Help me Save my life!

[Chesh97]

A little background.. At my heaviest I was 358lbs. I started dieting/exercising/wight loss meds and was doing great. Got down to 244lbs. before throwing out my back which required surgery. I then managed to get myself back up to 333. Last year, I got motivated and got down to 267, then threw the back out again. Slowly crept back up to around 300. Now in January I had a heart attack, and since then I feel myself getting fatter, work uniforms getting tighter etc. and I'm back around 315 now. I think some of the medications they have me on is also contributing to this, so I want to be able to correct myself with healthy lifestlye changes and quit the meds. I need help!

Are you ready for this... I'm only 29 years old. I feel like **** and really do want to change. I have been looking at several threads, and it just gets confusing for me, and then I just say it's too complicated and give up.

What I need is someone to please devise a workout & eating plan that will get me to where I need to be.

______ Additional info______
* I work 3rd shift
*Can't stand fish- so No tuna but I can do chicken, turkey etc. all day long
* I still have ON 100% Whey & Muscle Mile Cake Batter - How can I fit these in for meal replacements.
*I work 12 days in a row, then 2 days off- Stressful Job
*Back Surgery.. So No squats/deadlifts etc. per Surgeon
*Self diagnosed as depressed- a divorce will do that to ya

I am hoping someone can spell out WHAT I need to DO, What I need to Eat, and WHen I need to Eat.

I am certain that if somone does this, I can do it. But trying to set it all up, I become discouraged and say screw it. It's almost taken my life now, and while my mind sometimes tells me that would be alright by me, I have several friends and family that still want me around. Can someone help me please.

[Apollo.1]

A little background.. At my heaviest I was 358lbs. I started dieting/exercising/wight loss meds and was doing great. Got down to 244lbs. before throwing out my back which required surgery. I then managed to get myself back up to 333. Last year, I got motivated and got down to 267, then threw the back out again. Slowly crept back up to around 300. Now in January I had a heart attack, and since then I feel myself getting fatter, work uniforms getting tighter etc. and I'm back around 315 now. I think some of the medications they have me on is also contributing to this, so I want to be able to correct myself with healthy lifestlye changes and quit the meds. I need help!

Are you ready for this... I'm only 29 years old. I feel like **** and really do want to change. I have been looking at several threads, and it just gets confusing for me, and then I just say it's too complicated and give up.

What I need is someone to please devise a workout & eating plan that will get me to where I need to be.

______ Additional info______
* I work 3rd shift
*Can't stand fish- so No tuna but I can do chicken, turkey etc. all day long
* I still have ON 100% Whey & Muscle Mile Cake Batter - How can I fit these in for meal replacements.
*I work 12 days in a row, then 2 days off- Stressful Job
*Back Surgery.. So No squats/deadlifts etc. per Surgeon
*Self diagnosed as depressed- a divorce will do that to ya

I am hoping someone can spell out WHAT I need to DO, What I need to Eat, and WHen I need to Eat.

I am certain that if somone does this, I can do it. But trying to set it all up, I become discouraged and say screw it. It's almost taken my life now, and while my mind sometimes tells me that would be alright by me, I have several friends and family that still want me around. Can someone help me please.

Watching what you eat and timing it properly is probably 3/4 of the battle. Even if you threw your back out and couldn't make it to the gym for a while, you could still keep your nutrition in check and therefore keep from putting back on 100 lbs. I know. Easier said than done, when you're going through stress. Fast food is easy and tastes good when you're stressed.

Honestly, man- you don't need anybody to spell out for you what to do. You lost 100 lbs on two separate occasions! You know more than most of us combined, and most importantly- you know what works for your body. You just need to do it now, and if something sets you back like some sort of injury, then you need to contain the fire so to speak and just stop working out for a while, but don't let your diet go to hell too.

