Losing the fat

[ek2]

Alright, I'm really tired of having all this fat on my body. I'm 14 years old and 170 pounds. I've got fat all around my chest and arms. I really need a good way to lose the fat. What kind of things can I do to get thin again?

[plancheismine]

Do some cardio! :wink: and swimming

[solidscorpion69]

Will that really work? i am so desperate get a six pack its no longer funny

[ek2]

I'd like a six pack as well, but my main goal at the moment is to lose the flab.

[koltz]

ehh , do a cutting diet with resistance weight bearing cardio or some of thoose tabata\HOC stuff ,

hmm just search all the funny words on t-nation.com articles should be usefull..

[jonp382]

Alright, I'm really tired of having all this fat on my body. I'm 14 years old and 170 pounds. I've got fat all around my chest and arms. I really need a good way to lose the fat. What kind of things can I do to get thin again?

Try to buy natural, organic, whole foods. No artificial ingredients. Avoid buying anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated on the label. Avoid oils high in polyunsaturated fat or is not a food oil. Cottonseed oil is definately not a food oil. Instead, go for extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, sesame oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil. Don't cook them at high temperatures either. If possible, eat as much of your diet raw as possible. Raw food is denser in nutrients, easier to digest, and gives you a more satisfying feeling. Even eat your meat rare to medium-rare. Your body will thank you for giving itself easier to digest food. Don't worry, there isn't as much dangerous stuff in raw foods as they claim. Your body will develop a natural resistance anyways. Never start out eating eggs or meat raw right away though. Start gradually. Eat lots of fruit. Cut back on grains, but in specific white bread and white rice. And make sure you get some eggs or steak or some red meat sort of red meat. Avoid peanuts and in particular soy. They are extremely allergenic and usually not fermented. Cashews and almonds are a much better alternative. Make sure they are blanched though. You can eat potatoes, but make sure they are boiled not fried. Again, avoid eating too many white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are better for you. And of course veggies, boil them if the taste of them raw is undesirable.

Also, you should do some weight training or bodyweight training with high resistance. Weights are better, but in general bodyweight is much more convienent as you can take it anywhere with you. A kilogram of muscle takes up a lot more energy than a kilogram of bodyfat to maintain itself. So you could do bench press/overhead press or one arm push-ups/handstand push-ups and so on. Do plenty of running, sprinting and walking. Avoid jogging, this is what gives people hurting joints. Learn natural running technique.

You don't have to follow everything. Try to eat what tastes good and do exercise that you like. Do what you believe will work and works for you. There is no point in being miserable. An important factor in losing weight is well being. If you are depressed and full of anxiety, it will hinder you and make you unhealthy. Not eating will too, make you unhealthy and in the long term probably make you more prone to gaining weight.

I also encourage to do some research on diet and exercise. This generally is much better than looking at one book or a couple posts and following it. :wink: Going on a diet or exercising can be difficult as a minor, because your family may want to do else and force you to go along with what they believe or desire. But don't give up. 8)

[Celcius]

Alright, I'm really tired of having all this fat on my body. I'm 14 years old and 170 pounds. I've got fat all around my chest and arms. I really need a good way to lose the fat. What kind of things can I do to get thin again?

Try to buy natural, organic, whole foods. No artificial ingredients. Avoid buying anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated on the label. Avoid oils high in polyunsaturated fat or is not a food oil. Cottonseed oil is definately not a food oil. Instead, go for extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, sesame oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil. Don't cook them at high temperatures either. If possible, eat as much of your diet raw as possible. Raw food is denser in nutrients, easier to digest, and gives you a more satisfying feeling. Even eat your meat rare to medium-rare. Your body will thank you for giving itself easier to digest food. Don't worry, there isn't as much dangerous stuff in raw foods as they claim. Your body will develop a natural resistance anyways. Never start out eating eggs or meat raw right away though. Start gradually. Eat lots of fruit. Cut back on grains, but in specific white bread and white rice. And make sure you get some eggs or steak or some red meat sort of red meat. Avoid peanuts and in particular soy. They are extremely allergenic and usually not fermented. Cashews and almonds are a much better alternative. Make sure they are blanched though. You can eat potatoes, but make sure they are boiled not fried. Again, avoid eating too many white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are better for you. And of course veggies, boil them if the taste of them raw is undesirable.

