6 Months into my fitness journey... where do I go from here?

jhakayaker
jhakayaker Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Please help me figure out where to go from here. Sorry for the long post!

Starting Point
On March 13, 2021, I decided to get healthy. I was a 48 y.o. married father of 6 y.o. twin girls with special needs. I am 5’9” and weighed 263.4. My Body Fat was 41%. Going up a flight of stairs winded me… I was in horrible condition and ate like crap. I have asthma (moderate) high blood pressure, and hyper-thyroidism (in remission); all treated with meds.

Current Status
As of today, 9/30/21, I am 211.4 lbs. (down 52.2 lbs!!) and my Body Fat is 29.8%. Currently averaging 1.6 lbs/week loss (a rate I am happy with). I am far less lazy, my back hurts less, I have more stamina and energy and I am involved more with my family. I have gone from XXL to L in some shirts (XL in others). Neck has gone from 18.5” to 16.5”. I look and feel MUCH better.

Goals
• Reach ~185-190 lbs (I think)
o 1st goal to reach <225 lbs by 49th birthday (met goal a week ahead of time)
o 2nd goal to reach <200 lbs by 1/1/22 (on track to meet in November)
o 3rd goal to reach <190 lbs by 8/1/22 (should not be a problem at all)
• Reduce Body Fat to <20% (or whatever it takes to look lean/healthy = improve aesthetics)
• Increase muscle strength/definition = be stronger and look better
• Increase cardiovascular health = have more stamina, be able to do more (MTB, hike, jog, etc)
• Increase life expectancy/reduce metabolic age from 55 to 49 or less (probably useless metric)
• Reduce blood pressure and need for medication, improve health generally
• Log ALL food intake on MFP
• Weigh myself every morning
• Maintain goal physique in perpetuity
o Do so by:
 Continuing Daily Weigh-Ins
 Working out as necessary to prevent weight/fat gain and maintain satisfactory fitness level
 Intuitive Eating (i.e. eat what I have been eating during my “cut” but without tracking and adjusting portions/daily approx. calories as needed to keep weight constant/prevent gain).

Food
• Eat 1700 calories/day (from ~2600-2837 BMR) (Per MFP data, I have been averaging 1871 cal/day).
• Drink 60+ oz. of water/day
• Focus on getting lots of protein (target 200g/day) = pay more attention to macros

Exercise
• Do a Dumbbell Workout 6x/week
o Started with full body workouts but am now doing a more traditional split (currently doing a Jefit 6 Day DB Program)
• Do 100 Push-Ups/day (4 sets of 25) on top of regular workout (since 9/9/21, going well)
• Walk 2-3x/week at lunch, 1-2 miles or Ride Bike (indoor, outdoor, road or MTB) 2x/week (lately inconsistent)
• Get 5000+ steps/day and 10+ Floors

Sleep
• Sleep is a tough one… one of my kids is 100% G-Tube fed (she does not eat by mouth). We give her one of her meals between 9:30 PM and 11:15 PM. Feeding her that late is the only way to ensure that her caloric needs are met. I have to disconnect her from the feeding pump around 11:15 PM every night. The only time my wife and I really have to relax together is between ~9:30 PM and 11:15 PM…
• I go to bed around 11:00 – 11:15 PM.
• Bedtime routine includes reading a book on my iPhone (with Nighttime mode set) and/or watching one of the late shows on our DVR on an iPad in bed (not ideal but my wife likes it).
• I wake up at 5:00 AM so that I can workout and shower before getting the kids up at 6:30 AM to get them ready for school.
• I end up getting up 2-3x/night to go to the bathroom… a result of trying to get 60+ oz. of water every day…
o I know I need to try to get my water intake in earlier in the day… I am often trying to chug 30 oz. on my commute home because I have not had enough water during the day… I know the answer here, I just need to get better about drinking the majority of my water before lunch/early afternoon.
• Is ~6 hours of sleep with 2-3 bathroom trips/night sufficient?

