time to lose weight.

[jonbearsmt 919]

i have always been a large man.

6'3 9 inch hands, size 16 shoe, my weight has always been around.. years ago i lost tons of weight.. about 190 lbs in a year.... but it was not simple nor planed really....

i road a bike 3 miles to work in texas heat... i worked at ups unloading simi trailers by hand in 140 degree tin boxs for 8 hours and then i road a bike home 3 miles. i didnt really eat much because i didnt have money...

5 years ago i met a nice latina girl... and well her and her family feed me like thier gonna eat me next year!!

i work out while i work still im very active.. but just not active enough.

yesterday i worked a 18 wheeler wrecker for 13 hours...given i had been up 18 hours stright before hand.. i was so tired... my guys thought i was gonna pass out.. its not true.. but like they said years ago i would hever never looked like that...

i have not weighted my self in years.. but im sure im near 450.. i wear a size 4XLT. and a size 50 jeans.

my goal is to lose a 100lbs.

my vises are sweet tea.

bread

baked lays,

fried chicken

ice cream

weed

budlight 2 weekends a month

and sleep!

im really looking for advice from guys that have lost weight... not so much from thin guys who have alwasy been thin!

i try not to eat late but somtimes my days dont end untill late.... and my meals somtimes MUST be on the road.

im not a slob that runs around stuffing my face as much as i can...

i try to eat well.

as much as i can i try to eat baked chicken brest and veggies,

or like lastnight i had eat baked salmon, broccali and milk.

well i put my self out there.... now im asking for advice.

[Kanaworm$ 292]

Start by cutting down on pop/soda, chips, crackers,cookies, fast food and drink alot of water. Look to cut out foods that contain high fructose syrup. Add leafy greens and fruits. Steam cook your vegtables bake or broil your chicken or fish. Cut down on beef and replace with buffalo.

As far as excersise start walking and light cardio workouts. Maybe circuit weight training, kick boxing or some other type like stationary bike or treadmill.

Time is of the essence be patient and stick with it. Find someone to work out with. Good for motivation.

Hope this helps.

Good luck!

[seanbw 1]

yo jon,

my weight has fluctuated between 300 and 210 lbs over the last 6 or 7 years. i'm 6'3" and sit at around 245 right now which is relatively healthy for me because i feel i'm in the best athletic condition i've ever been in. diet is probably the single most important factor in burning fat. however, this is not a linear process, you go up and down and so first order is to not get discouraged by what the scale says every week. you may be able to lose 50lbs in 6 months and then it might take another 3 to lose 10 more pounds. so my first piece of advice is to commit to being/eating healthy and stick with it. also, i hate to say it, but if you really want to lose weight easily you should cut alcohol out of your diet. high sugar/carb intake after 8pm (which is when most people drink) is a deal breaker. aside from alcohol abstinance, eating 6 small portion meals a day and tapering your carbohydrate intake is the way to go. try to eat only whole grains when it comes to carbs (whole wheat/whole grain/oats etc), and eat lots of high fiber fresh vegetables and proteins with each meal. a fitness figure model i know has a good rule of thumb for meal portions, eat an open hands worth of vege's (i go with baby spinach and broccoli mostly), a closed fist of protein (boneless skinless chicken breast) and about as much cars as you can fit in the palm of your hand (whole grain brown rice/whole wheat pasta) for each meal. in addition to dropping alcohol, anything with high fructose corn syrup in it should be avoided like the plague (soda, juice, tea, energy drinks, coffee etc). you should drink at least a gallon of water a day at your size (if not two) and i would try to drink 8-10 cups of green tea as well. as far as exercise goes you gotta find something you like because if you hate it you wont do it. i would recommend trying "rowing" on an ergonomic rowing machine (concept II), second for second rowing is the highest wattage output exercise hands down. you cannot beat rowing as a full body exercise, as you will reach vO2 max fastest. stair climbing and eliptical's also work for sweatin' it out. i prefer running, hiking and road biking because i don't want to be cooped up in a gym when i have southern california as my playground. if you lift weights, stick with core/lower body exercises like deadlifts, back squats, lunges etc. the majority of your muscle mass is in your core and lower body, stimulating these muscles will produce more testosterone and endorphins, making you feel better while working more muscles in the time you spend lifting. i pity the gymrat that relies on bench presses and curls for a workout. i've never been skinny, or even thin so i think i can relate to your predicament. you gotta find what works best for you and that is the bottom line. if you have any questions shoot away, this is really a topic that consumes my life, and having a collegiate athlete/coach as a house mate doesn't hurt

any questions you have feel free to ask,

-sean

Edited January 15, 2009 by caligreen

[XxedgarxX 2]

latina girl hmmm if you eat flour tortillas with each meal i suggest eating only 2 with each meal

like above drink a lot of water but one thing you shouldn't do is stop eating, always try to eat your 3 meals