Also, you should do some weight training or bodyweight training with high resistance. Weights are better, but in general bodyweight is much more convienent as you can take it anywhere with you. A kilogram of muscle takes up a lot more energy than a kilogram of bodyfat to maintain itself. So you could do bench press/overhead press or one arm push-ups/handstand push-ups and so on. Do plenty of running, sprinting and walking. Avoid jogging, this is what gives people hurting joints. Learn natural running technique.

You don't have to follow everything. Try to eat what tastes good and do exercise that you like. Do what you believe will work and works for you. There is no point in being miserable. An important factor in losing weight is well being. If you are depressed and full of anxiety, it will hinder you and make you unhealthy. Not eating will too, make you unhealthy and in the long term probably make you more prone to gaining weight.

I also encourage to do some research on diet and exercise. This generally is much better than looking at one book or a couple posts and following it. :wink: Going on a diet or exercising can be difficult as a minor, because your family may want to do else and force you to go along with what they believe or desire. But don't give up. 8)

=D> Great post

A side note about what you eat.
I found that people are usually separate into three categories.

Protein eaters, carb eaters and mixed.

Some people metabolize protein better and some do carbs. Some are in the middle. Almost everyone who finds out what is best for them can use it to their advantage.

I never said to cut out carbs or cut out protein. That would be irresponsible and dangerous. Rather look into food combining, Metabolic bodytype diet as well as Traditional Indian medicine.
What you will find on like are guidlines, maybe those will lead you to a practicioner who will help.

About exercising.

Again not everyone will benefit from the same thing. Some will do best on heavy weight and low reps, some crazy cardion and some with bodyweights as resistance. One of them will not the ultimate solution.
More likely two of the three if not all three will do the trick.
Bodyweight is a great place to start though, and it can help you in the begging of your life journey.

Celcius

[fichmant]

start drinking water instade all the other stuff you drink!
your buddy need water to burn fat
WATER+OXCIGEN=LOSING FAT so start doing it
Stop drinking soda and cola and all the other things and just start drinking water it will do wounderfull to you!!


PS
sorry about my english :oops:

[koltz]

Omg I must be a hardcore carb eater..... I can munch anythign carbs for days although I eat tons of protein too but not as much naturally from hunger

start drinking water instade all the other stuff you drink!
your buddy need water to burn fat
WATER+OXCIGEN=LOSING FAT so start doing it
Stop drinking soda and cola and all the other things and just start drinking water it will do wounderfull to you!!


PS
sorry about my english :oops:

Water+Oxigen= Losing fat?
Sounds good, what did you read that?

[Valigon]

its actualy just how the body metabolizes proteins and carbs.... you see proteins and carbs are both polymers. which are basicaly just chains of one monomer.... ie P-P-P-P-P-P and so on and so forth.. and they are bonded by the "hydrogen bonding" of a hydrogen and odygen molecule, and since protein and carbs are storage moleculs inorder to get the energy out of them you must break them apart... so inorder to break them apart you have to add one molecule of H2O to break them apart (and yes when your body puts them together it actualy gives of 1 molecule of H2O)... so you see water is what actualy starts the metabolic process in our cells. without it you would starve to death nomater how much you ate.... oh and if you REALY wanna burn fat quick, start geting up everyday and doing 45-60 min of cardio BEFORE you eat breakfest.. this is because your body likes to use what it has just obtained first. its easyer to metabolize then fats. and when you get up in the morning you have a lower blood sugar, so there is less sugar for your body to metabolize so it has to pull from the fats inorder for your body to do the cardio, this will give your metabolism a jump start... similar to adding jet fuel to a fire. also eat more, smaller meals, so eat 5 meals that are half of what you normaly eat at 1 meal now.... and if you wana know my sources.... gota love AP bio.... and actualy paying attention.....

[fichmant]

start drinking water instade all the other stuff you drink!
your buddy need water to burn fat
WATER+OXCIGEN=LOSING FAT so start doing it
Stop drinking soda and cola and all the other things and just start drinking water it will do wounderfull to you!!


