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I'm 5'9 and currently weight 250 pounds, I just meet the morbidly obese category. I have a friend coming over by August 2018 and we plan on hiking/backpacking, can I reach an acceptable physique by then? Also, what exercise should I do, how many days a week should I do it, and how long per session should I do it? Thanks for the help guys, sorry for asking so many questions.
The first thing you need to do is get your diet on point as it's vastly more important than exercise (for the sole purposes of losing weight). Even at a fairly standard caloric restriction of 1000 a day you'd lose 2 pounds a week, 8 pounds a month, and over 100 pounds by the time your trip came about. Now it's not that linear and it'll never be that simple, but that should show that yes you can absolutely be in much better shape by then.
As for your actual question, there's plenty of great beginner lifting routines (and lifting is much more important than cardio for this process) such as Fierce 5, 5x5 Stronglifts, Ice Cream Fitness, etc. etc. most of these will be 3 times a week for an hour or less, if you want to do a bit of cardio you can do but it's not needed.
Basically, read the stickies on this forum to work out your dietary needs and then pick a beginner lifting program. Stick to both and you'll get where you need to be.
[QUOTE=DyingAtheist;1505043221]The first thing you need to do is get your diet on point as it's vastly more important than exercise (for the sole purposes of losing weight). Even at a fairly standard caloric restriction of 1000 a day you'd lose 2 pounds a week, 8 pounds a month, and over 100 pounds by the time your trip came about. Now it's not that linear and it'll never be that simple, but that should show that yes you can absolutely be in much better shape by then.
As for your actual question, there's plenty of great beginner lifting routines (and lifting is much more important than cardio for this process) such as Fierce 5, 5x5 Stronglifts, Ice Cream Fitness, etc. etc. most of these will be 3 times a week for an hour or less, if you want to do a bit of cardio you can do but it's not needed.
Basically, read the stickies on this forum to work out your dietary needs and then pick a beginner lifting program. Stick to both and you'll get where you need to be.[/QUOTE]
Isn't 1000 calorie/day a bit too little for a male my height? I currently am restricting myself to 2000 a day.
I started my cut at the Jan 1, and I'm the same height as you but I started at 260lb. Im now 206ish and feel great. I got a bit weaker tho, but that was cuz of injury. Anyway, I did this through a 1000 cal deficit and lifting 3 times a week. 2000 cals a day is fine for weight loss. I think dyingathesist meant that you should subtract 1000 cals from your maintainence, which should be around 2900-3000 cals if u workout 3 times a week.
you just have to be consistent at it and not give up. don't expect a noticable change anytime soon. It's been 4.5 months for me and I look the exact same despite losing over 50lb (tho others say i look like i lost a little, and my pants size has gone down 2 sizes)
OP, he means your daily intake [I]minus[/I] 1000 calories per day.
[QUOTE=furiana;1505056981]OP, he means your daily intake [I]minus[/I] 1000 calories per day.[/QUOTE]
How tough would that be for me as my stamina is obviously lackluster. 30 minutes of hardcore cardio on the elliptical results in probably a 400-cal deficit, after that, I'm finished for the day cardio-wise, not sure I could pull off 1000.
[CENTER][SIZE=+2][COLOR=GREEN]NUTRITION[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER]
This is the largest factor in your success, learn the basics to get started and then move into more advanced if needed.
[SIZE=+2][COLOR=GREEN]BASICS[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[spoiler]
Calculate calorie needs: First get your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), then multiply by an activity factor to get your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).
BMR= 370 + (21.6 x LBM (Lean Body Mass), Where LBM = [Total Weight (KG) x (100 - Body Fat %)] /100
Next take that number and use an activity factor to get TDEE (more active, use a higher number and lower number for less active) but remember this accounts for all activity and not just exercise (busy job/active life, choose a higher value)-
1.2- Sedentary (desk job and little exercise/activity)
1.3-1.4- Lightly Active Light daily activity, light exercise 1-3 times per week)
1.5-1.6- Moderately Active (Moderately active, moderate exercise 3-5 times per week)
1.7-1.8- Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle, hard exercise 5-7 times per week)
1.9-2.2- Extremely Active (Endurance athlete, very hard physical job)
Now that you have the TDEE, get your macro-nutrient needs (fat, protein, and carb needs). Fat has 9 calories per gram, and protein/carbs have 4 calories per gram, alcohol is 7 calories per gram count it as a carb when fitting it into your macros).
