320Lbs. and can't lose weight!

[HebrewHammer]

I'm 18, 320 Lbs., 6'2", just started college, and have I have started to workout a lot to lose weight. I mountain bike a good 7 miles a day and I take Nutrex Lipo 6 and S.A.N. T3. The problem is that I'm barely losing any weight; I've always been a big guy so I guess that might be a reason. Also, sometimes I give in to my cravings at crazy times of the night/day. I'm wondering if anyone can help me build a stack that will help me lose weight and especially suppress my appetite. Possibly a fat blocker? I dont really know so any advice is helpful. Thanx.

[DukeNukem]

I'm 18, 320 Lbs., 6'2", just started college, and have I have started to workout a lot to lose weight. I mountain bike a good 7 miles a day and I take Nutrex Lipo 6 and S.A.N. T3. The problem is that I'm barely losing any weight; I've always been a big guy so I guess that might be a reason. Also, sometimes I give in to my cravings at crazy times of the night/day. I'm wondering if anyone can help me build a stack that will help me lose weight and especially suppress my appetite. Possibly a fat blocker? I dont really know so any advice is helpful. Thanx.

I'll tell you somethings to help you get started. First there are hundreds of articles on what foods to eat. You should read them and see what you can afford for your diet. For me i eat 6 meals a day. Each meal have a serving of protien and serving of carbs. Example Can of Tuna/pasta sprinkled with lemon juice. Or Chicken Breast and apple. 2 of my meals i throw in veggies. But figure out how many calories YOU need and adjust your diet to that.

Fat burners. Stay away from them. You want to get your metabolism burning the natural way. Which is eating right and exercising. The more muscle you put on the faster your metabolism will run. I wouldn't take fat burners untill you are getting results with food and exercise. They are only there to "assist". However Green tea is a good fat burner i would recommend.

I'm not sure what your diet is like but i'm sure that is where your problem is. Exercise and eat right and you should see fat coming off.

[FightnEmu]

Diet is 80% of fat loss man. Supps and working out wont help you if you fill yourself up with junk. If anything it makes you feel worse.

[willbird]

From a fat guys point of view, I think most of us were malnourished, and once you start eating clean(read up on what that means) and about 500 cals less than you burn in a day in 6 meals you will not feel super hungry, in my experience losing 57lbs so far anyway. If you are really hammering on the bike it is going to be tough to figuire out how many cals that is burning, I would bet in between binges you are eating far to LITTLE.

I would say get strict on recording your intake, and get used to calculating your macro's (more reading here)............without a good grasp on how many cals your eating now you really have no idea what to change :-)


Bill

[NightLordV]

320 you say man? Thats about the weight I got to at my heaviest a year ago. I dropped down to about 280lbs back in May by doing pretty much nothing other then cutting out how OFTEN i ate, however I never changed my diet plan.
My problem was then that I was still feeling tired, still depressed all the time, horrible mood swings, and just still felt miserable. So i decided to do something about it.
Since we were about the same weight maybe this will help you out. First and foremost get yourself a GOOD multi-vitamin. I use Universal's Animal Pak, just is the best multi i have taken ever, love that stuff.
Second you need to lift weights. You need to put on muscle in order to burn calories more efficently and faster. More muscle means you can burn calories even while you sleep. Put together a good work out plan. I do the isolated muscle groups in rotation for about six days a week. Its up to you about how much weight you will be lifting and how many sets.
Next, yes cardio, cardio, cardio. Cardio for us big guys is a MUST. I never skip a day of cardio, I Am always running around and doing something every single day and night to keep myself active. Whether its the Health Rider bike, or chasing after my kids, or just going for a nice walk. Try to keep that cardio going man for 20-45 min depending on your endurance.
Supplements...well I take Flax Oil three times a day, Creatine four times a day with glutamine, then I have been using Hydroxycut Hardcore. Once I am done with the bottle I will probably stop using fat burners. You can read all over this site what Creatine and Glutamine can do for you.
And of course your diet is the biggest key. If you can't eat five to six small meals a day then when you do eat your meals just make them healthier. Lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and of course protein, chicken, tuna, salmon, lean beef, etc...
I also guzzle down as much water as possible. Cut out all soda even diet as well as ANYTHING fried. If you want "fast food" hit a Subway or get some Arby's Market Fresh Sandwhiches.
I still drink milk, but its 2% with only 5grams of fat. For "snacks" i eat fruit, almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and any kind of jerky(lots of protein, no fat or carbs practically) and non fat yogurt. Chocolate and chips I completely cut out as well.
Another thing to try is to not eat about two hours before you go to bed. If you do eat make sure its something with a lot of protein in it, like a nice Whey Protein shake.
Oh and most important, something I learned recently. Keep your Carbs at night very low. Your body will use carbs as energy FIRST before it turns to burning fat. So if you want carbs eat it with breakfast(such as oatmeal or wheat bread toast) and then some for lunch. If you eat carbs before bed your body's metabolism will be slowing down for sleep so the carbs will just turn to fat since they are not being used for energy. Another good time to eat carbs is your after work out meal.
Well thats what I have been doing not sure if you want to take any of the advice, but trust me i KNOW how frustrating it can be. Want some more tips or anything just write

