Seeking advice to lose 135 lbs.

A

apostledeets

New member
Hello. My name is Ron. I need to lose 135 lbs to get in my correct BMI range. Here are my stats.

Sex: Male

Age: 23

Height: 6'0

Current Weight: 315 lbs.

Current BMI: 41.72

Current BMR: 2806.27

Target Weight: 180 - 190 lbs.

Target BMI: < 24.9

Target Timeframe: 1 year - 18 months

I'd like to SAFELY lose four pounds a week for the first two months or so, then average around 2 - 3 lbs. from then on. It is my understanding that for somebody my size, that should be a safe amount of weight to lose in that time frame. Please correct me if I'm wrong on that. I very very rarely drink pop, on average 1 - 2 cans a month, and when I do, I try to drink natural / organic (preferably without HFCS or aspartame) same goes for eating out.

I primarily drink water, sometimes tea (usually organic green tea), although I tend to put a bit too much (organic) sugar in the tea... something I plan to stop. As far as the diet goes, I rarely eat junk food, maybe on average one candy bar a week, but I am guilty of eating too much at meals (average meal for me is two chicken breasts, a quarter plate of potato, and a second side).

My biggest weakness is exercise. I'm one of the people that when I'm actually doing it, I give it my all, but the problem is actually doing it. Any motivational tips and exercise ideas (on a budget, college student living on financial aid) would be more than welcomed.

Thank you for your help.
 
Welcome! :)

It seems you have all the information, you just need some help putting it into place.

First of all I'd say your weight loss goals are maybe a teeny bit high, but not impossible. A really good guideline would be to plan to lose 1% of your bodyweight per week. So at 310 lbs, you'd plan for 3.1 lbs. Obviously as your weight goes down, how much you lose each week will go down. 4 lbs isn't unheard of at the beginning of a diet, and you might even drop more the first few weeks as you change your diet, lose water weight, etc. But be moderate in your expectations and you won't be disappointed. :)

Next is what you eat ... sounds like you have a pretty good handle on it, knowing what you eat, and knowing that you just eat too much of it. The first thing I'd recommend is that you start a food diary of some kind - logging what you eat. I use dailyplate.com but there are tons of other sites out there that you can use that are free to register. Be sure to log in EVERYTHING you eat at least for the first week. I mean seriously - if you lick the spoon while you're cooking, write it down. You'll be surprised where a lot of calories sneak up on you. When I first started losing weight, I never realized how many calories a day I ate by grabbing a piece of candy from my office manager's desk every time I walked by - 6 pieces of butterscotch candy a day = 360 calories. Ouch.

I would think you could start out at around 2500 calories a day and lose weight quite effectively. Make sure that you eat a sufficient amount of protein, veggies, complex carbs, and healthy fats.

As for exercise ... is it possible that when you "give it your all" you're actually overdoing it and burning out? Exercise, especially at 300+ lbs is tough and it's easy to burn yourself out really quickly. Even just walking briskly for 20-30 mins a day is a good start. Get your heart going and build up a bit of a sweat, but don't feel like you have to suddenly become a gym rat or start running marathons. :) Slow and steady is good. And seriously - losing weight is 80% or more about what you eat. Exercise is a bonus round ... and healthy for other reasons, so don't not do it. You really need both ... but diet is primary. :)

Depending on your general level of fitness, you might also pick up some hand weights (or if you have access to a gym at your college, start using dumbbells) and do some basic things like presses, rows, etc. Eventually you'll want to add things like squats, lunges, pushups, etc., but those can be hard on your knees until you drop a little weight.

Hope that helps you some to get started. Feel free to ask any questions. There are lots of people around here to help you. :)
 
Problems with starting an exercise routine

I have the same problem of starting to exercise. Always tell myself I will do it tomorrow but when tomorrow comes, it has become today and guess what tomorrow never comes because I will always say tomorrow I will start to exercise.

When it gets to become like this the best thing to do is to get a friend who also wants to exercise. You can both encourage each other to start. If one of you feels lazy or unmotivated the other must be the motivator. That will get you to start to exercise and once you start it is easy to keep going because the endorphins is already in your system. The endorphins will make you feel happy and so you will continue with the activity because it makes you feel good. Try it.
 
While you can do it I think the rate of you goal isn't realistic. Rather than focusing on how long it will take, try setting a goal for the week and stick to it. Say 4-5 hours of cardio, full body weights 2X's and heathy x amount of calories a day for an entire week. Then do it again...and again...and again. All of my goals have taken longer than I shot for, but I'm getting there. Next week will be 2 years since I started out and I'm down 125lbs with about 30 more to go. You'll fall off the wagon time and time again, it's a matter of getting right back on, exercising because you said you were going to even though you're tired (you'll be tired a lot). Take it one step at a time and it will take as long as it takes.
 
