Losing 100+ lbs Help?

[JACollazo]

Hello, this is my first post on this forum. I joined because I am insanely over weight. I'm about to be 22 and weight around 290. I am tired of living like this and it's been difficult for me to motivate myself to do anything because I had recently lost my girlfriend of 7 years because I am basically a bum.

I now have a goal though and I can honestly say I am more motivated than ever to get there. I wish to lose 100 pounds so that I may join the Air Force and finally start doing something with my life.

The problem is I have no idea what to do. I've looked all over the internet but I can't seem to find the answers I'm looking for. I understand cardio exercise is required if I wish to lose weight quickly and that I'm all over, but I still need guidance as to what EXACTLY I should be doing.

Even more troubling for me is how to plan my diet, I do not know what kind of foods I should be eating, everywhere says fruits and vegetables but I need help understanding exactly WHICH of these would help me lose weight and are healthy for me.

So basically if anyone can help me understand what I need to be doing exactly I would be most grateful. If you could post any articales I could read to help me understand that would be awesome as well. Sadly I don't have the money to spend on books and tapes so please don't recommend any of those...as for my goal I wish to get to where I need to be within six months but I wish to do so without putting my health at risk. I know realistically it would most likely take a little longer but I am really dedicated to getting this done within that time.

[Fullback7]

Hello, this is my first post on this forum. I joined because I am insanely over weight. I'm about to be 22 and weight around 290. I am tired of living like this and it's been difficult for me to motivate myself to do anything because I had recently lost my girlfriend of 7 years because I am basically a bum.

I now have a goal though and I can honestly say I am more motivated than ever to get there. I wish to lose 100 pounds so that I may join the Air Force and finally start doing something with my life.

The problem is I have no idea what to do. I've looked all over the internet but I can't seem to find the answers I'm looking for. I understand cardio exercise is required if I wish to lose weight quickly and that I'm all over, but I still need guidance as to what EXACTLY I should be doing.

Even more troubling for me is how to plan my diet, I do not know what kind of foods I should be eating, everywhere says fruits and vegetables but I need help understanding exactly WHICH of these would help me lose weight and are healthy for me.

So basically if anyone can help me understand what I need to be doing exactly I would be most grateful. If you could post any articales I could read to help me understand that would be awesome as well. Sadly I don't have the money to spend on books and tapes so please don't recommend any of those...as for my goal I wish to get to where I need to be within six months but I wish to do so without putting my health at risk. I know realistically it would most likely take a little longer but I am really dedicated to getting this done within that time.

I can definitely relate to you. I lost my scholarship, lost my girl, and got hooked on hard drugs. Overcame all of that bull**** to drop close to 200 pounds. I'm even working with a pro BB right now for a contest soon.

This isn't just a one time, quick fix, bro. This is a lifestyle and that 100 pound goal isn't a 6-12 month goal. It's a goal that will last you the rest of your life. It may be to continue keeping your health in check, but one way or another if you set out to accomplish this goal you must stick with it or you will be in a state of mind that you may never come out of. I know how it is. My goal was to lose 150 pounds and play football again and there were times that I said why bother. 150 pounds is a ****ing joke.

I know you're motivated, and it's easy to focus on the end result, but you need to understand the mental and physical pain that your body will be under during this time. You have to ask yourself the cliche statement of "how bad do you want it?" If I came over there right now and put a plastic bag around your head would you want to breath as much as you would want to accomplish this goal? If yes, than you had better make damn sure to remember that the next time you want to fight for air...metaphorically speaking.

As far as the other questions, knowledge is key. I begged people to put together workouts and nutritional plans for me and they either didn't want to spend the time, or really couldn't judge my body very well online. There are a lot of good sites that will help you. In all honesty the information on these forums is kind of blah. There are a lot of sites out there that I can't mention because the Gods of BB.com won't let me. But, I'll gladly PM them to you. This site does have some basic articles that you can get your feet wet with, but when you get more specific to your body type and more advanced nutrition a lot of the articles are retarded and highly opinionated. But, there are tons of good sites around and there are a few knowledgeable people on here outside of the nutrition section which is 99% **** tards. So look around the logs and check out the knowledgeable posters which aren't hard to find on here.

