Really want to make this a good summer!

D

Desmond

New member
Hello everyone,

This is my first time posting on these boards and im pretty excited about it. I have been reading many of the topics on here and it really motivates me to start with my weight loss journey.
So to start things off, i am about 5'5" and weigh 152 lbs (weighed myself today). I know 152 isnt that much but when you're a little guy like me and with my eating habits, it's enough haha. I really want to try and get down to maybe 135 or 140, that would be great! What i really want to happen is that i lose that weight by June (i am going on vacation the first week and there are tons of beaches!).
I wanted to ask a couple of questions before i start my journey, just to make sure i dont make any silly mistakes.
1. Does dieting have to be really strict for weight loss to happen? I dont eat too horribly but i dont eat very healthy either. I go out to eat a few times a week and drink soda too, but i love salads and fruits and veggies!
2. I know weight lifting is recommended, but in November i dislocated my shoulder and was in a sling for 6 weeks. I personally think its fine now, as i dont feel pain or have ever had a problem with it, i just dont want to damage it again (it really freaked me out!)
3. Is my journey realistic? To lose 10-15 in just 2 months? Of course i will continue this life style after my trip but i was just curious.

Thank you very much!


PS: i kinda have man boobs (either that or my 'pecs' arent very built) and i am sort of embarrassed by them, so i really want to either get rid of them or tone them. Plus the love handles killlll me, they have to go!

Here are some pictures i took today:
 
Desmond said:
Hello everyone,

This is my first time posting on these boards and im pretty excited about it. I have been reading many of the topics on here and it really motivates me to start with my weight loss journey.
So to start things off, i am about 5'5" and weigh 152 lbs (weighed myself today). I know 152 isnt that much but when you're a little guy like me and with my eating habits, it's enough haha. I really want to try and get down to maybe 135 or 140, that would be great! What i really want to happen is that i lose that weight by June (i am going on vacation the first week and there are tons of beaches!).
I wanted to ask a couple of questions before i start my journey, just to make sure i dont make any silly mistakes.
1. Does dieting have to be really strict for weight loss to happen? I dont eat too horribly but i dont eat very healthy either. I go out to eat a few times a week and drink soda too, but i love salads and fruits and veggies!
2. I know weight lifting is recommended, but in November i dislocated my shoulder and was in a sling for 6 weeks. I personally think its fine now, as i dont feel pain or have ever had a problem with it, i just dont want to damage it again (it really freaked me out!)
3. Is my journey realistic? To lose 10-15 in just 2 months? Of course i will continue this life style after my trip but i was just curious.

Thank you very much!


PS: i kinda have man boobs (either that or my 'pecs' arent very built) and i am sort of embarrassed by them, so i really want to either get rid of them or tone them. Plus the love handles killlll me, they have to go!
Click to expand...

Well, first of all, your pics don't look as bad as you think. Trust me.

Dieting doesn't have to be super strict, but you absolutely must pay attention to your calorie intake. It can really sneak up on you if you're not careful.

Soda = Anti-Weight Loss. Get rid of it. It's no good. Water and Skim Milk should be the only thing you use to quench your thirst if you're serious about losing.

Salads/Veggies/Fruits are good, but make sure you get the protein you need and the carbs for energy. Just please watch the amount of calories. I can't stress it enough :) Check online for BMI/BMR and Calorie calculators to get a sense of where you stand and how much you should be eating daily. Google results will give you dozens, and each one seems to give a slightly different number, so just look at a few to get an average of where you stand.

Cardio is key, so I'd just focus on that with light strength training mixed in.

Strength training is important of course, but start slowly and get a sense of how your body reacts - even if it's only 1 set of 10 bicep curls and you barely break a sweat. If it feels ok the next day, increase it very gradually (especially because of your injury). Although don't do it every day. Cardio is fine to do throughout the week, but I'd throw a rest day in between any days you do serious strength training. I'd recommend consulting a doctor beforehand just be safe.

10-15 pounds is realistic in 2 months. I made up a little chart of my own weight loss and, if you look at it (), I'm averaging about 10 pounds every 2 months - and that's after about 80 weeks of a continuous regimen. When I first started, I was dropping 10 pounds in less than a month sometimes, but as my body adjusts, I constantly have to tweak my calorie/exercise, so the process has slowed.

