Need to Lose 25 Pounds

I started training officially in October 2011 and have not missed a session yet. But I have been so focused on bulking up that I never really cared about loosing weight, but that has to end. I really want to focus on getting to 200lbs.

I stared the 5/3/1 strength training routine last Monday and added about 30 min of cardio 4 days a week. But is that enough? Is there anyone who has been 25+ over weight and needed to loose it? I want to be at 200 lbs by march, which comes to 3 lbs a week. Any advice or tips??

Drop the aerobic and stick to anaerobic for weight loss. lift heavy or sprint. I love me some HOT-ROX, but if you up your protein intake, you’ll have no issues dropping the carbs to lower your overall caloric intake.

[quote]jhaynes920 wrote:
I started training officially in October 2011 and have not missed a session yet. But I have been so focused on bulking up that I never really cared about loosing weight, but that has to end. I really want to focus on getting to 200lbs.

I stared the 5/3/1 strength training routine last Monday and added about 30 min of cardio 4 days a week. But is that enough? Is there anyone who has been 25+ over weight and needed to loose it? I want to be at 200 lbs by march, which comes to 3 lbs a week. Any advice or tips?? [/quote]

Do you WANT to be 200 by March, or do you NEED to be 200 by March?

“Need”
Do you have to cut weight for a fight/match of some sort? You can’t fit into your suit to renew your wedding vows? Are you having some sort of invasive surgery that your doctor told you that you cannot have until you lose 25 pounds?

“Want”
You don’t really want to work out for more than three weeks? You’ve arbitrarily set that goal for yourself because it “sounded good.” You’re just impatient.

If the “Want” category, fits you more than the “Need” category, then just slow down and do it right. Lift heavy, do some interval training, and eat good food.

If you “Need” to stimulate more weight loss by a certain date, barbell complexes, hill sprints, and even steady state incline walking will all work, but cutting your caloric intake to a reasonable level is going to be the best bet for losing body weight.

[quote]jhaynes920 wrote:
I started training officially in October 2011 and have not missed a session yet.

I stared the 5/3/1 strength training routine last Monday[/quote]
Exactly how were you training from October until last week?

What’s your strength like on the basic lifts - squat, deadlift, flat bench, overhead press, row, and pull-up/pulldown?

Also, it’s not really a good sign of things to come, that you’ve dramatically switched goals after just two and a half months. Try to set more appropriate long, mid, and short-term goals that snowball into each other for continued progress.

Why?

I’m not being condescending or sarcastic, but why do you have to get to 200 by March? Going on a trip? Playing a mental game with yourself? Do you think that someone weighing 200 pounds at your height is your ideal physique? (This is also kinda what Obsidian was getting at.)

Also, why were you “so focused on bulking up” in the first place?

This, with smart eating, really should be plenty to get you where you want to go. Consistent lifting, basic cardio, and the right food choices.
Some nutrition reading:

or A Beginner's Guide to Carb Cycling - T Nation Content - COMMUNITY - T NATION
or, more “extreme” (insomuch as a whole food diet can be “extreme”) http://www.T-Nation.com/testosterone-magazine-635#green-faces-diet

How tall are you?

Any chance of tossing up a pic to see your current condition? Or at least, can you describe your current level of un-leanness - obese, pudgy, Average Joey NoMuscles, already ripped and insane to consider getting 25 pounds lighter?

[quote]jhaynes920 wrote:
I want to be at 200 lbs by march, which comes to 3 lbs a week. Any advice or tips?? [/quote]

It is not the 3 pounds a week that is tough, it is maintaining it for over 7 weeks.

I recommend V-Diet:

Order your supplements for the diet but eat healthy until they come. Then do the 4 week strict portion and the 2 week transition and you should be right on the money for March.

If you want to see other peoples results go to the “Forums” tab above and click into the “V-Diet” then “before and after photos” section.

Im confused, you’ve been on 5/3/1 for a whole week, and you’re bailing on it already?

Im only ‘new’ here posting wise, but it erks me that people still don’t post current height, weight, stats, diet, routine up when asking for advice.