Looking to cut the flab....

[Vagabond142]

Fact: I'm sick of being fat

I guess the first step is admitting that :P

I'm sorta looking to do a complete reboot of my health and image. I'm not going to be turning into a fashion-hunting ape, no. I'm just wanting to lose my paunch, regain some tone, and generally change my look (I'm keeping a beard going (trimmed to half an inch), growing my hair long (but looking after it as I do, not gonna end up greasy/hoboish)).

The hair and facial hair are easy to get. The hard part is the abdoment and under my chin. Both areas are... well, flabby. My manboobs are larger than some natural boobs on the females of our species.

Diet: I would think balanced. I try to keep breads out as much as possible, but get the same nutrients from other fibers such as beans. I have meat every other day, drained of most fats. I have greens almost every day, with some mixup going on (brocolli one day, spinach next, lettuce with tomatoes and crumbled cheese the next, etc). I drink only water, I've completely knocked out sodas from my life. I will have a glass of juice here or there, and it's usually orange juice.

Workout: what I need to reboot. I've done the heavy cardio style, I've done supercircuit, I've done low-weight-high-reps, I've done high-weight-low-reps... I've done it all, and I've tried to do it consistently.

With the facilities available (SAIT Rec Center), I have a pool, weight room, and many raquet sports available to me. I would like to get an hour's worth of swimming in on Wednesdays, with cardio machines on the Monday and weight circuit on Friday. In between, I would like to play an hour's worth of racquetball with friends on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

How does this sound to you fitness gurus?


Also, any posts with good advice will be highly appreciated. Another aspect of all this is that I want to get my stamina back. I get short of breath just climbing a steep hill :\

[KRyn]

First off quit playing WOW, that shit is horrible and does not benefit you in any way, shape or form.

Second losing weight honestly has more to do with what you put in your mouth than what you do in the gym. However cardio and the gym will help you along your way greatly. If you are looking for serious results get ready to make some serious life style changes. Check out t-nation.com and read read read.

Third wait for Darkane to chime in, he is a fountain of knowledge that you can tap into.

[A790]

A couple months ago I pretty much said the same thing. I was never "fat", but I was definitely overweight. I hit the gym 3/4 days a week with a mixed weight/cardio routine and made some small changes to my diet.

I've lost a TON of fat in two months.

For fat loss I believe you should be focusing on the large muscle groups. Things like benchpress, squats, deadlifts, and pullups are going to be your new best friends. Working larger muscle groups burns more calories and releases fat-burning hormones into the body.

The other thing to note is that you really have to take your cardio seriously. A friend of mine and I went to the gym the other day and he was bragging about how he'll do 45 mintues on the treadmill easy. Sure enough we get on the treadmill and he burns 215 calories in 30 minutes. I burned 520. The difference there is immense.

3,500 calories is roughly one pound of fat. Your cardio is going to be your fat-cutting friend that you hate seeing but love what he does for you. Mix it up too: try interval training, hill clubs, bikes, rowing machines, treadmills, whatever. Try it all. Keep it mixed and varied, and make sure that you keep your heart rate up and the calories burning.

Other than that, the rest is diet. Try to avoid eating carb/calorie heavy meals past 7 pm, and get plenty of protein. I don't know why you only have meat every couple of days: lean protein kicks fat's ass. Lean chicken, fish, and steak (mmmm) can be your sidearm against the evil fat, with properly portioned meals and exercise being the mean weapon.

Trust me, when you first embark on your adventure it will seem daunting and you will want a Honey Crueller doughnut so goddamn bad for some reason... but then, after a few weeks, you'll notice changes. Your arms are stronger and more defined, your shoulders are broader and more defined, and your waistline is shrinking. A few weeks later people that you haven't seen in a while will go "hey, I'm sad, you're losing your double chin" and all will be right in the world.

Suddenly you'll feel empowered to take it further, to train harder, to eat better, and take it more seriously. You'll have more energy, you'll sleep like a baby, and you'll fuck like a wildcat in the sack with the stamina equal to the combined might of the Justice League, Batman, and the Canadian Olympic Team. It's good shit buddy, enjoy!

