Weight Loss Thread

I know I'm kind of beating a dead horse, but to those who are obese, don't worry about muscle gain until you hit sub 200 pounds. However, your body fat percentage will drop like a rock, which is the key thing. Like Otis, simply cutting soda and junk food can drop your weight drastically.

@Knytestorme
The treadmill is good and all, but you need to do some full body workout like aerobics or yoga. If you're doing monotonous cardio training, your body gets use to it and it becomes easier, but its actually less progress than you think. As for your weight training regimen, unfortunately to say, it won't do jack all. Doing 1 workout per body part will retain so little strength because you'll miss a lot of small muscles that is integral to gaining strength. Doing heavy weights also means you're probably doing your reps wrong. Drop 25% of the weight, do 3 workouts for each body part, and 13 reps each set. People have this mentality that heavy weights = better workout. For beginners, it's usually the opposite. Weights are overrated, and defying gravity with just your own body is already a huge workout for most people.

So don't worry about working out for muscle tone until you get under 200, but don't just do cardio work your whole body....wouldn't 20+ minutes of cardio a day be the fastest way to get under 200? Yeah your body gets more efficient at it, but as your weight loss starts to plateau you can increase duration/intensity as your body can handle and/or mix in some other forms of cardio. Do treadmill one day, stairs another, spin sometimes, maybe swim sometimes. They are different workouts and your body won't be as accustomed to them as it is to just treadmill.

The Dauntless One_sl said:

As for your weight training regimen, unfortunately to say, it won't do jack all.Doing 1 workout per body part will retain so little strength because you'll miss a lot of small muscles that is integral to gaining strength.Doing heavy weights also means you're probably doing your reps wrong. Drop 25% of the weight, do 3 workouts for each body part, and 13 reps each set. People have this mentality that heavy weights = better workout. For beginners, it's usually the opposite. Weights are overrated, and defying gravity with just your own body is already a huge workout for most people.

Click to expand...

I have to disagree with the bolded part. There's nothing wrong with a simple full body routine for the beginning of losing weight. All he needs to do is maintain whatever muscle he already has, and 1 workout per major body part is perfectly fine for accomplishing that. Especially when focusing so much on cardio, it's nice to have a short and simple lifting routine that won't take up a ton of time. I do agree that he should drop the weight a bit and push out more reps, though.

I did basically what he is doing now: tons of cardio (although, like Famm mentioned, I varied it between running, cycling, elliptical, stairs depending on mood and availability) and a simple 1-workout-per-body-part lifting routine combined with a strict diet. I'm down about 50 pounds and I have not lost a single bit of what little muscle I had at the beginning. In fact, my strength has improved considerably in every single exercise. That said, as I've progressed (increasing strength/decreasing fat) I have been adding more and more exercises into my routine to hit each body part better and lessening the amount of cardio I do. What started as an hour or more of cardio a day with 30 minutes of lifting 3 days a week has turned into 30 minutes of cardio 3 - 4 days a week and an hour of lifting 3 - 4 days a week.

Basically, I think it's a mistake to dive right into a complex lifting routine right off the bat. It's better to take it slowly and add in more and more exercises as you drop the fat, increase your strength, and get more comfortable with working out.

Otis_sl said:

I dropped 140lbs by switching from the standard American diet of pure shitty food to a diet that consists of meat and vegetables and the occasional piece of fruit. I cut out grains, sugar, and most dairy and the weight melted off me.

Click to expand...

This is what you need to focus on to lose weight. The exercise component is a comparatively small part of losing fat. Anything will work if you're sedentary and have a lot to lose, long walks, swim, tennis, weight training, P90X, whatever. But most of it is what you're eating.

If you're just skinny fat, then some people suggest adding lean mass first since that's harder to do and will help when you need to cut. You'll also look better (not like a skeleton) if you have some muscle on you. Depends on the person.

When you get down to those stubborn last pounds though I've found being very strict on diet and incorporating HIIT exercises to be what works for me. Sprinting all out, 30 seconds on, 60 seconds rest.

