New Workout, New Diet

[MKader17 332]

Alright, starting Tuesday I will be starting a 3 month workout program at school. With that I want to achieve maximum results by putting myself on a good diet.

I guess I should start by stating my goals. I am 6'2" tall weighing in currently at 215 lbs. I'm really looking to get down to an ideal weight of 190-195 lbs. I don't plan to lose all that weight in 3 months. If it takes longer that is fine as I am hoping to continue with my own workout program come this summer, it is just a total goal in site. Most my spare weight comes in my belly (80%). In this 3 month period I'm also looking to gain some muscle mostly in my upper body region. I have a broad shoulder build and need some muscle to fill it up.

I'm really trying to keep things balanced and healthy but of course my big catch is I only have a microwave to cook from. I do, however, have a friend with a house so if I need to cook something in bulk then bag it up and re-heat it with the microwave later I could do that as well.

I'm also looking into supplementing myself with something. I have never used a supplement or anything but have seen friends use it with good results. I wanted to see if anyone would recommend using something for someone who is looking to shed pounds and build muscle.

My schedule this semester is actually very lunch friendly I have a total of around 2.5 hours to prepare and eat lunch on Mon/Wed and about 1.5 hours on Tues/Thur. Fridays I work so subway sandwiches will be lunch those days and probably Saturdays too.

Sorry for the long post, I know people like to have all the information possible before making suggestions. If you guys could recommend which foods would be best, tips for keeping it up and shed a little light on the supplement info, it would all be very much appreciated. I know very little of nutrition and would like to do my body a favor by learning some ins and outs.

[vladd 26]

can't really chime in with too much info here, i think i'm going to be in the same boat this semester though. I want to lose my belly and incorporate a lot more cardio into my life (aside from being a guy my family has a history of heart disease).

[Chevy350TPI 12]

Supplements are all bullshit. Creatine and protein powder have been the only two scholarly documented products with results. Don't bother wasting your money at this point. Later on you can add in something to give you a bit of a boost. If you really want a supplement for weight loss, try a fat burner - see what's in the majority of them and buy it separate (hint: 200 capsules should be around 10 bucks). You don't even need that right off the bat ... just hit the cardio and heavy weights. Most supplements are just a very expensive mental boost. Learning how to mentally prepare yourself for lifting is free.

Shed the weight with lots of cardio and some weight training, then focus on packing the muscle on. Post up a copy of your routine as well.

Carbs are your fuel. Yes you'll need protein in order to repair tissue damage, but carbs are key. I'll even post two lectures where I specifically cover how and when the body uses fats, protein, and carbohydrates later on.

I can literally go all day on this (I teach and train) but I myself need to get to the gym this morning. I'll be back later with plenty of information for you.

[coobies5 43]

www.bodybuilding.com

it is a bodybuilding site, but you can keep a log of your progress, and on the forums there is a lot of information there for you too. Go give it a look and see for yourself if it can help you. Good luck!

[Chevy350TPI 12]

and on the forums there is a lot of information there for you too.

And unfortunately 98% of it is incorrect or meaningless to individuals training for things other than bodybuilding.

[coobies5 43]

it was just a suggestion

[djjdnap 78]

lol, everyones new yrs resolution, lol

mine was to gain weight last yr now 25 pounds more and i want to lose the excess, lol

funny how that works

[Duke 0]

Most supplements are just a very expensive mental boost. Learning how to mentally prepare yourself for lifting is free.

That is the very best description ever of what supplements are. Although some are helpful, its very hard to weed out all the crap.

Definitely invest in some creatine (JUST GET 99.9% PURE MONOHYDRATE, NONE OF THE BS THATS ALL HYPED UP)... Nutrabio makes good stuff, and some quality protein if you won't get enough from your diet. Optimum Nutrition makes some affordable and good quality stuff. With creatine monohydrate alone, I went from weighing 215ish to about 240(mostly muscle), and I've stayed right between 235 and 245 for a few years now(I'm also 6'7" and I don't think I'm terribly out of shape). I didn't do cardio though sadly. I was only doing strength workouts. Also, multivitamins and amino acids would probably be a good idea. Good luck man.

Edited January 21, 2008 by Duke

[MKader17 332]

lol, everyones new yrs resolution, lol

mine was to gain weight last yr now 25 pounds more and i want to lose the excess, lol

funny how that works

Defnitiely not a new yrs resolution. I've been working slowly at it since the last summer started. I dropped 25 pounds last summer and just tried to maintain it through the fall session. Now I'm ready to step it up another notch

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

The only other things I take outside of protien and creatine is amino acids. There are different ways to get mass and lose weight, but when I was training, I found it easier for a novice to get them to focus on one at a time.

