43 and looking to return - seeking any input or experiential advice you guys got

[AFTERMATH77]

Been retired from the military about 3 years now and aside from adding on a good 15 pounds near the end of my career rising to about 233, I am now living large at 263 having gained another 30 retirement pounds. Not that it is a good excuse, but in 2012 my first son was born with another in 2014 so schedules and life adjustments have been an issue including new job(s) and the transition from military life.

Looking around I found YT channels like Funk Roberts and BlueStar supplements to have some pretty good info on over 40, low testosterone, ectomorph type issues that I am experiencing and seems to be a common theme that full nosy circuit type / super-set type HIIT weight and body resistance training is the way to go for me to get to a healthy weight, and hopefully improve cardio fitness to play with the kids and overall health that will hopefully keep THIS dad around for years to come.

I'm around 33-35% body fat with about 172 pounds of lean muscle. Using a 16 % fat formula I guess that would put me around a goal weight of 199 pounds, which seems impossible looking at myself in the mirror.

I absolutely know that my diet is THE single biggest problem in my health scenario, but lets face it - exercise + diet is a faster route to success than just one half of the formula. Also seeking to significantly increase water intake as that's an issue as well.

So what do you all think? Any routines you want to share and point me towards or pro tips? Speaking of pro tips...I love the site but I am not looking to compete and or be a fitness professional. I hope that's okay?

[Garage Rat]

What you might want to explore is what you can do at home if scheduling is an issue and have to watch your kid.
I've been there.
You also have to be very discipline so it has to be an important goal for you.
I like doing strap work like TRX type straps(i use lifeline jungle xt straps) for some home training.
A few weights like some dumbbells and a barbell will give you a good start.
For losing weight a complex of like four exercises in a row,rest and repeat for several rounds should get your heart rate up to inhibit fat loss.
Of course you could do something similar at the gym if you have time to get there.
Keep a diet and training journal.
The diet journal should have all food you eat with calories and macros for each.
Use a food scale this way you'll be very accurate and can adjust as needed.
Shoot for some small goals for your overall long term goal.
Good luck!

[ElrondHubbard]

You already know the answer. Diet and exercise, most specifically weight training.

For some people intense workouts do make it easier to be compliant with their diets. That was the case for me. For some, though, it makes things more difficult.

Either way, it will be a battle, and you'll need commitment and discipline to fight it.

Two things that helped me:

1. Weight training.
2. Avoiding the television.

TV ads are designed to trigger your weak points and to make you believe you want what they're selling. It's skilled psychology designed to get inside your head and break down your defenses. It does NOT have your benefit in mind.

Take a long hard look at the foods you normally eat and the quantity. There may be foods you need to eliminate or substitute. You definitely need to reduce the quantity.

Some people recommend strict calorie counting for this, if that's what it takes to get you to reduce effectively, then be willing to do that. I don't think it's strictly necessary as long as you keep aware of your meal frequency and serving sizes. You can monitor your weight loss and determine whether to ease off or cut back a little more.

There's going to be a learning curve involved, and a certain amount of trial and error. Feel free to experiment, but keep track of your results.

As for novice weight lifting programs, there are stickies in the Workout Programs section with a number of choices. A lot of people recommend Fierce 5 or Stronglifts. There are some other good choices too. Pick one, stick with it for a while, give it a chance to work.

None of this is going to come easy at first. It's physically, emotionally and intellectually different from what you've done before, and there will be some internal resistance to it.

But hey, maybe that's why we call it resistance training!

Stick with it, keep the commitment, make it a habit, part of your normal routine. Add it to your personal value system.

Once you've done all that, it will transform your life, and your way of thinking, and your priorities. If you don't, it won't.

[bamazav]

I would echo much of what the two gurus above have said. My advise will be short and sweet.

1.) Supplements are just that, meant to supplement. Start with your current diet (not the action but the actual food you eat). 1st baby step is to work on 3 decent meals with proteins and veggies each day.

2.) if you truly suspect low T, Thyroid or other issues, go have a full exam and tell them you want the full work up of blood work. You have to ask specifically for tests for hormones, and to check nutritional needs.

It is silly to start to change things until you have all the information you need to make the right changes. Too many just jump into diets and exercise with little to no knowledge or thought as to what their body really needs. Do your homework.

