HELP - 2 months from wedding

ejgallagher

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Hi All,
Two months from my wedding and I would like to lose about 30 lbs. I have been working out for years but have slacked of over time and replaced some healthy foods with beer and crap.

Obviously diet is first. Is Diet Soda poison to my workout? Do I go low cal or will that prevent loss?

Workout - I have a pretty intense workout normally but I think it needs adjusting. I read in this forum that while dropping weight stick to heavier reps with higher weight. I, on the other hand, was starting heavier and moving into drop sets. Thoughts...

Cardio - Doing 30-1 hour per day on eliptical. Is running the best? Circuit training weekly or bi weekly?

Thanks for your help. I am willing to suffer to make this work - isn't that what marriage is al about?
 
Leggo my Ego

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uhh... losing 30 lbs in 2 months isnt exactly healthy.you can diet and train wisely and make fantastic progress but 30 lbs in 2 months is not realistic nor is it prudent (depending on where youre at now). Start by eliminating the diet sodas and replace with water and drink LOTS of it... secondly I'd eliminate sugars. Do your cardio 1st thing in the am on an empty stomach for 1 hr. and take some caffiene prior to enhance energy expenditure. I personally would recommend a ketogenic diet (low carb) which will allow you to consume a considerable amount of fat, but keep your calories low and allow for 1 day a week for high carb/low fat consumption (for example saturday) still keeping cals low. This will replenish glycogen levels and prevent muscle wasting. keep your workouts intense in the gym and dont overtrain. While you may not lose 30 lbs, 8 weeks is plenty of time to make great strides with your physique. Oh yeah, forgot to add, your total caloric intake daily should be made up of at least 6 small meals to ensure a soaring metabolism.

I hope this helps.... and congrats on you upcomming wedding, mine is in feb. '07
 

ejgallagher

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Thanks - I am aware it is not ideal for health or realism. A good start was really what I needed. Its actually closer to three months but I think that only decreases the unhealthy portion and lack of realism.
Pepsi Cola better be ready to take a hit in the revenue of the Diet product. Hello headache.
 

ejgallagher

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Any ideas on the wieight program - is low reps high weight more to the ideal. I have been lifting for 15 years and played college ball - fullback - just never needed to lift and lose before. I could put on when I needed and taking off was never an issue - until corporate life.
 
Leggo my Ego

Leggo my Ego

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Ehh, you'll be cool dude, just keep your eye on the prize
 
flytrapcan

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Any ideas on the wieight program - is low reps high weight more to the ideal. I have been lifting for 15 years and played college ball - fullback - just never needed to lift and lose before. I could put on when I needed and taking off was never an issue - until corporate life.

I'd be hitting higher reps and incorporating a stable and consistant cardio program. Try low carb cycling diets. You should be able to drop quite a bit in 2 - 3 months, but it's not gonna be easy at all.

Good Luck.
 
Vitruvian

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I am very interested to hearing any arguments on why he should drop diet soda.
I have drank it consistently through multiple cuts and never had any problems.
 

lifthardheavy

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Hi All,
Two months from my wedding and I would like to lose about 30 lbs. I have been working out for years but have slacked of over time and replaced some healthy foods with beer and crap.
I'm going to tell you something you don't want to hear. In 2 months you should only be able to realistically lose 10-15 pounds of fat. Don't count water loss or muscle loss, you only want to lose fat.

30 lbs of fat = 111,000 calories. Divide by 60 days = 1850 cal. That means you have to eat at a deficit of 1850 cal per day, which means you'll be able to eat, oh, 300 cal per day w/o cardio. With daily all-out cardio you can reduce the 1850 to ~1200, but that means you might be able to eat 900 cal per day. You will screw up your metabolism and turn really fat after the wedding if you do this.

If you eat at a deficit of 500 cal per day and work your *** off (1 hr of running not jogging), you can expect to lose 15 lbs of fat in 2 months.
 
bpmartyr

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I am very interested to hearing any arguments on why he should drop diet soda.
I have drank it consistently through multiple cuts and never had any problems.
^^^Bump to that. These things keep me sane.
 
