Help Save My Life!!! 32 years old and BFI > 40% @ 260lbs

[Mark A Anderson]

I need someone to help save my life. I feel that if I don't do something I am going to have a heart attack or stroke. I am 32 years old, 5 feet 6 inches, 260 lbs with a BFI > 40%. I tried to get into a health study about people with high risk of Diabetes as it runs on both sides of my family. They would not let me in because of my BFI. So now I am here looking for some help. I have started doing Carido 2 days on 1 day off 3 days on 1 day off. I start with a 5 min warmup, 2 mph 2 min 2.5 mph 2 min, 2.8 mph 1 min. Then I spend 5-10 mins stretching. Next I get back on the treadmill for 30 mins at 3 mph. I do it at a slow speed because of my weight but I also workout with the treadmill at a 10% incline. My heartrate average is 160-165 bpm for the 30 min workout. I then do a 5 min cool down and some final stretching. My biggest problem is in my diet. I have cleaned it up a littel and I have lost 15 pounds in the last 3 weeks,I was 275lbs. I would like to lose 60 pounds at about 2-3 pounds a week. I also would like to add so weight liffting into my day but I am more worried about the weight right now. I have figured up my BMR to be at 3804 so I am figuring on a 3500 cal diet to mantain a 2-3 pound a week lost with the cardio. Is this right? I get up at 7:30, work from 8:00-500 with a lunch at 12:30 On Monday and Tuesdays I eat and go to school at 6:00 so I don't do cardio on Mondays but on Tuesdays I have to wait untill after school to do my cardio (8:50PM) I have been doing a lot of reading and don't really know where to start. I don't take any vitamins or suppliments right now so I am starting from scratch. What would you suggest for a diet, vitamins and suppliments? As for carbs and protein I can eat about anything. Also I need a good pre and post cardio workout meal. 4 of the 5 days I do cardio at 5:30 when I get home from work and afterward I feel like I can eat the rest of the night. Please help in anyway that you can!!!

[ROCKILLER]

My main advice is keep reading, get all the info you can. Also, any way you can do cardio first thing in the morning? Generally you want to do it right when you get up and then eat after. That way you aren't all amped up at night and feeling hungry. I'm not sure but I would think that 3000 calories would be OK. What is your diet exactly? I wouldn't worry about much other than a daily multi-vitamin as far as supplements. If I were you I would look online and find a circuit training routine to get your body used to working out. Then after a while you can switch to a regular lifting routine where you work a body part once or twice a week. Three times a week would be a good start. You don't have to go craz, its a long process, the most important part is to keep with it.

[Mark A Anderson]

Man I have tried, its too much for me to get up and workout and then eat breakfast and get to work before 8:00 but I can give it a better try. My problem is that I go to bed too late. Here I am typing away at 2:52 am and have to get up at 7:30. I keep saying that I am going to start going to bed at 11:00 but before I know it, it's 1:30 am. My diet sucks right now. I know that there is no way that I am getting 3000 cals a day so I need to add a lot. It is problably why I am hungry in the evenings. Here is my current diet:
Eat 1 cup of Oat meal at 8:00 still need a protein here
Need to add a meal about 10:00-10:30
12:30 6-8 oz grilled chicken steamed vegetables
Need to add another meal at are about 3:30-4:00
6:00 eat 6-8 oz grilled chicken with a whole baked sweet potato
8:00 Need a meal here
10:00 1/2 cup of non-fat cottage cheese
Please remember I am new to this so take it easy on me. Right now I know that I am not eating enough but that is also why I am here. I don't know how much carbs/protein/fat/calories that I need per meal.

[babyblues]

Hi Mark, welcome to SM. You've already taken the biggest step. Most people don't even make it this far. You're on the right track.

You're right that your diet is the most important piece of your puzzle. I would start reading in the Nutrition section. I wouldn't focus so much on bodybuilding diets, because that's not your goal right now. Find as much as you can about weight loss. Everything you need to know to get started is here. The more you teach yourself, the greater your chances of success. Because it's not just about losing weight, it's about changing your lifestyle. It's about changing the way you think about your health.

[Bouncer]

Hey mark, good advice from rockiller and babyblues.

I would add that you dont need 3500 cals a day to maintain. that will just slow down or prevent fat lose. i would say something in the range of 2700-3000 would be good for you now with your goals.

few little tips to help reach your goal a little faster:

1. stay away from all sugar. even fruit.

2. drink at least a gallon of water a day.

3. take a fat burner (SAN Tight works well)

4. add in a protein powder

You have a good idea of what your diet should be already. One thing I notice in you second post in this thread is that you have almost no fat in your diet. That is a mistake. You need healthy fats to help you lose fat. Add in some good natural fats. Natural PB, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fatty fish, ect.. all in moderation

[Ashop]

