I currently weigh 225 lbs. 190 is about ideal for my height. I am built for lifting, I have not needed protein supplements etc to build good muscle in the past.

So I am setting out to lose 35 lbs by May, but hopefully by B&P! My reward, a trip to Bill Walker in downtown Houston and a new custom suit or 2.

I have begun to cut calories down to 1700 on days I work out and 1200 on days that I do not. I am going to run 3 miles per day 5 days per week and work out one muscle group per day 5 days per week. I have also started doing 100 crunches per day.

I am hoping to not only lose the weight but form a new healthy habit.

I know there are some fitness gurus on FLF that can chime in and critique my plan. What do yall think? I will post progress on this forum!

GREAT what you have already accomplished.

Couple quick things.

I would set another goal RIGHT now that is a month after Beer and pancakes. Maybe run a 5 k. And WELL before that date set another goal a month later and so on. I have failed to do this in the past, get is great shape for say a triathlon, do the race and then completely fall off the fitness wagon.

How many calories are you having per day now, do you know? This could help you decide if 1700 is good for you. Then again you have already done so great maybe just keep doing what you have been doing.

I would suggest one day every week or so to bump your calories approx 500 calories to keep your metabolism going. If you find yourself getting cold when normally you would not, it is a sing your metabolism is slowing down some.

Maybe a goal of a certain waist measurment would be better then a weight goal. Reason being you could lose 20 lbs but look GREAT because you have gained 15lbs of muscle. Quick and dirty method to make sure you are losing fat and not muscle. Every other day measure yourself at your belly button and one bicep when it is flexed. The waist will tell you if you are losing fat and the bicep will tell you if you are losing muscle as we usually carry a fairly low amount of fat in your arm.

Also weigh yourself every AM upon rising. If you are NOT losing weight but losing in the belly button you are still good to go as you are losing fat.

ROCK on my man!

PatrickP said:

GREAT what you have already accomplished.

Couple quick things.

I would set another goal RIGHT now that is a month after Beer and pancakes. Maybe run a 5 k. And WELL before that date set another goal a month later and so on. I have failed to do this in the past, get is great shape for say a triathlon, do the race and then completely fall off the fitness wagon.

How many calories are you having per day now, do you know? This could help you decide if 1700 is good for you. Then again you have already done so great maybe just keep doing what you have been doing.

I would suggest one day every week or so to bump your calories approx 500 calories to keep your metabolism going. If you find yourself getting cold when normally you would not, it is a sing your metabolism is slowing down some.

ROCK on my man!

Click to expand...

I have been at it for 3 days. I am at 1200 for the day and am about to work out. I find that 1200 cals can be a lot of food if you pick things like egg whites, arugula and spinach salad with grilled chicken and a vinegar dressing ETC. I actually feel satisfied.

Now previously. I actually ate out lunch and dinner every day so probably approaching 3000. This is also a great money saving idea for me too. I am buying all organic premium foods and spending less than 30% of what I usually do.

I may find that the benz I have had my eye on is in the budget from all this.

I got a salad for some crazy reason the other day from whole foods... thought I might eat healthy for the day (for some reason). I think I did something wrong though because the salad checked out at like $12

:eusa_clap:

Hell I got one at Hubbell and Hudson today which is about the most premium grocery store in my area of Houston and it was only 8.

How tall are you? 6'4?

calorie in versus calorie out, is the secret

Lower carbs for cut abs, abs are made in the kitchen.

Honestly it's not even about the ideal weight, it's about the fat percentage you have.

If I were you, I would consider every other day fasting. If losing weight depends on exercising cut the calories even more. The only purpose to exercise is for health purposes like lowering blood pressure, not as a weight loss measure.

I would also read up on a bodybuilding forum, since I check those places out, they seem best for general health for the average person. Protein is important to prevent losing lean body mass.

Below is body fat percentage, in my opinion 10-12% is perfect looking

I am 5'10" built on the larger side, thus the ability to put on muscle. I would probably be at 15% at 190.

Well good luck.

I don't need luck if I stick to my plan.

First, let me say congrats to you on your motivation.

second, I'd like to share some knowledge I've attained over the years from dieting/exercising losing weight/gaining weight.

Calorie restriction is NOT the way. Especially if you want to see long term results.

Eating a proper nutritious diet IS the way to fat loss.