Innings Eater

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I've heard the same thing re: diet cokes. (In the South, everything's called "a coke" whether it be Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, or even a Coke, etc.) What is it in these, though, that detracts from weight loss? For full disclosure, I am not yet lean and drink 4-10 of these per day.
 
Leggo my Ego

Leggo my Ego

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I am very interested to hearing any arguments on why he should drop diet soda.
I have drank it consistently through multiple cuts and never had any problems.
Well, to be honest I don't have any arguments against being able to cut and drink diet sodas simultaneously. I personally cut them out of my diet completely just because they taste good and leaving me wanting something else sweet. I personally do better with my diet while being mundane and bland during the week and indulge in the sweets (non diet:twisted: ) on the weekend when I refeed.

I do know many who drink diet sodas while cutting and do just fine getting lean. To each is own I guess :)
 
Nitrox

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I'm going to tell you something you don't want to hear. In 2 months you should only be able to realistically lose 10-15 pounds of fat. Don't count water loss or muscle loss, you only want to lose fat.

30 lbs of fat = 111,000 calories. Divide by 60 days = 1850 cal. That means you have to eat at a deficit of 1850 cal per day, which means you'll be able to eat, oh, 300 cal per day w/o cardio. With daily all-out cardio you can reduce the 1850 to ~1200, but that means you might be able to eat 900 cal per day. You will screw up your metabolism and turn really fat after the wedding if you do this.

If you eat at a deficit of 500 cal per day and work your *** off (1 hr of running not jogging), you can expect to lose 15 lbs of fat in 2 months.
While 30 pounds of fat loss in 2 months is probably unrealistic the exact numbers really depend on his stats and how much muscle he is prepared to sacrifice. I dont think that a 750-1000 kcal daily deficit on a larger guy is unreasonable.

EJ, listen closely to what Lifthardheavy said about fat loss versus weight loss. Certain diets can drop more water (and even muscle) than others. The numbers on the scale will change but the mirror test may be less dramatic.

I agree that modest goals are the best way to go. Lofty goals and aggressive dieting are oh so tough to meet and stick to...:donut:
 
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Nitrox

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cycling diets?
These guys are suggesting some more advanced dieting ideas. While there is some merit to these diets, if you're new to the fat loss game it might be best to keep it simple.

If you have never counted calories (measured and weighed food and kept a written log) then you are in for a learning curve. Realistically that is the only way to ensure that you are not over/under eating but will take some time to get up and running if you're a noob to it.

An easier approach that you could use intially to get things rolling is to eat 5 or 6 smaller meals and make good food choices: whole foods, lowfat choices, and avoid high calorie drinks (sodas, juices, frappuccinos,etc)
 
Basso

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Diet sodas create cravings and include nothing of value, except the water in them.

Keep things simple, get an account on Fitday and see where your at now, drop your cals a little at a time, shoot for 1-2lbs per week weight loss and lift heavy. Lifting light will not burn nearly the same amount of cals and by lifting heavy you can do a better recomp (add muscle while losing fat). Measure your body and don't look at the scale too much, if your doing things correctly you should not lose much weight. Stay focused, keep your eye on your goal and good luck.
As you can see in my sig I lost 4% BF in 2 months but only 8lbs but I lost 1.5 inches around my love handles and an inch on my Arse. 2 months is enough time to make some big changes but forget about the lbs and focus on changing.
 

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Diet pop is fine i don't see any problem using it on a cut.
 
Vitruvian

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Ok, glad to hear the majority of people agree on the diet soda being ok.

I have argued with countless "experts" who say you have to cut soda, tea, crystal light, etc. out of your diet if you want to truly lose weight. They proceed to say you can't count these beverages towards your daily water intake. How dumb is that?
 
Ziricote

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Ok, glad to hear the majority of people agree on the diet soda being ok.

