Fat Ass needs assistance

Fat Ass 101

Fat Ass 101

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Hey Y'all. I know this is a long first post, but I am looking for assistance/support and I have seen that you all treat each other like family (for the most part) so I wanted to take advantage of any experiences that you would care to share.

I have read many of these threads and as a noob, it's all pretty much like trying to read a different language. The long and the short is this. I am attempting to become a new person. I have been heavy all my life and am currently 5'11", 306 lbs, 36 y/o male, never really have taken care of my body, never really eaten healthy. The light finally went on when I had an issue buttoning the collar of a shirt that I had bought recently because my previous shirt no longer fit.

I am blessed to have a co-worker who is a body builder and she has taken a general interest in helping me get healthy. I started easy (not really easy for me), but I started with a mile on the treadmill at 3.0mph and in a week have gotten up to 2 miles anywhere between 3.5mph-4.0mph. I have access to some workout machines and free weights (I work at a hotel and my GM has also taken an interest in seeing me get healthy and has allowed me access to the hotel weight room), but I really don't know what I am doing and I want to be realistic and not hurt myself by going too fast, but am looking for the next step, if there is one at this point.

My questions are, have any of you started off where I am now, or do you know anyone who has? How did you get to where you are now? Are any of these supplements even worth trying at the stage I am at, or is it way too early for those? How do you stay focused on the task at hand? Anything that might assist me in my quest? (not necessarily shortcuts, just enhancement that I could utilize to facilitate what I am trying to do)

Some of the obstacles I have: I commute an hour and 15 minutes to and from work, so I can only get to the gym in the evenings. I have no access to any workout supplies on the weekend, although I do live near a very mountainous road that I could walk on. Once I hit a yet to be determined goal, I may consider investing in something. I believe many short term goals would be a benefit to me, but I don't know where to begin as far as realism. The first long term goal that I have set is that if I am able to get down to 256, I will change my screen name from Fat Ass.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this entire posting and look forward to any insight you may have for me.

Thanks,

Fat Ass
 
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Aggravated

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Working out is really just icing on the cake. You need to get your diet down to a "T", and from there, the sky is the limit. IMO it is okay to take the weekends off, as long as you are training on the other 4-5 days.
 
TheAnimalG

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100% agreed with Aggravated. Diet is 90%. The working out is just the last 10%. You can lose all the weight without ever doing ANY exercising. But, if you continue eating like you do, and do all the exercise that a human could possibly do and you STILL wouldn't lose weight. Figure out how many calories you need to maintain your weight. (probably somewhere around 4000/day) and then start eating about 20-25% less than that.

Count your calories. It may be a little hard at first, but after a week or two, you will realize that you eat pretty much the same things all the time and you will have the calories memorized.

When you start counting your calories you will notice that you get to eat a lot MORE of the healthy foods that you know you should be eating, because they are so low in calories.

Keep reading on these boards for more advice. There's a lot of good advices on the board.
 

MMAMONSTER19

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alright man well for starters welcome to A.M. and am glad you are takin an interest in getting healthier.
First off for starters dont get any supplements yet diet is key first so what you have to do is start by lowering your calorie intake and make sure you have good proportional meals spread out the day with low fats and carbs and decent amount of protein, like chicken and some vegetables and big glass of water.
Secondly get your workout in order and shape find a program that works for you and what resources you are able to use and apply them all into a workout of your own you can search in the training thread or exercises science i think theres some in there, also there are sites you can go to, to look up exercises for working out to learn how to do them properly gotta get the correct form down first. Look into the compound lifts bench, squat, close grip, bent over rows, deadlifts, etc.
Thirdly once you have a workout program and know your exercises go apply them, starting off start slow to get it down right and to experiment with how to workout properly. Start before the weights with a good paced jog for lets say 5 mins, then hit the weights. IMO (In my opinion) when your ready to then apply a HIIT training (high intensity interval training) to your workout and you will start to sweat like a hauss and burn more calories. After your workout consume healthy foods get it in you and rest, remember your body needs plenty of time to recover well good luck man this should help get you started
 
Frank Reynolds

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Working out is really just icing on the cake. You need to get your diet down to a "T", and from there, the sky is the limit. IMO it is okay to take the weekends off, as long as you are training on the other 4-5 days.
Exactly..

Listen.. Go here http://www.scivationbooks.com/ read one of the books(cut diet, or cha), tailor the diet to your specifics, and follow it to a T. THese are solid plans, that have proven track records. It will explain when to increase cardio, drop cals, etc as you lose fat.. It also will give you sample plans.

Or go find another diet, and follow it to a T(anabolic diet, ckd, etc)

Just pick something and STICK TO IT!!

What you are going to get here is bits a and pieces of peoples opinions, and probably confuse the **** out of you even more.. Any of those above plans are SOLID, and will work if you follow it..
 
Fat Ass 101

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I appreciate all the comments. Diet is hard to control with as much time as I spend at work. I can only eat so much turkey. I went to the nutrition forum and there wasn't a lot on straight weight loss as far as having a diet spelled out. I can do my best at following a plan, but I don't feel like I have enough knowledge to create a plan that would be successful. Does that make sense? I will look over the books at sciviation.com and see what I can come up with.

Thanks again for the support. You have no idea how encouraging it is to have people behind me in this effort.
 