It made sence to lean them towards the higher levels of cardio first to cut weight and improve fitness then slowly bring on the weights. Some people are not in shape and they just lift weights with no cardio at all. Rubs me wrong seeing all these people in the gym who I can tell were never athletes just trying to lift MAX on every excercise.

[Guest zedman]

Why do you need to add? if you are looking to loose weight you wouldn't want to add muscle it adds weight. There are a couple of things you can do to loose weight. Quit drinking soda, don't eat anything 3 hours before going to bed, and eat small meals 5-6 times a day. If you are in school( college) you should have access to dietitians for free since you pay all the fees you do, all you have to do is look for them in your services section of the website or even inquire at the rec center. Just my 2c though have an awesome day. Z

[MKader17 332]

The only other things I take outside of protien and creatine is amino acids. There are different ways to get mass and lose weight, but when I was training, I found it easier for a novice to get them to focus on one at a time.

It made sence to lean them towards the higher levels of cardio first to cut weight and improve fitness then slowly bring on the weights. Some people are not in shape and they just lift weights with no cardio at all. Rubs me wrong seeing all these people in the gym who I can tell were never athletes just trying to lift MAX on every excercise.

I definitely am going to focus on my cardio hard to get rid of the weight for this "cycle" (cycle is what our instructor calls the 3 month training period). Then if I'm satisfied with my fitness and weight, I will start packing on the muscle this summer, since I should have a better idea what I need to do to obtain that goal.

Do you have any reading material on protien, creatine, and amino acids. I really don't know much about them and just want to get a general idea of what they are.

[MKader17 332]

Why do you need to add? if you are looking to loose weight you wouldn't want to add muscle it adds weight. There are a couple of things you can do to loose weight. Quit drinking soda, don't eat anything 3 hours before going to bed, and eat small meals 5-6 times a day. If you are in school( college) you should have access to dietitians for free since you pay all the fees you do, all you have to do is look for them in your services section of the website or even inquire at the rec center. Just my 2c though have an awesome day. Z

Those are all things I will definitely be doing. I will definitely have to look into finding a nutritionist around campus, especially if it is free.

On the "Why do you need to add?" I didn't know why, I was really just trying to get the question out there to figure out the benefits and such, but obviously this early it isn't the best idea.

Chevy350TPI, I still look forward to hearing more of what you have to say.

[acex3a 5]

supplements are a waste of time and money and the effect u get nothing out of it. ur not doing anything great for ur health but making its worse with it. cretine is a waste. doesnt do anything but give u water mass in ur muscles. protien doesnt do anything but fill ur stomach so ur not hungary and ur stomach eats crap and kills ur liver and kidney. read the labels and do research stuff doesnt do anything for u. (coming from a person who has been weight training and going to school to train people) iv seen waht its done to kids i know and its killing them from getting schalorships to D! schools.

best way to do anything is to do carido and weight train and keep active. eating health is big too lossing weight. carbs u want to fill up on no crap like cretine and protien.

[vladd 26]

i would retaliate but really can't wait for the captain, i will however say beyond a shadow of a doubt, I've never been hungary

[ANeonRider 3]

i would retaliate but really can't wait for the captain, i will however say beyond a shadow of a doubt, I've never been hungary

Me neither. Maybe Adrian has though

[Chevy350TPI 12]

supplements are a waste of time and money and the effect u get nothing out of it. ur not doing anything great for ur health but making its worse with it. cretine is a waste. doesnt do anything but give u water mass in ur muscles. protien doesnt do anything but fill ur stomach so ur not hungary and ur stomach eats crap and kills ur liver and kidney. read the labels and do research stuff doesnt do anything for u. (coming from a person who has been weight training and going to school to train people) iv seen waht its done to kids i know and its killing them from getting schalorships to D! schools.

best way to do anything is to do carido and weight train and keep active. eating health is big too lossing weight. carbs u want to fill up on no crap like cretine and protien.

Creatine isn't a waste - it does more than simply "give u water mass in ur muscles." ... essentially that is just a side effect.

Protein/weight gain supplements are safe in moderation and under controlled use. Don't bullshit anyone.

I do not know what school you are going to and learning this information, but it's a dog shit school. Take an English class while you are at it. It is people like you know run your mouth plastering false information all over the place that ruin the industry. I should honestly ban you for spewing such nonsense on this message board.