I have argued with countless "experts" who say you have to cut soda, tea, crystal light, etc. out of your diet if you want to truly lose weight. They proceed to say you can't count these beverages towards your daily water intake. How dumb is that?
Very dumb, besides tea is actually good for you.
 
KrushR

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Ok, glad to hear the majority of people agree on the diet soda being ok.

I have argued with countless "experts" who say you have to cut soda, tea, crystal light, etc. out of your diet if you want to truly lose weight. They proceed to say you can't count these beverages towards your daily water intake. How dumb is that?
Why bother with diet soda/pop/beverages anyway? Does it add anything beneficial to your cut, or is there a chance that something in it may affect you adversely, like say, caffeine being a diuretic? Or the artificial sweetner affecting internal organs? Even those few extra calories are going to build up after two months. 60 days x 10 calories = uhm...600 extra calories? How many cardio sessions is that for anyone?

All this crap about needing diet sodas or beverages. Gimme a freaking break. If you get your caffeine in another venue, say with your morning stim additive, why bother drinking diet sodas at all when you can drink good ol' H20? Water is the best and most effective cutting drink you can have. It hydrates you and helps flush the years of built-up crap that you (thread starter) claim has worked its way into your system.

Bottom line, drop the extraneous crap and ONLY put into your body what's GOOD for you, not stuff that "isn't that BAD".
 
Mass_69

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Agreed. I recently decided to give up my Crystal Light, and anything else containing aspartame. To be honest, I am actually fatter now since switching from fruit juice to CL (about 5-6 years ago), and weight became tougher to lose during dieting.

I'm in the same boat as EJ, as I am getting married in late October, and still feel that I am a ways away from where I want to be (I'll be seeing friends/family I haven't seen in years from out of state). I've been drinking almost exclusively water for the past couple of weeks, with the exception of a little wine here and there :D.
 
Innings Eater

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You guys are probably right.re: diet cokes. The only times I really ate clean and was able to lose fat was when I went "all in". It probably does have something to do with mindset in my opinion. You're right....I'm ready....pass the cold water.
 
Basso

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I keep some Coke Zero's in the fridge and usually use them as a last resort for cravings etc. I drink no more than 1 per week, funny thing is that after cutting them out they just don't taste all that good anymore, I normally prefer water now.
 
Vitruvian

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Why bother with diet soda/pop/beverages anyway? Does it add anything beneficial to your cut, or is there a chance that something in it may affect you adversely, like say, caffeine being a diuretic? Or the artificial sweetner affecting internal organs? Even those few extra calories are going to build up after two months. 60 days x 10 calories = uhm...600 extra calories? How many cardio sessions is that for anyone?

All this crap about needing diet sodas or beverages. Gimme a freaking break. If you get your caffeine in another venue, say with your morning stim additive, why bother drinking diet sodas at all when you can drink good ol' H20? Water is the best and most effective cutting drink you can have. It hydrates you and helps flush the years of built-up crap that you (thread starter) claim has worked its way into your system.

Bottom line, drop the extraneous crap and ONLY put into your body what's GOOD for you, not stuff that "isn't that BAD".
Krush,

Please post YOUR daily food and supplement intake, then you may proceed to bash the rest of us on what WE like to take in. :stick:
 
Vitruvian

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Guys..... Yes, i agree water is important. i drink quite a bit of it as well. But it's not the cure all, and drinks with artificial sweeteners are not what is keeping ANYBODY from losing weight. Analyze everything else. You drop too many things that give you pleasure and you're settin yourself up for one short, unsuccessful cutting cycle.
 
KrushR

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Krush,

Please post YOUR daily food and supplement intake, then you may proceed to bash the rest of us on what WE like to take in. :stick:
So you disagree with my statements, then? FYI, I take in 5L/day, minimum.