Sergiu

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I think that it's way more important to start lifting weights than doing cardio due to the fact that lifting weights will get you to gain muscle, which is anabolic tissue and will allow you to lose fat better. Plus, losing weight is irrelevant if you lose that weight from muscle tissue, not fat tissue. And you can do whatever you want in the weight room as long as you have correct form. Being a beginner is cool like that and you will see improvements no matter what you do.

The only thing that's really hard to do is get a good healthy meal plan, but to start with, change soda with water. Then start eliminating crappy foods and replace them with healthy meals, then split those meals in more meals. This is what I did and I was worth the nickname fat ass too when I started. :p

You can take a break during the weekend or just go have fun. A lot of people who quit get too serious, too early on and it drains their motivation. Making changes in time and keeping them is more important than changing everything from tomorrow and giving up in a week.
 
Fat Ass 101

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Thanks Sergiu

I appreciate the comments. I am putting together an action plan. I have worked on how to control diet and am not expecting to quit on this endeavor.

I have set a time (Thursday pm) to meet with my weightlifting friend about form and choice of exercise. Her suggestion for starters was to use the machines available to me at the gym as the form is somewhat forced due to the design of the machine vs using freeweights to start with. I also want to incorporate swimming, but as long as there is ice on my car in the morning, I don't see that happening. The cardio will assist me in creating endurance, so I am trying to morph both together into a comprehensive plan.

The most difficult part is taking advice from so many folks that know what works for them and transposing it into a plan that works for me. I will post the weekly plan I come up with for comments and any advice you would consider giving a newcomer.

Thanks again for all of your comments.

Robert
 
Fat Ass 101

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Looking good so far. I know it's just water weight at start, but it's enough to keep going. Diet reform is going well. Exercise is going well. Treadmill (2 miles between 3.0 mph and 4.0 mph) and rotating on machines at gym. I have access to a sauna. Any comments on how long to stay in one of these things, how often, and/or any benefit?

Thanks.

FA
 

MMAMONSTER19

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after your workout id soak inthe sauna for atleast 10-15 mins and while your working out try to almost do every workout as fast as possible i guess for some high intensity to get your heart rate up which will help you sweat and help your body eat away at fat for energy, but make sure if your doing heavy weight or w.e that you do get some rest, lets say you rest for 90 seconds between sets try makin it 80 seconds in stead and keep working your way day slowly and steady to progress and help keep you sweating and burning cals as you lift, and use the treadmill at a high incline rate like walking up a hill kind of thing, try doing cardio for a few mins before your workout to get the blood and heat rate going bro, and at work for your lunch break if you get one like me i go to subway 5 dollar footlongs loaded with veggies and clean meat on wheat soo freaking good ya kno good luck man
 

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Hey man congrats on making the decision on a healthier life style, trust me you will be glad you did! I was in a similar boat. I was approx. 6'5" 315 pounds at age 20 and I had played basketball all my life but never really worked on a healthy weight. Although I am taller the 315 was mainly fat as I never lifted weights. Finally decided to get into good shape and as has been stated above Diet is the key with a good workout routine second. I was 315 pounds playing high school and college basketball, but I ate junk and plenty of it so the first thing for me was cutting out fast food as the trans-fatty acids are killers both weight and health wise. What I found to be a great meal that is bulky and keeps you full is oatmeal. They have a lower sugar variety that you can get at target for pretty cheap (like 1.79 for a 10 pack box) and if you have 2-3 packs (approx. 240-360 calories as they are 120 cals a piece) while at work every 3 hours or so that should keep you full and away from any diet disasters. I will usually toss a few packets of splenda in for added taste. As for the workout, cardio is great, but it usually only boosts your metabolism for approx 2-4 hours once your complete your workout. Weight training however keeps your metabolism at a higher rate for a longer period of time (have even read it will keep it higher for up to 24 hours depending on the intensity). I would suggest starting with the cardio but mix in some full body weight resistance exercises for added benefits as the more muscle mass you have the more calories/fat you will burn given the same amount of training. Id say start with some dumbell bench press (not sure your strength levels but choose a weight that you can do approx. 12-15 reps with), then some dumbell squats and lunges (on the squats you can press the dumbells overhead at the top to work your shoulders as well), a rowing type of exercise to compensate for the benching, some dumbell curls, and then maybe mix in some ab exercises such as a bicycle crunch move. Start slow with the weight training as if you go all out right away your body will hate you for it and you could potentially injure yourself. Also please stay away from any fat burners or other supplements you see out there as you should try and maximize your workouts without supplements (other than vitamins, essential fatty acids, glucosamine, etc) and only turn to them when you seem to be platoing or if you feel that you need a boost. As for the sauna, im not sure of the benefit other than to re.ax your muscles/loosen up but I could be mistake. Not a bad idea though if your really sore one day to loosen up. Good luck man and keep us posted or your results!
 
Fat Ass 101

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Thanks MMA. I am not quite to the heavy weight. I am pretty weak, I won't lie to you. I tried chest presses at 50lbs and after 25 (2.5 sets of 10), I was pretty wore out. 2nd day, I lowered weight to 30lbs and was able to do 5 sets of 10...barely. iT doesnt take much for me to get up a pretty decent sweat, but I will take the advice of hopping in the sauna afterwards if there are benefits to it.

Thanks for the input.
 
