Losing fat and gaining Muscle

[ShaiGar]

Spin-off from the healthy food/nutrition thread.

Unfortunately I am one of those people who truly enjoys the food that I eat. This is going to be harder for me because I work next door to KFC and it's hot this time of year, and there's an Ice Cream store across the road. mmmmmmm mango sorbets.

My aim is to lose the fat i've gained around my stomach (beer gut, damn those sugars), and face, and put on muscular bulk and tone. I'll put up my plan online, and put beside it where I am at, along with pictures and measurements. Once I've gotten where I want to be I'll start going to the gym again with my personal trainer.

I've figured out that I'll need to run several things at the same time:
Fat Burning Tablets (taken 1/2 hour before dinner, an hour before a workout)
Detox regime (when my mother was body building she took these and not only did her doctor get impressed by the extremely healthy balance she had internally, but you could see her getting much fitter)
Healthy Diet (needs to be delicious so i continue it afterwards too)
Workout.

Two parts of the regime:
Fat Loss.
Muscle Gain.

Fat Loss. - 1 month
walking, Running, Pushups, Rowing, Crunches, and a lot more cardio
low fat, water, and tea diet.

Muscle Gain. - 1 month, Continuous
not sure of the diet at this point, but I'm researching it now.
Lots and lots of calisthetics, weight lifting.

If you guys can think of anything I'd be happy for your contributions. Information on this type of Dieting/Workout would be something that could be instituted for most people.

[thegnat]

Fat loss and muscle gain go hand in hand. You'll gain muscle unless you starve yourself. It may just be a different type of muscle.

*However* (this is mainly for women who are afraid of getting bulky and who also want fat gain and muscle tone) You are NOT going to get bulky uber-quickly. And you may NOT get bulky. People who get bulky are people who go SUPER HEAVY for HOURS in the gym doing VERY FEW reps. And they've BEEN DOING THIS.

Diet: carbs before, protein SOON after! that's the most important part of the diet. protein builds up muscles after you work out. It helps repair them. eat a protein bar or something. And just eat healthy.

work out - many reps, light weight (for you) - builds up fast twitch muscles - yet tones them more than bulks them. These are generally your sprinter-type muscles that do get bigger.

few reps - heavy weight (for you) - bulks up more.

Don't just lift free weights. There are SO many things you can do at a gym. I'm short on time so I'm not listing any.

That's about the shortest I can post about it.

[Santana28]

i think you need to keep it much more simple, or else you'll have trouble keeping up with it.

i recently lost 10 pounds WITHOUT diet or exercise - ask me how? No, not diet pills... WATER. I've been drinking water. I began drinking 2 liters of water a day, every day - and i lost 7 pounds in 7 days. 10 in 2 weeks. 12 in about a month. Thats it.

The thing which i discovered is this - your body doesn't really differentiate between thirst and hunger. You feel hungry when you are really dehydrated. Since i started drinking the water, i feel mentally much more sharp - no headaches. I'm never hungry late at night, and heck... i even eat smaller portions. And did i mention i gave up soda without a second thought because of this? I still have a coffee a day, but thats the extent of my caffeinne abuse for the time being... its awesome.

Also, don't overdo the exercise - little steps work. Just drink lots of water, eat healthy non-processed foods, and try and exercise for a half hour a day and i promise you will see results. You dont need to go all body-builder on yourself :)

[Henry]

Fat loss and muscle gain go hand in hand. You'll gain muscle unless you starve yourself. It may just be a different type of muscle.

*However* (this is mainly for women who are afraid of getting bulky and who also want fat gain and muscle tone) You are NOT going to get bulky uber-quickly. And you may NOT get bulky. People who get bulky are people who go SUPER HEAVY for HOURS in the gym doing VERY FEW reps. And they've BEEN DOING THIS.

Diet: carbs before, protein SOON after! that's the most important part of the diet. protein builds up muscles after you work out. It helps repair them. eat a protein bar or something. And just eat healthy.

work out - many reps, light weight (for you) - builds up fast twitch muscles - yet tones them more than bulks them. These are generally your sprinter-type muscles that do get bigger.

few reps - heavy weight (for you) - bulks up more.

Don't just lift free weights. There are SO many things you can do at a gym. I'm short on time so I'm not listing any.

That's about the shortest I can post about it.

As I recall though, losing fat requires a calorie deficit. Gaining muscle requires the muscle to be torn down and then an excess of calories in order to rebuild and gain.

Anyone an exer bio major to confirm or contradict?

[Charlie Mc.]

True, fat loss does require a caloric deficiency because the body will break down the fat for energy to make up the gap. However, you can build muscle and lose fat at the same time. If you maintain your normal diet, but start exercising more you will still get the caloric deficiency because of the increased demands of building the muscle. Modifying your diet and increasing exercise will be more effective obviously, but don't starve yourself and increase your exercise load. That is unhealthy and will definitely inhibit your progress.

