What's up everybody, I started my journey weighing 240lbs (25 years old, 5'7") and have managed to get down to 185lbs. I want to thank everybody in the forum for all the great info which has helped me along the way. My target goal is 165-170lbs. I will get there eventually, but the quicker the better! Obviously it's now getting harder and taking longer to lose each pound and I wanted to know if you guys could help me out. Here's some basic info: - I lift weights (different muscle group each day) and do 45mins cardio (eliptical or treadmill) 5 days a week. - I'm on a low fat, low sugar, low/moderate carb (no whites), high protein diet. - I'm currently taking Oxy Elite, Lean Xtreme, and a multi-vitamin. - I drink 2-3 Protein shakes with water daily. Questions: Would it be a good idea to have a liquid-only day once or twice a week (no solid food)? I rarely use my sauna suit anymore, should I be wearing it during cardio some of time? Should I step it up to doing cardio 7 days a week? How about 2-a-days? How about cheat day(s)? THANKS IN ADVANCE!
Cutting the last 15-20 lbs No, I haven't been that disciplined about it. Around how many cals and fat cals should I be staying under?
Cutting the last 15-20 lbs you are 5'7, you probably need to get to 150 UNLESS you have a few years of serious lifting under your belt. Eat whatever you want, no need to do some fad liquid diet, its just calories in/calories out. Find a calorie number and stick with it and figure out what works for YOU. Start at 2200 and adjust from there.
Cutting the last 15-20 lbs Great job losing the weight so far, especially since you've been winging it. As you now realize, losing the next ten or twenty pounds is going to be much more difficult. If you don't intend to count calories your likely hood of success go way down. You are wasting resources on a lot of nonsense.... low fat, low sugar, low carb..... it really is all about calories The supplements aren't helping....not hurting either so if you've got the extra cash go for it. Liquid only day? What kind of nonsense is that? Do you have a solids only day? Why not? Sauna suit? Really? Are you a boxer/wrestler that needs to lose some water for an hour or two to make a weight class? My suggestion? Go back to the basics...and get rid of the nonsense. Calories are what you need to know....grams of protein..grams of fat.. lift... = success.
Cutting the last 15-20 lbs True, I guess I'm going to have to see what I look like at 165 and go from there. I have a pretty stalky frame and have done few years of lifting (off and on) since my teens. Yeah I wasn't too sure about the liquid thing and probably won't include it unless someone makes a compelling argument for it. I just saw your before/after pics, congrats on the weight loss man and thanks for replying!
Cutting the last 15-20 lbs bzzt! Low fat=terrible bzzt! Inconsequential bzzt. One thing at a time... 1. Fat is needed for hormonal production and maitenence. Without a good fat intake, it'll actually be harder to lose fat. Aim for around .5 grams per pound of lean body mass, or at least per poud of your goal weight. 2. Carbs really do not matter in the slightest. Intake your daily protein, your daily fat, and so long as you stay without your caloric deficit, it doesn't matter if those calories are carbs, protein, etc. It's all calories in vs. calories out. 3. Supplements are really just for an extra kick. They have minimal to no impact on weightloss compared to regular exercise/diet. 4. Protein should be used as it's classified. A supplement. I've never seen the point of mixing with water. I mix mine with yohgurt during breakfast, milk and applesauce, etc. As a supplement, powders should NOT be your main source of protein. Invest in some chicken breast tenderloins, salmon, sardines, and other meats. A good-sized serving not only can give you a massive protein intake, but it'll be relatively low-calorie, meaning you'll have more calories to fill with a special treat. 5. Liquid only day? That sounds stupid, pointless, and like a rather bad recipe for bad digestion and excretion problems. Exactly WHAT would you hope to achieve this way? 6. A sauna suit helps to lose excess water weight. It has minimal bearing on weightloss. honestly, so long as you're drinking [moret than] sufficient water every day (up to a gallon, I'd say), water weight should be an extremely minimal concern for you. 7. Cardio is a good bonus, but it's just that. A bonus. If you're eating right, and lifting weights (building muscle mass) Cardio should definitely not be a necissity. Do it as you like when you like. 8. Don't do cheat days, it's a crappy concept, in my opinion, that can easily lead to a cheat weekend/cheat week. If you're meeting all your macros, and still have quite a few calories before your intake, then fill those up with a treat. When I eat a lot of chicken and salmon, get in most of my fats, but need something like 10 grams more, and have a lot of calories to fill up, I'll indulge in something nice. A bag of pretzel M&Ms, a marshmallow holiday treat, etc. If I keep my diet in check, I can sometimes have something special once a day. Congratulations on your weightloss thus far!
Cutting the last 15-20 lbs Yup supplements are made to "supplement" diet and exercise, and aren't a major factor. I think they have helped and at least give me energy due to the caffeine. Point taken with the sauna suit and liquid only day. Well, based on everyone's posts so far it seems like counting calories is a major piece of the puzzle that has been missing. Any tips on this would be great and I'll also be using the search function to find some thread on it... Thanks again everybody!
