I'm fat, I'm tired, I have 2 months off. Weight loss plans?

[themadscientist]

So I'll be stateside for two months. I don't have much to do other than hit the range and let some lead fly. I need something to keep me busy, idle hands and all that. I've gotten downright out of shape over the years and I have made all sorts of excuses not to do something about it. The way I see it, next week I will start a two month period with not a damned thing I can use as an excuse not to attack this problem and start living healthier.

I need to scout out the local area for rec centers or some low-cost place where I can reaquaint my atrophied physique with lifting heavy things, but I won't feel I have accomplished much if I'm pumped up, but still chubby and low on energy. I imagine with all the people here there must be a few who have tried some of the diet and exercise plans out there and might have one they saw results with; tell me what you did and how it all turned out.

Combat or athletic-type full systems look like the ticket. I really need to hit my core. My posture is complete crap and I know my abs must be a trainwreck under this gut.

I want to step off the plane in february stronger, 20 lbs lighter, and two pants sizes down. There's nothing to be done about the fading hair, but review the next installment in the Die Hard series for styling tips. I think I'm on Die Hard II at this point.

[skydragoness]

Indoor rock climbing?

[bundy26]

Kickboxing

[alms24sebring]

I too have a healthy Taco Bell gut that I would like to lose at some point in time. I think Im the fattest skinny guy you will ever see. I think maybe just pushups and curl ups make a good difference for me and should for you too. F*** a jumping jack. Maybe you could carry a bag of mulch or two from one point to another, then go back and pick up a few more and repeat. Itll strengthen your back stomach and arms. Also swimming or running, but running is boring.

[themadscientist]

I'm not going to jump around too much. I went running and I could feel those extra lbs beating down on my poor knees. I tried swimming once and after two laps I almost couldn't drag myself out of the pool. My heart was pounding and I was short of breath. I stopped a few weeks into a weightlifting program a couple of years ago because when I would go at it hard I would get dizzy and throw up.

I have a lot of work to do. I plan on eating a lot of salads, cutting out the soda and drinking more water, I already eat lean meat, but I want to get more veggies in there. I'm not trying to turn into a health food nut, just reduce the bad habits to something more befitting my age and condition and expecting less help from my genetics which had carried me along for a long time. The free ride is over.

[alms24sebring]

Ugh, those days sound like fun. Before you know it you'll be poopin in diapers and eating viagra and applesauce for dinner... yippie..

[VQpwrdSE-R]

I have a lot of work to do. I plan on eating a lot of salads, cutting out the soda and drinking more water, I already eat lean meat, but I want to get more veggies in there. I'm not trying to turn into a health food nut, just reduce the bad habits to something more befitting my age and condition and expecting less help from my genetics which had carried me along for a long time. The free ride is over.

Sounds like you're making a good first step. Making the hard decision to give up the foods that taste so good but do the inverse for the waistline. Some people can guzzle 2 liters of soda a day. Good move with the water. Weightifting will be a good way to convert those extra pounds into muscle however I dont think you will get the results with that alone. On you weightlifing off days I would suggest a cardio program. As you stated running is not an option due to the condition of you knees, so I would suggest a stationary bicycle or even better a crosstrainer that will involve your upper body into the exercise as well.

P90x will kick your a$$ but will get you results. Just pause the DVD if you need a break.

My wife did a kickboxing class and I have to say it involved more than I thought. Very little kicking was involved. They were doing mt climbers on paper plates and some pseudo pushup that involved them going and alternating on elbows and forearms.

[themadscientist]

I hear a lot of good things about that P90X. I think I need to get out of the house and into the gym, that whole change of venue demarcating that it's time to work. I definitely need some cardio. I used to be able to run for miles like it was nothing, not fast, but without trouble. Now a brisk jog to the car will wear me out. Someone suggested spinning as a real a**-kicker, but one that will be kind to my knees.

[krash]

Aside from the workout, P90x has a pretty good diet plan that you should follow to get the best results.

[nissangirl74]

If you're gonna go to a gym, which I suggest, it is a good motivator, schedule an appointment with a trainer and tell them what your goals are. They can help you set up a game plan, exercise and diet. Exercise will help you eliminate the extra weight you have accumulated, the diet will help keep you from packing on more pounds.
Diet is huge!!! #1 thing to remember: if you don't shove it in the front of your head, you don't have to worry about working it off your a**!!! Controlling sugar content, carbs, and portions are essential to long term weight loss. Also remember, that is OK to have a cookie, or a beer, or whatever you happen to be craving in a moment of weakness; you just can't have 12 of them.
Good luck!