PS
sorry about my english :oops:

Water+Oxigen= Losing fat?
Sounds good, what did you read that?

from a former Navy SEAL....
(you can read his articale about fitness and diet from here

http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Smith_Index,00.html )

[Antaeus]

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=1E56EE943DF836925FC3FF443B 718FE7.hydra?id=460021

http://www.cbass.com/FATBURN.HTM

As Mahler said: "Forget the hamster cardio".

[chrissgee]

As one of the other posters pointed out, do your "cardio" first thing in the morning and you will achieve tremendous fat loss results. Because the body has been fasting overnight, it will turn to the only energy source it has stored up, which is fat for the fuel to burn. It doesn't hurt to have a caffeinated beverage about 20 minutes before you get going either to really get you moving. Cardio does NOT have to be boring! Treadmills suck-no question. But if you have trails or a decent neighborhood with hills, you can make jogging fun and challenging. Put your MP3 player on and get cracking. While running trails you can stop and knock out some push-ups, then get up and keep moving. Find a tree with a limb you can reach and do some pull-ups, and keep going. After 30-45 minutes of this type of "cardio", you will feel fantastic. Jumping rope is an excellent alterative if you have the coordination, and burns fat in less time than jogging.

I don't know how bad you want the 6 pack, but if you are committed and you let nothing stand in your way, I guarantee you will at the very least lose a huge percentage of body fat with 30-45 minutes of solid cardio activity at least 4 days a week, and a clean diet after 30 days of committment to your routine. I'm 35 years old and in better shape than 99% of the people I work with, most of which are younger than me. I have made simple, common sense diet suggestions to the younger guys I work with and watched them lose 20-35 lbs. in a month and a half with commitment and EXERCISE.

As another member pointed out, ditch the sodas. They willl completely kill any progress you are making or potentially going to make. This goes for fruit juices as well, they are loaded with sugar. I couldn't agree more with some of the previous posters recommendations of eating whole foods, not processed foods. And the tip about drinking water is huge. A good portion of your body is made up of water and as such needs constant hydration. When you feel tired or sluggish, have a glass of water, you'd be surprised at how dehdrated this country is as result of drinking soda and coffee ALL DAY LONG. Stay away from products with High-Fructose Corn Syrup in them. Chill out with the refined carbs, starches, flours, etc. Go for the complex carbs (whole grains). Whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc. They will be burned as energy more efficiently by your body and make you feel fuller. Eat more protein to help you build and maintain muscle. Egg whites, low fat cheeses, low sodium beef jerky, chicken breasts, fish, skim milk, a protein shake- all these will keep your muscles growing and maintain what you have built. You must keep the protein up or you will end up burning muscle for fuel if you don't take in enough of the right complex carbs. Don't bother eating carbs after 7 or 8 at night, it's pointless. If you are not going to exercise and burn them off, then they will be sitting on you not doing a whole heck of a lot. I am of the opinion that carbs are a daytime food to be eaten while you are awake and moving around. Go nuts with the carbs at breakfast. This will get you moving and restore your glycogen stores which you have burned off after your cardio first thing BEFORE breakfast. For me at least, I get the best results utilizing them that way. If you can't do your cardio in the morning, do it AFTER whatever workout you choose to implement, as you will need some carbs to burn more during your wokout than your cardio. The fat loss will be achieved better after the workout because you have gotten into the zone of burning calories while exercising, now you can do the cardio and achieve maximum fat loss effects.

There are alternatives to foods you love but do not want to quit. If you love pasta, try Barilla Plus pasta which is loaded with protein and Omega 3s' and tastes fantastic. If you crave chips, eat Sun Chips which are made from whole grains and taste awesome. Snack on almonds which are high in fiber and protein and contain the healthy fats your body needs. But remember - portion control. Even when eating healthy, the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you are taking in. That is a simple fact and there is no getting around it.

Lastly, start lifting your body. I have been doing body weight exercises since I was in in the Navy and understood at a young age how effective they can be if performed properly (just like any exercise). Lifting your body is safe and easier on the joints than lifting weights, and you have your body with you 24X7. I almost exclusively work my body with my own wieght (175) with minimal use of dumbells here and there, and I can still hop on a bench and push up 275 lbs. It amazes my younger friends who work out and think hours in the gym are what is neccessary to achieve strength and a solid body. One more thing - take pictures of yourself before you start your program. This will give you the motivation to keep going. Every week take another set and compare them to the prior weeks pictures. You will see your body changing almost weekly if you commit. Give it a little time, nothing happens overnight.

