New idea for weight loss

[Tyler883]

I was thinking about doing a 5 days per week cardio program at home.

Weigh myself on monday morning each week....

on any weeks that I don't lose at least 1lb of weight, I'll add 5 minutes of cardio to each day.

and on any week that I do lose more than 3lbs of weight, I'll take 5 minutes off of each day.

I'm guessing that my minute per day will eventually stabilize.

Any bets on what that number will be?

I betting on 45 minutes per day to consistantly cause a 1-3 lbs weight loss( I'm assuming a progressive and slow improvement in diet over time)

[Beachgirl]

Is this included in your strength training program? If not, my suggestion is you stay clear of only using cardio as a means to loose weight. The more muscle mass you have, the more fat you burn through-out the day. Something to think about.

Besides, you don't want to be a thin flabby guy, do you?

[calgarygts]

I guess it would work, it's all about intake and consumption. If you're going to do that why don't you weigh yourself everyday? Get a more consistent look at your weight. I would stay away from weighing once a week as there are too many things that can make your weight fluctuate a couple of pounds. Yesterday I was 181, I'm betting today I'm under 180 (got drunk on the weekend).

[hockeybronx]

Rather than doing hours of cardio, why don't you up the intensity and save yourself some time.

Start learning about what's called "explosive training". It's pretty much as easy as setting two cones about 20 feet apart and sprinting back and forth.

Now of course you'll need some variation, so that's when you add in stairs, rocks, balancing, jumping, turning, twisting etc.

Running for hours is great, but it's also the reason why people quit exercising after the second day. With explosive training you are going hard for 40 seconds to a minute then resting, and it's more of a challenge than turning your mind off and running.

Explosive training also builds a ton of muscle in the legs, it makes your quicker, more agile, and more flexible.

[1-Cent]

Cardio in the morning before you eat anything traditionaly burns the most fat, why mess with a good thing? I think you're making this overly complicated when it doesn't have to be...

[Beachgirl]

Originally posted by hockeybronx
Rather than doing hours of cardio, why don't you up the intensity and save yourself some time.

Start learning about what's called "explosive training". It's pretty much as easy as setting two cones about 20 feet apart and sprinting back and forth.

Now of course you'll need some variation, so that's when you add in stairs, rocks, balancing, jumping, turning, twisting etc.

Running for hours is great, but it's also the reason why people quit exercising after the second day. With explosive training you are going hard for 40 seconds to a minute then resting, and it's more of a challenge than turning your mind off and running.

Explosive training also builds a ton of muscle in the legs, it makes your quicker, more agile, and more flexible.



I do alot of explosive training with my clients.

Try doing some sport drills. I've got a ton.

As far as the cones, to mix it up set up the cones in a circle, four in total, sprinting from one side to the next, (sideways) and forward and back, add a medicine ball to up the intensity.

Also some regular drills, do 10 pushups, sprint to the other side, do 10 situps, sprint back and start at 9 pushups and so on.
^^ this one almost makes me sick.

You can use steps, setting up a row of them, jumping up on them, or over them, making them higher as you go.

For lower body strength try running back and forth slightly seated, knees bent. Then try adding a medicine ball, standing straight up every 5 steps.

It would take hours to tell you all the drills I use and do myself.

Im a big believer that you don't need all these fancy machines to get an effective workout, just an imagination.

[Beachgirl]

Originally posted by 1-Cent
Cardio in the morning before you eat anything traditionaly burns the most fat, why mess with a good thing? I think you're making this overly complicated when it doesn't have to be...

True, to an extent, but, shocking your muscles whether it be during cardio or strength training is always the best way.
If I were to go 3 months of cardio in the morning as you say, going from, jogging, to stairclimber, eliptical (stay away from btw, no impact = deterioration of cartilage etc.)
Yeah I'll see improvements but my muscles will become bored, and I'll plateau, you can plateau with your cardio routine it's just as simple as it is with your strengthening routine.
So just doing it every morning isn't enough to be the most effective.

Cardio wise your body improves I think it's 20% within 2 weeks, that's why they say a routine change every two weeks is important.

