Weight Loss and Muscle Mass

[Fightguard]

update time...
don't mind me...maintaining this thread in a public forum is actually helping me to keeping motivated

finally hit the 200lbs mark! been about 10 years since I've been under 200. dug out that old suit that I wore to my HS prom and it fits again

made some pretty good muscle gains too...starting to see definition in my arms - been killing my triceps weekly for the past month...
it's about time my waistline started trimming down too...tightened up a couple of notches in the belt.

Also, I let myself pig-out this weekend on sweets (desserts and chocolate) and I don't feel bad about it at all!!

[Joseph]

Congratulations on your progress, Fightguard! Keep on the good work!

[Forsaken_Angel]

ive lost 25lbs since september from eating one small meal a day :S, atleast your way is healthy for you. good work i know what its like to be a fatguy.

[bdckr]

update time...
don't mind me...maintaining this thread in a public forum is actually helping me to keeping motivated

finally hit the 200lbs mark! been about 10 years since I've been under 200. dug out that old suit that I wore to my HS prom and it fits again

made some pretty good muscle gains too...starting to see definition in my arms - been killing my triceps weekly for the past month...
it's about time my waistline started trimming down too...tightened up a couple of notches in the belt.

Also, I let myself pig-out this weekend on sweets (desserts and chocolate) and I don't feel bad about it at all!!

Congratulations. Another 12 pounds in about 6 weeks. Nice job.

[smokeylovelove]

I think there are a couple problems I see here with your regimen. Number one: I Dont think you are eating the right Carbs....now dont get me wrong carbs are not the enemy so dont buy into that Atkins diet B.S. Some good sources of carbe which are fairly lower in the glycemic index are Oatmeal(Which i noticed you were eating) Yams or sweet potatoes, Dark Brown Rice and couscous. Now you can still eat the other carbs but I want you to understand that bread has a lot of unneccessary fillers in it; as for the apple, yes fruits are good for you but perhaps you should choose a fruit such as cherries, grapefruits, or melons, because apples are too high in sugar. Dont forget to eat lots of veggies(preferrably the dark green leafy kind, as carrots and corn are too high in sugar. Losing weight is dedication and its not going to happen overnight. You must stay consistent with cardiovascular exercise in order to reap its benefits and you MUST increase your weights. When you go to the gym to workout you should not be in there for longer than 1 hour as you will OVERTRAIN yourself and cause your body to fight against you. You must choose a couple body parts and do 3 max different exercises for each and work your muscles to FAILURE. Stay away from those machines, as much as they can help you tone a bit, you want to do COMPOUND exercises to tear your muscles and create bigger growth(Compound exercises force all your small muscles to work as well as the larger ones and everything benefits). When I say compound I mean Benchpress, Squats, Deadlifts, Straight Dumbell Curls, Incline Benchpress etc. Just remember, the more muscle you have on your body the more calories your boday needs to maintain that muscle meaning you will burn more. Please lose the ten pound weights and you will see dramatic changes. Also change up your exercises as this will shock your muscles...every week you can perhaps use the same exercises but maybe change the order up or the time of rest in between your sets; I dont want to see you hitting a plateau(Although sometimes it is inevitable). Try doing your cardio on an empty stomach in the morning, but AFTER your weight workout as you will burn all of your glycogen stores while lifting and leave your body with straight fat to burn. Remember to stay hydrated and drink lots of water(At least a gallon a day when you are active) And on a further note. Try using a meal replacement shake a couple times a day(just not before you go to bed) I use Labrada low carb shakes and they are great....with miniscule sugar and all the basic nutrients you need. These shakes are intented to replace only a couple meals to ensure you are eating at least 6 times a day; DO NOT SKIP A MEAL as your metabolism will work extra hard to burn all meals digested and eventually become a fuel burning machine!!!! I carry a cooler with me if necessary. Finally DONT FORGET TO TAKE YOUR VITAMINS. Regardless of whether you are a jacked up bodybuilder or an average Joe, your muscles will not grow if they are not getting all the nutrients pumped into them(believe me vegetables can lack vital nutrients due to overfarming and poor soil quality)
I hope this helps you and everyone else who reads this as I went from a 38' Waist, 35% bodyfat and 235 pounds, to a 30" Waist 8% bodyfat and 215 pounds in a couple years time.

YOU ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. STAY DEDICATED BROTHER, TRAIN HARD AND GOD BLESS!

P.S - Dont forget to have that cheat day once a week, but don't overdo it!!

[Fightguard]

I really appreciate the reply smokey...
few things...the foods I listed earlier were just one example so while it may not theideal daily intake, I'll will tell you that I am indeed taking in the right carbs as well
fruits...I eat alot of grapefruit...i love grapefruit!
veggies...eat the leafy greens daily too.
yep, I'm maintaining a regular eating schedule of 6 meals a day.

I should say though, I eat bananas regularly even though they are not on the ideal fruit list. I have to...as I also mentioned, my blood pressrue is through the roof (bad genes, predominant in family history - you can say I was born into having high BP) and I'm on medication for that. an effect of my medication is that it causes a potassium deficiency in my system...hence the bananas. yes, I could take a potassium capsule...however, I'm at very high risk for diabetes as well (again, strong family history of) and another capsule just adds extra work for my kidneys. that's also the reason why I'm reluctant to take Vitamins/meal replacements as well...God forbid should I ever become a diabetic, I need to preserve my kidneys (my dad is a severe diabetic with kidney disease).

