19 y. old Male Wishing to Shed 25-30 lbs -- Please help!

Hi guys. I am new to this site. I have been really inspired by the success stories and now I wish to have my own. I am a 5'7" male. I weigh in at ~171 lbs and my BMI is 26.8. So I am a little overweight according to my BMI. I don't know my body fat percentage since I have been too lazy to figure it out. I WISH TO LOSE 25-30 LBS so that I can get to 140-145 lbs (which, I think, is ideal for a 5'7" male).

I just started going to the gym this Monday, September 14. I plan to go everyday for the next 3.5 months (end of December). What I have done so far though is just cardio (treadmill and/or elliptical) for ~30 mins and then just doing various work out routines. So it's not structured like the success stories are (e.g. they do abs Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and legs some other days, etc.). And I am wondering if I should start doing this...anyone?

Another thing is that nutrition is very important in this...which you all know :p. And I ask you if it is imperative to strictly watch my eating? I mean, I've cut off soda and junk food. I rarely drink juice (orange) and I drink a lot of water. For food, I eat chicken, rice, whole wheat bread, pasta, cereal (w/ 2% milk), and fruits. I haven't been eating veggies since I have none right now but that shall soon be resolved. But should I choose some other foods from the ones I listed (e.g. pasta)? I noticed yesterday that when I did elliptical for 30 mins., the machine said that I had burned 400 -500 calories (can't remember exactly) and I don't know if that is enough. Of course I burn off more by my working out but I am still not sure if what I am doing overall is effective. I have been fasting but that is going to end this weekend so I can start the 6 meals a day routine.

As noted above, I wish to lose 25-30 lbs. I really hope I don't hit any plateaus and am able to shed those 25-30 lbs in these next 3.5 months. Of course I will continue going to the gym after but not on an everyday basis like now. My ultimate goal is to get a six pack but that won't happen in the next 3.5 months so I am just focusing on weight loss for now. However, I also do crunches and I ask if those are really effective now or not in burning calories for weight loss?

If anyone has any questions, I will provide them. PLEASE PEOPLE, I NEED YOUR HELP. Oh btw, is it possible for me to get a whole workout routine planned out by someone for me on this website?

Thank you and best regards,
Kzar.

listen and listen hard

1 - the bmi is shit, never worry about that again..i'm similat stats to you (5'6" and 166pds or so) and i'm obese which is total bullshit

2 - i'm sick of males, who are meant to be manly by the way, wanting to lose extrordinary amounts of wt which let's face it, they never will, to get down to a measley, puny and no chicks will never look at you 140pds...so again get your head out of whatever your reading about bmi and ht and wt charts...they are simply retarded

3 - everyday??? you're coming from not, never or hardly going to going everyday? i doubt it...also why only 3.5mths? br realistic

4 - you need a ROUTIONE, not shitty various routines

5 - NEVER drink fruit juices

6 - cut all pasta, rice, bread, cerial and potatoes

7 - no veggies, no fat loss simple as that

8 - don't bother with what some machine (they don't have brains you know?) tries to tll you about how many calories you've burnt in such and such a session...how can it know? it's never met you?

9 - if not fasting for ramadan then why?

10 - never do crunches either, they're terrible...they burn no calories, they're very short range of motion and they'll cause postural problems...oh and they're terrible

Now you may think I'm being a little harsh on you here but this is directed more to those putting all this bullshit info out there and you've done the right thing and come to very good forumfor futrther clarification which I'm giving you

bonus point 11 - don't listen to your friends or bodybuilders who think that because they did something you should do it too..they'll give you similar info that i'm posting against right now

www.uponlinetraining.com

Hey swanso5, thanks for replying! I don't find you harsh. I'm a noob and I need all the help I can get. W00t.

Answers to your statements:

1) Yeah, I figured someone would say that and I believe it too. But I am fat...even if it's not an extraordinary amount. I want to lose the belly fat and my butt is a little big.

2) Aw come on at least encourage me to lose some weight. This is the first time in which I am going to really dedicate myself to getting a six pack. The thing is..I want to lose the fat and gain muscle so yeah, I wont be weighing 145 lbs because I'll have replaced the fat with muscle.

