Fitness advice/suggestions

[Concrete Helmet]

227.8 yesterday....Now comes the "really gotta want it" time. I expected a pretty big slow down but I'm not sweating anything yet as I've got another 5 weeks before the goal date of 220#. I've been increasing my caloric intake 2 or 3 days per week to keep my body from "catching on" and fighting further weight loss. At 56# lost I am certain beyond a doubt I've put on a few pounds of muscle which may be countering the number on the scale. I'm back into 36" waist pants and shorts again(34" waist is one of my goals)....I will say though that if I'm being honest even after 56# lost I can see another 15-20# that I would like to lose over the next 3 months or so.

Training is going good and even my shoulders are feeling better after spending the last few weeks doing specific shoulder mobility exercises and stretches. From what I've learned alot of this is from poor posture especially while seated(I slump forward when sitting especially at work and when on my laptop at home) There are dozens of videos on youtube on shoulder impingement if anyone reading this runs into this issue.

 

[stephenPE]

I hit 219 a few times recently. How tall are you Crete. Im almost 6ft. building m uscle does make it confusing cause it does weigh more. I know you are younger so this is a great time to really work at the things you are doing.I could lose weight MUCH easier in my 40s and 50s. Itsa bchhh now.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

I hit 219 a few times recently. How tall are you Crete. Im almost 6ft. building m uscle does make it confusing cause it does weigh more. I know you are younger so this is a great time to really work at the things you are doing.I could lose weight MUCH easier in my 40s and 50s. Itsa bchhh now.

Sorry, I just saw this Coach. I'm 6'3" and as of this morning 224.6#. Upper abs starting to peek through a greatly diminished layer of fat above belly buttom....still fighting some Dunlap disease lower down and in the hips BUT I have been trying on a pair of 34" waist pants and although they throw off a little " Muffin Top" when I button them it is getting closer and closer to being a good fit.

On a related story about age and muscle growth I recently met a friend of my son's father. I could tell he was a few years older than me but looked very fit for his age. We talked for about an hour or so and I told him he must still be very active and looked like he worked out. He told me he had never stopped working out since HS and was a TE when he played college football. He also had open heart surgery and a few years later chemo. If he hadn't lost his hair from chemo/age you would have never known he was 65 years old. He was 6' 4" and still weighed around 215-220#. He said he does more resistance training than cardio(maybe 20-30 minutes 3x a week)and still hits the gym 5X a week.

It certainly made me think if he can look like he did after chemo/open heart surgery and being 6-7 years older than me, I should have no excuses not getting to 210-212# and maintaining or improving my existing muscle mass.

 

[stephenPE]

My docs ,during the exams, basically wrote in the notes that I was in good shape. But my brother cant seem to fix either of my strbasterdss. I was using a recumbent stationary bike for about an hour a day but it aint the same. So now I am jogging and walking in my neighborhood. Trying to build up. And BY GOD the first day I felt much better. My feet hurt some while doing it but I think the more aerobic nature of it is doing me more good.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

My docs ,during the exams, basically wrote in the notes that I was in good shape. But my brother cant seem to fix either of my strbasterdss. I was using a recumbent stationary bike for about an hour a day but it aint the same. So now I am jogging and walking in my neighborhood. Trying to build up. And BY GOD the first day I felt much better. My feet hurt some while doing it but I think the more aerobic nature of it is doing me more good.

I had a recumbent bike several years ago and while it's better than doing nothing I believe a good brisk walk would probably be better. Something about bearing your own weight(safely) as in any standing exercise/activity is going to burn more calories IMO....That said if it's raining or maybe your knees, feet or hips are sore it might be a good alternative.
I have been trying to mix up my cardio as of late by doing a1 hour walk(I'm naturally a fast walker so I get in close to10,000 steps in an hour) and I've also been just treading water in the pool for 30 minutes on some days after my weight workouts instead of doing 25-30 minutes on the Airdyne. I'm really starting to get bored of the Airdyne anyway and find that I tend to slump over in my upper back when staying on it more than 20 minutes or so....It is still very good for doing HIIT sessions for 10-15 minutes though which I try to get in at least 2X times a week.

