My Diet and Exercise routine. Will it work?? Comments, sugge

311Phil

Hello all, Im new here, and have tried many many many yo yo diets over the past couple of years.

I've been overweight pretty much my entire life. My lowest adult weight was 5 years ago @ 265 pounds. I lost approx. 40 pounds due to a lifestyle change. I was going to school in Toronto and walked everywhere I went, and had a friend that lived 4 miles from where i stayed and walked there 3-4 times a week. I also worked out in the morning 3-5 times a day. I didn't do anything in regards to diet, it was just all increased activity. well...5 years later I am 315 pounds....

I have decided im getting back on the horse and losing weight. My goal is 100 pounds in 2 years. I am using the caloric intake reccomended by this site, and also using recipes and advice from the "Biggest Loser" 30 Day Jump Start book, and exercising with Jillian Michaels "fitness ultimatum 2010" on Wii 4 days a week (regimented "resolution" built into the game)

I am also lifting with free weights.

Is my goal realistic? I know nothing about eating properly other than the things im learning from this site and the biggest loser book.

Any comments/suggestions/help welcome!

Thanks!

c7eat2live

I have a very different goal set from you so I cant comment on if its possible for you to make that, although I think IT IS!! and I wanted to give you a huggge congrats to getting on MFP and motivating to change. You have a terrific attitude and I see success in your future

311Phil

I have a very different goal set from you so I cant comment on if its possible for you to make that, although I think IT IS!! and I wanted to give you a huggge congrats to getting on MFP and motivating to change. You have a terrific attitude and I see success in your future

Thank you sooo much! I have had enough of being "the fat guy" I know there is a lean, mean, healthy living machine under this fat somewhere, and i AM determained to find it!!!!

Leannek74

You've found a great site! Most every food imaginable is list on hear and if not, it's really easy to add on your own. I've lost 45 pounds since April 2010 (post baby weight) and I know I couldn't have done it without the calculator and support here.
Congratulations on your new journey... it may not be easy but you are well worth it!

311Phil

You've found a great site! Most every food imaginable is list on hear and if not, it's really easy to add on your own. I've lost 45 pounds since April 2010 (post baby weight) and I know I couldn't have done it without the calculator and support here.
Congratulations on your new journey... it may not be easy but you are well worth it!

Thank you!! with my failures in my past, I will need all the help and support I can get. I am so happy I found this site!

FemininGuns

Congrats! I haven't the slightest clue what info The Biggest Loser Book is giving you but this is what I followed for a while and it worked:

eat 5-6 meals a day with 2.5-3hrs in between
Each meal should have a protein (size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards - no pork), a complexe carb (the size of your fist) and then the rest of the small circle in a large plate should be covered with greens...

If you can't manage cooking up 6 meals for one day - you can always subsitute 2 of real meals with protein shake and a fruit of choice.

Another good site for nutrition would be bodyforlife.com

Hope this helps! And congrats again for getting on the wagon!

megano_d

I take my inspiration from a guy who has lost 160 lbs in a year. He is controversial and not always nice, but he can clearly produce results. His blog is almostgastricbypass.blogspot.com

He sticks to 1200 cals a day with moderate exercise. As long as your 1200 cals are from healthy food (not donuts or candy) he asserts you can live well and lose weight in a healthy way. He isnt a doctor so take it as you will. His logic and the medical advice he was given by his doctors all makes sense to me.

I also eat 1200 cals a day and am getting back into exercising. I find that once you get used to it (which takes awhile!) you arent hungry anymore and really start realizing what real portions look like. Another option he advocates is eating at your goal weight. So if you want to weigh 200lbs, eat 2200 cals a day as that is what you will need to eat to maintain your goal weight. If you weight 315 now, you are eating 3465 cals to stay at that weight. If you jump down at 2200, you will be eating at a deficit of 8855 cals per week which will cause a 2+lb weight loss. Of course, the math changes as you lose weight, but I think you get the concept. Weight loss is math.

Personally, I think you can lose 100 in a year. Lots of folks have done that. And good for you for taking it on!

owengem

Hi. Good luck on your journey.