McCheese_sl said:

I have to disagree with the bolded part. There's nothing wrong with a simple full body routine for the beginning of losing weight. All he needs to do is maintain whatever muscle he already has, and 1 workout per major body part is perfectly fine for accomplishing that. Especially when focusing so much on cardio, it's nice to have a short and simple lifting routine that won't take up a ton of time. I do agree that he should drop the weight a bit and push out more reps, though.

I did basically what he is doing now: tons of cardio (although, like Famm mentioned, I varied it between running, cycling, elliptical, stairs depending on mood and availability) and a simple 1-workout-per-body-part lifting routine combined with a strict diet. I'm down about 50 pounds and I have not lost a single bit of what little muscle I had at the beginning. In fact, my strength has improved considerably in every single exercise. That said, as I've progressed (increasing strength/decreasing fat) I have been adding more and more exercises into my routine to hit each body part better and lessening the amount of cardio I do. What started as an hour or more of cardio a day with 30 minutes of lifting 3 days a week has turned into 30 minutes of cardio 3 - 4 days a week and an hour of lifting 3 - 4 days a week.

Basically, I think it's a mistake to dive right into a complex lifting routine right off the bat. It's better to take it slowly and add in more and more exercises as you drop the fat, increase your strength, and get more comfortable with working out.

Click to expand...

Agree with pretty much all of this. I used to lift heavy years ago (eg 750lb leg press) until I crushed my L4/5 in a parasailing accident and things went to shit since I could hardly even walk for a year after that and was told if I went back to the gym I'd be in a wheel chair fairly soon after. With that warning I pretty much gave up on all exercise for quite a few years until I went and saw specialists that told me the excess stomach weight was fucking my back more and I'd be better off losing weight and strengthening my back muscles for protection, but even after that I kept feeling twinges of pain in my back and legs (bits of bone press in to my spinal column) and used that as an excuse to not do anything. Mainly say that as background so you understand that I realise I need to move back to a 3-5 exercise per part split routine eventually to actually add a lot of mass back, at the mometn I'm back to doing a beginners full-body routine 3 days a week just to maintain what I have, get the muscles used to working out and again and to relearn how to deal with DOMS.

In regards to the cardio it's weird, I can walk for an hour or so (sometimes less when I get bad shin splints on my left leg, might see an orthopedist about it) but I can't do more than 5-10 minutes on eliptical or bike before my glutes or quads are on fire and just failing...I seriously don't get it. Same thing happened last night, I got the Nike+ kinect game this week and did the assessment routine...only had to do 3 no-weight squats and quads were at failure to the point that when it came time to do the 1-legged tempo squats I could only do one per leg before I felt I was going to collapse under my own weight. I seriously don't get that as they are used to carrying 133kg every step I take for up to 15k steps a day so why do they fail so easily with squats or cycling for instance. Only explanation I cam come up with is that the quads themselves are weak but the overall thigh is strong, perhaps adding more cycling is the way to go purely to get the quads back up to strength as well and just accept I'll only be able to do a little each day and work up to it, not get frustrated like I have been if I have to stop after only 5 minutes.

Have been tempted to start doing the DDP Yoga too but if I have too many individual muscles that are weak then it may prove ineffective....I mean fuck, I couldn't even do 1 push-up last night during the assessment.

Famm_sl said:

So don't worry about working out for muscle tone until you get under 200, but don't just do cardio work your whole body....wouldn't 20+ minutes of cardio a day be the fastest way to get under 200? Yeah your body gets more efficient at it, but as your weight loss starts to plateau you can increase duration/intensity as your body can handle and/or mix in some other forms of cardio. Do treadmill one day, stairs another, spin sometimes, maybe swim sometimes. They are different workouts and your body won't be as accustomed to them as it is to just treadmill.

Click to expand...

I used to do cardio 5 days a week in the Air Force. (55 situps, 60 pushups in a minute)

I could run 3 miles non-stop and my 1.5 mile time was 11:45

I also had a 40 inch waist and weighed 230 lbs at 5'8" (I'm currently at a 34" waist, believe me, I LOOK like I'm in MUCH better shape at 30 than I was at 22, even if I'm not actually)

Diet is the only thing that is important for weight loss. If you're burning 3000 calories a day but eating 3500, you'll gain weight just as fast as someone completely sedentary burning 1600 calories a day but eating 2100.

P.S. "muscle confusion" is an urban legend disproved by science.

