NICE. Congratulations. :)

You sound much like my husband. However, he's getting stuck in the loss area. He's built so much muscle that now he's terrified of losing it while losing fat.

http://www.freakmanor.com/smilies/banghead.gif

That's awesome, congrats. Lookin good.

1 meal?

You need to eat at least 5 smaller portioned meals throughout the day. Where there is will, there's a way.

damn.....everyone keeps talking about losing weight...I want to GAIN weight! LOL

You're welcome to some of mine. :)

But you should notice that you had a nice blonde chick that looks like Jenna Jameson on your side when you were a heavyweight. And now? You have to pose in front of a mirror taking pics of yourself...

JK. Great work. But I don't need to loose weight. THe interesting part for me would be the "build up your muscles"-part

First off... Thank you for all the congrats! I truly appreciate them!:thumbsup

:1orglaugh !!! Exersise and you'll fill that loose skin with muscle!

you have to make time... you'd prolly shit yourself if you knew how busy my schedule is. cook at night, prepare for the next day... bring lunch, snacks, etc...

that's my goal at the moment too... eat crazy protein and lift BIG!:winkwink:

Tala,

Tell your husband to check that HFCS & Trans fat post, that alone can help him break through a platue. Also, make sure he's drinking plenty of water. Lastly, CARDIO without muscle loss! It's tough to do, but not impossible! It just takes eating and exercising allot! He should be on some sort of protein shakes or something of that nature by now, right? If not, this is a great way to loose fat while maintain muscle mass. It's low calorie muscle nourishment. Tell him to eat ton's of proteins and workout like hell... that extra fat will burn off in no time.

the same concepts generally apply when you're trying to gain mass, except there's more of an emphasis on resistance training with freeweights (barbells and dumbbells).

Your body operates on a BMR (basal metabolic rate), that means how many calories your body burns while at rest. On average depending on your weight, gender, frame, etc, your body burns anywhere from 1300 calories to 2500 calories.

Then there's your actual daily activity. If you're an average person activity-wise, you burn roughly 300 calories per day.

Those 2 numbers combined give you your metabolic rate. That's how many calories in total your body burns per day.

If you want to build mass, you have to consume roughly 300 calories more than that total, for 6 weeks if you aren't gaining mass, then you need to consume maybe 400 to 500 more than that projected total.

And of course, you have to workout consistantly and force your body to build muscle. You do this by applying an amount of stress on your muscles that they aren't used to.

At first obviously, applying this force is going to be more than your muscles have ever been used to, and you notice great results within the first couple months simply from the fact that they weren't ever used like this before, hence adapt (and grow bigger).

It's about eating good carbs (complex) getting adequate amounts of protein, and low saturated fats, and an adequate amount of unsaturated fats.

I'm launching an online fitness training site soon, I will post it on GFY once I'm complete ;)

Good points galleryseek, I couldn't have said it better myself.:thumbsup

lmk when you get that fitness site up! I'd love to check it out... and be your primary ACH processor of corse!:winkwink:

great post Ben!

I'm gonna hit you up on ICQ :2 cents:

*just sighs*

He knows all of this. Matter of fact, he preaches it to me day in and day out, often without really realizing it.

Which is, I believe, at least part of why I am so loathe to follow his words. The whole rebellion thing is coming back full force. I feel like his kid more than his wife, and I'm older! :feels-hot



50 fatasses losing weight :thumbsup

anyone who has been overweight most of their lives know just how impressive that is. Well done!


A lot of people would be so much healthier if they cooked their own food without using sauces that come from jars, etc. That way you know what sugars and the like go into them. It is usually cheaper too.

damn congrats to u bro

Damn, that is crazy.
Congrats man, lots of Motivation there.

Whats the deal with Diet Soda - im a big Diet Coke Drinker. work out regularly (3-4) times a week, looking to drop 18lbs from 188 to 170, while gaining muscle mass.

suggestions? im pretty routine, i make a lot of sandwiches at home (turkey and roast beef, red peppers, on a roll). usually have it with chips and salsa, thats the staple of my diet - sandwiches. i also am a big sushi eater, and like to bbq (steaks, etc). i will admit i eat mainly 2-3 times a day, i simply dont have the time to eat once every 3 hours, and im sorta lazy when it comes to cooking, i like to keep things simple, but i have the drive.

any advice?

