Lose Weight and Gain Strength...PLEASE HELP!

[ShotokanSuppes]

What would be a decent plan to achieve my goals of losing around 10-15 pounds (get around 200 or more preferable 195 pounds) and gaining strength while also starting my martial arts training (intro to Muay Thai and/or BJJ and/or Karate). I am a 25 year old male, 209 lbs and was a multiple sport varsity athlete in high school. I have not worked out for about 1 1/2 months but do have a local gym membership. Right now I am the heaviest I have ever been, and in fact was around 165-170 in high school. What worries me is I continue to gain weight whenever I weigh myself. I take 2 meds (mood stabilizers seroquel and zyprexa) that cause weight gain. Weight loss is more important to me than strength gain. Should I just crank out cardio 4 times a week, and eat mostly protein? I would like to be under 200lbs by the end of October 11/1/2010 and optimally 195lbs by the end of the year ...I think a very reasonable goal. THANKS FOR THE HELP!!!

 

[oasfc]

ef aye queue.

 

[MMAFriedRice]

Start running bro and none of that tread mill cuz thats for girls. Best way to get your fitness up and be fit for when u start a martial art.

If u have not run for a while, it is best to run for 2 mins, then rest for a minute and run again for 2 minutes. Repeat this 4-8 times (depending how hard u want to push yourself) for a week and gradually start increasing ur running time and start lowering ur resting time!! Try to run at least 3 times a week.

In about 4-6 weeks you should be able to run between 30 mins-60 mins without resting!!

Then once ur cardio is up to standard, participating in martial arts classes will be much easier too and weight will start to come right off my friend.

 

[ColonelAngus1]

How exactly does a medication cause one to gain weight? I've always been of the belief that only eating calories (or temporarily retaining water) will make a person gain weight.

As for your issue, the solution seems pretty simple. You want to build muscle while losing fat. So it seems like you need to kick up the cardio in your workout. This doesn't mean that you need to simply get on the treadmill, though that wouldn't hurt. It means when you are working out with weights, you want to keep the weights low to moderate, and keep the reps high, in the 12-20 rep range. And you also want to keep moving. You want to move from one exercise to the next, and keep your heart rate up. I would also recommend picking up yoga. It's a great workout, it burns calories and it tones muscle.

To help you lose weight, you simply need to tweak your diet, particularly your caloric intake. Keep your caloric intake in the 2000-2400 range on days that you're working out and in the 1600-2000 range in the days in which you are not working out. In addition, stay away from processed foods that will give you a quick burn (white bread, white pasta, etc.) but leave you feeling hungry an hour later. Try to eat foods high in fiber (spinach, greens, etc.) that will make you feel full.

I am not a licensed doctor, so please take these recommendations for entertainment purposes only.

 

[miaou]

[...] You want to build muscle while losing fat. So it seems like you need to kick up the cardio in your workout. [...] I would also recommend picking up yoga. It's a great workout, it burns calories and it tones muscle. [...]

Lol, wut?

 

[gabelh]

How exactly does a medication cause one to gain weight? I've always been of the belief that only eating calories (or temporarily retaining water) will make a person gain weight.

Thyroid manipulation can be caused by some forms of medication which can drastically affect one's metabolism. That's one way meds can cause weight gain/weight loss in some individuals. There are actually a number of forms of medication that can cause weight fluctuation problems, for that matter. Beta blockers and corticosteroids, as an example can both impact weight gain/loss. Corticosteroids are problematic because of the way they impact your body's ability to absorb glucose in which case they contribute to a number of people gaining belly fat deposits. Worse yet, they stimulate appetite so now you're really hungry AND you can't absorb glucose properly.

For the most part, however, your ideas regarding the dietary side of things are pretty much spot on with what causes people to gain weight. I personally have friends that blame their medication (usually anti-inflammatory or something relatively minor in that vein) for their weight gain when the truth is, calories in are greater than calories out and they do virtually no exercise.

 

[ColonelAngus1]

Lol, wut?

Something wrong? Come with me to my 90 minute Bikram yoga class and tell me how you feel afterward.

 

[miaou]

Something wrong? Come with me to my 90 minute Bikram yoga class and tell me how you feel afterward.

I retract my previous statement. I definitely can't argue against such a solid scientific argument.

 

[ColonelAngus1]

I retract my previous statement. I definitely can't argue against such a solid scientific argument.

Does doing yoga not burn calories while toning muscle and improving flexibility? Am I wrong here?

 

[pliftkl]

Does doing yoga not burn calories while toning muscle and improving flexibility? Am I wrong here?

What does it mean, exactly, to "tone" a muscle?