Fat Ass 101

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Thanks 99. Other folks success stories are the best motivator. Where did you play ball and how long ago? I am blessed with a work environment that allows me access to the gym, and also has a cafeteria. While the food in there is not very health conscious, there are salad and sandwich options (turkey, roast beef, or ham) The fast food has been a nemises of mine, but at least this week, I have been able to stay away and have some decent options at home for dinner. I also enjoy oatmeal. I have been snacking on Cheerios at work during the day as well. Like you said, I start with the 2 miles (30-35 min) of cardio and am working myself into the weights. I agree about starting slow. I have never really used weights in my life so I am easing my way in to make sure I don't hurt myself. I may be acting like a skirt, but I can't afford to not be able to do this b/c I am injured. Any type of vitamins y'all recommend? I am scared to death of using supplements and am very happy that I have been advised by many to stay away from them.

One question...what is a bicycle crunch move?
 

99sscamaroma

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Thanks 99. Other folks success stories are the best motivator. Where did you play ball and how long ago? I am blessed with a work environment that allows me access to the gym, and also has a cafeteria. While the food in there is not very health conscious, there are salad and sandwich options (turkey, roast beef, or ham) The fast food has been a nemises of mine, but at least this week, I have been able to stay away and have some decent options at home for dinner. I also enjoy oatmeal. I have been snacking on Cheerios at work during the day as well. Like you said, I start with the 2 miles (30-35 min) of cardio and am working myself into the weights. I agree about starting slow. I have never really used weights in my life so I am easing my way in to make sure I don't hurt myself. I may be acting like a skirt, but I can't afford to not be able to do this b/c I am injured. Any type of vitamins y'all recommend? I am scared to death of using supplements and am very happy that I have been advised by many to stay away from them.

One question...what is a bicycle crunch move?
I played for Worcester Academy, which is a small prep school in Massachusetts. We had a pretty good team the year after I left as Craig Smith (BC eagles and now minnesota timberwolves I believe) and Jared Jack (Georgia Tech and Portland Trailblazers) both played. Got to go back after I had graduated and play ball with them and to say they are talented and athletic is an understatement. I ended up playing Division III basketball at a small private school in Worcester called Clark University until 2005, which was good because it wasnt as demanding as the Division II schools I was looking at so I could focus on school and it ended up earning me a free masters (MBA). Its cool that your work allows you to work out. We have a gym at Fidelity Investments where I work but usually its so hectic that I cant even make it over there during work. Yea fast food is a killer...its so hard to give up but I gave it up over 7 years ago and havent been back since so just try to ween yourself off it and the biggest thing is to try and go shopping and prepare meals prior to going to work or the night before so when you get home and your exhausted you dont reach for the easy/quick unhealthy stuff. I live off of oatmeal during the day and usually I will make something on the weekend like chicken soup or chilli and portion it out over a week or so so I have a meal when I get home. For the chicken soup I will get the really lean (99%) boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them up and boil them just in water. Then I will get a bunch of cans of the low sodium chicken broth which is also like 99% fat free and use that as my stock. Once the chicken is done ill drain it and skim off any of the fat that boils off and put the chicken in a big stock pot. Then I add the cans of broth, baby carrots, celery, vidalia onions, and whatever else you like to add (somethimes I throw in peas or green beans). Pretty simple and easy to make. Same thing with the chilli. I will get the 99% lean ground turkey breast and simmer it with onions and green and red peppers (no oil or butter used as the vegetables usually have enough fluid in them to keep the meat from sticking to the pan). Then once its done I just add it to a stock pot with a bunch of cans of tomato sauce and diced or crushed tomatos, a couple cans of tomato paste, a few cans of kidney beans, then garlic power, onion powder,salt, pepper, cayanne pepper, and chilli powder. Then I just let it simmer for a while until it reduces a little and your good to go. Both are simple and straight forward and if you like them its an easy meal to make that is really filling and healthy. Yea definately go easy on the weights. Heavy weight lifting is great but when your starting in and looking to shed pounds its better to do more of a circuit type of training where your working multiple muslce groups with lower weight and high repitions. This is how I started back in 2000 and once I got to my desired weight I began using more strength training. Im sure the trainer you know at work will have a list of exercises that work the entire body so I would follow up with her and see what she has for you but the exercises I listed above are a good start. The bi-cycle crunch is when you are lying on your back with your hands behind your head and your elbows pointing out. Then you lift your shoulder blades off the ground (like a crunch) and you rotate your right elbow to your left knee as you will be doing a pedaling motion with your legs and then keep repeating this motion while alternating your elbow to knee motion. Also, I learned from experience to avoid most weight loss supplements as I started trying to lose weight at the height of the ephedra crazy. I was using the original ephedra based Xenadrine and during one cardio workout my heart was racing a mile a minute and I couldnt get it to stop for alomst 5 minutes after woking out, which was scary as all hell! I would suggest starting with a basic multivitamin, your essential fatty acids (EFA's, you can do a google search and find plenty of good products), and maybe some glucosamine for your joints as it provides some relief for joint pain which you may experience as you start to ramp up your workouts. Other than that you should be all set. Sorry for the super long post, just a few tips that I learned along the way. Finally, dont always look at the scale as you may start to see that your not loosing as much or any weight at certain points. This is due to the fact that muscle weighs almost 1.5 times as much as fat, so if you mix in weight training you will build muscle mass, which is great, but not great for seeing a low number on the scales so do weigh yourself but also look at the results in your body as well because you will start seeing more of a change in your appearance and less on the scale. Again good luck and we are rooting for you!
 
Fat Ass 101

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Thanks. I am familiar with Worcester. I lived on the Cape for a while after College, like 1994-1996, somewhere in that range. Working in hotels gets you bounced around and now I am in Alabama, but I do miss the Northeast, except I was in Boston the first week in December when y'all had the ice storm and power outages.

