Weightlifting & Fitness - Everything old is new again!

[Texansfan713]

starting today im officially done with fast food.  Making a commitment to eat healthier the rest of the year.  Need some gym exercise tips to help lose weight. im 204 right now.  I want to get back in the 170 pound range.  Is a treadmill on a 15 incline at 3.7 speed good to start off on?  I believe it burns 1,117 calories per hour. 

[minutemancl]

43 minutes ago, Texansfan713 said:

starting today im officially done with fast food.  Making a commitment to eat healthier the rest of the year.  Need some gym exercise tips to help lose weight. im 204 right now.  I want to get back in the 170 pound range.  Is a treadmill on a 15 incline at 3.7 speed good to start off on?  I believe it burns 1,117 calories per hour. 

Properly defined goals help. Is your goal just to lose weight? If so, you just need a calorie deficit. Any way you get there technically will work; doesn't matter what exercise you do or what you eat, as long as you expend more than you consume.

If you have a more specific goal, ie 'I want to lose 30 pounds, have my waist size go down by 2, and I want to do it by running/walking on a treadmill while also cutting fast food out of my diet', we can help you out a lot better. 'Get healthier' and 'lose weight' aren't necessarily synonymous.

[Texansfan713]

Goal is primarily to lose weight and get my cholesterol levels down.  The 2nd paragraph is the goal I want to achieve. 

[Matts4313]

1 hour ago, ramssuperbowl99 said:

I do this every day:

Really helps with a WFH/office job.

Now fix lower shoulder blade, Mr. Super Hero

[ramssuperbowl99]

1 minute ago, Matts4313 said:

Now fix lower shoulder blade, Mr. Super Hero

No idea, if anyone's got wrist/hand pain I do stretches that will legitimately make you meet Jesus the first few times.

[minutemancl]

27 minutes ago, Texansfan713 said:

Goal is primarily to lose weight and get my cholesterol levels down.  The 2nd paragraph is the goal I want to achieve. 

Have you been working out recently, before you decided to lose weight? Easiest way to lose weight for guys is stop drinking calories (no beer/soda/energy drinks, but vodka is fine) and start running/walking. If you weren't working out before and you were drinking before, try that out and see how it works for you. 

Cutting out fast food is interesting because in our society, it is almost impossible. You will always find yourself, at some point, in a scenario where you worked super late or are in a new area away from home where your only realistic option is fast food. I would recommend not cutting out fast food, but choosing better options from those restaurants. Get a grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a instead of the crispy one. Or get a salad with grilled chicken and forgo the dressing. Don't get fries with your meal, get something else instead. The really bad part of fast food restaurants is the sodium; if you can stay away from that, you're fine. And again, losing weight is just calories in vs calories out. Start by reducing your calories in in ways that don't require complete lifestyle changes (like I mentioned) and start walking/jogging/running to burn off some calories. This is the start of a healthier lifestyle. Keep in mind, this is the right way to do it, but it won't result in quick results. Quick results feel good, but are never sustainable.

[Texansfan713]

10 minutes ago, minutemancl said:

Have you been working out recently, before you decided to lose weight? Easiest way to lose weight for guys is stop drinking calories (no beer/soda/energy drinks, but vodka is fine) and start running/walking. If you weren't working out before and you were drinking before, try that out and see how it works for you. 

Cutting out fast food is interesting because in our society, it is almost impossible. You will always find yourself, at some point, in a scenario where you worked super late or are in a new area away from home where your only realistic option is fast food. I would recommend not cutting out fast food, but choosing better options from those restaurants. Get a grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a instead of the crispy one. Or get a salad with grilled chicken and forgo the dressing. Don't get fries with your meal, get something else instead. The really bad part of fast food restaurants is the sodium; if you can stay away from that, you're fine. And again, losing weight is just calories in vs calories out. Start by reducing your calories in in ways that don't require complete lifestyle changes (like I mentioned) and start walking/jogging/running to burn off some calories. This is the start of a healthier lifestyle. Keep in mind, this is the right way to do it, but it won't result in quick results. Quick results feel good, but are never sustainable.