[jayquik03]

This may come off as sounding rude. But if you don't want to do it for yourself as well as your family then your not going to do it. With that said start off slow why not fill out your profile with your measurements, Pictures, Goals. Maybe post what your diet looks like now. Even if you cant set yourself up correctly right away making a list of your diet and then looking it over will show you a lot. Simply cutting out sweet's, soda's, and salts could help your health dramatically. I'm near your weight and working on getting in shape. We don't get this big without eating unhealthy foods. Take it one step at a time and i'm sure many on the boards will be willing to give you advice and help you along your journey, Including me!

[osg]

Don't speak that way or feel that way of yourself, you've still got a long life ahead of you and you can change it around, just like some of us have and are in the process of doing so. Your diet will be the #1 thing to losing weight, and do whatever weight lifting you can do with your back problems. I'm going to post something that wlknier has said as far as a meal plan goes, so all credit goes to him.

Meal 1(Breakfast): 1 cup oatmeal w/ cinnamon(or mash the banana into it), 1 banana, 3 scrambled eggs - 600 cal
Meal 2(Snack): 2 slices whole grain bread, 4oz chicken strips - 350 cal
Meal 3(Lunch): 1/2 cup brown rice, 4oz chicken strips, 1 cup green peas - 400 cal
Meal 4(PWO): 2 Scoops whey, 1 banana(after lifting), 1 slice whole grain bread, 1 tbs natty PB(after cardio) - 600 cal
Meal 5: 4oz whole wheat pasta, 4oz pasta sauce(get lowest sugar variety possible), 4oz lean meat, 1 cup baby spinach/broccoli/peas - 450 cal
Meal 6: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup baby spinach/broccoli/peas - 200 cal
Totals: 2600 cal....very high fiber, plenty of protein, plenty of greens, low in fats & processed sugars.
(Credits to wlknier)

I'm sure you will get plenty of help and motivation here, keep strong and stick with it this time because I know you can do it. Good luck man.

[Chesh97]

Don't speak that way or feel that way of yourself, you've still got a long life ahead of you and you can change it around, just like some of us have and are in the process of doing so. Your diet will be the #1 thing to losing weight, and do whatever weight lifting you can do with your back problems. I'm going to post something that wlknier has said as far as a meal plan goes, so all credit goes to him.

Meal 1(Breakfast): 1 cup oatmeal w/ cinnamon(or mash the banana into it), 1 banana, 3 scrambled eggs - 600 cal
Meal 2(Snack): 2 slices whole grain bread, 4oz chicken strips - 350 cal
Meal 3(Lunch): 1/2 cup brown rice, 4oz chicken strips, 1 cup green peas - 400 cal
Meal 4(PWO): 2 Scoops whey, 1 banana(after lifting), 1 slice whole grain bread, 1 tbs natty PB(after cardio) - 600 cal
Meal 5: 4oz whole wheat pasta, 4oz pasta sauce(get lowest sugar variety possible), 4oz lean meat, 1 cup baby spinach/broccoli/peas - 450 cal
Meal 6: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup baby spinach/broccoli/peas - 200 cal
Totals: 2600 cal....very high fiber, plenty of protein, plenty of greens, low in fats & processed sugars.
(Credits to wlknier)

I'm sure you will get plenty of help and motivation here, keep strong and stick with it this time because I know you can do it. Good luck man.

But this meal plan seems too complex for my schedule. I work 2 jobs, and one of those is 12 hr shifts...so I really don't have a lot of time to prepare food. Would it be bad to get the pree-cooked chicken breasts that are then frozen. Can I have a healthy diet with just eating Chicken breast or Turkey & broccoli & protein shakes? Simply put, I don't have time to cook, so it's gotta be easy & quick! All I do is work & sleep.. and lately EAT, EAT, EAT

[Apollo.1]

But this meal plan seems too complex for my schedule. I work 2 jobs, and one of those is 12 hr shifts...so I really don't have a lot of time to prepare food. Would it be bad to get the pree-cooked chicken breasts that are then frozen. Can I have a healthy diet with just eating Chicken breast or Turkey & broccoli & protein shakes? Simply put, I don't have time to cook, so it's gotta be easy & quick! All I do is work & sleep.. and lately EAT, EAT, EAT

Dude, you've done this before recently...twice. Why are you trying to reinvent the wheel? Just do what you did before. If you can't work out because of injuries, you're still going to drop a ton of weight by doing whatever it was that you did the last two times you dropped 100 lbs.

