Losing weight

[TimTA95]

Ok, I'm 5'8 at 200 pounds and I decided im gonna loose this gut. I started on a low carb/low fat diet and run 20 minutes a day. I also take GNC multi vitamins every day. Is it worth it to me to suppliment my workout with a stacker2 to or a ZANTRAC 3 AMERICAS POWER PACK SUPER PILL!!!!11 or would that destroy my heart?

[Turtle]

It will raise your BP, and thats not good long term, but you should talk with a MD about any cardiovascular issues associated with zantrac3

[generoso]

You don'tneed it. Even though I lost what I had during my 20's. Try this get a Bicycle and ride that to your work out this will get heart pumping and a better cardio workout than a stationary bike. Less weight more reps with a 10 second break between sets. Take one those horrid excerise classes I looked like a white guy with 2 left feet out there (thats because I am) but lost a bunch because of that. Just drink water fuck that sport shit and if you get a bit of the hunger fig newtons. And do more Bicycling....

[Mother Shucker]

Lots of water. Any time I drop weight, I drink a ton of water.

[B54]

As a doctor, take my advice seriously. Do not, I repeat, do not take weight loss pills. Studies have shown and my fellow doctors have told me what those pills have done to their patients which included deterioration of the heart, liver, and kidneys and a increased risk of heart attack and stroke. If you want to lose weight, do it in a matter that does not affect your overall health.

You need to put your self on a diet consisting of calories, I would not recommend a low carbohydrate diet simply because that decreases your energy and your body requires a certain amount of it. Considering your age, I would do a 1,500 calorie a day diet with an hour of cardiovascular exercise. However, I am a neurosurgeon, so I admit I am not the biggest expert on diet and weight loss, but I do know a enough to tell you all I did. I would advise you to ask your physican before you do anything.

[Sajix]

Easiest way to lose weight. Exercise and eat less.

Eat 200 calories less a day and burn off 200 calories more a day. The net 400 will drop weight. Its very simple and effective over a long while. Run on a treadmill for 30 minutes a day and don't eat the bag of chips and you'll be fine.

Also helps to enjoy the workout. I can't run for 30 minutes as it bores me to death, but I can go out to rugby practice for 2 hours of straight hitting and sprinting just fun.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

You could always go for the Robert Reed diet, catch the bug and the weight just melts off you.

[JSHAW]

Diet along with exercise and you will lose the weight.

If you drink sodas or sugared drinks, take them completely out
of your lifestyle.

Drink water.

Don't eat late at night. Set strict eating times and stick with them.

If you're serious about losing the weight and keeping it off you have to
replace old bad habits with new good habits.

Personally I don't buy into so-called diet pills such as the one's you
mentioned.

When you get the right kind of diet you will probably want to
increase the amount of time that you put into your exercise routine gradually.

Good Luck!

[broadwaychris1]

Fuck it- eat what you want.
Who are any of us to live forever?

[MetalSign]

Goto www.fitday.com (http://www.fitday.com) . I cut my calorie intake from about 3500+ per day to about 2700 and then gradually down to 2200 calories. I was about 218lbs and I lost 47 pounds in about 6 months (started the end of last January) and I haven't gained any back. I hardly do any exercise because of a bad back, but I was still able to do it. No goofy drugs/low carb crap, just my own willpower, which I was surprised I was able to control.

If I can do it, you can.

[Ballbuster1]

I was put on a low saturated fat diet for a heart problem and
lost 20 pounds without needing to. It's amazing how much junk
we eat without knowing it. I really look at food content labels
now and the weight has stayed off.

[Cage]

Don't forget to drink your Muscle Milk!

[NJisSexiest]

tim, congrats on wanting to lose that gut.

i recently lost slightly over 50lbs. and the advice i can give u is that its not as easy as you want it to be.

water will become your best friend. drink water, and only water. in the begining while getting used to drinking water, i drank crystal light. so you could try that too.

also little things like taking the stairs instead of the evavator. its only the 3rd floor, 2 flights of stairs wont kill you.

or while u are at work, instead of driving the 2 blocks to the store for lunch, walk it. adding little extras like this really help.

also, diet pills dont work forever. like mentioned above you need to replace your bad habits with good habits to keep the weight off. carrots instead of chips, fruit instead of choclate. and again like mentioned earlier, not eating carbs will only make u feel tired. make sure you still eat some breads etc.

also muscle helps burns fat, sure we all know that. working out (excerscing) really does help. sure no one has time to spend 2 hours a day at the gym, but find time to work out. make losing weight a priority. little things like doing sit ups and push ups before bed. start of with a little then work up to doing more. 50 sits up a night for a while then work your way up to 100... etc. and always when u think you cant do any more, do just one more.

