Eat like a carnivore big man.
What’s up Bruno, I haven’t posted here since the first page, but I’ve followed along a bit.
Congrats on having your sponsor and addressing your addiction. Fat loss is one thing, getting healthy is another, so I’m glad you’re headed that route.
I’m not entirely enthused by the low carb diet. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I would’ve rather seen you get into a “basic, well-rounded” nutrition plan based on Berardi’s 7 habits. But in any case, this is where we’re at now, so we’ll go with it.
“Steak, steak, and more steak” isn’t any kind of healthy nutrition plan, and I hope you’re a little more thought out than that. I think somebody may have mentioned the “green faces” diet. That’s a bit more complete plan.
I know Alwyn Cosgrove and Charles Poliquin use variations of it with great results. Cosgrove actually describes it here, about 3/4 down the first page at 11:57am:
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=803240
While I’m at it, exactly what have you eaten today so far?
Your 100 8-counts plan is kinda similar to Dr. Lonnie Lowery’s “100 Workouts to Ripped City”:
http://www.T-Nation.com/findArticle.do?article=06-025-diet
I was actually going to suggest you follow his exact plan to get started. It’s an hour of light cardio done first thing in the morning for 100 workouts, without missing more than two days in a row.
As soon as possible, I’d like to see you get some kind of resistance training going too. If we don’t try to build some muscle while cutting the fat off, you’ll go from a big fat guy to a slightly smaller fat guy (no offense).
How do you think you’d handle push-ups and squats right now? Would they be super-easy, way to hard, or out of the question for some other reason?
Also, I think a weekly weight check would be a good idea. Same time, same day each week, wearing the same thing (as little as possible), first thing in the morning after a bathroom trip but before anything goes into your mouth (water included).
Excellent Bruno!!! you got your very own T-Nation fitness coach!!! Now lets see some back bone!!!
Three days since you last posted, Bruno. Don’t make us put the “count” in accountability. 
How’s everything going?
I’m here, I’m here. It seems the hardest thing about staying going with any diet or routine is that there are so many different versions and they all get cluttered in my head and it’s kind of overwhelming.
I have walked the local 3 mile trail the last two days. I haven’t gone yet today but I’m talking myself into it.
I did the low-carb diet only one day. I need more variety than that. So since, I’ve been eating every day:
Breakfast - Special K Red berries cereal / 1% milk
Lunch - turkey sandwich / wheat bread / mustard instead of mayo
Dinner - I had soup from a can one night and I made chicken and brown rice the other
Snacks - bananas, a couple every day
How do ya’ll deal with family dinners, such as this Easter Sunday coming up. Is that a day just to enjoy or is the diet still on?
And in response to what I’m able to do, squats would be fine, but I can’t handle my weight for push-ups, unless I go against the counter or table right now. I do have a pair of 25 pounds dumbbells though.
Do your walk first thing in the morning before you have a chance to talk yourself out of it.
Low carb is easy. Limit sugar, grains, potatoes, beans, eat 2 helping of veg every meal with protein.
Family dinners, have 2 helping of veg instead of potatoes, have fruit for dessert.
If you cheat, move on and get back on your diet next meal. You have to live so don’t worry about it. Just limit your cheats to 10% of your meals.
Do your pushups against the wall or table, then a chair and then keep lowering yourself until you’re doing them on the floor. Progress is progress regardless of where you start.
Keep going.
Stu
[quote]BrunoVaughn wrote:
I’m here, I’m here. It seems the hardest thing about staying going with any diet or routine is that there are so many different versions and they all get cluttered in my head and it’s kind of overwhelming.[/quote]
Yeah, when I started weightlifting I fell into analysis paralysis. There’s so much info. out there and you don’t know what to do. In the end, I just found something that made sense to me and heard from others was good and I went with it.
At some point you have to pick a path and just see where it goes. That doesn’t mean you should block out other advice. At the same time, don’t jump from one thing to the next. You won’t get anywhere like that.
[quote]BrunoVaughn wrote:
Breakfast - Special K Red berries cereal / 1% milk
Lunch - turkey sandwich / wheat bread / mustard instead of mayo
Dinner - I had soup from a can one night and I made chicken and brown rice the other
Snacks - bananas, a couple every day
[/quote]
Unless those a huge portions (and they shouldn’t be), you’re eating way too little. You have to eat more often, and more calories total. Don’t have bananas on an empty stomach, never eat carbs alone.
Are you taking protein on the side?
Bruno, don’t make this difficult, you are at a point where anything is going to be helpful. All you have to do is eat smart. Eat six times a day, evenly spaced, control your portions where each meal is around 400 calories, have some lean protein and veggies at each meal, and avoid any carbs except green veggies after 2PM. The rest will fall into place, and you WILL lose weight. On Easter eat whatever you want, just remember everything in moderation, and spread the dinner between 3 of your meals. Even 500 or 600 calorie meals wouldnt hurt you on occasion.