If anything, it sounds like something happens in your life, and then you let it all go to hell, rather than just saying "ok, I can't work out for a while because of my back, but I'll at least continue to eat right". Maybe you need a cheat meal once per week to keep you on the program? If there's anything that is the problem, it is sticking to the program. It isn't that you don't know what program to stick to. Again, you probably have more experience than all of us combined in how YOU can lose weight.

[nick1990]

But this meal plan seems too complex for my schedule. I work 2 jobs, and one of those is 12 hr shifts...so I really don't have a lot of time to prepare food. Would it be bad to get the pree-cooked chicken breasts that are then frozen. Can I have a healthy diet with just eating Chicken breast or Turkey & broccoli & protein shakes? Simply put, I don't have time to cook, so it's gotta be easy & quick! All I do is work & sleep.. and lately EAT, EAT, EAT

Deli sliced turkey/chicken is just as good IMO.
Its easy to use and can be put in salads, sandwiches, wraps, etc.
The frozen chicken or whatever you were saying would most likely have a lot of sodium and preservatives and what not, but hey its better than eating some cheetos or something.
And yeah, i think you can have a pretty good diet with lean meats, veggies, FRUITS, and protein shakes.
Natty (natural) PB is great also. Fills you up and can be put in anything practically.

There is a boat load of things you can eat that are quick and easy:

Protein Shakes: There is a TON of different ones you can make. Put oats, fruit, PB, practically anything in them and they help you stay full longer. Very good to help you get protein requirements as well.

Natty PB: Great in shakes, sandwiches, with veggies, etc. Helps fill you up, but eat in moderation and only eat the natural kinds.

Cereal: I would stick to shredded wheat, low fat/low sugar granolas, and stuff like honey bunches of oats.

YOGURT:One of my fav foods. Good with ANYTHING IMO.

Cottage cheese: really good with fruit, veggies, granola, etc.

Nuts/seeds: Stick to almonds, cashews, sunflower seed, pumpkin seeds, etc. Very good fats and helps you stay full. Remember to eat in moderation becaue of high, but healthy cals.
Sandwiches:Try going with lean meats like turkey, chicken, etc. Also PB sandwiches are good. Dont put cheese, and try to fill it up with veggies. Veggies and fruits on the side really help make it a meal. Stick to water!!!

Wraps: Same thing as sandwiches pretty much.

Fruits: I love fruits. Very easy to just eat wherever you are or whatever you are doing. Also, fruit smoothies are awesome. Be wary though, sometimes those smoothies at jamba can be just as bad as candy. Get the all fruit drinks or just make your own smoothies at home.

Veggies: same thing as fruits. Although these veggie drinks are not as tasty IMO, but are def ver good for health.

Protein bars: Some people are skeptical of these because of the ingredients, but if you find a bar that is pretty low in cals and sugars, but high in protein, they can be good. I find the soyjoy bars to be pretty decent. Also i think those kashi bars are good too

Microwave meals: I know your thinking what?!?!?! But if you get those healthy-choice things, there def not too bad for you and tasty as well.

Eating Out: If you have to do it, stick to the light fares menu. You can have steaks, but make sure they are lean and have veggies or salad on the side. Remember no fattening dressings or sauces. Dont get anything with cheese or sauces. If you get a salad, go for the fat free dressing. Protein burgers are good. Grilled chicken sandwiches. As a side, NO FRIES. Just get a side salad or a fruit bowl if they have it. Stick to water!!!!

Sweeteners: If you like tea or coffee, i would sweeten those drinks with splenda or stevia (sugar substitute, google it), and honey only.

Look in the nutrition section for quick, easy and healthy meals as well. There are a ton of good ideas out there.

Remember to eat every three hours, to speed up metabolism, and try to do any type of weight lifting you can, which also speeds up metabolism. Not sure if you can do cardio because of your back, but def throw that in as well. Start off slow with cardio, and then if you can try HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) This is really killer BTW. But dont rush into it!!!

