255 to 171 lbs / Ask Helhedded

[helhedded]

Hey RCC people,
I'm opening up this thread to fill you in on my journey with weight loss and I also want it to help others. I have learned and continue to learn a lot of information and I'd love to offer my advice to any nutritional or fitness questions that you may have.

A little background on myself:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...nWavrackYg/pub
before and after:
http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/q...ps45202dc0.jpg

In a nutshell I lost 84 pounds in 10 months. Now I'm working on adding lean mass. In the meantime I've consulted plenty of friends with nutritional and exercise advice and I'd like to extend my professional unlicensed advice to you


BMR and it's importance: Basal metabolic rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Find YOUR calorie intake here: Harris Benedict Equation
note: The above method uses calculations to figure it's numbers. Keep in mind that they will not be exact. Results will range depending on the individuals lean body mass and body fat. Only you can find the exact number through trial and error.
Track your calories: Free Calorie Counter, Diet & Exercise Journal | MyFitnessPal.com
(this website will figure your BMR and calorie intake for you. I advise you to NOT go by their numbers but to go by the numbers that YOU'VE calculated using the methods above. With my experience this is a much better option.)


In order to calculate your calorie maintenance you need to multiply your BMR times an activity level that best suits you using the Harris-Benedict Equation. Once you have that number, the ONLY way to know if it's right is to eat that amount for 2 weeks and see if you gain or lose weight. OR if you have already been logging food and you are somewhat close to this number already... that's even better because it will be easier for you to adjust. The idea is to not drastically change your intake in a short time period. During maintenance your water might fluctuate a pound or two but generally your weight doesn't really change during this phase. Only THEN will you know where your true maintenance is depending on your weight during this process. Once you have found that, THEN you create a deficit up to a 500 calorie daily deficit in order to lose as much as 1 pound per week. More exercise and a slightly larger deficit will speed up the process, but keep things down to 2 pounds lost a week maximum, and make sure to get 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal weight daily to preserve (and possibly build a little) muscle mass.


-Don't use the calorie intake calculator on myfitnesspal
-Starting off eat your food as you normally would for a day or two...even up to a week. Log every calorie on myfitnesspal. Become accustomed to your habits.
-Educate yourself on macro and micro nutrients.
-Monitor your own weight daily at the same time and find maintenance on your own
-Slowly work your way into whatever the suggested calories are. If you are used to 3000 calories and you jump into a 500 calorie deficit overnight you will be miserable. You have to work your way into these things and allow for the stomach to contract otherwise you will be very hungry.
-Trial and error, bro

[JeremyH]

Bah, most of what you lost was in facial hair...




Just kidding man. It's been a long journey for you and you should be commended! Nice work!

BTW, you are absolutely correct with your equation of losing weight. I have a buddy that competes in triathlons that has said that for years...

[C*H*U*D]

I always enjoy reading stories like that. Good for you and I hope you reach your career goals of working in the fitness field

[LEADFOOT82]

Holy cow! Congrats!

[helhedded]

Originally Posted by JeremyH

Bah, most of what you lost was in facial hair...




Just kidding man. It's been a long journey for you and you should be commended! Nice work!

BTW, you are absolutely correct with your equation of losing weight. I have a buddy that competes in triathlons that has said that for years...

Yep it's simple. Burn more than you put in. Trial and error will find the right amount and pace

Originally Posted by C*H*U*D

I always enjoy reading stories like that. Good for you and I hope you reach your career goals of working in the fitness field

Thanks man! I've already started helping a lady friend reach her goals with 1on1 nutrition coaching. I reasoned the best way to figure out if I really wanted to work in this field was to test the waters on a woman.

Originally Posted by LEADFOOT82

Holy cow! Congrats!

thanks!

[NoobCrawler]

Nice job. I'm actually working on doing the opposite. I've always been about as thick as a toothpick due to my health issues. N high school I weighed 94 lbs. I was in my early 20's when I finally hit 100. A few years ago I got osteo arthritis in my knees/ankles. Knees were really bad. Did PT for awhile and after seeing the results stuck with working out. Last month I really started to try to gain weight because I was seeing some change is muscle mass. So I'm now to 123 lbs.

[helhedded]

Originally Posted by NoobCrawler

Nice job. I'm actually working on doing the opposite. I've always been about as thick as a toothpick due to my health issues. N high school I weighed 94 lbs. I was in my early 20's when I finally hit 100. A few years ago I got osteo arthritis in my knees/ankles. Knees were really bad. Did PT for awhile and after seeing the results stuck with working out. Last month I really started to try to gain weight because I was seeing some change is muscle mass. So I'm now to 123 lbs.

thanks
What are you doing in the gym? How is the gaining coming along on a weekly basis? I can help you do that too

[Trubble]

Outstanding! Don't care how cheesy something sounds/feels/looks, if it gets you on a track you can stay on, it's worth the time/effort to commit to.
Best wishes on continued success.

Originally Posted by helhedded

In the meantime I've consulted plenty of friends with nutritional and exercise advice and I'd like to extend my professional unlicensed advice to you

Only works if the person you're advising has their head pulled out of their derriere. I'm apparently not 'there' yet.
Hopefully we can see some of your pupils posting up some amazing results on here. That'd be cool.