[Vagabond142]

Hehehe there's nothing wrong with WoW. I use the same chair to play WoW as I do when reading, writing, watching movies, or other recreational activities :) So unless my chair is the problem, I don't see the effect there :P

[Vagabond142]

I guess I should also mention that I am 6 feet tall and weigh 251 lbs at last measure (2 weeks ago). My body type has been defined as "tall and stocky" by my doc, who also gave me a BMI measurement but I don't, for the life of me, know where it is.

I'm not aiming to become the next Arnold Schwarzenegger, not by a long shot. I also don't really want to lose WEIGHT, I want to lose the flab covering the goods :)

[A790]

Originally posted by Vagabond142
I guess I should also mention that I am 6 feet tall and weigh 251 lbs at last measure (2 weeks ago). My body type has been defined as "tall and stocky" by my doc, who also gave me a BMI measurement but I don't, for the life of me, know where it is.

I'm not aiming to become the next Arnold Schwarzenegger, not by a long shot. I also don't really want to lose WEIGHT, I want to lose the flab covering the goods :)
That's all well and good, but to reduce fat you need to reduce your overall body fat. Best way to do that is with a manged diet and exercise.

Weight training and a good cardio regimen are exactly what you need. Weights will put on lean muscle and tone ya up, burning fat and increasing your metabolism over time as you pack on muscle. Cardio burns fat and increases your metabolism over time.

Basically, the more muscle mass you put on the more calories your body will burn just for having them.

[Oz-]

Use fitday or some other free website to track what you eat for 4-7 days. This will give you a much more objective view on your diet, be honest on it as you will only be cheating yourself.

www.redpointfitness.com is a good website that has a lot of information and also helps you with a workout routine and your nutrition. The people behind the site are fantastic trainers and have trained all types of people.

[KRyn]

Good call on cutting out calorie rich drinks, also try and cut all simple sugars together! Start drinking 3L of water a day, this will help increase your basal metabolism.

Fitday is a great tool, track what you eat for a few days to see how many calories you are roughly eating. This will help you to make smart food choices and see where you can cut unneeded calories!

[KRyn]

Also don't take to heart what a BMI tells you. When I got my last physical my doctor told me I had a BMI that said I was boarding on being morbidly obese.

[GQBalla]

Werd ^ my bmi says I'm overweight.

[1997GSR]

Diet. Cardio. It won't be easy but once you see results it is great.

[A790]

Originally posted by 1997GSR
It won't be easy but once you see results it is great.
He speaks the truth.

[Vagabond142]

So what kind of regimen should I look for? The 16 week gut-to-cut challenge? The Spartan workout (300 fitness routine)? Full cardio? Days, times, goals, etc... help me plan for success :D

[BenC]

remember not to overtrain yourself
Make sure not to go overboard on calorie counting, remember your thyroid needs calories.
Watch your carbs more

As mentioned above Drink lots of water, not enough water, and your body will retain more water weight.

Eat frequently, 6 times a day. And try eating spicy like peppers and such. Lots of antioxidents and polyphenols.

Cardio + weights.
Try to burn only 300-350 calories of cardio a day (30 - 45 mins) Then hit the weights. As mentioned they all help you burn calories and weightlifting triggers anabolic hormones.

Keept your stress down, don't want those cortisol levels up!

And just keep at it, and don't get discouraged ever. it WILL come

[Realistic]

all of this information is pretty good..

thanksgiving I was a mere 300lbs. at 6'1".. I was overweight, obese, fat, useless.. call me what you will.

That day I changed how I ate, how i exercised, how I thought about losing weight.

I started by upping my water intake to 19liters a week, thats just my home intake. at work at every break, I drink water.

my eating style went from sugary breakfasts/large lunches, and bigger suppers to a small bite to eat before work (6), small serving of fruit/yogurt at 10, small lunch, another piece of fruit at 3. medium sized supper on nights i have hockey, and small meal on nights i don't.

my exercising consists of hockey. 4 times a week. i started with merely drifting.. to playing a lil more consistently... and now i'm balls to the wall.

I quit being shit foods cold turkey.
out of sight, out of mind.
i'd prefer to eat nothing than have cookies/chips/chocolate.

I've lost 45 lbs and am at 255.. i plan on being 200 by march 1st.
if you want to join me. that'd be cool. i'm moving to calgary

[bigbadboss101]

Hey you are in Fort Mac. I live in Calgary and work in Fort Mac M to Thursday.

