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Need Guidance

McLovin

McLovin

Golden Member
So I'm fat and have been that way since high school (13+ years).

I'm not happy about it and it's destroyed any semblance of self confidence I should have. Last time I went to the Doc, I was told other than one thing being a little high (I can't remember what that 1 thing was, sorry! :-X), I was healthy. I am 6'4" and weigh about 385 lbs last time I checked.

I want and need to change.

I had right knee surgery in high from a torn MCL/Dislocated & cracked knee cap. My left index finger was also repaired, but other than that no other surgeries. My back is killing me from all of the weight I'm carrying around.

I usually have 2 x oatmeal, a 12-14oz glass of Cranberry Juice, a multivitamin and 3 x Fish oil pills.

Lunch is 2 chicken breasts with garlic, a small side salad with dressing (it's called house and I don't know whats in it. I dip my fork in it and then grab lettuce instead of pouring it on the salad), and 2 pieces of toast.

Those are my consistent 5 day a week meals. Dinner is usually never the same and the weekends set me up for failure.

I live in a little guest house and it does not have a stove, so I am forced to use a small convetion oven, electric skillet, or a hot plate (my cooking options get limited by this and I usually eat out because of it).

Anyway, I could ramble on forever about this but I am just looking for some help/advice. I've tried many different things with varying levels of success but I never stick with anything because I hate doing shit all by myself and get no support.
 
I can't click your links here at work. Can you quickly just list your daily caloric intake, and your macros? (protein, carbs, fats).

Also, it sounds like you may binge eat on the weekends, which probably ruins your diet every single week. It's a real challenge that you don't have an oven... however, you can use a crockpot. I use a crockpot for 80% of my meals, and I use the stove for other meals that require it. But, you could make 100% of the meals that required heating up in the crockpot.

Lastly, I see no mention of exercise. While diet is about 70% of the recipe to weightloss & other physique related things, the gym is still crucial. You should begin a strength training program ASAP. Even if you can't join a gym for whatever reason, you can still do things at home. Dumbbells... Resistance bands... Kettlebells, etc are all items you can use.

There is actually a thread recently where a guy basically had a total body transformation. Went from a high of around 220 (I think?) to a lean and mean 145. It's inspired me a lot and I'm currently using his approach (with his support, I may add) to help me reach my goals (which is ~10% body fat, and upping all my core lifts by significant amounts).
 
First off, congrats on deciding to make a change. Read the fat loss sticky!

Second, this isn't going to be easy or quick. But, it will be worth it!

Cooking seems to be a point of contention you are struggling with due to lack of stove / oven. A crock pot and a George Foreman grill go a long way. A real grill helps too. If you dedicate some time on a Sunday to firing up a gas grill and grilling like 4 or 5 chicken breasts, you can easily just heat them up during the week.

Juice is usually pretty high in calories, so if you must drink it and can stand it, do half and half with water. I actually can't drink straight OJ anymore.
 
z1ggy said:
I can't click your links here at work. Can you quickly just list your daily caloric intake, and your macros? (protein, carbs, fats).
Click to expand...

I'd say close to 2000 at day and I'm honestly not sure what my macros would but I'd say you're safe in assuming that it's probably not where it should be.

z1ggy said:
Also, it sounds like you may binge eat on the weekends, which probably ruins your diet every single week. It's a real challenge that you don't have an oven... however, you can use a crockpot. I use a crockpot for 80% of my meals, and I use the stove for other meals that require it. But, you could make 100% of the meals that required heating up in the crockpot.
Click to expand...

Yup that's exactly it. Do you have any recommendations for recipes for crock pot cooking? I would love to get into that more.

[
z1ggy said:
Lastly, I see no mention of exercise. While diet is about 70% of the recipe to weightloss & other physique related things, the gym is still crucial. You should begin a strength training program ASAP. Even if you can't join a gym for whatever reason, you can still do things at home. Dumbbells... Resistance bands... Kettlebells, etc are all items you can use.

There is actually a thread recently where a guy basically had a total body transformation. Went from a high of around 220 (I think?) to a lean and mean 145. It's inspired me a lot and I'm currently using his approach (with his support, I may add) to help me reach my goals (which is ~10% body fat, and upping all my core lifts by significant amounts).
Click to expand...

I have memberships to 2 gyms (long story) and I do go on occasion but having no self esteem, I lose confidence when I try to do things and can't push myself as hard as I want that makes me feel like I'm doing something. I realize that is total me problem, but I think that's my biggest barrier as to why I don't go consistently.