OK, I have seen the bicycle crunches before. I will see if I can pull that off (in the privacy of my own home as I don't want to end up on youtube.

Last question, I promise. With doing 2 mi on the treadmill, should I work in the bicycle as well? If so, you think in addition to the treadmill, or instead of on certain days? What would be a good length of time on the bicycle?

Thanks for the recipes and the support. I will check back after the weekend with an update.
 

99sscamaroma

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Thanks. I am familiar with Worcester. I lived on the Cape for a while after College, like 1994-1996, somewhere in that range. Working in hotels gets you bounced around and now I am in Alabama, but I do miss the Northeast, except I was in Boston the first week in December when y'all had the ice storm and power outages.

OK, I have seen the bicycle crunches before. I will see if I can pull that off (in the privacy of my own home as I don't want to end up on youtube.

Last question, I promise. With doing 2 mi on the treadmill, should I work in the bicycle as well? If so, you think in addition to the treadmill, or instead of on certain days? What would be a good length of time on the bicycle?

Thanks for the recipes and the support. I will check back after the weekend with an update.
Oh wow, funny I havent met many people on here that have even heard of Worcester, Ma, although there isnt much to say about it haha. Cape is awesome, my gf's aunt has this gorgeous multi-million dollar home in Falmouth that has a deeded beach approx. 1/4 of a mile from the house and we just go there and relax during the summer, so peaceful. Yea the ice storm was a pain in the ass. I luckily wasnt hit bad but my neighbors had trees down, no power, no cable, phone, internet, damage to their houses, etc so I lucked out. I would say start with the low intensity aerobic workouts. You can certainly mix in the bike, eliptical machine, rowing machine, etc to try and vary the workout as well as break up the monotony of the tread mill. Once you stat building up your endurance I would try a workout like this:

1) 5 mins or so hard jogging on the treadmill (can do the same on the bike, eliptical machine, rowing machine, etc)
2) Dumbell Bench press - 1 set of 12-15 reps
3) Dumbell Squats with should press at top - 1 set of 12-15 reps
4) Bicycle crunches or ab exercise of choice - 1 set of as many as you can do
5) Dumbell curls - 1 set of 12-15 reps
6) Kettel bell swing - can google the exercise but basically you use a kettel bell and squat bending slightly forward then thrusting upwards and swinging your hips forward until the kettelbell is above your head (try not to use your arms or shoulders much in this exercise as its supposed to be done in a fluid continuous motion without any pausing in between reps)
7) Back rowing exercise - 1 set of 12-15 reps with back exercis eof your choice

This should be done in a circuit with minimial rest in between the exercises (basically known as circuit training or sci-fit training) and try to do as many circuits as you can (usually 3 or so is good depending on your level of fitness) with a few minute rest in between each circuit. This is the type of workout routine I use now as I am naturally a thicker guy so I still keep muscle on but I stay much leaner than I used to be when just lifting heavy weights and focusing on specific body parts each lifting session. Plus this will get your metabolism and heart rate going, so you will burn more calories per workout as opposed to jogging at a continous rate for a specific distance or time period. When going through the next circuit you can change any exercise you want so if you start with the tread mill you can then go and do the same 5 minutes at a high intensity on te bike, eliptical machine, etc. Again wait till your comfortable with your stamina/endurance levels and then branch out into mixing these types of exercises into your workout routine and I gaurantee you will see results. Also, dont be afraid to cheat if you have a craving for something. When I started my dieting years ago I would have a craving for ice cream or pizza or chocolate and instead of just having a small serving of what I was craving I would eat other things that were a little more healthy, but in the end I would still end up endulging in my craving and took in a lot more calories than if I just had my craving to start with. Have a great weekend man and keep up the good work!
 

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GL FA 101 I was 6"1 325lbs about a year and a half ago lost 120lbs with just diet and exercise and they are all right its a balance of diet , exercise and determination.... You can do it man
 

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FA101 Just noticed you were on the Cape .... im there now in Hyannis :) ...small world!
 
Fat Ass 101

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FA101 Just noticed you were on the Cape .... im there now in Hyannis :) ...small world!
I am not there anymore. It was a while ago. I am in Alabama now, but I lived in Mashpee and worked at a Hyannis restaurant/bar Bobby Byrnes for a short time.
 
Fat Ass 101

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GL FA 101 I was 6"1 325lbs about a year and a half ago lost 120lbs with just diet and exercise and they are all right its a balance of diet , exercise and determination.... You can do it man
Wow. How fast did it come off at first, when did it level off? I want to make sure my timeline goals are realistic and not get frustrated unnecessarily.
 
Aggravated

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Wow. How fast did it come off at first, when did it level off? I want to make sure my timeline goals are realistic and not get frustrated unnecessarily.
Regardless of your goals, frustration is unnecessary. You are going to just have to keep hammering at it regardless. Frustration is a waste of time when it comes to any of this.
 
Fat Ass 101

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Regardless of your goals, frustration is unnecessary. You are going to just have to keep hammering at it regardless. Frustration is a waste of time when it comes to any of this.