Protein- .8 grams per pound
Fat- .4 grams per pound
Meet those MINIMUMS and then fill out remaining calories as you want with carbs, or more protein and fat, or any combination. Remember to track properly too, use a food scale (measuring cups can be very inaccurate due to density); track everything, each little bit adds up (sauces can be quite calorie dense).
Next decide your goal and eat at a 10-20% caloric deficit or surplus, deficit to lose weight and surplus to gain. For gaining go for ~.5-1 pound per week and when losing aim for 1-2 pounds per week. Reach your macro needs with mostly whole foods and a wide variety to ensure enough vitamins and mineral, but remember to practice common sense and moderation- enjoy life.[/spoiler]
[SIZE=+2][COLOR=GREEN]Sources and More Information[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[spoiler]
[COLOR=GREEN]Nutrition-[/COLOR]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380183]Calculating Calories[/URL]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=123915821]Pre, During, and Postworkout Nutrition[/URL]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=129523333]How To Ask For Diet Critique[/URL]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=133634471]Discretionary Calorie Allowance[/URL]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=2845231]Macro/Micro Nutrients Explained[/URL]
[URL=http://evidencemag.com/clean-eating/]Clean Eating Myth[/URL]
[URL=http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-7-insulin-and-thinking-better/insulin-an-undeserved-bad-reputation/]Insulin and Fat Loss[/URL]
[URL=http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-insulin-works/]Insulin and Fat Loss 2[/URL]
[COLOR=GREEN]Protein-[/COLOR]
[URL=http://evidencemag.com/dieting-protein-needs]Protein Needs[/URL]
[URL=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24092765]Protein Needs 2[/URL]
[URL=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3879660/]Protein Timing[/URL]
[COLOR=GREEN]Fat-[/COLOR]
[URL=http://www.jissn.com/content/11/1/20]Fat Needs[/URL]
[URL=http://www.anabolicmen.com/fats-and-testosterone/]Fat and Testosterone[/URL]
[COLOR=GREEN]Meal Timing-[/COLOR]
[URL=http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/5]Meal Timing 1[/URL]
[URL=http://nutritionreviews.oxfordjournals.org/content/73/2/69]Meal Timing 2[/URL]
[COLOR=GREEN]Micro-Nutrient Guide-[/COLOR]
[URL=http://iom.nationalacademies.org/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRIs/5_Summary%20Table%20Tables%201-4.pdf]Micro-Nutrient Guide[/URL][/spoiler]
[CENTER][SIZE=+2][COLOR=Blue]TRAINING[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER]
Start with a solid beginner routine, these are designed to get the most for you; they are designed by professionals and use progressive overload. Read through them and pick the one you like most, follow it as it is written.
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=118004321]Why You Should Not Make Your Own Routine[/URL]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=118920551]How To Perform Basic Lifts[/URL]
[SIZE=+2][COLOR=Blue]Routines[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[URL=http://startingstrength.com/]Starting Strength[/URL]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=135564721]BabyLover's Starting Strength[/URL]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843]AllPro's Beginner Routine[/URL]
[URL=http://stronglifts.com/5x5/]StrongLifts 5x5[/URL]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=148036063]IceCream Fitness 5x5[/URL]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=159678631]Fierce 5[/URL]
[URL=http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=149807833]Coolcicada's Push Pull Legs[/URL]
[COLOR=Blue]Calisthenics routines[/COLOR]
[spoiler]Push Day:
- Pushups: 5x15
- Chest Dips: 4x12
- Triceps Extensions: 3x20
- Bench Dips: 3x15
- HSPU: 5x5
- Hindu Pushups: 3x12
Pull Day:
- Pull-ups: 5x8
- Inverted Rows: 3x12
- Back bridges: 4x10
- One-arm Assisted Chin-ups: 4x5
- One-arm Inverted Rows: 3x8
- Chins Isometric Holds: 3xFailure
Legs Day:
- Suqats: 5x20
- Jumping Squats: 4x15
- Lunges: 3x30
- Sprints: 4x20sec
- Box Jumps: 3x10
- Hanging Leg Raises: 3xfailure
Or-
Upper Day:
- Pullups: 5x6
- One-arm Inverted Rows: 3x8
- Inverted Rows: 3x18
- Back bridges: 4x10
- Pushups: 4x12
- Dips: 3x15
- HSPU: 3x5
- Decline Crunches: 4x12
- Russian Decline Twist: 3x12
Lower Day:
- Jumping Squats: 8x12
- Pistol Squats: 4x10
- Step Ups: 3x10
- GHR: 3x12
- Sprints: 5x15sec
- Calf Raises: 10x10 "Burnout"
- Hanging Leg Raises: 4x12
- Planks: 3x1min[/spoiler]
[CENTER][SIZE=+2][COLOR=RED]SUPPLEMENTS[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER]
Remember one thing, supplements are only that; they supplement something and are never meant to be replacements. A multivitamin will not replace fruits and vegetables, a fat burner will not replace a caloric deficit, and a meal replacement is not meant to be your only source of calories.