Yeah I have.  I've been doing walking and running around this park next to my house and on the treadmill.  I stopped drinking soda months ago.  The only thing I drink is water. Your 2nd paragraph is interesting. I might consider those options.

 

Thanks for the advice.

[minutemancl]

3 minutes ago, Texansfan713 said:

Yeah I have.  I've been doing walking and running around this park next to my house and on the treadmill.  I stopped drinking soda months ago.  The only thing I drink is water. Your 2nd paragraph is interesting. I might consider those options.

 

Thanks for the advice.

You're already most of the way there then. If you keep doing what you are doing, you'll see results. Eating less (less calories) and eating better (less sugar, less carbs, more protein) and intensifying your workouts (maybe upgrading to running more often or for longer periods of time) will push you to get there faster and see more noticeable results. You're doing good though!

Couple things to keep in mind: you can't target areas to lose weight in (ab workouts won't work off belly fat). If/when you lose weight, you will most likely be losing both fat and muscle, albeit in very different proportions depending on your body (normally more fat than muscle); it is just something to keep in mind. You need to be really diligent and adamant in maintaining your existing muscle mass or actively building more to only lose fat. The important thing about running/jogging/walking is not the time, it is the distance. It's probably better for you to walk 3 miles than run 1. Losing weight is tough and it is hard not to get sucked into fads that will lose you weight quickly. Be steadfast and confident in the process. Starving yourself or not drinking enough water will reflect on the scale in the short term, but is impossible to maintain long term and leads to bad, unhealthy habits.

I think some guys here had some success with intermittent fasting, if you are interested in doing that. Bigger lifestyle change, but it seems to work.

Also keep in mind I'm not a personal trainer, just a guy on the internet who knows some stuff.

[ramssuperbowl99]

22 minutes ago, minutemancl said:

You're already most of the way there then. If you keep doing what you are doing, you'll see results. Eating less (less calories) and eating better (less sugar, less carbs, more protein) and intensifying your workouts (maybe upgrading to running more often or for longer periods of time) will push you to get there faster and see more noticeable results. You're doing good though!

@Texansfan713 only thing to add, specifically because of the cholesterol focus, would to be to watch for substitutions that can be made with that. Instead of a burger from Five Guys, get a chicken burrito from Qdoba/Chipotle, and get some guac in there. 

Avoiding booze, red meat, full fat dairy, and shellfish and adding fish, avocados, almonds/whole grains, etc. Google will give tons of lists on good/bad foods. Also whey protein lowers cholesterol, so adding a protein shake as a fast food emergency replacement would be bigger, but positive on every front.

 

Lastly, some people just can't control their cholesterol literally no matter what they do. I dated a woman who's dad ran marathons and had an LDL > 200. It's an overactive malfunctioning enzyme and not something you can necessarily control, so you should talk to your doctor and shouldn't get discouraged if the weight comes off but the cholesterol stays similar.

EDIT:: Googled it to confirm - it's not an overactive enzyme. It's that the enzyme responsible for getting rid of excess LDL doesn't work properly.

Edited April 22, 2022 by ramssuperbowl99

[biggie.]

5 hours ago, Texansfan713 said:

starting today im officially done with fast food.  Making a commitment to eat healthier the rest of the year.  Need some gym exercise tips to help lose weight. im 204 right now.  I want to get back in the 170 pound range.  Is a treadmill on a 15 incline at 3.7 speed good to start off on?  I believe it burns 1,117 calories per hour. 

Here's what I've been doing to lose fat:

Exercise

Daily: Minimum three mile walk. Usually right after I get off work.

MWF: Currently doing Stronglifts 5x5 but just for the squat. This is mainly due to time constraints, but after doing heavy 5x5 squats (did 370 lbs this morning), I just don't have enough in the tank left to do the other exercises effectively.