[HolyFuel]

About 8 months ago I was 5'10" at 315lbs. Now I'm 207. I can do it, so can you. A weight problem is not your unique and special cross to bear: millions of other people in worse shape than you have lost weight. Unless you have a very rare and severe degenerative disease, you can lose weight. If you are not losing weight on the program you are on, it is not that you can't lose weight, it's that the program is wrong. Fix the program.

As others have said, most of the work is in diet. Most of your caloric deficit will come from what you eat day after day. Cardio and lifting might only account for 300-400 calories at best of a 1500+ deficit (at your weight). Ditch the supplements and buy a digital kitchen scale. It's a better investment for fat loss right now; the pills aren't really going to do anything if your diet is ****. Weigh everything, measure everything, and account for every calorie, and every gram of protein/carbs/fat that enters your body. That's how you lose fat. Cardio and lifting are secondary (though also important).

Read my Fat Loss Primer for more info (link is in my sig).

[HebrewHammer]

Wheres a good place to start on the diet? How many grams of fat, carbs, protein, etc? Or what do you need to know to figure that out?

Also, I drink lots of water when i bike (got a camelbak) but is ice tea w/ sweet n' low ok?

[THX 138]

realize #1 you got to be 320 by eating too much. so fix that.
Once you get active and eat right, that fat will fall off like insane. I was almost 290 and I lost 85 lbs. over the course of 2 years just by changing my eating habbits. Since then its krept up a bit, 15 lbs. but I haven't been active in a while now.

[chaosad420]

Wheres a good place to start on the diet? How many grams of fat, carbs, protein, etc? Or what do you need to know to figure that out?

Also, I drink lots of water when i bike (got a camelbak) but is ice tea w/ sweet n' low ok?

Heres a good place to start.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calrmr.htm

At your weight i would aim for about 1000 cals below what your body needs in a day, maybe a bit more. If you eat a clean diet full of low gi carbs, fiber and lean protein sources you will feel alot less hungry then i imagine you do now. If you're like me then make sure you eat some low or no fat cottage cheese right before bed to help with those late night cravings. Eating clean is hard at first, but once you force yourself into it for a month or so you'll wonder why didnt start sooner.
Good luck

[THX 138]

Wheres a good place to start on the diet? How many grams of fat, carbs, protein, etc? Or what do you need to know to figure that out?

Also, I drink lots of water when i bike (got a camelbak) but is ice tea w/ sweet n' low ok?

well keepring a record of what you eat and figuring out how many calories you eat during the day is a good start. That way you know where you're starting from and what you can tweak.
I can say for myself my problem was drinking soda, eating french frys, and in general taking in wayy too many calories. My whole deal happened half by accident half by design. I had brand new 42" jeans that didn't fit. 42" is the largest you can get in reatail stores without going to the big and tall store, which I REFUESD to ever do. So for lent May 2003 I gave up soda, french frys, mayo, chips and probably some other random things and I started losing weight like crazy. So after that my "diet" aka new way of life involved low carb, low cal, high protien meals. Sometimes if I go up on the carbs a bit I'll cut back on the fat since fat and carbs are one of the worst combinations of things you can do. By that I mean I'll eat roast beef sandwhiches (low fat high carb) vs. chicken club sandwhich with a lettus wrap (no carb, somewhat fat from the mayo)

if I just confused you more you or anyone else can im me. I'm online alot.

