Fat guy in a little coat

S

Shadowman

0
First off, sorry for the long post, but I've read so many where most of the replies are "give me more info so I can help", so I'm going to head it off at the pass and give you more than you ever wanted to know. So grab some caffeine and bare with me!

Stats: 41 years young, 5'11" or 6'1" with my boots on, 234 (currently). I have a desk job, and 2 kids (should count for some exercise).

About 3 years ago I hit my all time weight of 262. At that time I knew I had to do something. I quit smoking for the 3rd time, and when I realized I had a handle on that I used the same mental motivation to loose weight. Like 2/3 of America, I used the Atkins approach. I was serious about it and it worked, and I dropped 40 lbs. However, it wasn't what I could use as a "lifestyle" change. So I went off and gained 20 lbs back. I've been sitting at 240 for about a year and a half. The beginning of 2008, as my waist was pushing the limits of my pants, I decided to try the exercise route for a change. Even with exercise induced asthima I started running 5K's (sounds better then 3.2 miles) 4 days a week. I eventually got off the Asthima medicine, nice, right? After I wore out my treadmill and recumbent bike (cheaper models), I decided to join the local gym by my house. I went off and on all summer, with the kids sports schedule and work I was having a hard time. ( I know just excuses).

Today, I've been hitting the gym pretty regular (4 days a week) and this time I thought, hey, why not throw a little diet in with it. For the first few weeks I maintained my weight, although started seeing signs of muscle growth. All good, right? Then I got serious about eating right, and reduced portions and watched what I was eating. Trying to stick with whole foods and avoid junk as much as possible. Although Atkins isn't for me long term, it did teach me about nutrition (Alot more then I knew before). I'm starting to see the lbs come off running a caloric deficit so I'm sticking with it for now.

What I'm looking for is some assurance I'm doing what I need to do based on my goals, or advice on what I can do to change things up a bit to get where I need to be.

Goals: I would like to be 190-195, with my frame I think anything less might look anorexic, but I'll judge that when I get there. I don't want to have pythons for arms, nor do I necessarily need a six pack, although I've never had one, might be something to look at in the future? I would just like to be tone and healthy.

Areas of Concern: I have the dreaded Moobs, which I would like to get rid of, so I've been focusing on chest exercises. However, both my rotor cuffs (Shoulders) are shot, so heavy weights for the chest get painful and I don't feel I'm getting good concentration on the chest area. Secondly, the belly. I know both of these are going to be a result of diet, so that's what I'm doing, but still strengthening them as I go. Legs, they tend to build too big, so I'm not doing anything for muscle building and letting the cardio, work to define and build lean muscle.

Exercise: 3 days min in the gym. Usual agenda is lifting for 30-40 min on one area of the "Upper" body. Chest/bis 1 day, Back/Tris next, shoulders next. After weight lifting I head to the elliptical for 35 min on "Fat burn" mode. Then to the treadmill for 15 min of jogging/running. (I've been experimenting with LIIT on the treadmill working my way up to HIIT). In addition, 1 day a week I get in a high intensity game of racquetball for a min of an hour.

Exercise Questions: Can I get away without doing strength training on my legs? I've factored the cardio in for my legs, but because they tend to get big fast and then I can't find pants to wear? Or because it is a larger muscle group am I doing myself a disservice?

Diet: My BMR is estimated to be around 3,000 calories. I'm trying to stay around 2,000, but is that going to be too low? Will my body go into starvation? Like I mentioned I'm really just focusing on smaller portions and whole foods, not really following a strict diet of any sort. During the week I get a min of 1 gal of water in per day, on weekends its a little harder, but I avoid soda all together with the exception of a diet soda on the weekends.

So, there you have it. Again, I've spent the past week going through hundreds of threads and have got great info. So now I'm putting myself out there to make sure I'm doing it right, based on what I've learned, or looking for advise to improve my current program. If you made it this far. THANKS for caring.

Would love some feedback. Thanks to all.
 
First off congratulations on the weight loss so far (and life style change):D

You should get a lot more pro answers than mine,but IMO opinion i would stick to doing a leg workout maybe push/pull upper/lower split.Working ALL major muscle groups will enhance weight loss.

As for eating 1000 cals below maintenance i cant see it being a problem at the moment(as you have 40+lbs to lose to reach your goal)

If you`re feeling too hungry then eat some more... 1000cals is quite alot to play with.

Once again you will get more educated answers..good luck
 
Marko is bang on. I also recommend incorporating legs into your workouts ;)

I can relate to the problem of not finding pants to fit ... despite what you see in my avatar, my legs are not skinny. And just because you're working your legs, that doesn't mean you have to go heavy.

When you're working out your legs, your core heavily comes into play to stabilize (IMHO far more than when you're doing upper body workouts). So work your legs ;)
 
First off, congrats on getting where your at!

Secondly, Great job organizing all of this information. It makes it alot easier to give our opinions with basic information, and you went above and beyond that.

