I Work Out

[Catharlex]

Actually, I haven't since High School but last week I saw myself in the mirror and was disgusted. I'm a 21 year old, Type 1 Insulin Dependent Diabetic (I was diagnosed in my Sophomore year of High School) who has always been a bit bigger than normal... But right now, I'm disgusted. I'm 6'1" and in the ballpark of ~290 lbs. Over the last week, I've began dieting (Slim Fast since I had success with it in High School), working out daily (I have a bunch of machines in the basement, along with a treadmill and stationary bike), and riding a bike in the evenings with my mother. (She has MS, and needs to start working out her legs)

Basically, I'm looking for any advice from people who have been in a similar situation (obviously the Diabetes thing doesn't mean much) of noticing how out of shape you've gotten, and what you did to get back into shape. I feel as if I'm going about this the right way, but I'm always open to others opinions.

I also have access to P90X (I did this in High School as well) which I'm considering doing instead of working out on the machines in the basement. My main goal right now is to cut the weight (hopefully down to 220 lbs eventually) and then worry about toning up later.

[Clevername]

IF you can legit get through P90X workouts those would be best for dropping those lbs.

[Catharlex]

Yeah I used to be able to get through them when I was wrestling. I'm not so certain anymore, but I think you're right. I definitely remember it cutting weight fairly fast.

[Projali]

Consume fewer calories than it takes to maintain your weight. It's best to eat healthy so you dont deny your body the micronutrients it needs to function well (with consideration for you diabetic insulin needs as well.

An exercise program like p90x or strength program like Starting Strength or Stronglifts will get you back into shape.

It is a commitment to a healthier LIFEstyle. I emphasize life because that is what proper nutrition and exercise do. We can provide you the basics (which you already know) but it is up to you to follow through. No excuses.

[Sarahstrasza]

Boyfriend and I both noticed how... much of our time was devoted to WoW about two years ago, so we joined a gym. He has a better drive, a more competitive nature than I do, and he's lost roughly 140 lbs. I've lost maybe half that and still have about half way to go to be more.. comfortable. The hardest part about dieting is sticking to it. It won't work if you force yourself to eat stuff you do not care for, and do not have the DRIVE to see it through.

We were on a meal plan that involved salmon, cottage cheese, asaparagus... among.. other healthy garbage that does not sit well with me. (Especially Salmon. YLECK.)

I'd suggest starting out slow, and building and piling on more discipline over time. Because, lets face it... if done right it wont melt off instantly and stay off.

For me, I dropped out soda.. if I need a fix, it's diet. Don't switch your soda out for diet.. Use diet if you need a soda fix.. The more water you drink, the better. At first during the weight loss stages you will probably see a bit of gain from the water, if you are drinking enough. But if you do not drink enough water, you won't sweat to your full capability, an won't see as great of results.

After the soda.. I nixed out all the starburst and nonsticky candy I found myself popping during raid time, or other stressful wow moments. (Food and stress, HURRAY )

Swapped to breathy mints (Lower sugar, plus... if I attempt to drink a soda.. it doesn't go so swell with mints, so it sort of forces me in a way to drink the water instead.)

To start, continue with what you currently eat, and slowly work your portions to a smaller size. Fresh foods are always a bonus.. salad, apples, other fruits.. I don't know what you can and can't do diabetes wise.. but ANYTHING that you aren't doing right now, is improvement.

Just to give you a run down of what I do. Sundays, I clean house. That's enough to make me sweat buckets. Especially scrubbin all the floors! Monday is generally up in the air, depending on what I have going on around me. Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday, I train for a half hour, and then hit the treadmill for about 30 minutes afterwards. (unless i'm too tired, then i swim a few laps or soak in the sauna- just remember if you sit in a sauna to replace all the hydration you lost.) friday I do an hour boot camp class, and saturday I take my mom to the gym with me to swim from a half hour to 45 minutes or however long we can before we get muscled out of the pool by other people.)

Even if you don't eat that ONE last bite you normally eat, and do a bit of walking that you don't normally do.. You'll start to notice a difference.

