Just starting, need some direction

[FASTFATBOY]

Ok, I have joined and been reading. I have taken steps in the right direction....but need some pointing in the right direction. Here is a run down of me and where I am at.

41 years old, ALWAYS had issues with weight, at one point I was 340 lbs(10 years ago) My health road has been bumpy...apendectamy that turned bad, now a 17 inch scar on my stomach and "mesh" inside, pinched ciatic nerve(lumbar), vertabrae are fusing themselves..disc almost gone. Cervical fusion, slight left arm nerve damage. At this point I am 5 foot 11 and 287 pounds. I have killed a Candida infection(mis-diagnosed as prostitus) that had me very sick for awhile, a wholistic doctor got me straight and eating right. I am down 12 pounds in 6 weeks, 3 weeks of those I started working out.WHemn I started working out the weight loss stopped, but my size is changing. Here is what I am eating:

Breakfast, plain oatmeal with a very small amount of honey.

Mid morning snack(when possible) broccoli/cauliflower mix

Lunch, brown rice and beans(90% of the time)Sometimes I will mix it up to stop getting burned out. Chicken wings out or something similar.

Dinner, salmon or chicken breast, squash and onions, and a small salad with vinagerette dressing.

As much water as I can stand, Wal-Mart key lime flavored, I know it has aspertame but damn I love it.

The scales are stuck at 287-290 lbs, I am getting smaller(or so I think) I go to the gym 6 days a week. I do an HOUR of cardio at the end of each session on the elyptical machine, I had to work up to it...but am steady between 45 and 60 minutes(as much as my feet can stand, they seem to be my limiting factor..they fall asleep and then begin to hurt like hell)

I started out with the advice of a large lifter buddy, with 15 reps each excersize on each machine for the first two weeks, now I am training each muscle to depletion, 8 to 11 reps, 3 sets, one muscle a session, chest today. And moving slowly to free weight "machines" Hammer Strength machines.

I am taking liquid caps jet fuel, seems to help my energy level..dont have a clue about anything else, started on whey protien today, 2 shakes a day.

I keep gettin sick, colds etc...am I getting it from the gym? my body HAS to alkaline with what I am eating and drinking, my wholistic doctor says if you are alkaline nothing can live in the body..but damn I continue to get colds, one was damn bad kept me out of the gym 4 days. 3 over the last 4 weeks. Is my immune system down from working out?

The goal is a hard, thick 220 pounds, what do I need to be doing different? Is "gear" an option at this point? What can I do to accelerate the process? Am I doing it right? Is Hydroxy-cut an option? I have NO contacts or sources for "gear" as you guys call it...actually am afraid of it. But at 41 this is a last time in life shot to get there and maintain. All input welcome.


D

 

[SgtSlaughter]

I'll start with, pretty nice first post! Welcome!

Well you've come a long way that's for sure.... it's a journey.

You state "cardio" if by that you mean at a steady pace for 1 hour... try HIIT instead. High Intensity Interval Training for 20-30 mins.

Eating every 2 hours is great if you can, you didn't state exactly times.... so i'm not sure. But that might also bump up your metabolism some more.

2 Gallons of PLAIN water a day is a must, filling too... helps us maintane our animal appetites

Try a rep range of sub 10 as heavy as you can... just spouting out new ideas to try.

I'm sure you'll receive more input tonight/tomorrow!!

 

[cityhick]

Well I will start off to say that what you are a trooper alone for overcoming your exsisting health issues. Now I suggest try eating every 2 hours and trying to get in at least 1.5 Gal of water a day. I do not think it would be a good idea to do HIIT yet unless you think you are up to it. You will know whart your body can and shouldnt do. You might be getting sick due to the body trying to adjust to all the new things that it is going threw. I often get sick when I get back into lifting after a long break. Do not worry about the scale. TRUST ME. If you eat right/ do your cardio/ and lift your body will change! Try to at least get 1 g of protien a day as well. Light Swimming may also be a good cardio due to the lack of pressure on joints. As far a gear as concerned... thats far in the future. Your estrogen levels will be naturally to high due to the weight and would cause unwanted side effects. Just keep your mind set on loosing fat for now. Just keep with a good diet. DO your cardio. And lift. Your body will take care of the rest. GOOD LUCK. Ask any ?'s that you have. This is all jsut me talking. I know there are other guys that have been in situations like yours and will give you good advice.
CityHick

 

[mbcrump]

Congrats so far, I know how you feel. I was around 50 pounds overweight myself, and now that I lost it I feel great. Anyways, first thing I have to say is do not even think about gear. I lost my weight and got into shape only using protein and flax seed oil supplements. The only guys in my opinion that need gear are those that do the competitions. If you want to become healthy and fit don't use that stuff.

As far as the diet, drop the chicken wings and replace with chicken breast. I also am not a fam of aspartame, so I'd drop that too and replace with water. After a while water will be easier to get down 1.5 gallons or so a day. I'm not a fan of HIIT, I lost all of my weight by increasing miles per hour per week and tossing into the mix a higher incline and jogging instead of running.

If you have a clean diet/do cardio/lift weights you will loose weight. Thats all I did.

 

[dce2956]

Try to at least get 1 g of protien a day as well.
CityHick

I belive what CityHick was trying to say is get 1g of protein per pound that you weigh. so you said you were at 287 lbs? try and eat at least 287g protein a day.

but anyway, thats what CityHick was saying. I say find a calorie level that works for you, say 2200 cals a day or 2400 cals a day, and then calculate ratios of fat/protein/and carbs, which i reccomend to be 30/40/30. this should help you keep the muscle you have or even build new muscle, and that will keep your metabolism up.

 

[Swanson Smash]

if you cant do HIT yet try every five min marker on the machine go hard and fast as you can handle for a minute...i did this all the time while when i was preparing for police academy...this will help build your endurance for that type af training and help the metabolism

 

[FASTFATBOY]

Thanks guys, I am definately hardening up, I am not built like a typical 5 foot 11 287 pounder, I am carrying SOME muscle...I am "thick and barrell chested" as they say. I played Football all the way to Semi-Pro levels and have kept some of that build, but make no mistake I am overweight by a good clip. At the gym they have a hand held Body fat calculator that you hold straight out with the fat part of the palms pressed against it.....it says I am 34% body fat..I have no idea how accurate it is, but seems close. My body IS changing but my weight is stuck on high 280's...thanks for the words.

D