Weight loss advise for an old bald fat guy

[CmdrKang]

Hi all - I'm a bit older, 52, and am looking for some good advice on diet, macro ratio's, and all things concerning fat loss.
My current stat's are that I am 6'4" tall and currently hovering just below 260...mostly fat. I started working out again, alternating days between lifting and cardio; I would like to do HIIT cardio again, but I am too fat. So my goal is to get myself down to 10% body fat. I attempted that goal about 3 years ago, but I got derailed along the way and fell short.

So my question is simple, what is the best fat loss regime to meet my goal?
Btw, I am not interested in supplements to do the job, only diet and exercise.
I am seriously in this for the long haul, so any sage wisdom to help me would be appreciated.

 

[EasyEJL]

raise your protein, lower your carbohydrates except around workouts. If HIIT as cardio is too much, do it as high intensity lifting instead. Concentrate less on strength than intensity.

 

[B5150]

Hey, I resemble that thread title!

Ditto what Easy stated regarding diet. You can also incorporate super sets into your workout to increase energy expenditure. I usually do a push-pull. Ex - Incline Bench Press-Pull Ups, Bench Press-Bent Rows, etc.

In regard to cardio just stick with static cardio on a treadmill or equipment of you liking until your conditioning improves.

K.I.S.S.

 

[foxhound72072]

This is exactly like my start thread also. Dec 19th I started at 220 and now I am 207 And just shy of 20% bf.

I started off slow on cardio and when I got use to it, I started HIIT 2-3 days a week and the weight/fat melted off. I also stopped drinking alcohol and eating less at each sitting. More protein also!

I'm so happy with my progress. I used protein creatine and a fat burner. loving life. Good luck.

 

[CmdrKang]

Thanks for the advice.
I've always heard that losing fat is 80% diet. So what are you thoughts about what works?
What about the macro breakout. I'm thinking 40% protein & fat, 20% carbs. I'm also thinking that my total calories should be around 1800 range?

 

[foxhound72072]

Your too big of a guy to dive right into1800 calories a day. You might feel sick. Start small to see if you are going to stick with the diet and plan.

Then go all out. I heard cutting to many calories can actually possibly destroy your metabolism permanently. I don't know how true that it though.

As far as macro and ratios , I didn't follow that. I just ate cleaner and less. I use to eat past stomach being full because the food was so good. It took a lot for me to not eat my whole plate lol.

 

[foxhound72072]

Where are you from ?

 

[EasyEJL]

Thanks for the advice.
I've always heard that losing fat is 80% diet. So what are you thoughts about what works?
What about the macro breakout. I'm thinking 40% protein & fat, 20% carbs. I'm also thinking that my total calories should be around 1800 range?

What works is "The diet you'll actually follow". Honestly. If you overcomplicate you'll just not comply with the diet. What I do normally if I'm trying to help someone is have them lay out what they actually eat now and bend it to it being more in line. Anyone can just churn out a diet for you but odds are fair it won't work. Maybe you hate broccoli, asparagus, etc.

Its that simple. at your size, you have a REAL protein need of maybe 120g regardless of what anyone says an optimal amount is probably 200g. You can go higher, just don't want to go lower. The ratio is pretty meaningless really, and i'd start with total calories closer to 2400, so you have room to drop it as you do lose weight. The carb amount is important but you don't have to go super low carb either

 

[foxhound72072]

Yeah I agree, goes along the lines of me saying just eat less. Eat less plus exercise will help. when your a few months in and shown commitment maybe that's when you get more strict. Easy E do you agree ?

 

[EasyEJL]

More or less. The thing is you that there is so much variance person to person, that making huge changes at once is recipe for fail. Dropping all bread, pasta, etc all at once probably doesn't work for most people.

That and you have to think that it didn't take 6 months to gain the extra 50lbs you're carrying, thinking that you can lose it in 6 months is the reason most people fail.

 

[kjscatch]

Like other have said, start slow

No carbs after 6pm. I would recommend fasted LISS cardio first thing in the morning. Then once your progress stalls, hopefully your able to add in HIT to shock the body a keep the progress coming.

 

[foxhound72072]

I didn't say his goal will be accomplished at 6 months. That's just nuts.

Yes it varies person to person like you, he may hate broccoli or asparagus etc. So I'm saying eating less (when you eat now) is a good first step.

That'd what I did and cut out alcohol. I wish you luck original poster. plenty of help on this forum.

 

[foxhound72072]

Nice kjscatch!

 

[Rosie Chee]

Hi all - I'm a bit older, 52, and am looking for some good advice on diet, macro ratio's, and all things concerning fat loss.
My current stat's are that I am 6'4" tall and currently hovering just below 260...mostly fat. I started working out again, alternating days between lifting and cardio; I would like to do HIIT cardio again, but I am too fat. So my goal is to get myself down to 10% body fat. I attempted that goal about 3 years ago, but I got derailed along the way and fell short.

