Is my fat loss plan feasible? + several questions

[Awesome1337]

Hey guys, I've been obese since I was a kid, but recently it's gotten worse. I basically told myself that I need to shape up and better myself because it's going to be miserable if I start my adult life obese and out of shape. I'm about 235lbs, 5'10, and 17 years old. I've decided to completely clean my diet up. For breakfast I'll probably be having some sort of fruit, a couple snacks throughout the day which consist of protein bars, yogurt, or possibly protein shakes. For lunch I'm looking towards salad / white meat+brown rice, and dinner will probably be the same. On sundays though I want to have a break day so I might consume a tad more calories then on a regular. On regular days though I'm going to try to keep my calorie intake in the 1800-2000 range. For exercise I've started trying to extend my endurance so I can do cardio. Hopefully once I'm fully in the routine I want to try jogging atleast 30+ minutes 5 days a week. I'm looking at a goal of getting below 200 in around 4 months. Is that optimistic / how much fat loss can I really expect / how much more would be possible?

Also a few more questions,

Is the amount I'm eating healthy, or is it too low/high?

Is there anything my diet is missing?

How do I avoid being a skinny guy with tons of extra skin?

Should I start training my muscles / lifting weights at the same time? I ask this because I hear it'll just make you appear fatter / damage your skin more.

Is Whey Protein useful at all for fat loss or is it more for muscle gain?

Thanks for the help guys, I'm really looking forward to improving the way I live.

[sharpieblet]

you're wanting to lose about 40 lbs in 4 months, doable but also teetering on the higher end of reasonable fat loss. i see no reason to drop 30 lbs in 4 months, you really don't want to be losing 2+ lbs a week throughout your ENTIRE cut. but i think it should be doable for the first few months.

what you've heard about training muscles and skin damage is completely retarded...that's exactly what will keep you from getting lose skin bro. losing 40+ lbs without resistance training is NOT a good idea if you want to have an attractive body.

protein is just food...it's good for fat loss OR bulking...it's simply a way to HELP get enough protein in.

cals look fine to me, i'd keep them around 2000 every day and that should take you far. lift weights 3-5x a week with a good lifting routine (good doesn't mean extreme, good means it's SENSIBLE and judging by your post, a program for a beginner).

[MyWarriorSpirit]

If you go to kris gethin's 12-week hardcore cut he mentions the way to not get the excess skin as you lose weight are to do barbell twists, and twists in general... there are numerous exercises you can do to tighten skin around your body....

http://www.livestrong.com/article/42...r-weight-loss/

[vismal]

To answer you questions.

1. The amount depends on your overall activity level. It seems on the low side to me.
2. Yes you are missing macro nutrient counts. Without counting macros you are guessing. From the foods you described your diet seems too low in fat.
3. Lose your weight slowly. 1-2 lbs a week is best. Also lift heavy weights to preserve muscle mass. Sometimes no matter what you will still have lose skin.
4. Yes lift. Absolutely lift! What you heard is bullsh!t.
5. No. Whey has no properties that are any better then getting protein from food. Infact, when cutting many people find getting all their protein from food a better then whey because food keeps you more full then whey.

From you post it seems you don't understand nutrition very well. I would read this thread http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=133163973 then read it again. It is the foundation and starting point of weight loss.

[sharpieblet]

If you go to kris gethin's 12-week hardcore cut he mentions the way to not get the excess skin as you lose weight are to do barbell twists, and twists in general... there are numerous exercises you can do to tighten skin around your body....

http://www.livestrong.com/article/42...r-weight-loss/

all you have to do is train all your muscles with heavy weights and lose all the fat. if you've gotten so overweight/obese that it's stretched out your skin significantly, no exercises in the world will prevent you from having some excess skin. skin will tighten up with time, lifting in general, and maintaining lower body fat.

edit: read parts of the article and it's completely laughable...article is implying the dinosaur theory that you can spot reduce fat or 'tone' an area by working that area...

brb opening and closing my mouth 5-10x a day for 'optimal results' even though i literally open and close my mouth hundreds of times a day when eating/talking.

[Awesome1337]

To answer you questions.

1. The amount depends on your overall activity level. It seems on the low side to me.
2. Yes you are missing macro nutrient counts. Without counting macros you are guessing. From the foods you described your diet seems too low in fat.
3. Lose your weight slowly. 1-2 lbs a week is best. Also lift heavy weights to preserve muscle mass. Sometimes no matter what you will still have lose skin.
4. Yes lift. Absolutely lift! What you heard is bullsh!t.
5. No. Whey has no properties that are any better then getting protein from food. Infact, when cutting many people find getting all their protein from food a better then whey because food keeps you more full then whey.

From you post it seems you don't understand nutrition very well. I would read this thread *link*

I'll start reading it now. Also regarding 1 (since google fails me), what's a healthy amount of activity for my weight then? There aren't many gyms around here / sports league, so I basically only have home exercise and cardio to rely on.

all you have to do is train all your muscles with heavy weights and lose all the fat. if you've gotten so overweight/obese that it's stretched out your skin significantly, no exercises in the world will prevent you from having some excess skin. skin will tighten up with time, lifting in general, and maintaining lower body fat.

I understand. There's not gym near me for a long while though, would starting a beginner lifting regiment on a set of dumbbells like the "Cap Barbell 40-Pound Dumbbell Set" on Amazon be a good place to start? I need 50 posts to post actual links.

[vismal]

all you have to do is train all your muscles with heavy weights and lose all the fat. if you've gotten so overweight/obese that it's stretched out your skin significantly, no exercises in the world will prevent you from having some excess skin. skin will tighten up with time, lifting in general, and maintaining lower body fat.

edit: read parts of the article and it's completely laughable...article is implying the dinosaur theory that you can spot reduce fat or 'tone' an area by working that area...

brb opening and closing my mouth 5-10x a day for 'optimal results' even though i literally open and close my mouth hundreds of times a day when eating/talking.

this^
I didn't even bother to click the link. Any exercise, cream, old wives tale for eliminating lose skin doesn't work. As you said, muscle building, low body fat, and time are the 3 biggest things to eliminating lose skin

[sharpieblet]

I'll start reading it now. Also regarding 1 (since google fails me), what's a healthy amount of activity for my weight then? There aren't many gyms around here / sports league, so I basically only have home exercise and cardio to rely on.



I understand. There's not gym near me for a long while though, would starting a beginner lifting regiment on a set of dumbbells like the "Cap Barbell 40-Pound Dumbbell Set" on Amazon be a good place to start? I need 50 posts to post actual links.

i would buy a dumbbell set that at least went up to 80 lbs. that, plus a cheap barbell and some weights for the barbell, would help a lot. and a bench too, of course.

[Awesome1337]

i would buy a dumbbell set that at least went up to 80 lbs. that, plus a cheap barbell and some weights for the barbell, would help a lot. and a bench too, of course.

Thanks for all your help man. I'll probably get that set to start out for a couple weeks then eventually buy heavier plates when I feel like I need them. I'll also look around for a cheap barbell set too.

Also vismal, I read that thread, thanks. I'll be adding the missing nutrition essentials into my diet asap.