If you were 350lbs, what would you eat...

[Roundheya]

The fiancée and I are finally in this together, so i can keep good food in the house and not have to worry about the temptation of ice cream and pizza.

I'm at 344 as of this morning.

As of right now, I'm drinking 20 oz of skim milk in the morning with three spoonfuls of uncooked oats in it. And using that to wash down three egg whites.

For the rest of the day in trying lower carb, higher protein/fat levels. But not only am I trying to lose weight, I'm trying to get my vitals under control, lower cholesterol and blood pressure. My goal for calories is about 1900. I'm eating foods to try to lower estrogen levels and get my test levels back up.

Right now I'm running low carb for 6 days and a load day. Just to keep it entertaining.

My long term goal is 240. Under 319 is my first hurdle.

Any specific suggestions for someone my size?

[vSphereGuy]

The fiancée and I are finally in this together, so i can keep good food in the house and not have to worry about the temptation of ice cream and pizza.

I'm at 344 as of this morning.

As of right now, I'm drinking 20 oz of skim milk in the morning with three spoonfuls of uncooked oats in it. And using that to wash down three egg whites.

For the rest of the day in trying lower carb, higher protein/fat levels. But not only am I trying to lose weight, I'm trying to get my vitals under control, lower cholesterol and blood pressure. My goal for calories is about 1900. I'm eating foods to try to lower estrogen levels and get my test levels back up.

Right now I'm running low carb for 6 days and a load day. Just to keep it entertaining.

My long term goal is 240. Under 319 is my first hurdle.

Any specific suggestions for someone my size?

I was once in the 330s myself. I didn't weigh myself until a couple weeks after I changed my life style and was at 330 on the nose.

I would recommend reading the stickies- they help.

From experience, I ate ~2200 cals a day to start with and ate lean meats (fish, chicken, etc) and whole wheat bread/tortillas. I changed out mayo for hummus, etc. The biggest thing is.. TRACK EVERY MORSEL YOU PUT IN YOUR MOUTH. Don't guess. Don't just say "eh.. thats about 4 oz". MEASURE IT OUT. I promise if you guess- you will over eat. Get a food scale if you do not have one.

Another thing is, don't try eating a certain # of cals for a week.. don't see the results you want.. and then change it up. Give it a solid 3 weeks before deciding to lower cals. But to be honest.. at 344lbs at 1900cals a day... I would look at maybe eating a little more man.

Also aim for 1g of protein for every lb of LBM. I didn't know my BF% when I started, so I shot for ~160g a day.

Also, you didn't mention anything about exercise. That is another piece of the puzzle. Lift heavy. Not only will it make you feel better- it is burned calories. I had a huge anxiety stepping in the gym- I thought I would look ridiculous (I think I kinda did anyway lol). But I have met some great people there who have had good advice. Just be wary of bro science- a lot of people in gyms (and here btw) will try to force feed it to you.

Basically.... Keep it simple. Eat clean. Work out. BE CONSISTENT. You didn't get that big over night- it won't leave over night either. What determines whether you will succeed in this endeavor is the choices you make EVERY DAY.. not just 3/7 or even 5/7 days a week. Wake up each day committed to your new lifestyle. And it will just become that- a lifestyle. Your old self won't even be an option anymore.

[frank112]

I'd eat less

[DopeEfX]

Start off with 2800 calories, exercise and adjust calories once you plateau. It isn't complicated nor rocket science. Keep it simple.

[Roundheya]

Well I figured my lean body mass is somewhere around 200, I'm very heavily boned with a very muscular lower body from hauling my fat ass around. 10% below maintenance with a higher protein.

As for exercise, I'm starting slower, walking 4.8 miles per day minimum, which might not sound like a lot of exercise, but at my size that should burn a chunk of calories, once I get to where I can run more than a quarter of a mile, it gym time. Figure two weeks of ladycise befOre I can start lifting again.

[cyco85]

Well I figured my lean body mass is somewhere around 200, I'm very heavily boned with a very muscular lower body from hauling my fat ass around. 10% below maintenance with a higher protein.

As for exercise, I'm starting slower, walking 4.8 miles per day minimum, which might not sound like a lot of exercise, but at my size that should burn a chunk of calories, once I get to where I can run more than a quarter of a mile, it gym time. Figure two weeks of ladycise befOre I can start lifting again.

When did you get your bones weighed? Anyway, when you're obese you can handle a huge deficit and still feel great. I'd take advantage of that. In fact, I did take advantage of that.