[Meyer]

The method i have found most effective is to rest as little as possible between sets when lifting. The best way to do this is supersetting. For example if you are combining chest and triceps in a particular workout you would go immediately from say bench press to tricep extensions. After your extensions rest for 30-45 seconds and repeat. This combines lifting and cardio and will keep your metabolism higher than normal throughout the rest of the day. Also be sure to get high quality protein into your body after the workout. Cytogainer is an excellent powdered protein mix. Pre- workout I would reccomend NO explode. It is a nitric oxide powder designed to push essential nutrients through your bloodstream in order to increase your pump during your workout.

[aude]

Coming form experience, you dont need to count calories at all. Every ones body handles food at different rates. Its about the amount of carbs,protein and fats in certain ratios that will help you get your goals. I should now i dropped around 5-6% body fat and dropped around 80 pounds of weight in the last 7 months. And i am healthy as a ox. Your body will tell you if something is right or if something is wrong. And it is possible to gain muscle and lose weight at the same time.

[radioactivez0r]

Despite the silly name, a friend of mine got me into the Abs Diet. Basically simple principles, like weight lifting burns fat whereas cardio workouts simply lose weight (regardless of the type), and protein = good while too much fat (and the bad kinds) = bad. I'm no expert, and I don't adhere to it religiously, but it helps. It emphasizes something different than what Meyer mentioned, but along the same lines: circuit training. Do several different exercises with little rest in between, but the goal there is more to get a total body workout then concentrate on a particular section. I like it mostly because it says eat good food and exercise, and you will get in shape. Makes a lot of sense.

[blueback]

I'd suggest lifting weights first. You should have a certain amount of fat on your body to add muscle, so if you've already got that fat you will gain muscle more easily. Then, when you switch to fat burning you will have more muscle to help you out.

Remember that it is more important to do whatever you do often, than it is to do it really hard every now and then. Your body builds up levels of hormones that help you do whatever it is your doing, but only if you do it regularly.

Also, no more than two alcoholic drinks. More than that and those beneficial hormones disappear for a week or two.

[aude]

To really increase the burning of fat. Start eating more lean red meats. Due to it having the most l-Carnitine. Most studies done now-a-days has found that increasing that amino acid, has shown some great weight lose.

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[bucolic_]

I'll try to keep this relatively brief, but that will most likely prove to be difficult.

First of all, let me say that whatever you do, make sure your ego is in check while you're learning how to lift. (I'm assuming you're a beginner). The heavier weights will come with time, just make sure your form is correct. Hopefully you can find someone experienced to help you with form. Youtube is an excellent resource to see videos of proper form.

Just as an FYI, I lift for strength and health by lifting heavy weights, low reps, and don't have anything to do with "bodybuilding," and so take my post with that bias in mind. In my opinion, it's more useful for health and doesn't have the drawback (in MY opinion) of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which is an increase in volume of the sarcoplasm, a fluid in the muscle. This type of hypertrophy has little bearing on strength, and is one of the goals of bodybuilding. I'm not saying that bodybuilders aren't strong, but their end goal is looks/size not strength.

This of course doesn't mean that lifting for strength won't gain you bulk. I started lifting as a very lanky, skinny guy, but gained about 20 lbs from lifting weights, without ever treading into bodybuilding territory. Of course, I'm still skinny, but that's beside the point :)

Bodybuilders tend to workout in the 8-15 rep range (though not always) for maximum hypertrophy (increase in muscle size), whereas heavy lifting (what I do) tends to involve 5 reps or less per set.

That might seem a bit backwards to what Gnat said, but I'm not quite sure what rep range she had in mind. Lifting more than a bodybuilder (20 rep range or so) becomes muscle endurance, which won't bulk as much.

One thing to keep in mind is that the BIGGEST factor for whether or not you will "bulk" is your diet. You can keep lifting heavy, and if you keep your diet in the right range, you'll gain little, if any, mass (assuming that were your goal).

Also, (heavy lifting bias beginning to come through...) IMO, everyone who lifts weights should do heavy deadlifts and squats. And I mean with a bar, not the smith machine. Really, the smith machine is more dangerous than free squats, because it locks you into an unnatural range of motion. Deadlifts especially, are probably the MOST important lift. It works nearly every muscle in your body, and yet it seems like whenever I do them in a gym (I workout mostly in my garage thankfully), people ask me what I'm doing.

Also, if you want a book re: weights, I'd suggest "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe. It only covers free weights, but that's all I and many others use. It also has a beginners workout that I've never personally used, but know people who have seen good results from it.


Regarding your diet...

I typed a bunch of stuff out, but realized I got most of it from John Berardi's 7 tips, so instead, just read them. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Good tips, although some disagree with his carbohydrate recommendations.


Also, once you get into decent shape with low intensity cardio, you might want to branch into some HIIT (High intensity interval training). That would come later though, after you have a decent aerobic base. Just something to keep in mind.

