Arkk's Weight Loss Thread

[Fungul]

Originally Posted by PerritoBites

I change my diet very often. Last week I started eating at least 1 salad a day (olive oil, vinegar, and lime as dressing) with either tuna, chicken breast or eggs as protein.

For the second meal it varies a lot... Usually half a cup of rice, with some meat and veggies. I usually split that meal in two so I don't get hungry later on. I eat strawberries as snacks throught the day and sometimes fat free yogurt.

Bfast is either - Banana shake, cereal or eggs with veggies.

Before this I didn't really have a set diet... it was pretty bad... But then again... I usually have 2 months of bad diet, then 2 months of good diet :/

How about also having a good diet with cheat meals (bad diet)?

Breakfast: What's in the shake? What kind of veggies? My typical breakfast is:

2 eggs
1 egg white
1 cup of spinach
chopped red pepper

1 cup of oatmeal
1 cup of 1% milk
1 tbsp of peanut butter
Some honey, cinnamon, and raisins

1 cup of coffee

Snack #1: Strawberries are good but don't really work as a snack (aka small meal). Do you like almonds or walnuts? What about apples? Try having a banana or apple with some natural peanut butter. Also a handful of almods goes a long ways. LIsted below are good snacks

almonds (and/or other nuts)
yogurt
string cheese
beef jerky
fruit
peanut butter
cottage cheese
hardboiled eggs
dried fruits (raisins, apricots, etc.)

Lunch: Sounds good. Chicken, Fish, Shrimp, or Turkey with some rice and veggies makes an excellent lunch. Try having the salad with lunch. You definitely got the ingredients right.

Snack #2: Use a variation from my 1st suggestion. I often eat carrots or something like that for a 2nd snack.

Dinner: Be careful here. This is where people tend to get crazy. If you can make your own food go here for recipes. If you eat out try to look for the same stuff you would eat for lunch.

Snack #3: Yes you should eat something after dinner and before you go to bed. Yes I know everyone says "OH DON'T EAT BEFORE BED YOU'LL GAIN WEIGHT." There's truth in that but not entirely. You want to eat some slow digestion proteins while you sleep. No carbs! I have a smoothie every night before bed:

2 tbsp of peanut butter
3 tbsp of cottage cheese
1 scoop of casein whey (We can talk more about this later)
Cinnamon
Ice and Water

Blend that shit up and it's magical.

I have to get about 3000-3200 calories a day for maintanence. You need about 2400 for weight loss, depending on how often you want to work out. You have to be serious about your diet if you want to see serious results.

You still haven't answered the ultimate question. What do you want out of all of this? What kind of body do you want and how hard are you willing to work at it? Goals are set by the individual (ie: I want to be bigger. I want to bench 225lb. I want a 6 pack. I want to look good naked!) and then exercise programs are used to fit your goals.

[PerritoBites]

Originally Posted by Brad2770

I was linking it, not for you to build a six pack, but exercise is exercise. Especially since 90% of his things listed can be done at home with little or no money invested.

Plus, his routines are set up so that you do it one day, then go ride a bike or jog or play a sport the next. I like how he has it set up and it fits easy with my schedule.

I did look through the routines and they looked ok. It gives me a start if I can't find anything else.

Originally Posted by Fungul

You still haven't answered the ultimate question. What do you want out of all of this? What kind of body do you want and how hard are you willing to work at it? Goals are set by the individual (ie: I want to be bigger. I want to bench 225lb. I want a 6 pack. I want to look good naked!) and then exercise programs are used to fit your goals.

I don't care about how much I can lift. I just want to have a more defined body. I don't just want to loose weight and be skinny. I am willing to work 3-4 days a week 1-2 hours a day.

[Brad2770]

Originally Posted by Fungul

You still haven't answered the ultimate question. What do you want out of all of this? What kind of body do you want and how hard are you willing to work at it? Goals are set by the individual (ie: I want to be bigger. I want to bench 225lb. I want a 6 pack. I want to look good naked!) and then exercise programs are used to fit your goals.

I will take you up on this.

I want weight loss right now. I am back to 260 from 225 and I am 6 foot tall. I already ride my mountain bike about an hour a day 4 days a week (sometimes 5, if my son wants to go). I do minor walking at work (sometimes a mile or 2, depending on the things needed to be done outside). Lately i have been doing a lot of landscaping. I do about 30 push ups a day with 3 reps of 15 dumbell curls with 20 lb weights (all I have). I take in about 1600-2k calories a day, mostly steamed veggies and grilled chicken. I eat apples, oranges, bananas for snacks.