[PopeGregorius]

I'm 18, 320 Lbs., 6'2", just started college, and have I have started to workout a lot to lose weight. I mountain bike a good 7 miles a day and I take Nutrex Lipo 6 and S.A.N. T3. The problem is that I'm barely losing any weight; I've always been a big guy so I guess that might be a reason. Also, sometimes I give in to my cravings at crazy times of the night/day. I'm wondering if anyone can help me build a stack that will help me lose weight and especially suppress my appetite. Possibly a fat blocker? I dont really know so any advice is helpful. Thanx.

Forget supplements, forget fat blockers. Your problem is more complex.

You are age 18, have a body mass index of 41 (morbidly obese) while exercising at least 30 min per day. My recommendation is to see a dietitian and doctor, because you already have MAJOR problems and are heading towards bigger problems.

I suspect you over-eat all the time, snack all the time, and are in denial of whats happening. You probably have major glucose swings that lead to extreme hunger and binge eating.

[ProWrestling]

Forget supplements, forget fat blockers. Your problem is more complex.

You are age 18, have a body mass index of 41 (morbidly obese) while exercising at least 30 min per day. My recommendation is to see a dietitian and doctor, because you already have MAJOR problems and are heading towards bigger problems.

I suspect you over-eat all the time, snack all the time, and are in denial of whats happening. You probably have major glucose swings that lead to extreme hunger and binge eating.

Agreed. At 18 years old, 320lbs any excercise and diet change should spark some progress. Something else is going on medically or you're not being totally honest with yourself. You have to fight the cravings, that will be your success. When you want to cheat, just think about tomorrow and how you will feel if you don't or how you will feel if you did and have to "start over".

[HebrewHammer]

I know my 320Lbs. sound bad but I dont think im as bad as you guys think I am. Now before I get jumped on, I know I'm waaaayyyy over weight and I know I have a huge stomach, and I'm not denying that I over eat and whenI do its all the wrong stuff. But, I'm always active, I play hockey, I mountain bike all the time, I don't have problems getting around. Of course I can't do physical activities as well or long as other people, but I dont think i'm as horribly unhealthy as you guys think. Nobody ever thinks I weigh as much as I do by looks and in my opinion my arms and legs aren't that "fat", they are but to a degree; I think most of it is in the torso area and I don't deny that at all. But then again I could be wrong, I try to keep an open mind and outsiders perspective on these things. And fighting the erge to eat is my biggest enemy right now. Also, is iced tea w/ sweet n' low ok? B/c I love iced tea but without sweetner it doesn't taste so great. I've also cut out all "bad foods", chocolate, and sodas. What do you guys suggest for snacking or filling stuff? I'm in college so i'll go stock up on healthy stuff and with my ocd as long as I get on a "schedule" or program it will just become second nature to me once I start. Thanx for all your help!

[355 Spyder]

It requires planning and discipline.

Few thoughts on your situation:

1. Remember diet will give you 80% of your results. Rest and exercise will give you 15%. Supplements will only effect 5% of your results. So the first thing to do is ditch the supplements and use that money elsewhere.

2. Caloric intake vs caloric use will determine your progress. If you eat more than you burn regardless of the best and the longest exercise routine - you WILL maintain or even gain weight.

3. Good eating does not mean you have to deny yourself tempting foods. You can safely incorporate a free day to eat whatever you want PROVIDED you are perfect for six continous days i.e. 36 meals.

4. Start here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek88.htm

Good Luck!

