Is this a good plan?
 

Hey guys.

I just wanted to get some advice from you to see if im on the right track.

I decided recently that I need to make a change before its too late.

I am a 5-11, 22 year old and weigh 208 lbs. Up to several weeks ago I was extremely unhealthy and unfit. I use to eat garbage and soda almost everyday. I smoked about a pack a day and my energy level was zero. Whether I slept for 12 hours a day or 6, I would still be dead tired and would feel like shit.

Anyway, I will cut to the chase. I quit smoking 3 weeks ago, and started a healthy eating and exercising plan. I just want to check with people who have been at it for a while and know what they are doing if im on the right track.

I lift weights 3 times a week and cardio 3 times a week. I normally work out on an empty stomach first thing in the morning at around 6 AM.

Basically this is how I am eating currently:

8:00 AM - Oatmeal with skim non fat milk
10:00 AM - Either a protien bar or shake/ fruit or vegetable
12:00 PM - Chicken breast with baked potato and a serving of fruit or vegetable
3:00 PM - Protien bar or shake/ fruit or vegetable
6:00 PM - Lean ground beef patty by itself or chicken breast and and a serving of fruit or vegatable
9:00 PM - Protien bar or shake/ fruit and vegetable

Is this Ok? I want to lose 25-30 lbs and build muscle. I am tired of feeling weak and unhealthy. Am i on a good diet and exercise routine? When should i expect results?

Thanks a lot for your help. Its very much appreciated.

Yeah cardio on empty stomach is ok but don't weight train unless you've eaten something. you need some fat in your diet, nuts or flaxseed oil or something.

You could also substitute the ground beef for ground turkey; looks the same cooked and pretty much tastes the same. The key is less fat and equal amount of protein.

I started running 5 days a week about three weeks ago and, although it has been tough, I've managed to build quite a bit of stamina and strength in that short amount of time. The first day I went running I barely made a mile. Once I figured out what I was doing wrong (basically running too fast), I'm up to 2 and half miles a day. Cardio is so important and is mentally tougher than just lifting. Make sure you keep doing it.

Another I key I have found to losing weight, is keep drinking plenty of water. Especially, if you are addicted to soda; water is a good mental substitute to constantly desiring soda.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I was reading the Body For Life book and it says to do weights on an empty stomach, and eat an hour after. Thats the only reason why im not eating.

unless you're using weight training as a cardio exercise you're not going to gain any muscle on an empty stomach, even might lose some.

I would do this...lift heavy, compounds, shorten your rest time between sets to keep your heart rate up, do your cardio or HIIT, diet well, done.

Earlier you said I could eat nuts, so it doesnt have to be something heavy, correct? I can just eat walnuts or oatmeal or cereal or something and I should be fine? By the way, thanks for the info.

nuts are so you get more fats into your diet. eating before weights is so you have energy to lift a decent amount of weight. fat takes a while for it to oxidise to give energy so you'd want carbs pre workout. pre workout (for me) I have some slow releasing carbs ie oatmeal. cereal (im thinking cornflakes) is quite high GI as it's more processed. yes it doesn't have to be heavy - you want it digested so your body can use it as a source.

the diet sounds fine - it sounds like more of a muscle-building diet than a losing-weight diet to me, but i guess that's what you're aiming for... it's supposed to be difficult to gain muscle and lose weight - you'll probably find your weight stays similar, but you'll be getting more muscle and losing fat

don't expect results too quickly, but you should notice that things are beginning to change within a week or two... but fitness is more a thing you do than a goal i always think... get into the habit of fitness and you'll keep getting fitter :)

it all sounds like a good start, keep it up and come back and tell us how you're getting on eh? :) best of luck

Actually this is my first week, so far im sore as hell, and it wont go away, but im gonna go at it, if I make progress, I will post.

sounds like you are on the right path. you really have to make a commitment to it though, especially in your mind. its not just a physical change...its a mental change as well. it will be hard at first. i lost about 25 pounds in the last 2 years. first off i changed my eating habits. NO MORE CANDY BARS, junk food, donuts...NOT ONE for at least a year. this may sound crazy, but trust me..it works. fruit is so important...bananas, apples oranges, plums.
next....just eat less, but eat good food. personally i would get off the low cal shit...its loaded with sugar. eat real food...but eat less. i read that if you are feeling hungry 80% of the time, your not hungry...your thirsty. Looks like you should add more water to your diet. not sure what you are you drink now, but you should drink like a gallon a day of water. you'll pee a lot, but it will help keep you hydrated. next time you need a snack, try some water instead.
next, not sure where you work, but i work in an office and every friggin day there is a donut somewhere to be eaten. DON"T DO IT!!!!! i went for a year without eating a thing at work...UNLESS i brought it myself. its hard....but it worked for me.
next...I cut out fast food resturants...NO MCDONALDS, BURGER KING, PIZZA HUT, SUBWAY....my rule is to stay out of any resturant that has more then 1. ITs hard...

these are just some of my thoughts and what worked for me.

good luck,
mr b

Hey, thanks man, thats some good info. Did you exercise to lose the weight, or just stopped eating crap?

I didnt know about the water thing, everytime I get hungry I normaly try to eat a fruit or vegetable, which leads me to my next question: I read somewhere that you should only eat apples and oranges because most fruit is not good if you are trying to lose weight, since you are successful, is this true? Also, do you know if the protien bars and shakes are any good, or just a gimmick?