I agree 100%. My post wasn't meant to be whiny. I am just interestedin what worked for other folks and follow in a similar path so I am not trying to reinvent the wheel. I have been hammering. I already feel much better and am able to increase the volume in exercises that I have been doing in just the first week. I have been able to go faster for longer periods of time on the treadmill, and each day on the weight machines, I seem to be able to go longer than when I started (longer, not heavier, but we will get there)

I appreciate you checking in on me.
 
ticco

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I am not there anymore. It was a while ago. I am in Alabama now, but I lived in Mashpee and worked at a Hyannis restaurant/bar Bobby Byrnes for a short time.
That place is awesome. Used to vacation there with my family and they had great clam chowder if i remember. They are in that plaza by an on call docs. Man its been ages since ive been over there.
 
Fat Ass 101

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That place is awesome. Used to vacation there with my family and they had great clam chowder if i remember. They are in that plaza by an on call docs. Man its been ages since ive been over there.

The owner was funny. He refused to sell Budweiser b/c he said if a cop pulled over a drunk driver, and the drunk driver said he was drinking Bud, that he would not be liable since he doesn't sell the product. I thought that was weird, even as a 19 years old. Now, almost 20 years later, it's still kind of funny explanation.
 
pantherdude63

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Hey man good luck losing the weight! You can do it!
 
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Oh wow, funny I havent met many people on here that have even heard of Worcester, Ma, although there isnt much to say about it haha. Cape is awesome, my gf's aunt has this gorgeous multi-million dollar home in Falmouth that has a deeded beach approx. 1/4 of a mile from the house and we just go there and relax during the summer, so peaceful. Yea the ice storm was a pain in the ass. I luckily wasnt hit bad but my neighbors had trees down, no power, no cable, phone, internet, damage to their houses, etc so I lucked out. I would say start with the low intensity aerobic workouts. You can certainly mix in the bike, eliptical machine, rowing machine, etc to try and vary the workout as well as break up the monotony of the tread mill. Once you stat building up your endurance I would try a workout like this:

1) 5 mins or so hard jogging on the treadmill (can do the same on the bike, eliptical machine, rowing machine, etc)
2) Dumbell Bench press - 1 set of 12-15 reps
3) Dumbell Squats with should press at top - 1 set of 12-15 reps
4) Bicycle crunches or ab exercise of choice - 1 set of as many as you can do
5) Dumbell curls - 1 set of 12-15 reps
6) Kettel bell swing - can google the exercise but basically you use a kettel bell and squat bending slightly forward then thrusting upwards and swinging your hips forward until the kettelbell is above your head (try not to use your arms or shoulders much in this exercise as its supposed to be done in a fluid continuous motion without any pausing in between reps)
7) Back rowing exercise - 1 set of 12-15 reps with back exercis eof your choice

This should be done in a circuit with minimial rest in between the exercises (basically known as circuit training or sci-fit training) and try to do as many circuits as you can (usually 3 or so is good depending on your level of fitness) with a few minute rest in between each circuit. This is the type of workout routine I use now as I am naturally a thicker guy so I still keep muscle on but I stay much leaner than I used to be when just lifting heavy weights and focusing on specific body parts each lifting session. Plus this will get your metabolism and heart rate going, so you will burn more calories per workout as opposed to jogging at a continous rate for a specific distance or time period. When going through the next circuit you can change any exercise you want so if you start with the tread mill you can then go and do the same 5 minutes at a high intensity on te bike, eliptical machine, etc. Again wait till your comfortable with your stamina/endurance levels and then branch out into mixing these types of exercises into your workout routine and I gaurantee you will see results. Also, dont be afraid to cheat if you have a craving for something. When I started my dieting years ago I would have a craving for ice cream or pizza or chocolate and instead of just having a small serving of what I was craving I would eat other things that were a little more healthy, but in the end I would still end up endulging in my craving and took in a lot more calories than if I just had my craving to start with. Have a great weekend man and keep up the good work!
Nothing pisses off a Massachusetts native more than an out of towner mispronouncing WOO-ster.

Have a wicked awesome day!
 

MMAMONSTER19

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hey man hope everything is coming along well for you, you got some great advice going on in here just follow everything that everyone has thrown at you and you will see results, and as well frustration is a waste of time in this world or atleast our worlds of us that workoutaholics sure we get frustrated with not instant results but its a battle to prove to yourself and all the ones around you who say you wont make it and its the best feeling to come back to them when your totally in shape and may even have a hotter girl than his and be like what now bi tch i did it!!! haha ya kno so keep the faith up in urself man you can do it were all here for ya and any questions you got!
 
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Hey there, good luck with everything and I'm in the weight lose boat right now as well... we were close to sinking it.

All great advice I just thought I would share one thing I found to be useful so far. fitday.com Its free and you just calculate everything you eat. It's helpful to be able to watch what you ate and what you need to change. Also it keeps you honest.

Again good luck
 
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hey man hope everything is coming along well for you, you got some great advice going on in here just follow everything that everyone has thrown at you and you will see results, and as well frustration is a waste of time in this world or atleast our worlds of us that workoutaholics sure we get frustrated with not instant results but its a battle to prove to yourself and all the ones around you who say you wont make it and its the best feeling to come back to them when your totally in shape and may even have a hotter girl than his and be like what now bi tch i did it!!! haha ya kno so keep the faith up in urself man you can do it were all here for ya and any questions you got!
So Far, so good. I turned it up a notch on the weights last night and am feeling it in my shoulders a bit more. I think it was more due to the fact that a women's soccer team was in the hotel gym with me than anything else but, whatever works. I am so glad I found this web site. The support system in place in phenomenal.