If squatting isn't your thing, you can do any of the other lifts (bench, deadlifts, overhead press, rows).

Tuesday: =< 8 min/mile pace run working up to five miles. What I do is add a quarter of a mile each time I beat the time goal. For example, if I run two miles in 16 minutes or less, the following week I need to do 2.25 miles in 18 minutes or less. After the run I do an incline walk until I've been in the gym for an hour. This counts towards my daily three mile walk.

Thursday: 60s sprints, 2 minute walk for 10 cycles, which equates to about 30 minutes. Like on Tuesday, I do my incline walk afterwards until it has been an hour.

Saturday: Ruck. If you don't have a rucksack, regular backpacking/hiking is a perfectly acceptable. I always do a minimum of five miles.

Sunday: Walking, stretch some static holds. Nothing intense.

Dieting

Cutting the fast food is a huge first step, but be sure to cut other crap as well. Stay away from other processed stuff like sugary cereals, cakes, cookies, etc. Drink primarily water (adding squeezed lemon and/or lime juice is fine), though tea and black coffee is fine. A little bit of milk is alright as well, but avoid chocolate and strawberry versions cuz those are loaded with sugar.

I personally eat Bruce Lee style in the sense I eat a bunch of micromeals throughout the day. Here's a sample day of eating for me:

Meal 1: 3 eggs + a little bit of cheddar with a cup of milk.

Snack 1: 96% cacao dark chocolate

Meal 2: Bowl of beef stew

Snack 2: Banana

Meal 3: Steak and broccoli.

Snack 3: Apple

I also fast on Sunday.

Edited April 22, 2022 by biggie.

[Texansfan713]

2 minutes ago, biggie. said:

Here's what I've been doing to lose fat:

Exercise

Daily: Minimum three mile walk. Usually right after I get off work.

MWF: Currently doing Stronglifts 5x5 but just for the squat. This is mainly due to time constraints, but after doing heavy 5x5 squats (did 370 lbs this morning), I just don't have enough in the tank left to do the other exercises effectively.

If squatting isn't your thing, you can do any of the other lifts (bench, deadlifts, overhead press, rows).

Tuesday: =< 8 min/mile pace run working up to five miles. What I do is add a quarter of a mile each time I beat the time goal. For example, if I run two miles in 16 minutes or less, the following week I need to do 2.25 miles in 18 minutes or less. After the run I do an incline walk until I've been in the gym for an hour. This counts towards my daily three mile walk.

Thursday: 60s sprints, 2 minute walk for 10 cycles, which equates to about 30 minutes. Like on Tuesday, I do my incline walk afterwards until it has been an hour.

Saturday: Ruck. If you don't have a rucksack, regular backpacking/hiking is a perfectly acceptable. I always do a minimum of five miles.

Sunday: Walking, stretch some static holds. Nothing intense.

Dieting

Cutting the fast food is a huge first step, but be sure to cut other crap as well. Stay away from other processed stuff like sugary cereals, cakes, cookies, etc. Drink primarily water (adding squeezed lemon and/or lime juice is fine), though tea and black coffee is fine. A little bit of milk is alright as well, but avoid chocolate and strawberry versions cuz those are loaded with sugar.

I personally eat Bruce Lee style in the sense I eat a bunch of micromeals throughout the day. Here's a sample day of eating for me:

Meal 1: 3 eggs + a little bit of cheddar with a cup of milk.

Snack 1: 96% cacao dark chocolate

Meal 2: Bowl of beef stew

Snack 2: Banana

Meal 3: Steak and broccoli.

Snack 3: Apple

I also fast on Sunday.

Wow, this good advice as well.  Thanks for posting this. 

[jetsfan4life51]

6 hours ago, Texansfan713 said:

starting today im officially done with fast food.  Making a commitment to eat healthier the rest of the year.  Need some gym exercise tips to help lose weight. im 204 right now.  I want to get back in the 170 pound range.  Is a treadmill on a 15 incline at 3.7 speed good to start off on?  I believe it burns 1,117 calories per hour. 