[jonbearsmt 919]

i do try to eat salads as much as i can...

i do drink water but not a gallon.....

i buy a case of water every week.. so i do try...

[Kanaworm$ 292]

Jon,

I should mention I am also in the process of trying to slim down. I'm 6' 2" and weigh 270lbs. My goal is to be down to 225-230 by June 1. That is my ideal weight for my frame imo. That is what I weighed in my junior hockey days. So if you need any advice please feel free to pm me.

[nick_19 1]

Same with me, but I'm on a completely different level... lol.

Anyway, I just started drinking nothing but water and sometimes skim milk... I eat a salad only for lunch every day and make sure to get some type of meat in it or at night. Cut the little things and it will make a huge difference. Once you train your body to eat right it makes it so much easier to say no to dessert or that extra helping of whatever.

[Penguin4x4 1,761]

Start by cutting down on pop/soda, chips, crackers,cookies, fast food and drink alot of water. Look to cut out foods that contain high fructose syrup. Add leafy greens and fruits. Steam cook your vegtables bake or broil your chicken or fish. Cut down on beef and replace with buffalo.

As far as excersise start walking and light cardio workouts. Maybe circuit weight training, kick boxing or some other type like stationary bike or treadmill.

Time is of the essence be patient and stick with it. Find someone to work out with. Good for motivation.

Hope this helps.

Good luck!

This is probably the best way to lose weight. Its amazing how much weight you will lose just by replacing the sugar (sugar, high fructose corn syrup) with either no sweetener or a sugar alternative. Like say, Coke -> Diet Coke, Sweet Tea -> Unsweet Tea, Kool-Aid -> Crystal Light

[ABXX49 20]

I know you're not looking for advice from "skinny" guys (5'9" 170), but I'll share my little 'success' story. Right when I graduated high school I decided I wanted to get in the best shape of my life. I did it very plainly. I cut out ALL sweets from my diet. I relaxed a little on the weekend, but for the most part I was very strict. I worked out once a day (weight training with 1 body section and did 20 minutes of cardio) Within a 1 month time period I went from not having abs to having a very visible six pack.

What I mostly contribute it to is the diet. What Oldskool_08 mentioned above is great advice and I would give that a try. I know you're a busy man, but does your schedule permit any definite exercise?

[BigDaddy13440 3]

I'm 6'7, about 265 now - at my heaviest, I was 310. I felt big, and didn't like the way I looked in most clothes. Wound up with a viral infection that affected my heart about 3 years ago, doc wanted me to get down to 250...

Lost all the weight by cutting down on the soda, I mean waayyyy down. I didn't deprive myself of a Mountain Dew now and then, but one 20oz bottle every 3 days vs 4-5 each day helped a LOT. I also cut down on the chips and dips, and stopped eating any meals after 4 hrs before I intended to go to bed.

Trying to get down to 250, but not by changing my lifestyle drastically - just cutting out the little things, the ones I really won't miss. Figure I can by May, easily.

[B7L|BL4Z3R 4]

i do try to eat salads as much as i can...

i do drink water but not a gallon.....

i buy a case of water every week.. so i do try...

im a big guy too and it helps to not drink pop, its not hard just dont do it carry a water bottle around and buy lots of juicy juice

[iangellopez 0]

Start by cutting down on pop/soda, chips, crackers,cookies, fast food and drink alot of water. Look to cut out foods that contain high fructose syrup. Add leafy greens and fruits. Steam cook your vegtables bake or broil your chicken or fish. Cut down on beef and replace with buffalo.

As far as excersise start walking and light cardio workouts. Maybe circuit weight training, kick boxing or some other type like stationary bike or treadmill.

Time is of the essence be patient and stick with it. Find someone to work out with. Good for motivation.

Hope this helps.