[rugby06]

Take it from a recovering fatty...diet is the most important part of weight loss. I was busting my balls in the gym 6 days a week, lifting and running and crunches. But WTF does that matter if i was going home and eating junk food and drinking 4 nights a week? Jack sh!t thats what that means. College IMO is the hardest place to get into shape, too many things to take u off track. Go to the bookstore, and buy the Body For Life book, only $30 if i remember correctly. For someone who is starting off this is the perfect tool to get you going. If you're serious about losing weight this will help you. I got it because i needed to get my diet in check (lifting was great...cardio needed to be reworked). Im on week 4 and I am amazed at what i've done so far. Give it a try, follow it to the T and you'll see results. I'll post after pics when im all done with the 12 weeks, befores floating around this place somewhere.

L8R

[msundi83]

i feel for ya man. What everyone is trying to say is that most don't get up to 320 without significantly overeating. You say you are active and from what you've describe that sounds great. The problem is that staying active doesn't really help when you overeat. I played football at 270 pounds and worked out all year round at least 5 days a week. Lifting, running, working out even more than I do now. I ate freely and tried cutting out junk, eating less frequently, but in general I was still overeating. Its not how much you exercise or what kinds of foods you eat as much as how much you eat and the reality of your situation is that you would be loosing weight if you were eating the right amount of food for someone your size trying to shed some fat. So start one of the many workout programs on here (it really doesn't matter which one, most are just fine), pick a caloric level and fill it with the right kinds of foods (there are a million lists on this site), adjust accordingly. At your size you could safely loose 4 lbs a week I bet. Just be consistant and don't give up. So many people just accept that they can't loose weight and they are simply lying to themselves. Don't be one of those people. There is a caloric level where you and anyone will start to safely shed body fat. You just need to find it.

[bruce19]

i was in the same type of sittuation you are in now. I was about 305 maybe more, and i thought i could never lose weight. But, most of the time its because i really didnt take it seriously. One day i just looked in the mirror and didnt like what i saw, so i decided it was time for a serious change. I didnt even have to try all that hard to start losing. Basicly, i just didnt eat pizza or ice cream or anything that YOU KNOW is unhealthy, and before i knew it i had lost 20 LBS. i felt great, so i was inspired to try harder. I got into a serious diet, cardio daily and workout HARD daily. now not only have i lost alot of weight but at the same time i have increased my bench press and overall strength greatly. Just keep your chin up, and DONT CHEAT YOUR DIET, because your only cheating yourself.
i am currently about 260, with alot more muscle and water weight from creatine. Just keep trying, you'll see it wont take long once it gets started.

[numinix]

You need to overcome the psychological barriers to diet and do more research on foods that can assist you to do this. There are many techniques to do this, including carb cycling (which I have never tried personally). Another technique involves the glycemic index. The research shows that eating lower glycemic foods will lower your cravings at you next meal. Right before a meal your blood-glucose levels drop so that they do not rise too high after you eat. However, if your body becomes accustomed to only slight increases in blood-glucose levels after eating, it will eventually adjust to lower decreases in blood-glucose levels prior to eating and this will also minimize your cravings.

For determining your meal sizes, calculate your total calories required to maintain your current body weight and then subtract APPROXIMATELY 500 calories from this number. Then spread the calories out over 6+ meals a day and your metabolism will skyrocket. Every couple of weeks you should re-weigh yourself and begin the cycle again with a new calorie consumption at a deficit (not as large as before) to your previous consumption.

[Bulkz0r AU]

I am a split shift/night shift worker and I never could work out when to have meals, so i would have 1 or 2 a day and eat heaps, sometimes right before bed! All you gotta do is space out your meals and you wont be as hungry. I eat less calories than I burn, thats how i have lost weight, I was 155kg on Aug 9th and I said this is rediculous, so far as of 20th of Sep I am 135kg, thats 20 kg's in 5 weeks, (water weight and what not) but I still have a long way to go. If I can do it you can too!

