Diet for Wedding July 2009

[clivewalkden]

Hi everybody, just signed up here and everybody seems very friendly and in the know.

I'm getting married next year and have signed up to a local gym to get in shape for it (nothing like starting too soon). I enjoy the gym so motivation isn't a problem but as i have a busy work schedule the time i spend is limited. So far i have managed to almost guarantee that i can do an hour before work and once on the weekend for couple of hours.

My aim is to lose weight initially and then bulk up a bit as i used to go to the gym when i was a few years younger (when it was easier to gain muscle). Currently i weigh just under 16st (220lb) and am 6ft so my BMI is 30 (obese apparently). At the start of the year i had a shoulder problem which the doctor couldn't diagnose. I have trouble lifting items vertically up with my arm straight and generally my shoulder feels weak.

Does anyone have tips, ideas and advice on weight loss products / workouts for me to achieve this goal.

[MisterT]

BMI means absolutely nothing. Its bodyfat% that matters. You can probably get that tested at your gym if its a posh one or buy a set of calippers. I just take a few measurements with tape and use one of those online bf% estimators. Its not hugely accurate but it gives me a rough idea.

[stronglikewood]

February 2007 I was 225lbs and it took me one year to get to 170ish and nice and lean. So you are starting at the right time assuming you need to lose 2-3 stone.

My tips-

1.Reduce carbs and drop the junk food (atleast when training for fatloss)
2.Don't worry about cardio at first. In my opinion diet and weight training are the most important.
3.Train for weight loss in cycles. The reason it took me 1 year is that I trained in 8-16 week blocks specifically for fatloss. My diet was 100% clean during these periods. The benefits are that you can really focus on dropping weight with laser focus when you know you only need to eat squeaky clean for x ammount of weeks.
4.After you finish one block of fatloss training, go into maintenance for 2 weeks minimum and enjoy your food but don't go all out crazy and gain a load of fat back again. This is great psycological relief aswell as the fact it resets your metabolism to normal. I remember dropping from 225lbs to 185lbs in about 6 months using a 16 and an 8 week cycle for fatloss. After that I hovered around that weight and went back up to 190lbs for about 4 months. Between December 2007-February 2008 I went back to strict eating and ended up at 170lbs. Taking 1 year total.
5. Training full body is best 3-4 times a week.
6. 30minute walks every day for cardio for the last fat blast.

I hope that helps!

[Was_once_fat_dave]

You've come to right place clive. These boards are full of good advise, that works.
I'm a few weeks ahead of you in the journey to a leaner body. At the end of feb i was 234lbs (16.5st) ,32%bf and of similar height and age to yourself. Just from reading this forum and putting in to practice the advise I'm currently 210lbs and 21% bf.
Before you do anything else get the diet in check. I lost 10lbs inside the 1st 7 weeks just by sorting mine out.

You soon come to think of it not as a diet, but as a new lifestyle.

Best of luck with this and for the big day next year.

[clivewalkden]

Thanks for the advice everybody, you guys really know what your talking about which is why i came here. I'm due for my first review next week at the gym so will see if they can get a body fat % for me. A the moment i'm not on any diet just eating healthily during the week and having a takeaway on the weekend, will sort that out after my review. Any views on weight loss pills on this site, been looking at Thermopure but know nothing about any of this.

[Was_once_fat_dave]

Here is a link to a thermopure review, it'll give you an idea of what it's like. http://forum.myprotein.co.uk/showthread.php?t=15741

Be warned tho, there is know magic weight loss pills out there. Having strict eating habbits is the important part.

Hows about posting a typical days diet up on here and let the experts that live on these boards give you some help and tips/rip it to shreds. They'll then be able to point you towards what supps to take that will assist you.

[clivewalkden]

Cheers Dave, didn't think of that.

Typical Days Diet:

Breakfast
2 Weetabix
Skimmed Milk

Mid Morning
apple
banana

Lunch
2 slices bread (toasted)
1 tin of beans (454g)
2 medium eggs (poached)
Mini Babybel light

Afternoon
Mr Kipling Delightful Cherry bakewell

Dinner
Weight Watchers stuffed pasta
Weight Watchers sauce

Occasionally Before tea or sometimes after
Bowl of sugar puffs with skimmed milk

[NU_nutrition_TS]

To be frank with you that is a truly awful diet!

Where is the protein? Where is the fat?

All I see is a diet full of carbohydrates!

Are you a vegetarian? There doesn't seem to be any meat, poultry or fish in your diet.

There doesn't seem to be sufficient calories either, which further reinforces the observation that carbs and not calories seem to be the driving force behind obesity.

Ditch the Weight Watchers' ready meals - they are no better (and often worse) than standard processed foods!

Eat real food and, if you are not a vegetarian, get more meat, poultry and fish in your diet. Drop carbs drastically (no bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta and no cakes!) up fats and total calories. That should be a good start!

Good luck.

[ATZ]

Also sounds like you may have a shoulder impingement if you struggle to lift things vertically and have little stability. A trip to a decent physiotherapist is in order mate.

[clivewalkden]

I do eat meat that was an example of last nights tea, fair shout though looking at it there does seem to be lots of carbs. Although, beans and egg contain protein, granted the beans don't have the same protein as meat (in my understanding). Does anyone here fancy helping me out by doing an example of what i should be eating. I will have a look and see if i can find a local physio.