[raremotive]

Find a friend who does lifting or plays football or what ever sport. You are likely to give up by yourself than with a friend.

If all else fails buy yourself a slimming mirror.

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Indoor rock climbing?

f***, Yes.
Best upper-body and core workout you'll get. Might not want to start out with that straight away though...s***'s tough if you are on the heavy side.
Try cycling, it's a lot better on your joints and you see more scenery. Go with a group of like-fitnessed people and have at it.

[DriftingisLame]

Ironman

Okay its closer to a 2 year thing than it is a 2 month thing, but it is a good life choice that will help your overall health significantly, and make you quite a bit more diet conscious. It makes your good health addicting. The cool thing about Ironman is that there's a million stepping stones, including running/swimming/cycling races, sprint and olympic triathlons, etc. Many can be trained for a raced in 2 months.

If your knees hurt from running this could be a very good option for you. Cycling and swimming are non impact sports that can help you loose weight while you ease in to running (probably with walking and jogging). Running will be good for your knees once you can do it safely, studies have proven an increase in bone density in people who run regularly, your joints WILL become stronger.

Its kind of embarassing but swimming lessons are a very good idea, at least a few, just to have someone help refine your stroke and get you started with proper form. Its hard to start, especially for men. It took me nearly 2 years to go from choking down clorine and barely completing one lap, to 2.4 miles in an hour 23 minutes. Thats something I never thought would be possible, so if you have a bad experience running or swimming, dont let it stop you.

If you're in the armed forces, I am pretty sure they support Ironman participants pretty well. I have never been in the armed forces personally, but it seems like they like the good publicity in triathlon that they get from their participants. I would imagine it would be easy to train on a regular basis in the army depending on your job.

Good luck!

[driverdriver]

In my opinion cardio core training is the best way to (a.) increase energy (b.) pump up metabolism (c.) lose weight and keep it off. I got tired of being fat in the spring, I wanted my old university athletic body back. So far I've lost 50lbs and am within one pant size of my old university waist. I feel better and have more energy.

[SBC 240Z]

Pay some people to drop you off in the woods and hunt you. Nothing quite like running for your life and living off the land to melt those extra pounds away. An alternate, urban setting to this would be . . . .


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yuFy_qjolU[/youtube]

[Mr1der]

Kickboxing

This.

and altering the diet.

I'm a poor example of this but I know what I need to do...just don't.

god I miss kickboxing/martial arts.....it's one of the funnest forms of exercise.

[Bubba1]

Well, you could jog to/from the fridge between commercials.

I think the key is to find an energetic activity you enjoy doing, well, besides sex. If you like to swim, play basketball, volleyball, join a local YMCA or someplace that has a nice big heated pool and decent courts. Most will offer short term memberships. Just gotta watch what you eat/drink with all the appetite the excercise generates.

[snwbrdr435]

If you were closer I would say come bike and climb with me and my friends. I am almost down to what I would consider race weight.

[DJ_B_Easy]

Its all about finding what works for you. Agreed that a gym membership is a huge motivator. If Im paying for the damn thing, Im much more likely to get my butt out of bed and make it worth my hard earned money.

I also have terrible knees and ankles, however running is the only way I shed weight and keep it off. I usually start my gym days off with 30 minutes on a spin bike at medium intensity, then go weight train, then head back to the cardio with at least a mile run. If the mile run hasnt destroyed my knees and ankles I keep on it for another mile, at which point something usually starts hurting and I know I need to back off. Then its off to the eliptical, keeps your heart rate up and is zero impact for perfect recovery on the joints. All in all I pack in about an hour and a half to two hours of cardio and it doesnt seem like Ive done half of that since its broken up 3 times. Ive also been doing a lot less muscle building intensity workouts and staying away from the heavy weight I was used to in my younger age. Lower weight, multiple joint movements at higher reps seems to do the trick for me nowadays. I aim to tone muscle now, not build it.

P90X Does kick your butt but you MUST stick with it or you wont see results. Doing 4 out of 7 days of their workouts isnt going to cut it. You need to change your diet as it seems you already plan to do and keep with the schedule they give you as far as the workouts and rotation goes.

Biking is great as well. Real biking that is, not just spin in the gym. There are websites that will show you local trails and their level of difficulty.

[headhunt3r]

Watch this film: Fat Sick and Nearly Dead

Go on Juice diet. The film will be pretty motivational I think.

[IBCoupe]

Anorexia.

