Losing Weight

I am kind of at a crossroads here. I am 250lbs (about 114 kilos) at 6ft (1.83 meters). All my life I have been a rather active guy. In high school I played football basketball baseball (all competitively either on amateur teams or through the school) and dabbled in the shot-put and disc. My weight has never been an issue I've always been able to move and juke with the best of them however as I enter college my athletic pursuits have been replaced with more academic ones. The two things I wanted to pursue after high school (Rugby & Strength sports) haven't really materialized. I feel more sluggish and mediocre I no longer feel as virile. I will also point out that I am gaining weight, 250 is the heaviest I have ever been granted it isn't much of a jump from 240 but still. I've always wondered what being skinny would feel like lol. So my main goal is to lose 50 lbs and slim down to about 200 while still trying to maintain strength. I was wondering if anyone else here ever had any experience with losing this much weight not just the ten pounds for bikini season.

Thank you!


This is probably more suited to the front room but Im a senior member I do what I want :wink:

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

I was wondering if anyone else here ever had any experience with losing this much weight not just the ten pounds for bikini season.

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

So my main goal is to lose 50 lbs and slim down to about 200 while still trying to maintain strength.

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Maintaining strength at 200 pounds on a 6-foot frame should be easy-peasy. That's the height/weight range for most heavyweight boxers, so you're not looking for a miracle here.

The last time I was in fantastic shape I was 185 pounds at 6'2", just by way of comparison.

I've actually been attempting something somewhat similar, Strike, since I arrived at UNI. Its nice that I have the UNI gym literally a pleasant, 5 minute walk away from the dorm.

Obviously, dietary habits are key; I've had a fair amount of success thus far; I've lost 6 pounds since UNI started. Good breakfast, getting at least 3 meals a day. Also, if you're body can sustain the surge in caffeine, guarana, and god knows what else, I've found Hydroxycut to be useful as a supplement to diet and exercise. Make sure to get some cardio in, 30 minutes of cardio 3 to 4 days a week has really helped my stamina.

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Originally Posted by Lemur

Maintaining strength at 200 pounds on a 6-foot frame should be easy-peasy. That's the height/weight range for most heavyweight boxers, so you're not looking for a miracle here.

The last time I was in fantastic shape I was 185 pounds at 6'2", just by way of comparison.

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Originally Posted by makaikhaan

I've actually been attempting something somewhat similar, Strike, since I arrived at UNI. Its nice that I have the UNI gym literally a pleasant, 5 minute walk away from the dorm.

Obviously, dietary habits are key; I've had a fair amount of success thus far; I've lost 6 pounds since UNI started. Good breakfast, getting at least 3 meals a day. Also, if you're body can sustain the surge in caffeine, guarana, and god knows what else, I've found Hydroxycut to be useful as a supplement to diet and exercise. Make sure to get some cardio in, 30 minutes of cardio 3 to 4 days a week has really helped my stamina.

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I eventually wanto get back into powerlifting at the 242 division. I've just let myself go (for lack of a better term) I've gained ten pounds of fat and feel a hell of a lot more sluggish. I always wanted to be skinny at least for a little bit lol. I want a good foundation to build on

I neglected to mention; I'm currently 6' 1/2'' and 216 lbs.

I used to play football, and still have a fair amount of residual muscle, so I'm built fairly sturdy; however, I need a lot more toning to do, particularly in the midsection. I'd like to drop down to about 180 or so by next year.(school year, that is)

don't have the direct experience, but general principles will work, i'm sure. eat right and exercise.. it's no mystery. are you getting fat or is the excess weight muscle?

some of the basics i would follow if i were trying to slim down:

1) hit the weights. building the muscle mass increases metabolism.

2) hit the cardio. preferably right after lifting (good for blood pressure). get at least 30 mins a day in. an hour is better.