This site rocks! I just found it the other day and it is filled with tremendous ideas that are not only incredibly effective, but fun and stimulating rather than the same old exercise routine. Variety is important when exercising your body to keep your muscles from getting used to doing the same thing day in and day out. Follow the examples, go to a playground and do some of the exercises shown here. Who cares if people think you look crazy, over half of this country is overweight and heading towards obesity at an alarming rate. I have 2 small boys and when I take them to the playground it is as much for me to get exercise as it is them. You are young enough to make a complete lifestyle change right now that can completely reshape who you are, how you feel about yourself, improve your confidence in your abilities, and be an inspiration to others who will see the changes you make WORKING!
Bottom line - Believe in yourself, eat right, and DO THESE EXERCISES. If you are serious, YOU WILL SUCCEED!

I'm done ranting, get it done brother!!!

Chris

[VingTsunMonkey]

I used to be a little pudgey myself!

I weighed 180 lbs my freshman year in HS and decided I'd had enough of my extra baggage. Rode my bike to the local market to buy real food since my father refused to eat healthily, and worked out EVERY morning before school. In 6 months I weighed 120 pounds. Then, I decided I was sick of being skinny, so I started lifting lol.

I weigh 186 lbs now, most of it's lean weight. I used to lift a lot of weights but it was starting to wear on the joints, so within the last few months I've replaced my weight rack with a pull up bar, dip station, and various homemade contraptions, and love it.

All the advice here is solid. Lots of cardio, lots of moderation. The real reason people are large isn't because of their diet in most cases, it's because the don't exercise AT ALL. I eat like a HORSE (and not the healthiest foods either :twisted: ) and I'm still in good shape, because I beat the heck out of my exercise bike every morning.

[boliverallmon]

I can't say it enough eat clean. go organic. don't continue to eat crap. Organic tastes better anyways.

boliver

[jojobean]

Well written, and is very true:p As one of the other posters pointed out, do your "cardio" first thing in the morning and you will achieve tremendous fat loss results. Because the body has been fasting overnight, it will turn to the only energy source it has stored up, which is fat for the fuel to burn. It doesn't hurt to have a caffeinated beverage about 20 minutes before you get going either to really get you moving. Cardio does NOT have to be boring! Treadmills suck-no question. But if you have trails or a decent neighborhood with hills, you can make jogging fun and challenging. Put your MP3 player on and get cracking. While running trails you can stop and knock out some push-ups, then get up and keep moving. Find a tree with a limb you can reach and do some pull-ups, and keep going. After 30-45 minutes of this type of "cardio", you will feel fantastic. Jumping rope is an excellent alterative if you have the coordination, and burns fat in less time than jogging.

I don't know how bad you want the 6 pack, but if you are committed and you let nothing stand in your way, I guarantee you will at the very least lose a huge percentage of body fat with 30-45 minutes of solid cardio activity at least 4 days a week, and a clean diet after 30 days of committment to your routine. I'm 35 years old and in better shape than 99% of the people I work with, most of which are younger than me. I have made simple, common sense diet suggestions to the younger guys I work with and watched them lose 20-35 lbs. in a month and a half with commitment and EXERCISE.

As another member pointed out, ditch the sodas. They willl completely kill any progress you are making or potentially going to make. This goes for fruit juices as well, they are loaded with sugar. I couldn't agree more with some of the previous posters recommendations of eating whole foods, not processed foods. And the tip about drinking water is huge. A good portion of your body is made up of water and as such needs constant hydration. When you feel tired or sluggish, have a glass of water, you'd be surprised at how dehdrated this country is as result of drinking soda and coffee ALL DAY LONG. Stay away from products with High-Fructose Corn Syrup in them. Chill out with the refined carbs, starches, flours, etc. Go for the complex carbs (whole grains). Whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc. They will be burned as energy more efficiently by your body and make you feel fuller. Eat more protein to help you build and maintain muscle. Egg whites, low fat cheeses, low sodium beef jerky, chicken breasts, fish, skim milk, a protein shake- all these will keep your muscles growing and maintain what you have built. You must keep the protein up or you will end up burning muscle for fuel if you don't take in enough of the right complex carbs. Don't bother eating carbs after 7 or 8 at night, it's pointless. If you are not going to exercise and burn them off, then they will be sitting on you not doing a whole heck of a lot. I am of the opinion that carbs are a daytime food to be eaten while you are awake and moving around. Go nuts with the carbs at breakfast. This will get you moving and restore your glycogen stores which you have burned off after your cardio first thing BEFORE breakfast. For me at least, I get the best results utilizing them that way. If you can't do your cardio in the morning, do it AFTER whatever workout you choose to implement, as you will need some carbs to burn more during your wokout than your cardio. The fat loss will be achieved better after the workout because you have gotten into the zone of burning calories while exercising, now you can do the cardio and achieve maximum fat loss effects.