[nlite2000]

Well I figured my lean body mass is somewhere around 200, I'm very heavily boned with a very muscular lower body from hauling my fat ass around. 10% below maintenance with a higher protein.

As for exercise, I'm starting slower, walking 4.8 miles per day minimum, which might not sound like a lot of exercise, but at my size that should burn a chunk of calories, once I get to where I can run more than a quarter of a mile, it gym time. Figure two weeks of ladycise befOre I can start lifting again.

How tall are you? 200 pounds of LBM would mean you have arnold schwarzenegger circa Conan The Destroyer beneath all the fat, unless you've got the body size of Wilt Chamberlin (he was in that movie too). Anyway, start resistance training yesterday, it has benefits far beyond burning calories for fat loss and health. That said, getting enough protein to satisfy the needs of somebody with that much muscle is going to make it easier to stay full while operating at a caloric deficit necessary to get the scale moving.

[MCrow]

Well I figured my lean body mass is somewhere around 200, I'm very heavily boned with a very muscular lower body from hauling my fat ass around. 10% below maintenance with a higher protein.

As for exercise, I'm starting slower, walking 4.8 miles per day minimum, which might not sound like a lot of exercise, but at my size that should burn a chunk of calories, once I get to where I can run more than a quarter of a mile, it gym time. Figure two weeks of ladycise befOre I can start lifting again.

Unless you are very tall, I doubt you have 200 pounds of lean mass.

A male that's 5'10" or so and 200 pounds, that's pretty ripped might have 180-185 pounds of lean mass. Someone who has been inactive for a long period of time isn't likely to have that amount of lean mass at the same height., maybe 150-160 pounds, sometimes less.

Not to rain on the parade but it's not a good idea going in over estimating muscularity. It could lead to being disappointed with progress, when you shouldn't be.

[Roundheya]

I recognize that. But in any case, is 1900 really all that far off?

I should mention that at 250 pounds in a tshirt if I twisted the wrong way you could see ribs through the shirt.

I'm 5 11, but with short legs and a long torso. My difference in chest measurement from 250 to 350 was a whopping four inches... And I'm at 58 inches now.

I'm not trying to overestimate, but I live on a farm, and do some heavy lifting by necessity.

I suppose I need to get a bf% done, but at this weight, what's the point.

I should also mention I'm shooting for at least 10 liters of water a day, usually I'm doing 13-15.

[crusherdbuzz]

When I started I was well over 350 (267 now) myself and I didn't start weighing myself until two months after I started my transformation. I did the back math and I was hovering right around 365 so I know where your coming from man. Like others have posted, lift and lift hard. I did moderate cardio consisting of 20 to 30 minutes after lifts. I didn't start with that much, just 5 minutes but slowly built myself up over a period of around 8 to 10 weeks to the 20+ minutes. As far as diet, again others have done a good job posting already on this forum.

My diet goes something like this:

Breakfast: 1 protein shake, 1 serving oatmeal.

Meal 1: 1/2 cup brown rice, 5 oz lean meat, handful veggies

Meal 2/3: Repeat meal 1.

Post workout: 1 protein shake & fast digesting carb.

Bedtime: 1 casein protein shake.

Throw in some natural peanut butter or almonds throughout the day for some good fats.

Obviously my diet changes and here lately I have been cutting my meals of complex carbs down to two or three a day at most. I'm an endomorph and as I keep dropping I'm finding the weight to be slowing down. Get a scale and weight out your food as well as a measuring cup set.

Good luck man, and as someone told me it is not a race, it is a marathon!!

[Cronie]

Eat better, eat less, and workout hard. Put in your cardio. If you try to nail your calories and macros from day 1, you. will. fail. especially with a female partner (no offense girls, but give it a period or 2 and theyll be getting you to bring em out for some feel good food)

Eat lean meats instead of burgers, whole wheat bread instead of white as its more filling, eat breakfast to keep you full, etc... ->ESTIMATE<- your cals until youre in a routine. At your high bf% you don't need to stress hugely over it. YET. Once the weight starts falling off and you begin to see the scale move you will gain motivation and counting calories/macros will be nothing.

You don't need to eat any set number of meals per day. If you try to eat 6 meals per day you might be hungrier. Just eat when your hungry, and try to keep the calories below 3000 if you're lifting.

[thatswhatshesed]

hey man, respect for the lifestyle change. Seeing as you're over 300 pounnds, simply going to a 1900 calorie diet is near crazy. Take it slow. How many calories are you eating now? Take that number and minus 100 from it every few days. To maintain your 344 lb frame you would need to consume atleast 3542 Calories/day. To lose weight you would need to consume about 2800 calories a day, at the start. Dont start off so extreme, or you will find yourself starving, lose lean mass, and be grumpy all the time.

