want.

This is one of my favorite sections on AR15.com.  Along with the "build it yourself" posts.

Please let me say thanks to all those that have posted in this thread, all of you are very knowledgable and have given TXguy some great advice.

I'm 45, and have been working out for 28 of the last 30 years.

wannabebig.com is an excellent website, great place for ideas on different routines (already posted).  I purchased the book from musclenow.com at $97.00 it is a little pricey, but great advice on cycling your routines.  He even starts beginners with cycling their routines.

As far as running or jogging goes, I HATE IT!  Too hard on my back and knees.  I prefer fast walking and bicycling over running, but that is always your personal choice.

Good friend of mine lost 57 lbs. last year and he is looking GREAT!  I asked him what he did to loose the weight.  He said that he lifts 3 times per week, standard exercises, bench press, military press, rows, deadlifts, squats, curls, tricep presses, calf raises, and wrist curls, crunches, and leglifts.  He had followed my advice and bought the musclenow.com book and was cycling his routines.  He does 20 mins. worth of cardio on days he lifts, and 30 mins. on off days.

When I asked him about diet, he said that the only dietary change he made was he cut out junk food completely.  NO sodas, NO candy, cookies, snacks, etc.  Nothing but water, coffee, and an ocasional gatoraid for drinks.  3 or 2 regular meals a day with no snacks in between.

Best of luck to you!

starsil9

Some might laugh but......I started to do the WeightWatcher thing my wife did to loose weight.  I lost 20# in a couple months and it WORKS!!  Everything has a point value.  Lets say 5 pts for a reg piece of pizza, or 2 pts for a light beer.  You keep track of your points thru-out the day and ration yourself alittle to stay within the WeightWatcher proscribed points for your height and weight.  I'm tellin ya, I think this system is simple and effective for men, as we tend to be more practical, numbers driven creatures...NO OFFENSE TO THE FAIRER SEX!

Anyway...good luck.  Oh and for my at 5'10", I get 25 points a day so.....5 pieces of pizza and your at your limit!  Makes you start to realy think about what you take in, rather than poppin' a beer and eating that large pizza!!

If nothing else works, check out Lap-Band surgery.

Cocaine and alcohol.  

S.O.

Quoted: Cocaine and alcohol.   S.O.

+1
Great results, but a couple doozies of drawbacks!

10 years ago I weighed 276 @ 5'10(I am now 27)I now weigh 174-180 and have held it off,never gaining any weight,for the entire time.

From my personal experience I can honestly say cardio and diet are your friends.ht
Furthermore,don't get too wacked out with the low carb thing.If you are doing a lot of cardio you need a decent supply of carbs to refuel what you have used up.

Just  $.02

I just ran the weight off over a summer break. but that might not work for everyone.

Drink as much water as you possible can.

100 ounces per day is a good start.

To lose weight, you need to do at least 45 minutes of cardio that raises your heart rate to its target at least 4 times a week.