Lastly: I completely agree with Marko and ILM. I saw that you said you have bad "rotor cuffs." Are you able to do pushups and stuff like that? THere are a ton of different style push-ups you can do, and you'll build muscle by using your own bodyweight. Really the best thing you can do is carefully try different chest exercises with lighter weights and see what works for you and what doesn't.
 
Cobalt's right ;)

If you do shoulder girdle strengthening exercises, push ups should be OK. Just don't squeeze your shoulder blades together when you're doing push ups. Keep your shoulder set and don't move them. The only thing that should be moving in a push up is your elbow.

Please don't do them if it hurts your shoulders.

And I would be remiss if I did not congratulate you on getting to where you're at right now! :)
 
First off, congrats on your weight loss so far! It's not an easy thing so good for you with sticking with it. I am sure your children are one of the main motivators to getting yourself back in shape.

Now as for your plans. They are right where they should be, but remember your diet plan is your biggest challenge and the most important factor in loosing weight. You want to make sure you are eating whole foods, proteins, fats (yes sounds silly right?) and carbs. You should be incorporating proteins into all your meals and should be eating complex carbs (long grain rice) and proper fruits and veggies.

If you feel ok with a caloric deficit of 1000 cals then go for it. If you are feeling weak and not yourself one day then eat a little more. I personally cannot handle a 1000 calorie drop in my daily intake but 500 seemed to work just fine.

Make sure you do a full body workout. You don't need to kill your legs, but the simple act of lifting helps boost your metabolism as you body repairs the muscles..i.e. you burn more calories--->lose more weight.

Use cardio as an add-on for helping along your caloric deficit. It shouldn't be your main focus but a combination of weights and cardio as you have been doing is the best.

Most importantly keep at it! Keep a journal on here with your daily food intake, your exercise plans and anything else you want to talk about. Its much easier when people are behind you to keep going through a tough time. It's easy to slack if no one knows what you're working towards.

Good luck!
 
Hey, thanks to everyone who took the time to reply. I figured through all of my reading on this site I was on the right track, but wanted to make sure.

In addition, I added legs to my strength training last night. OUCH! GOOD CALL! Although I didn't want to build my legs, and thought the running and cardio would take care of it, I realized they had a little further to go when I got on the machines and couldn't see a lot of definition. Also, as mentioned, leg exercises do contribute more to the your core.

So, for right now, I'm going to stick with the plan, it seems to be working. I'll start a journal and keep track of my exercise and diet so that as I start getting a big head and fall off track, I can go back to what worked and ask for that cyber kick in the gluts.

Regards.
 
Shadowman, I'm impressed! You are a true inspiration to anyone like me that has a long ways to go (lose 60 lbs) & needs to get in shape!! Good luck on Keep on keeping on!
 
good luck to you!! I don't think leg exercises are that necessary if you simply want to lose weight. Just don't look unproportional lol.
 
I'll just throw this in to spice things up and offer another perspective.

The biggest key to fat loss is diet; the body is very efficient....it's easier to diet the weight off them exercise it off, but that's NOT to suggest exercise isn't critcially important...it's just to stress that more then anything the diet is the key. I myself felt I wasn't getting the results I should have been seeing...when I really truly put my intake under the microscope, my intake was higher then I thought...those calories stack-up REALLY fast and most people's hesitation in keeping a food-journal is due to their really not wanting to see/know the truth. Less food = less fat: live it, learn it, burn it! ;)

Exercise is important because:

1) It's good for our circulatory, respiratory, cardiovascular and just about every system we have in our bodies! It is the fountain of youth...:party2:

2) It burns calories as we do it and added muscle continues to burn calories even as we sit idle....:sleeping:

3) When we diet, it's said that nearly 1/3 of our "loss" comes from lean muscle...the body seeks to lighten our caloric needs as a preservation response and adjust to the lower intake. By placing a nominal load (use) on our muscles, we are telling our bodies that we can't spare the lean muscle and so we maintain our muscle-mass. It falls into the category of "use it or lose it".

You probalby lost a lot of lean muscle while on Atkins, that and a lot of glycogen & the associated 3:1 ratio of water required to keep that glycogen. Your "gain" after deviating from Atkins probably wasn't entirely fat, it was your body replenishing and adjusting to the increased caloric intake....BUt at least you're on the right path now!

Exercise and proper diet is the RIGHT way to lose fat and be healthy....avoid "secret proportion" diets and fads of the sort.

Oh yeah

4) Chicks dig muscles :costumed2:....rumor has it some even Love Muscles and profess accordingly...but those wild chicks are up in Canada so ya know, anything goes! :D


So as for legs...I don't do 'em, or I just get a bit with my trainer cause she's an evil b!tch who likes to work me hard and she, amongst other things, has a thing for legs. But before her, I didn't bother. I spin, bike and play racquetball....that cardio was more then enough to build huge calves n' quads. Lots of guys, particuarly those who were formerly heavy, have big legs and from the sound of it, you're running my path in the same manner. So I say, if your legs are already big, nicely shaped and powerful....then I'd rather see you spend more time on other parts of your body or doing some cardio. So if you're looking for a 'pass' on legs, there's your legit rationalization.