Due to a pretty large discrepancy between home scale and work scale, I will be getting a new home scale to at least be able to have some consistency in my numbers. My current home scale is quite old, and while encouraging, is saying significantly less than my work scale.
 

badjuju

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hey man, I was in a real similar situation as you. About 3 years ago I was pushing being 6'1 and 345lbs(very little muscle) at age 19. I started by just dieting real hard, mostly no carb at first, and riding a stationary bike for 30 minutes every single night. I was losing anywhere from 2-6lbs in a week.

I stopped doing the no carb and biking after I got down to about 280. Then I started doing this workout program and got to 235(a lot of muscle) in about 12 weeks. So overall I dropped about 110lbs in a year. Once I hit 280lbs I was following a diet of eating something small and high protein/low fat every 2-4 hours of the day.

For example,

8am - 3 eggs scrambled, wheat bagel with fat free cream cheese
11am - non fat yogurt
1-2pm - turkey and cheese on wheat with baked lays
6pm - chicken breast with cooked vegetables in a stirfry, maybe brown rice
10pm - protein shake after workout

An example of a weeks workout was
Monday - chest and biceps
Tuesday - cardio 30min
Wednesday - legs, shoulders, abs
Thursday - cardio 30min
Friday - Back and triceps

From my own experiences, and everyone is very different, I lost a lot of weight really fast initially. The hardest part for me was just keeping myself 110% dedicated and not letting myself get cocky and think "oh, I'm losing weight real easily, I can afford to skip the gym tonight". If you can just keep your head in it man, that's half the battle. Good luck!
 
dbsb

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I hear you there badjuju, it always after a few inches in the waist that I get into trouble and fall off the bandwagon completely.
 
Fat Ass 101

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hey man, I was in a real similar situation as you. About 3 years ago I was pushing being 6'1 and 345lbs(very little muscle) at age 19. I started by just dieting real hard, mostly no carb at first, and riding a stationary bike for 30 minutes every single night. I was losing anywhere from 2-6lbs in a week.

I stopped doing the no carb and biking after I got down to about 280. Then I started doing this workout program and got to 235(a lot of muscle) in about 12 weeks. So overall I dropped about 110lbs in a year. Once I hit 280lbs I was following a diet of eating something small and high protein/low fat every 2-4 hours of the day.

For example,

8am - 3 eggs scrambled, wheat bagel with fat free cream cheese
11am - non fat yogurt
1-2pm - turkey and cheese on wheat with baked lays
6pm - chicken breast with cooked vegetables in a stirfry, maybe brown rice
10pm - protein shake after workout

An example of a weeks workout was
Monday - chest and biceps
Tuesday - cardio 30min
Wednesday - legs, shoulders, abs
Thursday - cardio 30min
Friday - Back and triceps

From my own experiences, and everyone is very different, I lost a lot of weight really fast initially. The hardest part for me was just keeping myself 110% dedicated and not letting myself get cocky and think "oh, I'm losing weight real easily, I can afford to skip the gym tonight". If you can just keep your head in it man, that's half the battle. Good luck!

Thanks JuJu. I already fell off the wagon once and I think it is safe to say that I know what will happen if I do it again. I am actually hitting it harder than last time, and I hate that tonight I have to go to another hotel for a meeting. I am bringing my gym stuff with me and will see if they will let me work out there. I got down to 286 in like August but it was back and then some by Christmas. I am in it for the long haul.

I had a couple questions so I apologize if they are noob stupid questions, but I will ask them anyway.

Protein shake at 10pm?? Can you have that right before bed? You list it as after workout. I go at night, but I usually have dinner after I get home which is usually late and go to bed pretty soon after. Would it make sense to have a shake before workout or is it to replenish what you just lost?

Was that diet when you started or after you hit 280 lbs?

An example of a weeks workout was
Monday - chest and biceps - how much weight and what exercises
Tuesday - cardio 30min - treadmill?
Wednesday - legs, shoulders, abs - how much weight and what exercises
Thursday - cardio 30min
Friday - Back and triceps - how much weight and what exercises?

Currently I am on a treadmill 2 miles (30-35 min) and I am hitting 3 machines (shoulder press, chest press, and a machine where I pull down vs the shoulder press where you push up)

Shoulder press is the hardest for me. Chest press, I am doing 4 sets of 15 on limited weight (working way up to 50lbs - told you I was weak) The pull down, I can do 70 lbs rather easily...90 lbs is where I need to quit at this point...Should I not be doing all of these each night? I feel so much better, even if only a couple pounds have come off so far.

Obviously, diet needs the most work and I am doing what I can with it. I am not good with weighing out stuff so using the diet board isn't much at this point.
 
Fat Ass 101

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I hear you there badjuju, it always after a few inches in the waist that I get into trouble and fall off the bandwagon completely.

First few inches feel good though...I think I have learned my lesson from the last attempt.
 

badjuju

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Thanks JuJu. I already fell off the wagon once and I think it is safe to say that I know what will happen if I do it again. I am actually hitting it harder than last time, and I hate that tonight I have to go to another hotel for a meeting. I am bringing my gym stuff with me and will see if they will let me work out there. I got down to 286 in like August but it was back and then some by Christmas. I am in it for the long haul.

I had a couple questions so I apologize if they are noob stupid questions, but I will ask them anyway.

Protein shake at 10pm??

Was that diet when you started or after you hit 280 lbs?

An example of a weeks workout was
Monday - chest and biceps - how much weight and what exercises
Tuesday - cardio 30min - treadmill?
Wednesday - legs, shoulders, abs - how much weight and what exercises
Thursday - cardio 30min
Friday - Back and triceps - how much weight and what exercises?
I started that diet right around 280lbs, but at that point my intention was to build muscle while burning fat, rather than just losing as much as possible.