3) Well there are days in which I will rest because I will be too sore...or just want to rest. But yeah, I have started this Monday and have managed to go all the days so far. I want to at least do cardio everyday! I will go on after the 3.5 months too but I won't have as much time though. So that's why. I just want to not look fat (at the very least) by the end of the 3.5 months. You do not think it is reasonable for that? I can post some pictures of myself if you wish to see how I look.

4) Ok...do I have to make this myself? *cringe* Please tell where I can go to make one for myself.

5) Ok, done.

6) How come the rice, bread, and cereal? People say that rice is good? Bread is whole wheat? And cereal is healthy too, is it not?...I can understand the cutting of the pasta and potatoes. Btw, is the 2% milk good or should I go for 0% fat? It's a little more expensive...

7) Oh god. Ok, I will go buy veggies. Any specific in mind for maximum weight loss?

8 ) Ok. Is it good when I start to feel the "burn" in my heart? Or am I overdoing it at that point? Yesterday, my first day on the elliptical, I felt the "burn" 25 or so minutes in. Today, I went the whole 30 minutes not feeling it. I was happy. I think I should do treadmill more though since it burns more calories.

9) Yes, it is for Ramadan.

10) But what about my ultimate goal (six pack)? Crunches are the thing, aren't they? Gah, I'm so misinformed...

Again, I do not feel offended or anything by what you say. I wish to learn and I am happy that you replied to me.

Bonus 11) I am not listening to my friends as they have not told me anything. They have made fun of me (in a very slight joking manner) about my weight and I wish to be free of that.

I'm definitely not working out the same muscles everyday. I'm feeling strain on my biceps just by lifting a water bottle right now. Gah.

I also lose motivation really fast. I'm too lazy to make a nutrition plan for myself even though nutrition is probably more important than the actual exercising. But, I shall prevail!

Is that http://www.uponlinetraining.com meant for me?

There are about 14 zillion things you can do for your abs that don't involve that tiny repetitive motion, which can also be hard on your back. Standing man's, Figure eights, about 10 zillion swiss ball activities, I'm running a little late, but trust me, there are better ways to get a six pack than doing crunches. Also, diet is #1 for abs. Belly fat is stubborn as hell.

Thanks for responding, Lesplease.

Ok I shall look in this. However, if my primary goal is to lose the fat, should I focus more on other things?

fat loss = cardio. Doing abs and obs isn't going to do a damn thing without a healthy bit of cardio in there. A solid plan for loss, and eventually maintenance/growth will include
1. a clean diet (a few cheat meals are fine, but the bulk of your food should be very clean, protein, veggies, healthy fats, and solid carbs)
2. cardiovascular activity 30-45 minutes several times each week. Don't overdo it. Eventually you stop burning fat and starting burning off lean muscle, and nobody wants that (keep it under 1hr/session for hard cardio).
3. strength training to build and tone muscle. You will NOT bulk up on accident. It is a tough business, bodybuilding, and it won't happen just becuase you lift a few weights. However, it will build muscle, raise your metabolism and make you awesome.

Without any one of these three things you may see results initially, but you will plateau quickly and not get the ever elusive "six pack".

I will politely disagree on some of the aforementioned foodstuffs.

The thing you're asking about Rice, Pasta, Cereal, Potatos and Whole-grain Breads are, they are high GI, which means consuming them in high frequent amounts, could cause frequent high elevation of Bloodsugar, so you could get elevated Diabetes risk.

However this does not mean they need to be abandoned completely. It's all about portion control or limiting them.

You can always make certain things like that around 25-50% of your Carbs, with some meals, then use other things like Veggies, Legumes and certain Fruits like Tomatos, Cucumbers and Peppers mixed in, to supplement the rest of the Carbs.

Obviously this wouldn't apply to Cereal, unless you like mixing stuff like Green Beans, Peppers and Onions for example in your Cereal, in which case knock yourself out. Whatever floats your boat

Plus Whole-grains contain Cholesterol lowering substances like Beta-glucan, of which virtually nothing else in nature I've ever read about, has it, to little or any extent, so you'd have to supplement with it otherwise.

Also it's the best source of Non-heam Iron, and good for B Vits.