This is a brief run down of the 'basics', for further breakdowns of specific ingredients (like Yohimbe, Forskolin, Glycerol, ect) more research on your part would be needed.
[COLOR=Red]Protein[/COLOR]
[spoiler]Protein supplements are mostly derived from either Milk, Animal, Egg, or Plant sources. They are a powdered food item, made to be convenient to take. Their main purpose is to help you reach your minimum daily needs for protein if you cannot do so with whole foods, outside of that they provide no special benefit to muscle growth and are by no means 'required'.
[COLOR=RED]Types[/COLOR]
Whey- The most common, derived from milk and comes in either a concentrate or isolate. It is the cheapest and has a very high bio-availability, good stuff all around. Concentrate is the most common you will see since it requires less processing than an isolate. It is great and just fine for the majority of people. Isolates are another variety, they tend to have a few less carbs and fat, but cost more. They are best for people who have lactose issues.
Animal- Meat based protein, most come from the hooves and other parts that are not used in food; mostly collagen sources. These are usually not the best for bio-availability and are costly compared to a whey protein. They have the benefit of not being an issue to the lactose intolerant, but most prefer other sources for their protein needs.
Egg- From eggs, most are egg white powders. Again these cost more but have good bio-availability and do not aggravate lactose.
Plant- Best for the vegetarian/vegan, and those with very severe lactose intolerance (who still get issues even from isolate). These are sources from pea, soy, hemp, rice, and other plants. They often have multiple sources to form a complete protein source. Most cost more because of the processing involved.[/spoiler]
[COLOR=RED]Multi-Vitamins[/COLOR]
[spoiler]Multi-Vitamins are a good way to cover any gaps your nutrition may leave, they are not meant to (and never will be) a replacement for a wide variety of whole foods. Think of them as the spackle of the supplement world, great for covering imperfections, but you would not try and build a house from it.[/spoiler]
[COLOR=RED]Fish Oil[/COLOR]
[spoiler]Fish Oil is a good supplement for most, mainly because many do not eat enough fish to reach the minimum recommendation for EPA/DHA. For the most part you do not need to over complicate this one, just find a cheap and reliable brand and go for a dosage that covers your daily needs. These recommendations are 3 grams of EPA/DHA per day.[/spoiler]
[COLOR=RED]Creatine[/COLOR]
[spoiler]Creatine Monohydrate is the cheapest form of creatine and the most proven/studied. 3-5 grams a day, taken at any time with any liquid is all it takes and you do not need to load or cycle nor do you need to take it with sugar. Many types of creatine exist but just go with a plain mono- do not expect miracles though, creatine will barely have any noticeable effect, it may give you an extra rep or 2 but that is about it.
Bloating with creatine is actually very minimal, if it occurs at all, and usually only happens to those who load it (which is not needed). Creatine works by saturation, pulling water into the muscles and providing more endurance.[/spoiler]
[COLOR=RED]BCAAs[/COLOR]
[spoiler]BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) are said to prevent muscle breakdown and aid in recovery- this is true but you know what already has BCAAs in it? Food, any source of protein has and is comprised of branch chain amino acids. Assuming you reach protein sufficiency in your day a BCAA supplement would do nothing to aid you. BCAA supplements may be beneficial if you take pre/intra workout only if you train in a fasted state, or taken between meals if you go 4-6 hours without food. If you do not fit either of those categories they are not needed at all, save the money.[/spoiler]
[COLOR=RED]Fat Burners[/COLOR]
[spoiler]Fat Burners primarily do 2 things, suppress appetite and provide energy and focus. They cannot and will not replace a calorie deficit or a proper nutrition plan. Some have other additions, such as Forskolin or Yohimbe which may aid in actual fat loss though, but again the end success of weight/fat loss is proper diet. Work on getting that in order and then, if needed, you may want to look into a fat burner for the final push you need.[/spoiler]
[COLOR=RED]Pre-Workouts[/COLOR]
[spoiler]These are designed to provide energy, focus, pump, and endurance; they do so most often with caffeine and other ingredients though there are also non-stimm pre-workouts for those who do not want the caffeine rush. These can aid you if the extra energy is needed but they are not required; if you are fine without them than you can just save your money.[/spoiler]
[COLOR=RED]Meal Replacements/Mass Gainer[/COLOR]
[spoiler]These are often little more than a protein supplement with a lot of cheap carbs added in to jack up the calories. Really, just eat more; make a homemade gainer from whole foods: Whole Milk, Oats, Honey, Ice Cream, Whey, Peanut Butter, Fruit; all can be blended up to make a far more nutritious and cheaper gainer than anything you could buy in a tub.[/spoiler]
[COLOR=RED]CLA[/COLOR]
[spoiler]CLA is useless, really... Unless you are obese and even then the effects are minimal at best.[/spoiler]
[COLOR=RED]Glutamine[/COLOR]
[spoiler]Glutamine is pretty much useless, save your money.[/spoiler]
Forget about exercise calories, they are a bonus, it's far easier to eat 100 less calories than it is to burn them.