Congrats on your loss!

I am also trying to lose at least 35 pounds, want to be about 95 lbs again (I am only 4'9") Having a big problem with finding time and the modivation to excerise, with 2 small children and work I find by after supper I'm ready to go to bed myself. I love pepsi drink about 2 2L a day of it :( and not a big fan of fish even though I'm from a fishing community. lol
Am going to re read your posts and try to learn some stuff from it. Thanks for the info.


Smurfette

anyone will donate me few pounds ?

Thank you! I'd been just a little overweight all my life until that 1st pic... Then I knew it was time to make something happen before it was too late.

In regards to your second 1/2 of the post... EVERYONE LURKING SHOULD READ THAT 10x OVER AND SAY IT BACKWARDS A FEW TIMES! :1orglaugh

That info is gold sarah!:thumbsup

One of the best non-biz related posts I've seen here in a long time. Congrats Ben! And as he'll attest to, when you are healthy, you think more clearily and can hold your concentration longer. You become a more productive human being and quality of life is so much better.

The hardest part is getting started.

good job man, looking good

Very nice advices! :thumbsup

I have been about 80 lbs overweight for just about 10 years. About 3 weeks ago I walked into a personal training gym and have not looked back since. I work out with one of three trainers for about 1 1/2 hrs per session and go 3-4 days a weeks.....I can barely drive home when I am done but I have never felt more determined and full of energy....The diet is not the most favorite of my foods but I eat every 4 hours and I am not hungry

I have lost 12 lbs so far and I am going strong, I am glad to see there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!!!!

Well, your 1/2 way there... It sounds like your eating the right things. Now if you have the "drive", apply it to your diet too! Make sure you eat something every 3 hours... EVEN IF YOUR NOT HUNGRY! small portions though!

btw... sushi rules! and is sooooo very healty!

Oh, and diet soda isn't "bad" , but does contain allot of sodium. So if you want to look very "cut" I'd suggest baking off it. I have maybe 1-3 a week at most... and that's when i'm mixing with Crown!:glugglug

thanks, don't get me wrong..I need to drop about 100 myself but a few years ago I dropped the first 40 (I have been fat all my life..it is partially due to a medical condition) and what I took away from that was just how easy it is to make your own stuff. I would never again buy a pasta sauce already made even - and maybe especially because of the added sugar - if it said it was low fat/low cal. Just buy tomato paste, chopped tomatoes (fresh even better), freshly chopped mushrooms, onions and peppers, use some herbs and it is so much better.

Thank you!:thumbsup

... and yes, I will attest to your comments. being healthy will improve every aspect of your life from personal to professional.

:glugglug

Good for you! Keep it up and you'll be there in no time!:thumbsup

Here's a copy/paste from another post I made somewhere a long time ago...

if you want to lose weight you have to count calories.....you cant go by someone Else's diet you have to come up with your own that fits your needs.
you can try a 40/40/20 diet OR (45/35/20 50/30/20 ETC..)...that is a 40 prot 40 carb 20 fat
to get your calories take anywhere from 12-15 x your bodyweight then cut off 500 from that...you are more then likely gonna be around 13or so...unless you are real active or fast metabolism...but if you are overweight then thats probably not the case so around 13 would be best id say...heres a example
13xbodyweight
say your body weight for example is 140
13x140=1820
-500
1320 total caloires a day
40% prot is 528
40%carb is 528
20%fat is 264

carbs and protein are 4 calories per gram
fat is 9
so divide the calories per gram by the your intake to get your grams for the day
so prot 528/4 =132 grams prot a day
carb 528/4 = 132
fat 264/9 = 29.3
saturated fats are no good stay away form them and sugar etc..good healthy fats fish oils flax oils etc..is good to use
so now pick some foods that you like split it up into 5 or 6 meals a day and if you like you can stop eating the carbs around 4th meal..and thats your diet
fructose is not the best choice for carbs though...i ain't telling you not to eat it just don't revolve your carbs around it...pick up some multi vitamins and some vitamin c and e to take daily...try to stay away form sugars...you want to really just eat for carbs slow burning complex carbs.and fibrous carbs!!!..