The best feeling about the entire process is seeing my friends.. and walking around the penny arcade expo / blizzzcon with them... and seeing how easily they tire and get sore and achy.. and it's like.. wow, I use to be like that.

I'm sure if I were competitive and/or had the drive of a man i'd be in even better shape right now.. But dieting has to have a happy balance in your life or it will just swing back at you and knock you down like an angry punching bag. Do I watch what I eat? Yes... Do I still occasionally cheat and eat nummy things? Sure. Happy Balance, for Happy People!~

Now, if you want something super fun.. You could do p90x, and then go take a spinning class. That's how my boyfriends lost his weight.. well... not with p90x, he lifts weights, and then does an hour of cycling afterwards. Pshyeah... Wish I had his drive.


Sorry for rambling.. Hope this helped, even if it's everything you already knew. It is an uphill battle my friend.. but it is a battle to be won with all the glory one person can handle. Good luck.

[Clevername]

@Sarahstrasza... 210lbs combined weight loss as a couple is phenomenal, congrats to you both.

[Demonakat]

Alright, so you have p90x and you have a stationary bike and a treadmill.
Do p90x and also go biking. It's going to KILL you at first. p90x.. i kind of pick and choose what i do with it, but i'm actually kinda small (5'8 147, dropping to 140)

Get on your diet. Drop anything but black coffee, green tea (not sweetened), and water from your drinks. DO NOT drink Monster, even the diet. DO NOT drink energy drinks. Don't drink Gatorade or any of that garbage either. Just those 3 I listed. You can put lemon juice in any of them, and honey. Honey acts as an anti-fat type thing, from what I've read. Green Tea has amazing properties.

Drop Fast food. Completely. Don't look back. There's a lot more for dieting than just this, but this is a HUGE part of dieting. Cutting out saturated fats in general.

Personally, I think you should be swimming hardcore. It's amazing cardio, and I think only Sprinting is a better workout. It also works all the muscles in your body. (Look at that Micheal blah blah dude, the olympic gold medal winner)
If you wanna get on the treadmill, start slow and work your way up. Your knees need to be conditioned to take the punishment of a medium-high impact workout. So do your ankles. But once you condition them so you can run a mile, start sprinting on your treadmill. Sprint for as long as you can, then cut it down to a jog, then sprint again after like 30 seconds to a minute. Time yourself, and try to make sure you can go farther each time!

For p90x, my favorites are the ab ripper and the plyometrics. I haven't tried the kenpo, but i hear that's good cardio. 2 weeks ago, I did the ab ripper for the first time in a while, and it felt like someone hit me across the ribs/sternum with a baseball bat for 3 days. Your thighs will also burn like a mofo. The plyometrics is a cardio type workout, it's full of lunges and squats and jumps. It's a GREAT workout. Turn your air conditioner off for the room you're working in and go to town with those, you'll sweat like crazy. (SWEAT IS FAT CRYING! GOGOGOGOGOGO)

If you want to look up different workouts on your own, you can go to livestrong.com or bodybuilding.com. Those 2 are my absolute favorite.
There's a thing called "lifting to lose." Even if you're trying to get lean, you should ALWAYS lift weights. Lifting weights to lose pounds is absolutely amazing. If you've seen Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Andy Whitfield was on that workout plan. He was also constantly working out and did a gladiator boot camp for a month before teh show started filming. He was 5'8 and 158 pounds.

If you have ANY questions, you can post them in here or private message me. I'm currently studying for my NASM CPT. (certified personal trainer)
There is also a moderator in here who is already certified with NASM.


Edit:
I forgot to mention. Diet drinks. Diet soda and such. The substitute sugar they use acts as an anti anti-fat. It prevents you from losing weight. So whereas, if you're a diabetic and just want some soda, you can drink that.. but if you're on a diet and you want soda, just drink a mineral water. If you want a real soda, drink a real soda, just don't do it more than once every few days. Dieting kind of sucks, and you have to wean yourself off of these things. I got myself off soda completely, but if I want one, I'll drink one. I can work off an extra 200 calories if I really want a soda!

