T Nation

Starting Something New!

Beginners
#1

Hey! New here. First post.

ME:
I am a 23 year old former athlete. I ran track, played basketball, tennis, and some club soccer. I worked out but only because most every sport required it. When I graduated HS, I weighed 180 pounds at 6 feet tall. Now, let’s fast forward 5 years. Still 6 feet tall but I am a sneaky 315. I wear a size 42 jeans and XXL t-shirts… I hate what I have let myself become.

MY GOAL:
I want to get in better shape. I would enjoy being back at my weight as a 17 year old senior but that is a long way away. I need to lose some weight. I want to do it, just like everyone in America, ASAP.

MY PLAN:
IDK if anyone has done this or played around with it but here is my idea. I don’t like the idea or using NO-Xplode or stuff like that… I don’t like stimulants. It makes me jittery. I plan on doing a sort of “fast” that isn’t fasting at all. I am only going to have 1 real mean a day; it doesn’t matter if it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. For the other 2 traditional meals, I am just going to take 2 scoops of whey protein. I may eat some raw fruit throughout the day to avoid hunger pains. Also, I am going to be lifting weights. Nothing extremely hard or intense but I’m going to hit 3 major lifts (bench, power clean, dead lift) and have some auxiliary lifts thrown in (curls, lunges, lat pulls, ect.)

Can someone please give me some help on what to expect? I will provide updates on how it’s going.
Thanks!

#2

1- understand that this process is going to take a long time. You didn’t become 315 pounds in 6 weeks so don’t expect to lose the weight that fast either

2- your diet “plan” sounds horrible. You’re 315 pounds, all you have to do is eat sensibly. You know what foods are good for you and what foods are not. Eat the good ones, don’t eat the bad ones (that much).
Just eat a large portion of protein at each meal, with some vegetables, fruit, and complex carbs.

3- your lifting “plan” doesn’t sound very well thought out. Get on a proven program. You will make much better progress than whatever it is you threw together. 5/3/1 would be a good option, since it’s so simple and will allow you to focus on #4

4- You said nothing about conditioning. This is an important part of anyone’s training. I assume you haven’t done any of this in quite some time, so ease into it. Don’t go 100% right off the bat, your joints will be killing you. I believe Jim Wendler wrote an article on here about how he eased himself into conditioning. That would be a good plan.

#3

How the crap are you in 42" jeans at 315? I was wearing something like a 54" jeans at that weight. I’m 240 now and wear 40s. Granted I’m an inch or two shorter than you but still…

As far as weight loss, just start by eating 3-4 healthy meals a day. One-two servings of some sort of vegetable, one helping of meat, and maybe a piece of fruit. Use veggies and fruits as snacks. I like carrots and bananas because they’re not messy and don’t need to be chilled so I can keep them in my office. I rarely eat traditional carbs like bread or pasta anymore. They’re too calorie dense and don’t have a lot of nutritional benefit. I still get a couple hundred grams of carbs a day in veggies though.

Sample:
Breakfast: small container of greek yogurt and an apple (I am not a huge morning eater)

lunch: 2-3 egg omelet with 1 cup spinach and about 1/4 lb of chicken and a diced tomatoe and some green chilis mixed in

Dinner: chicken breast or fish fillet with roast broccoli.

2nd Dinner: leftovers from first dinner

Find 4-5 types of veggies you like and rotate them daily. Broccoli one day, asparagus the next, brussel sprouts the third, green beans the fourth, etc. It helps keep it a bit less boring.

#4

[quote]paulwhite959 wrote:
How the crap are you in 42" jeans at 315? I was wearing something like a 54" jeans at that weight.
[/quote]

Exactly. The only way someone with those stats is only going to have a 42" waist is if they are extremely built. a 42" waist wouldn’t even look fat on someone with a frame like that at over 300lbs.

Either way…the comment, “nothing hard or intense” is what people say who will stay fat forever.

#5

the only way I can picture it is he’s using those pants that have huge elastic sliders built in, but I didn’t see those until the upper 40s.