There is a guy in my friend list called johngray, I'm sure he won't mind you having a look round his page and adding him. He's lost 140 since jan last yr. He seems like a man who knows what he's taking about. He's great at answering questions. Get in touch with him x

jennylynn84

I think it's definitely realistic.

Just stay on your workout regime and diet (remember - one day at a time).

I've lost 82 lbs in one year and now I'm at 150 - the lowest I have seen the scale since high school. And that's not "results not typical" type of results either. My hubby has lost almost 100 in that time. My parents (in case anyone is thinking "well they're young") have lost about 50 each since May. Me and hubby are now in the "healthy" range and my parents are well on their way.

Work out, cut calories, give yourself a cheat day every now and then so you don't go mental and you'll meet that goal.

311Phil

Congrats! I haven't the slightest clue what info The Biggest Loser Book is giving you but this is what I followed for a while and it worked:

eat 5-6 meals a day with 2.5-3hrs in between
Each meal should have a protein (size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards - no pork), a complexe carb (the size of your fist) and then the rest of the small circle in a large plate should be covered with greens...

If you can't manage cooking up 6 meals for one day - you can always subsitute 2 of real meals with protein shake and a fruit of choice.

Another good site for nutrition would be bodyforlife.com

Hope this helps! And congrats again for getting on the wagon!

Thank you!!

here is a brief explanation of the biggest loser 30 day jump start:

This is a low-calorie diet based on TheBiggest Loser pyramid of 4-3-2-1 (four servings of fruits and veggies; three of lean protein; two of whole grains; and one "extra"), along with good old-fashioned exercise. Eat a diet based largely on fruits, vegetables and lean protein, add a heavy dose of physical activity and you will lose weight, lower cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and become stronger and more energized.

Cristy_AZ

I think your goal is realistic!! You can do it!! With the help of this site and the great people here! I would only suggest that you set yourself some mini-goals. Helps to take baby steps and celebrate your accomplishments along the way!! You can add me if you'd like. I've been doing this site since November and actaully lost 10 pounds over the holidays... I have 80 to go!!

megano_d

And in case it wasnt clear, I am not a doctor either :-)

But the other peice of advice I have is dont ever eat the calories you burn while working out. I cant explain it, but those calories arent the same. Workout because its good for you, not because you want to eat more.

jennylynn84

And in case it wasnt clear, I am not a doctor either :-)

But the other peice of advice I have is dont ever eat the calories you burn while working out. I cant explain it, but those calories arent the same. Workout because its good for you, not because you want to eat more.

I don't necesssarily agree with this. It depends on how much you are burning and how accurate your count of that is. I have eaten around half of my exercise calories for the whole journey. I know it works differently for different people, but those calories aren't any different.

Don't use working out as a way to excuse yourself from eating more than you should, but remember your body needs fuel.

myofibril

Yes, 50lbs per year over two years, equating to a 100lbs weight loss can certainly be achieved.

Your opening post tells me a great deal about why you haven't suceeded to date. In essence, you've never learned how to eat properly or healthily. This is my personal opinion, diet is at least 75% of this game, with exercise making up the rest. Think of it this way. A pizza comes in at well over 1000 calories and would take about 20 mins (well for me at least) to eat. It would take about 1.5 hours to burn off doing some kind of aerobic activity. What's more effient or realistic? Doing all that exercise every day or not eating the pizza in the first place.

You are lifting weights which is great. A good routine should always include some kind of resistance training to preserve muscle and promote fat loss. Building muscle or preserving it is like an insurance policy to prevent weight gain in the future. Muscle takes far more calories to maintain than fat (something like 75 calories per pound as opposed to 2 per pound for fat.) If you lose muscle on a fat loss programme you reduce the amount of calories you can eat overall when you go back to normal eating.

This is why crash diets are an utter disaster. In the "induction phase" you lose a huge amount of weight. What you don't generally lose is a huge amount of FAT. You lose water, glycogen, and muscle. Then when you come off the diet, your body simply restores water and glycogen levels back to normal. Then because you have also lost muscle you have reduced your metabolic rate and the amount of calories your body needs to survive. As a result the pounds pile on as most people revert back to the same amount of calories if not more by bingeing. You create a vcious cycle that some people never escape from.

