220 or bust

[tommy2]

I'm 250ish right now, 5'11, so I'm fat. Tomorrow I'm headed back to the gym to start a new era. My goal by end of year is to get to 220. Anybody have any thoughts on how realistic this is?

I plan on running, lifting weights, swimming, etc.

[kyleb]

Totally realistic. Read the FAQ for some sample workout plans. The basics:

1) Compound lifts.
2) Cardio work should be high-intensity; HIIT is a good option. Add in long distance low-intensity stuff as well - switch it up using swimming, running, elliptical trainer, biking...
3) Diet, diet, diet. Eat 5-6 small meals per day rather than 2-3 big ones like most Americans. High protein, moderate carbs, low/moderate fats. Strive to eat 2000-2200 calories a day. Drink a lot of water.

[rocketlaunch]

That's very realistic. In fact, you can probably do a lot better, although that depends highly on your age and of course your motivation.

Twice I've lost 40+ lbs in under 6 months (essentially the same 40 lbs, sigh). What Kyleb said is very accurate--exercise just about every day and keep a very keen eye on your diet.

I'm your height, about 5'11, and I went from a little over 220 to under 180 in about 6 months when I was 19. Then I went from a little under 210 to a little under 170 when I was 24 in under 6 months. Each time, the weight flew off at first then slowed down. I got down below 190 very quickly each time then by the time I was under 180 losing weight was a crawl.

Since you're starting out at 250, assuming you're young, as long as you keep going you should be able to do very well. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see you pretty decently below 220 by year's end if you keep at it.

My plan each time was very similar: I kept my calories to 2000/day, and kept a regular, varied exercise routine. I lifted weights, did cardio and played sports.

Unlike what many of the louder posters here will say, the content of your exercise is much less important than the fact that you are out there exercising. Yes, different exercises have different strengths and weaknesses, but the difference between, say, using a machine vs using free weights isn't as extreme as most would lead you to believe. Find out what you like and do it.

My routine was very cardio-based. I found that, for myself, the quickest and easiest way to get weight off was running. I hate running. I mean with a passion. I would rather get a daily root canal than run every day. But it was by far the best exercise for me and I did it, slowly working my way up in distance and intensity. When I started I was out of breath walking 1/2 mile, after 6 months I was going 5 miles at a pretty good pace (a little over 7mins/mile).

I also did bike riding, more in the beginning when as a fat tub of goo my knees and legs couldn't really handle the pounding of regular running. About halfway through when I was in somewhat decent shape, I joined recreational sports teams (softball, flag football, basketball) and played pretty competitive matches of racquetball with friends. The goal was to do something cardio-related every day.

Around the regular cardio I added weights, 2-3X/week, with a variety of routines that I would switch up every month or so, finding out what worked for me.

As for diet, seriously, count calories. Since you're pretty heavy, diving right in at 2000/day might be pretty darn tough. I recommend finding out how much you're used to eating right now; just take what you ate today or yesterday or whatever and add it up (there are internet calorie estimators/calculators to help). My guess is it's surprisingly high, probably over 3000.

Assuming you're used to 3000+/day, try doing something like 2500-2700 calories for a week. Then 2200-2400 for a week or two. Then settle in at 2000-2200. That might slow you down slightly in your race to lose weight, but it'll greatly increase your chances of actually staying on track.

Other than that the only advice I can give is to not get on the scale every day. You'll just drive yourself mad, since a person's weight fluctuates a surprising amount day to day, and even within a given day. Once a week, or better, once every two weeks weigh yourself.

Also good is keeping a photo log, perhaps even on here since people can cheer you on and give advice. But even if you keep it private, nothing is more satisfying than looking at yourself in the mirror and thinking "eh, I guess I look a little better" then looking a pic of yourself from a month or two ago and being shocked at just how much better you really do look. If you see yourself in the mirror every day you might not notice much the improvements you're making, but if you have photo evidence and can really compare the lardass you were to the badass you are, it'll keep you motivated.

Best of luck.

[tommy2]

Thanks for taking the time to write this. I will take a photo of myself and check myself against it weekly. Off to the gym.

[Jiganti]

Good luck. Remember that good diet is really key, along with intense workout. I think that it comes easier if you get a little obsessive about it, but once you've lost the weight, it isn't nearly as hard to keep it off as it is to get it off. As rocketlaunch says, running is a great exercise as it really makes you work your body hard. A good idea is to gradually run longer, and faster (if you're on a treadmill this is really easy to track) and if you're consistently working at it, you will definitely feel improvement.

Again, best of luck and props for getting out there and working at it.

[mattnxtc]

Number 1 recommendation is to post your average diet now before you really get into it...that will allow us to take a look and add/subtract to get you to a more idela diet.

[dethgrind]

Check out this guy's site: http://www.johnstonefitness.com/



He's the guy who posted pictures every month of his crazy body transformation. The forums there are pretty solid. This post is a very thorough how-to guide on losing fat and looking good: http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/s...37&t=19229

[Big Poppa Smurf]

Honestly if you just cut down to around 2000 calories a day and don't cheat at all, you can lose 25-30 lbs in 2-3 months if you are active at all. I did it with my only exercise being walking to class every day. If you throw in some exercise and lifting you can eat a little more, but you will see huge changes very fast if you stick to it.