I looked good at 225, probably could have lost 15 lbs more and been completely happy. I have a very stocky frame and my friend that is 6'2" and 230 looks fatter than me, but weighs a considerable amount less. I already have large arms and chest, but I want Hulk Hogan bulk when its all said and done, but for now, just want the weight loss.

[Fungul]

Originally Posted by PerritoBites

I don't care about how much I can lift. I just want to have a more defined body. I don't just want to loose weight and be skinny. I am willing to work 3-4 days a week 1-2 hours a day.

Ok good start. I suggest Joel Marion's Full Body Fat Loss. Search the internet for more knowledge. But I can't stress enough about making your diet the #1 priority, not what you do in the weight room. Use the links I provided, keep a log, and stay focused. I wish you the best of luck and feel free to ask any questions.

[Fungul]

Originally Posted by Brad2770

I will take you up on this.

I want weight loss right now. I am back to 260 from 225 and I am 6 foot tall. I already ride my mountain bike about an hour a day 4 days a week (sometimes 5, if my son wants to go). I do minor walking at work (sometimes a mile or 2, depending on the things needed to be done outside). Lately i have been doing a lot of landscaping. I do about 30 push ups a day with 3 reps of 15 dumbell curls with 20 lb weights (all I have). I take in about 1600-2k calories a day, mostly steamed veggies and grilled chicken. I eat apples, oranges, bananas for snacks.

I looked good at 225, probably could have lost 15 lbs more and been completely happy. I have a very stocky frame and my friend that is 6'2" and 230 looks fatter than me, but weighs a considerable amount less. I already have large arms and chest, but I want Hulk Hogan bulk when its all said and done, but for now, just want the weight loss.

Your short and long term goals go completely against each other. In order to look like Hulk Hogan you have to bulk up (eat excess amount of daily calories) but you do the exact opposite for your short term goal. You can't stay cut and bulk up, the body doesn't work like that. Frankly at 6' 225lb with 10-12% BF you're going to be a monster.

Tell me your daily diet.

[arkk123]

That routine that was posted as a screenshot is terrible. No thought whatsoever was put into that, someone just picked a ton of "fun/cool" exercises and tossed them into a pot. High and low cables for chest? Jesus lord give me a break.

To the OP.

1) Personal trainers are a waste of money, please do not do that.
2) Buy a Muscle & Fitness, ignore all the supplement ads. It will get you acquainted with gym terminology/food ideas/exercises, etc.
3) Stick with basics in terms of training and eating. Do not go off on overcomplicated training routines with 734234 diff phases and workouts like p90x bullshit. Use sample diets for ideas, but don't copycat someones diet or routine. What works for them works for them, and you aren't them.
4) Be patient. Gaining any significant amount of muscle while losing any significant amount of fat isn't going to happen. Diet down to where you are comfortable with and don't let yourself get fat again, and focus on adding size from that standpoint.

In my opinion, for anyone who isn't looking to be strictly a gym rat or 'bodybuilderish', following something from John Berardi is a good idea.

M W F would be a diff form of cardio each day, but HIIT type cardio, not long duration steady state shit. Sprints/stairs, etc. T R S would be weight training, set up as Push Pull Legs, or Push Legs Pull. 2-3 exercises per bodypart, varied rep ranges. 6-8 on power movements like Deads/Squats, and increase rep ranges for the final two exercises. 9-12 and 15+ or something. Find a routine and stick with it indefinitely, don't change it or try stupid new shit. You will never know if something works unless you try it for 8 weeks or more.

The diet on the other hand is a totally different animal and is based on body weight/metabolism/habits/schedule/sensitivities, etc.

If you need help just ask.

[Fungul]

Originally Posted by arkk123

3) Stick with basics in terms of training and eating. Do not go off on overcomplicated training routines with 734234 diff phases and workouts like p90x bullshit. Use sample diets for ideas, but don't copycat someones diet or routine. What works for them works for them, and you aren't them.
4) Be patient. Gaining any significant amount of muscle while losing any significant amount of fat isn't going to happen. Diet down to where you are comfortable with and don't let yourself get fat again, and focus on adding size from that standpoint.

#3 is an excellent point. The basic exercises are the most important to master. Lats, deadlifts, squats, bench, pushups, pullups are what you want to master and incorporate in your routine. Use my guidelines for a diet. It's generic and easy enough to remember, but will do wonders.

#4 = YES! Losing 1-2lbs per week is healthy. Anything more than that and you will do damage to your body. It's important to set goals before starting out and create a realistic schedule. Don't expect to go from zero to hero in a month because it won't happen. It takes discipline and hardwork. Don't buy into the bullshit advertisements "Have great abs in 6 weeks!" because they are all lies. Don't read the celebrity headlines "No carb diets!" because they generally have no idea what they are talking about. Best thing you can do for yourself is read, watch instructional videos, stay focused, and be patient.

