Total Beginner Needs to Get Fit

[HLS2k6]

Could use some very preliminary advice from someone knowledgable and capable of getting through the novel below:

I need to get in shape. I'm 33 years old, 6'4 and around 270 (a soft 270). Around 3 years ago I lost a little over 50 pounds (totally on diet, no exercise), but I gained it all back. I've been browsing this forum for a couple of weeks, and am feeling like now is the time to go for it. I'd like to get fit (not huge, just fit) and lose 50-70 pounds through a total lifestyle change-- diet and exercise.

1) I figure I'll use one of these tracking sites like fitday for tracking my diet, but I'm clueless about what to eat and when. Can anyone recommend some good books to get me up to speed?

2) As far as working out, I'd vastly prefer home equipment to the gym. I don't want to spend more than about a grand if I can help it. I was thinking of buying a nice bench and dumbell set (Ironmaster or Powerblock) and trying to do workouts with just dumbells and body weight exercises. I'm not interested in getting huge and I'm really not interested in getting hurt. I won't have access to a spotter at all, and the idea of 6 reps with huge weights on a bar sounds really iffy to me. Can someone tell me if this is a good plan and/or what I should look to buy?

Beyond that, I'll run for cardio, and would like to include stretching and yoga for overall health and to improve my golf game.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[kyleb]

Losing 50 pounds totally on diet and no exercise is going to lead to gaining it all back, and mostly in fat despite the fact that you lost a lot of muscle to get there.

Before you start, know that you are making a lifestyle change and you'll have to do this forever. It'll be more intense for the first few months as you easily drop weight, but it'll plateau quickly enough. This is the time that self-discipline and willpower is needed to forge on in the face of diminishing returns.

1) Check out the FAQ for some sample diets on T-Nation. As a general rule if you're trying to lose weight, find a BMR calculator, cut 300-500 calories off that, and consume that amount everyday over 4-6 small meals that are high in protein and feature good, complex carbs.

2) Getting a power rack is probably your best bet - you can get a cage for $300 or so, add a bench, some basic dumbbells, and a bar + weights and it'll come under $1000.

Cardio: Look into HIIT. Many people (including myself) have had success using this program to lose weight. It is, however, a very advanced program that is recommended for athletes usually, so it's intense and brutal. You can expect to vomit at least once while on the program.

Good luck. Feel free to ask more questions.

[quadzilla]

My situation was almost identical to yours. This thread breaks down what I did. Thread

I really had issues with eating. I gained about 60 lbs in 5 years due to focusing too much on career, etc. I ate as much as I wanted whenever I wanted and it showed. Breaking that habit was the toughest part. I focused on eating small meals every 2.5 - 3.5 hours. Convenience was important so I started using balance bars and now drink muscle milk 2x a day. The best thing about it is that I am never full and never hungry. I cheat a bit on the weekends but, never stuff myself and always eat something every few hours. After a couple of weeks it became a habit and has really been easy to follow.

As far as weights go I have baby at home and a 1 hour commute. I didn't want to take the time to go to the gym and living in the city I didn't want to sacrifice any space for a home gym. I really needed a good way to do resistance training without much equipment. I started out doing push ups and hindu squats. I could only do a few reps due to fatness and would do multiple sets of five for 30 min. or whatever I could do. To be honest I hated it. I bought a set of bowflex adjustable dumbells and did a traditional resistance program using them and an exercise ball. I liked it better than the push ups and got decent results. I posted my workout here and someone suggested that I switch to a circuit or EDT style program. I did some research and decided to try kettlebells. I like it much better than what I was doing previously. It is very intense but, the results have been great and I can do my workout in 20-25 min.

As far as cardio goes I couldn't jog half a block when I started. I just added a small distance every time that I would run and just did three miles today for the first time.


The hardest part is getting started and dealing with the initial weakness and being so out of shape. I am no expert but, I was exactly where you are at a few months ago and am down more than 40 lbs now.

Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[shemp]

I'd set the money aside until you've identified something you specifically want or need for your training. Until then, some running shoes, jump rope, bodyweight exercises, and attention to your diet are all you need. I suspect a lot of folks hope to start their new life with a big purchase, at least partly in the idea that they won't let it taunt them with it's lack of use-- and the strategy has more to say about their consumerism than their commitment to get fit.

I'm not trying to be harsh on you (or others), even if it sounds that way. My $.02.