[1-Cent]

We're talking about fat loss here, which is simply creating a daily calorie deficit, 500 is a good starting point. You want to do it first thing in the morning because you're already in an immediate calorie deficit when you wake up after not eating for 8 hours, its just easier plus you don't have to worry so much about how many calories you've eaten all day long planning around your cardio routine later in the day... You can platue with cardio in terms of performance but when hes after fat loss thats really not a concern if I get his motives.


Originally posted by Beachgirl


True, to an extent, but, shocking your muscles whether it be during cardio or strength training is always the best way.
If I were to go 3 months of cardio in the morning as you say, going from, jogging, to stairclimber, eliptical (stay away from btw, no impact = deterioration of cartilage etc.)
Yeah I'll see improvements but my muscles will become bored, and I'll plateau, you can plateau with your cardio routine it's just as simple as it is with your strengthening routine.
So just doing it every morning isn't enough to be the most effective.

Cardio wise your body improves I think it's 20% within 2 weeks, that's why they say a routine change every two weeks is important.

[Tyler883]

I want to ensure a calorie deficit while maintaining a calorie intake above my BMR.

Sorry guys, I'll stick to my recumbant bike and eliptical until I can safely handle impact activities, but for now I need to lose about 100 lbs first.

But that doesn't mean that I won't try to reach new levels of intensity. Why don't I make 1 or 2 days a week interval training, and the other 3 strictly a fat burn?

[1-Cent]

Originally posted by Tyler883
I want to ensure a calorie deficit while maintaining a calorie intake above my BMR.


You lost me there bro lol isn't that contradictory or am I just not understanding what you mean here?

100lbs is a big goal, what are your current stats and goal stats? (realisticly speaking)

[Tyler883]

BMR - Base Metabolic Rate - i think it is the amount of calories that I would burn if i sat in bed for 24 hrs. some people reccomend that you never eat less than this amount, right?

I'm 350+ and my last body comp test said that I have 232 lbs of lean body mass. I used to have around 190 lean body mass but i've been messing around with wieght training since 1998.

my first goal is get down to a reasonable weight that takes me out of the long list of health risks that I'm in. 250 lbs seems to be a good arbitrary number.

When I get there, if I get there, i will need to reassess things, one thing is for certain - none of my stats will be the same. But whatever they may turn out to be, they will be one hell of a lot better than now, as long as I can make it a lasting change.

[1-Cent]

What is your height and age if you don't mind me asking? Giving the right advice to someone who's 40 is somewhat different than to someone who's 18.

Are you using any supplements or anything of the sort or just going at it with cardio and weight training along with diet.

[Tyler883]

36 yrs, 5'10

no suppliments,

except whey protien but i don't use the whey protien as a meal replacement, it's something I'll add to a low protien breakfast or snack.

I am capable of 60 minute eliptical sessions at a heart rate of 130 bpm with short intervals up to 150 bpm.

My weight training is done with free weights, but i have an upper and lower pulley system, and i splurged one day and bought one of those 99$ seat calve raise benches.

My diet is a fucked up as I am( just being honest, a guy doesn't get to my weight by eating healthy)
but when I'm trying its around 2400 calories, 3 meals per day with a "balance every meal" aproach that is roughly 40/20/40 (protien, fat, carbs) I know I'm going to hear criticism about this but its really not that bad if I could practise what I preach, right?

IMO, my biggest problem I don't have a well established routine with regards to anything in my life like wake ups, work hours, meals, etc. it's difficult to attached an exercise routine to a daily routine that doesn't exist.

[BlueFrenzy]

All the suggestions are excellent as posted above. I truly think that you got to really get the diet under control. I'm sure you've heard of many many different protein/fat/carb breakdowns but I believe that the key is stay within a specific caloric range (ie your 2400), but instead of 3 meals .. how about try 6 small meals through out the day. Why? The thermic effect of digestion/feeding ... you expend additional energy digesting the food through out the day ... hence increase your BMR.

