Gonna Be A Fun Journey!

dedmon

Hello all!


Well I'm new to this site, although this is my 7th day using this. Stumbled on this site and figured it would be far better than using the little memo pad I've been toting around.....and it is.

I'm 6 ft, 1 inch and 33 years of age and will be 34 in July and started at 292 lb's in February and dropped down to 257 about a week and a half ago. As of today, I'm a fluctuating 254-255. My goal is to get to 215 and work my way back up to 240 in complete muscle mass. My ultimate goal is to at least get down to 215 in less than 4 months so that I can try to get into the Army. Now that the Army has returned to its original cut off age limit of 35 years old, the pressure is on. Although I have my doubts that I would get in due to past medical reasons (herniated disc), I would rather be disqualified for something outside of my control, not because of my weight.

I've found that I'm having to work harder than ever to drop pounds because I was at 260 for approximately 4 weeks. But 3 weeks prior, I upped my work out regimen to two work outs in the AM & PM of one hour intense cardio alternating between 30min elliptical and 30min cycling or 30min elliptical and 30min running, then continue with 20-30 minute heavy lifting.

It's been rough, but I think I may be doing something wrong as far as my calorie intake is concerned.
While my workouts are intense and 2 hours or more daily, I can't seem to make myself eat more than 1500 calories since veggies aren't that high in calories and I'm on a lean meat diet. I'm supposedly burning +1000 calories from exercising alone on a daily basis. So in my mind, I should be dropping some serious poundage....fast. So I'm worried that my body has become conditioned and I'm no longer going to drop weight as fast as I have been. I don't think I can push myself to work out for 4 hours daily....who has that kind of time?

I do realize I'm gaining muscle mass and it shows more on my legs than anything. I'd be happier with a gut reduction, but it's getting there I suppose.

Anyone with some ideas on how to improve what I'm doing for faster results? I have the energy and motivation, should I be eating way more?

Daddy_Jacob

well if your not eating enough calories your body will go into a starvation mode making you not lose weight as fast as it can so it takes longer to lose and since you work out so hard you lose even more calories so it might just be that

jrh246

You are putting your body in a state of starvation. It is doing everything it can to hold on to reserves and not allowing you to put on the mass you want or drop any weight. You need to focus on cardio and not building mass until you reach your goal weight. You can still do weight training but keep the weights at a maintenance level and do them before your cardio this will allow you weight training to help put your body in a fat burning mode. Also look for high fiber foods, nuts, protein shakes, and use Quinoa, It is a seed that you can eat as a grain and it taste great and has a lot of healthy calories. Hope this helps and also add me and I can give support. It can be really tough to fight through those plateaus.

smbakke77

Congratulations! We are the same age and started at around the same weight. I worry about having that same issue soon. 8,m at around 264 now. You need the calories to burn fat and build muscle so perhaps more lean protein will help? Im no expert but that seems logical since you want to stay on your lean meat regimen. Good luck!

dedmon

Thank you all for the tips!

I guess I'm a little confused now since the food log gives that estimate of where I would be (weight wise) even when factoring in the exercise and so forth.

So when the food diary says I've earn "x" amount of calories....I should be eating that? The weight loss projection isn't as low or in fact at a stand still should I eat some or most of the calories I've burned.

dedmon

Congratulations! We are the same age and started at around the same weight. I worry about having that same issue soon. 8,m at around 264 now. You need the calories to burn fat and build muscle so perhaps more lean protein will help? Im no expert but that seems logical since you want to stay on your lean meat regimen. Good luck!

Thank you and good luck to you.

I tell you what, if you think you need to up your exercise intensity when ever you do hit that plateau.....what helps me work out as hard and as long as I do is taking Xtreme Shock (powder) before work outs. It's an energy supplement but not like those energy drinks filled with sugar and what not. It absolutely charges your body out of no where, when you need it most usually just when you feel like you should stop. Great product and so worth the money.

Daddy_Jacob

people will give you two answer to that some say yes eat most of them back and others will tell you to find a light snack to get some of them back find out which works better for you and stay with it

dedmon

people will give you two answer to that some say yes eat most of them back and others will tell you to find a light snack to get some of them back find out which works better for you and stay with it

Thanks D.J.

I guess I'm a little leery on experimenting since time is of the essence. Because Army waivers can take a while for review and approval (and I need at least 3 of them, previous back injury, 4 children, childhood asthma) I need to drop this poundage asap to ensure ample time to improve any possibilities for approval. But on the other hand....not much choice in the matter but to experiment. But this is what I get for trying to drop weight like I'm still in my early 20's. lol