Technology
I find that using technology is making it much easier to track my progress, keep me focused and engaged…
• I am tracking all food, exercise, daily weigh-ins, occasional body measurements, progress photos, etc. using My Fitness Pal.
• I am tracking all steps, floors, heart-rate, workouts, etc. using a Garmin Vivoactive 3 smart watch connected to Apple Health, my iPhone, and MFP.
• I am using the Strong app to track my weight lifting workouts and daily push-ups.
• I am using a Renpho Smart Scale and app connected to MFP for daily weigh-ins, body fat % (however accurate it may be, it tracks trends)
• I use Strava to track bike rides, indoor bike training, hikes and walks (connected to MFP).
• I listen to various Podcasts during my commute and on walks (Mind Pump, Dad Bod WOD, Fit Father Project, Fit Dad Nation, and Fit Dad Fitness to learn about the process and keep me motivated and engaged… they are all VERY helpful.

Journal
• I am using a Composition Book to keep a Journal of my progress. I do not add to it daily but try to do so at least weekly and when milestones have been met, I make changes to my routine, etc.

Where should I go from here?

Should I….
1. Hire a Personal Trainer to help me with programming and form (via video)?
a. Pros: build confidence in my lifting technique and programming.
i. I would think that the MFP data (exportable) that I have accumulated over the last 6+ months (i.e. all workouts, weights, body fat %, etc) would make a PT's job much easier.
ii. Would you recommend an "internet trainer" or local? If internet, who?
b. Cons: Costs $, may not be effective via internet, can’t build muscle in a caloric deficit so it may make sense to wait until I have achieved my goal body fat percentage, I am already losing weight at 1.6 lbs/week… I don’t think I want to lose weight any faster.

2. Hire a Nutritionist to tweak my dietary intake?
a. Pros: May help me improve physique through eating the “proper” foods for my situation.
i. I would think that the MFP data that I have accumulated over the last 6+ months (i.e. all food consumed, macros, weights, body fat %, etc) would make a nutritionists job much easier.
ii. Would you recommend an "internet nutritionist" or local? If internet, who?
b. Cons: Costs $, I am already losing 1.6 lbs/week on average…. I don’t think I want to lose weight any faster.

3. Keep doing what I am doing and don’t worry about it.
a. Pros: it is free, it is working (avg. -1.6lbs/wk), would improve confidence
b. Cons: it might take longer/not be as effective/lose less fat/gain less muscle (in a given period of time), my lifting form may be way off (no real experience), I could be building-in imbalances or poor technique that could lead to other problems (injury, muscle imbalance, etc.

4. Begin a “Clean Bulk” to build muscle mass for 2-6 weeks then return to “Cut” Phase?
a. When?
i. I would love to do it over the holidays, but I think my body fat percentage will be too high (guessing around 25-27% at that time).
b. At what Body Fat % should someone who’s primary goal is weight loss/body recomp begin a bulk?
c. Would a “Clean Bulk” for a short time at a higher body fat % be a bad idea?... I am slightly worried that it could get me off-track and going backwards.

I know this is a lot... I am feeling overwhelmed and just need some guidance from the community. Thank you for your help!!

Jon

Replies

  • nay0m3
    nay0m3 Posts: 178 Member
    First of all---AWESOME! This is AMAZING progress and you are doing so many healthy behaviors and habits. I am not an expert but I will share that my guess is you are actually eating too few calories. I am eating 1700 calories and I train hard and I am a 5'3" 43 year old female who weighs 131 pounds.

    I also think you would benefit from more sleep and fewer work days. You are pushing your body hard and it needs rest and it may be happier. :)

    I love the idea of adding in something else but unless you have the money to spend, I would keep doing what you are doing before adding in a paid item. If anything, I would recommend an in-person personal trainer if possible or a nutritionist who will help you with macros and improving caloric intake.

    I agree you don't want to lose weight faster and I understand your hesitation to clean bulk! I feel the same but have been toying with the idea as well.

    Kudos to you!!!

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,881 Member
    edited September 2021
    It's not impossible to gain muscle in a deficit, if you are relatively untrained, if you eat sufficient protein and if your deficit is not too aggressive. At your current caloric intake, which seems low to me, you probably won't gain much muscle. But doing strength training will stop you from losing too much muscle! It's better to maintain muscle mass than to lose it and then have to build it again. For that same reason, I would advise slowing down your rate of loss a bit/eat a bit more.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Keep training, keep your deficit/rate of loss reasonable. I mention rate of loss as your calories seem very low for someone your size and so active - there could well be logging inaccuracies going on.