Good progress. Did you used to eat Cafeteria food everyday? I do and am thinking I should change.

[Realistic]

Right on, where do you work/

no, i try to keep away from the cafeteria food..

[cityhunter2501]

I lost ~30 lbs in 2 months last winter when I was taking NNT at SAIT, was losing 3-5lbs a week.
I'm 5'10, was ~230lbs, in 2 months I was down to 200lbs.

basically I was working out at WHC for 1-1.5hrs mon-thurs after class and before I would work as lab monitor
what I would do is 20min cardio, then 50min weights.

and I was still eating as normal
breakfast - coffee/green tea and pastries
lunch - pizza, burger, viet sub, 4-9, pho every friday
dinner - all I would eat was a sandwhich w/ occasionally veggie dip or soup

I dont go to the gym anymore but I do boxing now instead (still 3-4times a week), I'm at 188 right now, my goal is to get to 175-180 by spring.

[Wildcat]

Originally posted by A790
and you'll fuck like a wildcat in the sack

This is true, i am pretty fucking incredible.

[GQBalla]

Originally posted by cityhunter2501
I lost ~30 lbs in 2 months last winter when I was taking NNT at SAIT, was losing 3-5lbs a week.
I'm 5'10, was ~230lbs, in 2 months I was down to 200lbs.

basically I was working out at WHC for 1-1.5hrs mon-thurs after class and before I would work as lab monitor
what I would do is 20min cardio, then 50min weights.

and I was still eating as normal
breakfast - coffee/green tea and pastries
lunch - pizza, burger, viet sub, 4-9, pho every friday
dinner - all I would eat was a sandwhich w/ occasionally veggie dip or soup

I dont go to the gym anymore but I do boxing now instead (still 3-4times a week), I'm at 188 right now, my goal is to get to 175-180 by spring.

damn earl you have lost a lot of weight since weve been in school.

my goal was to be 180 by december 31st, but im only at 172 today...

i shouldn't be writing this in the thread but im looking to gain weight ahahha flab...meh i dont really care ive actually lost fat while trying to gain weight.

[jwslam]

Originally posted by cityhunter2501
I lost ~30 lbs in 2 months last winter when I was taking NNT at SAIT, was losing 3-5lbs a week.
I'm 5'10, was ~230lbs, in 2 months I was down to 200lbs.

that's sick dude.

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by Vagabond142
Hehehe there's nothing wrong with WoW. I use the same chair to play WoW as I do when reading, writing, watching movies, or other recreational activities :) So unless my chair is the problem, I don't see the effect there :P

Go ahead and play WOW. Just make sure to sit up straight and don't slouch. Every once in awhile, engage your abs and core to straighten yourself out and hold it for awhile. You'd be amazed how much you benefit from doing that.

[Antonito]

Originally posted by Vagabond142
Hehehe there's nothing wrong with WoW. I use the same chair to play WoW as I do when reading, writing, watching movies, or other recreational activities :) So unless my chair is the problem, I don't see the effect there :P

Then yes, it is the chair :nut:

[Zigo]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=972440

Check that site out, just stay away from the off-topic section.

[natejj]

Originally posted by Zigo
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=972440

Check that site out, just stay away from the off-topic section.

My gawd... how have I not discovered these forums before. The off-topic is F'n Hilarious!

[Vagabond142]

Originally posted by Antonito


Then yes, it is the chair :nut:

Well, I do sit up straight (my chair doesn't let me slouch), because that is the most comfortable position to sit. I do take stretch breaks every 45 minutes or so when gaming, do some neck rotations, side leans, etc etc.

[Vagabond142]

I honestly think my hardest adaptation will be discipline. I was a constant grazer last year, to the point that I physically cannot eat potato or tortilla chips anymore (my body just told me: "ENOUGH!!"). That's when it kicked into my head that I might need to change. It's been 8 months since then, and I've knocked sodas, most forms of caffeine (except tea with a dash of 1% milk in the morning, as I can't handle coffee), all junk foods (no chocolate, no chips, only "healthy" cookies (oatmeal raisin, for example) and with them, only one when I feel snackish).