There are alternatives to foods you love but do not want to quit. If you love pasta, try Barilla Plus pasta which is loaded with protein and Omega 3s' and tastes fantastic. If you crave chips, eat Sun Chips which are made from whole grains and taste awesome. Snack on almonds which are high in fiber and protein and contain the healthy fats your body needs. But remember - portion control. Even when eating healthy, the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you are taking in. That is a simple fact and there is no getting around it.

Lastly, start lifting your body. I have been doing body weight exercises since I was in in the Navy and understood at a young age how effective they can be if performed properly (just like any exercise). Lifting your body is safe and easier on the joints than lifting weights, and you have your body with you 24X7. I almost exclusively work my body with my own wieght (175) with minimal use of dumbells here and there, and I can still hop on a bench and push up 275 lbs. It amazes my younger friends who work out and think hours in the gym are what is neccessary to achieve strength and a solid body. One more thing - take pictures of yourself before you start your program. This will give you the motivation to keep going. Every week take another set and compare them to the prior weeks pictures. You will see your body changing almost weekly if you commit. Give it a little time, nothing happens overnight.

This site rocks! I just found it the other day and it is filled with tremendous ideas that are not only incredibly effective, but fun and stimulating rather than the same old exercise routine. Variety is important when exercising your body to keep your muscles from getting used to doing the same thing day in and day out. Follow the examples, go to a playground and do some of the exercises shown here. Who cares if people think you look crazy, over half of this country is overweight and heading towards obesity at an alarming rate. I have 2 small boys and when I take them to the playground it is as much for me to get exercise as it is them. You are young enough to make a complete lifestyle change right now that can completely reshape who you are, how you feel about yourself, improve your confidence in your abilities, and be an inspiration to others who will see the changes you make WORKING!
Bottom line - Believe in yourself, eat right, and DO THESE EXERCISES. If you are serious, YOU WILL SUCCEED!

I'm done ranting, get it done brother!!!

Chris

[warriorscholar]

I don't think we can emphasize enough that you need to eat food and drink a lot of water to lose weight. Eat lots of veggies. Corn is not a veggie. Its a grain. Avoid grains as much as possible. Avoid white bread. Remember that junk food gives you a junk body. Steam your veggies, don't boil and really don't nuke them. Eat protein and fat. But be smart about the fat that you eat. By fat I mean nuts and olives and non lean meats and good dairy.

And you need to build muscle. Upping your basal metabolic rate is really going to help lose the weight. Marathon cardio is going to remove muscle from your body. You don't want to be jogging long distance at the same pace. Like earlier posters said, throw in some sprints. Stop and do some push ups or shadow box a little. Burpees are awesome for weight loss.

But most of all stick with it. It took you years to gain weight. It will take time to lose the weight. Your age is your best friend right now. Your body is very metabolically active. I'd say you are not more than six months to a year away from a killer eight pack, as long as you consistently work out and watch your diet.

Speaking statistically here, you are going to make mistakes along the way. but remember, if you fall down six times, stand up seven times. You only really fail if you stop trying. Get a big wall chart for your room. Track your weight, your workout, your successes and your failures. I know what I'm talking about. I've lost 45 of the 145 pounds I need to lose. Its taken me 6 months.

Good Luck,

[Erik]

I'm going to disagree with warriorscholar about giving up the grains, as I do not believe that they do much harm if you are eating whole grains. They also provide lots of fibre, which is quite good for your digestion. Corn (for example) is not that bad for you. Smearing it with butter and salt is. He is quite right about white bread and junk food (though I have a thought about that at the end). He is also quite right about eating. Don't starve yourself. You are young and need good food to grow.