As I say, all the above sources have nutritional value, and don't come packed with loads of bad Fats, Sugars or Salt. Some Whole-grain products might have a little Sugar and Sodium, but it's nothing to wory about, and again is governed by portion size, well like most of these things are really.

If you're concerned about White Rice, go for Brown or Wild, as it's slightly less of a Bloodsugar impact.

I can agree greatly about never doing what a big dude does. Certainly when it come to diet.

You might be someone that would need around 2,500 calories a day, initially, so having 4,000+ like some big dude did, would eventually cause you, with a solid training plan, to gain muscle and too much Fat. The levels of excess calories to Fat conversion dropping, the more calories you needed.

Then you'd have more issues trying to get the Fat off, without sacrificing muscle.

This is a classic mistake made by many. People who complain of stalled results after 3-12 months, read what big guys eat, and think it's the answer. It isn't. Having a small / modest calorie increase, that you sustain for many weeks, is better. Then you can increase again, by the same amount when you need to.

kzar

- if you dropped 5pds of fat and replaced it with 5pds of muscle, you'd look completely different then you do now and you'd still be 170pds
- do wts 3/week, outdoor sprints 1/week, intervals 1/week and an easy jog 1/week...1 day off from everything and no 2 sessions in 1 day either
- search the waterbury method by chad waterbury and do exactly what it says
- milk is fine...rice can be good for the right people not trying to gain wt...same with bread...cereal is not really good for anything, except for post wts training meal
- green fibrous veggues are the best by far
- the burn? as in herpies??
- crunches are shit, shit, shit , shit
- by saying you lose motivation easily you're already in a failig mindset

if you want it bad enough you'll make it work

bossman - if someone is overwt it's basically because they don't handle carbs well...this is fact...if someone is lactose intolerant they don't have milk do they?

http://www.uponlinetraining.com

Thank you, Lesplease, Boss Man, and swanso5.

Firstly, I guess I should put an image into your minds of what I want to look like. Cristiano Ronaldo would best fit the description. I know I don't have the same genetics and I am 5"-6" shorter than him but I'm just providing an image. So I don't want to be buff. Lean and muscular is my ultimate goal. Now on to your responses.

CARDIO, GOOD DIET, and STRENGTH TRAINING. Got it. The thing with me is that, like many people, I try to get a fast solution. This results me in doing too much at once and without any days for rest. Thus, I worsen and lose my motivation. So I will definitely try to make a nice, whole routine.

Food is good for me with portion control. But nonetheless, (green) veggies ftw all the time. Understood.

About the 5 lb fat loss and then 5 lb muscle gain comment. Yes, I understand this and knew this when I posted. However, I wasn't too clear in my first post where I stated that I wanted to be 145 lbs. The thing is that I just simply don't want to be fat and desire a lean body, muscular body. I had thought that around 140-150 lbs was ideal for a 5'7" male.

Weights 3 X/week. Is 4 X/week okay?
Outdoor sprint 1 X/week. Okay.
Easy jog 1 X/week. Okay.
Intervals 1 X/week. What are intervals? Or do you mean I do jogs then the next week sprints, etc.?
1 day off. Okay.

Now a few questions in regards to the above routine. I was reading success stories again and I came across John: http://www.shapefit.com/success-stories ... ohn-a.html
John lost 28 lbs. His workout routine was as follows:

Mondays - Tricep, Chest
Tuesday - Bicep, Shoulders
Wednesday - Legs, Back
Thursday/Friday - repeated workout from Monday and Tuesday.
Cardio: 30 min. treadmill 5 X/week.

The routine you noted implies me not working out on the same days as cardio. If I followed John's routine, would I start burning off muscle eventually or something? So yeah...just looking for opinions and the most optimal method.

I read a little on the Waterbury method. Some terms are unfamiliar to me right now. However...this is a program for weight loss and building a LEAN, MUSCULAR body, not buffing oneself up, right? He has short reps and several sets but the rest, in my currently uninformed but curious, opinion, is a little too long. But if you think it's good, then okay.

Nvm my burning heart.

Okay, I shan't do anymore crunches.