Slow and steady.. slow and steady :)

Good luck to you, Desmond.

Keep us posted and hopefully my post helped somewhat.
 
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Just wanted to share with everyone my first day on my weight loss journey:

7AM - ate an apple

10AM - bowl of rice crispy cereal with 2% milk

1PM - little bag of all natural almonds, 1 stick of Extra! gum

4PM - another little bag of almonds and another stick of gum

6:30PM - Subway sandwich (only meat and lettuce with a very small amount of light mayo on whole wheat bread, no cheese or anything else)

10PM - ran 2.3 miles, worked out (biceps, back, and trap), then did an ab workout

11:30PM - Drank a protein shake


I used a littler calorie counter that i have on my phone and it says i ate a total of like 1200 calories, which sounds terrible! Thing is, im not really hungry during the day and thus, dont really eat too much. Should i snack more throughout the day or what?

Thanks!
 
Desmond said:
Just wanted to share with everyone my first day on my weight loss journey:

7AM - ate an apple

10AM - bowl of rice crispy cereal with 2% milk

1PM - little bag of all natural almonds, 1 stick of Extra! gum

4PM - another little bag of almonds and another stick of gum

6:30PM - Subway sandwich (only meat and lettuce with a very small amount of light mayo on whole wheat bread, no cheese or anything else)

10PM - ran 2.3 miles, worked out (biceps, back, and trap), then did an ab workout

11:30PM - Drank a protein shake


I used a littler calorie counter that i have on my phone and it says i ate a total of like 1200 calories, which sounds terrible! Thing is, im not really hungry during the day and thus, dont really eat too much. Should i snack more throughout the day or what?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

1 apple is not enough for breakfast.

You should really have one of your biggest meals in the morning as it triggers your metabolism and sets you off for the rest of the day. Then, gradually have your meals/snacks become smaller as you go through the afternoon/evening.

The adage is something like, 'Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince, Dinner like a Peasant.'

You really shouldn't be fueling your body right before going to bed either. I see you had a protein shake at 11:30pm. I wouldn't recommend eating anything 3-4 hours before going to sleep.

And make sure you're getting enough sleep! Waking up at 7am and eating/exercising all the way til almost midnight is going to strain you :[
 
You're eating too little. I would say start out at 2000 calories for a week or two and see if you lose weight. Work out like you have been. If you don't lose weight from that, reduce by 200-300 calories, which should work. If you start out too low, then your body will adjust and you won't have calories to lower your intake, leaving you in a bad position. Like Frogged said, you should have a large breakfast, a medium lunch and a small dinner. Keep up the work though :) If you keep yourself on track, I'm sure that you will make your goal :)
 
You have the right mindset and I wish you luck on your journey.

When it comes to dieting, the two most important things are your calorie intake and what foods exactly you are taking in. In the ideal world, you want to take in an appropriate number of calories to steadily lose weight and consume healthy calories while doing so. 1200 calories a day is unhealthy. You definately need to be taking more in than 1200 calories over the course of a day. As one poster suggested, I'd say 2000 is a good starting point. I try to stay between 1800-2400 on average.

With exercising, it's all about being consistent and getting into a routine. I'm trying to lose weight, so I have sacrificed strength for toning and weight loss. I still lift weights all the time, but I do higher reps/lower weight.

Cardio is very important. I do cardio 5-6 days a week, using a combination of the stationary bike (hills), elliptical machine, and just running on the track. Abdominals are important, and saunas can be beneficial if you have one accessable to you.

Eat junk food in moderation. I am a huge soda lover, and I'm not going to give it up. I drink 50oz. of water a day, sometimes more. If I want to have a can of coke every other day, I'm going to do it. It's 150 calories and it has 42g of sugar, but if you're eating a clean diet on a regular basis, it's not going to do any harm to you.

Do small things when it comes to eating. Eat pretzels instead of chips. Eat a parfait or fat free ice cream instead of a milkshake. With all of these things, you will be okay if you monitor your caloric intake and eat them in moderation.

With a healthy diet for the most part, and consistent exercising, you'll be good to go in no time! Remember, it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change.

Good luck
 
152 is not that much for a guy at 5 5. You should consider eating more than what your listed, preferably around 2000 calories a day.

I say you should do a lot of weight training and less cardio. From the pictures, you don't look like you have much fat at all.
 
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