Eh, this was pretty rushed, and there's a lot more I could say... but if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm by no means an expert, but I know more than most.

Edit : this posts formatting is atrocious, sorry about that

[ShaiGar]

Thanks everyone for your advice and information, I'll take most of it on board especially the drinking water. I want to bodybuild for the sake of vanity as well as martial arts, so the advice from some of you was particularly excellent.

[bucolic_]

Thanks everyone for your advice and information, I'll take most of it on board especially the drinking water. I want to bodybuild for the sake of vanity as well as martial arts, so the advice from some of you was particularly excellent.

In this case, I'd say lifting heavy as mentioned earlier is a good idea then... Eating properly will give you the vanity aspect, and lifting heavy will be beneficial for martial arts. Do you intend to compete in martial arts? If you do, and it requires making weight, that might add an extra aspect.

sherdog.net is a forum geared towards martial arts, and has a strength section you might find useful. Although, I warn you that they tend to be quite closed minded towards anyone who appears to be lifting for vain reasons, so you might want to keep that in mind if you intend to post anything. Any mention of bodybuilding, looks, etc, will typically result in flames and/or possible bannings. Just make sure you read the FAQ (it's stickied) and you'll be fine. They've also got a dieting/nutrition section, and a conditioning section. Just scroll down to "training discussion" for all three.

I post there, and have found it to be quite useful.

[ShaiGar]

I'm quite a bit closed minded when it comes to martial arts as well. I cannot abide people who do it for competitions. Sort of like christians who don't believe what jesus says, Martial artist who fight for glory tick me off.

They have a good site, cheers.

EDIT: They do have some good ideas, but the idea that body building and martial arts do not mix is retarded, their site is a little silly.

[Aoiluna]

Ive found that my body feels best and most efficient when I eat more naturally. Ive tried to cut meat completely out of my diet, but its more difficult than I thought. Ive gotten to the point where I only eat it once a week, and it's always chicken or seafood. Being a vegan seems impossible for me to do, but I only drink soy milk and I limit my cheese, butter, and dairy products. I don't eat fast food or overly processed foods. There are ways to get all of the protein you need without eating animal products, but it is more difficult. Every time I eat dairy or meat I feel sick afterwards. I also dont drink pop, and most carbohydrates I take in are complex carbs that you get from pasta or potatoes. Im just telling you what helps me. I know that there are a lot of people who say that eliminating all animal products from your diet isn't smart or safe, but you can do it in a healthy way. Since heart problems are prevalent in my family, I thought that cutting out red meat completely wouldn't be a bad idea.

[bucolic_]

I'm quite a bit closed minded when it comes to martial arts as well. I cannot abide people who do it for competitions. Sort of like christians who don't believe what jesus says, Martial artist who fight for glory tick me off.

They have a good site, cheers.

EDIT: They do have some good ideas, but the idea that body building and martial arts do not mix is retarded, their site is a little silly.

Maybe you're using a different definition of bodybuilding. Most bodybuilders try to induce sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which has NO athletic benefit. There's no reason to have an increase in "muscle" size that results in no strength benefit, especially if (as many members of that forum are) you compete in a sport that requires making weight. I wouldn't call avoiding that silly at all.

That's not to say you can't be a bodybuilder that also happens a martial artist, just that it's not optimal.. Like I said earlier, you can induce growth without large amounts of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

[ShaiGar]

There's a limit to the strength you can achieve, with all the strength training in the world, without muscular growth. There's also no use for great hulking muscles without strength and athletic flexibility and endurance to go with it. But not optimal? The greatest undefeated martial artist was both bodybuilder and martial artist. Bruce Lee had quite a bit to write on the topic of muscular growth and use.

I guess I've never seen the use in martial arts competitions. I have no martial arts belt, and yet I've beaten 3 "black belts" in almost fair fights. Similarly I see no use in hurting someone else, if it isn't simply to defend yourself or others (even for sport). I guess that's why I look down on most competitive martial artists.

I agree with you on your points that inducing sarcoplasmic hypertrophy isn't extremely useful, but a proper exercise regime should look at increasing all your muscles strength, flexibility, endurance and where possible size.

Aoiluna (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.): There are heart problems in my family too, but I'd never be able to give up meat simply because I enjoy all the different flavours of food.

[bucolic_]

There's a limit to the strength you can achieve, with all the strength training in the world, without muscular growth. There's also no use for great hulking muscles without strength and athletic flexibility and endurance to go with it. But not optimal? The greatest undefeated martial artist was both bodybuilder and martial artist. Bruce Lee had quite a bit to write on the topic of muscular growth and use.


I agree with most of this, but I don't care whether or not Bruce Lee was the "greatest" (which is itself debatable, though I do have respect for his breaking of many useless traditions), his strength training was based off a bodybuilder template (mid-range reps) which is sub-optimal for developing strength. Even if he was the greatest, this doesn't imply that he couldn't have optimized his training even more.