I'm completing a PhD in Kinesiology/Exercise Science and teach nutrition, health and wellness, exercise physiology, human anatomy and physiology, biophysical foundations of human movement, theories of strength training, and resistance training for health and performance ... as well as supervise two graduate students completing their thesis on various topics. I hold my CPT and CSCS through the NSCA as well as ADV-PTS, SCS, PFS, OAS, and NWS through Can-Fit-Pro, where I am also a Pro-Certified Trainer.

I'll take care of this later on.

[Chevy350TPI 12]

To take care of the creatine issue right now ...

The phosphagen system provides ATP. In the muscle, ATP is found near the myosin filament heads so it is readily available for the sliding filament theory cross-bridge step. Powerful and quick movement demands are taken care of by the phosphagen system. When you exercise, you do not deplete ATP in proportion to the requirement for that ATP - ATP hydrolysis produces ADP, inorganic phosphate and H+. These products react with creatine phosphate (CP) to re-form ATP. With a higher concentration of CP in the muscle (creatine supplementation), ATP can be provided more immediately versus having a lower concentration (Volek & Kraemer, 1996 and Volek, Kraemer, Bush, Boetes, Incledon, Clark, & Lynch, 1997).

I have much more to add on the topic but it's time for work. I will add more later.

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

I can attest to the improvements and benefits of protien and creatine. I have tracked the difference on the side to justify to myself on spending the extra money. I usually do one massive buy a year. I do need to correct myself from an earlier post, when pushing all out for mass and repair I have taken zinc or ZMA (wacky dreams, but recovery time improved a little and soreness dropped a little also).

There is so much more we can delve into on this nature of diet add on's. For example, on protien alone, there are many different forms of protien powders, [egg, whey, soy, crossblends etc.) and some work for some people better then others. Nick asked for a few protien suggestions a few months back and I gave a few ideas for protiens that have and had worked for me. He tried one of them and found it was not the best him, he shifted to the protien that Jacob is using (I forget which one at the moment). Body chemistry is a major factor in weight training, and for two people like Nick and I, we are of different molds. He has a wildly high metabolic rate and can eat all day and not gain weight, so a mass / weight gainer is more suited for him, where as I have always been able to develop decent muscle on demand but do not have nearly the metabolism Nick does, so a pure whey protien is more suited to my structure.

I am currently trying to pull off the near impossible (thick headedly) by reducing mass in my legs and bringing back mass in my shoulders/chest/arms and improving my endurance, esentially two different training programs split by upper and lower body.

[Chevy350TPI 12]

Further on the creatine topic ...

Fox (2006) states that the renewal of ATP is so critically important that an athlete may decide to supplement with creatine monohydrate or another form of the product. Athletes supplementing with creatine monohydrate have shown increased intramuscular phosphocreatine levels ... 15%-40%. Furthermore, Fox states that this increase in PCr can improve muscle mass and lead to an increase in strength and subsequently performance.

In the near future we will see athletes who have been abusing (consuming 20g+ per day of monohydrate for extended periods of time, for example) come up in studies where this has ultimately led to liver and/or kidney damage. Moderation is key. 2-5g per day (well within the recommended dosage) should not be a problem for the vast majority of individuals. As always, we recommend visiting your physician or nutritionist to ensure you do not fit into a special population unable (or shouldn't) to supplement with the product.

Earnest, Snell, Rodriguez, Almada, & Mitchell (1995), Greenhaff, et al. (1997), Kreider, et al. (1998), and Maganaris & Maughn (1998) all found that supplementing with creatine monohydrate significantly boosts performance and intracellular concentrations of creatine phosphate. With their articles being published in the Journal of Applied Physiology and The Medical Journal of Sports Exercise, for example, their studies are not taken lightly and have been subject to (failing) scrutiny.

A typical individual will consume roughly a single gram of creatine per day. The body will synthesize creatine if roughly one gram is not ingested. Twenty grams per day has shown to increase total muscle creatine by approximately 20% (Birch, Nobel, & Greenhaff 1994). An increase of this magnitude can increase performance while exercising by 5% to 7% (Greenhaff, et al. 1997). Twenty grams of creatine is equivalent to roughly ten pounds of uncooked steak.

Not all individuals will benefit from creatine. Some people are just non-responders.

Of note should be that carbohydrate intake can dramatically increase muscle creatine uptake by more than 50% (Greenhaff & Casey 1997). Hultman and associates (1996), as well as Kreider and colleagues (1998), have demonstrated that the paralleled weight gain may or may not come from changes in hydration status.