Something very important to get out of your diet are soft drinks, fruit drinks (unless all fruit), energy drinks etc. They are just empty cals and will only hurt your progress.

Also, I would take a good Multi vitamin (look at the bb.com store best sellers), Omega 3 and 6s (animal omega IMO), and have your protein be a low fat, isolate one(also look at the bb.com store best seller list). You could try fat burners, but i would def recommend going natural for a while before you resort to those.

Some people like to have cheat meals, but i wouldnt if i were you. I think that once you get over the cravings, after about a month or so, you just wont need them anymore. Once the cravings go, it will be much easier. If you have a cheat meal every week like some peeps, the cravings will never go away and it will be that much harder to diet. After the cravings go, believe me, that stuff you are eating now will taste like crap and you wont want to eat it anymore.

Your gonna have to get educated on nutrition, not an expert, but you should know what some of this tuff your putting in your body does to you. Your also gonna have to start looking at the nutrition contents of food as well. DONT be a calorie counter, but just make sure your not eating stuff with outrageous amounts of cals or sugars.

And remember, DONT STARVE YOURSELF. Its just not worth it. You slow down your metabolism, your skin gets bad, lose muslce mass, etc. Just no good comes from starving yourself. Dont expect to lose the weight over night or even in a month or two.
It takes time to lose weight, like all good things, but once you start, and then achieve your goal, i gotta tell you man, theres nothing else like it.

Look around this forum more because there is a lot of great advice out there, you just have to find it. Stick to the nutrition and losing fat section for diet advice, exercise section for help with exercises, and also the workout section for help with exercises. Dont be afraid to ask for help, people WILL help you.

Dont forget that you have to start somewhere and that any positive changes you make will take you closer to your goal than just staying and doing what your doing now.

Also, if you need anymore help, you can PM me or really any member of this forum as i am sure that they, along with myself, will be 100% willing and glad to help you.
Good luck brother and hope to hear about your great changes in updates you post here.

[Chesh97]

Well I have started today! I wasn't as bad as I thought. I am 307.6

I'm going to try alternating

Cardio
Upper Body
Cardio
Lower Body
Cardio
Upper Body
Etc.
Etc.

Day 1 Cardio is done.. Hope I can keep this motivation for this first week until I get back to enjoying my workout.

[want6pack]

I hope you have great success dropping weight. I'm sure you can do it. All the research you will ever need is on this website. I also commend you on holding down 2 jobs at 300 pounds.

[want6pack]

A diet of lean proteins mixed with a low amount of carbs (salads and veggies) will help melt the pounds off. I personally would consider cutting out breads, pastas, sugar, soda, and even rice if you can. Chicken and turkey are fine. Its what you eat with them or on them that causes problems.

At 300 plus pounds I personally might just do more cardio rather than thinking in terms of a lot of weigh lifting for now. Once you drop some weight you can add the weight lifting back in to your program.

[nick1990]

yes brother, this is the way to get it done.
You just have to do it. No matter how your feeling, just tell yourself that your gonna go to the gym today.
Hope some of those guidelines i suggested to you earlier have helped.

[DeltaGBear]

Remember that you need to keep focused and do this for you! I had a very close friend pass away last week, he was 38 and built like a linebacker. But his was all natural and he ate what he wanted and lived hard and played hard. It was a sudden heart attack.

I have used this as self awareness and focus on my daily routine. I know that changing they way you live for a healthier you is not always easy and its a lot of research in what will work best for you. The bottom line is dont give up, ask questions and then ask some more! But if you arent mentally ready to do this for you it can be a hard road to stay motivated! Stick with it and feel the burn!

[Zeake]

I have lost a lot weight before eating veggie subs from subway. Not much mayo and cheese is ok just not double. Wheat bread only. 6" for lunch 6" for dinner. Breakfast consists of Morning star farms veggie sausages. If I get hungry I will eat grapes or raw veggies. Consistancy is key. I weigh myself every morning no matter what. This keeps me focused throughout the day. I have a bad back as well. I still go to the gym and do he Les Mills body pump. It is hard as hell and guys will look at you like your crazy but its cause there scared of it. It is hard.

