In desperate need for a consistent diet/workout regime for fat loss

[Winningmind]

To begin my little speech, I'd like to say that I've been trying to get a ripped, cut look now for over 5 years with little success. I started out in August 2005 after being absolutely fed up with being a 100 kg (220 lbs) guy with a 109cm (43 inch) waist. In the first year, from 2005 to the end of 2006 and start of 2007, I made very good progress, I reduced to the smallest size I ever was, at 76.2cm (30 inches) and 78 kgs (171.6 lbs). Despite this, there wasn't much definition of muscles and abs on me, and I continued to work out, by the summer of 2007, I was to 180 lbs and 32/33 inches at my waist, and while I did have more definition, my stomach would still flop out and wasn't flat unless I tightened my abs up.

That being said, the rest of the story is mostly a bunch of flip flops since I wasn't able to get in much consistent exercise as I did prior due to starting my second bachelor's degree, though I did manage to get in more workout times in the 2008.

Fast forwarding to 2010 till a few months ago... that was a very interesting time for me. While I was still trying very hard to get those elusive ripped abs, but psychological problems really held me back. I always had a fear of dropping dead from a heart attack during a workout session and that fear materialized in forms of rather acute panic attacks that eventually ground all my exercise programs to a halt. I spent months out of the gym and when I did return, I couldn't get myself to do any form of cardio or even weight lift for too long.

Also from Feb 2011 till late April, I had a job as a video game tester and it was mostly sedentary, I was going back a bit to the gym, but it wasn't even at maintenance levels and the medication I was taking for my panic attacks was causing me to have a severe case of constipation and weight gain. I became 90kgs (200 lbs) and despite everything else being almost equal, my waist ballooned to 40-42 inches.

At that point I decided I had enough and basically tried to throw away my phobias, and I did it successfully. I went on P90X for 5 weeks straight, cut out sodium from my diet, worked out for 6 days per week, got off my meds and 'solved' (at least temporarily) my constipation problem (but despite eating a high fiber, mostly vegetarian diet and a lot of water, I seem to have a problem getting enough bowl movements). That being said, problems with my equipment breaking and illness have kept me from working out to full potential on the P90X. Recently I've gotten back to the gym for three weeks, and I haven't noticed any progress at all despite 4 to 5 days of exercise per week. I suppose family visiting and going out to eat rather large meals hasn't helped (My sister has a notorious habit of calling me to come along to dinner on extremely short notice... and often that means right after I had my dinner and expects me to eat 1.5 more meals that night).

That being said, as of this immediate moment I feel constipated again and I will be measuring my weight and waist again on Friday morning. I will take photographs of myself for you to see tomorrow as well.

So now that I've given my story, I want to lay out what I want help with.

At this point in time, I'm fed up of training all this time without getting the results I want, what I need is a program that I can use starting immediately and would get me some kind of noticeable result in the next 3 to 4 months (and hopefully I will be able to consistently workout for that amount of time). I heard about the IF and leangains.com, but going there I see a bunch of articles and no sign of a uniform plan anywhere, if there is a program on that website that would lay out what I have to do, I would greatly appreciate a link to it. On top of that, I need advice on getting rid of water retention, I don't know how much of the stuff I have is retained water or fat, and I'm more inclined to believe it is pure fat.

That's basically it for now.

[johnnyj411]

To begin my little speech, I'd like to say that I've been trying to get a ripped, cut look now for over 5 years with little success. I started out in August 2005 after being absolutely fed up with being a 100 kg (220 lbs) guy with a 109cm (43 inch) waist. In the first year, from 2005 to the end of 2006 and start of 2007, I made very good progress, I reduced to the smallest size I ever was, at 76.2cm (30 inches) and 78 kgs (171.6 lbs). Despite this, there wasn't much definition of muscles and abs on me, and I continued to work out, by the summer of 2007, I was to 180 lbs and 32/33 inches at my waist, and while I did have more definition, my stomach would still flop out and wasn't flat unless I tightened my abs up.

That being said, the rest of the story is mostly a bunch of flip flops since I wasn't able to get in much consistent exercise as I did prior due to starting my second bachelor's degree, though I did manage to get in more workout times in the 2008.

Fast forwarding to 2010 till a few months ago... that was a very interesting time for me. While I was still trying very hard to get those elusive ripped abs, but psychological problems really held me back. I always had a fear of dropping dead from a heart attack during a workout session and that fear materialized in forms of rather acute panic attacks that eventually ground all my exercise programs to a halt. I spent months out of the gym and when I did return, I couldn't get myself to do any form of cardio or even weight lift for too long.

Also from Feb 2011 till late April, I had a job as a video game tester and it was mostly sedentary, I was going back a bit to the gym, but it wasn't even at maintenance levels and the medication I was taking for my panic attacks was causing me to have a severe case of constipation and weight gain. I became 90kgs (200 lbs) and despite everything else being almost equal, my waist ballooned to 40-42 inches.