So my question is simple, what is the best fat loss regime to meet my goal?
Btw, I am not interested in supplements to do the job, only diet and exercise.
I am seriously in this for the long haul, so any sage wisdom to help me would be appreciated.

The "best fat loss regime to meet my goal" is something INDIVIDUALIZED to you re NUTRITION AND TRAINING (although training can be pretty much anything for 99% of people, since often it's NUTRITION that is the determining factor in success). There is a very general article I wrote on fat loss (when it seemed all my clients wanted it - to give more information), but with good starting points here (the one thing I would ignore since I wrote this is the "eat every 2-3 hours", because that's not necessary for fat loss and you can effectively lose fat eating 1-2 times a day, dependent on who you are and your body, etc., as long as you're "Eating for YOU").

Answering a few other questions asked later on: 1) Macronutrients breakdown percentages are truly irrelevant; and 2) ,800 calories is way too low and would never recommend for anyone 260 pounds (even I would never go so low) and doing resistance training!

I will note that you CAN have carbs after 6pm (time of day does not matter - just as training fasted or not does not matter - although, again, what works best with YOU body).

And if you're having trouble with HIIT and want to do it, try doing it cycling or on an elliptical (if no bad knees) as will be easier than trying to run or use the rower, or could use unconventional methods of HIIT like boxing, etc.

~Rosie~

 

[DB1219]

Kang, first you need to study: Read 2 books and keep them handy: "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes and "Protein Power" (or any other book) by Dr. Michael Eades. I would go to website called Mark's Daily Apple and read his "Start Here" and poke around. Excellent source of info for low-carb, sensible eating, nutrition, excersise.
After that, you will understand why carbs are to be avoided and how they interfere with fat burning. I'm not saying you can never eat them. But trying to excersise fat away while eating refined carbs, sugar even high GI fruit is going hamper progress. Don't "go on a diet". Learn what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat and learn it for life. PM me if you want. Been down the road, and I am happy to help.

 

[CmdrKang]

Lots of responses, thanks! So, as far as my metabolism its pretty good, I've never had any issues. I like to eat is my biggest issue. As for diet, I am following a whole food Paleo style diet in general. Although I have gotten back into eating things with sugar. Btw, I'm live in NY. Moved up here from Florida last year. The process of prepping for the move and getting settled, aka sitting on my ass and stuffing my face is the biggest reason I've put all this weight on.
I certainly dont expect to lose this weight in a short term. I expect my goals could take me a year or so of eating properly and working out. Getting my BF% down to 10% is the challenge...the last time I saw that % I still had hair. ;-)

 

[Warthog13]

Hi CmdrKang - I'm 47 now (and 6' for what it's worth) and I was north of 220 three years ago so I'm thinking our BMI was roughly the same. I had been a runner a long time ago and when I went out at that 220 weight, I could only run a quarter-mile before I had to stop. So, one plan of attack I had was to go out and up my running by a quarter-mile each time out (every two or three days).

The other plan of attack was a workout I remembered from awhile back that helped me drop a lot of weight was what they call the "52 Workout". You grab a deck of cards and turn one over at a time. If it's Hearts, you do that number of squats (Diamonds/lunges, Clubs/pushups, and Spades/burpees). Do as many cards as you can in 30 minutes. A couple of days later, try to do more cards than you did the last time. Start extending the workout to 35 minutes, then 45....up to an hour. Eventually you'll be going through the whole deck. Them try to reduce the amount of time it takes you to get through the whole deck! It was very rewarding being able to compare my initial fitness level with that after a few months.

I just checked my weight log and saw that I started in late Feb of 2014 at 222 lbs. By Oct 1 of that year I was down to 184. That was what I needed. I'm still doing the 52 workout (I vary/rotrate it to include dips, chins, and pulls also) twice a week and running three times a week. I do strength training twice a week and my weight has stayed at that level.

For the record, I'm 189 right now but that's because of my strength training and running Ara/Alphamax right now but I'm 1000% in better shape than when I started and I really attribute it to the 52 Workout and running when I first started on my journey to lose that initial 35-40 pounds.

For macros right now, I'm at 40%/40%/20% (P/C/F) at 2,000 kcals per day (I have a pathetically low metabolism - that's my maintain level, any higher and I would gain weight - even with all my exercise).

Good luck - many people here have been on the same journey that you're about to embark! You can do it!

 

[EasyEJL]

Eh I don't think I've ever seen 10% Got down to a hair below 11 a few years ago, then a calf injury, then after it was just about healed a broken leg right at the ankle sort of ruined all that for me, I'm just starting back in to getting back there. But 11-12% at 5'10 and being at 195-200 at that I looked pretty damn big.