[HebrewHammer]

Thanx for all your support!!!! I have started dieting since......yesterday, lol. Cut out everything I know is bad, watch my calorie intake, and maximize my calorie burn. Again, can anybody tell me if iced tea w/ sweet 'n low is ok? Also, from the amount everyone is saying it I guess eating 6 times a day instead of 2 is important? Thanx for everyone's help and I will keep posting on this thread about my progress from time to time! THANX AGAIN!!!!! what a great forum!

Also, I did the calculator thing and it said my Average RMR is 3025 Calories per day. So I should have 2025 calories a day? And from what I understand the body burns crabs before fat so is it ok to cut out carbs? I know these are probably stupid questions and i'm going to go out and buy a book on all this but at the moment I don't know jack. thanx

[numinix]

Thanx for all your support!!!! I have started dieting since......yesterday, lol. Cut out everything I know is bad, watch my calorie intake, and maximize my calorie burn. Again, can anybody tell me if iced tea w/ sweet 'n low is ok? Also, from the amount everyone is saying it I guess eating 6 times a day instead of 2 is important? Thanx for everyone's help and I will keep posting on this thread about my progress from time to time! THANX AGAIN!!!!! what a great forum!

Also, I did the calculator thing and it said my Average RMR is 3025 Calories per day. So I should have 2025 calories a day? And from what I understand the body burns crabs before fat so is it ok to cut out carbs? I know these are probably stupid questions and i'm going to go out and buy a book on all this but at the moment I don't know jack. thanx

no, i'd only cut out certain carbs. the brain can only function on glucose so a balanced diet is necessary. do some research on the different types of carbohydrates.

[msundi83]

no, i'd only cut out certain carbs. the brain can only function on glucose so a balanced diet is necessary. do some research on the different types of carbohydrates.

the brain can run on ketones as well

[miss_carrie]

Again, can anybody tell me if iced tea w/ sweet 'n low is ok?

iced tea w/sweet n low is fine, as long as the iced tea is calorie free (which i'm assuming it is, since you have to add sweet n low)

if your RMR is 3025 calories, then that's how many calories you burn at rest doing absolutely nothing. you need to factor in your activity before you can determine your optimal caloric intake for the day. eating 2025 calories is way too low for your weight. does anyone have the link to the calculator that includes activity level? please post it if you do bc i dont have it

anyway, good luck, in a year from now you will look back and be shocked at all the changes you've made in your body and in your life

[HebrewHammer]

Also, there are ALOT of multivitamins out there. Are there any that would help me lose weight or do they all just supply a mix of vitamins? And what are your suggestions?

[msundi83]

i suggest you stop worrying about supplements. No supplement will make an appreciable difference at this point. fix the diet and you'll see results. take whatever multi you like (centrum, storebrand, whatever).

[willbird]

I'm glad to see you are devoted to a change in waist to hips ratio :-)

Multi-vitamins are out there by the millions, I got some from Wild oats that are supposed to be a time release.

Really if you start a plan and follow it, you simply have to lose weight, there is no way for the fat to win.....................do not worry too much about doing it perfect, you can change your plan, just don't go back to eating what and how much you did before.

I have managed to drop 50+ lbs since 5-19-06, and my goals for intake have changed from then to now, the one consistant thing is that I have not returned to how I ate before. I will stick to the calorie level reccomended by the "cut" program unless it somehow stops working, which I don't think it will.

right now at 235-240 lbs, 5'10" and 41 years old, lightly active it is telling me to eat 2485 to lose 1lb a week, and 1985 to lose 2lbs a week, I eat right around 2200 and seem to be losing weight...I have not charted it, and I seem to be pulling off the noob trick of losing fat and gaining muscle because my weight is dropping...my waist size and shirt size is dropping, and my lift weights are rising.

when I hit 230 lbs the intake will be 2399-1899, 220lbs will be 2314-1814, 210lbs will be 2228-1728, 200lbs 2142-1642, 190lbs 2057-1557, 180lbs 1971-1471.

I myself drink 3 quarts of unsweet iced tea every day, I was taking some green tea extract pills, ran out(also stopped putting 1 scoop of prot in eve cup of oats), seen weight loss flatten a bit, added 2 green tea bags to the 4 bags of luizenne and put the 1 scoop of whey BACK in the eve oats and saw weight loss speed up.