Sorry if I offended your precious belief that diet soda helps you lose weight. :rolleyes:
 
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KrushR

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You drop too many things that give you pleasure and you're settin yourself up for one short, unsuccessful cutting cycle.
I also abhor the term "cutting cycle", only from the standpoint that most people tend to overdo it when they bulk. Unless you're a competitive bber, the bulk/cut cycle is overrated. I'd rather have an eating lifestyle I can deal with dain and day out.

to end this mini-flaming: Yes, there's nothing wrong with the occasional diet soda. No, they're not going to kill you. Yes, I believe you should only take in what helps you. If diet soda has no benefit other than taste and caffeine, why bother? Just seems like extra effort when you can be doing something better for yourself, that's all.

Thread Starter: good luck with it. I know you want those wedding photos looking good with a nice small tuxedo. :D
 
Mass_69

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Guys..... Yes, i agree water is important. i drink quite a bit of it as well. But it's not the cure all, and drinks with artificial sweeteners are not what is keeping ANYBODY from losing weight.
You didn't read my post, did you? Been about 2 weeks since dropping aspartame, and I'm down 4 1/2 lbs., and I haven't even been in the gym for the last week. Coincidence? Maybe. :stick:

Just Google "aspartame" and "fat" together and see how many articles you find saying that aspartame makes you fat. :study: Keep in mind that aspartame is 10% methanol, which is a very toxic form of alcohol. :sick: This can put strain on your liver, and when your liver's strained, so is your metabolism. No wonder my endo wanted to test me for Hepatitis because of my liver values...

Here's a good read from Dr. Lydon from the Yale School of Medicine: Could there be evils lurking in aspartame consumption

It's interesting that this article sites methanol as causing vision impairment. I had 20/20 vision all my life, up until about 3-4 years ago. I switched from fruit juices to Crystal Light about 4-5 years ago, and drank it religiously (not to mention got fatter). I'm not old enough for age-related macular degeneration of any kind... Coincidence? Maybe. :stick: ;)

It's funny that the FDA is the only one that thinks this stuff should be approved. Kinda the way they approve some drugs for Big Pharma, even with evidence that it's dangerous (wait for a few 100 people to die first, you know). Oh wait, aspartame is owned by Big Pharma, too (Searle/Pharmacia/Monsanto):blink:
 
Nitrox

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You didn't read my post, did you? Been about 2 weeks since dropping aspartame, and I'm down 4 1/2 lbs., and I haven't even been in the gym for the last week. Coincidence? Maybe. :stick:
Maybe yes, but until you have accounted for all the variables your evidence is anecdotal at best.

Here's a good read from Dr. Lydon from the Yale School of Medicine: Could there be evils lurking in aspartame consumption
An interesting read but absolutely no references to studies or qualifications.

It's funny that the FDA is the only one that thinks this stuff should be approved. Kinda the way they approve some drugs for Big Pharma, even with evidence that it's dangerous (wait for a few 100 people to die first, you know). Oh wait, aspartame is owned by Big Pharma, too (Searle/Pharmacia/Monsanto):blink:
People seem to like to rag on the FDA and other government health agencies despite the fact that they are some of the few outfits who actually do scientific clinical studies according to established protocol.

I'm not necessarily defending aspartame consumption but if the FDA approves it then it is probably safe for general public in 'reasonable' amounts. There are many beneficial substances that become toxic in large amounts. As usual moderation is the key.

Personally I would not drink 4 diet sodas per day. Maybe 1 per week if I enjoyed them. However the soda epidemic in N.A. is not helping. I doubt the FDA was considering people drinking several litres of the stuff.

On a side note I find it amusing that some people will denounce FDA approved foods yet jump on the latest fad supplement, prohormone, or designer steroid that have not been given approval or subjected to large scale scientific scrutiny.
 
Vitruvian

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Mass,
Not all diet sodas have aspartame, FYI.

You use splenda on anything?
 
Vitruvian

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Yes, I believe you should only take in what helps you.

Do you ever indulge in ANYTHING? Or are you a organic veggie, free range meat, and water kinda guy? If you've ever had dessert, You contradicted yourself my friend.
 