get in to a routine, make these new ascepts of your day normal.

back to diet pills. my advice, dont take them every day, evetually somewhere between 8 - 12 weeks they dont work any more any way. your body gets used to it. only take them when you 'need' to. i used used diet pills. example, say you know, you find your self eating more on saturdays cause you are home more. take it then. you wont have the urge to 'graze' all day. i know with me sunday's were the hardest. its my only day off. mon - saturday between work and school i barely enough time to breath let alone snack. but come sunday when im home with 'nothing' to do i found myself 'grazing'

hope my tips along with everybody elses help.

ps dont feel bad about bragging while losing weight. every lb is a mile stone. share with others your progress, they will motivate and encourage you to keep up the good work!

[Arch Stanton]

I am in my second week of no processed carbs including breads. I also cut out starches and diet soda. I did this once before and lost alot and felt great. It is close to Atkins, but not so heavy on the salami and bacon etc. It seems to work for me and is the only thing that works for me. I tried to eat like everyone else around me, you know like normal people do. Buttered roll with cofee in the morn, hero at lunch, meat and potato dinner kind of stuff and dessert. I ballooned up...huge. So, I am doing this full swing again. It is working for me. Sure wish I could throw a light switch and be normal sized.

[Trainable J]

I am 6'2" 240 lbs. My wife and I joined the YMCA at the beginning of Jan. I cut out BEER, (ugh, I never thought I would be typing that statement) eat smaller portions (half of what I usually eat), eat dinner as early as possible and try to drink 100+ oz. of water a day. I lift weights 3 days a week (not heavy lifting, just a moderate weight) and do 40-60 min. of cardio the other 3 days. I managed to drop 10 lbs the first month. If you lose weight slowly, you have a better chance of keeping more weight off longer. Try to find a workout partner that has the same goals as you and take him/her with you to wherever you go to workout. Good luck.

[Cage]

There are a few other ways of losing weight:
a. Workout
b. Slim fast and coffee
c. Get Aids
d. Get Cancer
e. Flesh Eating Virus
Just make the right decision before trying one of these programs.

[mascan42]

b. Slim fast and coffee

I took Slim Fast the first time I went on a diet about 6 years ago. It seemed to work that time, but I gained the weight back when I went off it. I started the Slim Fast again last year, but it doesn't seem to work anymore. For the record, I'm 5'11" and 245 pounds.

[Warfarer]

I never realised how big I had gotten until I started looking at my best friends wedding pictures. I had gotten to about 310 or so. I am 6'4 and have always carried my weight well, but I was big. I cut back portions and ate more fruit and have lost about 60 pounds now.

I went from a 42 waist to a 36 and a 3x shirt to a xlt shirt. I feel and look better now and want to lose another 30 pounds or so.

I joined a gym a month ago and haven't had a chance to start up yet. I hope to get started Monday night and start going 4 to 5 times a week to just use a treadmill or bike and maybe some weight training a couple days a week. Given that I am already really strong, I will most likely do a high rep, low weight type workout system.

The best advise I can give is this: 1. Don't diet, change your eating habits. This will help you keep it off and pay off in the long run. 2. Don't get caught up in the weight loss part of it, just go on how you look and feel. Weight can fluctuate too much day to day to worry about it too much. 3. Drink lots of water and cut the stupid foods. By stupid foods, I mean get some foods that are fast to make and good for you like soups. There are tons of days I am on my way home late, and instead of stopping at McDonalds or Wendy's, I know that I have something I can cook fast at the house and enjoy. This has helped me a lot along the way.

Good luck to all trying to lose some weight.

[Cage]

Before taking any suppliments check out www.bodybuilding.com It's important to get knowledge first.

[Bad Salmon]

Devils Advocate since nobody addressed the fact you might do it anyway.

Stacker 2 and Zantrac stink. If you are gonna take something without regard to what everyone says, take Thermorexin. And if you do take a fat loss pill start with only 1 pill in the beginning, and do not take more even if it says 2 pills. Let your body be the judge if it can handle it. If you can handle it, Dont stay on for more than 6 weeks. Ramp up dosage to max suggested then ramp down dose the same way you started. DO NOT just stop taking them abruptly. Take at a minimum as much time off as you you were on before you start a 2nd cycle if you decide you like it. Take them with meals and not on an empty stomach. Drink lots of water.
Eat a lot of protein and moderate/low carbs with low fat. Increase your cardio minutes slowly(2-5min a day). Lift light/moderate weight 3 times a week/every other day and do a full body program that doesnt take more than 30-45 minutes if you can for lean body mass gains. On those weight workout days do cardio right afterwards only 10-15 minutes and you will lose more weight b/c lifting will use up your glycogen stores and the cardio will use fat to burn as energy. Or do your normal cardio by itself in the morning upon waking on an empty stomach for the same glycogen depletion effect(this is also good if you decide to not use weights at all and just do cardio.)