Not sure if it was the green tea, or the added prot, or the added 130 cals from the added prot. Or the fact that I started doing squats, pullups, and dips as initial exerscises not thrown in the end to finish wearing out my muscles.

I just can't say enough "just do the damn thing"...tweak it as you go :-), it's all good, or at least all better than it WAS the way we used to eat.

Bill

[Stonecoldtruth]

Before we begin it should be noted that this post is written under the assumption that you already obtain a basic knowledge of nutrition.

1 - Diet, Diet, Diet.. - Similar to how business is about location, location, location, losing fat is primarily about your diet/nutrition. In my city alone (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) we have a ratio of 1:500 when it relates to fast food eateries vs. population. Yes, that means for every 500 people who live here, there is a fast food joint. This becomes more of a problem when you compare that to the ratio of people vs. grocery stores, which is 1:4500 (not counting gas stations) As you can see, we have become a society that prides (shames really) on convenience. Food has become more about taste, eating more of an experience, and nutrition a thing of the past.

However, the problem does not stop at McDonalds, it just begins there. Inside our grocery stores lies an abundance of unhealthy dietary options as well. It is often said that the only 'safe' part of the grocery store is the perimeter isles, which are usually occupied by produce, meats, dairy, and health foods. The key to solving these negative trends is education. Education about what foods are healthy, education about what foods to avoid, and education about the most important word in your dietary vocabulary... moderation.

Basic Guidelines for Dieting Success

A) Eat 5 to 6 small meals per day -

Eating frequent smaller meals, usually spread apart by 2-3 hours, has MANY benefits that relate directly to fat loss, such as:

- Assisting in the regulation of blood glucose levels
- Increase in metabolism which results in more calories burned
- Helps to balance nutrient timing
- Helps fight urges to overeat/binge
- Reported to help reduce bad cholesterol
- Reduction of Appetite

Below are some charts to show the energy balance when eating constantly versus eating bigger meals less frequently, it should be noted that the same amount of calories were used in each of these graphs, just different meal timings. The red arrow indicates meals (energy intake) whereas the black represents exercise (energy expenditure):

B) Stay hydrated -

Staying hydrated is ESSENTIAL for weight loss, but why? Water has many roles in the body, such as:

- Helps to regulate body temperatures
- Delivers nutrients/oxygen to cells
- Assists in waste removal
- Protects organs and joints
- Proper hydration reduces water retention

These benefits make it clear that being properly hydrated is important, but probably the most direct fatloss related effect comes from NOT being properly hydrated. Dehydration leads to metabolic slowdowns, yes.. read it again. You can sabatoge your fat loss efforts by not drinking enough water! In addition, dehydration can lead to electrolyte imbalances which causes loss of energy.

So what does all of this mean? It means to DRINK MORE WATER. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men consume roughly 3.0 liters and women consume 2.2 a day. However, this very basic guidelines to not take into effect the water lost during exercise, sleep, or due to various dieuretic products (caffeine being the most common)

A final note on hydration is that relying on being 'thirsty' is not the way to stay properly hydrated. By the time you are thirsty you are already in the beginning stages of dehydration.

C) Caloric Deficit -

While this is arguably the biggest portion of dieting, I didn't want to scare anyone off too soon. But by now I know you are hooked, so time to delve into the deep waters of dieting. Operating in a caloric deficit, or taking in less calories than you burn, is truly the backbone of fat loss. This is something that while basic is often misunderstood. This is because each of our bodies are different, so finding the right caloric range is really trial and error. However, there are some formulas to help you get a starting point:

Basic Formula - Total bodyweight X 15 for maintenance calories, subtracting 500 to reach your 'cutting calories'.
This formula is good for those who are just starting out as it keeps things simple. The downfall is that often is that for 'obese' people this often gives them too much of a caloric intake.

Intermediate Formula - Harris Benedict Formula

STEP 1 - Find your BMR
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

This number provides your Basal Metabolic Rate. Your Basal Metabolic Rate is essentially the minimum caloric intake to maintain basic life functions.