[RestoringTally]

^^^ what they said.

BUT I suggest using a food tracker so that you can learn how much you are eating and control the quantity of food you eat. Diet is important. That means eating less. If you do not know how much you are currently eating, how can you know you are eating less.

I use MyFitnessPal and a scale to monitor my food consumption. I meticulously track what I eat for while and when I have it under control and have formed good habits, I stop using the app. Usually after several months I start tracking again. I am always amazed at how my food consumption creeps up when I do not track. A little bit there, a bit more of that, and suddenly, I am eating several hundred more calories a day than I should.

Also, when you start working out heavy, your appetite will likely increase. It does for me. The harder I work out, the hungrier I get. When I am trying to lose weight, the last thing I want to do is eat more because I am hungary.

[xsquid99]

I'm former military too, got up to around 250 before I decided to make my changes at age 42, when I dropped all the way down to 190 lbs (I'm 6'5" btw). I've been working consistently for 3 years and now at age 45 I'm 215 lbs with a lot more muscle and in better shape than at any point in my entire life. So this can be done with a little effort and consistency.

First off, you're not an ectomorph, body ****totypes play no bearing on losing fat and building muscle, so put that out of your mind. Ectomorph is really just code for "underdeveloped undereater", which at 263 lbs it doesn't sound like you're an undereater at all anymore. Maybe at one point you were, but now you're eating a lot more than you're burning each day. Bottom line is that a moderate, consistent calorie deficit coupled with a good strength training program and 2-3 weekly sessions of heart healthy cardio will solve your issues.

I recommend you start with reading this sticky from the Losing Fat section, it will point you in the right direction. Read all the links in the post, they are IMPORTANT.

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=165843261

[drudixon]

No such thing as endomorph. Look on pubmed and you'll see the maximum variance of bmr for healthy adults is 5%. There are social habits and lifestyles that may exacerbate one end of the spectrum or the other. 5% at 2000 calories is only a 100 calorie daily difference. This is important to understand because thinking you're endomorph before you start is just an excuse waiting to happen.

[blue9steel]

I absolutely know that my diet is THE single biggest problem in my health scenario, but lets face it - exercise + diet is a faster route to success than just one half of the formula. Also seeking to significantly increase water intake as that's an issue as well.

The calorie burn from exercise isn't really that high, the reason why you should lift weights and eat protein while dieting is to retain lean mass.

[AFTERMATH77]

First off, you're not an ectomorph, body ****totypes play no bearing on losing fat and building muscle, so put that out of your mind. Ectomorph is really just code for "underdeveloped undereater", which at 263 lbs it doesn't sound like you're an undereater at all anymore.

I recommend you start with reading this sticky

LOL, Honestly I have an idea of the three in my head, I didn't necessarily look at them right before writing my post which was more of an "on a whim" sort of thing, but you're definitely correct - and I meant Endomorph (the fat one) as drudixon cleverly notes in the next post after yours.

Thanks for the sticky recommendation, will read this next.

[AFTERMATH77]

2.) if you truly suspect low T, Thyroid or other issues, go have a full exam and tell them you want the full work up of blood work. You have to ask specifically for tests for hormones, and to check nutritional needs.

Thanks for the input. I'm 100% low T (tested) and working on a plan through the VA hospital. I've had a few docs lately so making progress seems slow. I actually tested low as early as 2010, although I was 4 points above the bottom line that the Army considered "Low" therefore I was in the normal range. Credit scores range from like 300-850 but that doesn't mean a 365 is doing well. Anyways, I am waiting for next step on this path and hoping it may help too.

[AFTERMATH77]

I use MyFitnessPal and a scale to monitor my food consumption.

I am always amazed at how my food consumption creeps up when I do not track. A little bit there, a bit more of that, and suddenly, I am eating several hundred more calories a day than I should.

Also, when you start working out heavy, your appetite will likely increase. It does for me.

I do have an MFP account; its been a while but I'm familiar with it. Like you said here, I too just have cravings and will definitely exceed daily needs (goals) if not checked. I had a nutritionist guy at a wellness center help me set up some calorie and macro goals based on RMR/BMR testing, but its likely a bit outdated. Still, better than nothing.