Suggestions? I seem to be growing a spare tire, and I gotta impress the ladies [;)]

Mountain bike. Lay off the twinkies.

Stacker 2s

Ab roller

Stay off the cheese-steaks

Swimming.  Most efficient form of exercise (uses practically every major muscle group at the same time).

Plus comes in awfully handy if you ever fall out of a boat.

What kind of equipment do you have available?  Is there a gym you can go to, or are you looking for something that can be done without a ton of weight equipment?


...and lay off the cheezy poofs [:)]



(Seiously, diet is a big part of it.  Get used to reading labels and cutting back on the fat intake)

Looking for something cheap. There are gyms here, but too damn expensive(well for me anyway)

But those cheese steaks taste so GOOD!!!!!
[:D]

Lay off the sodas.  Drink just water all day long.  I'm trying to stop drinking the Coke's but its damn hard.  Water tastes bland after awhile. :)

No candy either.  [:(]

...But all Halloween candy is 50% off
[:P]

Switch to light BEER

Matt, I have a spare tire suitable for a Humvee..  Seriously, walking/running, sit-ups, pushups, and swimming will keep youin great shape.  The most difficult part is the self-discipline to stay at it.  Reduce your carb intake, and lay off the killer juice (soda pop). You coold run all the way to Sam's and back......

Thats an easy one. Start running. Work up to five or six miles a day. Every day. Even when you are sick, or tired, or have family or job commitments. Become obcessed with running. Read running books and mags. Talk running with other runners. Collect running outfits. Go to 5K and 10K races. Wear a running watch and constantly stick your fingers against your neck to measure your pulse.

After you get this far, then think about dieting. It really won't be much of a problem because you will really realllly want to diet. Your spouse will think something is up. Like you might have a chip. Your spouse will start baking cookies and buying pie and icecream when she goes shopping, and there will always be lots of your favorite snacks laying around. Ignore all of this. Tell her to fuck off.

Six months the gut is gone, the love handles are gone, your face looks thin, you can see your ribs in the mirror, your jeans are falling off, your shirts look like tents. Co-workers start rumors that you have cancer or aids. Tell all of them to fuck off.

Now you are thin but you don't have any friends, and your family quit talking to you a long time ago. Fuck em. They just don't understand. Go running. Train for a marathon.  

Welcome to the new world of being fit.

That's some funny stuff, Headless.  Sounds like a friend of mine.

Eat healthy (you know how) and quit watching TV.  Damn box is the root of ALL evil.  Find something you really enjoy doing.  I play LOTS of racquetball and go hiking with dog/kid as often as possible.  I'm also lucky in that I have free access to our University wellness center.  Lots of good stuff to do there.

No more excuses, Lib.  Off your ass and on your feet.

CB

Switch to Macallan 15 years or better.  Please note that if you can afford a steady diet of Macallan 15 or 25 year you must buy me at least one bottle.

Running/jogging (and I don't mean on a treadmill). Do sit-ups everyday. Eat healthy (avoid fatty foods, soda, junk food, etc.). If you masturbate, it is known to burn some calories (I forgot how many). Outdoor sports can keep you fit. Khayaking (sp?), mountain climbing (after you are in shape), basketball, football, and all that other stuff. Pick one you like. Not only will you get good at it, but you'll also be in shape.

I'll put in another vote for running/jogging. I started running almost 2 years ago. I started out weighing 230 lbs. and am now at 180-185 lbs. I run approx. 1.6 miles 5-6 days a week and do situps/pushups everyday. Its pretty rough at first, but once you get in the groove/start seeing results you feel bummed if you can't workout because of work, etc. Just start out slow and steadily push yourself harder. Also, lay off the sodas, drink mucho water, and eat healthy foods in small quantities 5-6 times a day to get your metabolism fired up. tx50    

I went from 265 to 205 in 2 1/2 months by cutting out ALL soda and junk snacks and changing WHEN I ATE. Eat a good breakfast early, make lunch the big meal, and a light snack for dinner. You can still eat whatever you want but stop eating as soon as you start to feel filled (THAT IS THE HARDEST PART).