At that point I decided I had enough and basically tried to throw away my phobias, and I did it successfully. I went on P90X for 5 weeks straight, cut out sodium from my diet, worked out for 6 days per week, got off my meds and 'solved' (at least temporarily) my constipation problem (but despite eating a high fiber, mostly vegetarian diet and a lot of water, I seem to have a problem getting enough bowl movements). That being said, problems with my equipment breaking and illness have kept me from working out to full potential on the P90X. Recently I've gotten back to the gym for three weeks, and I haven't noticed any progress at all despite 4 to 5 days of exercise per week. I suppose family visiting and going out to eat rather large meals hasn't helped (My sister has a notorious habit of calling me to come along to dinner on extremely short notice... and often that means right after I had my dinner and expects me to eat 1.5 more meals that night).

That being said, as of this immediate moment I feel constipated again and I will be measuring my weight and waist again on Friday morning. I will take photographs of myself for you to see tomorrow as well.

So now that I've given my story, I want to lay out what I want help with.

At this point in time, I'm fed up of training all this time without getting the results I want, what I need is a program that I can use starting immediately and would get me some kind of noticeable result in the next 3 to 4 months (and hopefully I will be able to consistently workout for that amount of time). I heard about the IF and leangains.com, but going there I see a bunch of articles and no sign of a uniform plan anywhere, if there is a program on that website that would lay out what I have to do, I would greatly appreciate a link to it. On top of that, I need advice on getting rid of water retention, I don't know how much of the stuff I have is retained water or fat, and I'm more inclined to believe it is pure fat.

That's basically it for now.

Did not read but....cardio,eat between only 1500-2000cals a day,do body workouts(pushups,situps,dips,planks,differ dumbell exercises)cardio,drink nothing but water and cardio.

[PRbreaker]

IF is simple. Fast for 16hrs a day and eat for 8hrs, do this the same hours everyday. Eat healthy but eat enough, shoot for around 2000-2300cal a day, I dont know your BMR or any of that but thats a close calorie estimation, take in 150 grams of protien give or take. If you dont have a gym membership do bodyweight excersizes like mentioned above. Pushups-wide, narrow, with your feet on a chair, pullups, sqats, jump squats, find a ledge and do calve raises, situps, go to the junk yard and get an old tire-stop at the hardware store and get a sledge hammer and do full rotation swings and hit the tire, alternating sides great for endurance and core. Do 50yd sprints, if you have p90x do the plyometrics dvd 3-4 times a week, find something heavy and press it over your head. I once went to a seminar for a week and didnt have any weights, there were two cinder blocks behind my hotel, I worked out with those blocks for a week doing bicept curls, shoulder presses, shoulder flys, lat pulls, ect. Just because its not a weight thats bought for working out doesnt mean you cant workout with it. I have pull up rings in my garage that consist of two dog chew toy rings hanging from chains and eye bolts in the rafters in my garage, cost me $14 dollars to make them. Sometimes I feel limited in the gym because of the equipment, take the basic movements for each muscle group and use your imagination to create home equipment. Hopefully this helps a little, if you have any specific questions let me know.

[carbons2k]

I like for dinner grilled chicken, brown rice and mixed vegetables.

Have lots of grilled chicken, salads, fresh fish, vegetables and fruit. 45-60 mins cardio 4-6 days a week and youll be ok. Keep track of your calories too. Stay under 2000 calories for the day. Give it 30 days.. youll start to feel and see a difference. Take before pix and a pix 30 days into it. Youll be amazed. Ive lost 20lbs in a month and look like ive lost much more. YOU GOT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

[bdrusse]

I like for dinner grilled chicken, brown rice and mixed vegetables.

Have lots of grilled chicken, salads, fresh fish, vegetables and fruit. 45-60 mins cardio 4-6 days a week and youll be ok. Keep track of your calories too. Stay under 2000 calories for the day. Give it 30 days.. youll start to feel and see a difference. Take before pix and a pix 30 days into it. Youll be amazed. Ive lost 20lbs in a month and look like ive lost much more. YOU GOT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

You say FRESH fish, as opposed to frozen? Or processed crap like fish sticks? If processed, I get it. If you mean frozen, why you say?

[PRbreaker]

When it comes to most fish that harness all of the Good Fat like salmon I have heard that through the packaging and freezing process it losses all of the good fatty oils, but your still getting the protein. I will buy frozen tilapia all day long but I try to get my salmon fresh.

[Winningmind]

Thank you all for your support and advice. I have been especially active in the gym lately, with the last three weeks my workout has been 4 or 5 days, and this week, marking my fourth week on the workout regime, will basically be the first full week in which I put my new eating schedule into effect. I never use the word 'diet' since it implies something temporary and I've learned all too well that it isn't what produces results. I managed to get my original fat/weight loss to such a success by making a lifestyle change (losing 50 lbs and keeping it off isn't something easy).

At any rate, I'll likely sign up for a martial arts program in addition to working out. My only hope is that I am able to maintain my workouts for the next three or four months and still be able to take care of the other things in my life that are more urgent than just losing fat and gaining the physique I always dreamed of having.