here's an example of some healthy food lists to choose from

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Tuna (water packed)
Fish (salmon, seabass, halibut)
Shrimp
Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)
Venison
Buffalo
Ostrich
Protein Powder
Egg Whites or Whole Eggs
Ribeye Steaks or Roast
Top Round Steaks or Roast (aka Stew Meat, London Broil, Stir Fry)
Top Sirloin (aka Sirloin Top Butt)
Beef Tenderloin (aka Filet, Filet Mignon)
Top Loin (NY Strip Steak)
Flank Steak (Sir Fry, Fajita)
Eye of Round (Cube Meat, Stew Meat, Bottom Round , 96% LeandGround Round)
Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts)
Soy Burgers
Low-fat cottage cheese

SLOW BURNING/COMPLEX CARBS

Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats)
Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Beans (pinto, black, kidney)
Oat Bran Cereal
Rye Cereal
Grape Nuts
Brown Rice
Farina (Cream of Wheat)
Multigrain Hot Cereal
Whole wheat or Spinach Pasta
100% Stoneground Whole Wheat Bread

FIBROUS CARBS

Green Leafy Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red, Leaf, Romaine)
Broccoli
Asparagus
String Beans
Okra
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Celery
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green or Red Pepper
Onions
Pumpkin
Garlic
Tomatoes
Zucchini
HEALTHY FATS

Natural Peanut Butter
Olive Oil or Safflower Oil
Nuts (peanuts, almonds)
Flaxseed Oil

BEVARAGES

Crystal Light
Green Tea
Other Tea (without sugar)
Coffee (without sugar)

I'll post more diet info in a few... followed by my workout routine.

<cough> see sig </cough> :glugglug

Here's a good read for ya'll while I write up my diet/exercise routine. :thumbsup

Taken from http://www.menshealth.com/cda/articl...0-1208,00.html


9 Ways to Go from Thick to Thin
Time to Take Your Slimming Lessons

By: Thomas Incledon M.S.,R.D.
Edited by: Rob Gerth

1. To lose weight, you must cut calories
The low-fat/low-carbohydrate debate comes down to this: You still have to eat fewer calories than you burn if you want to lose weight. Every study I looked at shows this. The perfect weight-loss diet is the one you can live with, whether you cut fat, carbs, or some combination.
2. Use whey to cut waist
Protein-rich foods put more distance between hunger pangs. And the fuller you feel between meals, the easier it is to avoid binges. The best food for appetite destruction: whey protein.

A daily shake made with two scoops of whey protein, fruit (fresh or frozen berries or a banana), and water or crushed ice will improve your middle line. You can buy whey protein at any good health-food store.

3. Meat kills fat
When you eat, your body has to expend calories to digest the food. Protein causes this inner fire to burn the hottest, followed by carbohydrates, followed by fat. Animal proteins increase thermogenesis more than vegetable proteins, so the best calorie-burning foods are lean meats. So eat some protein at each meal--build your dinner around lean chicken, beef, or pork. That way, you're burning the most calories through digestion at the end of the day, when your metabolism is slower.


4. Remember these letters: BCAA
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and the branched-chain amino acids--leucine, isoleucine, and valine--are the best of the bunch. BCAAs are as close to magic foods as we'll ever get. They help you recover from hard workouts by reducing the protein breakdown within your muscles; they increase testosterone and growth hormone, your body's most important fat-fighting and muscle-building hormones; and they have their most profound effect when you're following law number 1 and cutting calories in order to lose weight.

For starters, try to get at least 10 grams (g) of BCAAs a day. Since they're most abundant in meat and dairy products, you can get the better part of that by following laws 2 and 3. (Two scoops of whey protein and 3 ounces of beef contains 10 g of BCAAs.)

You can also buy BCAA supplements (which, you should be aware, are expensive). Look for supplements that are 50 percent leucine, 25 percent isoleucine, and 25 percent valine. Start off with 10 g per day, and wait a month before bumping up the dose. The maximum useful intake is probably 60 g a day from food and supplements.


5. If it's fryin', you're dyin'
One thing that every weight-loss researcher and diet-plan author can agree on: Highly refined carbohydrates, such as fructose-sweetened beverages and low-fiber breads, are a terrible idea. Among the many sins of Mountain Dew and Twinkies is the way they cause your blood sugar to spike soon after eating. What goes up fast comes down fast, and you end up feeling tired and hungry much sooner than you should. Goodbye diet, hello diabetes.