-Drink at least a gallon of water a day.
-Muscle burns fat for energy, the more muscle the more fat burned.
-Try to eliminate fat, refined sugars and carbohydrates from your diet.
-Eat light meals throughout the day instead of three big meals, this will increase your metabolism.
-If you don't take in enough calories especially from protein your body will destroy your muscles.
-You can get buy with a flat bench, barbells and dumbbells for all your exercises, no need for fancy gyms.
-Juices are marginally better than soda.
-don't rely a scale, muscle weighs more than fat and is misleading as to true progress.
-The George foreman grill is your friend
-

- do yourself a favor and check out the magazine Muscle Media, its not your steroid ridden muscle head magazine. Also www.bodyforlife.com.

I have not done the body for life program per say but it works. It is a whole life style change that everyone could benefit from. you wont be sorry.
There are people here that are much more knowledgeable here than I, I'm sure. But this is a sensible approach.
let me know if I can help.
Cheers, rugger

Exercise:

1. Cardio every day, preferably in the morning, before breakfast, when your body is already in caloric deficit.

2. Intense weights 3x/week. Build muscle mass up.

Diet:

Start by cutting sugars and carbs out.

1. Only drink water with lunch and dinner. You won't miss beer/wine/fruit juice/whatever after a while.

2. Keep desert to one day a week if you must have it. Sugar is addictive, and the more you go without out it, the less you'll miss it. Nobody believes this until they try it.

3. Cut down on carbs on the days you don't do weight training. Try to do weight training after your high-carb meal if you have one. Stick to carbs that have a low glycemic index rating. (look it up)

That's what I do, and it works pretty well for me. I'm 5'11", 170lbs and have been able to keep a 32" waist since college by doing this. I wuss out on the cardio stuff occasionally, though. ;)

Great thread by the way...  I'd been wondering this sort of thing myself.  I'm 26 years old, 5'10", 200lbs, and a 36" waist.  I want to get myself down to at least 180lbs.  I've got a couple of questions though.

1.  What exactly are "carbs"?  Or to be more exact...  what foods have carbs in them?

2.  What are some examples of "healthy" foods to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I know I can cut out the sodas as I've done it before.

3.  I've got a membership to the YMCA.  What kind of workout schedule should I have?  I've done Nautilus on M,W, F and treadmill/cardio on T, Th, Sat before but it doesn't seem to work too well.

4.  What's the best way to start running and at what speed?  I'm trying to get a job in law enforcement eventually and they usually require you be able to run 1.5 miles in about 12 minutes.  How should I work up to that?

Place a lime or lemon in the water and if you want to go full out get a jar of water place it in the fridge with a few slices of lemon overnight and it taste kick is when you have it the next day.

Here's my $.02 (MD, RN, & other's, please feel free to correct):

Running is a good fat burner, but just don't cut out the carbohydrates altogether. These are a good energy source because they can be burned quickly - faster than fats or proteins. In addition to strength training, I run up to 6 miles (sometimes 10) and swim up to 3 miles, though I usually stick to around 2, and carbohydrates definitely make the difference. One can't go the distance w/o carbs. I've read that some people have died from excessive protein intake.

Carbohydrates simply need to be moderated. They promote the release insulin by the pancrease, which converts the glucose into glycogen & stored in the tissue cells. Excessive intake of carbs is believed to over-promote insulin production & result in excessive glycogen intake. Any excess carbs, beyond the body's limit (avg. about 1500 kcal between tissues + liver) are converted into fat.

But, [b]protein alone will not be a sufficient energy source![/b]. Lack of quick-burning energy stores can promote ketoacidosis, particularly if/when the workout is anaerobic. In this condition, the blood pH is lowered by the buildup of ketone bodies - the byproduct of metabolizing protein molecules for energy - and lactic acid is produced (the source of muscle soreness). In this state, you're wasting muscle tissue. To avoid this situation, keep the workout aerobic by allowing yourself to breath freely. If you're "huffing", then you've gone into the anaerobic zone and need to slow down. Carbohydrates will provide the quick-burning energy you need for those anaerobic situations and help to limit the production of ketone bodies and lactic acid. Additionally, it's the aerobic type workouts that actually burn fat tissue. Increasing muscle size via weight lifting - an anaerobic, non-fat burning activity - allows for more fat to be burned during normal activity levels.