Well what were you eating then? Tons of industrial cafeteria food plus snacks or something? Obviously you can out eat your cardio and diet is a major factor in a weight loss plan. But assuming he's already changed his diet, adding cardio on top of it is going to get him down to muscle toning weight much faster. That was all I meant.

I feel like for people who are finally getting off their long sedentary asses, its important not to sweat them on details and finer points right away or they might get turned off easier. For initial weight loss, changing what you eat and doing cardio is the path that will get you results. Getting noticeable reinforcement for your effort in the form of appreciable weight loss is more likely to keep a person on track and dedicated to continuing their new lifestyle. Once they drop weight and stick with keeping it off they can decide to shape and strengthen all around. They will probably want to diversify as they realize they are now just thinner but not necessarily looking as great as they could be with some more workouts on top.

It can be like you are jumping right into discussion of raid DPS rotations, when all they really want to know is how to find the mailbox and flight master in Org.

Famm_sl said:

It can be like you are jumping right into discussion of raid DPS rotations, when all they really want to know is how to find the mailbox and flight master in Org.

Click to expand...

Now it all makes sense!

Went and saw a nutritionist today that everyone recommends for sports and diabetes advice. She wants me to cut back on protein, increase carbs slightly (though adding in what I think is a large amount post-workout) and going from 40/40/20 C/P/F macros to 50/20/30 which I don't think will work, going to go 45/35/20 and see if that works first. Also wants me to cut back on more calories since even with eating less than 2k a day and doing exercise I'm not really losing weight and seem to be in more maintenance mode so if I drop from 2g/kg to 1.5g/kg lbm protein and have that as 35% I drop to ~ 1550 cal a day which should lead to me waking up hungry, and that seems to be what she wants for me at the moment.

Will be going back to see her the day after my DEXA scan so should be able to get some really solid numbers then and see how the new plan works over the next 4 weeks.

Can anyone recommend me any good chest work outs that will help improve my definition of my upper pectorals? I usually do push ups, chest flys, bench press, incline bench, some cable pulls, and other various activites. Lookin for anything new and interesting that people are hyped about currently

Dips or weighted dips help

If you fat fucks want to lose weight just do 5x5. Most people new to lifting start with it. Hell, I've been lifting for 3 years and I'm going back to a 5x5 routine just to do something different. It works.

I honestly cannot recommend a weight training regimen for people with fluctuating weight problems looking to start moving toward overall fitness.

They usually are time consuming, and at a low fitness level it's easy to injure yourself attempting many common lifts you may read or hear about. If you are overweight there is much better uses of your time at the beginning stages of fitness acquisition.

Start with some casual cardio and some calisthenics for a few months. If you show good discipline then start considering more long term plans possibly involving weight training.

Of course this is just my personal opinion I am in no way a professional, although I have had weight training programs in the past.

Swagdaddy_sl said:

I honestly cannot recommend a weight training regimen for people with fluctuating weight problems looking to start moving toward overall fitness.

They usually are time consuming, and at a low fitness level it's easy to injure yourself attempting many common lifts you may read or hear about. If you are overweight there is much better uses of your time at the beginning stages of fitness acquisition.

Start with some casual cardio and some calisthenics for a few months. If you show good discipline then start considering more long term plans possibly involving weight training.

Of course this is just my personal opinion I am in no way a professional, although I have had weight training programs in the past.

Click to expand...

This is terrible advice.

With two dumbbells and a bench even a fat fuck with no experience can manage a decent workout in about 30 minutes. No one thinks a lifting newbie should be flipping tires and squatting hundreds of pounds, but doing ANY lifting, even lower intensity, lower weight, higher rep isolation exercises will work wonders for someone who has never lifted before.

I think a fatty who's never lifted before would be better off doing 30 minutes of cardio and a simple, 30 minute lifting routine with some dumbbells than one full hour of cardio.

I said cardio AND calisthenics, it can be dangerous for someone coming from a place of little to no physical activity to begin an unsupervised weight lifting regiment.

In my opinion if you want to lose weight "weightloss thread" 40 minutes of casual cardio and 20 minutes of moderate calisthenics 5 times a week is a great safe place to start if you are doing this on your own with no supervision.

