Hello folks -- I found this forum only recently, and it seems to be full of well informed and well intentioned people, so I thought I might post my situation and solicit advice from the community.
I am currently male -- 33 yrs old, 206 lbs, 5'7", low to moderate fitness level (no problem hiking 15-20 miles for a day hike or jogging 5-6 miles, but a 1 mile outright run might wind me, and my speed on such activities is not ideal). As I am not particularly muscular, this puts me squarely in the lower-end "obese" BMI Category.
My overall goals are to reduce weight in the interest of improving both athletic performance and longegity. Though fitness has not been high on the priority list for me in the past, some recent life experiences have changed my perspective. I realize that it is not ability or biology, but willpower that usually limits people in goals such as these, but I am able to dedicate as many mental and physical resources as are required for the task with iron-clad determination.
I have recently (within the last 2 months) dropped from a weight of 220 by reducing my alcohol consumption from 5 days per week to 2 days per week and focusing on lean protein and the reduction of carbs in the diet. A Paelo or atkins like extreme low carb diet is medically risky for me due to having only one kidney.
Currently, I engage in anywhere from 2-3 hours of gym (elliptical / treadmill) type cardio activity per week, plus occasional longer outings hiking / snowshoeing etc on the weekends, but not every weekend -- resulting in a minimum of 2 hrs and maximum of 10 hrs cardo per week, with an average skewed toward the lower end of this range. Cardio activity is performed in a gym at 80-85% of max heart rate.
I have no formal strength training program, at the moment, and realize that this needs to change in the long run -- I have strength trained in the past and am familiar with several approaches in this regard -- I will be re-incorporating a strength training regimen later this week, but am engaging in research about the best way to go about it first.
From a dietary perspective, I'm focusing on quality fats and lean protein, with about 20% of calories from whole grain carbohydrates and virtually no sugar, save for fruits / veggies and maltodextrins from my precious craft beer consumption 2 days per week as mentioned previously.
I am fasting for 36 hour periods on Mondays and Thursdays after clearing it with a doctor (have been doing this for 2 months now) for the purpose of improving longevity. There are many animal models which indicate this may be a positive stressor for cells, reducing sensence, and I plan to continue with this even when I have reached my target weight.
My question for the community is not what I should do, specifically, but rather what I should do FIRST in order to get the maximum results in the shortest amount of time possible. I am very interested in losing the weight as quickly as possible not for cosmetic reasons, but rather because that much "ballast" greatly impedes my agility and athletic performance relative to what it could be with a leaner body composition, which will help encourage more activity overall in the long run.
I have a flexible employment situation and can dedicate as many hours per day as are needed for the next 3 months -- so programs of exercising 3,4 5 hours per day would be a reasonable option in this case -- though not on a permanent basis, as most of the time, my employment requires me to be a bit of a desk jockey and is largely sedentary in nature. I feel that I should be able to maintain an emphasis on health and well being in my life, but I will not always have as much time as I will in the next several months to approach the issue with ferocity.
With a prime directive of maintaining health and avoiding problems related to starvation or overly rapid body change, what actions would you take to achieve maximum weight loss results in the minimum time? Obviously, muscle builds calories more efficiently than fat, but would it be counterproductive to focus heavily on strength training early? If so, at what point in the process should the balance of my efforts swing toward weight training?
What resources could I consult in order to build a plan?
Thank you in advance for any comments or constructive criticisms.
I am currently male -- 33 yrs old, 206 lbs, 5'7", low to moderate fitness level (no problem hiking 15-20 miles for a day hike or jogging 5-6 miles, but a 1 mile outright run might wind me, and my speed on such activities is not ideal). As I am not particularly muscular, this puts me squarely in the lower-end "obese" BMI Category.
My overall goals are to reduce weight in the interest of improving both athletic performance and longegity. Though fitness has not been high on the priority list for me in the past, some recent life experiences have changed my perspective. I realize that it is not ability or biology, but willpower that usually limits people in goals such as these, but I am able to dedicate as many mental and physical resources as are required for the task with iron-clad determination.
I have recently (within the last 2 months) dropped from a weight of 220 by reducing my alcohol consumption from 5 days per week to 2 days per week and focusing on lean protein and the reduction of carbs in the diet. A Paelo or atkins like extreme low carb diet is medically risky for me due to having only one kidney.
Currently, I engage in anywhere from 2-3 hours of gym (elliptical / treadmill) type cardio activity per week, plus occasional longer outings hiking / snowshoeing etc on the weekends, but not every weekend -- resulting in a minimum of 2 hrs and maximum of 10 hrs cardo per week, with an average skewed toward the lower end of this range. Cardio activity is performed in a gym at 80-85% of max heart rate.
I have no formal strength training program, at the moment, and realize that this needs to change in the long run -- I have strength trained in the past and am familiar with several approaches in this regard -- I will be re-incorporating a strength training regimen later this week, but am engaging in research about the best way to go about it first.
From a dietary perspective, I'm focusing on quality fats and lean protein, with about 20% of calories from whole grain carbohydrates and virtually no sugar, save for fruits / veggies and maltodextrins from my precious craft beer consumption 2 days per week as mentioned previously.
I am fasting for 36 hour periods on Mondays and Thursdays after clearing it with a doctor (have been doing this for 2 months now) for the purpose of improving longevity. There are many animal models which indicate this may be a positive stressor for cells, reducing sensence, and I plan to continue with this even when I have reached my target weight.
My question for the community is not what I should do, specifically, but rather what I should do FIRST in order to get the maximum results in the shortest amount of time possible. I am very interested in losing the weight as quickly as possible not for cosmetic reasons, but rather because that much "ballast" greatly impedes my agility and athletic performance relative to what it could be with a leaner body composition, which will help encourage more activity overall in the long run.
I have a flexible employment situation and can dedicate as many hours per day as are needed for the next 3 months -- so programs of exercising 3,4 5 hours per day would be a reasonable option in this case -- though not on a permanent basis, as most of the time, my employment requires me to be a bit of a desk jockey and is largely sedentary in nature. I feel that I should be able to maintain an emphasis on health and well being in my life, but I will not always have as much time as I will in the next several months to approach the issue with ferocity.
With a prime directive of maintaining health and avoiding problems related to starvation or overly rapid body change, what actions would you take to achieve maximum weight loss results in the minimum time? Obviously, muscle builds calories more efficiently than fat, but would it be counterproductive to focus heavily on strength training early? If so, at what point in the process should the balance of my efforts swing toward weight training?
What resources could I consult in order to build a plan?
Thank you in advance for any comments or constructive criticisms.