And hey, congrats on your progress!!!
 
as for the legs you can incorporate a cardio with a leg routine for 2 in 1. grab some lighter weights 15lbs or something and do jump squats or runs stairs that should incorporate the big muscles of the legs but also give you the cardio your in need of also
 
Thanks again for all the replys. BSL, I hear ya on the diet side of things, I'm realizing more and more that the diet is going to be the key.

My downfall has always been having success! I know it sounds weird, but as soon as I start seeing progress, which I have definitely seen, I start to become lax on my plan and start eating things I shouldn't. I took a look back at my diet journal over the past week and aside from not maintaining it properly, I've realized that I am back to my old habits, thinking I can get away with it as long as I'm going to the gym. Luckily I've caught myself early and only wasted a week. I'll get back to it.

I've got to set a new goal for the end of the year. Something that has nothing to do with a number, but with a mental state of mind. Thanks again for all the help.
 
Shadowman said:
Thanks again for all the replys. BSL, I hear ya on the diet side of things, I'm realizing more and more that the diet is going to be the key.
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Amen to that brother! :)

Diet is EVERYTHING. In fact, millions of people have lost tens and even hundreds of pounds with just diet alone! Before the core-group get too excited, I'm NOT suggesting exercise isn't part of a solid program, just saying that diet alone works and has worked for many people.

I've watched friends & neighbors just cut-down on calories and take a few walks...and wham: the pounds start melting off!

As my nutritionist says, it's easier to diet the fat off then to try to exercise it off. An hour of exercise may burn 1-1.5 ounces of fat...while cutting just 500 calories from your daily intake results in 2-ounces of fat burned.


Shadowman said:
My downfall has always been having success! I know it sounds weird, but as soon as I start seeing progress, which I have definitely seen, I start to become lax on my plan and start eating things I shouldn't. I took a look back at my diet journal over the past week and aside from not maintaining it properly, I've realized that I am back to my old habits, thinking I can get away with it as long as I'm going to the gym.
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Dude....you & me both!!!!

It's easy to slip back....you work HARD, you feel you can enjoy yourself a bit and slowly but surely our daily intake slips up without our noticing.

What I'm convinced of is that your body strives for equillibrium...it doesn't want to lose weight. When you exercise, you burn both fat AND glycogen....you're body isn't stupid, it knows the glycogen is gone!

So check this out and really think about it: would you sleep if you didn't get tired? would you bother having sex if there wasn't a phenominal Big-O involved? Would you bother dating a girl if she didn't put-out? ;) My (obnoxiously made) point is: would you eat if you didn't feel hunger???? Or another way of looking at it is this: immediately after you have a HUGE meal...are you interested in eating more? No, you're even uncomfortable and all hormonal urges of true hunger (barring psychological) are entirely null.

In the end, we'd like to think we operate & behave based entirely on our own decisions...but we're not: we are slaves to our bodies needs...and our body manipulates us (YES, MANIPULATES) through our hormones and what-not. Day in and day out, we service & react to our bodies needs....and we don't even realize it. Some of it is involuntary, but our body manipulates.....

Bottom line, the body knows the glycogen has been burned/spent and it's going to hammer the crap out of you with divine & supreme TRUE hunger until, like the roving mouths that we are, we fulfill that need. So, you burn it up, your body strives to put it back. Sure, there are respiratory, circulatory and other health benefits derived from excercise....but in so far as burning calories....you can bet your bottom carbohydrate that your body will "encourage" you to replenish what you've burned...and that's our downfall. Because we exercised so hard and feel light n' lean....we tend to accidently feel entitled to eat a bit more...and food has more calories then we generally realize!

Go ahead, have that big salad, eat a bunch of vegetables and graze to your hearts content....try to convince your stomach it's full...but if you're like me, the body won't stop nagging until the blood-sugar comes up and some internal mechanism tells you you're content. Or maybe it takes a few hours before all that roughage (which is high-content in water) breaks down and you're again hungry. THERE IS NO FOOLING THE BODY.

Hey man....this morning I did 2 spin-classes and ran on the treadmill, then I swam a mile in the pool. My HR-Monitor recorded 4 hours and some 2,800 calories. I had some breakfast, a protein shake and Sharkey's Naked Chicken Tostada (420 calories) for lunch. I'm running a HUGE deficit right now...but dammit: I will not, WILL NOT lose any damn fat unless I endure this. Am I hungry? AM I HUNGRY? OH hell yes....but after a year+ it truly comes down to enduring hunger in order to make progress. All these people who say "you shouldn't be hungry when you're on a diet".....oh P-p-p-please!!! It's a calorie deficit....what part of deficit don't they get??

Anyways...I'm on another rant. Just know that what you are going through is pretty typical and I TOTALLY understand, empathize and relate. So my advice to you is...just make it happen, by any and all means. This is the time to look great and enjoy life....we'll have plenty of time to look baggy and fall apart when we hit our 80's...so until then, rip it up!
 
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