[Jack Burton]

Originally Posted by arkk123

That routine that was posted as a screenshot is terrible. No thought whatsoever was put into that, someone just picked a ton of "fun/cool" exercises and tossed them into a pot. High and low cables for chest? Jesus lord give me a break.

I posted the screenshot. I'm not here to start arguing back and forth about workouts, but you're absolutely wrong that it is "terrible." Better ones out there? Sure. I'm sure the individual has tweaked that workout, perhaps significantly, but he is absolutely ripped. He also follows a strict diet: dozen egg whites a day, lots of chicken, protein, protein...you get it. Weights are his primary hobby and he's in the gym 2 hours a day. This isn't for everyone, understandably.

High and low cables? You'll notice there is a substantial dumbbell workout along with push ups until failure. Cables can be a great way to work underused aspects of the pectoral muscle. I am not a trainer; however, I used to perform a similar routine as to the one posted and got great results. You seem to have a decent knowledge from your other posts. But I can't let your post ruin the credibility of the routine.

I mostly posted it to offer a bucket of exercises for each muscle group, from which an inexperienced lifter might pick and choose. Having just reread your post, you seem to be more focused on a "core" workout. Consistent cardio, core exercises such as dead lifts, etc. The one I posted is more of a get big, get muscles exercise.

Finally, my suggestion is to get muscle first and then later try to slim down if you eventually want both. Easier to maintain a level of muscle while cutting fat.

[Brad2770]

Originally Posted by Fungul

Your short and long term goals go completely against each other. In order to look like Hulk Hogan you have to bulk up (eat excess amount of daily calories) but you do the exact opposite for your short term goal. You can't stay cut and bulk up, the body doesn't work like that. Frankly at 6' 225lb with 10-12% BF you're going to be a monster.

Tell me your daily diet.

Today was a basic run down of what my diet is.

I had an apple and an orange for breakfast.

About 2 hours later, i ate some steamed Veggies with a whole, skinned chicken breast.

2 hours after that, I had an apple and a banana

2 hours after that, I had 6 slices of 35 calorie bread, nothing on them.

That was around 3:30. And now (at 9pm), I am about to go have a grilled chicken salad with Italian dressing.

I might have an apple before bed.

Oh, I did have some Smarties Candies today around 5 with this girl that is a teneant of mine. She brought them in and shared, but I do try to avoid candy. I drink lots of water and every now and then some sweet tea. I will probably drink Sweet tea tonight.

[arkk123]

Originally Posted by Jack Burton

I posted the screenshot. I'm not here to start arguing back and forth about workouts, but you're absolutely wrong that it is "terrible." Better ones out there? Sure. I'm sure the individual has tweaked that workout, perhaps significantly, but he is absolutely ripped. He also follows a strict diet: dozen egg whites a day, lots of chicken, protein, protein...you get it. Weights are his primary hobby and he's in the gym 2 hours a day. This isn't for everyone, understandably.

High and low cables? You'll notice there is a substantial dumbbell workout along with push ups until failure. Cables can be a great way to work underused aspects of the pectoral muscle. I am not a trainer; however, I used to perform a similar routine as to the one posted and got great results. You seem to have a decent knowledge from your other posts. But I can't let your post ruin the credibility of the routine.

I mostly posted it to offer a bucket of exercises for each muscle group, from which an inexperienced lifter might pick and choose. Having just reread your post, you seem to be more focused on a "core" workout. Consistent cardio, core exercises such as dead lifts, etc. The one I posted is more of a get big, get muscles exercise.

Finally, my suggestion is to get muscle first and then later try to slim down if you eventually want both. Easier to maintain a level of muscle while cutting fat.

The routine sucks donkey cock. Radioactive mutant elephantitis donkey cock. I don't care how ripped he is. Anorexics are "ripped". Brad Pitt in Fight Club was "ripped". I wouldn't want to look like either one. 18 sets for chest, 9 of them being isolation exercises in a routine that you brought up in regards to the question of a BEGINNER. Beginner's need to build a foundation, not do cable pushdowns all day, and building a foundation is done by utilizing compound exercises, not bullshit cable crossover work that people think is going to "sculpt" or "shape" their pecs...pecs they don't even have yet...and pecs that will grow much quicker from putting lbs on pressing movements instead of 20lb high pulley cable crossovers. Abduction and adduction supersets? Fucking seriously? Where does he train at? Curves?