[KCguy]

There's nothing special you need to do. It's eating healthy like chicken breast/lean turkey etc, staying away from junk food like sugary drinks/high fructose corn syrup crap, and working out regularly. You can 'cheat' every once and a while, but it's important to stay on track. The best thing you can do right now is cardio. Start slow, but work your way up to push yourself longer and harder. Do it 5x a week and keep doing it. You WILL start to get results I guarantee it. It's good to do some weights as well, but it's not important at first. If you do, start maybe a few days a week with light weights and work your way up as well. Like I said there's no special formula. It's how committed you want to be. There will be tough days where you don't want to do it and there will be days where you struggle more than usual, but try not to get discouraged. Plateaus are natural and it's how you overcome them that make you keep going.

EDIT: As for me, I just do free weights and focus on chest triceps, then biceps/back the next day etc. I then do 1 hour of cardio every day. At least 5 days a week and sometimes 6 days a week. And I work my ass off also till I'm sweating like crazy. It's good to have a day off and rest the ol bones as well. I try to eat healthy as well staying away from soda and stuff and away from burgers and stuff. Cheating is fine, but in moderation of course. It's tough, but if you stick with it you'll get results.

[Felicia]

I've been a type I diabetic for a long time. And... I mean most of my life. I'm 23, and was diagnosed when I was 7. I don't know any other way of life, and if a cure came out tomorrow. I don't know what I'd do once I was cured. I'm not saying I'd like to keep the disease, but it'd be like... 'Wow! No more shots, or my insulin pump. Yay!'

Anyway, I'm roughly 125-130 pounds. And I'm 5'3. I was a bit over my target weight limit. Since I went through the entire moving out, eating whatever I wanted (yes, we can do that as long as we take our insulin.) I had lost whatever discipline I had, and gained about 10 pounds. Even then, I felt fat. My husband is going to join the Navy, and needed to lose about 10-15 pounds. So we both decided now is as good as any other time.

So we took my parents unused treadmill (it's a glorified coat rack), their unused weight machine, and bought a recumbent bike (I have bad knees). And we started eating more whole grains (whole grain bread, brown rice, cereals like Kix/Multi-grain cheerios), more fruits/vegetables, lots of lean meat, and 1% milk/greek yogurt. I eat a strict 1400 calorie diet, and my husband eats 1800 calories a day. We did that about a month ago, and I've already lost about 5-6 pounds! And I haven't felt this good in years. Not since my cheerleading days, and all the sports I used to play when I was younger! I didn't realize how much of a staple working out had been in my life But it really makes you feel great. My husband has lost the weight, and he's persistent on maintaining it. He's putting in his papers next week!

Good luck! Just start slow, and work your way up. Do a bit of cardio training for the first two-four weeks, with a bit of light weight lifting. And other strength training. It's all about progression.

[Samitsu]

The hardest part of losing weight is making workout a part of your daily routine, and keep to that routine even when you reach your goal.
I'm 6'0" and 230lbs, and I've been jumping up and down between 200lbs and 240lbs for the last 10 years or so. It's always the same thing, I start working out, lose 20lbs then stop working out because it's so boring, and regain the weight again.
The battle ain't over once you've lost the weight, you need a permanent change in lifestyle, which I personally haven't been able to do yet.
I also have the p90x program, and I've been thinking of trying it out, but it seems so steep, like it would totally kill me from the first workout, which again destroys your motivation to keep going.

[jaykaywhy]

I used to be 240 coming out of high school, but I was only 5'9". I dropped a lot of it pledging a fraternity (heh), but regained it since I was pretty ignorant about dieting aside from "IF IT TASTES GOOD, EAT IT."

I think at my heaviest, I was in the 245 range in undergrad. I'm 170 now. I lost the majority of it when I buckled down and just ate a high protein/low carb diet. I didn't do atkins, but I cut my carb intake to below 50 grams of carbs a day. It honestly seems like you're on the right path-- just be patient, stay motivated, and don't rush things.

[RenegadeXan]

Diet, diet, diet drink green tea too, 5 meals a day is what i do about 400-600 calorie a meal. 3 workout a week of 50-60mins.

Takes times but it will happen. Stick to it, its not hard, it only take will power.