STEP 2 - Apply the 'Activity Modifier'

1. If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
2. If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
3. If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
4. If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

Find the multiplier that fits closest to you and multiply it by your BMR.

FINAL STEP - Subtract 500 calories to find your cutting calories.

This formula provides an accurate starting point IF you use the appropriate modifier. Many people over/understimate their activity level which can totally screw this formula up.

Advanced Formula - Katch McArdle Formula

STEP 1 - Find out your Lean Body Mass.

Total Weight - (% Bodyfat X Total Weight)

STEP 2 - Find your BMR
BMR (men/women) = 370 + (9.8 X lean body mass in lbs)

STEP 3 - Apply the 'Activity Modifier'

1. If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
2. If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
3. If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
4. If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

Find the multiplier that fits closest to you and multiply it by your BMR.

FINAL STEP - Subtract 500 calories to find your cutting calories.

This formula gives the most accurate caloric range IF it is given a proper LBM measurement AND the right Activity Modifier.

MORE ABOUT CALORIC DEFICIT
In addition to operating in a caloric deficit many experiment with various macronutrient breakdowns, caloric cycling, and even ketogenic diets. More info about those things later.

D) What to eat!

We know what our calorie range looks like, we know we want to eat every 2-3 hours, but what on earth do we actually eat? There are many 'diets' out there that promote various breakdowns as it relates to macronutrients. One of the most common variations is a diet comprised of 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 20% fats. This is typically referred to as a bodybuilders diet. I encourage you to find your own macronutrient breakdown once you've obtained a solid knowledge of nutrition. Regardless of what macronutrient breakdown you enjoy it is important to ensure we are getting the right foods within each macronutrient:

Protein - The majority of your protein intake should come from whole food sources. Things like chicken breast, lean red meats, lean pork, turkey breast, eggs, and milk. You can supplement your protein intake with various protein powders as well. Males are generally advised to avoid soy protein in large quantities due to it's estrogen-like properties. Most diets recommend a diet high in protein.

Carbohydrates - The majority of your carbohydrates should be from Fibrous, unredefined sources. Things like vegetables, oats, beans, lentils, whole wheat products, yams, and sweet potatoes are good choices in this field. This is also the category where many fail. Simple Carbohydrates have a very limited place in dieting, but a LARGE place on our supermarket shelves. More on this in our 'foods to avoid section'.

Fats - When it relates to fats, we want to make sure we get plenty of the Essential Fatty Acids. Things like flax seed(s) oil, sunflower seed(s) oil, fish oil, olive oil, nuts, avacadoes, and natural peanut butter. These and other unsaturated fats are actually GOOD for you when dieting. Taking in saturated fats from eggs, cheeses, and meats is also beneficial as it relates to anabolic hormone levels. However, Trans-fatty acids are the enemy when trying to lose fat, as these have a negative effect on cholesterol levels and are commonly associated with heart disease.

[Stonecoldtruth]

#2 - Training

An intergal part of any fat loss journey is obviously going to be your training. For specific questions about training methods/techniques, I'll refer you over to John Lee's Playground, as he is the official Controlled Labs trainer. However, we shall touch upon the benefits of both cardiovascular and weight training here.

A) Cardio, what/why/how/when?

WHAT IS CARDIO?!?!?!?!

Cardio is a medical term used to refer to the heart. From Greek kardia: heart. So cardio is our hearts? No silly :P Cardio is any exercise which raises your resting heart rate.

Resting Heart Rate

How to find your Resting Heart Rate -
The best time to find your Resting Heart Rate is upon waking, while you are still in bed actually!

1 - Place your index and middle fingers over the outside of your opposite wrist, just below the base of your thumb.
2 - Count the number of heartbeats over a period of 1 minute. This is your Resting Heart Rate.

For a more accurate RHR you can track your heartrate for 3 minutes and average out the results.

What your RHR Means -
An average adult will run between 60-100 beats per minute, however for people who exercise constantly (ie all of us :P) this number may be lower. The lower your RHR is, the more physically 'fit' you are.

