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Hi everybody, I'm SFalbowski, and I'd like to introduce myself and try to get some advice so I can go towards getting results.

Last summer, I weighed 324 pounds, and lost 36 of them for bring myself to a total of to 288, needless to say, the Fall Semester kicked in and I managed to gain all of it back. As of January, I weighed 325 pounds and determined it was time for a change. I started watching what I ate, exercising daily using Dance Dance Revolution. As of May 18, 2009, I now hover in the 260 range. My final exams are soon to be over, and my goal for the summer is to get a gym membership and work on my fitness first and foremost. My goal is to be 220 pounds by the end of the summer, and 190 by Christmas.

My questions include:
Is this a reasonable goal?
How much effort would this require?
What exercises should I do in order to avoid resulting in a body of loose skin?
What are some effective ways to gain muscle and still lose weight in the long run?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

EDIT: To answer memuellerpa, 5'11 or 71 inches. Thanks.

Replies

  • memuellerpa
    memuellerpa Posts: 18
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    Hi there!

    And congratulations on your considerable weight loss already!

    One question before I or anyone can answer your questions: How tall are you?

    Also, it sounds like you are losing about 3-4 pounds per week. This is a bit fast, though it may not be terribly dangerous. How many calories are you eating per day? But 2-3 pounds per week is probably better, and 1-2 pounds per week as you near your goal is still excellent.

    I'm crunched for time, but others will have more.

    Good Luck!!

    :smile:
  • MOMOFTWO29
    MOMOFTWO29 Posts: 8,276 Member
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    Hello and welcome to MFP. I think you will love this site. I do. This site is so supportive, helpful, motivational, easy to use, and everyone here is so nice and friendly. I just wanted to wish you success on your weight loss journey. You can do this!!!!! :smile: :flowerforyou: :smile: :flowerforyou: :smile:
  • Catzwitch
    Catzwitch Posts: 205 Member
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    supbl2.jpg

    Howdy, I'm new here too, so thought I'd stop in and say hit to another newbie. :smile:
  • kanew89
    kanew89 Posts: 13 Member
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    I think your goal is achievable but it is going to be tough. They say healthy weight loss is 2 lbs per week.

    You ask about what type of exercise you can do that wont leave loose skin and unfortunately, there is no exercise that will tighten your skin as your body shrinks. Your skin's elasticity depends on your genes. It may also depend on how long you've had the extra weight. There are non-invasive treatments (non-surgical) that can tighten skin. But why dont you first focus on getting to a healthy weight.

    Any weight training you can do, will help you loose more weight. Because muscle tissue requires more calories to function, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn in a day! There is no one particular weight training exercise that reduces fat BUT it seems like if you focus on the larger muscle groups and the exercises that target multiple muscles, it'll help you increase muscle and burn more calories. Some great mutli-muscle exercises include squats and push ups. Many people just starting out cannot do full-fledged squats or push ups and what's great about these 2 exercises is both of them can be modified so beginners can do them and work toward the goal of a full squat and a military push up.


    Good Luck!
  • hulkj
    hulkj Posts: 218
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    Welcome!! You've come to the right place for support! :smile:
  • SFalbowski
    SFalbowski Posts: 2
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    Thanks everyone. I'm very impressed by the prompt response time and the giant cat, and I really appreciate the effort.