.

[braceysdad]

I started running back in April 2012. With helhedded's help I started eating clean and have lost 68# since. I will be 39 in November and can honestly say that I feel and look better than I have my whole life! This man knows what he's talking about and can put it in way we can all understand. I always refer to one of his quotes "eat like crap, feel like crap"... Thanks Ashton and I love you

271# to 203#...

Marathons = 2
Half Marathons = 7
10ks = 11
5ks = 17

I have my first ultra marathon scheduled for March 2014

[helhedded]

Originally Posted by Trubble

Outstanding! Don't care how cheesy something sounds/feels/looks, if it gets you on a track you can stay on, it's worth the time/effort to commit to.
Best wishes on continued success.











Only works if the person you're advising has their head pulled out of their derriere. I'm apparently not 'there' yet.
Hopefully we can see some of your pupils posting up some amazing results on here. That'd be cool.

What you said has so much truth. I can supply all the info you need to get it done, but only YOU have the power to make it happen. If yer head is up yer arse then don't even waste our time. ya know?

Originally Posted by braceysdad

I started running back in April 2012. With helhedded's help I started eating clean and have lost 68# since. I will be 39 in November and can honestly say that I feel and look better than I have my whole life! This man knows what he's talking about and can put it in way we can all understand. I always refer to one of his quotes "eat like crap, feel like crap"... Thanks Ashton and I love you

Ahh shucks... Thanks buddy love you too

[ittybitty]

Congrats on your journey Ashton! I have committed to myself that I will begin this journey just as soon as we get settled in our new home. Our schedule is just so erratic at this point that I don't believe I could focus on it and I know from past experiences that if I don't focus on what I'm doing that I'll let it slide and...well...that's how I got to where I am.

x100,000...on the eat like crap = feel like crap

[Krawler Konceptz]

Awesome work! I can relate to the over weight issues. When I'm working full time I can keep the weight in check, now that I haven't been working for sometime the pounds are adding up and now looking at all aspects to lose weigh and keep it off. I did the full body bootcamp for 6 weeks and lost 4" 7lbs and 37% body fat. Time to get my A$$ into gear.

Rob

[Corrupt]

Just take controlled amounts of everything. You can still live a normal lifestyle, you just need to take the right amounts of everything.

My father was in a position that you were in. He has high blood pressure, mainly due to how he eats. He eats like a pig. And I mean, literally. He is like a vaccum; he will finish a full course meal twice before the average person finishes one. As a result, he has knee problems. Bad enough that he's considering surgery to fix them.

Long story short, after several visits to the doctor and years of taking high blood pressure medication, the doctor said he was in the pre stages of diabetes. That scared the CRAP out of my dad. So he consulted his cousin, who is ranked in the top 20 doctors in Utah. Salvador, his cousin, told him that if he wanted to lose weight fast, then he would have to do everything he told him to do. He needed desperate weight loss, fast. He was not about to get diabetes. And at his age (54) his body isn't that strong to be able to fight a serious disease like that.

So, he went for three months straight on a hardcore weight loss plan. First, no red meats. He would be taking Unjury every morning to give him the protein he needs. Next, he is to eat salads all day except for one meal in which he can eat fish or chicken only, in a small portion. No beer or any alcohol, that only makes him drunk to the point where he doesn't understand how much he's eating All the while, excercise was reccomended. So he would ride his bike to and from work everyday, and he would play racquet ball for an hour a day. Weekends he could rest.

He stuck to it, and lost 40 pounds in 3 months. It was VERY hard for him, but he did it. He looked WAY better, going from 220 to 180 lbs. So many benefits came from it..

Didn't last long, however

He's back to his old habits, and has gained all the weight he worked so hard to lose.

Just thought I'd share. Great work on your decisions, they set an example for anyone wanting to get healthier. And the fact that you're offering to help others lose weight, that's just awesome man. Thank you.

-Corrupt

[helhedded]

Originally Posted by ittybitty

Congrats on your journey Ashton! I have committed to myself that I will begin this journey just as soon as we get settled in our new home. Our schedule is just so erratic at this point that I don't believe I could focus on it and I know from past experiences that if I don't focus on what I'm doing that I'll let it slide and...well...that's how I got to where I am.

x100,000...on the eat like crap = feel like crap

Congrats on making a plan and setting yourself up for it. In the meantime prepare yourself mentally and visualize where you want to be. Set a crazy goal and shoot for it.

Originally Posted by Krawler Konceptz

Awesome work! I can relate to the over weight issues. When I'm working full time I can keep the weight in check, now that I haven't been working for sometime the pounds are adding up and now looking at all aspects to lose weigh and keep it off. I did the full body bootcamp for 6 weeks and lost 4" 7lbs and 37% body fat. Time to get my A$$ into gear.

Rob

Yep, all you had to do was cut back on the intake for when you aren't working full time. Our daily activities play a HUGE part in how much food we should eat.