The most important thing period is you have to want it. YOU, no one else can do it for you.
I try to look at this thread every day also.
Lots of motivation here.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=108359701

Another thought for you is the eating habits have to be a permanent change not just while you are loosing weight. Keep constant count of calories for the rest of you life. No more buffets. I loves me a buffet. I have given them up so that I can be fit and live longer. No fast food ever. Fast food will kill you quick.

[Zeake]

Oh yeah Buy and read What to say when you talk to yourself by Shad Helmstedder.
Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...condition=used

[throttlebull]

good luck man. please keep us posted.

[dontjudgeme]

Hi, how ya doing.

I feel for you brother. I to was once a fattie with a bad back. I popped two disks and had to sit around for a year waiting for surgery, doing nothing, while I ate and ate and ate. Even to this day I know I need to keep thin as the more weight I carry, the more my back hurts. I was never as big as you, but during my last bad lapse a few years ago, I was 265 and so out of shape that I couldn't go bowling with my family as it hurt to much to simply toss down a 10 pound ball. Even I I didn't bend over my back hurt to much. Bottom line, I understand your pain.

Ok, now the good news. I can help you. Follow the below.

Here is step one. You need to do step one before you can do step two. If you skip step one or try and do step one plus another step at the same time, you will fail. It's as simple as that. Ok?

You have to first get your calories under control. Don't worry about what you eat, just the calories. Eat at Mcdonalds every day if you want to. Seriously. Right now though, you must learn to count calories as you slowly reduce you daily intake.

So first figure out how many calories you eat a day. Even its it an approximate figure.

I'll bet it's alot, but that's ok.

Now set a target that is 1000 calories lower and every time you eat something, count the calories and write it down. Dont go over your maximum number each day.

After about a week to ten days, when your a bit used to eating less, drop 500 more. A week later...maybe ten days later....whatever it takes........drop 500 calories more.

Drop down to 2200 calories a day. No more no less. I know that seems low, and some here will tell you it's to little, but that's bull****. Remeber, Jarad Fogel only ate 1000 a day for an entire year, day in day out, with no cheating ever! 2200 is actually plenty to live on. When I was at 265 I ate sixteen hundred a day for a while to get me going and once I got used to it I was doing great. Plenty of energy.

Keep in mind though, the more healthy stuff you eat, the better you will feel so if you can also keep it a bit healthy then so much the better. Most important though is the number of calories.

PLUS that's your target goal. It might take you a month to get their, or two months. The point is to get yourself counting calories, watching what you eat, as you move you daily calorie load downwards.

I swear it before God that if you do the above, the weight you will drop fast as you lower your calorie load, and once you hit 2200 and stick to it, you will drop a hundred pounds quite nicely before you we can talk about step two.

Also, and this is important, don't listen to any counter bull**** on this site, just do as I say. I know what I'm talking about on this. For every opinion their is a counter opinion. You will just drive yourself nuts. My plan is from pure experience and I am one person who never has a problem dropping weight when I stick to what I know. I actually can drop 10 pounds a month eating what ever I want, as long as it's not more then 2000 calories a day. Somtimes I eat half a pizza as part of those calories. It doesn't matter as long as I stick to my plan.

Keep in mind I rarely do that pizza thing though. Only if I need to keep myself sane. In other words, my treat days are really just days that I eat something fattening within my daily calorie allowence, as opposed to eating over my daily calories which is mostly healthy stuff. That's part of the key to staying sane while staying on your diet.

NOw, once you hit about 280 PM me and I'll tell you step two. Also, feel free to PM with updates. In fact when you drop thirty pounds and show me your serious, I'll spend an hour typing up great eating tips that will help you out big time. Not until you prove to me that your worth my time though. I'm alrady spending twenty mintues here typing this.

HOWEVER, if you can't do the above, you will never lose any real weight without surgery. That's just a fact. If you can't get your calories under contol, then any and all other advice on working out and so on is useless. That's why I won't tell you step two until your ready. It's useless info right now.