I guess I've never seen the use in martial arts competitions. I have no martial arts belt, and yet I've beaten 3 "black belts" in almost fair fights. Similarly I see no use in hurting someone else, if it isn't simply to defend yourself or others (even for sport). I guess that's why I look down on most competitive martial artists.


I can understand your sentiments here, but I will say that I am involved in martial arts for sport (brazilian jiu jitsu) and the goal (in BJJ at least) is NOT to hurt anyone, though accidents do happen. For me it's simply a fun activity to be involved in, and I'd actually feel bad if I did hurt someone.



I agree with you on your points that inducing sarcoplasmic hypertrophy isn't extremely useful, but a proper exercise regime should look at increasing all your muscles strength, flexibility, endurance and where possible size.



I agree with all of this, but I think I see where our hang-up might be. I should clarify that there are two types of hypertrophy, sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar. I didn't make this clear earlier, but I have no problems with myofibrillar hypertrophy, since it involves a strength increase as well. When I speak of heavy/low-rep lifting causing growth (hypertrophy), I'm referring to myofibrillar hypertrophy. Generally speaking, if you compare a bodybuilder and a strength athlete (power lifter, olympic lifter, or strongman) the strength athlete will be stronger pound-for-pound.

[Aoiluna]

Well the truth is, I never really liked the taste of meat that much, ever since I was a baby. Giving up red meat wasn't too difficult seeing as though I don't like the taste of blood, but i love crab legs .

[ShaiGar]

I agree with all of this, but I think I see where our hang-up might be. I should clarify that there are two types of hypertrophy, sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar. I didn't make this clear earlier, but I have no problems with myofibrillar hypertrophy, since it involves a strength increase as well. When I speak of heavy/low-rep lifting causing growth (hypertrophy), I'm referring to myofibrillar hypertrophy. Generally speaking, if you compare a bodybuilder and a strength athlete (power lifter, olympic lifter, or strongman) the strength athlete will be stronger pound-for-pound.
Ahh, I should also clarify that I want the look of a body builder for my vanity, but I cannot abide useless things so yeah, I'd be training for strength, and cutting the fat off my body for the look, while giving myself the very best strength and flexibility.

My vanity strings from a specific egotistical need. I want the best looking and healthiest intelligent girl that has a personality I can admire. But since I want all this, I want to give the best possible body I can or it wouldn't be an equal relationship.


Anyway, first of all is getting back into shape.

[Puffi]

I have a few pointers:
- Creatine. It'll make you look more puffy, but WILL boost your workout.
- Whey protein after workout with some carbs. It doesn't really matter which brand of protein it is, they all lie in their specs anyway. Just get something with as little fat as possible and a taste you can deal with.
- Don't eat anything about 3 hours before workout. Some take carbs about 1 hour before it, but I wouldn't risk it.
- Take vitamin C an hour before workout.
- Caffeine before workout!
- Milk protein in the morning, and especially at night before going to bed!
- Don't eat anything four hours before going to bed - except that milk protein.

If you're really serious about martial arts I suggest this:
First fix your core muscles. Train the deep stomach muscles and do powerlifting that'll take care of your back. I wouldn't suggest any weightlifting for limbs! You should just simulate the punches or whatever it is that you do with those pulley things at the gym. This works only for power though. For something like wushu it's useless because the strikes aren't done with force but speed. It's perfect for something like muay thai though.

If you have time I suggest you bulk up and don't worry about your weight and appearance. Then just lose the weight later and reveal those huge muscles. If you try to be lean while gaining muscle, it'll take longer to gain the muscle. But if you feel it's really difficult for you to lose the weight, then I guess this method is not for you.

[bucolic_]

I have a few pointers:
- Creatine. It'll make you look more puffy, but WILL boost your workout.
- Whey protein after workout with some carbs. It doesn't really matter which brand of protein it is, they all lie in their specs anyway. Just get something with as little fat as possible and a taste you can deal with.
- Don't eat anything about 3 hours before workout. Some take carbs about 1 hour before it, but I wouldn't risk it.
- Milk protein in the morning, and especially at night before going to bed!


I second all of this, with a couple additions...

- Creatine is an excellent supplement, it's cheap, safe, and proven, although I've never noticed anything "puffy," I will say that you'll probably gain about 5 lbs from it, due to increased muscular water retention. Speaking of which, you'll need to make sure you drink plenty of water, so you don't get cramps.

Look for german creapure, it's the golden-standard of creatines. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. is where I got mine. At 5 gram doses, it'll last you 200 days, which isn't bad for 19$. Regarding dosage, there's no need to "load," I take 5 grams post-lifting, and 5 grams in my morning tea.

- Whey is needed due to it's quick digestibility (perfect for peri/post-workout) and regarding taste, it's obviously personal preference, but I've found vanilla to be the most versatile. It mixes well with everything, and my current peri-workout drink is some orange gatorade with vanilla whey mixed in, so it tastes like an orange creamsicle, somehow I don't think chocolate would mix quite as well.