My problem, as I can see it, is going to be dedication to the routine. I'm also trying to form a routine using body weight only, as I am significantly heavy and at times I will not have full access to all gym equipment or the pool, and I want to keep consistency in my routines. I'm also thinking of buying a $5 basketball (cheapo el cheapy) and putting a rope up in the garage than hangs a foot above ground level with a loop to put my foot in, and doing stability pushups, arched situps and crunches, stability bridges, etc, at odd times to "surprise" my body into using fat for fuel... kinda like, one morning, outta bed, immediately down with on hand on the ball, the other on the floor, 10 quick reps, then into the shower... next day, when I get home from school, both forearms on ball, tense the abdomen, do 4 bridges, go about my day. Next day, in the garage, one foot in the loop, other ankle crossed over, 10-20 pushups, one hand on the ball. This is all supplemental to the regular workouts. A lot of the bodyweight proponents said to use constant variety and different angles and to surprise your body to get "flash burns" going.

Are there any tips or tricks that any of you can suggest to get over the two dedication plateaus? (starting and staying, and waiting for results because they come slowly)

Also, what are some "safe snacks" I can take with me for during the school day? I'm thinking precut fruits in measured portions in containers, but most research I've done says to not overdo the fruits. It also suggest cottage cheese (which I like, but I loathe to transport that in my bag o_O)

[max_boost]

Try this.

My buddy lost 25lbs from this thing. I'm still skeptical because doing this would probably kill you. :nut: :dunno:

http://www.lifetrainingonline.com/blog/lemonade-diet-recipe.htm

[1997GSR]

Originally posted by max_boost
Try this.

My buddy lost 25lbs from this thing. I'm still skeptical because doing this would probably kill you. :nut: :dunno:

http://www.lifetrainingonline.com/blog/lemonade-diet-recipe.htm

wow. :eek:

[Toma]

Cardio... traditional cardio... does not work, never worked, and will never work... it will only lose muscle.

And do lose FAT, you need to build muslce since muscle is what burns calories to begin with.

By cardio, we are talking tradtional, aerobic, 40 minutes at like 60% heartrate shit.

And I mean shit.

I dunno who pedals this crap anymore, and if they still do, they should be shot.

Cardio is dead!

Let me rephrase.... cardio as it was done for "fat burning" is dead... ie, target heart rate of 60-70% of max for about 40+ minutes....
It never did work, other then degrade your muscle and waste time, and your metabolic rate returns to normal within a few hours.

Something like wind sprints (walk half a block, then sprint for all you are worth for the other half, repeat 20 times) however works great, and can elevate your metabolism for 36 hours. However... this is more anaerobic....

I figured this out on my own 20 years ago... I was 272 coming out of high school, and dropped to 217 on Atkins + weights. I hit a sticky spot, and tried 40 minutes cardio 2x a day for about a month. Didn't lose a pound, just energy and strength.... plus look at all the fatties at the gym that have been going for years, you only see them on the StairMaster, and they are still fat.

In fact, real scientist are now studying this stuff, I have notes I scribbled down here in my Journal... hard to read, but I think it was in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 1999, Vol. 31, No. 9: 1320-1329, they took 3 groups... diet, diet plus aerobic activity (4 times a week x 30 minutes, escalating to 50 minutes over 12 weeks), and dieat plus weights. The aerobic group lost no significant weight over the diet group. The diet plus weight training group lost 34% more FAT then the other 2 groups.

Another similar study found that fairly intense weight training for fat loss not only dropped more fat then cardio... it also did so WITHOUT losing any muscle. In fact, it built muscle even in subjects that were on a 1200 calorie a day diet!! Think about that! 1200 calories a day, the diet only, and diet + aerobic group losing similar fat, the aerobic group losing more muscle... but the diet plus weights put on muscle! I'll have to find a reference, I think it was 2004 in the Euro Journal of applied Physiology...

[Jim Rome99]

Originally posted by Toma
Cardio... traditional cardio... does not work, never worked, and will never work... it will only lose muscle.

And do lose FAT, you need to build muslce since muscle is what burns calories to begin with.

By cardio, we are talking tradtional, aerobic, 40 minutes at like 60% heartrate shit.

And I mean shit.