As for the shake, I would recommend doing it after your workout. Besides if I eat within 2 hours of working out I feel awful at the gym. I know it's hard to change your eating habits in terms of time, but if you can, try to squeeze in some type of early dinner so you're not eating late at night before bed.


With the workout, here is just an example of a Monday: Essentially you warm up each muscle group, and then go heavier and you want to reach 'failure' on your last sets. However the warm up of 10 is only for the first exercise for that muscle, as you're already warmed up going into the next thing.

Flat bench straight bar - 1x10 at 165lbs, 1x6-8 at 205lbs, 2x4-6 at 240
Incline bench dumbells - 1x6-8 at 65lbs, 2x4-6 at 85lbs
Straight bar curls -1x10, 1x6-8, 2x4-6
Dumbell curls - 1x6-8, 2x4-6

As for cardio, I either did treadmill, biking, or I started doing some sprints outside when warm enough.

Honestly though, I wouldn't recommend that workout until you get yourself more acclimated to lifting in general. You don't want to push yourself with weights until your body is ready to handle it ya know? There's definitely a learning curve for your joints and tendons to adjust to the new activity, as I'm sure you're noticing already.
 
Fat Ass 101

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The eating habits are more of "the only time of the day I get to see my bride" than habit. I wish I could eat dinner earlier, its just the logistics of where I work, where I work out, and where I live at this point are way too far apart and I am trying to fit this giant square peg in the round hole.

I had been pretty much stopping when I felt I couldn't go further, but not yet failing. Keep in mind I am using much lower weights, but I can certainly try to take it that one extra step.

I have been able to increase my speed on the treadmill, but I am not to the point of being able to run, or even jog, but I hope in a couple of weeks to be able to incorporate that into my routine, if only for a short while.
 

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Hey keep up the good work and be careful with the shoulder exercises as when you bench press you are using you shoulders to an extend as well so I would say stay with light weights and if they start to bother you take it easy on the shoulder exercises. Trust me after having to have my right shoulder operated on because I was over working it I am now very careful with the how much abuse I give them. Also, id say throw in some leg exercise such as dumbell squats or lunges or maybe kettel bell swings. I know doing the cardio works your legs pretty well but id toss in a couple of leg exercises with light to moderate weight to strengthen you legs as well. The exerise where you are pulling down is for your back, which is good because if you dont target your back but are hitting your chest pretty hard it will pull your shoulders forward. Thats why you want to incorporate a pulling exercise (lat pulldowns and a rowing exercise) along with the pushing exercise (bench pess). Id say keep slowly increasing the weight you are using as you get stronger but for the time being stay with between 8-12 reps for each set as it will give you the best results without stressing your muscles too much. Once you have lost the weight and have built up your strength then by all means go to heavier lifting if you choose (4-6 reps max per set), but if your looking to drop weight and lean out id say stick with a circuit workout where you doing multiple exercises with max reps and lower weight. Good luck and keep us updated!
 
Fat Ass 101

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Thanks 99. I will write down the exact names of the machines so I am not saying anything incorrectly. I will jot down all the machines so you know what I have to work with. I had stayed away from the legs b/c of the cardio I was doing, but if it will help, then I can certainly incorporate it into my routine.

Does anyone know the difference in the work out benefit between walking and running? I am curious as to how much more I will get out of being able to run vs walk.

Thanks
 

MMAMONSTER19

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well glad you turned it up a notch always gotta keep pushing yourself to do more, and the results will show it more improved body and more improved physique you got this man sounds to me like your on your way to success man keep it up and hopefully you find a decently priced scale lol
But between the walking and running, to me running is more for endurance and being healthy to run all the time, walking at a high incline at a good fast paced walk is more low intensity for longer periods of time which will help you lose weight, running will also but it also breaks down your muscles if over done, so what i do is before i lift i run for 5 mins high intensity gets the blood flowing throughout the body and heart rate up, and at the end of my workout i use the elliptical or treadmill and do fast paced walking at a high incline, also the stairmaster is great before you start set a goal cuz my machines at my gym say how many cals so before i get on i decide if i want 200 cals gone or whatever and then cover the time with a towel and dont stop till i hit my mark usually with walking takes about 20-22 mins hope this helps
 

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I am not there anymore. It was a while ago. I am in Alabama now, but I lived in Mashpee and worked at a Hyannis restaurant/bar Bobby Byrnes for a short time.
Wow very small world I am actually dating a girl who work there now she waits tables at byrnes.....wow hehe
 
EasyEJL

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So Far, so good. I turned it up a notch on the weights last night and am feeling it in my shoulders a bit more. I think it was more due to the fact that a women's soccer team was in the hotel gym with me than anything else but, whatever works. I am so glad I found this web site. The support system in place in phenomenal.

Due to a pretty large discrepancy between home scale and work scale, I will be getting a new home scale to at least be able to have some consistency in my numbers. My current home scale is quite old, and while encouraging, is saying significantly less than my work scale.
ignore the scale, worry about the mirror....

whats most important in diet or workouts is that you find something you can live with, and will keep doing as part of your life. a crash and burn down to 200 will only have you back at 300 in a while. So you need to change how you live. if you have to start with just clipping your portion sizes by 10%, and/or subbing in healthier foods.

buy this book


heres some examples from it







and keeping what i said in mind, it has to be life changes. so make it slow at first. make the easy changes first, start seeing improvement in the mirror and you'll have more motivation to make the harder changes...