    If you need to take a diet break at maintenance to refresh you mentally and physically then do - but don't switch to a surplus. With your height and weight you are far too heavy to consider bulking. Well done on the 50+ lbs but you still have quite a way to go. As someone who is also 5'9" I think you may find "185-190 lbs (I think)" is still too heavy.

    If you think you would benefit from a trainer then it's a great investment in yourself and may mean you get better results from your efforts.

    Unless you have aspirations to have an exceptional physique I doubt you will need to consider bulk / cut cycles.
    Get to goal weight and then assess where you are. In fact keep reassessing along the way as you are making a completely different person out of yourself!
  • jhakayaker
    jhakayaker Posts: 4 Member
    Great responses so far. Thank you. I love the idea that perhaps I should eat a bit more. I have been aiming for 1700 calories/day but when I exported the data from MFP and did the math, I have actually been averaging 1871 cal/day. I figured I would aim low since I knew I'd probably have tracking errors and omissions. I am sure the random half a chicken nugget here and there from my kid's plate add up. I should probably be a bit better about that stuff but, since my rate of loss has been acceptable, I haven't worried too much about weighing every single gram.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Definitely don't bulk. For an effective bulk cycle, you would want to start at around 10% BF...maybe 12% at the very highest. Personally, I don't think anyone really needs to do bulk and cut cycles unless they are competing or have advanced physique goals. You can develop a pretty good physique just training properly with a good program eating around maintenance. Maintaining a deficit now and lifting will result in preservation of more lean mass and a better physique once the fat has been cut. The only time I've every really run a bulk was when I was much younger and I was rail thin and just skinny and tiny. I only did it because I was tired of just being skinny and didn't really want to just get fat. I just wanted a little size, nothing crazy.

    A trainer is a great investment and was at my peak fitness wise when I was working with mine. It's expensive though and ultimately I know how to keep myself healthy and reasonably fit so I decided it wasn't really worth being super fit when it really didn't change anything for me health wise. If you go the PT route go with someone local...the best experience with PTs I've had are one's that either work on their own and have their own space or rent space at a gym. I'm generally not impressed with trainers who are employed by a gym. Not that they can't be good, but most often I've noticed that they are very new to the profession and still learning the ropes. I would only recommend online for someone who is already very well versed and fairly advanced in their training.

    I don't really know anything about your program, but a good program shouldn't leave you with muscle imbalances...a good program should cover all of the bases. As that goes, I'm a much bigger fan of full body programming than bro splits as it's much more efficient time wise and I put a premium on my cycling and mountain biking time. Optimally you want to hit each muscle group 2x per week so I can do that with a full body program 2x per week in the gym and spend the rest of my time playing on my bikes. I occasionally throw in a 3rd day...but usually only when the weather is crappy and I can't get out and ride.

    I personally wouldn't bother with a nutritionist. Not that there aren't good ones, but a nutritionist doesn't need a degree or even a certification to be one. If you do go that route, at least get one who has a degree in that field. Having a nutrition coach can pay dividends for high end athletes and those with very advanced physique goals, but I think it's kind of a very minor thing for your average Joe. Kind of like being *kitten* at golf and thinking $5K clubs are going to fix it.
  • russellholtslander1
    russellholtslander1 Posts: 285 Member
    Sounds like you have about 10 weeks before you need to know what to do next.

    I would recommend a variation of 3. Just keep doing what you are doing, until you hit goal, and then probably just add some calories so your weight loss stops at where you want to be.

    Once you figure out how to maintain, and are at a proper weight, you can work on the things you want to fine tune. Maybe hire a trainer, if you think your form needs help, so you don't injure yourself when the weight gets higher. Or a dietitian, and maybe tweak your macros, to get leaner, and add muscle.. although 200 grams of protein is far beyond any needs for gaining muscle, and you already work out hard. Maybe a trainer could work with you on what to train more. I find that I rock the body parts which already look great, like calves, and arms, but I have a weak back, and go through the motions, when it probably needs more work.

    These are mostly vanity issues, which are great for you, but probably not necessary for good health, so get to goal, doing what you are doing, and learn how to maintain, first.. then just choose something for yourself. I had a friend who did bodybuilding after he lost the weight. More work, but he enjoyed it for several years.

    Try anything, in any order you want. Just do what makes you happy.. those other goals are the result of becoming healthy. They really aren't health goals, but life goals.. you want to look better, and you might want to think about other goals.. things you now can do, which you couldn't at 263.. with family, or alone, like entering a race, joining a sports league, rock climbing etc.