Interval training is great to boost your metabolism for a number of reasons. With just standard cardio, you are expending xyz amount of calories while staying under the anaerobic threshold. This is great for improving your cardiovascular health but not much in terms of providing a calorie deficit. With interval training, you are pushing past the anaerobic threshold and forcing muscles to go anaerobic. This is "harder" on the muscles and force the muscles to recover afterwards. So say you expend xyz during the interval training, but once you cool down, you body needs to recover from the "damage" done from anaerobic exercise hence expending more energy. Ha ha .. why do you think sprinters are so ripped?

The other thing related to this, is weight training. Same idea, with lifting, you are causing micro-tears in the muscles. So you might be expending a certain amount of energy during the workout, but your body continues to burn energy to recover afterwards (keeps your metabolism at a higher rate due to proteolysis, protein synthesis, gluconeogenesis, etc). Don't believe me, then why after a particularly intense workout (with very little rests) you feel warm for many hours after. I've had times where I had trouble sleeping because I feel "hot" from working out (no no ... not because of the cute girl on the treadmill). I believe that studies in the Journal of Exercise Physiology have shown that the heightened metabolism lasts for up to 24-36 hours! Awesome! Good luck and keep us posted.

Oh one more thing .. to stick to a routine you might want to find a workout buddy that is particularly sadistic ... so that he'll keep you on track :)

[403 Forbidden]

Proper diet (5 moderate meals/day) and moderate pre breakfast cardio = fat loss. It's not rocket science.

[Tyler883]

Originally posted by BlueFrenzy


Oh one more thing .. to stick to a routine you might want to find a workout buddy that is particularly sadistic ... so that he'll keep you on track :)

LOL - that's an excellent idea. someone to lean on to help me stay on schedule, yet pushy enough to make me work my ass off.

thanks guys

[1-Cent]

Originally posted by Tyler883
36 yrs, 5'10


If I were you, I'd goto the doctor and ask to have blood work done to check out your thyroid function and also ask to have your Testosterone (free, serum, whatever else he thinks is applicable) level looked at, being that you're 36 you might get lucky and be put on HRT if its low which would help.

[Tyler883]

Hormone replacement therapy? What are the benefits of doing this?

BTW, I had some blood work done in 1998 after a 6 month workout program that yeilded little results. Tests came back as normal. I am certain that thyroid was one the things tested, but I haven't got a clue if testosterone would have been tested. My main problem at the time was sleep apnea left undiagnosed.Now, I use a CPAP machine when i sleep, CPAP treatment is 100% effective, BTW.

[1-Cent]

Well if your serum test is low, you will have a harder time losing fat and gaining lean tissue, it would obviously hold you back a lot. I know a lot of guys who discovered they had low test levels and when they went on HRT it really helped them in many aspects of life - weight training, fat loss, libido, decreased lethargy, improved mood, etc. Finding a generous doctor is always nice too... theres a lot of variation in HRT therapies, make sure you research a lot if its something you want to do.


Originally posted by Tyler883
Hormone replacement therapy? What are the benefits of doing this?

BTW, I had some blood work done in 1998 after a 6 month workout program that yeilded little results. Tests came back as normal. I am certain that thyroid was one the things tested, but I haven't got a clue if testosterone would have been tested. My main problem at the time was sleep apnea left undiagnosed.Now, I use a CPAP machine when i sleep, CPAP treatment is 100% effective, BTW.

[Tyler883]

Originally posted by 1-Cent
Finding a generous doctor is always nice too... theres a lot of variation in HRT therapies, make sure you research a lot if its something you want to do.



I don't have a family doctor, what should I do?

[1-Cent]

Originally posted by Tyler883


I don't have a family doctor, what should I do?

Look in the yellow pages for a doctor specializing in Endocrinology and see if hes got openings

[fast95pony]

Tyler , you don't need to do anything drastic. I lost 70+ lbs slowly , by eating better and walking. But first of all,you have to want to loose weight and start DOING something about it.
Get a decent pair of walking shoes ,stick a Walkman/Ipod on your butt,and hit the pavement.Start SLOWLY . Just a half a K or so.Try go each day for 15-20 minutes. At the same time ,start drinking water instead of pop,and try to eat fruit instead of junkfood. You'll be suprised how much you loose . It will take time. Trust me,you will feel better about yourself. Last July I could hardly handle a flight of stairs . Two weeks ago I ran my first 5K race.

