Need help losing!

[detroitmuscle]

Ok guys right now I'm about 295. The doc says I'm on the cusp of high blood pressure and need to lose weight. I am not going to stop heavy lifting, it aint gonna happen. ;D So what are some good suppliments for fat loss. Also how many carbs can I take in without hurting my strength. And is 20 minutes of cardio varied on intensity levels 5-6 days a week good enough. The only problem with all of this is that I'm an over the road truck driver. I have to find a gym where ever I'm at and pay the one time fee. It get's expensive but I'm dedicated. So could you guys help me out here. Thanks

[dopar66]

First things first: forget relying on "fat loss" supplements. The only weight you'll lose is from your pocket. yeah, some of them pump up your metabolism, but the benefit gained is from being jacked on caffeine in the gym.
The 20 min of cardio has been shown to be effective. When I was coaching wrestling the 20 minutes per day was my only off-season and pre-season cardio requirements.
Carbs have been getting a bad rap in the news lately. You can NOT eliminate or severely reduce any macronutrient and expect to have healthy results. Best I recall is the low fat scheme is something like 20% fat intake, 20-30% protein, the remainder is carbs. If you take in primarily complex carbs, your body uses as much energy to process the carbs as you take in, plus you get the benefit of fiber and roughage from whole grain stuff. Whole brown rice, whole grain breads, skinless taters (or skins on if you don't use a lot of butter etc) that kind of carbs, that's good nutrition. Processed sugar and white sugar, well, isn't. :')

One huge tip is to drink 2 to 4 quarts of water a day. When you first start feeling hungry, drink a big old bottle of water. It curbs the appetite, flushes out bad stuff, and keeps you hydrated. Of course, keep an EMPTY bottle nearby while driving.... :')

Keep us posted on how it goes!

God Bless.

[detroitmuscle]

Is that formula for calories? I'm pretty sure it is. And how many calories are good for me in a day? And if I take in more protein in a day will that hurt? I'd like to stick with at least 200 grams of protein in a day unless I'm being foolish. Thanks for all your help.

[dopar66]

(Aw, man, here I go again.....)

:')

Yep, you're bullseyeing that bad boy right down the middle. Caloric intake.

At your size, you can easily afford 200g per day if you're exercising most days. Overall caloric intake, I can't really give you any "good" info on that. I eat around 2000-2200 at 181 pounds. 3Speed takes in almost twice that and he's not but a 220. It varies so much from person to person due to metabolism, activity, intensity of training, and so on. With your daily cardio, and the 3/week working out, the best advice I could offer is to tighten up the diet to all high-quality calories, then see how many calories you can take in without losing strength, but with making gains towards the doctor's recommendations. You might be able to do that on 2500 calories, 3000, maybe 2000. It's going to be a long experiment.

Do us all a favor and post a general daily food intake say for three or four days, along with your working out for those days. Then the more knowledgeable guys can take a really good look at it for you and with you.

God Bless!

[3speed]

I drive for a living also. Dopar is on the right track with the water and with keeping track of your food intake.

Your biggest enemies on the road are soft drinks and fast food. Don't touch the soft drinks - diet, 0 calorie, 1 calorie, decaf - I don't care - leave them all alone. Drink water instead. Limit your fast food. If you don't already have one, put a cooler in your truck and prepare your food ahead of time. I know it's a lot of work. I do it. You say you are committed so here's where the rubber hits the road.

Don't cut your calories drastically. If you cut too much too fast, your body will resist the change and adjust to maintain your weight on fewer calories. Get rid of your empty calories and and do the cardio a minimum of 3 times a week. Just begin to incorporate the changes and pay attention to your body.

Good luck. Keep us posted and we will help as much as we can.

[Deleted]

Detroitmuscle... I've recently went from 295 - 298 this past November, down to 273 currently. I did it by cutting out junk food, greatly reducing my carb intake from breads, pasta, rice, etc., drinking more water, and eating more frequently through-out the day. The primary source of my carbs came exclusively from fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. These can all be prepared ahead of time and kept in a cooler. For sources of protein I ate mainly chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, red meats and whey proetin drinks (EAS brand). You could include foods such as the following; cheese cubes, beef jerky, etc., in your cooler too. I estimate my protein intake to be in the 120 - 200 gram / day range.

