Losing 80 pounds before Christmas: Is it possible?

Phoenix15

Golden Member
Aug 9, 2001
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81
I need to lose weight. Right now I'm about 280, I need to get down to about 200. I am planning on starting immediately. I have already cut out all soda's, and I am about to start a 3 day a week exercise routine. I need to know what exercises would help me the most. I have access to a stationary bike, free weights and running. I seem to carry most of my weight in my stomach, so I need to concentrate on that a lot. Are there any supplements that I should look into? I dont mind exercises, I am just usually so run down and have zero energy. If anyone knows of anything that will help me in any way, I would really appreciate it.
 

Migroo

Diamond Member
Jul 14, 2001
4,488
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81
I find that I eat before bedtime which is bad... Dont, or it'll digest badly and you wont use the energy.

Excercise is good. Just eat sensibly :)
 

Phoenix15

Golden Member
Aug 9, 2001
1,587
3
81
Yeah I had that problem too. I now try to not eat after 7 PM. I dont eat all that much, I just tend to eat the wrong thing.(fast food, junk food etc..) HTere is a new Subway opening in my neighborhood though. :D
 

Spac3d

Banned
Jul 3, 2001
6,651
1
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I would stop eating fast food altogether. That, paired with a lack of soda's, should really help your diet out a lot. It will force you to think about what you are eating and planning ahead of time of how much input (calories) you are really having. Start out at 3x a week for cardio either on the bike or running... once you feel comfortable, I would up it to 5x a week. It can be as little as 30 minutes a day ... if that is all that is needed to make you sweat really well.

80 pounds will be quite a feat to to before Christmas, but it can be done ... 12 pounds a month or 3 pounds a week... I could see it if you are well disciplined, if not, try to find soemone else who wants to lose weight with you so you can depend on each other for motivation.

Good luck!
 

Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
34,545
1,707
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Yes it is. I lost 85 pounds in 5 months.

How?

I went pure, 100% Vegan. Combine that with some exercise, and give up soda and you should come close to, if not beat, your goal.

I'm dead serious, by the way.
 

Spac3d

Banned
Jul 3, 2001
6,651
1
0
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Yes it is. I lost 85 pounds in 5 months.

How?

I went pure, 100% Vegan. Combine that with some exercise, and give up soda and you should come close to, if not beat, your goal.

I'm dead serious, by the way.

:QHow did you get your protein? Soy products? Sounds like you had some determination... good for you:)
 

Phoenix15

Golden Member
Aug 9, 2001
1,587
3
81
I have thought about doing that several times. I think I could do it, it's just that I live with a house full of ravenous carnivores.
 

TheGameIs21

Golden Member
Apr 23, 2001
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In regards to your "is it possible" question... Yes.

My advise is to not mess with a scale to measure your weight/health. Measure yourself in the mirror and with a tape measure. Decide what body shape you want and attain it with weight training and cardio workouts.

The equation that so many don't understand about getting in shape (losing weight) is so simple it's rediculous. You remember this equation and live by it till December and you can control how much you lose (within reason).

Ready?

Weight gain = Caloric intake + Low activity level to burn said calories

Weight loss = Caloric intake + High activity level to burn said calories and fat stores

Have you ever seen what professional bicyclists eat the day before and the morning of competitions? They eat more calories (mostly in carbs) in one sitting than I do in 2 days. The thing is, their bodies use all of the calories they take in for energy and it has no chance to convert to fat. They are some of most in shape people I know.

If you burn more than you take in, you will lose weight. It really is THAT SIMPLE. If you eat a Snickers Bar (which is 280 Calories) and do exercise to burn 300 calories... YOU WONT GAIN WEIGHT FROM THIS PRODUCT!!! The flip side is if you eat (round #'s) 2,000 calories a day and burn 2,000 calories a day... You wont lose weight. You will have to burn what you take in (2,000 calories) + some of the fat reserves in your body to lose weight.