The protocol I've heard for peri-workout drinks is 30 grams carbs (simple carbs, sugars) with 15 grams protein for each hour of the workout... You might need to adjust that, everyone's body is different. Depending on the workout, mine are typically around 60 grams carbs, and 20-25 grams protein. Since I've implemented this, I've noticed a huge increase in recovery ability / decrease in soreness.

Some people suggest sugars and simple carbs post-workout, but I typically eat oatmeal or rice, something like that, and it's been working for me.

- Not eating before working out is great advice, but your results may vary... I've found that 2 hours is all I need, anything less than that, and I might be getting nauseous, but 3 hours is overkill (for me! not necessarily you or anyone else).

- Milk protein is about 20/80 whey/casein, with all the casein making it excellent for before bed, since it clots up in your stomach and takes a few hours to digest, meaning you'll be nourished throughout the night. A lot of people eat cottage cheese before bed for similar effect.


- Take vitamin C an hour before workout.
- Caffeine before workout!
- Don't eat anything four hours before going to bed - except that milk protein.


I've never implemented any of this, but I've heard others recommend it, one thing for sure though is that you don't want a bunch of carbs before bed.



If you're really serious about martial arts I suggest this:
First fix your core muscles. Train the deep stomach muscles and do powerlifting that'll take care of your back. I wouldn't suggest any weightlifting for limbs! You should just simulate the punches or whatever it is that you do with those pulley things at the gym. This works only for power though. For something like wushu it's useless because the strikes aren't done with force but speed. It's perfect for something like muay thai though.

If you have time I suggest you bulk up and don't worry about your weight and appearance. Then just lose the weight later and reveal those huge muscles. If you try to be lean while gaining muscle, it'll take longer to gain the muscle. But if you feel it's really difficult for you to lose the weight, then I guess this method is not for you.

Yes, heavy lifting and power lifting will do WONDERS for core strength. Heavy lifting >>>>>>>>>> 5 million situps. Some moves in particular, such as overhead squats, zercher squats, back squats, front squats... Deadlifts will do amazing things for your lower back strength.

One thing to remember also is that increased muscle mass will allow you to burn fat more efficiently... So bulking up a bit might help you lose the fat, but to be honest with you, I don't know much about all that since I've always been so skinny.

[deicruxified]

i think this would help:

diet stuff...

1. know your height and your current weight
2. see ideal weight table (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.) or
3. just encode your height and weight and calculate your ideal weight (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.)

how to set-up your diet:

i'll use myself as an example. my height is 5.3" and my current weight is 112lbs. as per "ideal weight calculator' my ideal weight should be 110lbs so i need to scrape of 2 lbs. how am i going to do that with dieting? calculate the number of calories you will have to take to maintain, lose or gain weight based on your activity level.

10 = idle
13 = sedentary
15 = active
17 = highly active

i forgot what the 10's and 13's are called but i'll ask my nutirtionist later... well anyway, multiply to your ideal weight to get the number of calories you need in a day. if i go idle, i should consume 1100 calories per day (10*110lbs). for instance i still want to gain more weight and i go idle,

10*112 = 1120 calories per day

since i want to gain weight, i should consume more than 1120 calories per day... well it's up to you if you want to be obese or just add weight...

other stuff to consider:

4 calories = 1g of carb
4 calories = 1g of protein
9 calories = 1g of fat

deicruxified added, 10 Minutes and 59 Seconds later...

Well the truth is, I never really liked the taste of meat that much, ever since I was a baby. Giving up red meat wasn't too difficult seeing as though I don't like the taste of blood, but i love crab legs .
i also despise red meat as well.. they have a pungent after taste imo in whatever delicacy i eat. but then i have to take protein so the nutritionist advices me to take 4 glasses of milk then also eating 4 tablespoons of powdered milk after every meal. then 1/4 cup nuts.

deicruxified added, 3 Minutes and 43 Seconds later...



Fat Loss. - 1 month
walking, Running, Pushups, Rowing, Crunches, and a lot more cardio
low fat, water, and tea diet.

Muscle Gain. - 1 month, Continuous
not sure of the diet at this point, but I'm researching it now.
Lots and lots of calisthetics, weight lifting.


"too much cardio work out can also burn muscles... for fast and safest results consult your gold's gym professional"
- that's what i've been hearing everytime i go to the gym hahahaha. so for those who would like to lose the bulk, invest more on cardio training.

deicruxified added, 385 Minutes and 33 Seconds later...

aaaa i think i made a mistake on the calculations... here's the correct one. i made a diet journal at the member's section so feel free to post whatever there..

----------------------

(target weight) * (rate of activity... i forgot what this is called) = number of calories you have to take per meal.

* target weight - identify your ideal body weight via the bmi. we don't want to be uber skinny anorexic walking sticks. here's a link to the bmi calculator (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.). the site also includes bmi increments as a guide for you to gain or loose weight safely.