Eating this way will reduce your overall calories, will keep your metabolism stoked all day, will fuel your new workouts, and will start to reduce your appetite and get you used to eating smaller amounts at one sitting.
And with the exercise, you are doing great, just move an hour a day, doing the pushups on the counter is a great start by the way, work your way up. Carrying alot of body weight makes it very difficult to do pushups, pullups, and dips, but work toward them as they may be three of the best exercises you can ever do!!
And one other thing, do not go on a diet… seriously, diets fail. Change your lifestyle, because to change your physique, it has to be a lifelong change, or next year at this time you will be 360 lbs.
Peace, Russ
Hey watch out for and read up on xenoestrogens, they could be causing problems for you and your weight.
Stu, rock on, man. Your entire post 106%.
Bruno, a few notes:
I know, and that’s part of the reason the internet sucks. You get input from ALL sources. Simple, simple, simple rules. Everytime you eat, have a protein serving and at least one vegetable serving. If you’re going to snack on fruit, chose one with edible skin (apples, pears, etc., will have more fiber and fill you up a bit more. This doesn’t include berries.)
How long is that 3-mile walk taking you? I really want to see you getting a total of an hour’s cardio each day.
Three days a week, I’d suggest doing some strength training:
Squat, elevated push-up, lunge, 1-arm dumbbell row, shoulder press, dumbbell swing.
Shoot for 3x8 on each, and we can tweak it from there.
I’ll answer by just reminding you that Gus, in the Physique Clinic, decided to start the hardcore Velocity Diet on Christmas Eve even though his coach offered to let him wait until after the holidays. It’s about how badly you want your results.
[quote]thebigEnglishman wrote:
Hey watch out for and read up on xenoestrogens, they could be causing problems for you and your weight.[/quote]
That’s completely unnecessary to bring up at this point, and only serves to be one more thing to confuse the guy.
It takes me a good hour to walk the three miles.
Went to the grocery store today. Bought more food along the lines of what ya’ll have been saying, except I bought bananas again because I didn’t see those last few posts until now.
I feel pretty good with everything right now. I’ll check my weight again Monday morning and give another update.
Have a good Easter weekend everyone.
Nothing wrong with bananas, just don’t eat them on their own. Have them for dessert or just along anything with more protein in it. Reason being they’re high in carbs, and you don’t want to screw with your blood sugar levels.
Have a good easter, looking forward to hearing about your progress later.
Yup, I have a banana every morning in my breakfast protein shake, and another after weights in the PWO shake. Have a good Easter!
[quote]BrunoVaughn wrote:
It takes me a good hour to walk the three miles.
Went to the grocery store today. Bought more food along the lines of what ya’ll have been saying, except I bought bananas again because I didn’t see those last few posts until now.
I feel pretty good with everything right now. I’ll check my weight again Monday morning and give another update.
Have a good Easter weekend everyone.[/quote]
Not sure if this has been said before, but throw out your old junk food. Really.
Take whatever non clean food you have around and toss it. Proximity is a huge thing, if it’s around, you’ll eat it eventually.
Good luck! Keep posting here. Remember that you now have a hundred or so readers following your progress.
What’s up, buddy? How did your Easter turn out? Was it a final splurge with the family, did you batton down the hatches and keep things strict, or did you compromise somewhere in the middle?
[quote]BrunoVaughn wrote:
I feel pretty good with everything right now. I’ll check my weight again Monday morning and give another update.
[/quote]
And… how do we stand now?
I’m glad to see that so many members have stepped up. That’s what a community is all about.
Bruno:Everyone said it, but I wanna add it too because its the truth. The hardest part is starting, and you’ve already taken some steps. You gotta remember to not get discouraged. If it took you a while to get big, it’s gonna take you a while to get small.
While a journal can suck at the times you aren’t doing so hot, when you keep at it, you’ll have proof on future bad days that you are doing good. So I suggest keeping one of some sort.
Basically don’t worry when you feel like crap, aren’t seeing any results, want to quit, slip in a routine, have a setback, or anything like that. As long as you keep a positive mindset and put in work- at any level- you will see results. Every time you see results or reach a goal, congratulate yourself then set a new goal.
No matter what people are on here for, everyone struggles, and everyone has demons. So don’t get down on yourself or think you did something wrong. It happens. Keep on this positive track!
Waves
Bruno, I was in a similar situation not too long ago. Not quite as extreme, but I was severely out of shape and about 110 lbs. overweight. It definitely sucks getting started…
That said…you’re less than three weeks in. I’ve heard from somewhere that it takes 21 days to break a habit. Food to you, like it was to me and plenty of people, is a habit that needs to be kicked…I’m going to steal a bit of Thibs here…you need to eat functionally, not for pleasure.
Bruno, if you want some inspiration have a look at this thread
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=2038264&pageNo=0#2040693
thats a man who has come along way.