What's your breakfast look like?

Do you have a gym membership? I would do 4-6 total workouts per week.  2-3 cardio based, 2-3 full body weight training circuits.

What are your Triglycerides? Those are arguably more important than Cholesterol. Definitely ditch the fast food (for now) and I advise against the "less bad" options like a grilled chicken sandwich.  If you want success you have to take yourself out of that environment.  It only has to be temporary but if you keep going back for fast food for a grilled chicken sandwich it's easier to slip up.  And if Cholesterol is really an issue than fast food, whether grilled or not, will certainly not help that number.

A high quality fish oil can help out with Cholesterol and Triglycerides.  My guess is you are also low on Omega 3 with your previous diet.

[Texansfan713]

12 minutes ago, jetsfan4life51 said:

What's your breakfast look like?

Do you have a gym membership? I would do 4-6 total workouts per week.  2-3 cardio based, 2-3 full body weight training circuits.

What are your Triglycerides? Those are arguably more important than Cholesterol. Definitely ditch the fast food (for now) and I advise against the "less bad" options like a grilled chicken sandwich.  If you want success you have to take yourself out of that environment.  It only has to be temporary but if you keep going back for fast food for a grilled chicken sandwich it's easier to slip up.  And if Cholesterol is really an issue than fast food, whether grilled or not, will certainly not help that number.

A high quality fish oil can help out with Cholesterol and Triglycerides.  My guess is you are also low on Omega 3 with your previous diet.

breakfast i usually eat oatmeal with fruit or frosted flakes with turkey bacon.  depending on what I'm in the mood for.

i have a gym membership.  I usually go every day except Fridays since my gym closes late Mon-Thurs and on weekends.  Friday they close super early.  Havent been going consistently in a while though. 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Texansfan713

[jetsfan4life51]

6 minutes ago, Texansfan713 said:

breakfast i usually eat oatmeal with fruit or frosted flakes with turkey bacon.  depending on what I'm in the mood for.

i have a gym membership.  I usually go every day except Fridays since my gym closes late Mon-Thurs and on weekends.  Friday they close super early.  Havent been going consistently in a while though. 

Change your breakfast to protein and fats. Definitely no cereal!

Eggs and turkey bacon/chicken sausage.

Ground beef and avocado.

Greek yougurt, nuts, berries.

Combos like that.

[MWil23]

4 hours ago, ramssuperbowl99 said:

@Texansfan713 only thing to add, specifically because of the cholesterol focus, would to be to watch for substitutions that can be made with that. Instead of a burger from Five Guys, get a chicken burrito from Qdoba/Chipotle, and get some guac in there. 

Avoiding booze, red meat, full fat dairy, and shellfish and adding fish, avocados, almonds/whole grains, etc. Google will give tons of lists on good/bad foods. Also whey protein lowers cholesterol, so adding a protein shake as a fast food emergency replacement would be bigger, but positive on every front.

 

Lastly, some people just can't control their cholesterol literally no matter what they do. I dated a woman who's dad ran marathons and had an LDL > 200. It's an overactive malfunctioning enzyme and not something you can necessarily control, so you should talk to your doctor and shouldn't get discouraged if the weight comes off but the cholesterol stays similar.

EDIT:: Googled it to confirm - it's not an overactive enzyme. It's that the enzyme responsible for getting rid of excess LDL doesn't work properly.

My cholesterol went from 210 to 144 in 6 months doing all of the above 👆. Good advice!

One thing to piggyback off of:

If you “have to” cheat, find healthier cheats. Do A (singular) glass (serving) of neat bourbon instead of eating that after dinner snack.

Add granola to that yogurt and maybe a touch of honey (don’t go crazy). 

Get cocoa almonds instead of regular ones you won’t eat to satisfy that sweet craving.

Just some things that worked for me on this front.