And you have to do it brother! We can't do it for you. You have to want that s**t! Just think of all the tail you'll get when your 190 and ripped. That's what I think about when I'm in the gym. The women. Or at least that works for me. You got to have a prize to have an eye on.

And believe me, when I'm in my inshape phases's, I can't keep them off me, and I'm otherwise not much to look at. I just started to get back in shape this year, and only 40% of the way their, but last week I had this hot girl scout mom rubbing my arm up and down as she talked to me, right in front of her kid. Once she felt my Bi, she couldn't take her hands off me. It's that kind of stuff that keeps me motivated. LOL Just find what works for you and use it.

Good Luck and God Bless

[Zeake]

Hi, how ya doing.

I feel for you brother. I to was once a fattie with a bad back. I popped two disks and had to sit around for a year waiting for surgery, doing nothing, while I ate and ate and ate. Even to this day I know I need to keep thin as the more weight I carry, the more my back hurts. I was never as big as you, but during my last bad lapse a few years ago, I was 265 and so out of shape that I couldn't go bowling with my family as it hurt to much to simply toss down a 10 pound ball. Even I I didn't bend over my back hurt to much. Bottom line, I understand your pain.

Ok, now the good news. I can help you. Follow the below.

Here is step one. You need to do step one before you can do step two. If you skip step one or try and do step one plus another step at the same time, you will fail. It's as simple as that. Ok?

You have to first get your calories under control. Don't worry about what you eat, just the calories. Eat at Mcdonalds every day if you want to. Seriously. Right now though, you must learn to count calories as you slowly reduce you daily intake.

So first figure out how many calories you eat a day. Even its it an approximate figure.

I'll bet it's alot, but that's ok.

Now set a target that is 1000 calories lower and every time you eat something, count the calories and write it down. Dont go over your maximum number each day.

After about a week to ten days, when your a bit used to eating less, drop 500 more. A week later...maybe ten days later....whatever it takes........drop 500 calories more.

Drop down to 2200 calories a day. No more no less. I know that seems low, and some here will tell you it's to little, but that's bull****. Remeber, Jarad Fogel only ate 1000 a day for an entire year, day in day out, with no cheating ever! 2200 is actually plenty to live on. When I was at 265 I ate sixteen hundred a day for a while to get me going and once I got used to it I was doing great. Plenty of energy.

Keep in mind though, the more healthy stuff you eat, the better you will feel so if you can also keep it a bit healthy then so much the better. Most important though is the number of calories.

PLUS that's your target goal. It might take you a month to get their, or two months. The point is to get yourself counting calories, watching what you eat, as you move you daily calorie load downwards.

I swear it before God that if you do the above, the weight you will drop fast as you lower your calorie load, and once you hit 2200 and stick to it, you will drop a hundred pounds quite nicely before you we can talk about step two.

Also, and this is important, don't listen to any counter bull**** on this site, just do as I say. I know what I'm talking about on this. For every opinion their is a counter opinion. You will just drive yourself nuts. My plan is from pure experience and I am one person who never has a problem dropping weight when I stick to what I know. I actually can drop 10 pounds a month eating what ever I want, as long as it's not more then 2000 calories a day. Somtimes I eat half a pizza as part of those calories. It doesn't matter as long as I stick to my plan.

Keep in mind I rarely do that pizza thing though. Only if I need to keep myself sane. In other words, my treat days are really just days that I eat something fattening within my daily calorie allowence, as opposed to eating over my daily calories which is mostly healthy stuff. That's part of the key to staying sane while staying on your diet.

NOw, once you hit about 280 PM me and I'll tell you step two. Also, feel free to PM with updates. In fact when you drop thirty pounds and show me your serious, I'll spend an hour typing up great eating tips that will help you out big time. Not until you prove to me that your worth my time though. I'm alrady spending twenty mintues here typing this.

HOWEVER, if you can't do the above, you will never lose any real weight without surgery. That's just a fact. If you can't get your calories under contol, then any and all other advice on working out and so on is useless. That's why I won't tell you step two until your ready. It's useless info right now.