Eat clean. Reduce calories. Take your time, but stay committed.

Hope this helps

Source (maintenance calorie calculator: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm)

[Bromenclature]

1900 calories is not nearly enough if you are that big and doing physical labor (farm).

I would suggest at least 2500. That will still give you very good results.

[Electricheadd]

2500 calories
180g protein
100g fat
The rest in carbs

[chaunce54]

My advice: Eat the whole egg, not just the whites. Aim for about 2000 calories per day. My highest weight was 330 lbs. I have lost about 130 lbs eating at 2000 + exercising.

[kmal2t]

I'd eat less

Damn. Beat me to it.

[StacksItRich]

I wasn't 330, but I was 250 never having stepped foot in a gym 15 months ago. I had the body type that resulted from eating entire packages of oreo cookies for a snack, a pizza for lunch, a box of sugary cereal for breakfast...you see where I'm going.

Opposite to what everyone here and even myself knowing what I do now is advising, I flipped a switch and started eating sub 1000 calories day for a couple of months. I literally ate cabbage soup that consisted of water, cabbage, and very few potatoes for two meals a day. I also didn't eat breakfast as I wasn't a breakfast person.

I went down to around 195 (55lbs) in less than 6 months. I'm sure I lost part of whatever natural muscle I had during that process too.

Then, I flipped another switch and started going to the gym with a friend. I started eating normal food again and building muscle. Now I'm cutting the fat I put back on during my bulk this winter.

It all depends on what your medium and long term goals are and what kind of will power and dedication you have.

I'm gone to bulk later on but 195 to your current 240 is a big bulk....a bit over the top. You have to find moderation. Idk if your the best to give advice.



However I would do what electric said also..

1. Count everything you eat. Like people said buy a food scale and measure everything/read nutrition facts
2. If you have a cheat day don't go overboard and see how much you can eat on your cheat day. Make it a cheat meal. Meaning let it be like one slice of pizza that day or a burger. Not a pizza in the morning, burger in the day, and ice cream at night and call it a cheat day. That's called ruining the diet the whole weeks worth day.
3. At your size and 2,500-2,000 you should cut an easy 4 pounds a week
4. Learn to accept that things will be slow and hard
5. Go to the gym and lift heavy. Don't just do cardio.
6. Make sure you weigh yourself only once a week max the same day in the morning. If you don't see changes in two weeks, then you are eating too much and need to cut calories because you are not counting correctly or they are too high, but no way in your case at 300+ so don't worry about that yet. Just stick to 2,500-2,000 and you will see fast results
7. You will eventually see the light if you keep at it.
8. There will be a point where you are sick of dieting, binge, and then give up. If you do this. This please start the diet again the next day and continue the weight loss. It happens and it happened to me and I just went back on the horse and now it won't collapse if I sat on it.

[winnicandle]

2500 calories
180g protein
100g fat
The rest in carbs

This...or real close to it.

1900 calories is way too few, you wont likely stick with it and will binge.

Shoot for 12 month of progress and forget the scale....judge progress by how your clothes fit and how you feel.

And seriously, start lifting....compound stuff like squats and deads. These are far more beneficial that walking/cardio. At your current shape, 25 squats will kick the hell out of that 5 mile walk.

Good Luck!!!

[|progress|]

I suppose I need to get a bf% done, but at this weight, what's the point.

The point is you can't figure out your Lean Body Mass without it, and it's a pretty crappy way to set a goal. Guessing you're at 200 lbs. isn't going to get you the best results. What happens if your LBM is actually 180 lbs? You can't put together a plan without knowing what the roadblocks are going to be to get there. Perfect example is this thread. People are throwing calorie numbers out all over the place.

Get your measurements, put together a plan, eat to your macros, and work out to supplement the calorie burn and building muscle. And to add to this, IMO, your goal should be a bodyfat percentage, not a weight.

[morrikj777]

Don't do what I did. I didn't count my calories and I probably was eating around 1,000 calories a few days and then binge eat about 3,000 to 4,000 calories one day. I had absolutely no nutrition knowledge so I ended up eating tuna from the can, multi-grain crackers and about 4 protein shakes a day. I contribute that terrible eating (this is subjective of course) to the development of my Gallstones I had a few months back. Luckily I was able to use an alternative treatment involving apple cider which broke up the stones and I passed them naturally.