I realize you said to work up to that in the long run, but you can't post a routine like that for a beginner because he has no idea the significance of each of those lifts and why they are structured in that fashion. Giving a beginner something like that will do nothing but put him on the wrong track and make him think that its what he should eventually strive for. What prevents him from pulling out only the flyes and cable work in an attempt to "work up" to the big picture...it would be so time wasting. Nothing about that routine is a "get big" or "get muscles" routine. It sucks, I'm sorry.

If I say(pure example) for legs I do 10 sets of squats for 10 reps each, 7 sets of leg press, 9 sets of hack squats, 3 sets of leg extensions and then 3 sets of lunges, and I squat in the mid 400s, does that mean everyone should do the same if they want to squat the same amount? Noooooooo. Just like who cares if your friend is "ripped", I'm not him and neither is anyone else in this thread.

Also...Research, both scientific and anecdotal shows that hormone levels are at a much healthier balance and nutrition partitioning is MUCHHHHHH more effective when someone is around 10-12% bodyfat or slightly lower. Anyone looking to get into shape should diet down into a similar range and then either go lower if they prefer, or stay right around that and grow.

Lastly, this is gold...

"Having just reread your post, you seem to be more focused on a "core" workout. Consistent cardio, core exercises such as dead lifts, etc. The one I posted is more of a get big, get muscles exercise."

If deadlifts aren't a get big, get muscles exercise, I don't know what is.

[arkk123]

Originally Posted by Brad2770

Today was a basic run down of what my diet is.

I had an apple and an orange for breakfast.

About 2 hours later, i ate some steamed Veggies with a whole, skinned chicken breast.

2 hours after that, I had an apple and a banana

2 hours after that, I had 6 slices of 35 calorie bread, nothing on them.

That was around 3:30. And now (at 9pm), I am about to go have a grilled chicken salad with Italian dressing.

I might have an apple before bed.

Oh, I did have some Smarties Candies today around 5 with this girl that is a teneant of mine. She brought them in and shared, but I do try to avoid candy. I drink lots of water and every now and then some sweet tea. I will probably drink Sweet tea tonight.

Just a quick tally off the top of my head puts that day around 1000 calories. It is also like 75% carbs. That would be an unhealthy amount of calories for a 120lb woman to diet on. You would need more than double that, split up over 5-6 meals a day.

No where near enough food, and bad ratios. Food choices aren't 'horrible' though, minus the smarties and sweet tea, hehe.

[Brad2770]

Originally Posted by arkk123

Just a quick tally off the top of my head puts that day around 1000 calories. It is also like 75% carbs. That would be an unhealthy amount of calories for a 120lb woman to diet on. You would need more than double that, split up over 5-6 meals a day.

No where near enough food, and bad ratios. Food choices aren't 'horrible' though, minus the smarties and sweet tea, hehe.

Well, suggestions, please.

[schwein]

one thing about really easy weight loss, fresh veggies, learn to love them no dip or cooking them. eat them with every meal. they are good for you. they fill you up so you dont eat more bad stuff, also high in fiber.

i simply started eating 2 lbs of baby carrots per week, as a snack, before i never snacked. basically turned out i would eat some carrots about an hour before a meal. then my meals would end up being about half sized because i had a belly full of carrots and where no where near digested.

some thing as simple as that and i been losing a pound a week. i think i am probably eating under the daily recommended amount too.

most people eat so poorly tossing some fresh veggies in a mix makes you eat less and start eating healthy. also fresh food is addictive or something because i find myself wanting to eat everything fresh now, and i am no health nut. i love fried foods, country kitchen style. i dont eat a lot of microwave food and eat fast food but the food i do eat is usually not the best for you.

any way my tip is lot of fresh veggies.

[Elurin]

Originally Posted by Brad2770

\I am back to 260 from 225 and I am 6 foot tall. I take in about 1600-2k calories a day, mostly steamed veggies and grilled chicken. I eat apples, oranges, bananas for snacks.

You're not eating nearly enough. People always think that's counter-intuitive, but you can't lose weight if you're starving your body. 2k calories is starving for someone your size.

Find out your maintenance calories and don't go below 500 below that number. With as much cardio as you're getting from biking/walking and then regular day to day crap, you're looking at well over 3000 calories.

[Brad2770]

Well, I really thought I was taking in too much food.

So, it looks like my diet will be:

Apple/orange/banana for breakfast (2 of the 3- About 160 calories)

Steamed Veggies and Chicken breast (thats about 250 calories)

Another 2 of the 3 Fruit (160 calories)

Another round of Chicken and Veggies (250 Calories)

Fruit again with a protein shake (about 300 calories)

Fruit again.



Damn, as I type this, I really need help with the diet thing. When i diet, I dont wanna feel like I am eating too much and that feel slike I am eating too much, but I dont wanna starve myself and my body to not burn fat.