* rate of activity - this is the number you will have to multiply to your target weight for you to determine the number of calories you will have to take per day depending on your level of activity. there are 4 levels - idle/no activity, sedentary, active, very active.

10 = idle
13 = sedentary
15 = active
17 = very active

how to get the calories: of course you just don't have to eat any food that has a certain amount of calories so just to meet the daily calorie target. there are certain percentages you will have to get from proteins, fats and carbs.

carb cal = (target calories per day) * (carb) / (cal=g carb) / (number of meals per day)
prot cal = (target calories per day) * (port) / (cal=g prot) / (number of meals per day)
fats cal = (target calories per day) * (fats) / (cal=g fats) / (number of meals per day)

50 = carbs
30 = protein
20 = fats

4 cal = 1g of carb
4 cal = 1g of protein
9 cal = 1g of fat

i'm not sure how it is computed for guys who wish to be bulk.

[tubaglue]

Man, I'll tell you right now. I've done the exact thing you want to do. I was a fat kid because I ate poorly and didn't exercise regularly. Over the past few years I've gone from 280 to hovering between 200 and 205 for the past few months (I just started grad school, time is premium).

The idea is not to bite off more than you can chew. Make small changes. Don't eat KFC every day, only once in a while. Same with sorbet. Don't deprive yourself of these things, cause then you'll binge. Slowly phase them out for healthier options.

Don't take all those pills, it's hogwash. Consuming less calories than you burn in a day will lead to fat loss. Cardio will increase the amount you use in a given day, and weight training will boost your metabolism further increasing the amount of calories you burn in a given day. You can gain muscle while you lose fat, I'm a testament to that. I don't know the science behind why, but I can see the effects.

Stick with it. Losing weight is a psychological battle against what your body is programmed to do, eat fatty satisfying foods and conserving energy by sitting there. Just find a method you can enjoy, the rest will take care of itself. Good luck.

[ShaiGar]

I never really agreed with the BMI, I have a friend who used to be a Sergeant in the Engineers. He was 1.5 meters tall, and weighed close to 110 kilograms when he went into a physical. That 110 kilograms was pure muscle, he worked out all the time, was highly athletic and flexible.

The doctors almost had him suspended for being "Obese" on the chart. To look at the dude there was no spare fat on him, nothing on his chest, face or arms. To add to that he was 35. The BMI Has no respect from me because it only takes to account a persons weight, not how much of that is taken by fat or muscle.

[Mason]

Bowflex?

[bucolic_]

Bowflex?

no. just no. free weights are a lot cheaper and better.

[Mason]

no. just no. free weights are a lot cheaper and better.

Cheaper? Yes. As for being better, what's your rationalization?

[bucolic_]

Cheaper? Yes. As for being better, what's your rationalization?

Other than being expensive, they're quickly outgrown, awkward for many important exercises, such as deadlifts and squats, and even these require an attachment I believe. Then of course they suffer from similar problems as other machines, with guided paths, as well as less involvement of stabilizer muscles.

Not to mention they're downright impossible to use for other exercises, such as any kind of explosive/olympic lift. Admittedly, the impossible exercises may not be important for many, but with these drawbacks, I see no reason to spend extra money on a pointless machine. Especially when the machine is something like 1000 dollars.

Edit: With that being said, a bowflex does have the advantage of taking up less space, but I personally would find some way around that if space was a problem, or go to a gym.

[Henry]

Other than being expensive, they're quickly outgrown, awkward for many important exercises, such as deadlifts and squats, and even these require an attachment I believe. Then of course they suffer from similar problems as other machines, with guided paths, as well as less involvement of stabilizer muscles.

Not to mention they're downright impossible to use for other exercises, such as any kind of explosive/olympic lift. Admittedly, the impossible exercises may not be important for many, but with these drawbacks, I see no reason to spend extra money on a pointless machine. Especially when the machine is something like 1000 dollars.

Edit: With that being said, a bowflex does have the advantage of taking up less space, but I personally would find some way around that if space was a problem, or go to a gym.

Yes. And let's be candid: free weights are considerably more masculine.

[JusVisiting]

Go to any of the bodybuilding forums, they have tons of advice and good articles. I workout six days a week; three days are full body weight routine followed by 20-30 minutes of moderate intensity cardio. Non-weight training days I will run a few miles or swim laps for an hour. I train abs 2-3 times a day but when I do I'll work them hard. The stability ball is my best friend when it comes to working abs. I really believe that in order to gain muscle at a good pace you have to decide on intense cardio or intense weight training. Sometimes the guys who look really strong and in shape can barely run two miles. Some people will lose body fat before they start weight training really hard (and eating a calorie surplus) but really whatever works go with.

I only do a post workout shake after weight training. My bodyweight x .5 = grams of carbohydrates. I eat chopped dates coated in dextrose. My bodyweight x .25 = grams of protein. I'll cook up egg whites and eat these two things together. So your aiming for a 2 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Some people prefer eating a whole meal. So long as you eat something that has carbs and protein you are good to go.