[QUOTE=Soverus;1505061221]How tough would that be for me as my stamina is obviously lackluster. 30 minutes of hardcore cardio on the elliptical results in probably a 400-cal deficit, after that, I'm finished for the day cardio-wise, not sure I could pull off 1000.[/QUOTE]
As I said, cardio isn't important. Your weightlifting is much moreso. The 1000 calorie deficit comes from your food - Bullock's provided this information but basically you find your TDEE which is the amount of energy you burn through your BMR and your energy expenditure and then reduce it by 1000 in order to cut 2 pounds a week.
Cardio is good for increasing your expenditure if need be but it's much less important than getting your diet and lifts on point.
I think you seem a little confused on the calorie front. You can google a website that will help you work out your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), I would choose your activity setting as "sedentary" to get the most accurate reading. Whatever figure this returns you, likely close to 3000 for your size (just an estimate though) means that's how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. Eating that exact amount means you wouldn't gain or lose weight, even if you did no exercise whatsoever (although don't take the figure as gospel, it is an estimate using a formula and SHOULD be close, but all bodies are different). So say you have to eat 3000 to maintain your current weight, subtract 1000 means eat 2000 calories per day. This would put your defecit at 1000 calories per day and should (on average) mean you lose around 2 lbs per week, even without exercise. Add in exercise too and you can lose even more.
Important thing to remember is that your TDEE will decrease as you get smaller, so don't stick to the same figure forever if you want to keep up your rate of progression. Hope this helps.
Thanks for your guidance, everyone, it's greatly appreciated! Just curious because some of you are saying it's less important, I should continue with the cardio to increase stamina for hiking, right? I currently use the elliptical because it's low-impact as the treadmill hurts my bones because of the weight. Whenever I get to a more appropriate weight, I am going to use a treadmill.
[QUOTE=Soverus;1505092521]Thanks for your guidance, everyone, it's greatly appreciated! Just curious because some of you are saying it's less important, I should continue with the cardio to increase stamina for hiking, right? I currently use the elliptical because it's low-impact as the treadmill hurts my bones because of the weight. Whenever I get to a more appropriate weight, I am going to use a treadmill.[/QUOTE]
You can keep doing so for general fitness etc. just do it on your days off from weightlifting or do it AFTER your lifts. Use it as a cooldown and to build general health, don't let it impact your lifting.
I actually went hiking/backpacking around Central America a couple of years ago and when I first went I was 285 pounds or so and hadn't worked out in forever - it was hell for the first month, really struggled with the heat and the physical exertion and wasn't able to enjoy it nearly as much as I should have. You've got a lot of time to get ahead of this, spend the next year working hard on yourself and it'll be so worth it.
OP it's not as hard as you expect.
For example. You can eat a whole bag of salad and thatd be 20-30 cals without dressing. I use salsa as dressing. So add like 5-10 cals (if that). Thats a full afternoon snack when I'm cutting weight.
Don't be eating stuff like potatoes, fried food, beef, etc. Meeting that higher caloric deficit wont be a problem.
Stick to [B]CERTAIN[/B] greens like green beans, asparagus, which you can eat a ton of for low amount of calories.
then stick to chicken and fish for proteins.
Eat where you want to be, not where you're at.
In terms of cardio, the elliptical is fine for now. Just don't get lazy, like resting you're arms on the non-moveable portion, or going real slow. You still want an increase heart rate. If you can, try to fast walk or jog on the treadmill to build up that stamina and push yourself.
Hope this helps some!
Walking