Now that we know our 'resting heart rate', we can look at the opposite end of the spectrum, our Maximum Heart Rate.

Max. Heart Rate -

The easiest of all heart rates to calculate...

220 minus your age :P

WHY DO WE DO CARDIO?!?!?!?

Cardio burns calories
Cardio stregthens your heart muscle, making it do less work to pump more blood
Cardio increases lung capacity
Cardio builds endurance
Cardio helps to reduce risk of heart attacks, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
Cardio has a positive effect on moods, sleeping patterns, and stress levels.

HOW DO WE DO CARDIO?!?!?!?

There are quite literally HUNDREDS of forms of cardio that you can take advantage of, here are some of the popular ones:

Walking
Jogging
Running
Climbing
Skipping (ie Jump Rope)
Swimming
Racquetball
Tennis
Basketball
Biking (recumbent, mountain, or just riding a bike)
Stairclimber
Rowing (machine or canoeing)
Volleyball

And the currently most used form of cardio (at my gym) the Elliptical Machine.

WHEN DO I DO MY CARDIO???

Let me begin by noting that the important part about cardio is that you do cardio, the rest is just added benefit. There are various times that you CAN do your cardio.

Upon waking - Cardio done upon waking on an empty stomach is a current popular method. The idea is that your body is deprived of carbs upon waking and will tap into stored fat as a primary fuel source. Opposers of this method cite that muscle loss is too much of a factor here, as well as a lack of intensity. However, using an EAA/BCAA product before/during morning cardio provides the same benefits while staving off muscle loss AND giving you more energy. This method is usually best done at a medium intensity (65-75% of Max Heart Rate)

After weight training - This is probably the most common method of cardio for most people, due to time constraints. After your strength/weight training cardio is not optimal when compared to the other times (ideally you want 8 hours between strength training/cardio) but it is still obviously better than no cardio! Many people advocate taking a protein shake after the weights but BEFORE the cardio, whereas others just wait until both cardio and weights are done. This type of cardio is usually best done at lower (50-60%) or medium intensity (65-75% of Max Heart Rate).

8 hours before/after lifting - This is the 'fairytale' cardio, this is when you are hitting your stride from a metabolic standpoint by reaping the benefits of both cardio and the earlier/later lifting while still allowing proper recovery for high intensity. This type of cardio is where you can begin to experiment with High Intensity Interval Training or Tabata Intervals, which can you find out more about in John Lee's training section.

B) Strength Training -

As it relates to strength training there are SO many programs out there, it is hard to recommend where to start. However, I will provide you with the RULES you need to know when weight-training while cutting.

Step 1 - Use good form
Good form is probably one of the most overlooked things in the gym. It is too common to see someone throwing the weight around like it is a ragdoll, we are lifting IRON here people, so use proper form.

Step 2 - Intensity
Regardless of the program you are using, give each session your all. I don't care if you are pushing up just the bar on bench press, push it up like you are moving 1,000lbs. Each rep is crucial, so don't slack on any of them.

Step 3 - Frequency
Find a program that fits your goals and stick with it. I, personally, am a fan of 5 day routines while cutting, though many people go with a 3 day split. How often you lift, and how often you hit each muscle group, is going to be key to preserving the existing muscle mass you have.

Step 4 - Fear
Don't be afraid to lift weights while cutting, you aren't going to 'get huge and ripped' overnight. In fact, while operating in a caloric deficit you will most likely NOT gain size, unless you are new to lifting. If you are new to lifting, welcome to what we call 'newbie gains'

Step 5 - Recovery
One of the most important times as it relates to lifting is that time when you aren't lifting. Your 'rest' days are the time when growth and repair occur, so make sure you don't slack nutritionally on these days. Also remember that overtraining can lead to plateaus, so ensure you do give your body time to recover.

Cheers,
SCT

[XtremeBody510]

dude u should play football for ur college...offesive lineman!!!

[HebrewHammer]

thanx everyone, i think i have all the knowledge i need to get started!!! I'll be posting back here when the results start coming in!!!