I would recommend reading Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" if you want an in depth overview of this whole area.

311Phil

Hi. Good luck on your journey.

There is a guy in my friend list called johngray, I'm sure he won't mind you having a look round his page and adding him. He's lost 140 since jan last yr. He seems like a man who knows what he's taking about. He's great at answering questions. Get in touch with him x

I will definitely seek his advice!! Thanks!!

311Phil

Yes, 50lbs per year over two years, equating to a 100lbs weight loss can certainly be achieved.

Your opening post tells me a great deal about why you haven't suceeded to date. In essence, you've never learned how to eat properly or healthily. This is my personal opinion, diet is at least 75% of this game, with exercise making up the rest. Think of it this way. A pizza comes in at well over 1000 calories and would take about 20 mins (well for me at least) to eat. It would take about 1.5 hours to burn off doing some kind of aerobic activity. What's more effient or realistic? Doing all that exercise every day or not eating the pizza in the first place.

You are lifting weights which is great. A good routine should always include some kind of resistance training to preserve muscle and promote fat loss. Building muscle or preserving it is like an insurance policy to prevent weight gain in the future. Muscle takes far more calories to maintain than fat (something like 75 calories per pound as opposed to 2 per pound for fat.) If you lose muscle on a fat loss programme you reduce the amount of calories you can eat overall when you go back to normal eating.

This is why crash diets are an utter disaster. In the "induction phase" you lose a huge amount of weight. What you don't generally lose is a huge amount of FAT. You lose water, glycogen, and muscle. Then when you come off the diet, your body simply restores water and glycogen levels back to normal. Then because you have also lost muscle you have reduced your metabolic rate and the amount of calories your body needs to survive. As a result the pounds pile on as most people revert back to the same amount of calories if not more by bingeing. You create a vcious cycle that some people never escape from.

I would recommend reading Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" if you want an in depth overview of this whole area.

Thank you so much for your response! All of this positive reinforcement is GREAT!

311Phil

according to my profile i set up here, i should lose on average 2 pounds a week, this should help me acheive my goal in a year. I feel this is a little un-realistic, but hell...Im gonna shoot for the stars.

ladyhawk00

You can certainly do it, if you're committed. I'm hoping to lose 40 in 11 months (in time for my brother's wedding 11/11/11). I tell myself every morning (and especially when I DON'T feel like getting out of the chair to workout) - The time will pass either way. In a year, I'll be another year older. But if I continue my previous lifestyle, I'll FEEL 5 years older. In a year do I want to look and feel the same (or worse)? Or do I want to look and feel YOUNGER and STRONGER? It's an easy question to answer.

Stay strong!

311Phil

You can certainly do it, if you're committed. I'm hoping to lose 40 in 11 months (in time for my brother's wedding 11/11/11). I tell myself every morning (and especially when I DON'T feel like getting out of the chair to workout) - The time will pass either way. In a year, I'll be another year older. But if I continue my previous lifestyle, I'll FEEL 5 years older. In a year do I want to look and feel the same (or worse)? Or do I want to look and feel YOUNGER and STRONGER? It's an easy question to answer.

Stay strong!

YES! The time will pass, and I like your analogy of feeling 5 years older in one year of inactivity. ITS SO TRUE. at 29 years old sometimes i feel like im 50! UNACCEPTABLE! The Time to change is now. WE HAVE THE TOOLS! and somewhere....I FOUND THE MOTIVATION.

I am tired of failure. I must succeed!

311Phil

And in case it wasnt clear, I am not a doctor either :-)

But the other peice of advice I have is dont ever eat the calories you burn while working out. I cant explain it, but those calories arent the same. Workout because its good for you, not because you want to eat more.

I don't necesssarily agree with this. Don't use working out as a way to excuse yourself from eating more than you should, but remember your body needs fuel.

I think thats what she was saying.

megano_d

When you have more than 100lbs to lose, you will likely lose more than 2lbs a week to start.