Good Luck! and remember that the first 8-16 weeks of exercising, depending on the person, you will be losing the excess water you have before you really start to lose fat.

I have gotten great results from fat burners(ephedra and non) with no sides b/c I did not abuse them.

[Hudson]

Well I was mixing a few brand name suppliments and fat burners and worked out like a mother....I kept feeling like my head was about to explode when lifting..I finally took my own BP and from the results..I was at a stroke level BP. ( My Normal bp is realy good it is normally below 120/80..in the area of 100/60) So I say screw the gnc pills

[beenhere47yeers]

im fat and ill be forever, i cant stop eating.

[HockeyHelmet]

You could always go for the Robert Reed diet, catch the bug and the weight just melts off you.

:clap:

[Exanimate]

I am 5'10", and got up to 225. Decided to cut some weight at the end of last year. I joined the local gym. I work out 3 days a week. Mon, Wed, and Fri. I do 30 minutes of cardio (started with 15 min). I then hit the nautilus machines. I don't lift the max that I can, but a moderate amount. I don't do much with free weights. Then at the end of my workout, I shoot basketball for around 20 to 30 minutes.

As far as my diet. I have always ate somewhat healthy. I have always loved vegetables. I have cut red meat out of my diet completely. I thought I would miss it, but I really don't at all. I drink lots of water, and eat a low fat, and low calorie diet. I try to keep bread at a minimum, but if I do eat bread, it is whole wheat.

There are some habits that I have to break. I drink lots of water, but I also still drink some soda. I have always drank diet soda, but have recently switched to Diet Rite Zero. I am still a sucker for the occasional bad snack. Also, beer is a hard one for me. I don't drink light beer, and really don't think I can. I don't drink like I used to anymore anyway. 7 beers a week is about all that I drink anymore, with the occasional Saturday bender (12 to 15 beers). I also need to start taking some vitamins, but I am ignorant as hell in that area.

Overall I feel much better. I have dropped fat around my gut already. The rest of my body has always been pretty solid, and it is now toning up. Since I have made my diet a bit more healthy, I no longer have hearburn on a daily basis, and I don't feel bloated all the time.

[Shwoogie G]

do the opie thing and rollerblade everywhere. too bad that baseball pitcher died ephedra was the only thing that really seemed to work. maybe if youre brave you can order ephedra from canada or europe. other than that cut the carbs and sugar, eat chicken / fish, get at least 45 minutes a day of moderate exercise and only drink milk and water. too bad they cant genetically engineer broccoli which tastes like kit-kat. if we can remote control robotic cars on mars is a snickers flavored carrot too much to ask?

[bucket-of-aids]

I'm going through the weight loss struggle myself. I go to a spinning class 4 nights a week, sweat alot and bust my ass, and it feels great. But just now I ate half a box of cheez-its and I wanna put a shotgun in my mouth. I stink.

Oh well. Back to spinning class tomorrow to reverse the damage I did.

[Mabe]

Comming out of High School I was playing football as a life. I was working out twice a day and eating probably 3500+ calories a day. I went to college and stopped working out but kept the same feeding schedule. In HS I was a beefy 6'2" 260lbs. I dropped a lot of muscle and hit 297lbs before I it hit me in the face. My diet was simple. I stopped looking at food as a point of socilization, pleasure or entertainment. I refused to let myself eat unless my stomach was hunry. None of that 'its 6pm, time for a big meal' shit. If I wasnt hungry nothing went in the mouth. Then when I was hunry it was something small. If I felt like having cake, I had cake. I didnt eat the whole fucking cake though, enjoy a small peice.

After about 6 months I dropped for 297 to 230 and then over the next year it went a little slower to 215. Its not hard, ya just need will power.

[PRbeauty1]

start taking adderall..
i've lost over 15 puonds already!!!

[WhiteHonkyDevil]

I'm hypoglycemic....and have asthma...any tips for my fat ass?

[Cage]

I'm hypoglycemic....and have asthma...any tips for my fat ass?

Maybe cocaine? :icon_evil




Or just work out and have a asthma pump near by.