I was 350 pounds. Sitting at about 268 right now. I'm a bit more open-minded with my food choices and weigh EVERYTHING. I'm addicting to my digital food scale. I weigh meats, cottage cheese, olive oil, oats, etc... Honestly, just try to hit your protein requirement and then fill the rest of your calories with whatever you want. Being at the 350 pound range will allow you that flexibility and still lose massive amounts of weight.

[nlite2000]

The point is you can't figure out your Lean Body Mass without it, and it's a pretty crappy way to set a goal. Guessing you're at 200 lbs. isn't going to get you the best results. What happens if your LBM is actually 180 lbs? You can't put together a plan without knowing what the roadblocks are going to be to get there. Perfect example is this thread. People are throwing calorie numbers out all over the place.

Get your measurements, put together a plan, eat to your macros, and work out to supplement the calorie burn and building muscle. And to add to this, IMO, your goal should be a bodyfat percentage, not a weight.

I fundamentally disagree, especially at his level of obesity. He needs to think in terms of pounds. First goal--get below 300. Next goal--under 275. BF% is highly irrelevant at this point for him. I mean, an ultimate goal is fine, but it's a long, long ways away. The good news is, at this point, shredding large amounts of fat is quite easy. These are short term goals that will be met, with relative ease.

[y0lked]

OP dont loose weight too quickly. Loose skin and stretch marks are bad bad side effects of rapid weight/size loss. Id say at your weight 1-4 lbs per week would be ideal for the first few months, then try to stick in the 1-2lbs per week.

Finding out what you like to eat by staying away from the foods you shouldnt eat is easier than trying to stick to someone elses diet plan.

[Electricheadd]

The point is you can't figure out your Lean Body Mass without it, and it's a pretty crappy way to set a goal. Guessing you're at 200 lbs. isn't going to get you the best results. What happens if your LBM is actually 180 lbs? You can't put together a plan without knowing what the roadblocks are going to be to get there. Perfect example is this thread. People are throwing calorie numbers out all over the place.

Get your measurements, put together a plan, eat to your macros, and work out to supplement the calorie burn and building muscle. And to add to this, IMO, your goal should be a bodyfat percentage, not a weight.

I think your over complicating it. He is obese, he has the reserves to survive cutting at 2500 calories easily. Choosing a protein number is pretty easy too. 180 lbs of lean body mass is a ton of mass for anyone but a long time weight lifter so we choose 180g of protein with relative safety. As much as we don't like to admit it, we are all pretty much the same with a few slight differences.

[nlite2000]

As much as we don't like to admit it, we are all pretty much the same with a few slight differences.

Like dogs, or monkeys, or parrots, or snails. My point is--we all respond to the same stimuli in very similar ways. Especially on a physiological level.

[Electricheadd]

Like dogs, or monkeys, or parrots, or snails. My point is--we all respond to the same stimuli in very similar ways. Especially on a physiological level.

Agreed, with the exception of the super obese or very small , we could all cut on about the same calorie/macro content give or take 300-400 calories.

[YouMadDawg]

For you, I would do the Dukan Diet. Although it is undoubtedly the stupidest thing I could have done, thats because I pride myself on putting up heavy iron. I lost 50 pounds in 3 months and have kept it off for a month now. I lost a $hit ton of muscle too, and my lifts are way down. I was 291 when I found bb.com, and I am now 235 pounds.

For you, at 344, you need to drop the weight. PM me and I'll even send you the Dukan Diet book if you are interested, as well as my before and after pictures with my official Army Height/Weight paper that has me going from 25% to 17% percent body fat.

[KingOfChaos]

OP dont loose weight too quickly. Loose skin and stretch marks are bad bad side effects of rapid weight/size loss. Id say at your weight 1-4 lbs per week would be ideal for the first few months, then try to stick in the 1-2lbs per week.

Finding out what you like to eat by staying away from the foods you shouldnt eat is easier than trying to stick to someone elses diet plan.

If he's been 300+ lbs. overweight for a few years, he's going to have loose skin regardless of how slow he loses it.

[BunkMoreland]

eat less, do more. SRS

[shotgun85]

read up on IF as it will be much easier for you to "diet" because ur stomache is pretty big i guess and with IF you can eat big meals and feel more satisfied - so you maybe stick to this.

id go around 2600 cals and adjust it every week (take 100-150cals away) if you dont drop at least 2lbs/week

Greets

[alex2363]

i was 255 at 5'7..had hi blood pres, pre diabtic...i lost 60 + by eating less doing cardio 4 times week for 30 mins and lifting 3 to 4 times a week. no magic formula, just eat low fats and less cals and it will melt off with time.