So, ignore the diet and hi/lo rep crap in exercises, since it's just about the diet and exercise. Gotcha.
I posted this on the Atkins diet thread above but I think it applies to this thread as well when it comes to losing weight. Has anyone tried Intermittent fasting? Basically, you fit all your meals in a six hour eating window. For example eat from 12 pm- 6 pm, then you fast for the next 18 hours and repeat it the next day. You're not starving yourself or eating less. You don't have to limit your carbs, just eat smart and all the fat will melt off. The Hodgetwins from twin muscle workout really made intermittent fasting into this popular trend in the bodybuilding youtube community. It really worked for them and it shows. If you notice there before and after videos you can see all their fat on their face and entire body is sucked out, but in a good way, just all abs, muscles, striations and definition.
I actually tried the intermittent fasting where I only ate two solid meals a day with one in between snack and omitted a full size dinner...,had good results but started to lose energy to maintain the exercise I was doing before... Then I had a friend put it in my head I may do more harm by tricking my body into thinking it has to go into survival mode...but I had my best results eating in a 6 hour window and skipping dinner.
I have read simply not eating after 6pm will show some good results [not eating again until 7 the next morning or some such Rocket River
It's not about the time. It's like fueling your car. If you're going to use it, fuel it up. Keep using it? Keep fueling. Once it's parked for the night though, Why keep fueling it? If you use that reasoning when it comes to sugar and carbs, you'll get good results. That's basically where this fast comes from. You're basically fasting while you're "parked."
I kind of laugh when people say they don't want to bulk up. I don't think those people realize how difficult that tends to be.
This is typical. The first pounds are the easiest to lose and it gets gradually harder. Is 180 to 190 a realistic weight for you to maintain long term? I ask because going from 230 to 180 is pretty radical regardless of how overweight you were at the beginning. Don't worry about how long it takes to get there. Fact is, the faster you lose weight the more probable you will put all of it back on in a relatively short time. If it takes a long time to reach your goal, the changes you've made to get there are more likely to be ingrained as permanent habits.
Do you have access to a swimming pool? If so, USE IT. Buy yourself some flippers, a kickboard, and hand paddles the size of Michael Phelps hands. Flippers will build massively strong, muscular legs. I'm 32 and have abs for the first time in my life using just a kickboard and flippers. Holding the kickboard in different positions naturally pulls your abs tight building a solid core. You don't even need to know how to swim. You can stand in the shallow end with the hand paddles and dip them back and forth underwater to develop your chest and back. People forget how much resistance water has. It's very heavy. It won't translate to bench pressing 200 pounds or squatting 300 pounds, but you will see real definition once your body fat % decreases. I paid $20 for a set of waterproof headphones and a waterproof case for my Android phone on Amazon if it gets boring. Swimming is a hell of a lot more effective than any of the machines in the gym for weight loss and just about every muscle gets used with zero impact to your joints. Whatever you decide to do, the best advice I can give you is stay away from all the supplements, except protein powder and Fish/Flax oils. You're just throwing your money away on anything else unless your goal is to make money playing professional sports. Go buy quality eggs, meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. instead. And never forget the importance of sleep. Good luck.
Exactly. For every single out of shape person that has ever said they 'don't want to bulk up', I can guarantee that 0% of them have ever ended up saying 'my muscles have gotten too big'. It's simply an excuse to either not lift at all, or to feel better about pointlessly lifting an unchallenging weight because it's easy. As for OP, seems like you're doing well with the weight loss. You may be stalling because your body has simply gotten used to the routine. Also, since your weight has dropped 30+lbs, your calories needed have also dropped (and from what I gather, you're eating the same). I'm sure the weight would start to come off again if you started pushing yourself harder on the weights. Either way, good luck on reaching your goal!
You're not going to get down to 175 or 180 unless you significantly change your diet. Your macros should be around 2000 cals/ 250p/ 100 carbs/ Minimal fat and avoid sugar like the plague. And lift often and heavy.
Great stuff. It's tougher now, but every bit of fat you lose now is worth more i.e. when you lose 1lb at 250, it doesn't show much but when you lose 1lb at 200 it shows a bit more. If your goal is health, don't let the scale fool you. You may be getting healthier and looking/feeling better without adding/subtracting a single lb. If you've hit a plateau you can always revamp your workout routine and tweak your diet with some good research. This may be a good time for you to start lifting heavier. As many people have mentioned, the idea of getting too bulked up is a common misunderstanding. First of all, it's not easy at all. Secondly, it won't just happen without you noticing it. Finally, if by some miracle you don't notice and you become bulky, it is far easier to get rid of bulk than to get rid of fat. Remember muscles increase your metabolism thus making it easier for you to shed fat. Any weightlifter here can tell you there is no amount of "oops" bulk that you can't "flatten" within a month tops.