For running start out walking 1st, then lead into the running phase. [red]A word of caution[/red]: the 3rd week into a running program, you'll feel lower joint soreness and will actually need to [i]stop[/i] running & resume walking while the lower extremeties are adapting to the new stresses they've encountered. After about a week, the soreness should subside and you can resume running again. Be sure to invest in a good pair of running shoes. Dr. Scholl's running shoe inserts are also a plus.

Take me, for example: I am rather small, at 5'8" & 145lbs, and at one point, I required about 2800 kcals/day. I receive much of my calories from carbs and have never gained a pound. Your activity level is important, but balancing nutritional requirements is the real key: the more kcals you're burning, the more latitude you've got, but you need to get the right amounts of fats, proteins, carbs + those "essential vitamins & minerals". Don't forget to drink water, either.

*Disclaimer* Work w/your physician or a trainer to figure out your baseline and balanced nutritional needs, particularly if you've been sedate for some time. And yes, take it slowly.

Try to mix it up some - swimming, lifting - in lieu of focusing on just one thing, if possible. This will reduce the wear/injury risks and promote all-around development. Of course, no one ever died from skinny arms. But, it could make it difficult to really handle a hot-n-heavy session of AR/AK/FAL/pistola/et al music-making! [heavy]

Hope this helps!

Lots and lots of sex.
With women, preferably.
Best exercise there is.

First off, the diet:  Carbs are not bad.  If you want to lose the flab and rip up a bit, cut the fat, not the carbs.  You need a good protein intake, but you'll reach a point of diminishing returns with additional protein.  Most guys already eat plenty of protein, but they're heavy on fat.  Focus on cutting the fat for the most impact.  Fat is the last thing to be metabolized by your body so its the first thing to turn to flab.  Fats are also more than twice the calories of carbs or proteins per gram.  Thus for equal serving sizes, the food with a higher fat content will have a much higher caloric content.  Carbs should be the bulk of your diet, but it should be in complex carbs (bread, pasta, rice); stay away from simple carbs (sugars) with the exception of fruit.  A lot of people mistake carbs for the problem - they're not, its usually all the fats we add to the carbs.  Its the tons of sour cream on a baked potato, the bucket of melted butter on the popcorn,  the creamy ranch dressing you drench your salad with, and the oil the potato chips are cooked in that are the real problem - its not the potatos, salad, or popcorn.  Start reading labels and try to cut the fat back to 10% (of total caloric intake) of your diet.

Exercise - I don't think anyone has mentioned it, but if you can find something to hang off of, chins are excellent, especially for biceps and lats (the muscles on your back that give you that "V" shape going from your waist to your shoulders).  I'm still working to recover from my surgeries this past summer, but normally when I go to the gym I do three or four sets of chins, about 15 reps per set.   Just do as many chins as you can.  Push-ups are a must.  Give yourself a time limit - maybe 30-45 minutes - and do as many as possible in that time frame.  Keep track of your numbers and just keep increasing the number of reps within that time frame as you are able.   Same thing with sit ups.  For both chins and push-ups, vary your grip.  Do about half with a wide grip, and half with a close grip.  Always push yourself as hard as you possibly can.  Get into some sort of aerobic exercise - running, biking, swimming, whatever.  Just make sure its something that gets your heart rate up for a good period of time while you're doing it, and its something you can stick with long term.  I tried running in college and hated it, so  I started going to an aerobics class.  It helped get me in shape, and even though I didn't like doing it, all I had to do was think of all the good looking chicks there jumping around in their tight workout clothes and all of a sudden I just couldn't wait to get there. [:)]

One foot in front of the other. Repeat until exhuastion.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Very helpful.

I would like to know what foods would be good to eat, especially ones that I can make myself and take to college.

Shaggy makes a good point. Some of us CAN'T cut out carbs due to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia, sp?).
For shits and giggles (and also to reduce effort when running and pull-ups) I cut all sodas and as much fat from the diet as I could. I eat a LOT of low-sodium tuna, grilled fish, and grilled and/or baked chicken, and drink coffee and water copiously (the coffee is an Army habit).
I lost about 10 lbs in 2 weeks, never fluctuates more than 2 lbs. The weight loss is slightly slower now, but as stated above the running/biking/swimming combined with push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups is getting the muscles defined without too much bulk, and the fat is slowly melting away.