Now, there are aother things to consider too. Fat content of food etc. I don't include that since I am assuming you are serious about getting into shape and you will avoid Twinkies, Snickers, fatty foods (fast food) etc... There are some RARE cases where medical contions will prevent you from losing weight but you will know if you have one of those conditions because you will weigh in excess of 500 lbs and be bed ridden.

There are 2 things you can do to fail:
The number 1 thing is not change your eating habit to include healthy foods in your exercise routine. Cut all fast food, stop smothering your veggies in butter and/or cheese, and cut high calorie drinks (soda's, fruit juice from concentrate etc...) Stick with water and you'll be WAY AHEAD of the game. 1) your body uses calories to process water and water has ZERO calories. 2) Without getting into the science of it... water acts as a "syphone" for getting fat out of your body before most of it digests and gets stored in your extra tire. 3) Water is also a key element in curbing your "hunger" trigger. Many people feel the stomaches ache for hydration and think they need food when it is simply your body saying "I need more water".

Number 2 is to rely on supplements. Be it powder drinks from a health food store or the newest weightloss supplement that you pay too much for and it does nothing to help you keep weight off after you stop paying too much for these pills.

Now that I have said all this and some are wondering who the hell is this guy. I started at 350 lbs in November of 2001. I am now at 280 (I'm 6'4 and my body is an XL frame so I am happy with my current results). I created my own diet and exersize plan that I am in the process of developing a website for. I called it the G.O.Y.A. diet. Get Off Your A$$. I am not going to try to sell anything and I am not going to try to get you to try any supplements. It will be there as a guide for others to use. I will post the URL once it is done.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,118
18,646
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Originally posted by: Phoenix15
I need to lose weight. Right now I'm about 280, I need to get down to about 200. I am planning on starting immediately. I have already cut out all soda's, and I am about to start a 3 day a week exercise routine. I need to know what exercises would help me the most. I have access to a stationary bike, free weights and running. I seem to carry most of my weight in my stomach, so I need to concentrate on that a lot. Are there any supplements that I should look into? I dont mind exercises, I am just usually so run down and have zero energy. If anyone knows of anything that will help me in any way, I would really appreciate it.

The key here is that spot reduction is a myth. Just concentrate on fat loss, and the stomach will disappear. There is nothing you can do to make the fat around your waist disappear faster than the fat on other parts of your body.

Wanna do this right? How are your organizational skills?

For one week, continue your current diet, only write down everything you eat when you eat it. Figure out the calories, carbs, protein and fat (bad and good) of each of the foods and then figure out what your daily average is. (Add in how many sodas you used to have as well.)

Now when you create your new, cleaner and healthier diet, you can adjust it so you get an average of 20% fewer calories a day spread out over five roughly equal meals a day.

But your main focus should be on exercise. Three days is a good start, but plan to make it four days minimum if you want to meet your goal. You'll need a bare minimum of 30 minutes of cardio, four times a week at the high end of your target heart rate. You should also add in three to four days of high intensity weight training. You need to build and maintain muscle mass when losing so much weight. Also, muscle burns calories, even when you're not exercising.

How are your knees? If your knees are in good shape, try this running program for new runners. Adjust it to 4 days, and 40 minutes per session instead of three days and 20 minutes per session. A lot of that weight will melt off in the two months it takes to complete.

If the knees bother you, an eliptical trainer is a great way to go. But monitor your heart rate and keep it at or above the high end of your target... or it wont do anything for you as quickly as you want it to.

The only suppliment you really need is a good multivitamin. Also some L-glutamine (an amino acid) would help with muscle recovery. Once you get your diet figured out, a whey protein suppliment might be good too. I suggest Designer Whey products.

Stay away from any stuff with ephedrine in it. It's just speed, and it's hard on the heart.

Finally, forget any and all fad diets. Do NOT starve yourself. This can be done without ever feeling hungry. In fact, if you do it right and split your meals into four or five meals a day as you should, you'll actually feel like you're eating too much, and you'll have to force feed yourself at times just to maintain your diet.
 