[chiefo104]

In June i was 5'10 and weighed 315 and now im down to 255. All I did was work out 5-6 days a week with an hour of intense cardio and lifting weights. I usually eat beans rice chicken and brocoli or zuchini 3 to 4 times a week. I dont drink soda but i LOVE powdered drinks like Tang. All you have to do is eat less and work out more. Ive just decided to drink only coffee, water, and milk. Lets see if it works.

[Smelly]

Im 6 somethin, maybe 6"2. 227 pounds. A year ago I weighed 268. I seriously did not even notice the weight loss. But seriously if you weigh as much as I did, your body will naturaly lose the weight. The problem is that you are stuffing yourself full again with a fat filled shit. Easy way to drop some weight.... do this


walk. A LOT. Go get a nice ass mp3 player and walk for like an hour every night. After like 3 weeks you will notice a definete difference. I used to do that and I kept on having to tighten my belt tighter and tighter. I went from waste 42 to 40. Not quite a 38 yet but hopefully soon. God I am such a faggot telling you idiots this.

[Bad Salmon]

Some things I say hear may be redundant and repeated several times because it is a long post. Sorry for such a long post but it will answer a lot of questions.

You may have heard terms thrown around such as anabolism and catabolism. These terms refer to actions that take place within your body. Contrary to popular belief, catabolism isn't just the loss of muscle tissue. When you burn fat, you are catabolic - fortunately, the catabolism is taking place where you want it to.

Conversely, any time your body builds or stores (such as growth of muscle tissue or storage of fat) the process is called anabolic. Sculpting a lean physique means focusing on habits that promote catabolism of fat tissue and anabolism of muscle tissue.

If you are trying to lose weight DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF!!! Do not eat 1 or 2 meals.

If you want to lose weight, eat more meals. Eat Several Small Meals (5-8) Per Day Spaced Out Every 2-3 hours. Make Sure That Each Meal Has Protein In It You too vegetarians(beans, soy, etc...) in order to feed the building blocks of muscle tisssue. And I dont mean ATKINS when I say protein in each meal.

Why?
Consuming food triggers digestion, and digestion requires calories. By eating more frequent, smaller meals, you continuously supply your body with nutrients while forcing it to digest and break down the foods. This constant state of digestion through eating raises your metabolism which in turn causes you to lose weight. Have you ever noticed your body temp raises while digesting a big meal? Thats your metabolism working. Fat burners were created to mimmick this process.

One advantage to having a higher metabolism is that you can consume more food or exercise less to achieve the same results. A higher metabolism implies your body is expending more energy. Therefore, you can take on more energy in the form of food while maintaining your shape or even losing fat.

So, if you eat 1 or 2 meals your body will trigger your metabolism to slow down so it can store the calories for future energy. This storage leads to those excess carbs turning to fats and those fats to attach to your fat stores(handles, stomach, butt, etc...)

Also, you wont be hungry and risk snacking on crap with smaller meals throughout the day.

Dont be afraid of Healthy fats(omega 3's 6's 9's) like Flax oil, fish oil, almonds and walnuts(not peanuts, cashews, etc..) Healthy fats are involved in the manufacture of hormones and repair of cell membranes in your body. With the right types of fats, your body can use these anabolically. These processes require energy, so the fats actually increase your metabolism despite the added calories you are consuming! But if you want, You can add fats to your diet without increasing calories simply by increasing the percentage of calories from fats and then lowering the percentage of calories from carbohydrates or proteins.

Quick guide For losing weight:

1) Start lifting weights, not to get huge but to increase metabolism with more muscle. More muscle increases your metabolism.
2) Eat more meals than just three but keep them small because your metabolism will slow down in order to compensate for energy production.
3) Eat a lot of protein but try limiting soy products because they promote estrogen production and more of the fat/skinny vegetarian look(so, I have read then experimented with)-- which is hard if you are a vegetarian, or only eat fish- so try to take vegetable protein caps or something similar, eat more beans, and almonds or walnuts which are high in good fat and protein.
4) Don't be afraid of good fats. Add, some flax oil to the morning OJ.
5) Don't be afraid to eat, just eat right- calories are only the enemy when they are too many or too empty.
6) Try eating fewer carbs overall.
7) Eat a lot of fiber which you are doing with the beans, also oatmeal is good, eat salads which don't have many calories but leave you feeling full, etc..
8) Try to do your cardio in the morning on an empty stomach, or immediately after your lifting program. Too much cardio does eventually start burning muscle look at marathon runners.
9) Take a multi vitamin and antioxidants(C, E, NAC.)
10) Drink lots of water.