I dunno who pedals this crap anymore, and if they still do, they should be shot.

Cardio is dead!

Let me rephrase.... cardio as it was done for "fat burning" is dead... ie, target heart rate of 60-70% of max for about 40+ minutes....
It never did work, other then degrade your muscle and waste time, and your metabolic rate returns to normal within a few hours.

Something like wind sprints (walk half a block, then sprint for all you are worth for the other half, repeat 20 times) however works great, and can elevate your metabolism for 36 hours. However... this is more anaerobic....

I figured this out on my own 20 years ago... I was 272 coming out of high school, and dropped to 217 on Atkins + weights. I hit a sticky spot, and tried 40 minutes cardio 2x a day for about a month. Didn't lose a pound, just energy and strength.... plus look at all the fatties at the gym that have been going for years, you only see them on the StairMaster, and they are still fat.

In fact, real scientist are now studying this stuff, I have notes I scribbled down here in my Journal... hard to read, but I think it was in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 1999, Vol. 31, No. 9: 1320-1329, they took 3 groups... diet, diet plus aerobic activity (4 times a week x 30 minutes, escalating to 50 minutes over 12 weeks), and dieat plus weights. The aerobic group lost no significant weight over the diet group. The diet plus weight training group lost 34% more FAT then the other 2 groups.

Another similar study found that fairly intense weight training for fat loss not only dropped more fat then cardio... it also did so WITHOUT losing any muscle. In fact, it built muscle even in subjects that were on a 1200 calorie a day diet!! Think about that! 1200 calories a day, the diet only, and diet + aerobic group losing similar fat, the aerobic group losing more muscle... but the diet plus weights put on muscle! I'll have to find a reference, I think it was 2004 in the Euro Journal of applied Physiology...

I don't know about that man, went from 232 lbs-182 lbs in three or four months a few years ago just by eating right and doing twenty minutes of cardio on an eliptical machine every night about two hours before sleep time. Didn't touch a single weight once.

[max_boost]

Originally posted by Toma
Cardio... traditional cardio... does not work, never worked, and will never work... it will only lose muscle.

And do lose FAT, you need to build muslce since muscle is what burns calories to begin with.

By cardio, we are talking tradtional, aerobic, 40 minutes at like 60% heartrate shit.

And I mean shit.

I dunno who pedals this crap anymore, and if they still do, they should be shot.

Cardio is dead!

Let me rephrase.... cardio as it was done for "fat burning" is dead... ie, target heart rate of 60-70% of max for about 40+ minutes....
It never did work, other then degrade your muscle and waste time, and your metabolic rate returns to normal within a few hours.

Something like wind sprints (walk half a block, then sprint for all you are worth for the other half, repeat 20 times) however works great, and can elevate your metabolism for 36 hours. However... this is more anaerobic....

I figured this out on my own 20 years ago... I was 272 coming out of high school, and dropped to 217 on Atkins + weights. I hit a sticky spot, and tried 40 minutes cardio 2x a day for about a month. Didn't lose a pound, just energy and strength.... plus look at all the fatties at the gym that have been going for years, you only see them on the StairMaster, and they are still fat.

In fact, real scientist are now studying this stuff, I have notes I scribbled down here in my Journal... hard to read, but I think it was in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 1999, Vol. 31, No. 9: 1320-1329, they took 3 groups... diet, diet plus aerobic activity (4 times a week x 30 minutes, escalating to 50 minutes over 12 weeks), and dieat plus weights. The aerobic group lost no significant weight over the diet group. The diet plus weight training group lost 34% more FAT then the other 2 groups.

Another similar study found that fairly intense weight training for fat loss not only dropped more fat then cardio... it also did so WITHOUT losing any muscle. In fact, it built muscle even in subjects that were on a 1200 calorie a day diet!! Think about that! 1200 calories a day, the diet only, and diet + aerobic group losing similar fat, the aerobic group losing more muscle... but the diet plus weights put on muscle! I'll have to find a reference, I think it was 2004 in the Euro Journal of applied Physiology...

Hey bro,

I normally like reading what you have to say but WhattheEFFF man? You have any links to these claims?

:nut: :eek: :dunno:

[kutt3r]

Originally posted by Toma
Cardio... traditional cardio... does not work, never worked, and will never work... it will only lose muscle.