Anyways, like I said I went through what you went through and I did have a lot of cool knowledgeable people on here that helped me out when they were on these boards. So if you need anything at all, just PM me and I'll help you out and answer any questions you have.

[corpfan]

My best advice is...

Follow the numbers. It is all math and I am realizing that.

Find out how many calories you burn a day (BMR). That is a start.

Count everything. Calories. Grams of protein. Grams of carbs. Grams of fat.

A good place to start is a 50-30-20 ratio of carbs-protein-fat. You can up the protein and lower the carbs if you like.

Remember that 1gCarbs=4 calories, 1gProtein=4 calories, 1gFat=9 calories...so the above ratios should be percent of calories from each.

e.g. 150g protein x 4 = 600 calories, 200g carbs x4 = 800 calories, 50g fat x 9 = 450 calories. In this case you are consuming 1850 calories (32.5% protein, 43% carbs, 25% fat)...this would be a little high in fat but not too bad...protein and carbs are not too bad depending on your goals.

Once you know your BMR, add in the exercise multiplier and you will get your metabolic rate for your average day. Eat 500 calories less and you will lose 1 lb per week. That is 52 lbs per year.

Eat a cheat meal every once in a while to keep sane.

Work out with weights 2-4 times per week to keep your muscle up.

Do some cardio.

Get out and do lots of walking. Enjoy your surroundings!

Try to research and read as much as you can.

Get people around you to support you.

Avoid long bouts of "just sitting around" - this encourages binging and snacking on high-calorie/high-fat snacks.

If you have the money, invest in a gym membership and personal training...it really helps to keep you focused and motivated. Get some protein powder (whey isolate) and use it to get protein when in a rush or away from home.


Anyways, some tips...in the end it is ALL ABOUT NUMBERS. Science is science and physics is physics.

Read the sticky here about Losing Weight for Noobs...and if you want a good read, check out Tom Venuto's e-book...I think it is called Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, or something like that...it is an eye-opener and a great starting point to a new life.

GOOD LUCK!

[beauonly]

Good advice up there ^


I wouldn't overcomplicate this though.


Most people fail when they find out that they lack the resolve to count macro's and really go all out on the "perfect" diet.


As of now, you have no clue what will work for you personally. Listen to these guys when they say "eat 500-1000 UNDER your BMR" daily. Then supplement that with Cardio every other day (or what works for you) because you will be required to pass a physical fitness test to join the AF.

I lost 55lbs in under 7 months by doing just that. No macros, just calorie counting and pure dedication can help you find a starting point.

Use this website to find your BMR: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Then subtract 500 to start, and eat that. Every day. If you can, I also suggest not worrying about cheat meals... and all that crap.


Easy as 123 bro,

eat less,
workout more
Cardio


You'll lose it if you dedicate yourself to it. promise.

[unsafe08]

I can definitely relate to you. I lost my scholarship, lost my girl, and got hooked on hard drugs. Overcame all of that bull**** to drop close to 200 pounds. I'm even working with a pro BB right now for a contest soon.

This isn't just a one time, quick fix, bro. This is a lifestyle and that 100 pound goal isn't a 6-12 month goal. It's a goal that will last you the rest of your life. It may be to continue keeping your health in check, but one way or another if you set out to accomplish this goal you must stick with it or you will be in a state of mind that you may never come out of. I know how it is. My goal was to lose 150 pounds and play football again and there were times that I said why bother. 150 pounds is a ****ing joke.

I know you're motivated, and it's easy to focus on the end result, but you need to understand the mental and physical pain that your body will be under during this time. You have to ask yourself the cliche statement of "how bad do you want it?" If I came over there right now and put a plastic bag around your head would you want to breath as much as you would want to accomplish this goal? If yes, than you had better make damn sure to remember that the next time you want to fight for air...metaphorically speaking.