My workout routine...I'n the past month or so, I've only gone over 1 hour maybe twice...I'm usually in 50 -60 minutes now, always in the morning on an empty stomach. I don't go to the gym, I workout at home with a bench and dumbells. For cardio, I run up/down my own stairs in the house, I run around the open space in my basement, and I dance to house music
Finally, I got new plates for my dumbells so i have up'd the iron and working to failure..eg. 20-25lbs each side for flys, curls...and even more weight for presses and rows. I stopped with the 10 lbs exclusively almost 2 months ago (see one of my ealier posts)

So...I covered some of the bases you've pointed out here but Cardio AFTER my weight routine?? First time I've heard of that...I'll admit I'm pretty clueless about alot of the biomechanics (is that the right term to use?) that come into play here...I'm not doubting you but I'd like to read up on that some more...have a link??

Again, I appreciate that you took the time to read my posts here and offer your feedback and motivation

PS. are you kidding me?!!? how can I forget the cheat day?!?!

[smokeylovelove]

Well I definitely don't think you should give up the bananas if you need them. Just make sure you are eating a protein with them just to keep your insulin levels stabilized!! As for the Cardio after working out...that is how I do it, and most SHOULD do it of they only have time to go the gym once. In your case, since you are working out at home....try this: how about you do your cardio in the morning on an empty stomach(but make sure if youre doing home aerobics that your heart rate stays at a fat burning level. Then wait 1 hour before you eat anything because once you are done your cardio, your body is still burning fat!! Have a few meals, then in the evening, I`d say around 4-6pm do your weight training...thus giving your body fuel will enhance your pump and cause greater gains(from a better workout). This method is used by many people who have time on their hands because I believe it creates the best results. Make sure you are waking up early so you can fit in all the meals though....set a wake up time every morning and do this at that time. Heck I used to wake up every morning at 4am and run in the blistering cold if I had to work at 6.....this made sure I had my cardio out of the way; gave a kickstart to my metabolism; and made sure I didnt cheat!! Now I do it the old gym way. Anyhow, I don`t want to regulate your diet or workout strategies for you because I am unaware of your health and the conditions you endure, so I believe if you want to get into this much further you should consult your physician, and get your Blood Pressure checked on a regular basis.

Checkout www.bodybuilding.com It is a fantastic website and will answer all of your questions!!

God Bless.

[Joseph]

Try doing your cardio on an empty stomach in the morning, but AFTER your weight workout as you will burn all of your glycogen stores while lifting and leave your body with straight fat to burn.

Are you suggesting him to FIRST weight train on empty stomach and then cardio? Sounded to me that's what you're suggesting. Additional exercising after an initial weight training session with low glycogen store in the body in the morning, is surly a quick way to speed up fat utilization, catabolism, and a possibility of hypoglycemia.

[smokeylovelove]

When I recommended doing his workout on an empty stomach, I didnt mean right up and right to the gym, I meant a couple hours after eating his first or second meal(depending on when he decided to wake up). I am well aware that doing a vigorous activity after your weight workout can lead to abnormal decrease of sugar in the blood (Hypoglycemia). I do not recommend doing a heavy cardio workout either; what I would suggest is he ingest a meal or two, wait 2 hours, go to the gym do his weight workout and then hit the cardio for 15-20 mins thus switching from anerobic to aerobic exercise. This is what I do....I do not necessarily think it is the best method, but for most people who dont have time and want to "Burn Fat" It is a proven method....studies show that you can burn up to 300% more fat doing cardio on an empty stomach. On final note, catabolism can be prevented by ingesting ample amounts of protein(1.1 grams per pound of body weight)

God Bless.

[Fightguard]

I workout first thing in the morning BEFORE my FIRST meal
25 mins cardio
25-35 mins weights

I'll have a glass of water with my meds right when i wake up.
I usually don't feel hungry right after i wake-up or during my workout...
if i do wake up feeling hungry, I'll have a cup of milk before my workout.

just for the record, my family members are hyperglycemic diabetics. My blood suger levels are normal but on the upper tier.

[smokeylovelove]

FightGuard, If you have the time...do your cardio right when you wake up before any meals, try doing something called High Intensity Interval Training(what I mean by this is say your jogging; go at a slow pace for a minute, fast pace for a minute, slow pace, and so on. This type of exercise shocks your body and always has it thinking what to do next.....then wait 1 hour before you eat anything thus allowing your body to BURN. Then eat a wholesome meal.....make sure this is a good meal full of Protein, carbs, Good fats. Eat all day then do your weights in the evening. This will definitely provide the best results in my opinion.

If you cannot because you have time constraints. Joseph is right, do not do both cardio and weights right smack in the morning without eating earlier....you will lose weight but it will be muscle catabolized weight.

[Fightguard]

Thanks Joseph and smokey...I'm definitely taking these suggestions to heart.
I'll keep my cardio routine in the morning after waking up...
if I move my weight routine to the evening, I can fit it in before or after my last meal...does it really matter??
so it's either

1) weights, protien shake, last meal

2) last meal, weights, protien shake

OR

same options as above but keep my protien shake in the morning after cardio

what do you suggest?

[Spampy]

Smokey is my personal trainer and he's amazing. Trainer with heart!!!!!