And you have to do it brother! We can't do it for you. You have to want that s**t! Just think of all the tail you'll get when your 190 and ripped. That's what I think about when I'm in the gym. The women. Or at least that works for me. You got to have a prize to have an eye on.

And believe me, when I'm in my inshape phases's, I can't keep them off me, and I'm otherwise not much to look at. I just started to get back in shape this year, and only 40% of the way their, but last week I had this hot girl scout mom rubbing my arm up and down as she talked to me, right in front of her kid. Once she felt my Bi, she couldn't take her hands off me. It's that kind of stuff that keeps me motivated. LOL Just find what works for you and use it.

Good Luck and God Bless

Thats really good advice.

[Chesh97]

good luck man. please keep us posted.

Thread revived from the dead! Kind of fell off the band wagon again, and as expected.. up to 335 lb.

The nurse at my job sent out an email starting a "biggest loser competition" so that gave me the spark I needed to get motivated! Started on Monday, and have worked out/cardio the last 3 days... hitting it tonight again....


As always, any tips or suggestions are always appreciated.

Thanks

[DYEGYE]

I still go to the gym and do he Les Mills body pump. It is hard as hell and guys will look at you like your crazy but its cause there scared of it. It is hard.

I will vouch for body pump as a great class-type program. One hour of light weights and high reps, but it's still absolutely killer. It was the first class I took after a 2 year hiatus from weightlifting though and I thought I was in better shape than I was so I overdid it, I was sore all weekend. If you approach it with the right mentality (for now, that would be reaching your own goals rather than competing with your classmates), you will see results and you won't kill yourself with it either. The cool thing about that class is that it's fast-paced and intense enough that you get a simultaneous cardio workout, and they do actually train lower body and such so you get a good caloric burn from the class.

(All the bp instructors at my gym are female, and they're trying to convince me that I should get certified in it so we could have a male instructor).

[everblue]

A little background.. At my heaviest I was 358lbs. I started dieting/exercising/wight loss meds and was doing great. Got down to 244lbs. before throwing out my back which required surgery. I then managed to get myself back up to 333. Last year, I got motivated and got down to 267, then threw the back out again. Slowly crept back up to around 300. Now in January I had a heart attack, and since then I feel myself getting fatter, work uniforms getting tighter etc. and I'm back around 315 now. I think some of the medications they have me on is also contributing to this, so I want to be able to correct myself with healthy lifestlye changes and quit the meds. I need help!

Are you ready for this... I'm only 29 years old. I feel like **** and really do want to change. I have been looking at several threads, and it just gets confusing for me, and then I just say it's too complicated and give up.

What I need is someone to please devise a workout & eating plan that will get me to where I need to be.

______ Additional info______
* I work 3rd shift
*Can't stand fish- so No tuna but I can do chicken, turkey etc. all day long
* I still have ON 100% Whey & Muscle Mile Cake Batter - How can I fit these in for meal replacements.
*I work 12 days in a row, then 2 days off- Stressful Job
*Back Surgery.. So No squats/deadlifts etc. per Surgeon
*Self diagnosed as depressed- a divorce will do that to ya

I am hoping someone can spell out WHAT I need to DO, What I need to Eat, and WHen I need to Eat.

I am certain that if somone does this, I can do it. But trying to set it all up, I become discouraged and say screw it. It's almost taken my life now, and while my mind sometimes tells me that would be alright by me, I have several friends and family that still want me around. Can someone help me please.

You need to do something about your weight and fast. The other day some dude started coding and was brought to the cardiac cath lab. He was a little older than you and was close to your weight.


Eat chicken breasts all day (drink a lot of water to keep your kidneys from being damaged) and <30g of carbs of something like whey, brocolli, etc. Take a multivitamin supplement and fish oil supplement.

That's all you need to lose weight. To increase progress, add in exercise.

For exercise, take up cycling, it's not hard on your knees for 30 minutes a day as fast as you can 5-6 days a week.

Once your progress slows down (not losing any weight after a few weeks), change things up, add in lifting or something.