[b][size=1]Don Out[/size=1][/b]
[b][size=4][red]AIRBORNE!
2/505 PIR
H-MINUS[/red][/size=4][/b]

There are 2 ways to lose fat, both rely on the same method.  

#1 - reduce your caloric intake.  This is the diet method we are all familiar with.  When the calories consumed per day < calories expended per day, you have a net loss of weight.

#2 - My favorite way to lose weight is to increase my matabolism.  Not at all that hard to do once you learn how to listen to your body.  Do some light cardio 3 times a week.  Running or jogging will work fine.  Shoot for a target heart rate of (220-AGE)*0.70.  This is a good range to be in.  If you do your cardio first thing in the morning you will have the benefit of your metabolism being higher throughout the day.  If you jog right before you go to bed (when your metab. drops through the floor) you have mostly wasted your time.  

Eating is the next biggest issue during this method.  You need to eat smaller meals, more frequently.  Not 3 large meals, try 3 smaller meals, yet include 1 or 2 healthy snacks inbetween.  At first you will feel like a pig.  Once your body gets out of 'starvation mode' and realizes that it is not facing any kind of famine it will not store excess energy as quickly.  Eat high protien foods like chicken, turkey, tuna; all high protien with low fat.  A higher protien will help safeguard you against having your body cannibalize muscle tissue for its protien.  Be moderate with carbohydrates (grains, pasta, leguemes), try to avoid sugars, and be sure to include some polyunsaturated fats in your diet.  Vitamins must have fat to be transported around the body.

Drink lots of water, cold water.  Your body has to heat that water up before it can process it, and heating it burns calories.  If you drink a gallon or more of water a day, lay off of salt and soda, it is entirely possible that you will drop  several pounds in the first week.  Don't be alarmed, that is the excess water that you have been holding in your skin.  You can tell when you are dropping water, you will pee ferociously for a day or two.  Your weight lost per week will quickly drop to about 1-2 pounds a week.  Remember, sodium pulls water into your skin (bad) potassium pulls it into your muscles making them look more full (good).

If you feel you want to go to the gym to tone/build muscle by all means go for it.  I usually lift more when I diet hard.  Some people say it preserves some muscle size, others say it doesn't matter.  I'm not taking the chance.

Good luck to you!

Libertyof76 -

If you have the time and desire, you may want to also consider martial arts training, such as a style of karate or kung-fu.

I had to stop training for a while due to job constraints, and my weight ballooned to 250 lbs. When you are 5'10" tall, and not all of that weight is muscle, that ain't good.
With the excess pounds came hypertension, lower back problems and trouble with my knees. When I returned to karate last year (I practice a style called American Kenpo), it was hard in the beginning because of the extra baggage I was carrying. But between the exercise, and making just a minor adjustment in my diet, I am now at 227 lbs, and still going down. The spare tire is just about gone, I have more muscle tone and stamina, and I just feel better in general.

Any kind of aerobic excercise will be helpful.
Good luck in whatever you do.  

Food is pretty easy.  Like I said; you just have to start reading the "Nutrition Facts" label on foods when you go to the store or start cooking so you'll know exactly what you're putting in your body.  Read the serving size and amount in calories of fat, carbs, and protein - try and cut the fat to 10% or less of your daily caloric intake.  Just remember this: one gram of fat has 9 calories while one gram of carbs or protein has 4 calories.  3500 extra calories = 1 extra pound of fat on your body.

Here's a quick list of stuff to avoid, or use sparingly because they're high in fat - peanut butter, fried foods, butter, cream cheese, most candy, regular and 2% milk (milk is excellent, but use 1% or skim only), pastries, donuts, mayonnaise, cheeses.  Avoid McDonalds, White Castle, and other fast food places like the plague.  Also avoid creamy salad dressings, high fat meats (hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, salami, bologna, chicken with the skin on), ice cream.

Stuff thats fine includes - pasta (no alfredo sauce, easy on the cheese, use lofat red sauce), rice, popcorn (preferably air popped & easy on the butter), tuna fish (in water, not oil), potatos, fruits & veggies, 1% or skim milk, low-fat and lean meats (baked or grilled chicken w/o the skin or  a lean cut of beef, pork, or ham).  Breads & cereals.  Snack foods like crackers and chips are tricky because some are low in fat (most pretzels, saltines, grahm crackers) and some are very high in fat (most potato chips, tortilla chips, cheese curls) - you'll just have to read the labels carefully for snack foods.  