3) eat less sugar. eat NO simple sugars. cut out sodas, candies and treats of all sorts ENTIRELY (can return to them occasionally once you are at your target weight). need something sweet, eat some fruit. sweeter? tropical fruit.

4) drink more water. help you shed any water weight you are carrying around.

5) look into using protein powder for meal replacement. good way to control your carb intake. personally, i'm a fan of MRM's egg-white protein. also, if you do any serious lifting, you need lots of protein.

6) supplements. some people don't think these work or are necessary. i do. i probably take too many supplements, cuz i'm a bit of a freak about them. but for weight loss, and general health, i'd suggest a few: a good multi vit&min, chromium, cinnamon, a good omega 3-6-9 (or fish oil at least), 5-htp and l-tyrosine.

specifically for lifting, i'd throw in l-glutamine, MSM, glucosamine/chondriotin, systemic enzymes, and a good anti-oxidant (resveratrol, green tea polyphenols, etc).

7) in addition to simple sugars, these are things you should really avoid consuming: alcohol, saturated fats, hydogenated fats. and never, EVER consume high fructose corn syrup. it's probably the worst thing you can eat short of poisons.

8) never be hungry. hunger is bad. it means your boy is starving for nutrients. eat small meals often. when you are doing it right, you'll want to eat about every 2-3 hours. a scoop of protein powder in 12ozs of milk is a good in-between meal. piece of fruit + raw nuts is a great snack.



for exercising, this is what i do now (i think it would be fine for someone trying to lose weight). the sets and reps are just what i usually do, not a recommendation, per se.

day 1 - chest and tris
-bench press, 6x12
-incline bench, 3x8
-dumbbell pec flys, 3x8
-cable crossovers, 3x10
-skullcrushers, 3x8
-cable press downs, 4x10
-dumbbell tri extensions, 3x8

day 2 - back and bis
-preacher curls, 4x10
-hammer curls, 3x10
-dumbbell curls (w/ twist), 3x10
-wide grip pull downs, 4x10
-medium grip pull downs, 3x8
-narrow grip pull downs, 3x8
-seated cable row, 3x10
-dead lift, 3x8
-stiff leg dead lift, 3x8

day 3 - shoulders
-seated arnold dumbbell press, 3x10
-overhead barbell press, 4x10
-dumbbell front raise, 3x10
-dumbbell lateral raise, 3x10
-barbell or smith machine row, 4x8
-dumbell shrug, 4x8

day 4 - legs
-leg extension, 3x10
-leg curl, 3x10
-leg press, 3x10
-stiff leg dead lift, 3x8
-narrow stance squat, 3x8
-medium stance squat, 3x10
-wide stance squat, 3x8

i do about an hour of cardio every day. my cardio consists of 5-10 minute intervals on bike, treadmill, stair climber, and heavy bag. i usually go 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off, for the week. 2 of the 3 off days will be core. my core routine looks like this:

-pullovers, 20
-supermans, 2 mins (or two 1-mins)
-accordion crunch, 30
-side bridge, 1 min each side (usually as two 30s holds)
-divebomber pushups, 10-15
-bridge, 2 mins
-pilates roll-ups, 10
-straight leg lifts, 10
-bicycle crunches, 40 pedals
-mountain climbers, 40 (20 with each leg)
-wall sit, 2 mins


for the core and lifting i would keep a high pace with moderate weight for a couple weeks to build lean muscle mass.


hope some of that is useful.


edit: and obviously never eat fast food. it's so high in saturated fat and calories that you can't eat it and expect to be healthy. eat lots of veggies and lean protein.

I like your diet advice but this is way to much volume for my goals. Heh I know allot of the principles and all that jazz. I know what to do. but what I'm really looking for is someone who has lost this much and kept it off. Powerlifting is filled with guys who fluctuate in weight but very few lose allot of it. I more interested in the physiological effect of all this. Im used to eating whatever I want when I want and I simply cant keep doing that.