Good luck!

x3 and the most important part is to be patient and not give up.

[Penguin4x4 1,761]

my vises are sweet tea.

bread

baked lays,

fried chicken

ice cream

weed

budlight 2 weekends a month

and sleep!

You can try and switch your ice cream to Dreyer's Slow Churn or Breyer's Double Churn (they sound exactly alike but they are made by two different corporations, weird eh)

What kind of bread are you talking about? If its sandwich bread, I'd try Nature's Own Whitewheat or Double Fiber Wheat, very healthy breads.

As far as fried chicken, well, you're on your own with that

Really, between that, reducing your sugar intake, and starting a steady cardio routine you should be set. Just don't expect it to come off "fast". Fast weight loss is almost always accompanied by fast relapse. Take it slow and steady and you should in great shape.

[ShaneSauce 2]

The most important thing is not to starve yourself.

Some people feel that is the only way to lose weight but it is awful for your body to go through that, its really really bad.

Because your body starts to break down lean muscle as well as fat.

Food = Fuel

Drink allot of water, I was raised on sweet tea my whole life and sad to say I was addicted to it.

Go for a gallon of water a day, when your urine is clear or very light yellow your doing good.

Try and workout when possible, cardiovascular stuff is better for when your trying to lose the pounds.

Even if its only a jog around the block every little bit helps.

Fruits and veggies are really important, they are the healthiest snacks you could eat.

Try and get in at least 2 fruits a day, and a 2 sides of veggies a day along with your meat staples like baked chicken, tuna, oven roasted turkey etc.

And its okay to have a cheat day every now and then to satisfy your junk food craving just don't do it all the time.

[patented17 21]

I'm 6'5 310lbs, I let myself go lately, anyways when I did do a workout/diet thing, I just basically ate alot of soup and ate turkey sandwiches with mustard, and drank only water. I also ran 2miles 3x a week. Not saying I sprinted the whole time but, I tried to jog most of the time. I also did pushups and situps everyday. I used that navy seal dude's workout it's a 45 day program supposed to lose 20lbs. Main thing is just to stick with it, don't stop doing whatever helps you. You have to push yourself, I had many a nights when I didn't want to do the 200 pushups or situps, but I spend the time and did them in sets. Also try Sparkspeople.com I think it is they help you out with meal plans, and give you exercises you could do.

[Godsmack 360]

I am not a big guy at all (5'10 and 195 as of last night) but I know I need to lose fat myself.

The biggest things as said before is about 6 SMALL meals a day, LOTS of water, little to no sugar, whole grains for your bread related stuff, fresh fruit (canned usually has sugars), and exercise. Exercise can litterally add years to your life man. I know what originally helped me to go from 205 to 175 in 4 mths and stay there for almost a year was doing what I mentioned with going to the gym. I added in Ethyl Ester Creatine, and Fat Loss designed protein powder.

It is a HUGE help to have people around you who share the same goals, and who will work out with you. Now falling off the wagon so to speak, every once in awhile is fine. Hell a cheat day every 10-14 days is usually encouraged. But if you cheat make up for it with hella healthy food your next two meals.

Also breakfast is your MOST important meal of the day without a doubt. With no gas in the tank to start the car, you aren't gonna go very far. Same principle applies here.

I hope that was some help and not too confusing. PM me with any questions. If i cannot answer them I have a buddy who used to be a personal trainer so maybe he can.

J

[Wanger35 0]

I would HIGHLY recommend P90x. I am 40 days in, and am already feeling/looking the best I have ever looked. You can download a torrent if you don't want to spend the money on the program. You can buy free weights and a pull up bar and you will be good to go. Hope this helps!

[KU40 173]

Maybe cut down the weed, it makes people hungry

[whysoserious? 0]

go here. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/

I lost 150lbs. i use body bugg, it keeps track of all the calories you burned, etc... http://www.bodybugg.com/

[KU40 173]

I'm 100% for working hard naturally to lose the weight, but I just wanted to throw another thing out there. I know three people who have chosen to get their stomach stapled and all three had very good luck. My aunt lost probably 80 lbs and is now a very fit looking 45 year old, her husband lost probably 150 and is good looking, and a former coworker was over 400 lbs and dropped 200. But you still have to get your diet right. Surgery will make you eat less at first, but you can still stretch the stomach back out and gain weight if you don't have better discipline.