1700 calories is WAY BELOW what you should be eating at your weight ESPECIALLY if you are exercising. Trust me on this.

I Wrestled all throughout highschool "cutting" weight very improperly by cutting calories. Not to mention the vigorous workouts we would do for wrestling.

Calorie restriction is a major stressor to your body, It signals your body that you are starving. You may start losing weight at first, but after a month or so, your weight loss will plateau and will be very hard to continue the weight loss.

Let's say you do lose the weight you want, and you are at 190. "Maintenance" calories is around 2300, If you were to restrict calories to 1700 for a long period, then eat a maintenance amount, you will bloat back up to your starting weight, maybe even more, and have a major hormone imbalance.

I've done this twice in my life, and I had to learn the hard way. (I use to count calories my whole life).

I now NEVER count calories and have been able to maintain my weight loss very easily.

I'm no doctor but i can point you in the direction of some great "Diet plans" I dont even like calling them diets because its more of a lifestyle.

Dave Asprey has a great meal plan on his website The Bulletproof Executive and Tim Ferriss also has a great diet plan on his website The 4-Hour Workweek and Timothy Ferriss

Both guys above have paid 100's of thousands of dollars toward scientific studies to PROVE calories in/calories is complete BS. and NOT the proper way to lose weight.

I've been working out since i was 14, and no matter what i would do, I could never get lean. I would always carry love handles. Once i started focusing on my diet and eating MORE but Healthier foods, weight loss started up again and it has been Maintainable.

Cutting calories is NOT maintainable in the long wrong and you are just damaging your body inside and out.

I urge you to look into this to get started the right way! best of luck

EDIT: also, there is another diet "guru" named Mike Dolce, his website is The Dolce Diet ... none of these diet geniuses recommend calorie restriction. They all work with top athletes/scientist and have written books on the subject.

EDIT 2: also, if you carry a lot of weight around your midsection (apple shaped body), You might want to look into insulin resistance.
This is reversible through diet. But can the major cause of why you packed on weight to begin with.

I highly recommend the bulletproof diet. For this case.

Ok so if lowering the calories is not the way to lose fat what is?

Lights said:

View attachment 4090

Click to expand...

I agree with this picture from 40% down to 15%, but the 12-3% is wrong. People who achieve those indexes after prior being at a higher %, this picture makes sense, you had to work your butt off to loose weight, so you built muscle in the process. However, there are those people who are just skinny as eff, they might have a 10% bfi but their arms are twigs, not muscle. I am pointing this out because that picture makes it seem like under all the fat, every person in the world has a ripped, toned body, some people are just skin and bones. My metabolism runs at like 2 million miles and hour, and before I get my act together, I ate like CRAP but was the skinniest person in the world, I wasn't some muscle man.

So, if someone looses weight, it does not automatically mean that you will have arms the size of houses, getting big takes work as well.

PatrickP said:

Ok so if lowering the calories is not the way to lose fat what is?

Click to expand...

Eating healthy.

Cutting fast food. Cutting Sugar. Not over-loading on carbs. Cutting ANYTHING artificial.

For a lot of people that have had a horrible diet for many years, They develop Insulin Resistance, in this case, Cutting out grains/wheat for about 2 weeks and eating (low carb) can help restore insulin sensitivity. Then slowly reintroduce grains/wheat and eating them moderately in diet.

Water, Lean meats, Vegetables, nuts and fruits should be STAPLES in human diet. High protein, High healthy fats, low carb and No/very little sugar.

Everything else is dessert.

Some people genetically have a higher tolerance to bad foods and don't gain weight as easily.

For the rest of us (like myself) we need to be more cautious about the foods we eat.

I'm not trying to be a wallflower about foods, I love food. (every Saturday I satisfy any "bad" craving i have)But in the long run, eating healthy fuels our brain, body and overall health. It's amazing how one can feel when their body is running like a Lamborghini

Once you start eating as a human should, you'll notice your mind working sharper, Higher energy levels and over all well being increasing. Not to mention the transformation of how your body looks!

Personally, I cut out grains completely from my diet. I'm not one to preach, but here is interesting podcast » Podcast #25: Wheat Belly with Dr. William Davis, MD The Bulletproof Executive to listen if you are interested.

Changed my life.