911paramedic

Diamond Member
Jan 7, 2002
9,448
1
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Like Amused said, you are not able to focus on losing fat in one area more than the rest. Just watch the calories and do lots of aerobic activities to keep your metabolism up, and drink LOTS of water. (it is good for you, and it will fill you up)

Good luck, and try not to weigh yourself every day, do it once a week.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,118
18,646
146
Originally posted by: 911paramedic
Like Amused said, you are not able to focus on losing fat in one area more than the rest. Just watch the calories and do lots of aerobic activities to keep your metabolism up, and drink LOTS of water. (it is good for you, and it will fill you up)

Good luck, and try not to weigh yourself every day, do it once a week.

Good advice. When I lost my gut, I just gave up on weighing myself and focused on inches lost. As you build muscle, it weighs more than fat. So some weeks, you'll lose fat but it will be offset by gains in muscle mass when it comes to weight. So it will seem, if you go only by the scale, that you didn't make any progress. But you did.
 

Shelly21

Diamond Member
May 28, 2002
4,111
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I was going to suggest crack...

but gosh, that's a drastic weight goal. What is the reason? to be healthy? to qualify for your weight class in UFC? :)

 

Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
34,545
1,707
126
Originally posted by: Spac3d
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Yes it is. I lost 85 pounds in 5 months.

How?

I went pure, 100% Vegan. Combine that with some exercise, and give up soda and you should come close to, if not beat, your goal.

I'm dead serious, by the way.

:QHow did you get your protein? Soy products? Sounds like you had some determination... good for you:)

I didn't do it on purpose. I switched to a vegan diet when I moved in with a new roomate. I suppose that I didn't get much protein, but I went from a size 40 to a size 30. It was all unintentional.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,118
18,646
146
Originally posted by: ragazzo
80lbs by christmas? making room for christmas dinner? ;D

:D

That brings up a good point. Don't feel guilty at holiday dinners. A dietary lapse for very special occasions four or five times a year is perfectly fine.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,118
18,646
146
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Originally posted by: Spac3d
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Yes it is. I lost 85 pounds in 5 months.

How?

I went pure, 100% Vegan. Combine that with some exercise, and give up soda and you should come close to, if not beat, your goal.

I'm dead serious, by the way.

:QHow did you get your protein? Soy products? Sounds like you had some determination... good for you:)

I didn't do it on purpose. I switched to a vegan diet when I moved in with a new roomate. I suppose that I didn't get much protein, but I went from a size 40 to a size 30. It was all unintentional.

You have all the luck! I bet next week you'll accidently fsck a supermodel.

;)
 

Phoenix15

Golden Member
Aug 9, 2001
1,587
3
81
Originally posted by: Shelly21
I was going to suggest crack...

but gosh, that's a drastic weight goal. What is the reason? to be healthy? to qualify for your weight class in UFC? :)


TO look and feel better. ZMy Fiance is 5', 105 lbs and I'm 6'2 and 285. I feel like a bull in a china shop sometimes.
:confused: I just want to look better and be in better shape.

I am printing out a lot of this to keep around as a reminder. I am definitely interested in the running program. Thanks for all the great tips.
 

Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
34,545
1,707
126
Originally posted by: Amused

You have all the luck! I bet next week you'll accidently fsck a supermodel.

;)

Yeah, I just hope for my sake it's a woman! :Q

:)

I'm 209 right now. 9 pounds below military weight. I'm trying to get to 200 before I join up. I bought a bike to ride around, but I was adjusting the handlebars and broke it somehow. I've been on hold for the tech support for like 20 minutes.

:D


 

Kelemvor

Lifer
May 23, 2002
16,928
8
81
Cutting out soda has a HUGE affect. Guy I worked with and I ate out pretty much every day. When he switched from regular soda to diet soda he dropped like 10 - 20 pounds within a month or so. ANd if we would have actually been eating healthy foods I'm sure it would have gone down more.

As far as working out, the rule is lots of weight for few reps increases muscle and size, less weight for mroe reps reduces fat and size. Personally I'd recommend soem sort of aerobic activity. The Tae Kwon Do school I go to has classes they call Cario-Kickboxing which is basically like Tae Bo. People that do that have also lost weight because it's a sustained activity to get you sweating and such.