Power Lift: Bench Press/Squat/Dead Lift.
Become so strong, so that if anyone calls you fat, you'll be able to pop their head like a zit.

Eat lots of meat and greens.
Don't eat bread/pasta/rice.
Drink MORE beer. Lots MORE.

[size=1][red][b]NOOOOOO!!!!![/b][/red][/size=1]
DON'T pay attention to the last line! Just do 100 extra sit-ups!!! The caveat here is to drink LITE beer (this is difficult, as Guiness makes a good meal), the "drink less beer" thing is just Officer drivel (they have no sense of humor, especially Jarheads![:D])

[b][size=1]Don Out[/size=1][/b]
[b][size=4][red]AIRBORNE!
2/505 PIR
H-MINUS[/red][/size=4][/b]

You're right.
I don't know why I said it.
I was just trying to fit in.
I wasn't thinking.
I read it somewhere.
I, I, I....
I apologize to everyone for suggeting they drink less beer.

I would never cut my own beer consumption, so I shouldn't suggest that others should.

LOL!!! You FUNNY, GI, I choose you!

[b][size=1]Don Out[/size=1][/b]
[b][size=4][red]AIRBORNE!
2/505 PIR
H-MINUS[/red][/size=4][/b]

P.S. I take back the sense of humor comment- It is just a SUBTLE sense of humor!

Whatever you decide to do, just keep doing it, or a percentage of it.  If you think about how long it took for you to gain the weight you have, probably over a period of years, then you'll realize that small percentages over time can make a big difference.  After all, you don't have a deadline, like a show or competition, so you can take your time.  I'm 73 years-old, and I've looked for training partners for much of that time.  Every single one of them has started-out with a bang.  They run until exhausted and lift weights every day.  Then a month later, they get tired of it and quit.  Ditto with their diet.  They make radical changes that they can't live-with.  Instead, cut down the calories a little and excersize a little.  You might feel like you're doing too little or it's too easy, but if you stick to it, you will succeed in the end.z

Unless there's something wrong with you (glandular disorder, etc.) the only way to lose weight is to consume less calories than you burn.  You can do this by cutting back the stuff you normally eat, replacing what you normally eat with lower calorie foods, or excercise.  I found the easiest way to cut calories out of my diet with the least upheaval was not drinking cokes or juices.  Instead I'll drink tea (unsweetened or with sweet and low), water, or Gatorade.

I'm down over 20lbs from my max weight (340lbs) over a period of 3 months by simply cutting the crap out of my diet and slowly introducing more physical excercise.  I drank diet sodas instead of regular ones for a while, but have moved to water instead.  I don't drink at all, except for a pint of Guiness, but that's very rarely.

I tried to avoid all fast food, except Subway.  You can get footlong subs with no mayo/cheese that are low in fat and less than 600 calories, and you won't be hungry for a while.  Just eating Subway for lunch and drinking water or a diet coke or water instead of grabbing a burger and a coke has helped a lot.  I'm still way overweight, but I see definite results.  I bought a suit last night and was amazed at how much smaller I've gotten.  The pants I'm wearing right now are literally falling of me because they're too big.  That has never happened to me, and I'm so excited that I can't wait to keep on it.

I also get more excercise as I can work it into my schedule.  Even if it's just doing situps in the office or taking a brisk walk around the complex during a break at work.  Sex is damn fun excercise too! [:D]

Good luck!

God Bless Texas

If you want to lose weight, reduce total & bad cholesterol, reduce triglycerides and raise your good cholesterol you need to:

1.  CUT the carbs.  There is essentially no difference between simple and complex carbs.  In minutes both are flooding your bloodstream with glucose. Cutting out the carbs will not cause you to become hypo-glycemic.  In fact excess carbs can be the main case of hypo-glycemia. You'll lose weight, you won't get hungary between meals and you'll feel great.  

2.  Increase your exercise.  Fast walking or swimming is ideal. Throw in some running if you can.  Do some resistance or weight training and you'll feel and look great.

3.  Avoid low fat/no fat foods.  If your cutting out the carbs you need the additional fat in your diet. Contrary to popular belief fat doesn't turn to fat.  

Do a search on "low carbs or no carbs".  You'll find tons of good sites and articles.