EDIT: Also I'd like to mention again, I never count calories. I use to weigh 200lbs at 5'6 (I was a short stocky guy). I lifted weights and did cardio 5-6 days a week. Sometimes mixing in Crossfit. During this time I was eating a calorie deficit.

I dropped to around 183 and Plateau'd. I remained at this weight for 2 months with calorie restriction and exercise.

As soon i switched up my diet and ATE MORE. After 1 month I am now, 170. The leanest I have ever been in my adult life and feel great.

You're body doesn't work mathematically, but systematically.

EDIT EDIT I'd also like to mention something about the whole (low carb) I know this brings up controversy.
Vegetables are carbs, And i eat a lot of vegetables every day. You can eat as many of those as you want.

The carbs you want to remain low on, are Starches and Grain/wheat based carbs. Breads, pasta, cookies, potatoes, etc.

Sweet potatoes are an exception.

Lights said:

If I eat 50 apples day, then I'm not going to lose weight.

It's calorie in versus calorie out.

What is healthy for me isn't healthy for you. Diet is subjective.

Click to expand...

that is unhealthy for anyone. Not a balanced diet.

Healthy food is healthy food no matter how you look at it.

It's about balance and understanding your body. You're right, everyone's body is different and each of us will respond differently to different diets.

Some people can eat fast food all day and remain skinny. But are they healthy? no.

and for most all of overweight people. (25lb+).. You're looking at some imbalances within the bodies system. If you don't repair the imbalances first, you're not getting a great start.

Diet is the cure for many of these imbalances. Insulin resistance is a huge one and a problem for many.

EDIT: again, calorie restriction is not healthy for your body. Your body runs on 100% energy yet you want to give it 75% to drain it, and give it LESS fuel than it needs to operate + repair + function properly for weight loss demands.

Your body doesn't have an inner calculator for calories, and not all calories are created equal.

Breather said:

that is unhealthy for anyone. Not a balanced diet.

Healthy food is healthy food no matter how you look at it.

It's about balance and understanding your body. You're right, everyone's body is different and each of us will respond differently to different diets.

Some people can eat fast food all day and remain skinny. But are they healthy? no.

and for most all of overweight people. (25lb+).. You're looking at some imbalances within the bodies system. If you don't repair the imbalances first, you're not getting a great start.

Diet is the cure for many of these imbalances. Insulin resistance is a huge one and a problem for many.

EDIT: again, calorie restriction is not healthy for your body. Your body runs on 100% energy yet you want to give it 75% to drain it, and give it LESS fuel than it needs to operate + repair + function properly for weight loss demands.

Your body doesn't have an inner calculator for calories, and not all calories are created equal.

Click to expand...

Caloric restriction is the best way you can lose body fat, while taking protein. There's no way around this unless this guy plans to lose weight at a snail pace which I doubt because we all want to binge sometimes at holidays, or what not. If he only loses 5 lbs a year by running, then he'll probably just toss the towel and enjoy life. I know I'll quit if I'm not seeing results.

The body is a powerful machine, it can survive on less "fuel", some people even feel better on every other day fasting. It's not going to collapse on you so easily, to the surprise to the media who think fasting is going to kill you after 3 days.

There is a reason why bodybuilders bulk up, and then cut. Cutting by eating protein mainly to prevent losing muscle, while lowering their calorie intake enough so the body burns up the fat. Thus losing body fat with minimal lost of lean body muscle.

I agree eating "healthy" is important, but calorie plays a big role in everything. The cure to most problems is not diet, it's having a healthy body weight. He can do the whole healthy dieting after he loses the weight.

I doubt Kak wants to change his diet anyways, he just wants to lose weight. He knows that eating donuts is not good for him.

Breather said:

that is unhealthy for anyone. Not a balanced diet.

Click to expand...

What's your previous banned account here at the forum?
Only 3 posts, all in this thread?

Calories in, Calories out. Make those calories count.

I've already lost ~100lbs this year and planning to lose another 75.
I'm 6'5'' and still growing(doc predicts me to be 6'7'' full grown). Goal weight is 250 at 10% bodyfat which is achievable for me.
I love this thread though because of your goal. My goal is to get a $10,000 suit custom made(or whatever the best suit I can find that I like) when I reach my goal. It's absolutely over the top and unnecessary but I'm sure you know the feeling of wearing a suit. The suit won't make a dent to what my business makes and only helps me more.

