Big man here, in the process of slimming down...

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Billapedes

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And I'd like to ask a few questions, and hopefully get some nice feedback. First things first, here's the basics. I stand 6 feet 3 inches, and I currently weigh in at 293 pounds, which is down from my initial starting weight of 319. I begun lifting November 28 of last year, and haven't done much cardio to date. I have a large stomach, with some excess fat on the upper thighs, underarms, and man boobs. I have to say though, since I've begun to lift, I've noticed a lot of changes in body composition, I've gotten a lot of compliments, my personal best have continued to soar(though I am nearing my plateau I feel on a couple of lifts) and generally feel a lot better about myself. I'm continuing to add more conditioning, I have Bas Rutten's workout tapes, and a 100 pound heavy bag to accompany it. So far I haven't completed the 2 minute rounds, 30 minutes workout, though I've come close. Would doing Bas on the other three, non-lift days be sufficient for cardio?

Now, down to brass tacks. How realistic is it, to lose significant amounts of body-fat, with some bad habits. I don't eat veggies, or anything green really. About all I used to eat, as far as fruits & veggies went, was potatoes and apples. I have cut the potatoes, don't worry. I'm looking to lose weight with a high protein, low carb type diet. But I'm a bit limited by my tastes in diet selection. Certain foods, on the surface seem to be acceptable, but I'm just not sure sometimes. What about string cheese? Fat-free milk? Where can I find an acceptable BBQ sauce, or is that out of the question? Pork Rinds? Bacon?

I tend to lift heavy, with low reps, and subsequently, I have been taught that it's important to eat enough to grow. I have head it said that in order to grow, you need to present a caloric surplus to the body, however; in order to lose body-fat, you need to present a caloric deficit to the body. I'm attempting to do both at the same time, and so far so good, however; which should take precedence? Can I accomplish both at the same time, gaining muscle and losing body-fat? And just how much do I really need to eat?

And one last thing: How important is a protein shake after workouts, as opposed to say 2 mozzarella string cheese, a tablespoon of fortified with flax seed Peanut Butter, and 2 cups of fat-free milk? Should I just cut the protein powder completely and just spend the money on say, boneless skinless chicken breast?

In any case, thanks for your time, and I look forward to an insight to be gained.
 
Most of your questions are addressed in detail in the stickies at the top of thread list. You might also want to consult the stickies in conditioning forum and the strength forum for workout ideas.

That having been said, in regard to alternating days of lifting and Bas tapes, lots of people advocate alternating days of lifting and cardio. As with practically anything with nutrition or exercise though, you may get exactly opposite advice from two different people. Track your progress and see what gives the best results for you (I know this sounds like a cop-out, but it's really the best advice I can give).

Not to be lazy, but I don't even want to try to address the diet questions. Start with the stickies and then perhaps come back with any additional questions you have.
 
good luck, my man. it sounds like you're on your way.

don't sweat getting enough calories for lifting--that's not your weak area. : )

reduce your caloric intake, lift weights, do at least 3 a week cardio.

am I correct in thinking that you need to do at least 15 minutes to burn off glycogen and switch to fat burning?

I am gonna go out on a limb and say bacon and pork rinds are probably not daily foods for someone looking to drop 50 odd pounds.

stick with it and in a couple years...bam!
 
your diet sounds absolutely horrible tbh, pls read the FAQ, i'm not trying to be a prick but seriously you need to change it ASAP

limited by your tastes is a bullshit excuse dude, eat some fkn veggies, no excuses
 
Dont be afraid of dietary fat. be afraid of sugar, potatos, refined grains, and tropical fruits. eat less. you may gain a little bit on your lifts through this fat loss period, but mostly you need to lift to maintain your muscle while you lose weight. Do high intensity cardio often like running stairs. take it easy at first because you are quite heavy. theres a start.
 
Wow, come hang out in my RFL Diet thread. All the big guys are there. :D

Seriously though, that diet's a little extreme, so I'd recommend starting off with the 7 habits and get over your dislike of veggies. Make a spinach salad to eat with your steak, steam some broccoli, mix some spinach in with your scrambled eggs, whatever. What are your goals? Do you have a set weight your want to get to or are you monitoring your BF% and targeting a certain BF%? If you don't have a goal yet, I suggest you get one. It's a lot harder to just say, I want to be leaner and stay motivated, cause there's two ways of looking at it:
1. You already are leaner than you started out, I would guess. So looking at it that way, hey you're done.
2. You will always want to be leaner, skinnier, more cut, etc. and after a long time of never reaching that goal, you'll get frustrated and give up.

Set yourself some short-term & long term goals for strength, fat/weight loss, conditioning, etc. For example, say your first short-term goal is to finish the Bas Rutten 2 minute rounds tape. Make your next goal to finish the next harder tape and so on.
 
Oh, and I respectfully will disagree with cult45 on the stair running. I recommend sprints on grass or something much less impact intensive considering your size.
 
Arent Running up stairs easier on knees than sprinting on flat ground? I might be totally wrong here but there has to be way less impact force/speed. when you are running up stairs, your legs are moving less than half the distance downward after your knees reach their highest point. maybe im totally wrong though.
 
Concentrate on losing fat wieght and retaining muscle. Do this until you are happy with your fat% then put on muscle while eating clean to minimize fat gain. do not try and do both together. you will be chasing your tail. simple bodybuilding
 
paindisher said:
Concentrate on losing fat wieght and retaining muscle. Do this until you are happy with your fat% then put on muscle while eating clean to minimize fat gain. do not try and do both together. you will be chasing your tail. simple bodybuilding
Click to expand...

or pack on the muscle first and lose the fat easier =/
 
paindisher said:
Concentrate on losing fat wieght and retaining muscle. Do this until you are happy with your fat% then put on muscle while eating clean to minimize fat gain. do not try and do both together. you will be chasing your tail. simple bodybuilding
Click to expand...

Wrong, considering his size. How do I know? Because I did it. If he's carrying around the extra junk in the volumes he indicates, he can indeed build muscle and lose fat, and he is already. This is why his body composition changes have elicited quick responses from people who know him.

It'll eventually plateau out if he gets in peak shape and the "You can't build muscle without building body fat." axiom will mostly hold true.

But until then, he can rock on, and it makes me happy to see when others start the change.


To the thread starter:

Some significant dietary changes are necessary, as the other posters have indicated. You HAVE to eat your vegetables, and lay off processed foods of any kind if you're still eating them.

And to answer one of your direct questions, yes, your money would be better spent on chicken breast (or other whole protein sources) than a protein shake if both aren't an option.
 
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