Interesting fact I heard the other day from someone talking about the benefits of walking vs other forms of cardio exercise. It seems that many thousands of years ago our ancestors were believed to walk between 12,000-17,000 steps a day while foraging and gathering items....I guess it's not so hard to see why our species has gained so much weight over the years .

Wish I could report more weight loss but this last 12-15lbs is being stubborn and I'm stuck between 224-225.5. I may need to go back to doing more whole-body circuit style training like I was doing for the first 4 months of this program. I've kind of unconsciously moved more to a body building type program where I'm doing 3 days of different body parts 2X a week with one day off. I am getting stronger with pretty much every workout BUT I'm also eating probably another 400-600 calories a day due to the bigger appetite these workouts are giving me. Just 2.5 more weeks to get to my goal of 220#....

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Welp target day has arrived....This despite being on vacation 2 weeks ago and tweaking my back a week or so ago(haven't been able to workout very hard or long)......that's 64# in less than 7.5 months so far. I'm thinking of making the next goal at 208-210 by midseason or so..

 

[stephenPE]

Outstanding. Im trying to lose 10 before my surgery and upping my exercise so I can recover quicker. Caught a cramp while doing my walk/jog thing this morning. You must feel great having shed the weight of a 4th grader.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Alright here's a little update for those interested or those who may be considering losing weight/getting fit.
Since the last update I really have not lost much in the way of pounds, I am consistently weighing in between 216-218#. I have made some changes since meeting my 1st goal on my bday back in August though.

Diet- I've added about 600-800 calories a day although I don't count. I'm just going by what I was taking in before and estimate what I've added on a daily basis which is pretty easy since I eat alot of the same things every day. I don't miss "other foods" at all, but I do throw in some junk food even during the week or order out from Chili's or the Outback at least once a week aside from "Cheat Day" which is EVERY Saturday during the CFB football season. I am still using the 11am-7.30pm eating window(modified fast). I've also added a protein shake within an hour after any resistance training.

Cheat Day is a caloric massacre and I give zero f vck's....none.... I may take in as much as 10K calories if I want.....you name it....ribs, wings, double bacon cheeseburgers, jalapeno cheetos, pretzels dipped in a ranch& cottage cheese dip or whatever and at least 1 or 2 cereal bowl sized servings of chocolate ice cream....if you ever notice me missing from the chatbox after about 10.00pm on Saturday night it is because I've succumbed to a massive food coma. This is an in-season thing and will cease once the regular season is over(although I will still pig out during the bowl games a little and of course holidays).

Exercise is going pretty well with a few minor adjustments. One being a reduction in cardio.....I was doing WAAYY too much cardio on a daily/weekly basis. Sometimes 1.5 hours in a day without resistance training and at least 30-45 minutes after weights....not good....muscles felt "flat" and was not gaining any significant strength.... a few more reps of certain exercises but very little in adding weight to exercises.

I'm currently splitting my weight workouts into 3 sessions, Chest & Back-20 minutes moderate cardio on day 1, Legs & Abs, 20 minutes moderate cardio on day 2, Arms & Shoulders 20-30 minutes moderate cardio on day 3, next day is 1 hour cardio, then the cycle repeats. Sounds like a lot but these workouts are moderate intensity and less than 1 hour including cardio...arms and shoulders is only about 15-18 minutes since these body parts get worked with the chest and back also. If I need to take a day off or feel like switching up days for some reason, I don't stress it. Still using supersets almost exclusively but I now take sometimes 20-30 seconds between the opposing exercises to gather a little more strength and about 1 minute between sets.

One thing I cannot stress enough to anyone doing this or any other fitness program or just wanting to feel better in general.....SLEEP MORE. I notice a big difference not only in energy on nights that I sleep more than 6.5-7 hours than the restless nights when I sleep less. I even notice my eyesight is sharper and mood is much better overall. Don't kid yourself like I did for the last 15 years...especially if you're my age or older. You'll start to notice it within weeks. I also noticed that on weeks where I got plenty of sleep I tended to drop weight faster when that was my priority. I still hit 2 or 3 day stretches about every other week where I am restless and don't sleep as well but overall I'm going about 75-80% better then when I began.