Hi Ron,

I have the perfect diet for you.
You can workout but you don't have to.
Iwon't cost you anything other than the food you eat
If you want to know more about it you can email me here:

solicitation

best Regards

Karin
 
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If you have the "perfect diet" then please share it here for everyone to see. It shouldn't be something that warrants a solicitation of private messages.

To the OP...

I echo Kara.
 
Steve said:
If you have the "perfect diet" then please share it here for everyone to see. It shouldn't be something that warrants a solicitation of private messages.

To the OP...

I echo Kara.
Click to expand...

It's a personal diet so it doesn't apply to everyone
you have to fill in a questionaire and depending of what you fill in, i give you a specified diet. designed for you personally.
So i "can't" post the diet here.

Karin
 
Send it to me before posting solicitations for private messages and the like.

Thanks
 
Hi there Ron,

I have read on the net about sauna. It's one way of losing weight if you are one of those people who hate exercises.

Just eat healthy food fruits and vegetables say goodbye to sodas and other beverages just drink pure water and coupled with 10,000 steps of walking each day and that's it:)
 
I just wanted to thank you all for your various advices. I did open a Daily Plate account on July 2. I have been keeping track of my calories and exercises since then... maintaining ~ 1500 calories a day. My diet has primarily consisted of Tyson All Natural Boneless Skinless chicken breast and fruit (oranges, bananas, watermelon, strawberries, and grapes). When I started I was 315 lbs, and as of today I am 306 lbs. I've lost 9 lbs. in ten days just by keeping my diet under control. I probably would have lost a few more lbs. but I've been backed up for the past 3 days. Any advice for regularity?
 
more variety in your diet for starters. I see no fats. get some veggies in there as well.

grats on the current weight loss. One point to point out is the dude who was saying the sauna is an alternative to exercise is wrong. sauna does nothing to lose fat.

also, you will have to seriously consider exercise at some point. diet will take you a ways, yes. so if your goal is to look smaller out of shape soft type look, then by all means, thats what diet alone will take you to. but if your goal is to look athletic or fit in any way then you'll need some resistance training and cardio...
 
Definitely add veggies and some healthy fats. Your body needs fats to process nutrients. Try things like almonds, avocado, some olive oil, that kind of thing.

And the "binding" will be helped by adding some fiberous veggies to your diet - things like broccoli, leafy greens, cauliflower and so forth.
 
I know I'll have to add exercise eventually, I'm just wanting to lose a decent amount of weight first. At 300 + lbs. I'm worried what kind of pressure and impact that amount of weight will put on my joints and bones while exercising. Exercise is always good, but at my size... it is very easy to injure yourself if you don't know what you're doing. And I'm not a big veggie eater... but has anyone ever used / have any reviews on the Jack Lalanne power juicer? According to the infomercial, I could blend in veggies with the fruit and simply drink them. Would this really be as effective as eating them raw? Any thoughts? Thanks.
 
I know I'll have to add exercise eventually, I'm just wanting to lose a decent amount of weight first. At 300 + lbs. I'm worried what kind of pressure and impact that amount of weight will put on my joints and bones while exercising. Exercise is always good, but at my size... it is very easy to injure yourself if you don't know what you're doing.
Click to expand...
While I agree with this, walking is a good exercise and it's reasonably safe at most any weight. There's a lot you can do at 300 lbs. Seriously ... when I first started exercising, I weighed 250, and I'm only 5'4" and I jumped right into exercising at the gym, working on the elliptical, lifting weights, doing things that were lower impact so my joints weren't affected. Proportionately, you at 6' should be able to do something similar.

When you exercise WHILE you're losing, it'll help you with issues like loose skin as well. At the very least, I'd recommend you start walking some.

And I'm not a big veggie eater... but has anyone ever used / have any reviews on the Jack Lalanne power juicer? According to the infomercial, I could blend in veggies with the fruit and simply drink them. Would this really be as effective as eating them raw? Any thoughts? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Juice is never as good as eating whole veggies.

First of all, when you juice anything - fruit or veggie - the nutrients become exposed to oxygen. Oxidation immediately starts to destroy nutrients. So unless you drink the juice immediately right out of the juicer, you're not getting nearly the same amount of nutrients that you're getting from the whole fruit/veg.

Next is that juicing tends to concentrate the sugars in fruit and veg, while removing the bulk. That means that you have to drink more juice to become satisfied and therefore you consume more sugar. For example, one medium apple = about 90 cals and 16g sugar. A whole apple will fill you up because of the bulk of fiber. Compare that to apple juice (all natural w/out added sugar), 1 cup (only 8 oz) = 120 cals and 27g sugar. And 1 cup of apple juice is not likely to be satisfying.

Finally, a benefit of eating whole fruit and veg is the fiber content (which, as I said will help with the "binding" problem - drinking juice will not help). A whole apple has 5g fiber. The 1 cup of apple juice has 0.2g fiber. Fiber not only helps scrub your digestive system and move foods through your intestine, it contributes to feeling full when you eat. It puts a lot of bulk in your system and fills your stomach the way juice can't.