As far as the other questions, knowledge is key. I begged people to put together workouts and nutritional plans for me and they either didn't want to spend the time, or really couldn't judge my body very well online. There are a lot of good sites that will help you. In all honesty the information on these forums is kind of blah. There are a lot of sites out there that I can't mention because the Gods of BB.com won't let me. But, I'll gladly PM them to you. This site does have some basic articles that you can get your feet wet with, but when you get more specific to your body type and more advanced nutrition a lot of the articles are retarded and highly opinionated. But, there are tons of good sites around and there are a few knowledgeable people on here outside of the nutrition section which is 99% **** tards. So look around the logs and check out the knowledgeable posters which aren't hard to find on here.

Anyways, like I said I went through what you went through and I did have a lot of cool knowledgeable people on here that helped me out when they were on these boards. So if you need anything at all, just PM me and I'll help you out and answer any questions you have.

Fullback7, Can you send me those sites as well? Thanks!

[JACollazo]

Thanks a lot for the help guys, still not quite sure how to go about counting calories cause not everything had a label on it. Is there a website or something that would tell you about how much something like an apple or something specific like that give you?

Also I read something about there being specific foods that are suppose to help you lose weight but they never mentioned which...all I know from what I was told is that green tea is suppose to help you lose weight faster but I don't know if that's a myth or not.

[Pennyw1se]

3 Simple Rules:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=113693871

There is A LOT of information in that thread. Read it. Learn it. Stick to it. That is all you will ever need.

[rel83]

For calorie counting websites you can hit www.calorieking.com or www.nutritiondata.com both of which are quite useful.

Losing that much weight in 6 months isn't advisable though. As a previous poster said think of it as a lifestyle change and not just a quick fix. I've gone from 310lbs to 188 in under 11 by busting my ass in the gym, having a diet that works for me, and staying motivated. It's not easy but taking that first step towards bettering your life is great as you achieve the goals you set for yourself.

[giussepe20]

Thanks a lot for the help guys, still not quite sure how to go about counting calories cause not everything had a label on it. Is there a website or something that would tell you about how much something like an apple or something specific like that give you?

Also I read something about there being specific foods that are suppose to help you lose weight but they never mentioned which...all I know from what I was told is that green tea is suppose to help you lose weight faster but I don't know if that's a myth or not.

I use caloriecount.com, or just google "calories in apple" and you should get several results...calories really are the key you need to keep track of them. Set up a diet that consists of about 500 less calories than you need for maintenance and youll be losing weight just by being alive, add cardio and lifting and youll be shedding pounds pretty quickly. Try to keep track of your macros too, they arent essential but atleast in my experience Ive noticed that I feel much better eating a balanced diet...Ive only recently started keeping track of macros and having a more balanced diet and I can already feel the difference. Stay motivated and dont sway from your goal, it'll be a long process. Good luck.

[JACollazo]

Losing that much weight in 6 months isn't advisable though. As a previous poster said think of it as a lifestyle change and not just a quick fix. I've gone from 310lbs to 188 in under 11 by busting my ass in the gym, having a diet that works for me, and staying motivated. It's not easy but taking that first step towards bettering your life is great as you achieve the goals you set for yourself.

It most likely is a bad idea to try and get it done in 6 months but this is only a short term goal for me, if I don't get to that within said time I won't let it bring me down. I just want to weight less for now so that I can get into the AF and so that my Asthma can be better handled. I'll be going to the gym every day of the week except for the weekends. I've been doing nothing but cardio but I'm going to start doing some light weight work outs as well (not too much though because my goal is to lose weight and if I'm bulking up as well it's going to be difficult to get to where I need to be.) Once I lose the weight I'm not going to just pick up my old habits and let myself loose, I plan to take it a step further and continue changing my body, working out my muscles more and tightening things up. I'm ready for the change, I need it.

I know my reason for wanting to lose it within around 6 months is not the greatest but the thing is I love my ex and she's not going to wait around for me forever...with or without her I'm going to make the change but if I can help it I want to keep her in my life and to have any hope of doing so I need to make the change quick (I am not desperate enough to go taking weird drugs and **** with hopes of magically losing weight and I refuse to get surgery cause that just feels like cheating.)