And do lose FAT, you need to build muslce since muscle is what burns calories to begin with.

By cardio, we are talking tradtional, aerobic, 40 minutes at like 60% heartrate shit.

And I mean shit.

I dunno who pedals this crap anymore, and if they still do, they should be shot.

Cardio is dead!

Let me rephrase.... cardio as it was done for "fat burning" is dead... ie, target heart rate of 60-70% of max for about 40+ minutes....
It never did work, other then degrade your muscle and waste time, and your metabolic rate returns to normal within a few hours.

Something like wind sprints (walk half a block, then sprint for all you are worth for the other half, repeat 20 times) however works great, and can elevate your metabolism for 36 hours. However... this is more anaerobic....

I figured this out on my own 20 years ago... I was 272 coming out of high school, and dropped to 217 on Atkins + weights. I hit a sticky spot, and tried 40 minutes cardio 2x a day for about a month. Didn't lose a pound, just energy and strength.... plus look at all the fatties at the gym that have been going for years, you only see them on the StairMaster, and they are still fat.

In fact, real scientist are now studying this stuff, I have notes I scribbled down here in my Journal... hard to read, but I think it was in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 1999, Vol. 31, No. 9: 1320-1329, they took 3 groups... diet, diet plus aerobic activity (4 times a week x 30 minutes, escalating to 50 minutes over 12 weeks), and dieat plus weights. The aerobic group lost no significant weight over the diet group. The diet plus weight training group lost 34% more FAT then the other 2 groups.

Another similar study found that fairly intense weight training for fat loss not only dropped more fat then cardio... it also did so WITHOUT losing any muscle. In fact, it built muscle even in subjects that were on a 1200 calorie a day diet!! Think about that! 1200 calories a day, the diet only, and diet + aerobic group losing similar fat, the aerobic group losing more muscle... but the diet plus weights put on muscle! I'll have to find a reference, I think it was 2004 in the Euro Journal of applied Physiology...

LOL I am not even going to look at the other Journals...
:facepalm:

Conclusions: These data indicate that a weight-loss dietary regimen in conjunction with aerobic and resistance exercise prevents the normal decline in fat-free mass and muscular power and augments body composition, maximal strength, and maximum oxygen consumption compared with weight-loss induced by diet alone.

So what this study tells me is:
The diet/stregth/areobic was the best combination...

1200 calorie diet... that is too low for most women, I don't need to know more.

Apparently marathoners are fat....and everyone on this board should be shot, as I think you are the only one selling this propaganda.

[ZorroAMG]

Ok, so how does one get more cardiovascular stamina without doing cardio Toma?

Sure, you can be ripped as fuck, solid muscle but if you wind yourself throwing your backpack over your shoulder and walking to your car, I'd HARDLY EVER consider that "in shape". Are you saying that diet and weights will increase your cardiovascular ability?

Stamina is important for other things than just weights, you know....;)

[Toma]

Yeah, I got it wrong... the group that did cardio and diet lost less muscle then the straight diet group... weight training group lost least muscle by far, but gained strength .

[Toma]

Originally posted by max_boost


Hey bro,

I normally like reading what you have to say but WhattheEFFF man? You have any links to these claims?

:nut: :eek: :dunno:
Here is a good one....

The take home message seems to be form numerous studies that if you are dieting to lose weight, you will lose muscle UNLESS you weight train.....

and in this study, they found that your Vo2 max increased the same amount whether you did traditional cardio, or hit the weights, but only the weight training group kept ALL their muscle and increased their rmr - resting metabolic rate (the straight aerobic group had reduced rmr)

Sooo... if weights give you the same cardiovascular workout, preserve your muscle mass, lose just as much or more fat, and increase your rmr.... what is the point of cardio??

I dont have medline access at the u anymore, so here are the online abstracts...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204826

Here is another interesting one
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8028502

another similar one...

[Toma]

I had notes on this one too... but I can't find an online abstract summary....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16873398

And this guys pages I just found seems well written....just going over it now... compares shirt high intensity work, versus traditional cardio (long duration, low intensity).

http://evidencebasedfitness.blogspot.com/2007/04/thanks-to-mike-knowles-who-suggested.html