[Demonakat]

Diet, diet, diet drink green tea too, 5 meals a day is what i do about 400-600 calorie a meal. 3 workout a week of 50-60mins.

Takes times but it will happen. Stick to it, its not hard, it only take will power.

5 meals a day at 400-600 calories is a HUGE surplus of calories, unless you're a bodybuilder you should definitely NOT eat anywhere near that.
Also, shouldn't eat 5 times a day unless you're trying to gain muscle, there's just no reason to. You can eat better if you eat 3 meals a day, you can be more satisfied. Eating 5 times a day just invites you to eat a surplus of calories, even if you try portion control.

To lose weight: figure out how many calories a day you take in, then half that. You'll lose weight pretty quick regardless if you start working out or not.

[Radux]

To lose weight: figure out how many calories a day you take in, then half that. You'll lose weight pretty quick regardless if you start working out or not.

That's actually really reckless advice to be giving someone.

Ideally they need to find their BMR and eat at a ~10-15% deficit from their maintenance level. It doesn't take any longer than what you proposed, but it's actually... ya know... safe.

[Deleted]

5 meals a day at 400-600 calories is a HUGE surplus of calories, unless you're a bodybuilder you should definitely NOT eat anywhere near that.
Also, shouldn't eat 5 times a day unless you're trying to gain muscle, there's just no reason to. You can eat better if you eat 3 meals a day, you can be more satisfied. Eating 5 times a day just invites you to eat a surplus of calories, even if you try portion control.

To lose weight: figure out how many calories a day you take in, then half that. You'll lose weight pretty quick regardless if you start working out or not.

Are you really gonna convince us that the average joe can't consume 2500 calories if he works out 3-4 times a week and if he does he suddenly a bodybuilding? You do realize people consume upwards of 10000 calories in extreme sports? 2500 calories is nothing unless you sit at home infront of the computer every day doing nothing.

[Demonakat]

Are you really gonna convince us that the average joe can't consume 2500 calories if he works out 3-4 times a week and if he does he suddenly a bodybuilding? You do realize people consume upwards of 10000 calories in extreme sports? 2500 calories is nothing unless you sit at home infront of the computer every day doing nothing.

They don't consume 10000 calories in extreme sports. They consume about 4000.

If you are trying to LOSE WEIGHT, you need to have a calorie deficit for the day. Not EVERY day, but the majority of the days. That means if you burn 2k calories in a day, you take in less than 2k, and you'll lose weight. Also, 5 means a day at 400-600 is anywhere near 2k-3k. That's a surplus of calories if you're trying to lose weight, the whole point of this is to lose, not to gain or maintain.
I didn't say he was a body builder, and I think you, like many others, take what I wrote the wrong way. I put down that you should not eat 5 times a day unless you're trying to gain muscle. I also wrote that it is a huge surplus of calories, and you shouldn't take in that many unless you're a body builder (trying to GAIN weight).

The average human body burns.. say around 1800 calories a day. Without going out and exercising. (This is a guesstimate, the actual value will vary based on size and what you do in a normal day.) Now say you want to lose weight. For each pound of fat you want to lose, that's 3500 calories. If you take in 2500 calories a day, you're taking in a surplus of 700 for what your body normally knocks off each day. Then you need to work out to get that 700 gone. An hour of running only takes off about 900 calories, the average work out session is about an hour or less. Most people don't run for a full hour. They're going to lift some weights, but not too much, and they will barely scratch out as even for that 2500 calories that day. (unless they know how to really work out, which your average person does not)
So taking in that amount of calories would basically... maintain your current physique, and in your scenario, he works out 3-4 times a week but takes in 2500 a day, he will end up GAINING weight and not LOSING it.
^^Those are numbers based on a person with a smaller frame. 1800 calories per day is approximately what a person at 5'7 and 155-170 burns throughout the day with an average lifestyle and no exercise. A person with a bigger frame will burn more calories per day. But if the goal is to lose weight, you'll still want to dtop down less than 2k calories per day on your diet. I go at about 1300-1500 calories a day with no problems.


