Critique my lifestyle change!

Hello folks!

I'm new to these forums so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Justin, I'm a 25 year old male from Calumet, MI. I weigh in at a lean(haha) 245lbs as of 3 days ago with a goal of 165-170lbs. Since the nice weather has started, and I've been able to be outside more I've noticed I'm not in as much shape as I have been in the past.

So I've decided to change my lifestyle. Here is what I have been doing so far.

-I drink at least 64 ozs of water a day. Nothing else, maybe a glass of green tea in the morning.

-I start out with breakfast. Usually Oat meal, Apples and cinnemon. just boiling water, no sweeteners or milk with it.

-2.5-3 hours later I then have a Slim Fast shake with Skim milk.

-2.5-3 hours later I have a Cup and a half to 2 Cups of veggies. Green Beans, Asparogus...something along those lines.

-2.5-3 hours later I have another Slim Fast shake.

-2.5-3 hours later I have a sensible meal. Usually some kind of chicken with a veggie and something with some fiber. Either brown rice or a wheat pasta.

I take One a Day Men's Health Formula multivitamin.

For a workout(Don't laugh! haha) 3-4 times a week, I pop in a video of Gunnar Peterson's Core Secrets. The workouts are about 30 minutes long with free weights and also being on the ball really helps me work my abs/core.

Now, a few questions.

I have some Muscle Milk, should I replace one of my meals with a shake, or should I wait before bed to drink a shake on the days I get this workout in?
And, Should I eat breakfast before or after I work out? I've been eating my breakfast about 10-15 minutes after I wake up, waiting 30 minutes then doing my workout.
Also, should I increase the ammount of times a week I do my workout being the sessions are only 25-30 minutes?

Sorry to write an essay!! I figure I have to be pretty detailed with this stuff to get the answers and critiquing I'm looking for!
 
the diet seems a bit light on the protein side. You also might want to consider some free weight exercises focusing on compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, chins, bench, etc) to build some muscle which will speed up your metabolism and fat loss.
 
i think you should replace sesible meals instead of slim fast shakes like a tuna sandwich and veggies a chicken salad or something, im not a big fan of meal replacement unless you dont have time and then you just wanna get some protein somewhere but if you have time to eat, eat!!! but welcome to the forum and goodluck with your goals, you will succeed.
 
More protein, at every meal. Where are the fats? Olive oil, flax, nuts, whatever. You have none. Do you know how many calories you need to maintain? Also, I agree with whoever said to do big compounds...squats, deadlifts, rows, pullups, dips. Fun and will do wonders for your body.
 
i think you should replace sesible meals instead of slim fast shakes like a tuna sandwich and veggies a chicken salad or something, im not a big fan of meal replacement unless you dont have time and then you just wanna get some protein somewhere but if you have time to eat, eat!!! but welcome to the forum and goodluck with your goals, you will succeed.

I agree....real food is the way to go. Slim-Fast and these meal-replacement bars are for people on the run. Granted the Slim-Fast offers 2 things:

1) A regimented portion....unlike "real food" you aren't tempted to eat a bit more of slowly rationalize a larger portion. With Slim-fast what you get is exactly what you get.

2) I forget the 2nd thing :D

From what I gather, your MASSIVELY changing your life and probably looking for a fast change. That weight took some time to get there, don't expect it to drop-off all that quickly. Fast diets are intolerable and inevitably end in failure. It isn't rocket-science, you just need to eat healthy balanced meals to the tune of a 20% calorie deficit and start incorporating some excercise (both cardio & weights) into your life. 'Muscle-Milk' and all that cutting-edge supplements are for body-builders who are looking to tweak every angle for maximum results. In your case, you're really focused on losing fat and maintaining and perhaps gaining a bit of muscle. It's almost like someone who just learned how to bike asking about the custom $10k carbon-fiber uber-competitive bikes on the market. I admire and applaud your interest to make the most of your dieting efforts...but for at least 4-6 months let's just run with a moderate calorie-cut and some exercise.
 
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