At one point last year I was working with a trainer and I did lose a good chunk of weight, which was nice because I felt like I had encouragement and someone to push me through the days I didn't want to be there. BUt I realized that the trainers, and this isn't true for 100% of trainers, could give a shit less about me personally and worried more about getting every dollar from me that I could.




smackababy said:
First off, congrats on deciding to make a change. Read the fat loss sticky!

Second, this isn't going to be easy or quick. But, it will be worth it!
Click to expand...

Thank you. Every day I'm reminded how bad it is for me to be as big as I am and that I can overcome this challenge, but I know i have to make the choice to do it. Nothing worth doing in life is easy. I just gotta keep myself pumped up!

smackababy said:
Cooking seems to be a point of contention you are struggling with due to lack of stove / oven. A crock pot and a George Foreman grill go a long way. A real grill helps too. If you dedicate some time on a Sunday to firing up a gas grill and grilling like 4 or 5 chicken breasts, you can easily just heat them up during the week.
Click to expand...

If you also have any cooking recipe recommendations, I would love to see them!

smackababy said:
Juice is usually pretty high in calories, so if you must drink it and can stand it, do half and half with water. I actually can't drink straight OJ anymore.
Click to expand...


I typically drink Ocean Spray 100% Cranberry juice:

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 8 oz.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 140 Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Potassium 50mg 1%
Sodium 35mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 12%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 36g
Protein 0g
VitaminA0% VitaminC100%
Calcium0% Iron0%


I have found 100% Cranberry Juice from Trader Joes that I bought but man that stuff is bitter lol

Calories in Trader Joes Cranberry Juice 100% No Sugar Added

Nutrition Facts
Trader Joes - Cranberry Juice 100% No Sugar Added
Servings:
Calories 70 Sodium 20 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 160 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 16 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 10 g
Trans 0 g Protein 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Vitamin A 0% Calcium 0%
Vitamin C 0% Iron 0%

I have one bottle of ocean spray left and I was going to finish that off and start in on using the 100% juice, but I may half anhalf that with water just so it doesn't taste so bad lol
 
The Ocean Spray is pretty bad. 140 calories per 8oz serving is more than soda! Diluting them with water, not only makes the bottles last longer (save money!), but cuts the calories in half. But, that brings up a good point: avoid drinking your calories as best as possible.
 
Glad you have decided to make a life change.

You should start lifting light weights at one of your two (lol) gyms. Fuck cardio, just start out lifting light. Why is this important? Because muscle will burn that fat (calories) while you're sleeping. In the course of a week (once you get some muscle), that will be burning more calories than cardio could ever hope to do. I would recommend light benchpress and squat or deadlift if you can. Don't go heavy since your bodyweight alone will be enough at first.

In conjunction with the proper mealplan, you should start to see some results. If you want to add cardio, then do some light walking before your workout to get your body temperature up + joints ready. Ideally and eventually, you want to be doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for cardio but you can add that later. Baby steps for now.
 
SP33Demon said:
Glad you have decided to make a life change.

You should start lifting light weights at one of your two (lol) gyms. Fuck cardio, just start out lifting light. Why is this important? Because muscle will burn that fat (calories) while you're sleeping. In the course of a week (once you get some muscle), that will be burning more calories than cardio could ever hope to do. I would recommend light benchpress and squat or deadlift if you can. Don't go heavy since your bodyweight alone will be enough at first.

In conjunction with the proper mealplan, you should start to see some results. If you want to add cardio, then do some light walking before your workout to get your body temperature up + joints ready. Ideally and eventually, you want to be doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for cardio but you can add that later. Baby steps for now.
Click to expand...

Thank you.

Ok so if you're recommending a work out plan, what kind of sets should I look at doing and what should I look at adding as time goes on?

If you don't mind me asking, how you explain this to person who has never once step foot in a gym nor knows what a benchpress/squat is? Not saying this is me of course, but I would love to be given the proper direction as I don't like to do things half ass because of my own stupidity/lack of knowledge.

How long would you recommend on the treadmill or would distance be better?
 
McLovin said:
Thank you.

Ok so if you're recommending a work out plan, what kind of sets should I look at doing and what should I look at adding as time goes on?

If you don't mind me asking, how you explain this to person who has never once step foot in a gym nor knows what a benchpress/squat is? Not saying this is me of course, but I would love to be given the proper direction as I don't like to do things half ass because of my own stupidity/lack of knowledge.

How long would you recommend on the treadmill or would distance be better?
Click to expand...

I would just do 3 sets of 8 to build muscle. As time goes on, go up to 10 reps.