Please, do not go on a "diet," - atkins, low-carb, grapefruit, whatever. Very few people manage to lose weight permanently by dieting, especially dieting alone. Most diets tend to leave you fatter than when you started because your body goes into starvation mode. Also, at 14 they can seriously screw up your metabolism for a good long while.

jonp382 gave some good advice about eating, as did warriorscholar. Eat healthy foods, and limit anything that says "processed" or only comes wrapped in foil or plastic. You said you're fourteen, so I expect you're limited to what your mother cooks. As a tip, volunteer to cook some of the meals, and that way you can get stuff that's good for you (also, knowing how to cook impresses the girls later on in life).

In terms of your exercise, I'd recommend alternating a body-weight circuit program with a cardio day to start, if you're not doing any exercise right now. You can tailor both the circuit and the cardio to your needs, start easy until your body gets used to it, then increase the challenges. Don't train too hard in the beginning if you are not used to it. If you overtrain, you will end up feeling misereable and (if you're like me when I feel miserable) probably gain weight from lack of activity and eating comfort food.

Last thought. Don't give up junk food completely. You'll go snaky. Instead, limit it so it becomes a treat once a week instead of a daily thing. Pizza with your friends, that sort of thing. Reward yourself by using the pocket money you save to go to a movie once a month.

Good luck, and keep us posted. One thing about this place is that everyone is here to help each other and stay motivated.

[bobackwards]

As one of the other posters pointed out, do your "cardio" first thing in the morning and you will achieve tremendous fat loss results. Because the body has been fasting overnight, it will turn to the only energy source it has stored up, which is fat for the fuel to burn. It doesn't hurt to have a caffeinated beverage about 20 minutes before you get going either to really get you moving. Cardio does NOT have to be boring! Treadmills suck-no question. But if you have trails or a decent neighborhood with hills, you can make jogging fun and challenging. Put your MP3 player on and get cracking. While running trails you can stop and knock out some push-ups, then get up and keep moving. Find a tree with a limb you can reach and do some pull-ups, and keep going. After 30-45 minutes of this type of "cardio", you will feel fantastic. Jumping rope is an excellent alterative if you have the coordination, and burns fat in less time than jogging.

I don't know how bad you want the 6 pack, but if you are committed and you let nothing stand in your way, I guarantee you will at the very least lose a huge percentage of body fat with 30-45 minutes of solid cardio activity at least 4 days a week, and a clean diet after 30 days of committment to your routine. I'm 35 years old and in better shape than 99% of the people I work with, most of which are younger than me. I have made simple, common sense diet suggestions to the younger guys I work with and watched them lose 20-35 lbs. in a month and a half with commitment and EXERCISE.

As another member pointed out, ditch the sodas. They willl completely kill any progress you are making or potentially going to make. This goes for fruit juices as well, they are loaded with sugar. I couldn't agree more with some of the previous posters recommendations of eating whole foods, not processed foods. And the tip about drinking water is huge. A good portion of your body is made up of water and as such needs constant hydration. When you feel tired or sluggish, have a glass of water, you'd be surprised at how dehdrated this country is as result of drinking soda and coffee ALL DAY LONG. Stay away from products with High-Fructose Corn Syrup in them. Chill out with the refined carbs, starches, flours, etc. Go for the complex carbs (whole grains). Whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc. They will be burned as energy more efficiently by your body and make you feel fuller. Eat more protein to help you build and maintain muscle. Egg whites, low fat cheeses, low sodium beef jerky, chicken breasts, fish, skim milk, a protein shake- all these will keep your muscles growing and maintain what you have built. You must keep the protein up or you will end up burning muscle for fuel if you don't take in enough of the right complex carbs. Don't bother eating carbs after 7 or 8 at night, it's pointless. If you are not going to exercise and burn them off, then they will be sitting on you not doing a whole heck of a lot. I am of the opinion that carbs are a daytime food to be eaten while you are awake and moving around. Go nuts with the carbs at breakfast. This will get you moving and restore your glycogen stores which you have burned off after your cardio first thing BEFORE breakfast. For me at least, I get the best results utilizing them that way. If you can't do your cardio in the morning, do it AFTER whatever workout you choose to implement, as you will need some carbs to burn more during your wokout than your cardio. The fat loss will be achieved better after the workout because you have gotten into the zone of burning calories while exercising, now you can do the cardio and achieve maximum fat loss effects.