I normally drink a good 10 to 12 cups of water a day, even if im not thirsty, and its very hard to give up soda. I also cut the junk food and fast food too, hopefully I will give up eating that garbage for good.

If you dont mind me asking, what are you physical stats: weight, height, and age? How much did you weight before you lost the 25 lbs?

Once again, thanks for the info.

it depends on the fruit. tropical fruits like pineapple and watermelon are high GI so you wouldn't want those. apples berries pears are low. there should be a list somewhere on the net.

dude, you've made progress just by starting! remember that :)

here's a glycemic index site - i don't know how good it is, but it's got a University of Sydney logo on it which is encouraging

sounds like you are doing all the right stuff. You mentioned soda, I do not drink that at all. I do dabble in the occasional beer though, I'm from the midwest, so that is not easy to give up. the way i see it, if you keep everything in moderation, you'll do fine. unlike this good damn country that wants to supersize everything.....my bad wrong forum for this....this goes back to my idea that this is a mental change and not just physical. BTW....I'm 34, i started at about 185 and i am now around 158 to 162 it varies, i'm 5'8"....my goal was not to bulk up....i mainly wanted to feel better about myself. for exercise, I run about 10 to 15 miles a week..it varies and i just started looking into Yoga. that will be a big change.
I do not know much about protein shakes or bars. i eat a cliff bar every other day for a snack.....i like them the best. check them out at http://www.clifbar.com/ i actually found the cheapest price on them at wal-mart.

keep up the good work. i wish i realizd all of this when i was 22.

mr b

Looks great to me. Your diet looks text book - nice job. You should see improvements in no time - and it would be nice to keep us informed. I'm just so intregued.

Allow yourself little luxuries. If you force yourself to eat nasty 'bleh' food, and never have any good food- you'll just end up gaining it all back. You have to change the way you think about food completely, is what I've found.

Kick ass advice, you people are great. One more question, and I will stop bugging you. I am getting mixed advice regarding eating before lifting weights, most people say I have to eat first, but some say I dont. The book I read says to do it on an empty stomach. I dont want to do it on a empty stomach and end up losing muscle rather than gaining it, but now im confused. So my question is, Eat before or after lifting?

great source, thanks.

the only reason i can think of to have an empty stomach is that a full stomach can make you feel sick when you exercise ... i think cos the blood gets diverted to other parts of the body and your stomach shrinks a little... so to play safe probably eat a while before and give it time to settle down

so neither full nor empty but somewhere in between, is my opinion... i don't really worry about it myself though

you don't have to be torn between the two. I'll decide it for you - if you want to build muscle then you can't do this on empty stomach. if they say you don't then they need to be clarified.

Could whole milk be a viable option to add some fat into the diet?

whole milk is saturated fat i believe. you'd want unsaturated if you want to lose some bodyfat.

Fat from dairy products is usually saturated..nuts would be the best idea..

I am a graduate of the U.S. Army Master Fitness School and a former Drill Sargeant with the Infantry Training Brigade. I have helped hundreds of young men get physically fit. You are on the right track and here are some tips. Your cardio must last at least 20 minutes any less you are not burnig fat you are burning carbs, a 30 minute cardio workout is what I do every day after work on top of what we do for PT each morning with the unit. Abdominal training can be done everyday and should be done each day. Remember there is no "spot reduction" your body will store fat where ever it wants to. To build strength, slow down your reps with your weights and focus on your form.

Also you can always go down to the local recruiting station and the nice folks there can arange you a trip to an all expense paid (you will actually make money) fitness adventure at one of the lovely TRADOC bases around the nation.

texas, I know you've been searching my threads, but this post is about 7 months old and I'm good in the excercise department now. I know you mixed me up as well, otherwise you wouldn't have said anything about a recruiting station. Thanks anyway though :thumbsup:

Rdr4evr,

I was wondering how the body for life program worked out for you? I lost almost 40 lbs on it, and i was wondering if you had the same success?

take care

Actually, although I originally began my routine following the "body for life" program, I just couldn't stick with it as it was extremely strict and I simply didn't have the time. It was a excellent research tool and allowed me to discover other methods that better suited me and my goals.

I'm glad you were successful, it's always nice to see people who meet their goals.

So did you reach your goal, Rdr4evr?

looks to me like you planning on taking in too much protein to begin with. If you are looking to lose weight, go that route first, than build muscle afterwards. It's counterproductive to try both at the same time. It's easier to focus 100% on losing weight and 100% on building muscle than doinga 50/50 for both. You'll also see quicker results if you focus on specifics. Your protein (planned) intake looks great for building muscle, but otherwise, for losing its all about portions and counting calories. Find out your basic caloric needs for your weight / height and work from there. There are plenty of internet sites that will help you determine what your requirements are for gaining, losing etc... and remeber to keep motivated, and don't get discouraged!!!

Pinkie, not completely because I haven't ate as well as I should. I've definately gained muscle, but I haven't lost as much fat as I would have liked to, hopefully in a few months I should be there, more than likely. Sometimes school just gets in the way, but I know that's not a excuse.

hossified, you are 100% correct, but either way, I had to drop the protein because my doctor told me it was damaging my liver. I'm actually doing the way you suggested, consuming about 1500-2000 calories a day and jogging about 4 miles a day.