I'd break it out to only 3 days a week.
Day 1 (Mine is Tuesday) - Squat (dumbbells or barbells - whatever you have access to) and then accessory movements like lunges, leg curls, leg extensions.
Rest Day
Day 2 - Bench and overhead press day (dumbbells or barbells - whatever you have access to) + accessory movements like chinups (if they have assisted), seated rows, pushups (if you can). You can do these with
Rest Day
Day 3 - Deadlift (barbell is ideal) and accessory movements like back extensions.
Rest Day
Rest Day

Repeat for 7 days of the week. On rest days, just go for a walk if you can with a friend/family member; a recent study showed that you actually get more out of the walk if it's with a friend and it'll help clear your head. Use the treadmill for 5-10mins to warm up your core body temperature on workout days.

With a tight meal plan and simply working out 3 days a week, you should see a transformation!
 
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He mentioned it's been 13+ years since high school, so I assumed just over 31 (18 + 13).

The simple fact that you recognize where you are puts you way ahead of a LOT of other people. Please try and stay positive. Setbacks and losing focus will happen, but the most important thing is to get back on track! You say that you had good results when you used a personal trainer for a few months. If you can manage to keep up the routine that you were doing with him, then you won't need him. Yes, you used the trainer for guidance and motivation. If you can learn what to do and when to do it, then it is totally up to you whether you want to pay someone else to motivate you or if you want to motivate yourself. Here is an idea: post an ad in the 'strictly platonic' section of CraigsList and see if you can't find a workout buddy. Since you belong to two gyms, see if you can find a workout partner at one of them. Having a partner seems to motivate a lot of people. If you can't motivate yourself and you can't find a partner / buddy to motivate you, then go ahead and pay a trainer to motivate you! Who cares?!? The important thing is that you are making progress!

Can I ask what happened to the gains that you made with the trainer? Did you maintain where you were at, or did you 'revert' to where you were before? Maintaining the gains you make can be a challenge. And, losing weight can get harder as you get older. It really is all up to you how well you do and how well you maintain. Have you considered counseling or a group like Overeaters Anonymous? You'll have to work our some esteem problems, eliminate some things that cause you to sabotage your gains, identify root / trigger issues, etc... A counselor and/or OA aren't for everyone, but perhaps you should try one or both? Even if they are just for support to keep your motivation up, they certainly could very well be worth it.

As a runner (who does a bunch of other things too), I disagree with a bunch of what speeddemon said. But, I do realize that we are all different. So, what I'll say is: Find what works best for you. Now, I gotta say that since speeddemon suggested going out for a walk on your rest days I like his plan a whole lot more. I suggest a goal of 3miles per day. I realize that isn't really a realistic goal when you are just starting out and weighing in around 385lbs. So, I'll suggest, since you like what speeddemon suggests use what he suggested and have a goal of working up to 3 miles each 'rest' day. I realize that will likely take you about an hour (3MPH = 20 min per mile) but after a while you should start shaving some time off (getting to 4MPH / 15 min per mile would be AWESOME). At 6'4", I'm assuming that you have a long stride.

If that cranberry juice is 140 cals per 8oz and you are drinking 12-14oz (which is what you've said), then that is over 200cals in that one glass! You really need to decide if that glass is worth over 1/10th of your total calories for the entire day! I'd suggest drinking water and eating some turkey pepperoni instead (I think 9 slices is 210cals). I drink a ton of water everyday and like it has already been said in this thread, I find that I have to water down most any other drink or it tastes too sweet.

A simple crock pot recipe: Drop in chicken cutlets + pour in salsa. Stir. Come back in a few hours and enjoy! As you do this more and more, you should decide to switch from salsa to a can of chopped tomatoes and some hot sauce. Eventually, go to fresh tomatoes and fresh peppers.
 
I'm terrible for not coming back to check on this, sorry guys!

Yes Right now I am 31.

The gains I made with the trainer were lost as soon as I stopped going. I told myself I'd keep myself in check but that obviously didn't work.

Have you considered counseling or a group like Overeaters Anonymous? You'll have to work our some esteem problems, eliminate some things that cause you to sabotage your gains, identify root / trigger issues, etc... A counselor and/or OA aren't for everyone, but perhaps you should try one or both? Even if they are just for support to keep your motivation up, they certainly could very well be worth it.
Click to expand...

That's honestly my biggest need more than anything else. I've had such a lack of confidence in myself throughout my life that is the biggest cause of my self esteem issues.

I live in BFE and really don't have access to a lot of things in terms of mental health. I need to put more effort in finding a counselor, but honestly I feel like that's what I should have friends for and it's the same reason I stopped seeing the trainer. Why do I need to pay for someone to tell me I need help or to be around me?