I need someone to help save my life. I feel that if I don't do something I am going to have a heart attack or stroke. I am 32 years old, 5 feet 6 inches, 260 lbs with a BFI > 40%. I tried to get into a health study about people with high risk of Diabetes as it runs on both sides of my family. They would not let me in because of my BFI. So now I am here looking for some help. I have started doing Carido 2 days on 1 day off 3 days on 1 day off. I start with a 5 min warmup, 2 mph 2 min 2.5 mph 2 min, 2.8 mph 1 min. Then I spend 5-10 mins stretching. Next I get back on the treadmill for 30 mins at 3 mph. I do it at a slow speed because of my weight but I also workout with the treadmill at a 10% incline. My heartrate average is 160-165 bpm for the 30 min workout. I then do a 5 min cool down and some final stretching. My biggest problem is in my diet. I have cleaned it up a littel and I have lost 15 pounds in the last 3 weeks,I was 275lbs. I would like to lose 60 pounds at about 2-3 pounds a week. I also would like to add so weight liffting into my day but I am more worried about the weight right now. I have figured up my BMR to be at 3804 so I am figuring on a 3500 cal diet to mantain a 2-3 pound a week lost with the cardio. Is this right? I get up at 7:30, work from 8:00-500 with a lunch at 12:30 On Monday and Tuesdays I eat and go to school at 6:00 so I don't do cardio on Mondays but on Tuesdays I have to wait untill after school to do my cardio (8:50PM) I have been doing a lot of reading and don't really know where to start. I don't take any vitamins or suppliments right now so I am starting from scratch. What would you suggest for a diet, vitamins and suppliments? As for carbs and protein I can eat about anything. Also I need a good pre and post cardio workout meal. 4 of the 5 days I do cardio at 5:30 when I get home from work and afterward I feel like I can eat the rest of the night. Please help in anyway that you can!!!

my tip is to cut and AVOID ALL bad sugars and carbs like sodas,,,chips,,candy
you must train yourself to eat the right things at the right time. nutrition is the #1 factor fat loss.

[NYCmitch25]

theres usually a phychological reason behind overeating... IMO get to the bottom of the psychological issue or whatever it is too.

[Scrumhalf]

Split your food into more installments and as others have suggested, drink *lots* of water. I walk around with a 12 oz. glass of water and my target is to finish the glass every hour. For example, I start when I get to work at 8am and by 9am the 1st glass is finished and I refill, etc. By the end of the day, I have close to 1 gallon in me.

Drinking a lot of water also keeps your stomach full. Often your brain confuses thirst for hunger - drinking a lot of water will also help you eat less without feeling as hungry.

[ROCKILLER]

You mentioned you need a protein in the morning. I mix a cup of oats, a scoop of protein powder and a cup of wate in a blender and pound it. In theory you should have the protein and then the oats but this only takes me 30 seconds or so to make and eat. Easy way to always get started off on the right foot.

[Mark A Anderson]

I would like to thank everyone that has responded so far. Well as you know I am new to the 6-7 meals a day but I should not go hungry. Sense I am mainly trying to cut fat how much protein/carbs/fat should I intake daily? I know I need to intake 2700-3000 calories a day. Water is not my problem as I do not drink soda's, beer, mostly water and a lot of it. Every morning I get a .5 L water and take it with me all day at work. I drink 4 .5 L by 12:30 and I drink .5 L at lunch and 1 more more before I get home. Durring and after my workout I drink another 2 L for a total of 5 liters per day. I think that come up to about 1.3 gallons per day. Not bad but I stoped drinking tea 15 years ago and every now and then I will get a diet soda. Next month I will be celebrating 5 years without a smoke. Now if I can get this weight off. As for the protein powder I think that I would rather eat the eggs and the oats for the first meal and add the protein power in for the fourth meal. As any food that I take to work will have to be cooked and can be heated up in the microwave. I think the protein power would work better for the second meal or the fourth meal. I have no trouble eating tuna fish for the second or fourth meal and need to learn how to cook and eat brown rice. Now for the vegetables is no problem for me. I love to eat anything green and any dry beans. My biggest problem is trying to tie them all in so that my diet is not unbalanced. Also I know that I still need to read up on the multi-vitimans and need to add EFA's It is a lot of reading and going to have to use the old trial and error to get it right. Also going to add Tight to my supplements. Why do you want to eat the Protein before the Carbs? Thanks for all of the help so far.

[Scrumhalf]

I may be in the minority here but given where you are, I think adding supplements is making things too complicated. I think you would forget about supplements for now. Just concentrate on cleaning up your diet, drinking lots of water and doing moderate exercise. EVERY DAY. Keep the goals achievable so that you don't get frustrated.

I read somewhere (Lyle McDonald's website, I think) that people who want to lose weight always underestimate the calories they re consuming and people who want to gain weight overestimate their calories. So, I would recommend fitday.com as a place to keep track of what you are eating so that you can shoot for the right number of calories and make sure you are in a caloric deficit for this is what ultimately is going to make you lose weight.

[Bouncer]

I may be in the minority here but given where you are, I think adding supplements is making things too complicated. I think you would forget about supplements for now. Just concentrate on cleaning up your diet, drinking lots of water and doing moderate exercise. EVERY DAY. Keep the goals achievable so that you don't get frustrated.

I read somewhere (Lyle McDonald's website, I think) that people who want to lose weight always underestimate the calories they re consuming and people who want to gain weight overestimate their calories. So, I would recommend fitday.com as a place to keep track of what you are eating so that you can shoot for the right number of calories and make sure you are in a caloric deficit for this is what ultimately is going to make you lose weight.

I disagree. Certain supplements like protein powder and a fat burner can be very help and make it easier for a person overweight. I agree with basics and keeping things simple but certain supps can definitely help.

[NewbieChris]

I would suggest maybe eat your last meal around 7 or 8 depending on what time you go to bed and if you work out late in the night, and need to eat. Make a small, high in protein. It will aide you in loss of body fat and I don't think it will hurt in anyway.

[NYCmitch25]

do you drink? try light beer LOL i knew this big guy years ago he lost 40lbs just gong to light beer. :drunk:


this is more of a bb'lding site... IMO your probably better off with another resource.

[NewbieChris]

do you drink? try light beer LOL i knew this big guy years ago he lost 40lbs just gong to light beer. :drunk:


this is more of a bb'lding site... IMO your probably better off with another resource.

Because Bodybuilders don't have good knowledge of diet and weight control. Way to be a bit rough.