I'm allergic to all dairy products so getting around the whole whey/casein thing has been a pain. Most bodybuilders swear by cottage cheese mixed with peanut butter before bed. Slow digesting protein + fat. As they tend to be obsessed with never letting their precious bodies go more than 4 hours without sustenance. I think they are crazy.

I am not an expert and really I've been doing the same thing for the last three years, cutting edge and innovative -- yeah no. But really what matters is just sticking with it and putting in the time. I injured myself a few months ago so I've been working out 3-4x a week with very lame intensity but I know that once I get back into it my body will build back up quickly. Once you have the base it gets easier to maintain. Hopefully you'll be posting some hot photos of your body as you progress! ;)

[deicruxified]

I never really agreed with the BMI, I have a friend who used to be a Sergeant in the Engineers. He was 1.5 meters tall, and weighed close to 110 kilograms when he went into a physical. That 110 kilograms was pure muscle, he worked out all the time, was highly athletic and flexible.

The doctors almost had him suspended for being "Obese" on the chart. To look at the dude there was no spare fat on him, nothing on his chest, face or arms. To add to that he was 35. The BMI Has no respect from me because it only takes to account a persons weight, not how much of that is taken by fat or muscle.
1.5m?!?! hahaha

well bmi just calculates your ideal weight aknd gives you an idea how much calories you should gain/lose/maintin. there's another one which ... damn i forgot the term! but anyway it measures your fat percentage by pinching some parts of your body blah blah... for example the measurement of x must be proportional to.. blah blah blah... it's quite technically exhaustive because you have to spend time measuring your whole body. i find it pretty funny because most thin people actually think they're thin but in fact they are fat. there's a difference between lean-thin and fat-thin. when you pinch your skin, whatever lump that goes with it is fat.

[Jgib5328]

You can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, unless you are obese. If you are fat, you should focus on losing fat first, then gaining muscle, not at the same time. You shouldn't be trying to gain more weight just yet. Lifting weights combined with cardio will do it the fastest. Don't take those stupid supplements, just work hard and stay disciplined. Supplements are unnecessary and usually don't work. All you need to do is eat a little bit less than you normally do and you will start losing weight. Just move more and consume less it is easy if you have self control.

[xhaan]

Fat loss and muscle gain go hand in hand. You'll gain muscle unless you starve yourself. It may just be a different type of muscle.

*However* (this is mainly for women who are afraid of getting bulky and who also want fat gain and muscle tone) You are NOT going to get bulky uber-quickly. And you may NOT get bulky. People who get bulky are people who go SUPER HEAVY for HOURS in the gym doing VERY FEW reps. And they've BEEN DOING THIS.

Diet: carbs before, protein SOON after! that's the most important part of the diet. protein builds up muscles after you work out. It helps repair them. eat a protein bar or something. And just eat healthy.

work out - many reps, light weight (for you) - builds up fast twitch muscles - yet tones them more than bulks them. These are generally your sprinter-type muscles that do get bigger.

few reps - heavy weight (for you) - bulks up more.

Don't just lift free weights. There are SO many things you can do at a gym. I'm short on time so I'm not listing any.

That's about the shortest I can post about it.

Yup, that's about it. I'd also like to add to the fact that you mentioned, of having the right diet that regenerates you after work, that after working out you need to rest for about a day, because muscle use actually damages muscle on a cellular level, and the body reacts and brings it back, plus some extra. but if you constantly work out, you can damage yourself, causing detrimental conditions and possibly permanent damage. ( and I mean really working out, more than what could be considered 'normal' daily activity... if you sit on the couch all day, then do a treadmill for five minutes, you are NOT 'working out')





xhaan added to this post, 22 minutes and 57 seconds later...

1.5m?!?! hahaha

well bmi just calculates your ideal weight aknd gives you an idea how much calories you should gain/lose/maintin. there's another one which ... damn i forgot the term! but anyway it measures your fat percentage by pinching some parts of your body blah blah... for example the measurement of x must be proportional to.. blah blah blah... it's quite technically exhaustive because you have to spend time measuring your whole body. i find it pretty funny because most thin people actually think they're thin but in fact they are fat. there's a difference between lean-thin and fat-thin. when you pinch your skin, whatever lump that goes with it is fat.

Yeah, it's funny like that. It's also funny because people think that because I'm skinny and look small, that I am weak. I'm just not bulky and have really low fat, but good density and definition. I'm no Arnold, or super strong in any way, but I can dead lift close to my own body weight (around 160, thats pounds) and then carry it around, can do a bit more if I don't have to move (have pulled up a three section high scaffold before, with planks, so it could be jacked up because it was sinking in mud)

[Gonzo]

I'm quite a bit closed minded when it comes to martial arts as well. I cannot abide people who do it for competitions. Sort of like christians who don't believe what jesus says, Martial artist who fight for glory tick me off.