That doesn't mean you have to eat RAW veggies all the time. Raw veggies are great, but so are cooked veggies. And there are tons of ways to fix them - not just steamed, but baked or roasted, grilled, sauteed, mixed into soups and casseroles, etc. There are thousands of different kinds of veggies and dozens of ways to fix them ... there's no reason you can't find some veggies that you like and can eat on a regular basis.
 
Just a quick question. Does this seem like a good breakfast?

2 Best Choice All Natural Organic Eggs 160 calories

2 slices Jenny-O Extra Lean Turkey Bacon 40 calories

1 medium Banana 105 calories

1 cup Welches Grapes 59 calories

1 slice NATURE'S PRIDE Honey Wheat (toasted) 70 calories

4 medium Strawberries 23 calories

1 cup Post Raisin Bran 190 calories

1 cup Great Value Organic Fat Free Milk 80 calories

1 TBSP flax seed meal 30 calories

-------------

Total 757 calories

The eggs were fried using PAM, so no extra calories from butter or anything, and the bacon was cooked in a flavorwave oven, so again no butter or anything there.

And just as an update, as of today, I am 302.7 lbs. I've lost 12.3 lbs. since July 2nd.
 
Congrats on the loss.

I think the breakfast looks good (it looks like a LOT to me, but considering I weigh about 1/2 what you do I couldn't eat all that much :) ). The one thing I'd point out is that Raisin Bran (or any processed cereal actually) is pretty much all sugar. You're not getting a whole lot of nutritional value out of it. I personally would ditch the processed cereal and throw all that fruit in a big cup of organic yogurt instead - same calories as the Raisin Bran, but much better for you.
 
Seems like alot to me but I agree ditch the raisin bran. I myself am on a diet and trying to lose a 100 pounds. I have lost 16 pounds since July 6th, but I have also limited my calorie intake byt alot. For the breakfast I eat a bowl of healthy weight control oatmeal and one slice of light bread plus I also drink alot of water. I eat a lot of chicken and alot of salads. But it seems what you are doing is working for you. Good luck:)
 
Wow. I knew processed foods were bad, but I figured raisin bran was okay since it has a high fiber content. Guess I was wrong. That could explain why I suddenly gained 3 lbs. today (I've been meeting all of my caloric goals). So yeah... I'll be ditching the bran and look into getting some yogurt. And yeah... I know it seems like a big breakfast, and it is, but I try to get a big caloric burst at the beginning of the day so my body has enough fuel to meet my needs and so I don't get hungry later on. I've been easily making under my calorie mark for over a week now, and haven't went to bed hungry once. Actually, I've only went over my calorie mark once since I started (three weeks ago today), and that was on my birthday... so... yeah...

I do have a question though... Don't read if you're easily grossed out... But is it normal for your stool to be green when you switch your diet? I mean, it's still solid like it should be, just really green. Has been since Saturday. Has anyone else experienced this when they changed their diet?

Thanks again.
 
apostledeets said:
I just wanted to thank you all for your various advices. I did open a Daily Plate account on July 2. I have been keeping track of my calories and exercises since then... maintaining ~ 1500 calories a day. My diet has primarily consisted of Tyson All Natural Boneless Skinless chicken breast and fruit (oranges, bananas, watermelon, strawberries, and grapes). When I started I was 315 lbs, and as of today I am 306 lbs. I've lost 9 lbs. in ten days just by keeping my diet under control. I probably would have lost a few more lbs. but I've been backed up for the past 3 days. Any advice for regularity?
Click to expand...

I wish you luck. I find that most programs help you count the calories after you have consumed them. The way to go is to use a meal planner and plan ahead. After you eat them it's to late.

1500 calories is not enough for you (someone may have said that, I quoted you without reading on). They recommend a minimum of 1800 calories/day for a man.

Don't limit yourself to just those foods, you will fail if you do (sorry if that sounds harsh but that is my opinion). I am speaking from experiance, I have tried everything.

Going from 315lbs to 190 lbs without learning how to eat will be next to impossible.

Again I won't post the name of the program I am on but if you want it feel free to PM me.

Mods, I really think you need to rethink not allowing links. There is so much crap out there when someone finds something that works and they believe in they should share it.
 
Yeah.. I've been upping my calorie intake for a little over a week now... since I realized my body was going into starvation mode and hoarding calories. I've been averaging approximately 1900 calories a day since then, and adding more variety to my diet. I usually do use my daily plate account to plan out the calories in a meal before I make it.

Oh, and I just ran out and got some organic yogurt, about six different varieties. I've hit my calorie wall for the day, but I'm going to try a couple of varieties (each cup is 110 calories) for breakfast tomorrow with some fruit and flax seed mixed in. ;)
 
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