    It's really a 2 step process.. your health, and then enjoying it, even if it is simply getting fitter. Stay healthy, and enjoy your new life.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,460 Member
    You’re doing great!
    If you have insurance, you may be able to meet with a dietician for free. The next time you go to your Dr. for high blood pressure, ask about it. Use the visit to learn to eat heart healthier, not to lose faster.
    As for a trainer. Doesn’t sound like you need to do more. Just to be sure that your form isn’t hurting your body in any way.
    Water and sleep, which is more important? For me, sleep all the way. For you?
    If it were me, I would set some kind of alarm, or wear a rubber band on my wrist or something to remind me to drink in the morning, take it off at noon, or maybe on the way home from work and quit drinking so much so I could sleep.
  • jhakayaker
    jhakayaker Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks for all of the replies. Here is a little more info on my workouts... When I first started on my journey in March my exercise was primarily using a road bike on an indoor trainer using YouTube for either scenic steady-state rides or HIIT spin-classes. I started at 20 min. and worked up to 30-40 depending on the time I had available. I was doing this after work while working primarily from home. When the weather got nicer, I road a mountain bike on some small trails near my house. It became more difficult to keep up the "workout after work" routine so I started weight lifting at 5:00 AM. I loved that I could be more consistent with my workouts so I reduced cardio in favor of resistance training. I have pairs of dumbbells ranging from 10 lbs to 40 lbs and an adjustable bench. I also bought some resistance bands/tubes but I don't use them very often.

    When I started resistance training I had ZERO idea where to begin. I started with 20-30 minute follow-along dumbbell-only workouts on YouTube. These were mostly full body routines that taught me the basics. I then set up my own full-body routines using the Strong App. A few weeks ago I started a modified version of the Jefit 6 Day Dumbbell Only Workout as follows:

    Mon/Thurs = Chest/Triceps
    3x DB Bench Press
    3x DB Chest Fly
    3x Decline DB Bench Press
    3x Incline DB Bench Press
    3x Incline DB Chest Fly
    3x One Arm Tricep Extensions
    3x Tricep DB Kickback
    3x Bench Dip

    Tu/Fri Back/Biceps/Shoulders
    3x DB Bicep Curls
    3x DB Hammer Curls
    3x DB Cross-Body Curls
    3x Bent Over One-Arm DB Row
    3x DB Incline Row
    3x Arnold Press (Standing)
    3x Seated Overhead Press (DB)
    3x Shoulder Shrug

    Wed/Sat = Legs/Abs/Glutes
    3x100 Flutter Kicks
    3x DB Lunges, alternating
    3x DB Squats
    3x DB Step Up
    3x Standing DB Calf Raises
    3x 34 Crunches w/ Legs on Bench
    3x 15 Decline and Reach/Crunches
    3x 15 Dragon Flag (Leg/butt raises) on bench

    I do 3 sets of 10 for most exercises, with more reps on some of the easier ones (shrugs, calf raises, etc). I try to walk or ride a bike at least 2x/week but I don't always squeeze it in. This is the first time I have done any kind of "splits". In some ways, I miss the full body workouts. I am open to suggestions on my workout routine.

    Thanks again.

    Jon



  • awnurmarc
    awnurmarc Posts: 125 Member
    I advise against the bulk until you have held your weight down. No amount of cleanliness in bulking will change the fact that your body needs to restore lost body fat. Getting to your goal weight and maintaining for a significant length of time before bulking would be wiser.

    I would recommend the free resources at BarbellMedicine.com and giving yourself a new target to shoot for: increasing the number of pounds you can squat, deadlift, and press.

    And I don't know how much benefit you would get from a trainer. You are obviously paying attention and planning already...
  • viajera99
    viajera99 Posts: 252 Member
    Great advice you've gotten so far, so I'll just make a point on the water.

    Unless you have special circumstances or are on certain meds, there is no need for you to be forcing water down, just to meet some arbitrary number. You get water from food and any other beverage (yes, coffee DOES count), and it seems that uninterrupted sleep will be more beneficial to you. Under normal circumstances and conditions your sensation of thirst is an excellent indicator of your hydration needs. It's perfectly safe to listen to your body.

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