I am new to the Supplement world and I am looking for something to increase the speed of weight loss. I am 6’3 and weigh 290. I want to get to 225 (Higher is ok as long as it is muscle). I am using weights 4 times a week and I am doing some sort of cardio at least once a day for 40-60 minutes at 60-70% of my maximum heart rate. I don’t have high blood pressure according to my Dr, but I am on the high end of normal. I have been reading stuff on this site for hours and I am fascinated, but I am now more condused then ever. Any help is greatle appreciated.
Big Ed, no supp in the world is going to help you if you’re eating too much. You mentioned a lot about training, but nothing about diet. Start keeping a food log and see how many cals you’re taking in per day. Once you know that number, you’ll have a starting point from which to make changes (like dropping 5% or so). But without having your diet in order, you’ll be wasting money on supps.
Ed I used to be bigger than you I agree about getting your diet in check read this
After that, think of something like Meltdown Training. At that size, cardio will kick your ass and possibly introduce undue stress on your joints. Keep us posted on your progress.
Char-Dawg & JT Quick: Thanks for the feedback. The diet is my biggest problem. I am consuming around 2200 calories/day. 50% Carbs/30% Protein/20% Fat. These are rough but close estimates. I am going to research diets more and start up a log.
Hey Big Ed, keeping a diet and training log has been the single biggest help to me for fat loss. Also, I prefer little higher fat and protein, less carb ratio, currently around 40%protein, 30% fat, 30% carb. I am also using fruits and veggies as my primary carb source with the exception of oatmeal. I feel alot better with the lower carb profile and I am dropping fat much faster than when I was eating even slightly higher carbs. I understand that is an individual thing but that’s what is working for me. As far as supplements, I am taking T2-pro and I take MD6 before my workout on wieght training days (also zma, a good multi vitamin, glucosamine and msm). Oh, one more thing, I also started dropping fat faster when I added intervals to my cardio. Now I do high intensity intervals for 25 minutes 2-3 times per week on non-lifting days and more moderate cardio 30-50 mins, 2-3 times per week. I dropped more in four weeks with these minor changes than I did in three months.
Yes the log is the only way to really know. I am helping my friend at work keep a log after she saw the pounds melt off me. After the first few days she was dumbfounded at how many calories were in the foods she ate, and how bad she was eating when she thought she was doing well.
I am 30, and just dropped from 247 to 214 in the past 2.5 months, which included putting on 7 lbs of muscle (My lbm went up from 150 to 157). This is more than I’ve ever lost before on low fat diets.
For me the trick is 33% protein, 33% carbs, 33% fat. Starting with 1 g of protein per lb of your (Lean Body Mass or Total Weight, depending on who you ask). I eat about 140 g of protein a day. Even that is not as much as they say I should, but it is still great compared to my diet before, that is why the food log is important, then you can see what works for your particular body.
Also, I think eliminating any starchy sugary food like potatoes, white bread, pasta, etc is really a great idea. High glucose & insulin resistance not only leads to diabetes but impedes weight loss. But again, your food log will tell you exactly what changes to make.
As for supplements:
I couldn’t eat that much protein without supplements. It is true that Grow! by Biotest is the only protein drink that doesn’t taste like crap. It is great. I even LIKE to drink it, so that helps me keep my protein up.
I also use CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which is a fatty acid found mainly in beef. Yes oddly taking fat pills can help you burn more fat off your body.
As far as fat burners go, now that Biotest’s product is not on the market, I think Hydroxycut is a good product.
BIG Ed,
For starting out,I wouldn’t even think about using a supplement at this point. You’re #1 priority should be getting ALL of your eating in order. If that’s not there, you’ll basically be wasting your time/money. You may want to look into some of the fat loss programs that t-mag has to offer. They are the best ones around. Best of luck!
Thanks to all for the feedback. I started a log today. Ugh! It is a pain, but I will get over it.
My spouse wants us to try Jenny Craig for awhile until we can get out eating in order. (I am not sure if this is a good option considering some things I have read)We do have some things that are taking alot of our free time so planning our meals is difficult. Is this a good option or not?
Thanks again all, I feel the lbs melting away already.
Big Ed, beware of Jenny Craig. It is low calorie, no fat, low protein, high carb, over processed, expensive, and full of additives. Take the money you would have wasted on JC and buy a copy of The Zone, a good blender, a Foreman grill, a large steamer, and a good food scale. Add some MRP’s to the shopping list as well, if you use protein shakes/bars for 2-3 on your meals per day planning becomes much easier. I work 60+ hours/week and my fella even more so we don’t have alot of time to cook/plan either. I plan out a weekly menu then make things like oatmeal, brown rice, tuna, veggies, and meat, in larger batches then portion it out and store in those reusable/disposable ziploc containers. This really doesn’t take that long and makes meal planning much easier.
Big Ed, please ask your spouse why she would want to spend a lot of money on Jenny Craig when, with just a little time and effort, she can lose weight for free?
So what if you don’t have time to do a lot of meal planning? It would be better to eat healthily, of course, but just by knowing how many calories you take in per day and reducing that number (again, without making any diet or macronutrient changes) you can start to lose weight. Once you’ve started, you can then begin to make incremental changes in what you eat, not just how much you eat.
And just for the record, Savannah is right. Jenny Craig is eeeviiiillllllll…
I was watching a business show where they were talking to Jenny Craig. I noticed that the kept the camera on her rather high up. But I could tell that she was chubby. (I think she was talking about selling her company. Gee I wonder why.) It is obvious that Jenny Craig doesn?t even work for Jenny Craig.
Definitely don’t go to Jenny Craig. Planning your meals is not hard. Especially if you already get in the big 3. Lets say you need 2000 cals a day, then you eat 500 at each of the big three, then you split 500 between two snacks and there you are. Once you make some progress then I would worry about supps. I save those for sticking points. Also, Loos at things like meltdown training. It is a bitch of a workout. And for cardio, don’t do that 45 minute crap. HIIT is the way to go. Better results in shorter time.