I have been limited in the cardio due to phlebitis flare-ups in my legs, so that does show that you can loose weight without having to do much cardio work. I did, though, toss in a few more bodybuilding type exercises in my workouts, such as adding one-arm rows, dumbbell curls, flyes, etc., for higher reps.

Oh yeah, I also tried to avoid eating anything heavy or calorie ladden after about 8:30 - 9:00 P.M. For a bedtime / late night snack, I would have some cottage cheese. I'm still aiming to drop another 10 to 15 pounds.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[detroitmuscle]

Talk about some help! You guys are awesome. I evan got a fellow trucker in the forum. So as far as my eating habits have went I've spread my meals out about 2 hours apart. In between I 'll take in a protein shake. Usually 25 grams in between, about 4 times a day. My meals have been about 50 grams of protien to 25 gram about 6 times a day. I've been eating nothing but fruits and vegitables. I gotta start grabbin some peanuts, or if you guys don't mind suggestin what kinda nut is the best. It's been mostly apples because I like them and grapefruit. I'll grab some oranges and bananas every once in a while. I've lost 5 more pounds and am slowly workin my way down. I've been walking two miles a day instead of doing cardio. It's workin out great. I think It'll probaly take about 6 to 8 monthes to get down to my target weight but it's all good. Thanks so much for all of your help. You all have been a blessing.

[3speed]

First: Congratulations on your success so far.

As far as the nuts go, from a purely health consideration, hazelnuts and almonds - raw or roasted(unsalted) - have been proven to lower bad cholestorol and raise good cholestorol levels.

Excellent attitude on the time frame. Don't get discouraged if it takes longer. You didn't put the weight on in only 6 months. Your body will attempt to establish new set points for your weight as you continue to lose. Once a new set point is established, it can take up to 3 months to lose more weight. Just wanted you to be aware of this.

[donaldmannion]

The water idea is a great idea but don't forget to incorporate cardio as much as possible. I know a lot of power lifters stay away from it but you have to do it to not only help with your blood pressure but also the losing of the weight.

[detroitmuscle]

What's up guys? It's been a lil bit since I could make my way into the forum. I'm currently still holding at about 290. Since I changed my diet I feel so much better. I don't know how my blood pressure is though. I haven't been to the doctor yet. All in all though I have so much more energy and feel alot healthier. I've been adding a lil bit of a regular meal in the evaning and it's been keeping my strength up. I am doing well and feel great. Thanx for all your help.
Jason

[3speed]

Great to hear!! Keep up the good work.

[Deleted]

dopar66 said:

First things first: forget relying on "fat loss" supplements. The only weight you'll lose is from your pocket. yeah, some of them pump up your metabolism, but the benefit gained is from being jacked on caffeine in the gym.
The 20 min of cardio has been shown to be effective. When I was coaching wrestling the 20 minutes per day was my only off-season and pre-season cardio requirements.
Carbs have been getting a bad rap in the news lately. You can NOT eliminate or severely reduce any macronutrient and expect to have healthy results. Best I recall is the low fat scheme is something like 20% fat intake, 20-30% protein, the remainder is carbs. If you take in primarily complex carbs, your body uses as much energy to process the carbs as you take in, plus you get the benefit of fiber and roughage from whole grain stuff. Whole brown rice, whole grain breads, skinless taters (or skins on if you don't use a lot of butter etc) that kind of carbs, that's good nutrition. Processed sugar and white sugar, well, isn't. :')

One huge tip is to drink 2 to 4 quarts of water a day. When you first start feeling hungry, drink a big old bottle of water. It curbs the appetite, flushes out bad stuff, and keeps you hydrated. Of course, keep an EMPTY bottle nearby while driving.... :')

Keep us posted on how it goes!

God Bless.

Dopar66,
you are correct with your statements above and don't be dependant on nutrition supplements for fat loss, but they are a good "supplement" or an accessory to a fat loss regime. The products I use are wonderful for helping in weight management, not to mention their performance products. I don't think one should simply throw aside supplements. Actually, the line of products I use have been known to reduce high blood pressure, migraines, etc.. as a by product of being a core nutrition/weight control product. While typing this I realize that good nutrition is the key, and we all know it is hard to get good nutrition in today's society unless you work at it, and nutrition supplements fill those voids we have in our diet.

And God Bless You too!