As for cheat meals I ain't worried about losing my sanity because almost every weekend I'll be visiting my grandma's house and my old man is likely going to cook some delicious and most likely fattening meal.

Anyone one last question about the 3 rules, what does "1g/lb LBM" mean? More specifically the LBM.

[Braindrop]

Anyone one last question about the 3 rules, what does "1g/lb LBM" mean? More specifically the LBM.

lean body mass. So if your lbm is 175 pounds, try to eat 175 grams protein.

[corpfan]

Your body is divided between fat and lbm (lean body mass). LBM is bone, muscle, connective tissue, organs, etc..and water.

Find your body fat %. Once you know it (e.g. 30%), that will leave the rest as LBM (e.g. 70%).

Multiply each percentage by your weight to get how many lbs of each you have.

e.g.

200lbs x .30 bf = 60lbs fat
200lbs x .70 lbm = 140lbs lbm

The # of pounds of lbm you have determine how many calories you burn per day at rest (BMR). You can multiply that by 1.2 if you are slightly active, 1.4 if you are moderately active, and 1.6 or higher if you are very active to get TOTAL CALORIES BURNED PER DAY by your body (these numbers are just rough numbers).

Your weight in lbm is also a guide for most for how many grams of protein you should try and eat per day to maintain your muscle.

Again, it is all theoretical, but most swear by it.

Hope that info helps!

Good luck!

[JACollazo]

so how do I find out how much % of my body is LBM and how much is fat?

[Used2be300]

I can also relate =) I used to be 290 and am now 195 and full of more muscle than ever before and loving it! It takes dedication, self control, and will power. They are mostly learned during your transformation. Eat clean foods, try and stay away from bad fats, carb loading, and bad drinks. Drink water! Don't drink gatorade, powerade, soda, etc. Limit the ****ty food. Eat good proteins veggies, etc. Just read and search man. I did a lot of researching.

As far as the exercise I started out with walking, then walk/jog/walk/jog, and I mean jog to one stop sign, walk, jog to next, walk, you HAVE TO START SLOW or you will get burned. Just don't get down on urself because you can't run 2 miles a day right away. It DOES not work like that. I started out with that method, and I can run 2 miles now and don't want to completely die afterwards. LIFT LIFT LIFT. You just need to do some research and don't wait! Start today!

[kmwrestle]

Ive lost over 120lbs since October. Its not going to be overnight. You have to make lifestyle changes. Here is what I reccomend:

Make better choices. Dont eat crap food. Whenever you choose soemething to eat ask yourself could I eat something better. For instance instead of having some chips as a snack have a piece of fruit. Instead of ordering mcdonalds, get a salad somewhere. Eliminate all empty calories like soda etc. If you do that and limit your portion sizes, I think you will shed a considerable amount of weight. I did.

[JACollazo]

Bump ^_^?

"so how do I find out how much % of my body is LBM and how much is fat?" was the previous question just so anyone looking doesn't have to go searching around.

[corpfan]

Grab a handheld OMRON body fat monitor for a rough estimate.

They are not 100% accurate, but they are pretty close..and definitely a neat tool to monitor change over time.

Here is a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HBF-306-.../dp/B00006WNPU


There are also places online that will do estimate based on your measurements, height, weight, etc... but are a little less accurate.


For the ultimate in accuracy, visit a local university that does submerge body fat analysis...

Bump ^_^?

"so how do I find out how much % of my body is LBM and how much is fat?" was the previous question just so anyone looking doesn't have to go searching around.

[Braindrop]

... or just start with 150-175 grams/protein and work from there. The key takeaway from this is that the average diet is too light on protein -- especially if you're lifting. I shoot for a 40/40/20 protein/carb/fat split every day.

Never underestimate the power of an egg white + whey + banana smoothie for breakfast in terms of helping keep your daily macros under control.

[BunkMoreland]

best advice i can give? get into a good routine (eating and exercising) and stay on it. keep challenging yourself when training