[Chevy350TPI 12]

On to protein ...

Typical Joe/Jane who goes to the gym probably does not require any sort of protein supplement in order to meet their goals of being fit and healthy. Their diet is probably adequate and they are getting enough protein in their diet as it is. Carbohydrates are by far the most important nutrient we need to worry about, but more on that later on.

Athletes, however, may require supplementary protein. Aerobic endurance athletes generally require slightly more than 0.8g/kg of body weight and can go as high as approximately 1.5g/kg because they will eventually use protein as a fuel some time later on in their endurance event (Lemon, 1998). Consuming huge amounts of protein as a sedentary individual can lead to negative results. As an athlete, the excess protein is broken down and the nitrogen is excreted as urea. The ketoacids which remain are used directly as energy or, via gluconeogeneis, converted to carbohydrate or fat (body fat). If you have kidney problems, do not consume enough fluids, or have low calcium levels, it is not wise to consume above 4g/kg

[Chevy350TPI 12]

Back to creatine for a moment ...

Regarding the negative health effects ...

Studies have shown that 20g of creatine consumed for five consective days had zero effect on plasma creatine levels, blood pressure, renal function, or creatine kinase efficiency/activity. Furthermore, long-term creatine use has had no effect on a healthy individuals tubular reabsorption, glomerular filtration rate, and membrane permeability. Naturally, as aforementioned, problems can, and may very well would, arise should an individual with renal problems consume large amounts of monohydrate.

Another interesting note regarding creatine is that if you do supplement with it, you should cut caffeine out of your diet. Caffeine has been shown to negate any ergogenic effects that creatine supplementation can give you.

All in all, there are about 11 or 12 popular studies that have shown that supplementing with creatine monohydrate has no benefit. These studies do not give any reasons as to why this may be, nor have they been able to repeat the same study and achieve the same results.

Maybe I will get into how nutrition + fitness training effect weight loss later on.

[MKader17 332]

Thank you! Great information.

I thought I'd throw in some notes I've been taking on certain things (mostly diet). Most these thoughts are incomplete but its just some rough notes:

No Soda... Period.

Eat Natural

"Little things make a ton of difference" (Denim)

Foods like Chicken, Tuna, Turkey, Cottage Cheese are good

Eat more calories at the end of the day

Abs Diet book is a good read (Haven't been able to find it yet)

Eat 5-6 times a day with proportioned meals and healthy snacks in between

Please feel free to add, especially meal Ideas as I'm hurting on those right now

[Chevy350TPI 12]

The first thing you are going to want to likely do is shed the fat and then see where that puts you weight wise ... then worry about bulking up a little bit. A good chunk of the weight you will take off right from the get-go will be water.

You're already on the right track with what you posted above!

If you want, I can put up a sample tracking of what I eat in a day for you to gauge what six meals a day looks like.

[Duke 0]

supplements are a waste of time and money and the effect u get nothing out of it. ur not doing anything great for ur health but making its worse with it. cretine is a waste. doesnt do anything but give u water mass in ur muscles. protien doesnt do anything but fill ur stomach so ur not hungary and ur stomach eats crap and kills ur liver and kidney. read the labels and do research stuff doesnt do anything for u. (coming from a person who has been weight training and going to school to train people) iv seen waht its done to kids i know and its killing them from getting schalorships to D! schools.

best way to do anything is to do carido and weight train and keep active. eating health is big too lossing weight. carbs u want to fill up on no crap like cretine and protien.

Creatine kills people. Wow man, you really know your stuff huh? I got some cramps once I started creatine, but drinking more water fixed that pretty quick. Protein is crap too? Tell us more Mr. Health God. Guessing by the way you typed all of that nonsense, you didn't even finish high school. Why would anyone want to get trained by someone who cannot even talk correctly? Creatine will help, but only to a certain extent. I stopped supplementing it after my strength increases and weight increase weren't really increasing much more. Once I started using creatine, I started getting very good results quickly. All of my exercises increased in weight, and I gained a very noticeable amount of muscle. I improved at work also. Chevy has pretty much owned the topic though.

Acex3a, its people like you that make forums a pretty frustrating place sometimes. Grow up and stop trying to be a know it all when obviously you don't really know much of what is being talked about. I don't know much, but I'm not trying to say I know a ton of stuff. I know whats helped me, and worked well for me, so I'm just sharing this info. No need to be so negative.

Edited January 23, 2008 by Duke