Metabolic Rate Overview | BodyRecomposition - The Home of Lyle McDonald

The masses and mass media over-simplify calories in vs calories out. It's not that "simple". Not all calories are created equal.

You have a very simple take on this subject.

I have briefly spoken to Rob Riches, Professional body builder about this subject. He told me in his exact words "Slow and steady wins the race" in terms of weight loss. Sustainable weight loss.

It's not about how fast you lose the weight, a lot of times when this happens its just as easy to put the weight back on. But i Guarantee if anyone who is overweight started eating healthy = Lean meats, Vegetables, Nuts and fruits. The weight would just fall off. (like it has for myself)

and btw, Bodybuilders do a lot more than "cut calories" during a cut. A lot of them get into ketosis to achieve a shredded look. They may cut calories, but NOT below their total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). They just changed WHAT calories are put into there body.

My main goal is to help the original poster because i feel passionate on this subject and wish him success. There is a lot more to losing fat then telling someone "calories in vs calories out!"

I've been there done that. It's possible to Gain muscle + Lose Fat. Yes.... yes it is.

I eat near 3000 calories a day, and am getting closer each week to achieving 12% body fat than i was at eating 1700. + I'm retaining all my muscle plus gaining.

This isn't "bro-science".

if you seriously eat 3000 calories, WITHOUT exercise, WITHOUT having a natural high metabolism like you said, and getting a 12% body fat.

then why don't you write a book and sell it the masses...

I bet you will be a billionaire.

No banned account. Just recently read the book and signed up/ been lurking on the forums.

through lurking i saw OP's post and what caught my eye was the calorie intake he is going to attempt.

I've shared what has helped me greatly and what i have learned in my journey of fitness. Take it or leave it. I'm not here to preach but just to share some knowledge with OP. I've posted links to support what im saying. Cheers.

Lights - I have been beaten to the punch :/

» Photo: Abs After 2 Years of 4500 Calories & No Exercise The Bulletproof Executive

I was weary, Very weary. But have always dreamed of having a six pack. For the simple fact of never having one. I decided to try it, eating more but eating Clean.

I have been following this for a little over a month and i finally see abs . I do exercise though. I mainly just lift weights and or do crossfit now.

EDIT: he sells product on his site, yes. I'm aware he is in the market to make money. But he like Tim Ferris, provides FREE scientifically backed information. He also has doctors and scientist weekly on his podcast discussing this, it's mind-blowing.

I'll look into this before I cast my judgement about this guy.

even though that I don't see how he could possibly lower his biological age by eating more calories, when most life extension people preach low caloric diets also called CRON, which is based research.

Kak said:

I am 5'10" built on the larger side, thus the ability to put on muscle. I would probably be at 15% at 190.

Click to expand...

Sorry to break this to you, but at 5'10" the high end of your ideal weight range is 173. (Hamwi formula). Body fat is extremely important! So at 235 pounds I am guessing you are probably pushing 35% body fat. (you can calculate it with several different formulas at: Body Fat Calculator )Which means about 82 pounds of you is fat. When you consider that fat is 20% larger than the same amount of muscle, you see that you can lose a lot of inches by converting fat to muscle. Also muscle burns more calories daily than fat does so as you build more muscle you can lose more weight. I would recommend a HIIT program that is a short 20 minute workout, where you go through about 5-6 exercises, doing each one as hard as you can for 40-50 seconds, then a 10 second break then on to the next exercise, then rest a full minute between sets. Do 5 sets. So the exercises might be: jump rope, squats, push-ups, bicycle crunches and plank. I lost 15 points of body fat in 4 weeks doing this kind of program. We have a HIIT program guide on the website that gets you videos and some different plans, I can't give it away as the author gets a fixed amount of each program, but I can give you a coupon to get it down to what the author gets, 75% off. Send me a PM if you want a coupon (any forum members that can PM can do this). If you can get your body fat down in the 15-18% range your body becomes much more self sustaining at that weight as the muscle is burning so many more calories per day than the fat. (I have the exact number of calories around here somewhere but I can't put my hands on it at the moment.)

Lights said:

If I eat 50 apples day, then I'm not going to lose weight.

It's calorie in versus calorie out.

What is healthy for me isn't healthy for you. Diet is subjective.