And yea, I know that halfing the amount of calories a day you take in is pretty reckless. But the average American takes in roughly 3k calories in pure junk food a day. The easiest way to knock off a ton of calories is to switch to water, green tea, black coffee. Each coca-cola can is 220 calories (i think) and if you drink about 5 per day, throwing that away you'll knock out over 1k calories a day. If you switch to water. A simple change in what you drink can yield results up to a certain point. I lose 20 pounds by switching what I drank (and burning about 1500 calories a workout, twice a week and being a tiny bit more active)


Fun fact: each session of masturbating burns between 100-150 calories. Just thought I'd share that with you guys.

[brown]

Consume fewer calories than it takes to maintain your weight. It's best to eat healthy so you dont deny your body the micronutrients it needs to function well (with consideration for you diabetic insulin needs as well.

An exercise program like p90x or strength program like Starting Strength or Stronglifts will get you back into shape.

It is a commitment to a healthier LIFEstyle. I emphasize life because that is what proper nutrition and exercise do. We can provide you the basics (which you already know) but it is up to you to follow through. No excuses.

I second this. General rule of thumb is you have to reduce your calorie intake by 3500cals to lose one pound of body fat, so keep that in mind. I have never personally done p90x but I only hear good things. I have done SS and that would be a good way to increase your muscle while losing weight. Just remember that losing weight is mainly about self discipline and sticking to your program. I knew a kid in hs with diabetes that ran cross country and several other people that are very active, so dont let that keep ya down.

[Varabently]

That's actually really reckless advice to be giving someone.

Ideally they need to find their BMR and eat at a ~10-15% deficit from their maintenance level. It doesn't take any longer than what you proposed, but it's actually... ya know... safe.

Do you know exactly how to calculate BMR? I have always tried and it is always WAY lower than I actually need to eat. I dont have the same problem as the OP, I have trouble gaining weight (it's a real problem, don't judge) and when I calculated my BMR it said something like 1700. I said cool I will eat 2400 and gain weight right? Nope lost weight. I eat really healthy in addition to my high metabolism so I have to stuff myself (to feeling sick) in order to gain weight. Any idea how to figure out your BMR besides using that bogus height, weight, age nonsense?

[TType85]

The average human body burns.. say around 1800 calories a day. Without going out and exercising. (This is a guesstimate, the actual value will vary based on size and what you do in a normal day.)

Check out your BMR to find how many calories your body needs. google bmr calculator (can't post links yet)

I am at around 2700 (36yrs old, 6' tall, was 323 down to 316), that doesn't include exercise, including basic just walking around work etc. If your sedentary multiply by 1.2. If you eat about that much you will maintain your current weight. I have cut down to 2500 cal per day and am loosing about 1-2# per week. As I loose that max calories will go down too of course.

---------- Post added 2012-03-27 at 05:39 PM ----------

Do you know exactly how to calculate BMR? I have always tried and it is always WAY lower than I actually need to eat. I dont have the same problem as the OP, I have trouble gaining weight (it's a real problem, don't judge) and when I calculated my BMR it said something like 1700. I said cool I will eat 2400 and gain weight right? Nope lost weight. I eat really healthy in addition to my high metabolism so I have to stuff myself (to feeling sick) in order to gain weight. Any idea how to figure out your BMR besides using that bogus height, weight, age nonsense?

You need to take your bmr and multiply it by your activity.

Harris Benedict Formula
To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

[Demonakat]

Do you know exactly how to calculate BMR? I have always tried and it is always WAY lower than I actually need to eat. I dont have the same problem as the OP, I have trouble gaining weight (it's a real problem, don't judge) and when I calculated my BMR it said something like 1700. I said cool I will eat 2400 and gain weight right? Nope lost weight. I eat really healthy in addition to my high metabolism so I have to stuff myself (to feeling sick) in order to gain weight. Any idea how to figure out your BMR besides using that bogus height, weight, age nonsense?

It's not bogus, my BRM is 1633. That's resting though, that doesn't take into account your normal daily routine. If you sit around on a couch all day then that 2400 calories will add weight, but you likely burn through that extra... 700 calories during the day. It's not really hard to do at all. You'll want to take in probably.. I don't know your routine so this is hard. But around 3000 calories per day SHOULD do it for you.
What kind of weight are you trying to gain?