[Bad Salmon]

Some things I say hear

Did I actually use the word hear instead of here? Im a dope:icon_redf

[CallmeQtie]

start taking adderall..
i've lost over 15 puonds already!!!
Adderall is the best ever! I take it when I need to lose weight. Pounds drop right off.

[Razor Roman]

start taking adderall..
i've lost over 15 puonds already!!!

from
http://www.whatmeds.com/meds/adderall.html

Adverse Reactions
Amphetamines may cause the following reactions:

1. Heart palpitations, tachycardia (racing heart), elevation of blood pressure. There have been isolated reports of heart disease associated with chronic amphetamine use.
2. Psychotic episodes at recommended doses (rare), overstimulation, restlessness, dizziness, insomnia, euphoria, depression, dyskinesia (loss of motor control), tremor, headache, and exacerbation of motor and speech problems, including Tourette's syndrome.
3. Dryness of the mouth, unpleasant taste, diarrhea, constipation, other gastrointestinal disturbances. Anorexia and weight loss may occur.
4. Hives.
5. Impotence and changes in libido.


No thanks :)

[sued]

I saw a really crazy nutritionist years ago and lost a bunch of weight as a side effect. I just ordered the detox drink (which tastes like water and sand in globs) again and will give it a try for a few weeks. It is like pouring draino down your throat, cleans you out BIG time. Gross for a few days but then awesome bathroom trips. Nothing like a good poop.

[Amazingkaddycap]

I lost 100lbs doing a couple of easy thing. I was only taking in 1200 calories a day, And I exercised. Walked, Rode my bike, Taboo(great workout). I also took trimspa, but what that did was really help with the cravings. Will power, without it you fail. And don't call it A diet. Diets fail. In order to lose wait and keep it off its call a lifestyle change. You must change how you eat and think about eating. I gained weight Back mainly because i couldn't affored the meals anymore and a lifestyle change that made it impossible to eat healthy. Goodluck, Anyone can do it, and once you start you'll realize its the easiest thing to do.

[Bad Salmon]

Diets fail. In order to lose wait and keep it off its call a lifestyle change.

couldnt have said it better:clap: :clap:

Adderall is the best ever! I take it when I need to lose weight. Pounds drop right off.

Thats the problem with adderall/ritalin/cocaine diets--you rebound with them--you shouldnt need to use them whenever you need to lose weight. You should lose the weight, never to be found again. But I got to admit they're fun:icon_bigg

[Warfarer]

I actually save money eating healthier. I eat at the house more now instead of dropping 8 bucks at Wendy's. Fast food has gotten high and Subway is even higher.

[HockeyHelmet]

Did I actually use the word hear instead of here? Im a dope:icon_redf


did you just "corrrrrrrrrrrrrrect" yourself yourself

[Bad Salmon]

did you just "corrrrrrrrrrrrrrect" yourself yourself

Yeah, Im a big dope but a bigger one for the inablility to let that go.

[Milwuakee Cop]

I started taking the Steve the Bear approved supplement, Redline, last week. Despite sweating alot, I've gone from 230 to 218 in 2 weeks.

[Arch Stanton]

Yeah, Im a big dope but a bigger one for the inablility to let that go.
Ah, was a great post and didn't even notice the mistake.

[FreeTheCricket]

Comming out of High School I was playing football as a life. I was working out twice a day and eating probably 3500+ calories a day. I went to college and stopped working out but kept the same feeding schedule. In HS I was a beefy 6'2" 260lbs. I dropped a lot of muscle and hit 297lbs before I it hit me in the face. My diet was simple. I stopped looking at food as a point of socilization, pleasure or entertainment. I refused to let myself eat unless my stomach was hunry. None of that 'its 6pm, time for a big meal' shit. If I wasnt hungry nothing went in the mouth. Then when I was hunry it was something small. If I felt like having cake, I had cake. I didnt eat the whole fucking cake though, enjoy a small peice.

After about 6 months I dropped for 297 to 230 and then over the next year it went a little slower to 215. Its not hard, ya just need will power.

Sounds almost EXACTLY like me. I cam out of HS 6'3" 215, and ripped. I played MLB and tight end for my team, and I got an offer to a D-III school, but decided against it (looking back-HUGE mistake!!). Anyway, I got to college, started working out even harder, and got to about 235, still ripped, and I was eating like shit. Late nightr meals, lots of fast food, huge meals, basically everything you shouldn't do. However, I was working out so hard that all the food just went to muscle. Then... I started drinking. That started cutting into my workout time, and eventually I was still eating the same, but without the working out, plus add in consuming all the empty calories of beer. In 3 years I ballooned from 235 to about 310, and I have been going up and down from about 290-310 since then. I finally decided about a month ago that I have had enough. I have since cut down on my late night eating, all but eliminated drinking, and I have resumed a lighter version of my early college workouts. I plan on raising the intensity of the workouts over the next few months as my body adjusts.