Thanks for the advice though I do appreciate all of it :bow:

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

I am kind of at a crossroads here. I am 250lbs (about 114 kilos) at 6ft (1.83 meters). All my life I have been a rather active guy. In high school I played football basketball baseball (all competitively either on amateur teams or through the school) and dabbled in the shot-put and disc. My weight has never been an issue I've always been able to move and juke with the best of them however as I enter college my athletic pursuits have been replaced with more academic ones. The two things I wanted to pursue after high school (Rugby & Strength sports) haven't really materialized. I feel more sluggish and mediocre I no longer feel as virile. I will also point out that I am gaining weight, 250 is the heaviest I have ever been granted it isn't much of a jump from 240 but still. I've always wondered what being skinny would feel like lol. So my main goal is to lose 50 lbs and slim down to about 200 while still trying to maintain strength. I was wondering if anyone else here ever had any experience with losing this much weight not just the ten pounds for bikini season.

Thank you!


This is probably more suited to the front room but Im a senior member I do what I want :wink:

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Hey bud,

1) It's completely common in college. I actually lost a little weight though because it was Berkeley, no parking anywhere, everyone walked or took buses everywhere. But especially right before winter break, I would usually put on weight from bad eating habits and getting ready for finals. And everyone giving you candy and cookies and crap for the holidays.

2) It gets much worse after college, so if staying within a certain physique or weight is important to you, pick up good eating habits now. I know you're in Texas and they find a way to put high fructose corn syrup, deep fried in transfat, even into vegetables. :) But, you will gain weight easier, and faster, after college. Unless your job is track coach or something. It's really hard to have discipline or find the time or energy to go be "active" after sitting at a desk for 9 hours everyday.

3) Try a multivitamin everyday. You never know, it might have no effect but the sluggishness could be some sort of deficiency. It happens.

4) Give a little detail on how many times per day you eat, if they're big or small, what time of day they are, etc. Could try to give you some pointers if you give more detail.

i'm not talking about powerlifting. :inquisitive:

that exercise routine can be done as a circuit with low-moderate weight. that's what someone would want to do if they are looking to lose weight.

it sounds like you are already fairly active, or at least have been up until very recently. if that's the case, nutrition is 80% of your gameplan. i can't stress these enough:

1) no simple sugars. none. at all. no juice or soda, candy or cake, anything with added sugar while you are trying to lose weight is a no go.

2) eat more veggies. no matter how much you eat now, eat more. you could literally eat an infinite amount of these and still lose weight:
lettuce
cabbage
broccoli
celery
bok choy
onions
spinach
kale
etc

3) eat lean protein. fish is a great lean protein, but very lean beef is good too, as is turkey and chicken, of course. beans too. eggs as well. the lowest calorie protein you can consume is egg whites.

4) eat more essential fatty acids (omega 3-6-9 fats). it is fat, and so is relatively high in calories. but the benefits far outweigh the calorie load. best sources are fish oils, nuts, and seeds. personally, i prefer to get mine in a supplement form, because i'm lazy.



i may not have the direct experience, but aside from surgery, this is how people keep weight off. the math is simple: calorie intake < calorie expenditure = weight loss. that's all there is. proper nutrition to for calorie intake and proper exercise for calorie expenditure will get you there. you don't need to count calories like some anorexic hollywood starlet, but just be aware of the general amount you are taking in. building a proper foundation for your body with exercise, and learning good nutrition is how you keep the weight off in the future.

nothing i said is groundbreaking; you'll find it in some form in every weight loss book/program out there. because that's how weight loss happens. the only reason it doesn't work for some (many) is because those people don't or can't follow through.