[themadscientist]

Well that was a gauntlet of a flight. Okinawa to Tokyo, Tokyo to Chicago, and Chicago to D.C.. I can feel the time difference creeping up on me so I'm out before I pass out on the keyboard!

[DJ_B_Easy]

Another thing I HIGHLY recommend for a jump start is this:

http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?pr ... 89.3810432

Im starting my 5th round next week, the woman and I try to do this every 6 months or so. Its AMAZING.

NO: It wont make you s*** your brains out for 7 days. Its not that kind of speed cleanse to lose weight in 48 hours, those are idiotic and unhealthy dehydrators.
YES: You will see some scary things in the toilet the first couple of times you go after starting the program. Be proud of it, no one thinks their own kid is ugly.
YES: You will have some gas, but who doesnt enjoy a little extra gas?
YES: You have to again strictly limit your diet or it wont work. This is the hardest part beause it calls for a very particular regiment. I suggest a huge helping of whatever your favorite meal is the night before you start, you will crave everything and anything you normally enjoy by day 4. Buy the kit, read the insert and what is/is not allowed, then go food shopping. Trust me, you wont have most of the things you are allowed to eat in the house. If you want I can scan in the one I have at home so you can take a look at it first (or if anyone else is interested for that matter).
YES: IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY. It makes you feel absolutely energized. Like I said above its not meant to make you lose weight, although you may shed a pound or two from what it strips from your intestines. The intention is to detox and get the sluggish out of your bones. I actually quit smoking the first time I did this and I attribute it to the fact that it pushed the nicotine out of my system so quickly that I no longer needed it. Not only does you body feel better your overall demeanor and outlook will improve. It gets in your mental.

I tell everyone I can about this kit, cant promote it enough.

[Looneybomber]

To piggy back on some things said here.

Find something fun that you enjoy doing for long periods of time (treadmills suck).
Make goals. Sure you have the lose 2 pant sizes goal, but you need daily/weekly goals too. For example, "today, I am not going to eat 7 servings of vegitables" or "I am going to bike 5 miles at a pace over 15mph". Small goals to reach big ones.

Side note: Don't starve yourself. I've been awake for nearly 10hrs, already did a leg day at the gym, and have consumed less than 800cal. I am starving! I won't be around food for another 2hrs too...

[themadscientist]

I'm not going to go the supermodel route. Those gains are fleeting and dangerous. I confess I did have a slice of Papa John's and a cherry coke, but after two years I didn't mink straying a little bit. I've been drinking my water and picked up a bunch of salad greens and some lite blue cheese dressing. I think being prepared for meals will make it easier to eat right. Most of the time when I eat crap, it's more because of convenience than hunger for that type of food.

I got my bowl of special K red berries with some fresh blueberries tossed in next to the keyboard, scrumptious! Whole milk, though, I can't consume that 2% or nonfat swill, it sucks.

[dre1507]

Run 42.195 km.

[Empty V]

Paleo Diet + CrossFit. I lost 20lbs the first month and have lost a total of 60 and in the best shape of my life. It's extremely hard so don't do it if you don't plan on a lifestyle change or pussying out.

[headhunt3r]

I'm not going to go the supermodel route. Those gains are fleeting and dangerous. I confess I did have a slice of Papa John's and a cherry coke, but after two years I didn't mink straying a little bit. I've been drinking my water and picked up a bunch of salad greens and some lite blue cheese dressing. I think being prepared for meals will make it easier to eat right. Most of the time when I eat crap, it's more because of convenience than hunger for that type of food.

I got my bowl of special K red berries with some fresh blueberries tossed in next to the keyboard, scrumptious! Whole milk, though, I can't consume that 2% or nonfat swill, it sucks.

Since you have time on your hands, why not take some time to watch the film I linked above? If you have strong self discipline you should give it a try. I have a friend that followed the same juice diet as the video and it has turned his life around. From being a slave to medication and life of fatigue to weening off his meds and having an energetic life, I think it's totally worth a try.

You can always watch the film and decide for yourself whether you want to give it a go or not. The video does not try to sell you any product or service, it instead tries to sell this person's idea for a body "reboot".

In summary: watch the film!

[hannibal]

I think you're in NoVa somewhere. If you're interested in rock climbing, check out the gym where my buddy goes. I'm planning to visit with him one weekend.
http://www.sportrock.com/

[gwoods]

become vegan
P90x

In 2 months you will look like a cast member of the movie 300 and feel so much better. More energy, stronger, better skin/hair ect