Losing Patience
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Sorry for the long life story.
I'm 26 years old and have been thin for most of my life, but for the past 1.5 to 2 years, I've been struggling to lose weight and get back in shape. About less than 2 years ago, I used to wear 32-30 size pants, but now I have to wear 36-30. I’ve gone from 145 lbs to 185 lbs. Last ~May when I noticed this trend, I teamed up with a few of my friends and started to seriously workout. Since then, I’ve become more muscular (which contributes to my weight) and feel much better in general, but I can’t seem to lose my belly. Last year my life style was kindda crazy too, which didn’t help. For example, I used to eat a large pizza once every week or 2 weeks. And even after I started working out, I used to go out drinking 1-2 nights a week, and then at 3 o’clock in the morning, I used to go to steak and shake for their bacon burgers.
Anyway, at least for the past 1.5-2 months, I’ve become more serious about losing some fat around my waist. I watch what I eat, eat whole grain, haven’t been drinking soda since last year, no more pizza, no more Gatorade since last week, can’t remember the last time I had burgers, workout 3-4 times a week, have less than ~1600 calories a day and eat more fruits and vegetables.
My current workout schedule:
I either do 3-4 chest and back exercises or 3-4 arms and biceps exercises (3 sets of 10-12 for each), and then I run for more than 2 miles (takes me a bit more than 20 minutes to run 2 miles). I could run more, but my knees have been giving up on me since last year and don’t wanna put too much pressure on them.
Diet: I have milk and cereal or juice and fruits for breakfast. I eat a foot long subway chicken sub for lunch (2-3 times a week) with lots of veggies. Or I sometimes have chicken sandwiches from a place by my work. When I get home from work, I eat an apple, and then go to gym.
Once I get back from the gym, I drink 2.5 scoops of protein shake. For dinner I usually eat something with 220-350 calories. Aside from these things, I don’t really eat anything else. No cookies, chocolate, peanuts or anything.
Btw, I’m 5’8, 185 lbs.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I understand the process of losing weight takes some time and patience, but I am not noticing much change in my weight and appearance. I’d like to start doing some abs exercises, but I am worried that I might not lose the fat and gain muscle on top of the fat. Please give me some feedback on my diet and workout routine and tell me what I’m doing wrong.
Thanks,
REPLY
I'm 26 years old and have been thin for most of my life, but for the past 1.5 to 2 years, I've been struggling to lose weight and get back in shape. About less than 2 years ago, I used to wear 32-30 size pants, but now I have to wear 36-30. I’ve gone from 145 lbs to 185 lbs. Last ~May when I noticed this trend, I teamed up with a few of my friends and started to seriously workout. Since then, I’ve become more muscular (which contributes to my weight) and feel much better in general, but I can’t seem to lose my belly. Last year my life style was kindda crazy too, which didn’t help. For example, I used to eat a large pizza once every week or 2 weeks. And even after I started working out, I used to go out drinking 1-2 nights a week, and then at 3 o’clock in the morning, I used to go to steak and shake for their bacon burgers.
Anyway, at least for the past 1.5-2 months, I’ve become more serious about losing some fat around my waist. I watch what I eat, eat whole grain, haven’t been drinking soda since last year, no more pizza, no more Gatorade since last week, can’t remember the last time I had burgers, workout 3-4 times a week, have less than ~1600 calories a day and eat more fruits and vegetables.
My current workout schedule:
I either do 3-4 chest and back exercises or 3-4 arms and biceps exercises (3 sets of 10-12 for each), and then I run for more than 2 miles (takes me a bit more than 20 minutes to run 2 miles). I could run more, but my knees have been giving up on me since last year and don’t wanna put too much pressure on them.
Diet: I have milk and cereal or juice and fruits for breakfast. I eat a foot long subway chicken sub for lunch (2-3 times a week) with lots of veggies. Or I sometimes have chicken sandwiches from a place by my work. When I get home from work, I eat an apple, and then go to gym.
Once I get back from the gym, I drink 2.5 scoops of protein shake. For dinner I usually eat something with 220-350 calories. Aside from these things, I don’t really eat anything else. No cookies, chocolate, peanuts or anything.
Btw, I’m 5’8, 185 lbs.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I understand the process of losing weight takes some time and patience, but I am not noticing much change in my weight and appearance. I’d like to start doing some abs exercises, but I am worried that I might not lose the fat and gain muscle on top of the fat. Please give me some feedback on my diet and workout routine and tell me what I’m doing wrong.
Thanks,
REPLY
I've tried various low-carb, low-calorie, and low-fat diets for the past couple of years. Although the Atkins diet is very popular, it made me feel somewhat unhealthy.
The diet plan I'm on right now is the Medifast Diet. The caloric intake is roughly 800-1000 calories. However, it doesn't make my body feel weak. It is a bit of a pricey diet, but there are plenty of coupons available on the internet (i.e. woopup.com/stores/deals/Medifast-Diet ). You should never pay full price.
My advice is just choose a diet plan which your body reacts positively to. No one knows your body better than you do!
The diet plan I'm on right now is the Medifast Diet. The caloric intake is roughly 800-1000 calories. However, it doesn't make my body feel weak. It is a bit of a pricey diet, but there are plenty of coupons available on the internet (i.e. woopup.com/stores/deals/Medifast-Diet ). You should never pay full price.
My advice is just choose a diet plan which your body reacts positively to. No one knows your body better than you do!
I think you are not eating enough calories actually. You need them, especially if you want to lose the fat. I would just concentrate on more calories and protein and carbs. I would not try any low-fat, low-carb, or low-cal diet because they just worsen things. You seem to be going for the right foods, and staying away from soda is great. Keep up the good work and don't give up! Food is what will help you lose the fat as long as they are the right ones. And as for exercise, that is good for your cardiovascular system it doesn't help you lose-weight.
It does sound like you're doing really well. I agree, that you may actually need to eat more to lose weight. If you're not eating enough, your metabolism slows down and starts storing fat. Find what works best for you, but eating healthy every 2-3 hours keeps the metabolism revved up. If your knees hurt, try doing some low impact cardio in addition to all your strength training. Keep up the good work!
Thanks a lot for the feedback. I only eat lunch during the day and at work, which is not enough I guess. I'll try to find some sort of healthy snack to help my metabolism. If you have any suggestions for that, I'm all ears.
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