 

[TheeFaulted]

WTF does "toning muscle" mean? Do you mean your actual muscles changed shape?

I don't think anyone will argue that yoga can help your flexibility.

 

[ColonelAngus1]

What does it mean, exactly, to "tone" a muscle?

that state of the body or of an organ in which all its functions are performed with healthy vigor.

So when I use the phrase "tone muscle", I'm saying that although you will not vastly increase your muscle mass, your muscles will be more able to perform its function with healthy vigor, aka able to perform more efficiently.

 

[milano]

that state of the body or of an organ in which all its functions are performed with healthy vigor.

So when I use the phrase "tone muscle", I'm saying that although you will not vastly increase your muscle mass, your muscles will be more able to perform its function with healthy vigor, aka able to perform more efficiently.

Just stop, you're bumming everyone out.

 

[ssjmawson]

'm saying that although you will not vastly increase your muscle mass, your muscles will be more able to perform its function with healthy vigor, aka able to perform more efficiently.

More efficient use of muscle implies that there would be an increase in maximum power output, are you suggesting that yoga will make you stronger??

 

[ColonelAngus1]

More efficient use of muscle implies that there would be an increase in maximum power output, are you suggesting that yoga will make you stronger??

Of course yoga will make you stronger. Is this even in question?

 

[TheeFaulted]

that state of the body or of an organ in which all its functions are performed with healthy vigor.

So when I use the phrase "tone muscle", I'm saying that although you will not vastly increase your muscle mass, your muscles will be more able to perform its function with healthy vigor, aka able to perform more efficiently.

Isn't a muscles function to contract and pull a lever?

If my muscle can contact and pull a lever to pick up 400 lbs and yours can contract and pull a lever only lifting 250 lbs, whose muscle is able to perform more efficiently?

 

[ColonelAngus1]

Isn't a muscles function to contract and pull a lever?

If my muscle can contact and pull a lever to pick up 400 lbs and yours can contract and pull a lever only lifting 250 lbs, whose muscle is able to perform more efficiently?

With time as a constant, your muscle is able to perform more efficiently.

However, if your muscle is able to pull a lever to pick up 400 lbs ten times or pull a lever to pick up 50 lbs 50 times, and my muscle is able to pull a lever to pick up 400 lbs 7 times or pull a lever to pick up 50 lbs 90 times, which muscle is more efficient?

Yoga will help strengthen your muscles and holding certain positions is also good for increasing muscle endurance, aka the ability of a muscle or muscle group to do repeated contractions against a less-than-maximum resistance for a given period of time.

 

[TheeFaulted]

You know what "will help strengthen your muscles" and increase "the ability of a muscle or muscle group to do repeated contractions against a less-than-maximum resistance for a given period of time"?

Weight training.

Its amazing. When someone's squat goes from 300 to 450, they now can do 300 for many more reps than they previously could. The can now complete contractions against a less-than-maximum resistance for a given period of time, by raising the volume that they can lift.

 

[ssjmawson]

However, if your muscle is able to pull a lever to pick up 400 lbs ten times or pull a lever to pick up 50 lbs 50 times, and my muscle is able to pull a lever to pick up 400 lbs 7 times or pull a lever to pick up 50 lbs 90 times, which muscle is more efficient?
.

My muscle would be more efficient at higher loads and yours would be more efficient at lower loads....

That aside, I'd love to see any examples of that scenario in real life, especially where the 50lbsx90 guy has got there with yoga. You've made up two sets of numbers that are going to be almost impossible to find in the real world.

 

[ColonelAngus1]

You know what "will help strengthen your muscles" and increase "the ability of a muscle or muscle group to do repeated contractions against a less-than-maximum resistance for a given period of time"?

Weight training.

Its amazing. When someone's squat goes from 300 to 450, they now can do 300 for many more reps than they previously could. The can now complete contractions against a less-than-maximum resistance for a given period of time, by raising the volume that they can lift.

Who is arguing with that? Who said that weight training doesn't help you gain muscle? Who are you arguing with?

I wrote, "You want to build muscle while losing fat. So it seems like you need to kick up the cardio in your workout. This doesn't mean that you need to simply get on the treadmill, though that wouldn't hurt. It means when you are working out with weights, you want to keep the weights low to moderate, and keep the reps high, in the 12-20 rep range. And you also want to keep moving. You want to move from one exercise to the next, and keep your heart rate up."

I only added yoga as something he might want to try to keep his workouts fresh. Vinyasa yoga is an active workout. It keeps the heart rate up and increases strength, all while increasing flexibility. Is there something wrong with suggesting yoga as a supplement to weight training? Was your high school sweetheart killed by a drunk driving yoga instructor?