 

[TheDouglas78]

congrats on your journey and accomplishments Crete

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Alright here's a little update for those interested or those who may be considering losing weight/getting fit.
Since the last update I really have not lost much in the way of pounds, I am consistently weighing in between 216-218#. I have made some changes since meeting my 1st goal on my bday back in August though.

Diet- I've added about 600-800 calories a day although I don't count. I'm just going by what I was taking in before and estimate what I've added on a daily basis which is pretty easy since I eat alot of the same things every day. I don't miss "other foods" at all, but I do throw in some junk food even during the week or order out from Chili's or the Outback at least once a week aside from "Cheat Day" which is EVERY Saturday during the CFB football season. I am still using the 11am-7.30pm eating window(modified fast). I've also added a protein shake within an hour after any resistance training.

Cheat Day is a caloric massacre and I give zero f vck's....none.... I may take in as much as 10K calories if I want.....you name it....ribs, wings, double bacon cheeseburgers, jalapeno cheetos, pretzels dipped in a ranch& cottage cheese dip or whatever and at least 1 or 2 cereal bowl sized servings of chocolate ice cream....if you ever notice me missing from the chatbox after about 10.00pm on Saturday night it is because I've succumbed to a massive food coma. This is an in-season thing and will cease once the regular season is over(although I will still pig out during the bowl games a little and of course holidays).

Exercise is going pretty well with a few minor adjustments. One being a reduction in cardio.....I was doing WAAYY too much cardio on a daily/weekly basis. Sometimes 1.5 hours in a day without resistance training and at least 30-45 minutes after weights....not good....muscles felt "flat" and was not gaining any significant strength.... a few more reps of certain exercises but very little in adding weight to exercises.

I'm currently splitting my weight workouts into 3 sessions, Chest & Back-20 minutes moderate cardio on day 1, Legs & Abs, 20 minutes moderate cardio on day 2, Arms & Shoulders 20-30 minutes moderate cardio on day 3, next day is 1 hour cardio, then the cycle repeats. Sounds like a lot but these workouts are moderate intensity and less than 1 hour including cardio...arms and shoulders is only about 15-18 minutes since these body parts get worked with the chest and back also. If I need to take a day off or feel like switching up days for some reason, I don't stress it. Still using supersets almost exclusively but I now take sometimes 20-30 seconds between the opposing exercises to gather a little more strength and about 1 minute between sets.

One thing I cannot stress enough to anyone doing this or any other fitness program or just wanting to feel better in general.....SLEEP MORE. I notice a big difference not only in energy on nights that I sleep more than 6.5-7 hours than the restless nights when I sleep less. I even notice my eyesight is sharper and mood is much better overall. Don't kid yourself like I did for the last 15 years...especially if you're my age or older. You'll start to notice it within weeks. I also noticed that on weeks where I got plenty of sleep I tended to drop weight faster when that was my priority. I still hit 2 or 3 day stretches about every other week where I am restless and don't sleep as well but overall I'm going about 75-80% better then when I began.

Quick question: what time of day do you work out?

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Quick question: what time of day do you work out?

Glad you ask. I was just about to do a little update/input on this thread regarding this topic.

Back when my priority was to lose as much weight as fast as safely possible, I put more emphasis on working out in the morning on a empty stomach. There are those that will debate this I'm sure but I can tell you with certainty from having not only done this from January-August of this year but also nearly 20 years ago when I did a 12 week fitness competition contest.....Hands down you will lose MORE FAT/WEIGHT by doing it in a fasted state....especially cardio.

What you won't get is any stronger or only minimal at best.....The male body is most suited for resistance exercise between the hours of 2-6pm.... and if you're an older bast@rd like me it is much easier on your joints.

So to answer your question I still slip in a little cardio on some morings(maybe once a week now) but for the most part I workout in the afternoon normally between 4-5.30pmish. I do resistance training as described and usually do 15-25 minutes of cardio(moderate intensity)right afterward. On days I don't do resistance training I usually do about an hour of moderate intensity cardio and or some form of vigorous yardword or a combination of both.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Glad you ask. I was just about to do a little update/input on this thread regarding this topic.

Back when my priority was to lose as much weight as fast as safely possible, I put more emphasis on working out in the morning on a empty stomach. There are those that will debate this I'm sure but I can tell you with certainty from having not only done this from January-August of this year but also nearly 20 years ago when I did a 12 week fitness competition contest.....Hands down you will lose MORE FAT/WEIGHT by doing it in a fasted state....especially cardio.