There are alternatives to foods you love but do not want to quit. If you love pasta, try Barilla Plus pasta which is loaded with protein and Omega 3s' and tastes fantastic. If you crave chips, eat Sun Chips which are made from whole grains and taste awesome. Snack on almonds which are high in fiber and protein and contain the healthy fats your body needs. But remember - portion control. Even when eating healthy, the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you are taking in. That is a simple fact and there is no getting around it.

Lastly, start lifting your body. I have been doing body weight exercises since I was in in the Navy and understood at a young age how effective they can be if performed properly (just like any exercise). Lifting your body is safe and easier on the joints than lifting weights, and you have your body with you 24X7. I almost exclusively work my body with my own wieght (175) with minimal use of dumbells here and there, and I can still hop on a bench and push up 275 lbs. It amazes my younger friends who work out and think hours in the gym are what is neccessary to achieve strength and a solid body. One more thing - take pictures of yourself before you start your program. This will give you the motivation to keep going. Every week take another set and compare them to the prior weeks pictures. You will see your body changing almost weekly if you commit. Give it a little time, nothing happens overnight.

This site rocks! I just found it the other day and it is filled with tremendous ideas that are not only incredibly effective, but fun and stimulating rather than the same old exercise routine. Variety is important when exercising your body to keep your muscles from getting used to doing the same thing day in and day out. Follow the examples, go to a playground and do some of the exercises shown here. Who cares if people think you look crazy, over half of this country is overweight and heading towards obesity at an alarming rate. I have 2 small boys and when I take them to the playground it is as much for me to get exercise as it is them. You are young enough to make a complete lifestyle change right now that can completely reshape who you are, how you feel about yourself, improve your confidence in your abilities, and be an inspiration to others who will see the changes you make WORKING!
Bottom line - Believe in yourself, eat right, and DO THESE EXERCISES. If you are serious, YOU WILL SUCCEED!

I'm done ranting, get it done brother!!!

Chris


very good advice, and about portion control, if you are a big eater like me and still want to lose weight try doing this. Instead of eating 3 major meals a day, spread your meals out, meaning throughout the day eat 4-6 small meals a day that way your metabolism keeps burning and you also have the satisfaction of eating. This works well for me

[arrell]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned HIITs (High intensity interval training)...

I thought that they were the way to go when trying to lose body fat. It's hard stuff, but if what I've read is true, then they should produce the results.

Check here for info and resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training

[hara_12]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned HIITs (High intensity interval training)...

I thought that they were the way to go when trying to lose body fat. It's hard stuff, but if what I've read is true, then they should produce the results.

Check here for info and resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training

I agree with you. That is how I lost my 25 lbs. HIIT with weight training to help build muscle to increase metabolism. As far as I am concerned, if your body can do it, it is the best and fastest way to lose weight.

[arrell]

I agree with you. That is how I lost my 25 lbs. HIIT with weight training to help build muscle to increase metabolism. As far as I am concerned, if your body can do it, it is the best and fastest way to lose weight.

Wow, that's a pretty big loss. So I guess that's a confirmation of HIITs producing the results.

I'm mainly doing HIITs to try lose some body fat, but it's difficult to see if they are really burning the fat.

[Big Jew]

The input provided in this thread alone will slim you down.

There's a whole mental aspect that also must come into play as well here.
Patience is a big one. Apreciation and honoring the work you've down that has propelled you into the process of fitness and losing fat. After a while it would feel like a shame to undo the hard work you've put into yourself. So the thought of going back to eating poorly and not being in shape is no longer an option.

I've lost almost 40lbs this year from 290.
So being around the 250 mark I feel great from my accomplishments and probably want to lose another 40-50 lbs. I'm 6'.
Even though I'm a ways away from a standard weight for my height
I feel great and I can enjoy my own physique again. Been putting the exercise in where now I see the outlines of muscle definition and lean muscle mass under my fat layer. I do enjoy the compliments I get.