A new article popped up today that might help you some in thinking about diet

http://anabolicminds.com/forum/content/6-things-world-6611/

Its kind of interesting because vs trying to stick to something super specific it is just a few guidelines but I can't argue with any of them. Really probably for 99% of people trying to lose weight just following #5 from that article "5. They Are High in Vegetables and Fiber" and adding more fibrous green veggies in would make a huge difference just in stomach volume displacement. Who doesn't like steamed broccoli + carrots with garlic salt?

 

[CmdrKang]

I've never heard of the 52 workout, sounds like a good way to keep the workouts interesting and the body adjusting to changes. I used to run when I was younger. I did a triathlon about 3 years ago and trained hard for it. But the amount of food I was eating in hindsight was just too much. I was working on too many areas at the same time. I never trimmed down like I wanted to. So this time I am really focused on losing the fat. Regardless, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and the progress you've made.
The macros that you listed are a little surprising to me on the carb side. I got into Paleo style diet, diet in the sense of eating properly not restricting caloric intake, about the same time I was training for my Tri. They advice that the carb intake should be relatively low. With that said, I was reading about a 40+ year old natural bodybuilder who was absolutely ripped!! His carb levels were high compared to what paleo subscribes. Which made me wonder if it matters to the degree that people think carbs are the enemy. So far a lot of folks have said it depends on what works for my body. I find the whole thing interesting; being an engineer/scientist mindset only makes me want to understand the connection in all of this.

 

[CmdrKang]

Thanks for the link Easy, I will read it. I have had some issues with a hamstring pull and my ankle, a ligament I think but tests never could confirm the source of the problem, over the last year. I'm finally at the point where I can work on taking on a human shape instead of a giant spud

 

[CmdrKang]

Just a quick update. I started working out last week, alternating days between lifting and cardio. The cardio is relatively light until I have dropped my weight down enough to start pushing myself harder. On the diet front, I have been recording everything I eat. I try to eat clean, although not always successfully. A primary reason I am doing this is to track what is working and when, also I want to see what my macros ratio's were. The biggest thing I found so far, is that its hard to get enough protein. Fat and carbs are easy. Any suggestions for increasing protein consumption?

I also got sick a few days this week, feels like some type of virus. Nothing too serious that would cause involuntary ab workouts. ;-) So I haven't worked out this week until I feel better.

 

[EasyEJL]

easiest ways are hardboiled eggs, baking a bunch of chicken breasts on the weekend, carrying around beef jerky for snacks, etc

 

[TexasGuy]

Your too big of a guy to dive right into1800 calories a day. You might feel sick. Start small to see if you are going to stick with the diet and plan.

Then go all out. I heard cutting to many calories can actually possibly destroy your metabolism permanently. I don't know how true that it though.

As far as macro and ratios , I didn't follow that. I just ate cleaner and less. I use to eat past stomach being full because the food was so good. It took a lot for me to not eat my whole plate lol.

I agree. Honestly if you're just getting back in to working out I wouldn't change your diet at all for a month or two. Adapt to the exercise then start swapping out processed, crappy foods for calorically similar but more nutrient dense items for a few more months and start cutting back from there if it's even necessary.

From the way it sounds, You will be having some pretty intense workout sessions after you get some wind back in your sails. You'll want the energy and your body will begin reacting to the food differently anyways. (insulin sensitivity, EPOCH, increased basal metabolism et cetera)

If you're eating a lot of refined grains, carbs et cetera, start substituting whole grains (read the ingredients and make sure it really is whole grain), fruits and vegetables. I wouldn't obsess more than that. I know the internet turns in to a debate playground but the fiber you ingest with fruit will balance out it's sugar content and you can't go wrong with the vitamins and phytochemicals. Certainly better than white breads and pasta.

Use greek yogurt in place of creams, butter et cetera in various sauces and follow the logic from there.

 

[David147]

The first thing to keep in mind is to Enjoy shedding weight. When you enjoy it, you can be MOST effective. Enjoy YOU!!! Now, second remember this "Master Three." Portion size, what you eat, and when you eat. You need a multiple vitamin. Don't over do it. Third you want to think about what your body has to have. But, first keep this in mind, try to limit any food that has high content of sugar. The body has to have protein, essential fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates should be used sparingly. Get Omega Plus balanced 3, 6, 9 oil for your essential fatty acids. This will help your craving for sugar to be almost OBSOLETE! Organic Skim milk is great for your protein. It has no fat but 8 g per serving. Plus it has calcium and needed vitamin D and other nutrients. Use Cocoa with no sugar. It flavors the skim milk and gives you fiber to make you feel more full. Plus you get other benefits of Cocoa. Consume Organic Salsa. Great nutrients but low caloric in take. Be careful working out to much. It makes you more hungry. Speeds up everything. You have to consume more otherwise you may become deficient in nutrition. It's a skill to shed weight. There are recipe's and so much more in the source. I have just given the tip of the tip of the iceberg so to speak...