I think building muscle mass with a weight lifting program is not really a necessary place to start for a beginner looking to lose weight, it has it's benefits but from my experience carries higher risks of injury then calisthenics and as a beginner some people are already at risk.

The Dauntless One_sl said:

I know I'm kind of beating a dead horse, but to those who are obese, don't worry about muscle gain until you hit sub 200 pounds. However, your body fat percentage will drop like a rock, which is the key thing. Like Otis, simply cutting soda and junk food can drop your weight drastically.

@Knytestorme
The treadmill is good and all, but you need to do some full body workout like aerobics or yoga. If you're doing monotonous cardio training, your body gets use to it and it becomes easier, but its actually less progress than you think. As for your weight training regimen, unfortunately to say, it won't do jack all. Doing 1 workout per body part will retain so little strength because you'll miss a lot of small muscles that is integral to gaining strength. Doing heavy weights also means you're probably doing your reps wrong. Drop 25% of the weight, do 3 workouts for each body part, and 13 reps each set. People have this mentality that heavy weights = better workout. For beginners, it's usually the opposite. Weights are overrated, and defying gravity with just your own body is already a huge workout for most people.

Click to expand...

This guy gets it.

Safety should be the number 1 priority of anyone beginning or initiating a fitness regiment after a long period of inactivity, save weight training for once you already have some fitness experience and want to challenge yourself further.

Swagdaddy_sl said:

I said cardio AND calisthenics, it can be dangerous for someone coming from a place of little to no physical activity to begin an unsupervised weight lifting regiment.

In my opinion if you want to lose weight "weightloss thread" 40 minutes of casual cardio and 20 minutes of moderate calisthenics 5 times a week is a great safe place to start if you are doing this on your own with no supervision.

I think building muscle mass with a weight lifting program is not really a necessary place to start for a beginner looking to lose weight, it has it's benefits but from my experience carries higher risks of injury then calisthenics and as a beginner some people are already at risk.

Click to expand...

While cardio will definitely improve heart health and burn a lot of calories, weight lifting is far more beneficial. First of all, it speeds up your metabolism more than any other of form of activity. Two, weight lifting forces your body to consume more calories throughout the day, not just during your workout. In the end, it burns a lot more calories than one cardio session would. It shocks your body into feeding your muscles all types of shit, including and ESPECIALLY fats!

As for safety, it's been proven that weight lifting is safer than any other "sport." Especially if you're starting with just the bar. It's 45 pounds, anyone can do a naked bench press, squat, or dead lift. It improves flexibility, overall health, and is simply the best way to get in shape. If you're not sure of a certain motion, all you have to do is ask someone in the gym. We're all there for the same reason, I've never met anyone not willing to help. There's trainers specifically for that purpose who won't charge you just to teach you a certain motion...

Yes, cardio is important, but to recommend someone not do weights because they're going to injure themselves? They're more likely to pull a hammy pulling their fatass around town than they are to blow a pec muscle or strain their shoulder doing weights. I would even recommend starting with lifting over cardio.

I'd recommend lifting three times a week, full body workouts focusing on squatting. Squats are simply the best workout you can do, and it encompasses your whole body, not just your legs. Give yourself about 48 hours in between workouts. You could mix in light cardio on your off-days, even if it's just walking. But hey man, this is just advice... go ahead and DO WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT TO DO.

McCheese_sl said:

This is terrible advice.

With two dumbbells and a bench even a fat fuck with no experience can manage a decent workout in about 30 minutes. No one thinks a lifting newbie should be flipping tires and squatting hundreds of pounds, but doing ANY lifting, even lower intensity, lower weight, higher repisolationexercises will work wonders for someone who has never lifted before.

I think a fatty who's never lifted before would be better off doing 30 minutes of cardio and a simple, 30 minute lifting routine with some dumbbells than one full hour of cardio.

Click to expand...

Only part I disagree with. Keep those compound exercises for 25-30 mins 3x a week and you'll see the weight drop. Isolation exercises shouldn't be done by a beginner i.e. don't be doing no fucking bicep curls.

I can't sit here and argue with someone who says fuck cardio weightlifting is the best way to lose weight. Might as well be talking to the 37 year old overweight dude at the gym who can bench 300 but can't run a mile with a huge gut.