What?! Its a sport! Competing is part of every sport! Besides its not about the glory. I do Muay Thai/ Kick Boxing and I love it, and I practice because I think its fun. Now I may practice for fun, but I compete because of the rush. The rush I get when I'm in that ring is the greatest feeling in the world. Its better then sex... Even better then sex on cocaine! But I cant really explain it if you don't understand it. You have to feel it :). Anyways martial arts should not be practiced for any other reason then your love for the sport. Period. If you want to learn self defense go do Krav Maga. Bah I'm rabbling...

To get to the subject at hand (sorry if its a bit scattered):
1 - Your diet: Only 3 words you need to remember. Carbs, proteins and calories. Simply put: Carbs is for gaining weight and giving the body energy, and proteins build muscle. Now these two are important, but at the end of the most important thing is how much calories you taken inn. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CALORIES!
It's real simple: If you take in more calories then you burn, you wont lose weight. If you burn more calories then you take inn, you wont gain weight. I don't know how to put it any simpler then that. The amount ofc depends on height, but heres a pointer: If you want to bulk up your calorie intake should be between 5-6000 calories a day. If you want to tone and define your muscles you should try to keep it down at around 2500. At least that's what I do. But remember the calorie bit is only regarding your weight. You still need proteins and carbs, but i feel others have said enough about those two :). You should always drink carbs and proteins after a workout, because the body absorbs insane amounts of nutrition when its been through a workout, compared to when its rested.
And yes Creatine is very helpful. Gives you one hell of a boost.
Caffeine before a workout however can be rather unhealthy. If you have heart problems in your family i would consult a physician about this. It can dramatically increase your heart rate, and in extreme cases lead to death. It has happened ;).

2 - Training: Lots of good tips from others here, but theres one thing I don't see anyone talking about: The program itself. If your serious about working out its important to set up a program that targets specific muscle groups, at different days. That way you can work out almost every day, but still give your muscles time to regenerate. Because when you lift wights your basically tearing the muscle tissue apart, and it needs time to heal. To illustrate heres my program: Day 1 - Chest and triceps, Day 2 - Back and biceps, Day 3 - Shoulders, Day 4 - Legs. And no this dose not mean you only work out 4 days a week. After day 4 you start right back on day 1. Shoot me if I'm wrong and this has been mentioned :cheesy:. It might be wise to throw in a resting day every now and then, but if your on Creatine its surprising how little rest the muscles needs. I wont bother with talking about how many reps, sets, etc, since I see others have shared some good tips.

I know theres a lot more to say on this subject, but that was some of the things i feelt was left out...

Cheers!

[AmazingnessMan]

For the last 4 weeks I've been losing the old love handles using a diet known at the Cyclic Ketogenic Diet. It uses the same principles as the Atkins diet but modified so it more suited to someone who is active such as an athlete or body builder. This is done by incorporating "Carb Ups" around once a week, the purpose of this is to replenish the liver and muscle glycogen stores which have been depleted over the previous week.
When not in the ~36 hour Carb Up period, you are free to eat anything that doesn't contain much carbohydrates such as meat, eggs, cheese, cream, fish and low gi fibrous veggies. The recommended daily intake percentages for the macronutrients are:

60% Fat
35% Protein
5% Carbohydrates

Basically the body is altered to run on Ketones (by products of fat metabolism) rather than glucose. This has the added bonus of being muscle sparring provided you eat enough protein and fat to provide enough energy.
When there are little sugars in the blood the hormone Glucagon is released. This brings about lipolysis (the breakdown of stored fats) so your body is constantly burning the fat you have stored.

When all is said and done you are a lean, mean fat burning machine who is able to eat copious amounts of steak, eggs, bacon, chicken, cream and cheese while still losing weight. Sounds too good to be true eh?

There are some drawbacks. You will have bad breath as excess ketones are expelled out the mouth and for the first few days you may feel apathetic and lethargic as the body makes the necessary alterations. It is also important to keep saturated fats in check due to heart disease concerns which is a little harder on this diet as it is very easy to down a heap of steak and eggs and bacon in a sitting without a second thought. Your poop faeces will also float. Just thought i would chuck that in there to make sure you are reading :P I also have to take a multivitamin during the keto phase as I don't get enough water soluble vitamins throughout the week. Oh and you can't do it if you are a diabetic.

Anecdotal evidence here (you will find other testimonials to this effect on the Bodybuilding.com forums) but I feel much better on this diet. I am able to concentrate more and find it much easier to get to sleep at night. I am even getting regular vivid dreams which i never recall having before.

If anyone (OP and others) has any questions about this I'm rather happy to answer them!

bodybuilding.com forums (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.) (I have linked to the Keto specific forum) are a fantastic source of knowledge for those that want to lose weight, gain muscle, or be healthier. Or any combination of those.

More Keto specific links:
All the links in the first post are helpful (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.)
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.