Click to expand...

Exactly. It is calories. If you want to lose fat you have GOT to have a calorie deficit. Either by exercising more than you eat or eating less than the calories you use. Or both.

Eating healthy is NOT going to make you lose fat if you eat too many calories.

It REALLY is basic. Move more and eat less.

healthstatus said:

Sorry to break this to you, but at 5'10" the high end of your ideal weight range is 173. (Hamwi formula). Body fat is extremely important! So at 235 pounds I am guessing you are probably pushing 35% body fat. (you can calculate it with several different formulas at: Body Fat Calculator )Which means about 82 pounds of you is fat. When you consider that fat is 20% larger than the same amount of muscle, you see that you can lose a lot of inches by converting fat to muscle. Also muscle burns more calories daily than fat does so as you build more muscle you can lose more weight. I would recommend a HIIT program that is a short 20 minute workout, where you go through about 5-6 exercises, doing each one as hard as you can for 40-50 seconds, then a 10 second break then on to the next exercise, then rest a full minute between sets. Do 5 sets. So the exercises might be: jump rope, squats, push-ups, bicycle crunches and plank. I lost 15 points of body fat in 4 weeks doing this kind of program. We have a HIIT program guide on the website that gets you videos and some different plans, I can't give it away as the author gets a fixed amount of each program, but I can give you a coupon to get it down to what the author gets, 75% off. Send me a PM if you want a coupon (any forum members that can PM can do this). If you can get your body fat down in the 15-18% range your body becomes much more self sustaining at that weight as the muscle is burning so many more calories per day than the fat. (I have the exact number of calories around here somewhere but I can't put my hands on it at the moment.)

Click to expand...

Yeah I know about these average things. I was 170s in high school and was as skinny 32 waist and very little muscle. Maybe 172 if I am not also trying to build good muscle.

My bmi is probably 30 as you have said.

Move more, eat less with the right balance between carbs, fats and protein
2000kcal of apples is not very healthy (probably not even doable, you will need to eat a lot of apples to hit the 2000)

Kak said:

My bmi is probably 30 as you have said.

Click to expand...

Actually it is 33.5 - ideal for the average person is between 19.5 and 25, athletes can slide up to 27. Even if you are muscular, your heart still has to push blood and oxygen through all that mass. So your long term target really needs to be in the mid 170's. Also studies have been done on skeletons that disprove the whole "big boned" excuse some people try and throw out. Skeletons of people the same height usually vary in weight by no more than 6 pounds. Sorry to be a jerk about it....

PatrickP said:

Exactly. It is calories. If you want to lose fat you have GOT to have a calorie deficit. Either by exercising more than you eat or eating less than the calories you use. Or both.

Eating healthy is NOT going to make you lose fat if you eat too many calories.

It REALLY is basic. Move more and eat less.

Click to expand...

1) I agree
2) if I only eat 1200 calories a day but get there by eating donuts, I won't be as healthy as if I get to 1200 calories by eating fruit & proteins.

Everyone has a million and one things for advice. Just remember BF% is always skewed even in a bodpod. So your 15% might be different from someone elses.

EDIT: also depends on what the person used to measure. Just make sure you be 100% consistent and the number drops week by week.

Plus 1 to the person that said abs are made in the kitchen. Diet is 80% of the battle. It's really not complex.

The only thing i content and what to know is where you got that 5'10" should be at 190... thats heavy for 5'10". I am 5'11" at 14% walk around and at my height 180 i looked somewhat big. I think around 170 is standard weight for that height.

The question is- how long can you keep up this calorie deficit, because as soon as you stop, the weight is gonna come back and probably even more than before.

I'd focus on building muscle with a really basic program (free weights, squat, bench etc.) Keep it simple.
That muscle needs more energy, so you can eat more calories without getting fat.

OP, check this out. LCHF for beginners | DietDoctor.com

I've been on both sides of the coin.

Calorie defecit dieting.

And not counting calorie dieting.

I can tell you i have lost weight with calorie defecits but have always put the weight back on as soon I eat at "maintenance calories" It's just not sustainable and unhealthy for your thyroid.

The above link is even more proof you do NOT have to have a calorie defecit to lose weight. I can guaranty in 5 years this information will push the whole "Calories in vs calorie" style of dieting out the window.