#6

[quote]paulwhite959 wrote:
the only way I can picture it is he’s using those pants that have huge elastic sliders built in, but I didn’t see those until the upper 40s. [/quote]

Most people lie about their waist size…especially newbs who don’t know what people look like at certain weights and measurements.

Trust me…if this guy only had a 42" waist with those stats, he would be PROUD of the way he looked. No one notices the 42" waist on a guy with a chest nearly 60" and tree trunks for legs.

#7

This and eat appropriate to your goal weight and train like your life depended on it…forget this fasting nonsense.

#8

LoL… Thanks for the responses. I told you I am a sneeky 315… I just bought some new jeans and they are a size 42… Take that how you want it but that is the truth.

Getting back to the fitness thing…

I am trying to shed weight and not be bulky… I have done that before. Not a fan of it. I have done some cardio recently but, like someone said, my joints killed me for days. I have been wanting to start swimming but dont have access to a pool…

My workout program is just what I have been doing for the past few days… It may not be a popular thing to do but before I start an intense workout program, I like to build what I call a “base.” It helps me prepare my body and get through some light soreness. It may not do anything for my body but it does help my mind…

I will look at the 5-3-1 program. I dont know what it is… I have the BFS program because I am a coach and our weight lifting coach has taken the program and modified it to fit our team.

Even if I dont follow your advice, I really really appreciate it. I dont exactly know where to start and all the feedback is welcome. This has helped point me in the right direction.

Thanks again!

#9

…1 “big” meal a day? You are desperate, I can see that, but there is no way to actually lose FAT other than eating right and exercise. At 315lbs eat fruit, vegetables, lean meats (chicken, sirloin, fish), and complex carbs (Brown Rice, Wheat Pasta, Ezekiel Bread). Eat 6 times a day, each meal should be about 400cal at your weight. Eat about 250g of Protein, 185-250g of carbs, and the rest will be healthy fats. My macro may be a little off but that seems about right.

Also, DO NOT BUILD YOUR OWN PROGRAM! You are a new lifter/gym goer (I do not care about your past experience 4 years ago). Do a program that is proven, there are multiple on the internet, heck P90x would help you out at your weight. Seriously man, get on a proven program, nail the nutrition to a T, and good luck.

#10

[quote]The8thDeadlySin wrote:
LoL… Thanks for the responses. I told you I am a sneeky 315… I just bought some new jeans and they are a size 42… Take that how you want it but that is the truth.

Getting back to the fitness thing…

I am trying to shed weight and not be bulky… I have done that before. Not a fan of it. I have done some cardio recently but, like someone said, my joints killed me for days. I have been wanting to start swimming but dont have access to a pool…

My workout program is just what I have been doing for the past few days… It may not be a popular thing to do but before I start an intense workout program, I like to build what I call a “base.” It helps me prepare my body and get through some light soreness. It may not do anything for my body but it does help my mind…

I will look at the 5-3-1 program. I dont know what it is… I have the BFS program because I am a coach and our weight lifting coach has taken the program and modified it to fit our team.

Even if I dont follow your advice, I really really appreciate it. I dont exactly know where to start and all the feedback is welcome. This has helped point me in the right direction.

Thanks again![/quote]

5/3/1 is pretty similiar to the BFS program. It uses a lot of the same principles, but it much simplier.

I really suggest you take a look at Wendler’s article about how he transistioned into conditioning. It literally starts from just walking in order to ensure you don’t wreck yourself.

#11

I looked for that article but all I found was “Conditioning 101” that talked about different stuff. After reading numerous articles and hearing your guys feedback, I think I’m gonna ditch my original idea. Just gonna start a program and try to eat better. I’m going to keep,taking protein because I don’t get enough. Should I be using a better brand than whey? Should I be taking anything else or just keep it simple.

#12

[quote]The8thDeadlySin wrote:
I looked for that article but all I found was “Conditioning 101” that talked about different stuff. After reading numerous articles and hearing your guys feedback, I think I’m gonna ditch my original idea. Just gonna start a program and try to eat better. I’m going to keep,taking protein because I don’t get enough. Should I be using a better brand than whey? Should I be taking anything else or just keep it simple.[/quote]

Whey protein is fine. Also eat beef and eggs.