I have tow beautiful little Dachshund girls that I love and have been meaning to take them out for walks more and I found a "route" around my neighborhood that's 1.2 miles and has varying elevation changes. I figured if I walked this in the morning and a night with the girls it should be doable.

I want/need to do this. I just need to stick with it.

Thanks for your help guys.
 
What would you guys say to this?

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/randy29.htm

BodyBuilding.com said:
The following training routine is typical or basic and not designed for specialized training. Other specialized routines that can be used are listed in my Reverse Pyramid Training book. Selecting a routine should best fit your experience, level of fitness, goal(s) and allotted time (weekly schedule).

If you are a beginner the routine below is ideal for you. DO NOT imitate routines of advanced bodybuilders! You'll only grow LESS in MORE time! Combined with performance nutrition, smart and hard training and sufficient rest a "lean tissue" gain of 24-36 pounds is realistic in the first two years of consistent training.

Training Frequency: 3 days
Training Days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Routine Duration: 3 to 6 months
Sets Per Exercise: 2 to 3 sets
Rest Between Sets: Up to 2 minutes
Approximate "lean tissue" gain in 6 months: 12 to 18 pounds

For fat loss & muscle maintenance: Perform your cardiovascular exercise after weight training for 20 minutes.

For muscle gain only: Abstain from performing any cardiovascular exercise.

Full Body Workout:
Crunches CrunchesCrunches
3 sets of 12-15

Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip
2 sets of 8-12

Dumbbell Flyes
2 sets of 8-12

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
2 sets of 8-12

Seated Cable Rows
2 sets of 8-12

Dumbbell Shoulder Press
3 sets of 8-12

Barbell Curl Barbell CurlBarbell Curl
3 sets of 8-12

Triceps Pushdown
3 sets of 8-12

Barbell Full Squat Barbell
2 sets of 8-12

Leg Extensions Leg Extensions
2 sets of 8-12

Lying Leg Curls Lying Leg
3 sets of 12-15

Standing Calf Raises Standing Calf Raises
3 sets of 12-15
Click to expand...
 
I really dislike full body routines, unless you're using some kind of "extra" recovery tool. Especially, if you're training with heavy weights.
 
Lots of volume for a beginner...

Full Body Workout Minus Somewhat Useless Stuff:

Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip
2 sets of 8-12

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
2 sets of 8-12

Seated Cable Rows
2 sets of 8-12

Dumbbell Shoulder Press
3 sets of 8-12

Barbell Full Squat Barbell
2 sets of 8-12


Deadlifts

Somewhere in there like once a week

---------------------------------------------------

My recommendation:

StrongLifts is pretty easy to use with its apps and spreadsheets and videos and has just the big compounds:

http://stronglifts.com/5x5/
 
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I'm gonna be a little different than most here. I have back problems( sciatic) and I would not break out into a full bb program yet. I have always worked out alone, gyms were always distracting to me so I have a full cage system in my garage with 500lbs of Olympic weights, heavy bag, dip/pull up staion, etc... I would first start with that diet... Check in to the CKD diet or a diabetic diet to get your calories in check. Only allow 1 cheat meal, say Friday night, as a reward for the work . You can add more to this as your goals are met. For exercise I would just walk fo a while. Increase duration as you get used to it, add hills in the neighborhood for milestones. Try it first thing in morning then maybe in the evening. Then later and in some compound only exercises for core strength. Don't get into isolations, waste of time. Motivation? Set your sites on something a few months out, make intervals out of it. And Rage Against the Machine is best music to push you through your work outs. If your knee can take it jump rope is the best damn cardio period. Never see a fat boxer. And its a bitch to get the hang of it at first. Good luck PM if you need anything.
 
All great suggestions fellas, thank you!

I do want to mention that I did have arthroscopic surgery done on my right knee in high school (Tore my MCL and Dislocated/Cracked my knee cap). I'm not sure if that would make a big difference in the workouts you guys recommended, but I at least want to make sure you knew about it.
 
McLovin said:
All great suggestions fellas, thank you!

I do want to mention that I did have arthroscopic surgery done on my right knee in high school (Tore my MCL and Dislocated/Cracked my knee cap). I'm not sure if that would make a big difference in the workouts you guys recommended, but I at least want to make sure you knew about it.
Click to expand...

Does it hurt to squat or pick things off the floor? Does it hurt to deadliest once you start light any get to grips with the movement?

I'd go light on the squats and deadlifts and build up like 2.5kg per week or so.

Koing
 
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