Just say you ate 500 calories over what you're supposed to eat everyday for 2 weeks. Since 3,500 calories equals 1 pound, you'd gain 2 pounds in two weeks. If you don't know, start paying attention to food labels and see what 500 calories looks like. It's not hard to go over, especially if you drink the calories.

[helhedded]

Originally Posted by Corrupt

Just take controlled amounts of everything. You can still live a normal lifestyle, you just need to take the right amounts of everything.

My father was in a position that you were in. He has high blood pressure, mainly due to how he eats. He eats like a pig. And I mean, literally. He is like a vaccum; he will finish a full course meal twice before the average person finishes one. As a result, he has knee problems. Bad enough that he's considering surgery to fix them.

Long story short, after several visits to the doctor and years of taking high blood pressure medication, the doctor said he was in the pre stages of diabetes. That scared the CRAP out of my dad. So he consulted his cousin, who is ranked in the top 20 doctors in Utah. Salvador, his cousin, told him that if he wanted to lose weight fast, then he would have to do everything he told him to do. He needed desperate weight loss, fast. He was not about to get diabetes. And at his age (54) his body isn't that strong to be able to fight a serious disease like that.

So, he went for three months straight on a hardcore weight loss plan. First, no red meats. He would be taking Unjury every morning to give him the protein he needs. Next, he is to eat salads all day except for one meal in which he can eat fish or chicken only, in a small portion. No beer or any alcohol, that only makes him drunk to the point where he doesn't understand how much he's eating All the while, excercise was reccomended. So he would ride his bike to and from work everyday, and he would play racquet ball for an hour a day. Weekends he could rest.

He stuck to it, and lost 40 pounds in 3 months. It was VERY hard for him, but he did it. He looked WAY better, going from 220 to 180 lbs. So many benefits came from it..

Didn't last long, however

He's back to his old habits, and has gained all the weight he worked so hard to lose.

Just thought I'd share. Great work on your decisions, they set an example for anyone wanting to get healthier. And the fact that you're offering to help others lose weight, that's just awesome man. Thank you.

-Corrupt

Corrupt,

I see where your dad failed. The plan for him to lose weight sounded pretty dramatic. Granted his health was in bad shape but in order to change for life you have to become comfortable in your new ways. If you are constantly unhappy throughout this process and don't allow your self the mental "cheat meal" then don't expect to stick with it. You have to be motivated.

Shock diets work. Usually temporarily and that is why.

Lifestyle changes win.

[NoobCrawler]

Originally Posted by helhedded

thanks
What are you doing in the gym? How is the gaining coming along on a weekly basis? I can help you do that too

I work mainly on my knees/legs and lower back. I do a recumbent stepper, NuStep, some leg stuff on a Pilates machine-basically squats but laying on my back and pushing on the bar with my feet. One for my lower back where I'm standing, put one foot on the shoulder rest and push out. 2 sets of 20 on each of those. Then do about 8 weight lifting things on a machine. I'll get the technical names for them later. Bench, Midrow, a few using the high bar you pull down. Work on my back, shoulders, chest for the most part. At home I light dumbbells to work on the ol' guns.

[slegh]

more BULK!!!! . good job on the dedication but i always say. once a big man aways a big man! this come from a 320 lbs fluffy guy.i am starting to hit the weights again. cant wait for the fat to be replaced by muscle.

[nascarkeith]

Congrats! I just started the same journey. I hit 310 and at the last crawling gtg I attended I could barely keep up. I got winded walking up a hill. It's time for change. I started last Wednesday with a diet change. Good bye bread, pasta, and other starches. Been eating meat and vegetables. So far the food has been good and I've lost 4 lbs. my goal is 70. I'm 6'3 so I think 240 is a good goal.

[helhedded]

Originally Posted by nascarkeith

Congrats! I just started the same journey. I hit 310 and at the last crawling gtg I attended I could barely keep up. I got winded walking up a hill. It's time for change. I started last Wednesday with a diet change. Good bye bread, pasta, and other starches. Been eating meat and vegetables. So far the food has been good and I've lost 4 lbs. my goal is 70. I'm 6'3 so I think 240 is a good goal.

Congrats! You will get better results if you track calories. This can be done easily with websites such as myfitnesspal or fitbit. You have to know whether or not your intake is small enough to lose weight, but you also have to eat enough to maintain proper body function. Do yourself a favor and familiarize yourself with the links at the bottom of this post. Read about your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and understand it's importance if you don't already know.

What you've done is cut out a lot of carbs in your diet. This does drop weight, but it's no way to live in my opinion. Do you plan on cutting out carbs for life? Doubt it. Why not just eat less food to reach your goal? Tracking calories might seem overwhelming but it's a sure-fire way to lose weight provided that you're calculated calories are right. Either way, good luck in reaching your goal, and feel free to ask me any questions that you might have along the way.

Find YOUR specific calorie intake here: Harris Benedict Equation
BMR and it's importance : Basal metabolic rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[braceysdad]

My only suggestion is to do it slow... I have found that anytime I went all in on a diet, it didn't work or last. By slowly getting into exercising and eating healthy I have stayed with it longer. I no longer consider it dieting, now it's just my new way of life. I still need to cut some bad food but I'm way better than I ever have been.