You can do it too !! :) :thumbsup:

Alan

[Tyler883]

Originally posted by fast95pony
Tyler , you don't need to do anything drastic. I lost 70+ lbs slowly , by eating better and walking. But first of all,you have to want to loose weight and start DOING something about it.
Get a decent pair of walking shoes ,stick a Walkman/Ipod on your butt,and hit the pavement.Start SLOWLY . Just a half a K or so.Try go each day for 15-20 minutes. At the same time ,start drinking water instead of pop,and try to eat fruit instead of junkfood. You'll be suprised how much you loose . It will take time. Trust me,you will feel better about yourself. Last July I could hardly handle a flight of stairs . Two weeks ago I ran my first 5K race.

You can do it too !! :) :thumbsup:

Alan

Wow! Congratulations on losing over 70 lbs, Alan.

And, to do that since july of last year is still better that 1lbs per week average, that shows some excellent commitment and consistancy in your efforts.

[fast95pony]

Originally posted by Tyler883


Wow! Congratulations on losing over 70 lbs, Alan.



Thanks very much ! :clap:
Now it's your turn..:thumbsup:

[Davetronz]

Hey Tyler...
Back when I started highschool I was 230 lbs. I was always a bigger guy... I was playing high level hockey at the time and dropped down to 170 lbs. It was the best feeling ever. I had so much energy and felt a lot better about myself. The first time around I played hockey 5 days a week and started eating a lot healthier. I never touched weights or did anything other than cardio... I realized that I lost a lot of strength doing this method. Sure I was skinnier and faster but I was getting CREAMED by the bigger dudes...

Shortly after highschool I began having panic and anxiety issues. I was put on some medicine which caused me to gain 100 lbs in a couple of years. Once again everything went down the shitter... I felt like crap and I wasnt happy about anything (but the pills numbed everything so I didnt really bother doing anything about it).

About a year ago I broke up with my girlfriend and decide it was time to start taking care of myself. I was 280 lbs at my heaviest and I felt like garbage. I began to cut out everything from my diet that was considered junk or fast food. I also started walking, not running or jogging but walking once a night for 30 minutes. With the diet modifications and the excercise I am now back to 175 as of this morning. Once again I feel really good... Now the panic and anxiety have had a large part of this weight loss as when I feel like shit because of my head I tend not to have an appetite.

I am not a personal trainer, I am not a body builder or a guy who pumps weights but I was a big guy twice in my life and I know how it feels. I would recommend some cardio and healthy lifestyles to bring yourself down to a weight where you feel comfortable to persue lifting weights or working on toning. Then you can take it from there...

Building muscle for myself is pretty tough due to the fact that I have a really bad back... But I think it is time that I start working on getting some muscle back as well.

As a final note, be sure to speak to your doctor and maybe get a full physical before starting any workout routine... And remember, what you read on beyond isnt a substitute for seeing a doctor and finding out what is best for your fitness level and your age.

-Dave

[403 Forbidden]

^^^
Best advice in this thread.

[Tyler883]

Thanks guys, you have helped establish that it is possible.

I'm off to my wife's hometown next week, I think I'm going to come back and start something hardcore....

...but this time hardcore won't mean big plans that are hard to keep, instead I'll work on small BUT PERMANENT changes in lifestyle.

If I can make a 1% improvement in lifestyle each day, thats a huge lifestyle change in one year, right?

Well, anyway, thats the direction you guys have me thinking.

[Davetronz]

Good luck Tyler, keep us updated.

[Tyler883]

Update:

- I'm waking up by the alarm clock each morning to establish a regular time that I can do workouts when my wife and kid aren't awake

- drinking lots of water at work

- setting up my cupboards with healthy choices

- looking to pick up a pocket sized notepad, so I can start a journal

- still looking for a workout partner, my wife has never been interested for more than 1 day a week

- just spent the day fixing up the basement with entertainment center for my cardio sessions.