So, to sum up - there is NO magic pill. The ONLY way to successfully lose weight and KEEP IT OFF is to change your lifestyle, workout at LEAST 3 days a week (5 is better, 7 would be the best), and not get frustrated when the 50 lbs you want to lose don't drop off after 2 weeks.

[TimTA95]

Ok, just thought I'd update on what I am currently doing to loose weight.

I'm on a Low carb/low fat diet and eat 3 meals a day and eat one low carb health bar in between only one of the three meals. The first thing I was taught (my mother is 125 pounds, hasn't gained any weight since she got married over 25 years ago) is never starve yourself becuase you will over indulge when you do eat, hence eating the health bar in between a meal if i get really hungry.

I dont do consistant physicaly activity at work (Work in IT in an office) so what lack of activity at work I do at home with running on the treadmill for 10 minutes and work on my abs on an Ab lounge 2 chair (works really freakin good). I do have a weight set in the basement but I need some advice on how much and how many reps I should be doing if I want to loose weight and gain tone in the arms. I'm not big into getting ripped but more concerned about loosing the gut and getting a 6 pack (which I can see if I suck my gut in even with all the fat around it).

Thanks for all the advice so far, especially about the diet pills, I never trusted them in the first place. But should I be taking any more suppliments other than the GNC multivitiamins Im taking now? I dont have too much time to go through all the info on that site that was listed.

[FreeTheCricket]

But should I be taking any more suppliments other than the GNC multivitiamins Im taking now? I dont have too much time to go through all the info on that site that was listed.

No, you shouldn't. The diet pills and shit like that are just too dangerous to mess with, and it sounds like you don't want to add a ton of muscle, so that pretty much eliminates any creatine, amino or protein supplements.

Pretty much stick with the diet, although watch the low carb thing. It IS a fad diet, regardless of how well it works, and while you may lose the weight, it won't solve the lifestyle problems that caused you to gain the weight in the first place. However, if you think you can maintain that low carb lifestyle forever, then go for it. I just chose to eat sensibly, and not actively deny myself things. If I want ice cream, for example, I can have it once in a while, but not 5 times a week. Also, I have started focusing on eating only "natural" things, which basically means nothing that comes in a bag or wrapper. Also, no more fast food, that is one thing I will deny myself. I think these steps will help change my lifestyle.

As far as the physical side of things... start with 10 mins on the threadmill, but that honestly isn't really doing anything. You need at least 30 mins of cardio to really get any benefit. You are probably barely breaking a sweat at10 mins. Also, keep in mind that the more lean muscle you have, the faster your metabolism is and the easier it will be to lose and keep off the weight.

Jusy my thoughts... hopefully they help.

[Yukon_1449]

Tim, the reason the low carb diet is a "fad diet" is because enough people attacked it and it became as uncool as it had become cool. Like any diet, you must stick with it. The problem that others had with the low carb diet is that they went back to pounding down loads of simple carbs (white breads, pasta, sugar, etc). When you do switch back to eating some carbs, eat complex carbs such as whole grains w/ lots of fiber. Also, keep exercising. It is a hard thing to do but you can do it.

As for your weights. Go to bodybuilding.com. You can type in what you want on thier website and you can pick a workout. The biggest thing is don't go gung ho in the first week, you will hurt yourself and it will be harder for you to get started again. Start slow and work into your routine. Make sure you use proper form when lifting and always stretch before and after. Biggest rule to follow. DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you want to try something completely different. I have evolved my workout from the confines of a gym and now only train with russian kettelbells. They are great for both losing weight and gaining functional strength. Not the stuff you see on Muscle and Fiction magazines but real strength that you can actually use. www.dragondoor.com has all the info you will need for this. I love it and will never go back to a gym again.

You are on the right track.

Hope this helps.

[Bad Salmon]

How much do you weigh/height? How much weight do you think you need to lose?