Swimming is probably one of the best exercises because you're whole body gets a really godo workout but you haven't to be able to keep it up for at least half an hour or so to get a real benefit. I was in the best shape of my life when I was on the Swim Team in High School. But that's after 2 hour practices every day.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,118
18,646
146
Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
less weight for mroe reps reduces fat and size.

Will this myth ever die? High rep, low intensity weight training does NOT burn fat. All it does is tone muscle and build muscular endurance.

To burn fat, you need to do aerobic exercise at or above your target hgeart rate for 30+ minutes. Anerobic exercise cannot burn fat, because your heart rate does not stay above the target long enough therefore your body never uses fat stores for energy.
 

badluck

Diamond Member
Feb 19, 2001
5,357
0
76

Yep, you can do it. I'm doing it right now (57 pounds lost now). Look for my PM.
 

visgf

Senior member
Dec 19, 1999
631
0
0
My younger sister lost 70 pounds in about 1 1/2 years by following 4 rules:
1. No soda, not even diet (just to stop temptation).
2. No candy/sweets.
3. No potato chips/fatty snackies of the sorts.
4. Walk 4 miles every day.

She did it because her heart murmur became exaggerated with all the weight. Once she lost the weight, her murmur basically corrected itself.

As a future health care professional, losing 1-2 lbs (1kg) per week is the healthiest way to go. This doesn't stress the body too much. Don't try fad diets. If food is your problem, keep a food diary (extremely helpful). With exercise, start slow and work up the intensity as your body allows (no sense in hurting yourself and making exercise more difficult or impossible to do).

Good luck!
 

Blackened

Member
Oct 24, 2000
166
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0
Sure you can, if you have the motivation. Pick up the book "body for life" by Bill Phillips.

here's a few things you will need to do:

-The basis of any successful weight loss diet is restricting calories below maintenance and preventing
chronic insulin elevation. Sugars and starches are notorious for raising insulin levels which promotes
fat storage. Calories are always important no matter what kind of diet you're doing, just google
"basal metabolic rate calculator" to calculate where you should start
-Start a food journal. Write ALL FOODS DOWN, EVERY DAY
-Instead of eating 3 large meals a day, eat 6 smaller ones every 2 - 3 hours. This will keep your body
temperature up, and help with fat loss.
-Do 20-30 minutes of high intensity cardio (running on a treadmill if you can, or cycling hard) 3 to 4 times a week.
Doing this first thing in the morning before breakfast is particularly good at burning fat.
-I don't recommend fat burners such as ephedra, clenbuterol, cytomel, etc...they work but they will cause
long term problems with your thyroid output and CNS.
-Again, eat clean. Eliminate all sugar based foods, despite what people say CARBS ARE OKAY. Just eat
the right kind, such as veggies, brown rice, non-processed stuff such as regular oatmeal (not instant) and
100% whole grain bread.
-You will have more success if you limit carb intake to the first half of the day.
-Some people will recommend the atkins diet, I do not. There is NO NEED to restrict carbs in a large
majority of the population. Also, there is a large rebound effect when resuming normal eating after restricting
carbs.
-If you want to be particularly militant about your diet, eliminate the following: ANYTHING with sugar (as mentioned above),
fruit (contains fructose, a simple sugar), dairy products.
-Here's an easy way to figure out your diet. Eat a protein source, low-Glygemic index carb source, and veggie source
for the majority of your meals. For instance breakfast can be 1/2 cup of egg beaters, 1 whole egg, 1 cup of oats with a
dash of splenda and cinnamon (no sugar!!!), and brocolli.

More as I think of it.
 

Blackened

Member
Oct 24, 2000
166
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I don't recommend weight training exclusively for weight loss - when in combination with high intensity aerobics, it can work...BUT,
to gain muscle mass you need to have a caloric surplus because muscle tissue is generated similarly to fat tissue. This
will obviously interfere with the goal of losing body fat. Weight training and aerobics on non-weight training days will work very well for weight loss without much muscle wasting.