I agree with all your dieting advice I do not agree with your training regimen. Heavy weights works extremely well for burning calories and cardiovascular work. Thats why at 240 lbs I was able to move like I did because I was very strong and had a good heart. If I feel like I can perform my best at 200 lbs I will stay there. Ive always been the fat kid and seeing abs for once wouldn't hurt. I guess being around all these little frat boys rubs off on me lol. HOwever I really see this as an opportunity to tear myself down and then build back up with all the knowledge I have attained.

what exactly do you disagree with about the example regimen? there are 2 basic strategies for lifting to get lean 1) lift light to moderate at a high intensity (circuit) to burn calories and improve total body strength 2) lift heavy to increase muscle mass, then taper down to a maintenance routine to keep fit. both work, some people respond better to one or the other, though. unless you're a bodybuilder, heavy all the time is counter-productive.

if you really want to lose fat, you have to add in the cardio too. i knew many guys in college that were big and strong and fat, and as soon as they started running, the fat just melted off. running is pretty much the best thing you can do, but it can be hard on the joints for a big guy (i'm a big man myself, but i've big strong bones and big strong joints).

you might want to look into some form of grappling/boxing/kickboxing. hell of a workout.


edit: oh and try to pay as little attention to the frat boys as possible, in all things.

Come to two-a-day fussball practice at my school or do our sprinting workouts.

20 yard - 40 of them @ 5 sec./5 sec. rest
60 yards - 40 of them @ 12 sec/12 sec. rest
100 yards -20 of them @ 15 sec./15 sec. rest

Then do a couple miles under 12:00 minutes and you'll be fine. :2thumbsup:

I'm 5'11 and 160

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Originally Posted by Alexanderofmacedon

Come to two-a-day fussball practice at my school or do our sprinting workouts.

20 yard - 40 of them @ 5 sec./5 sec. rest
60 yards - 40 of them @ 12 sec/12 sec. rest
100 yards -20 of them @ 15 sec./15 sec. rest

Then do a couple miles under 12:00 minutes and you'll be fine. :2thumbsup:

I'm 5'11 and 160

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mixing in sprinting with regular running is a great idea.

I'm 1.84 (6 foot).

3 years ago (Xmas 2005) to April 2006 I dropped from 100kg (220 pounds) to 85kg (187) thats a drop of 33 pounds. I stayed at that until the beginning of this year (88kg) now about 92kg.

Mainly I focused on positive snacking. Looking at what I drank and ate between meals.

Key things I did then: Went from coffee, coffee, coffee to water, green tea, coffee cycle. Made sure I had the first two before I 'rewarded' myself with the coffee. I have two sugars with every coffee be if a small, medium, large or jumbo... don't know why... but then again the largest coffees tend to be 100% arabica so they are quite smooth.

Point is I dropped my liquid intake of sugar by about half... drank more water and green tea both good and didn't feel like I was missing any coffee.

Next:
Almonds, nuts etc. As long as you aren't allergic to these, you should have these nearby as snacks.
Yoghurt, yogurt... no matter how you spell it, find the type that you can eat the most with the least sugar. Don't fool yourself by getting something so sour you avoid it. But do avoid the full sugar ones, normally there is something inbetween that you will willing snack on. Calcium is great for the bones as we all know, it also helps maintain the metabolism.
Fruits & vegetables. Get a bit of colour in your diet.

Drop all empty foods. That is all the simple sugars that have no redeeming features. Try and replace all sources of sugar with honey (again if you aren't allergic).

Breakfast:
I have 3 or 4 wheatbix with no sugar added... that's 97% wholegrain. It tends to be my healthy meal of the day. I might add dried apricots or fresh bananas to sweeten it.

I find that the sweeter my breakfast the more sweeter I need all the other meals and drinks of the day.

So if you can stomach it have as plain a breakfast as possible, with a green tea or a coffee with no sugar (honey if you must) and finish it with plenty of fruit for dessert.

For cardio:
Swimming: Freestyle for shoulders, breast stroke for abs.

well, i wrestled, and i lost 35 lbs.
heres what you do.
you basically cut soda, junk, cookies, cake, and all the crap out of your life. eat a lot of protien and stuff. eat like a caveman. work out. pushups, crunches (not sit-ups; they dont do as much as crunches). do jumping-jacks, sprints, ect. do that for 2 hours.