Now we know of a way to make refined carbohydrates even worse: Fry them. Researchers have found a suspected carcinogen called acrylamide in such products as potato chips and french fries. A ?suspected? carcinogen isn't the same as a proven carcinogen, such as tobacco smoke. But anytime I get a chance to talk you out of eating worthless snack foods, I do it.


6. Food goes farther with fiber
Fiber's effect is the opposite of snack foods'. When you have fiber in your stomach, food takes longer to enter the bloodstream, and your blood-sugar level stays steady. The benefits: You'll have a more consistent energy supply and less between-meal hunger. The only potential downside is that you won't get as much reading done in the bathroom. What slows down your blood sugar at the front end speeds things up at the back end.

I could give you the usual riff about eating more broccoli and raisin bran, but you can safely and easily take in more fiber by using a supplement. (MD Labs' Fiber-Psyll is a good one; go to MDlabs.com.) Start with 7 to 12g a day, mixing some with water and drinking it before your main meals.


Calcium Without the Risk


7. Count on calcium
Recently, nutrition researchers discovered that dairy and other calcium-rich foods help you stay lean, prevent osteoporosis, and possibly prevent colon cancer. The recommendation is to take in 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium a day. (A cup of milk contains 300.) Unfortunately, too much calcium may increase the risk of prostate cancer. The tragic number seems to be 600 mg a day from dairy products. And what's the point of having a V-shaped torso if your prostate has a spare tire?

8. Alpha males use omega-3 fats
Each year, we learn more about the health benefits of omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, which are found in fish, nuts, seeds, and flaxseed and fish oils. (And also in the cool, orange-flavored supplement Coromega, available at iherb.com.) These health benefits--less risk of heart disease and diabetes, for example--are great on their own. But omega-3 fats contribute to a better physique as well.

For example, omega-3s reduce inflammation throughout your body. That not only prevents heart attacks (inflammation in the tissues surrounding blood vessels is a major cause) but also helps your muscles recover faster from workouts. Bigger, less-inflamed muscles mean a faster metabolism, and speeding up your metabolism is crucial when you're trying to get lean.

If you don't eat fish twice a week and can't stomach fish-oil supplements, try eggs high in omega-3s, which are found in the dairy case, next to the regular eggs. You can eat four of them a day without any negative effect on your cholesterol levels.


9. Make a plan
Next time you read a weight-loss story in a newspaper or magazine, count the number of disparaging references to popular diets. Based on the way diet gurus trash their competitors, you'd think there was no plan on earth that actually works. But the truth is that you can't lose weight without a diet.

You must have a plan. The more sophisticated it is, and the more tailored to your likes and dislikes, the better. You can't wing it and expect to see results.

Remember the Basics
I won't offer you the perfect weight-loss regimen, because research has yet to discover one. But even the worst plan is more likely to succeed than no plan at all. The best plan is likely to include these elements:

Meals and snacks are based on some lean protein source--fish, eggs, dairy, meat.

More meals are better than fewer. Five or six meals and snacks a day is ideal.

Low-fat and high-fat diets can both work, but one that cuts almost all fat is doomed.

Nobody ever became obese from eating the best carbohydrates--fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. And nobody ever died from skipping potatoes, pasta, rice, popcorn, and Wonder Bread.

Smurfette,

Toss out the pepsi and never look back!:BangBang:

You have to MAKE time... it's never easy, but well worth the effort.:thumbsup

do you have a clear full body pic of when you weighed 100lbs more. That first pic doesnt look like you weighted 100 lbs more maybe 40 lbs.

My doctor told me that I could lose 20 lbs in one year by making one simple change. Switching from Dr. Pepper to diet colas. I lost 25 just making that switch.

Congrats man!!!! :thumbsup

Lots of good info in this thread.

*bookmarked*

Thanks Ben. :thumbsup

I know the feeling.

I went through a huge weight loss myself, and for the past two years my weight has been drastically fluciating. Never to the point of where I was once at, I sure as fuck won't let that happen to myself. But still changing drastically nevertheless. I go between 170lbs-205lbs. Gaining anywhere from 10-20lbs in a single month. Once that happens, I diet, lose as much as I gained, and go back to "conventional" and habitual, fast-food eating. Gain the weight back, diet, gain it back, diet, etc - It is a continuous cycle, and it's very disheartening to say the least.