What you won't get is any stronger or only minimal at best.....The male body is most suited for resistance exercise between the hours of 2-6pm.... and if you're an older bast@rd like me it is much easier on your joints.

So to answer your question I still slip in a little cardio on some morings(maybe once a week now) but for the most part I workout in the afternoon normally between 4-5.30pmish. I do resistance training as described and usually do 15-25 minutes of cardio(moderate intensity)right afterward. On days I don't do resistance training I usually do about an hour of moderate intensity cardio and or some form of vigorous yardword or a combination of both.

I only asked because it seemed like your goal was losing overall weight. And yes, before breakfast workouts will burn more fat than after having eaten. A little caffeine will help jump start the process as well. (But black coffee/tea only.) As for your diet, especially your cheat days, you might want to re-examine that if losing weight is that important to you. (FTR - I am no fitness god and need to improve my own eating habits, particularly with regards to carbs, and prolly drop 10-15 lbs.)

 

[LaylaGator]

I've always heard that doing some quick cardio BEFORE the weight training burns more calories overall because of the elevated heartrate while you lift/resist. But over the years, I've learned personal preference is the biggest key. Because finding what works for you is what will help you stick with it long term.

 

[TheDouglas78]

I workout before I drink coffee or eat breakfast, but that just works for me. Now changing how I work out the last 2 years has improved my overall health along with some dietary changes.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

I only asked because it seemed like your goal was losing overall weight. And yes, before breakfast workouts will burn more fat than after having eaten. A little caffeine will help jump start the process as well. (But black coffee/tea only.) As for your diet, especially your cheat days, you might want to re-examine that if losing weight is that important to you. (FTR - I am no fitness god and need to improve my own eating habits, particularly with regards to carbs, and prolly drop 10-15 lbs.)

Thanks. Cheat Day goes away after the regular season. I don't/won't need it as some folks might because I cheat a little several times a week(not to that extent) and am maintaining a steady weight of 215-218# during the week for over 2 months now. I still have 2 beers almost everyday and still blend Ranch into my salad dressings and such.....and a handful of Cheetos before the daily fasting begins(7.30PM-11.30AM).

As far as losing weight goes I still have probably 10-15# of "fat I would like to lose......BUT I'm not willing at thi point to sacrifice body composition to get there. which I felt I was doing after the initial 60-65# "weight loss". Since I've added in the extra calories I've made noticeable gains in my Legs, Arms, chest, back and shoulders. My stamina is off the roof and I'm adding small incremental weights to all of my excercises....while maintaining my bodyweight.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Thanks. Cheat Day goes away after the regular season. I don't/won't need it as some folks might because I cheat a little several times a week(not to that extent) and am maintaining a steady weight of 215-218# during the week for over 2 months now. I still have 2 beers almost everyday and still blend Ranch into my salad dressings and such.....and a handful of Cheetos before the daily fasting begins(7.30PM-11.30AM).

As far as losing weight goes I still have probably 10-15# of "fat I would like to lose......BUT I'm not willing at thi point to sacrifice body composition to get there. which I felt I was doing after the initial 60-65# "weight loss". Since I've added in the extra calories I've made noticeable gains in my Legs, Arms, chest, back and shoulders. My stamina is off the roof and I'm adding small incremental weights to all of my excercises....while maintaining my bodyweight.

Considering that you’ve made noticeable gains in muscle, I imagine a lot of the extra pounds you had wanted to lose have changed to “good weight.” Also, congrats on losing 60-65 lbs. You should be very proud of that.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

I've always heard that doing some quick cardio BEFORE the weight training burns more calories overall because of the elevated heartrate while you lift/resist. But over the years, I've learned personal preference is the biggest key. Because finding what works for you is what will help you stick with it long term.