I was 245 at 5 9.5, around 50% bodyfat at 39 (120lbs of lean mass). I was a desk jockey doing computer software. Today at 41 i'm at 204 and around 15% bf (around 175lbs of lean mass). but my life is totally different, and my eating habits are permanently changed.
 
Fat Ass 101

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I appreciate the graphics, although I am now craving Chinese food. And in forgetting about the scale, my belt that I got for Christmas needs a new hole (on the good side)
 
EasyEJL

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:D the important thing tho is what you get when you eat chinese. its amazing once you start to think that way how much more food and often better tasting and better for you food you can eat for the same calories. I buy a whole pineapple every week for $4, it yields about 4lbs of cubes. when i'm at home and want a snack i open the container in the fridge and eat some. minimal calories, minimal cost, fantastic taste


and look for those sorts of thngs, things that you'll never say "aha i've reached my goal weight, finally i dont have to do this anymore"

like i've come up with a perfect all complex carb relatively low GI pancake recipe that I like better than ihop or waffle house pancakces now
 

MMAMONSTER19

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some good advice and very interesting after that post by easyejl with the pics, never really thought about the fruit and the amount of calories i just eat it cuz its just good and healthy its just the sugars that arent the greatest but ive never liimited my self when eating fruit, and since i love chinese food thats also good to know what amount of cals are in my food since i eat it atleast twice a month good post though
 
EasyEJL

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i go thru 1-2 pineapples a week, around a dozen apples, maybe 20 clementines or tangerines, idk what else, some bananas here and there too :)
 

99sscamaroma

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Thanks 99. I will write down the exact names of the machines so I am not saying anything incorrectly. I will jot down all the machines so you know what I have to work with. I had stayed away from the legs b/c of the cardio I was doing, but if it will help, then I can certainly incorporate it into my routine.

Does anyone know the difference in the work out benefit between walking and running? I am curious as to how much more I will get out of being able to run vs walk.

Thanks
Yea I mean if your doing a lot of cardio and your legs are pretty sore then by all means take it easy on the leg exercises because if you over-do it you may not be able to do cardio for a couple of days due to the soreness. There are a couple of theories on walking vs running. Both will burn calories, you will just need to walk longer to burn the same calories than if you were to run. The key though is interval training (ie sprints). Perfect example are long distance runners and sprinters. Who's body would you prefer to have? Id take a sprinters any day of the week (steroids do help though haha)! Its great to be able to run 5 miles+ every day, but when you run for that long your body needs fuel and once the available nutrients are gone your body goes for the next best fuel, which is muscle (catabolic effect). With interval training, you are not going at the same pace for an extended period of time. Instead by altering your speeds you are forcing your body to adapt to the changing pace. Plus, you are done in 25-30 mintues (depending on how high the intensity is) as opposed to spending over an hour doing cardio at the same pace. I have been doing interval training for the past 2 years and I am in better shape than I was when id go and run 4-5 miles a day. In addition, when I was running that much my joints would eventually start aching and it was really tough on my body. Just food for thought and keep up the good work!
 
EasyEJL

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find the activities you like doing and dont feel like a chore and do those. in the end so long as you get your eating right it doesnt matter what you do

its a marathon not a sprint

 
Fat Ass 101

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Yea I mean if your doing a lot of cardio and your legs are pretty sore then by all means take it easy on the leg exercises because if you over-do it you may not be able to do cardio for a couple of days due to the soreness. There are a couple of theories on walking vs running. Both will burn calories, you will just need to walk longer to burn the same calories than if you were to run. The key though is interval training (ie sprints). Perfect example are long distance runners and sprinters. Who's body would you prefer to have? Id take a sprinters any day of the week (steroids do help though haha)! Its great to be able to run 5 miles+ every day, but when you run for that long your body needs fuel and once the available nutrients are gone your body goes for the next best fuel, which is muscle (catabolic effect). With interval training, you are not going at the same pace for an extended period of time. Instead by altering your speeds you are forcing your body to adapt to the changing pace. Plus, you are done in 25-30 mintues (depending on how high the intensity is) as opposed to spending over an hour doing cardio at the same pace. I have been doing interval training for the past 2 years and I am in better shape than I was when id go and run 4-5 miles a day. In addition, when I was running that much my joints would eventually start aching and it was really tough on my body. Just food for thought and keep up the good work!
Great info. Thanks.
 
littlejeni

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I am so excited for you that you've made this decision. I know it is such a committment.

I am one that needs to be held accountable. If you are that type also, then maybe start a log on AM. This way you can log your progression and you'll also have a lot of people supporting your effort. That is only a suggestion, logging does get time consuming. But I would love to see before and after pictures...even if it is a year from now!

Also, the weight loss thing is trial and error. I'm sure this isn't the first time you've tried to lose weight (although this time you sound like you're doing some research). Try to recall what you did in the past and what your limiting factor was (ie-diet, motivation, energy...) and see if you can identify that when it sneaks up again this time (because most likely it will). Play offensively when faced with obstacles.

My buddy at the gym just went from 400 lbs to about 260 lbs in about 6-8 months. I know that he has been in the gym 6 days a week. He started going to spinning classes about 3 days a week. He said that at first he needed a reason to go to the gym and the classes helped him. After awhile he has become a fixture and people hound him if they haven't seen him in about 2 days...accountability really works.

I don't know you, but I really want this for you, everyone deserves to be healthy! Good luck!
 

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