At your stage, let your muscles get conditioned first. All you need to do is do 2 sets(max 3) of 10-15 reps incorporated in a full body weight program--M,W,F with Sat Sun off. For now when you do a set, you want to stop about 2 reps before exhaustion. For example, say you are using 15lbs for curls and you can do 12 reps before maxing out, only do 10. Every major muscle group(legs, back, arms, shoulder, chest) and different body types have different set and rep requirements but for now just do the above. After about 4 weeks, 1 rep before exhaustion. Do this for about 8-10 weeks and then you can change up the program.
BTW, in order to get cut with 6 pack(if you have a gut) regular situps arent the way to go. When you are ready, you will have to build those ab mucles up b/c high rep situps in the 25 to whatever range will only tone what you have for abs and most people, unless you are genetically gifted, dont really have abs that will show no matter how skinny they are. You have to build them like you would a bicep.
My advice would be to take an extra C vitamin spaced apart in the afternoon from your "morning" multi. Your immune system takes a hit when you exercise but especially in the beginning.

[Herbie Robinson]

any weight loss plan include alcohol?

[TimTA95]

I'm 5'8 at 193 pounds (was 200 6 days ago). Should I be lifting heavy with less reps (building) or less weights with more reps (toning)? My goal is to loose the weight and build the abs but if i can do the arms without overwhelming myself then It would be great too.

[Yukon_1449]

Tim, you will hear both sides, depending on who you ask. I am of the school that less it more - high weight low rep. The key for you is cardio and diet, regardless of the lifting plan you choose. Make sure you eat in moderation, drink lots of water, and do cardio 3x's per week, alternating with weights. Don't be afraid to take a day off, choose Sunday.

As for Abs, the worst thing you can do is hundreds of pushups. All you will do is hurt your back. Work your abs like you would any other muscle, and NEVER GO TO FATIGUE! You are just inviting injury and it does no good, regardless of what others do or say. Remeber, we all have abs, most of us just have a layer of fat or beer gut, over the top. Exersise hard, but smart and you will get there.

Easiest way to work abs, during every lift, flex your abs and your glutes and hold. This will provide a natural weight belt, protecting your low back from injury, and you will get more out of your lift. Anybody who says to isolate your muscles does not know how to develop true functional strength. Your body was designed to work together so use that. Good luck.

[TimTA95]

Thanks for the advice, I got an Ab Lounge 2 chair that works only on my abs so I got that covered. I started power walking for 30 minutes instead of jogging for 10, I beleive I would get more results that way.


Now about doing cardio 3x a week, I've been doing it every day since the beginning of the month, along with ab workouts. I just stared weights tonight and my arms are wrecked after doing 3 reps of 18, 16, and then down to 10 (couldnt do any more) of lifting 75 pounds, something I could of easily done a few years ago with ease. I wonder if it would be better if I do cardio on certain parts of the week and do lifting and ab workouts on other days or should I do them all everyday. I'm aware about lifting should skip a day but what about cardio and ab workouts?

[FreeTheCricket]

Thanks for the advice, I got an Ab Lounge 2 chair that works only on my abs so I got that covered. I started power walking for 30 minutes instead of jogging for 10, I beleive I would get more results that way.


Now about doing cardio 3x a week, I've been doing it every day since the beginning of the month, along with ab workouts. I just stared weights tonight and my arms are wrecked after doing 3 reps of 18, 16, and then down to 10 (couldnt do any more) of lifting 75 pounds, something I could of easily done a few years ago with ease. I wonder if it would be better if I do cardio on certain parts of the week and do lifting and ab workouts on other days or should I do them all everyday. I'm aware about lifting should skip a day but what about cardio and ab workouts?


Well... in the beginning you really need to ease into it. You don't want to overwork yourself and end up with an injury from bad form. Sore muscles=weak muscles=bad form=injuries. To me, it sounds like you need to start with low weight, high reps. You need to develop the proper form and get used to either how the machine works, or how the exercise itself feels if you are using free weights. One thing that I see alot of at the gym are guys that are lifting a bunch of weight one or two times with AWFUL form because nobody ever showed them the proper way to do it. They are doing more harm than good. You want to put your muscles through their entire range of motion with each rep, and really feel the workout. The only way to do it is to start with low weight, high reps.

As far as the cardio, you can't really "over do it". Yes, you also need to start somewhat slowly at the beginning so you don't burn yourself out, but as I said before, 5-7 days a week of at LEAST 30 mins of cardio that gets your heart rate to about 60-75% of your max heart rate is the best way to truly lose weight and get healthier. As far as lifting on cardio days, I always lift before I do cardio, simply because my old football coach said lifting squeezed your muscles like a sponge - releasing all the built up gunk, and then the cardio made you sweat the gunk out. Don't know how true it is, but I've always worked out that way, and never had any problems. There is no harm in weight training and cardio training on the same day.