[seanbw 1]

nothing but good advice in this topic, all of it. Jon, it seems you've got a support structure here at ssa, perhaps you can log your progress on the forum if you need motivation/encouragement.

[RaTtLz 3]

Hey Big Jon, I too am in your boat. To give you a lil backround, I have been big my whole life i was 350lbs when I graduated H.S. I have always stayed somewhat active by going to the gym and playing some sort of sport. Moving onward, I recently lost my job of 4 years because I couldn't keep standing up. Not that I was too heavy but I had no balance. I went to the doc and he diagnosed me with all sorts of problems. He told me that because of my weight (currently 410) I had contracted type 2 diabetes along with high blood pressure and high everything. Well the diabetes attacked my body by eating away my muscles in my hands, calves and feet. The doc then sent me to a neurologist and thats where I found out I had a condition called periferal neuropathy. For those of you who dont know what PN is, it is a disease that attacks your nerves in your outer extremities and slowly works its way in till it kills you. I have no feeling in my legs to about my shins and minimal feeling in my hands. This all happened within the last year. HOLY ****! What an eye opener And it all stemed from being overweight. The doc says if I keep my diabetes in check, my condition won't get any worse but the damage has been done and very likely won't get any better. I have been able to keep control of everything through a medicine regimine and am now seeing a dietition who introduced me to www.sparkpeople.com a weight management site. We have talked about the gastric surgury as an option but I am not ready for that step yet, as it is a huge decision. I am however, struggling to lose weight because I love to eat. I am gonna have to work on that!! Sorry for the long post but if anybody gets anything from it, I hope it would be to Lose weight for the right reason... For yourself, how bad do you want it!! Also let my story be heads-up to what your future could be. I don't wish this on my worst enemy (if I had one) LOL. Good luck with your endeavor, and remember your not alone in this.-Ryan

[Smanleyman 15]

when i was 14 i was probably 5' and 200 lbs, and pretty much none was muscle. My mom has been overweight her whole life and has used pretty much every diet there is. Still her most successful, and the same one I used to go from 200 to 160 in the course of a summer was simply counting calories. Sure, different foods break down differently in the body, and 2000 calories of bud and snickers isnt the same as 2000 calories of broccoli, but theoretically you can eat only snickers, and lose weight, granted you take vitamins to get proper nutrients.

The key factor to losing weight in the most simple breakdown, is burning more calories than you take in. Your bodies natural metabolism will burn a fair amount, and exercise can only help. I started counting calories in everything I ate, my diet had white bread, ice cream, noodles, any form of chicken, red meat, whole milk cheese, pizzas, it really didnt matter as long as I allocated 1600 calories a day at the beginning of my diet, and every 2 weeks I lowered it by 100 until I got to 1200 and stayed at 1200 for a few weeks. I worked out an hour a day three days a week on our bowflex, and I didnt hit 200 again until my freshman year in college, with 11 more inches in height and a lot more muscle on me.

If its possible for you eat only foods that you can read the nutrition labels on, try counting calories, and just be reasonable with carbs and sweets but you dont have to cut them out, and aim for around 2500 calories a day, and see what happens. If in two weeks you notice a difference in how you feel and what you weigh, stay with it until the results diminish, then drop it to 2300, then when that loss slows down bring it to 2200 and go in 100 calorie increments every time it slows down, down to maybe 1700, and stay there. This is exactly what I plan on doing this next semester at school. Ive put on 40 lbs of beer and munchies in the last 3 years and im ready to lose it, and I know this strategy works.

Another option is tie a belt around your stomach and to your nightshades and just do that massage thing people use that vibrates or whatever the hell it does... haha let us know if you decide to try, and take pics!

[jonbearsmt 919]

thanks for all the advice guys,

im starting today as a new,. so far only water,

[ncacoates 104]

Idk it might just be me but i started at 230 and worked out 1 hour 5 days a week doing weights three of the days and cardio the other two days. Everyday did consist of a warm up and 1mile run to get everything going. Eating habits stayed much the same but i eat alot of good home cooked meals other than lunch. After 6 months i got down to 171lbs of nothing i was a damn stick with muscles. In my opinion as long as you are determined you'll lose the weight but in my eyes as long as you eat 3 good meals a day and work your ass off at the gym you'll get there in no time. best of luck man i hope everything works out for you.