Yes, I want it bad. This is the first time I'm actually doing something (asking others for help). Just a little lazy about applying the right style to my diet. I like working out, though. The beginning is always a little tough. I'll get over it, hopefully.

- ronaldo? some sort of soccer player (i hate soccer)...if dso then he is simply lean, he's not muscular and i don;t think is the best long term look...how fat is maradona these days? unless your doing his training volume which tou aren;t and shouldn;t even think about trying, then your best bet is to build some muscle to burn more claories from an increased metabolism
- there is no ideal wt for anyone of any size...i'm 5'6 and if i was 150pds i'd hang myself...or the 3 yr old chick down the road would cos she could take
- 3 is better then 4 for you
- intervals yes, hard, easy etc
- john's program didn't give him hios results, john's attitude, discipline and hard work got him his results...in other words his program set up sucks (wouldn;t i have suggested that if it was better?) but hard work on any program will yeild good results but laziness on the perfect program won;t

www.uponlinetraining.com

Yes, soccer player (I love any ball sport but soccer is my favourite). But he is muscular (isn't he?)...Maradona's quite fat, yes. Bad coach too.

I still think that working out only 3 times a week is too little (may you please explain your reasoning?) but your occupation is in health and fitness and I am a beginner student with a mindset for fast solutions so I will try your method. Thank you, swanso5.

What about the Waterbury method, though? Your method or Waterbury's? EDIT: I just noticed that your method is the same as his. As in 3 days of workout and 3 days of running. Yours involves a variation of running though and I like that.

I lack a little in creativity as I do not have experience in the subject of health and fitness. Fortunately, I can follow instructions very carefully and thus, if I can get a good routine, then I can follow it well.

If you believe that your/Waterbury's method is perfect for me in losing the fat and building a lean, muscular body, then I shall start it right away. Once again, thank you for sticking with and teaching me, swanso5.

Regards,
Kzar.

Don't look like Cristiano Ronadlo. He's all fake tan and slimy Hair. Urrgh .

If you want the look, try a player like Ade Akinbiyi. He's black and you might not be, but that aside, image wise the guy is clearly a man with a Torso and a half, if that's something really important to you.

Google images might give you a chance to view his pretty impressive look.

Maradonas less fat these days. Maybe you're thinking of Sly Stallone

Gah, I knew a discussion would be initiated once I mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo's name. Haha. He's a great player and has a good heart as well--most people don't see that. But, no, I will not do the tan and the gel. I tried gel once and it just felt weird to me.

Ade Akinbyi looks amazing. However, as long as I get some look, I will be fine, lol.

I just looked up Sly and holy smokes.

To get back on topic. I plan to fully adopt swanso5/Chad Waterbury's routine soon so I was wondering if anyone else had an opinion on the matter.

go with waterbury, it's there and already maped out so you can start today

listen and listen hard

1 - the bmi is shit, never worry about that again..i'm similat stats to you (5'6" and 166pds or so) and i'm obese which is total bullshit

2 - i'm sick of males, who are meant to be manly by the way, wanting to lose extrordinary amounts of wt which let's face it, they never will, to get down to a measley, puny and no chicks will never look at you 140pds...so again get your head out of whatever your reading about bmi and ht and wt charts...they are simply retarded

3 - everyday??? you're coming from not, never or hardly going to going everyday? i doubt it...also why only 3.5mths? br realistic

4 - you need a ROUTIONE, not shitty various routines

5 - NEVER drink fruit juices

6 - cut all pasta, rice, bread, cerial and potatoes

7 - no veggies, no fat loss simple as that

8 - don't bother with what some machine (they don't have brains you know?) tries to tll you about how many calories you've burnt in such and such a session...how can it know? it's never met you?

9 - if not fasting for ramadan then why?

10 - never do crunches either, they're terrible...they burn no calories, they're very short range of motion and they'll cause postural problems...oh and they're terrible

Now you may think I'm being a little harsh on you here but this is directed more to those putting all this bullshit info out there and you've done the right thing and come to very good forumfor futrther clarification which I'm giving you

bonus point 11 - don't listen to your friends or bodybuilders who think that because they did something you should do it too..they'll give you similar info that i'm posting against right now

http://www.uponlinetraining.com

Good post That was full of good tips Kzar. Should take note.