X1000....If you hate what you do you ain't gonna keep doing it. In my case I do 5 minutes on the exercise bike before working out with resistance and usually some jumping jacks as I start. I save the cardio for after because I actually enjoy cardio quite a bit and it make me stay on task during the resistance training....like a reward or something....must be endorphins or some sh!t like that....plus it makes those 2 beers feel like 4 or 5 when I'm done

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Since it's January I wanted to bump this and see if anyone set any goals for the new year. I'm still hanging between 218-220. I am still eating substantially more calories(mostly good though)than I did until I hit last years goal in august. On a down note I never did get down to the 210ish mark I mentioned by the end of last season but on the other hand I've certainly put on some muscle or at least rejuvenated some that I had gained at a younger age.

No real big gains in strength to speak of as I'm still using pretty light weights and higher reps/volume with very short rest intervals. Lots of basic movements like squats, push ups, lat pulldowns and bent over rows, supersetted with opposing body parts.

I've reduced the amount of cardio to 3 days between 30-45 minutes on non weight days and 10-20 on days I weight train. The readout on my Airdyne went out a few weeks ago so I can't track performance/calories and such anymore....bummer because that stuff kept me "distracted" making the sessions less boring.

Anyway if anyone needs any inspiration to get started I'll post this story here for them.

MSN

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Update and reality check time...sort of...

I just realized it's March and I haven't lost a damned pound and have been bouncing around between 218-221#. I'm not unhappy with the weight so much as the lack of progress in the mid section of my body. I still feel I've got realistically 12-15# of excess weight in that area that is holding back the gains I'm making in my other areas.

Don't get me wrong these aren't eye popping or staggering but I've definitely added mass to my upper legs, shoulders(despite some lingering achiness) chest/back and even a tiny bit of width to my back.

I really didn't notice any gains in my upper body during last years rapid weight loss and in fact probably wasn't using enough weight/resistance to activate anything more than blood flow and caloric burn. I was also eating FAR fewer calories. Since fall I've been eating more and more calories because quite frankly I felt like I was wasting my time training upper body( little or no strength gains no noticeable size or definition)

I will readily admit I am drinking 2-3 16oz beers pretty much everyday and probably another 300-500 unnecessary calories(small snack pack of flaming hot cheetos and a handful or 2 of pretzels before or after dinner. I'm still using the 16-8 eating protocol and never eat before 11AM and usually last bite goes in before 7-30PM.

What I'm wondering is if it's possible to lose these remaining stubborn 12-15# WHILE adding strength and some size at the same time. Keep in mind I'm approaching the doorstep of 60 later this year. Or should I ditch some of the extra calories and revert back to sissy weights and faster paced full body resistance training? I'd probably rule out additional cardio as I'm still doing around 3 hours of cardio spread out over the week.

Anyone ever experience this or know someone who was able to get both aspects right at the same time?

 

[URGatorBait]

I'm still using the 16-8 eating protocol and never eat before 11AM and usually last bite goes in before 7-30PM.

I do this too.

Keep in mind with all this that it always boils down to calories in vs calories out.
To lose 1 lb per week you need to have a 500 calorie deficit per day. (On average)

Also, muscle is in a range of 18-23% more dense than fat (we'll call it 20%), which means you can be losing fat, gaining muscle, and either not losing weight or losing weight more slowly...gaining weight even.
The definition in the muscle, or lack of, could be because of the work outs you're doing. Some are designed to build mass, others are designed to cut.

Get rid of schit calories (most of the time) but let yourself have a little cheat, something sweet possibly but smarter stuff that is lower calories. Yasso makes decent tasting "snack" desserts, and only 100 calories.

We started doing Hello Fresh meals 4 times a week. Has helped us eat better, waste less, eat things we wouldn't have otherwise, and actually save money doing it because we aren't wasting as much from the grocery store. I do not get their beef meals though, tends to be 80/20 and that doesn't sit well with me

I will readily admit I am drinking 2-3 16oz beers pretty much everyday and probably another 300-500 unnecessary calories(small snack pack of flaming hot cheetos and a handful or 2 of pretzels before or after dinner.

Pretzels aren't that bad in fact I use some peanut butter filled ones as a midday snack sometimes.
The rest of that stuff, you should cut out, most of the time. That said, once a week, let yourself have a little bit of trash food, but very moderate. That way you don't want to binge on it if you go months without it.




I also get these from Sam's. Taste good and good meal replacement, low calories, good protein and filling. Just don't drink them all the time lol I have one a day...sometimes 2 if I'm literally eating nothing else (busy)