Complete and utter discouragement, that makes you never want to eat healthy. Why? Because you eat right for five days? Ten days? Shit even, 30-days of dieting - Then cheat for two days straight, and gain everything back. Talk about a fucking downer. And does being down make you want to do? Eat some more. It seems people like Me and Brad are destined for failure, when it's not really our fault. We did not know better when we were younger - so we ate, we enjoyed, as any kid does. Then, once we hit the age of "enlightenment", as an older teen -- We realize we're overweight and it's time for a change. We make this change, succeed, and then bamm - Get hit with the utter reality, that your life/diet plan will never be the same. That you can never go back to that type of eating. Meanwhile, you've others eating like this on a full time basis - Gaining insiginificant amounts of weight.

Anyway - We've our little run ins every so often Brad, but in all seriousness, good luck with that man. I know it's hard, I'm on a diet right now, trying to play "catch up" with last months weight. My spirits are broken, and cheating is so tempting - And I'm only on day 5. :(

Thanks Shirley! :)


In that pic I'm exactly 255lbs and hide my weight well...
Now I'm 155lbs and VERY lean.
Keep in mind how tall I am.
I'm roughly 5% bf and stand 6' tall.

I think one fat-ben pic is enough. :winkwink:

AVM: Runins? Nah man I like you a lot. I just argue with people that's my personality and I'm sorry if it has pissed you off before.


As for the disheartening... word I hear you. I am getting pretty depressed about it. Which is why I am calling a personal trainer after work and going to start working out.
And I am going to follow Ben's suggestions above and look into the trans fats and stuff. I'm going to change my life. I want to be 200lbs by January and I think it is possible considering I lost 50 in 2-3 months, so I think I can lose 40 in 3.

Stick with it... it's your life. I get really frustrated at times and want to gorge... and I have but then I think about how guilty I feel and how upset I get with myself and I throw away the rest of the shit and get into moods like this.

I think Ben has the right idea. Have a cheating day where you totally eat some bad stuff once a week.

I'm going to use this mentality and see how it goes for a month or so

Yo Ben!

Not that you're some diet guru - I believe we're on equal wavelengths in regard to this topic. So, I am not looking for a scientific answer. Looking for an opinion - Curious though, what's your feelings on TrimSpa/Stacker II 'fat burning-appetite descreasing' products?

Actually, 'diet' anything with nutrasweet in it can be very bad, which is why many of the diet products now contain splenda....

Soda is bad for you because of other ingredients.....like the carbonation....

You've given some great advice.....I believe, that, when you go into a supermarket...you buy 'real' food, like veggies and fruits...and meats, foul and fish...leave the packaged products alone...and don't eat anything you can't pronounce.

For those of us who don't have time to go to a gym, walk around the house or up and down stairs for twenty minutes. If you can't afford free weights, pick up two books and lift them....there are ways around this lifestyle.

you're really sexy :glugglug

Cool shit man :thumbsup

Doin my own thing since the first of this month

http://www.gfyboard.com/showthread.p...pagen umber=1

Info can be found there...lost 13.2pounds in less then 2 weeks sofar :)

Well, I'm a fitness trainer, so I could give you my thoughts on that stuff.

As far as supplements that decrease or modify your body's natural reactions, are BAD. Your body is a very delicate, inctricate system that sends you messages and alerts whenever it is in need of something. For example, you put your hand in fire. Your response is to take it out, why? Because it will get burnt.

Hunger is the SAME thing. If you neglect your hunger, your body will become a fat storing MACHINE, meaning ANYTHING that can be converted to fat that you eat when you consistently avoid hunger, will be turned into fat.

That is why 3 meals is not frequent enough. 5 smaller meals however, is more natural and more instinctive for your body. Our genetic foundation came from scavengers who ate small meals when they could, throughout the day. So when you DON'T do that, your body reacts to that as if there is a shortage of food, and will STORE FAT! Make sense?

So you have to make sure you have at least 5 meals during the day, this way, you won't be hungry, and you'll lose fat.

:winkwink:

oh -- and, I believe you should only take a multi-vitamin at first, and simply focus on changing your lifestyle - adapting to a new one, including basic diet principles and exercise. that alone will yield great results.