Mission: Lose 50 pounds quickly, while maintaining strength, in a uni environment.

Proposed solutions:

1) Join Track team (for the training, not your personal performance); 1 year
2) Join ROTC (ditto) 1 year
3) Join football team (ditto) 16 weeks
4) Join the Lit Society (and start drinking hard booze, brood a lot, with no food intake; 6 months)
5) Start a methamphetamine habit, then quit cold-turkey at 200 pounds; 4 months
6) Adjust diet and exercise regimen to suit uni environment; 4 years
7) Join the ACLU, fall in love with a Liberal girl who will run your life for you; 90 days
8) Join a new-age cult, called "I'm OK - You're Messed Up" pass out leaflets at the airport; 6 months
9) Begin a rigorous Samurai diet of 2 bowls brown rice @day, +fish & noodles once @ week; 4 months
10) Hunt. Every day. All day.

I highly recommend #7. Quick, kinda fun, character-building.

:)<---obligatory ironic smilie

nah.. hooking up with a vegan will ruin his strength.

Booze doesn't help if your trying to lose weight either, since IIRC there are 36 calories in every gram of alcohol. :shrug:

I'm trying to do the opposite. Bulk up. Hard, since my family is mostly genetically slight.

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Originally Posted by Rythmic

Booze doesn't help if your trying to lose weight either, since IIRC there are 36 calories in every gram of alcohol. :shrug:

I'm trying to do the opposite. Bulk up. Hard, since my family is mostly genetically slight.

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weights, protein, and fat.

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=107472
Didn’t you just pig out at every Mexican restaurant in town while looking for food like they had back home? :laugh4:

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Originally Posted by yesdachi

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=107472
Didn’t you just pig out at every Mexican restaurant in town while looking for food like they had back home? :laugh4:

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and?

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

and?

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That and the drinking probably explains the 10 pound bump you recently had. :beam:

I gained about 50 pounds in the couple of years after HS graduation. Luckily I was able to switch jobs and work off most of it and now I am about 10 pounds over what I think is the perfect weight for me, 220 lbs. I am 6’ and I think anything less than 210 on me and I start feeling puny.

Over the Christmas break my sophmore year in college, I decided to not drink beer. Liver needed the break, and I was visiting my grandparents so it was easy. Ate like a pig, my grandmother has a sweet tooth and left candy and cookies everywhere. Still lost 10 pounds over 3 weeks. At that point in my life I needed beer to maintain weight. :medievalcheers:

After college, I gained 20 pounds in 3 months. Desk job and real food. I would second the suggestion that you get your weight and eating habits sorted out now.

I lost about thirty pounds in about three months. I'm still losing weight as I have gone over my plateau.

Walk everywhere. Read. Lift some weights. Drink water. Drink water until you have to pee every hour, jk.

A small bottle of soda an a candy bar is much more likely to give you cavities than make or keep you fat. Just remember to exercise it off. Eat small meals throughout the day. GET PLENTY OF SLEEP.

Oh, and you'll love this one: Cut out alcohol.

It's simple. For food: Increase quality, decrease quantity. For exercise: Do more.

Simple as that, the rest is up to you. It's going to be difficult if you're in college, really hard I should say. Do the above and exercise twice a day.

Oh, no drinking! :barrel:

What if switched to boxed wine or whiskey?

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

What if switched to boxed wine or whiskey?

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You're in college, so giving up the drink is not an option. Just don't eat breakfast or lunch. Beer is food. :yes: Worked for me!

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

What if switched to boxed wine or whiskey?

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Worked for this guy, and a few million others.

But check your liver first.

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Originally Posted by KukriKhan

Worked for this guy, and a few million others.

But check your liver first.

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Looks legit.