[Bad Salmon]

You have some ways to go but you will get there I have no doubt. It takes time. So, dont expect miracles and get frustrated. You are young and will lose weight faster at your age, and build muscle faster too.

I lift high weight low reps myself but for now you should let your muscles become conditioned before following such a program. FTC is right in saying dont over do working out in the beginning. Whether its cardio or weights, nothing makes you quit faster than overtraining. Always work into it. Ive been working out(cardio and weights) for over 20 years but if I ever go a couple of months without- due to obligations or injury- I start again slow and build my way back up. Nothing is worse for your body than starting cold without conditioning. You can always change your workout when your ready. And Im sure you will. But, who would run a marathon without stretching first? Get into the lifestyle of healthy eating before anything. And always give your body time to rest.

[whoisisthis]

holy fucking shit are you fuckers overthinking this


don't eat fast food, take up boxing. Three times a week, and in three months you'll notice a huge difference. Stay with the boxing casually, and you'll be conditioned to want to stay in good shape, or get your ass kicked(anaerobically, you don't have to box full-contact if you don't want)

Fuck all these formulas and intricate schedules... it really is as simple as it seems

[Bad Salmon]

holy fucking shit are you fuckers overthinking this


don't eat fast food, take up boxing. Three times a week, and in three months you'll notice a huge difference. Stay with the boxing casually, and you'll be conditioned to want to stay in good shape, or get your ass kicked(anaerobically, you don't have to box full-contact if you don't want)

Fuck all these formulas and intricate schedules... it really is as simple as it seems

This is a formula with an intricate schedule....but I didnt say that:icon_mrgr

[whoisisthis]

ha! yeah...


I meant like no disecting your work out for different body parts, type of excercise, ect...

[Nitetrane]

Want to tone and build muscle faster and shorter time at gym? do free weights, no machine workouts, it doesnt carry over as well to "real-world activities You have to use more stabalizer muscles to balance the weight throughout the motion. Even more harder, use dumbells. Try a machine bench press, you can do alot of weight but quite easy, right? Then try the classic barbell bench press, probably less weight but harder to balance, now dumbell in each hand to bench press, even more wabbly but harder. Concentrate on being slower on the "negative" of the lift, dont let gravity just drop the weight back down, this is a missed muscle-building technique. And I agree too, dont go to failure, just short of it. Ask around or hire a personal trainer for a session to do Proper Form! Take your music player to keep yourself pumped and drown out distractions. Taibo or aerobic classes to keep your cardio fun and work on your bad body coordination. Water, water, water! Alot of other wackbaggers have great eating habit ideas :-)
Yukon 1449, sounds like you have also been Pavelized! I dont have kettlebells yet, but definately use alot of his methods in what I do, big gains big time!

[BeezerBlanks]

I'm tempted to start fatbaggers.com just for us fatty's. I'm about 6ft 245lbs :rolleyes: .
I've done some browsing around bodybuilding.com and was wondering what some peoples opinions are on the thermogenic type pills. I know there's caffeine in them but I've been reading good things about a few new ones. I've picked up some AMP pills and they definetely give some extra pep but I've been sidelined from working out much due to a recently bum hip (at 23 of all ages).
Hopefully I'll be fully healed soon but I have to agree that diet is a MAJOR factor. I put on about 30lbs from working and only eating KFC about 4 years ago and never really got it off, cept when I lost 50lbs on stacker2 like 2 years ago, but that almost totally went back on.... blah blah time for bed...

[FreeTheCricket]

I've done some browsing around bodybuilding.com and was wondering what some peoples opinions are on the thermogenic type pills. I know there's caffeine in them but I've been reading good things about a few new ones. I've picked up some AMP pills and they definetely give some extra pep but I've been sidelined from working out much due to a recently bum hip (at 23 of all ages).

Read the first page. Basically - no. They do nothing but raise your heart rate. They can kill you.

[Yukon_1449]

Yukon 1449, sounds like you have also been Pavelized! I dont have kettlebells yet, but definately use alot of his methods in what I do, big gains big time!


Yeah, picked up his Power to the People book and was hooked. I liked his approach to training. Changed my workout from "full body" to Dead lifts, presses, pullups, and squats only. I did nonthing but get stronger. I have not done a silly arm curl in years. Now I have the full range of Kettlebells and love it. I am lucky to live close to Minneapolis and go there often so I don't have to pay to get them shipped. If you are thinking about getting them, I would suggest it. Best move i ever made, plus, I no longer need pay for gym memberships.