KrushR

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Do you ever indulge in ANYTHING? Or are you a organic veggie, free range meat, and water kinda guy? If you've ever had dessert, You contradicted yourself my friend.
dude...seriously, calm down. Sure, I've had dessert and such. I just don't believe in taking in large amounts of crap, that's all. Get a grip.

And yes, my intake is probably 85% organic. I'm no tree hugger, but I eat as cleanly as possible. It's not as hard as you think.
 
KrushR

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Mass,
Not all diet sodas have aspartame, FYI.

You use splenda on anything?
I use splenda minimally, just because of the process they use to make it. We bake with it sometimes, and it's not half bad. It doesn't break down with heat like a lot of artificial sweetners do.
 
Mass_69

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Mass,
Not all diet sodas have aspartame, FYI.

You use splenda on anything?
You're right that not all sodas have aspartame, but you said artificial sweetners, and aspartame is one of them. It is also the most commonly used one.

I use splenda occasionally, but haven't recently. I haven't decided with or against splenda, yet.
 
Vitruvian

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dude...seriously, calm down. Sure, I've had dessert and such. I just don't believe in taking in large amounts of crap, that's all. Get a grip.

And yes, my intake is probably 85% organic. I'm no tree hugger, but I eat as cleanly as possible. It's not as hard as you think.

Krush, I was calm to begin with. I don't believe in taking in large amounts of crap either. A few diet sodas aren't large amounts of crap. I never said eating clean is hard..... you are somehow misreading my words.

Just don't appreciate people grossly misinterpreting what I say.
 
KrushR

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We'll agree to disagree, then. I thought you said there was nothing wrong with diet sodas, and I disagree with that from the standpoint of keeping a diet simple and clean, and that does not include diet sodas, that's all.

Do you ever indulge in ANYTHING?
That is the statement that didn't seem calm. After I start my logs you'll be able to better gauge me, along with my comments. I know I'm new here, yada yada. Don't take anything personally, but don't disregard my opinions because you haven't seen me post.

Also, remember that a lot of my comments were aimed at the thread in general. If I wanted to speak to only you, I'd take it to PM. Instead of "It's not as hard as you think", I should have used "It's not as hard as one might think", but I didn't realize you would take it so personally.
 
Mass_69

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Maybe yes, but until you have accounted for all the variables your evidence is anecdotal at best.
I thought that was implied. Thanks for pointing it out.

An interesting read but absolutely no references to studies or qualifications.
Well, she is an MD.

Google - You'll find many more articles written by other MDs, RDs, PhDs, neurosurgeons, endocrinologists, etc. I think they may be qualified.

People seem to like to rag on the FDA and other government health agencies despite the fact that they are some of the few outfits who actually do scientific clinical studies according to established protocol.
Outfits of what? Who do you think funds the studies? The FDA? They're usually funded by the company that wants "positive" results. Where are the studies that justify banning ephedra, androstendione, Cholestin (extract from Red Yeast Rice), etc.? There are none. These compounds interfered with the sales of patenable drugs.

I'm not necessarily defending aspartame consumption but if the FDA approves it then it is probably safe for general public in 'reasonable' amounts. There are many beneficial substances that become toxic in large amounts. As usual moderation is the key.

Personally I would not drink 4 diet sodas per day. Maybe 1 per week if I enjoyed them. However the soda epidemic in N.A. is not helping. I doubt the FDA was considering people drinking several litres of the stuff.

On a side note I find it amusing that some people will denounce FDA approved foods yet jump on the latest fad supplement, prohormone, or designer steroid that have not been given approval or subjected to large scale scientific scrutiny.
I can agree with these statements. :thumbsup: I used to go through ~2 quarts of Crystal Light a day...
 

madghost31

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30 pounds in 60 days is very unrealistic. you may be able to lose 15, if you are consistent and disciplined. i would cut diet soda, drink mostly water, at least 2 liters a day. eat 5 or 6 meals a day, very small, low calorie to keep your metablism going all day. do cardio at least 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week. cut sugar and salt out of your diet.
 

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