- new pair of hiking boots, gonna break them in a work, then use them this winter in some of the city parks

- still looking for a bathroom scale that is rated for 350+ otherwise I might be several months before I can measure any progress

[1-Cent]

Originally posted by Tyler883
Update:

- I'm waking up by the alarm clock each morning to establish a regular time that I can do workouts when my wife and kid aren't awake

- drinking lots of water at work

- setting up my cupboards with healthy choices

- looking to pick up a pocket sized notepad, so I can start a journal

- still looking for a workout partner, my wife has never been interested for more than 1 day a week

- just spent the day fixing up the basement with entertainment center for my cardio sessions.

- new pair of hiking boots, gonna break them in a work, then use them this winter in some of the city parks

- still looking for a bathroom scale that is rated for 350+ otherwise I might be several months before I can measure any progress

You could get a medical scale (you know the ones in the doc's office w/ the counter weights), they'll do 400lbs but are somewhere around $300

[Tyler883]

Originally posted by 1-Cent


You could get a medical scale (you know the ones in the doc's office w/ the counter weights), they'll do 400lbs but are somewhere around $300

That's an awesome idea, I wish I didnt have to think like a cheapo ...

This close to christmas, my wife will be upset if I spend that kind of money, besides I would like to be a bit stingy on this, it doesn't have to be acurate, just consistantly inacurate will be fine :)

I checked some prices today, Shopper's drug mart has a bathroom style scale that is good to 380 lbs. it only costs $129

I did a search on the internet for other bathroom style scales and they can cost $20-80, but not 1 of them is rated for more than 330.

If I don't find a better price by the weekend, I guess I'll break down and buy the $129.

[hockeybronx]

If I were you I would stop wasting time looking into buying scales and use the time to push your training harder.

So often I find myself getting side-tracked searching on the internet for the newest fitness stuff instead of doing what really makes me feel better... working out.

Don't be so caught up with the fine details of your progress, when you hop in the shower and look at yourself in the mirror you'll be able to see yourself progressing.

$130.00 for something that doesn't accurately assess fitness levels just isn't worth it when it doesn't even make you fitter. Body fat readings are way more valuable in your assessments than weight scales are.

Go for a good walk with your wife instead of surfing around looking for weight scales.

[Tyler883]

Agreed, the workout was the first thing I did this morning. took 2 hrs - warm up, weight train, cardio, sauna, then the 3S's.

However, I must warn you that its in my nature to get caught up in the detail....perhaps. only when the workout has been done, right?

I'm off to buy a scale, and a journal at lunch.

Cheers!

Tyler

[mercedesdriver]

Originally posted by hockeybronx
Rather than doing hours of cardio, why don't you up the intensity and save yourself some time.

Start learning about what's called "explosive training". It's pretty much as easy as setting two cones about 20 feet apart and sprinting back and forth.

Now of course you'll need some variation, so that's when you add in stairs, rocks, balancing, jumping, turning, twisting etc.

Running for hours is great, but it's also the reason why people quit exercising after the second day. With explosive training you are going hard for 40 seconds to a minute then resting, and it's more of a challenge than turning your mind off and running.

Explosive training also builds a ton of muscle in the legs, it makes your quicker, more agile, and more flexible.

that's an awesome idea, shall try it out! :D

[sputnik]

Dont bother with scales at all. Measure your progress with the way your clothes fit.

[hockeybronx]

Originally posted by Tyler883
Agreed, the workout was the first thing I did this morning. took 2 hrs - warm up, weight train, cardio, sauna, then the 3S's.

However, I must warn you that its in my nature to get caught up in the detail....perhaps. only when the workout has been done, right?

I'm off to buy a scale, and a journal at lunch.

Cheers!

Tyler

3s's? What are they? Shower, shave,?

Anyways yeah it's in everybodys nature to get caught up in those things. It's good to be educated as long as it's not causing you to miss workouts like it has to me at times. Sounds like you have a good routine going, what a great way to start your mornings!:thumbsup:

[Tyler883]

Thanks, its good for you to point out the importance of not getting side tracked on details. I am guilty of that.

BTW, 3s= Sh#t, shower, shave, maybe not in that order

[hockeybronx]

Originally posted by Tyler883
3s= Sh#t, shower, shave, maybe not in that order

Ahh yes... gotcha.