Hello, I have been reading the site for about a year. I don't want to used drugs but would be interested in natural supplements or herbal helps. But here is the real deal. I want to drop some serious weight.

I had been bulking up and really putting on some serious muscle but hurt my shoulder. I have slowly rehabed the shoulder and have lifted a little in the past two weeks. My strength is not there. I mean, it is worse than when I first started. I don't mind starting lifting slowly and I will make sure form is great (while avoiding many of the shoulder exercises I had been using).

During my lay off, I stopped controlling my eating and I didn't even do cardio consistently. I don't know what happened or why it happened, but it seems like I just started adding fat and more fat. I mean I added about 50 pounds above what I had been just a few months ago.

Now, I want to get back to it. I can't hit the weights like I once did as I just don't have the strength. I don't want to do an hour of cardio every day and eat tuna 4 times a day, nor do I want to eat a 1200 calorie diet and eat slim fast crap.

What should I do? Daily cardio, 5-6 small well balanced meals, weight training, are all going to be part of my plan. I would be cut at 225 (when at my best shape I was 205 and solid but not bulky anywhere). I need to lose 80 pounds to make that a reality. What supplements could I use to help?

I need help...I have read dozens of books, magazines, etc. I have tons of videos...I mean I was serious about this until I got hurt...but now...man it is like I just blew up and I don't know what to do.

Your help is appreciated (and yes, I have read others posts). I am looking for what has worked for you and how you can get it off quickly. Also, I would like to know what is realistic in loss...should I be looking at 5-10 a month or can I drop 30 a month for 3 months (yes I know that will burn away muscle, but I already am lacking in strength)

Anyway, thanks
Bigd

first off, welcome. secondly, i think that you should be more realistic with your goals. your goals will not be entirely too difficult to attain. it sounds like you have the proper enthusiasm and will have the dedication needed. you want to drop 80 pounds. ok...i would say that would take 20 months at a pound per week loss. the thing is that your body has a natural homeostasis. you could lose the weight quickly, but your body will have a tendency to go back to the homeostasis. the hard part about changing your body is changing the homeostasis. you have to stay at a certain condition for a long enough time to create a new homeostasis. so, taking slow losses will be better for you. also, it will help with stretch marks and loose skin. since you will be loosing weight, be sure to be using lotion on stretch marks and loose skin. cocoa butter will also be benificial.

ok...to answer your other questions. the diet is going to be the most important thing. you will need to have at least 5 meals a day. it would be better if you had 6 meals. keep in mind that these will be smaller meals to keep the metabolism high. also, be sure to drink at least a gallon of water a day. the water will help remove extra water weight, and it will also help flush toxins out from your body. it would be better to have closer to two gallons per day. back to the diet...you will probably want to aim to have around 1600-2500 calories a day. since you are aiming to be around 205 again, you should have around 200-240 grams of protein per day. since you are trying to lose weight, you will want to stick with complex carbohydrates. the amount will be determined by how sensitive you are. to figure out how sensitive you are, start with a lower number of carbs and increase the protein. then start to equal the two numbers. listen to your body to find out your sensitivity.

your cardio should be done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. this is the ideal time for fat loss. the reason being is because your body uses glucose and taps your glycogen levels during sleep. so, you can start burning fat easier then. 30-40 minutes is plenty.

supps you should look into:

a good multi with a b-complex
ester c
isomer e
cla
salmon oil
green tea

this should get you started. feel free to ask more questions.

You also want to adjust your calories from carbs daily rotate high med and low days. Add some Extra Virgin Olive oil to your protein shakes, yes still take protein shakes. Still hit the weights bro, work on your weak point with a vengence. Perfect time since you are injured. Due cardio like this. warm up 5-10 min then sprint as fast as you can for 1.5-2min the jog till you feel you can sprint again do that for 20 minutes then cool down and stretch. Take a fat burner as well. Also figure out how you hurt your shoulder and rearrange(sp) your training so it does not happen again.

i think that rotating carbs is a little advanced for him. i believe that he should have a strict diet with a cheat day at the end of the week. the cheat day will keep his sanity and his metabolism in check. as for the cardio, yes...that is how cardio should be done. a proper warm up, actual work, and a proper cool down. what are you doing? aerobics. what does that mean? something that involves the circulatory system to be worked and the respiratory system to be worked. in other words, you must work hard enough to get the blood flowing which will make you breath harder than normal. over time, your endurance will pick up and breathing will get easier and easier. you will get to a point that when you do your cardio, your body will be sweating and you will be able to talk easily. that means that your body is becoming more and more aerobic.

Biohazard

Do I shoot for equal grams of carbs to protien...or less? Also, does it matter when I eat the complex carbs...I read someones post that said it didn't matter when you eat it just balances out for the day...but I read another post that says eating carbs should only be done in the morning, lunch and early afternoon...while eating nothing in the evenings...I love whole oats and usually eat it at breakfast. And I enjoy brown rice. I don't care for sweet potatoes unless I put all the sugars in them and that defeats the point. Is the whole grain/sugar free bread like "Natures Own" a complex carb or is it a simple carb?

Thanks for the calorie recommendations. I keep reading and finding many of these pro's eating 6-10K calories...which I guess is fine if you weigh 300 of solid muscle and workout 3 hours a day...but not for me. I was trying 3500 as a target...but wasn't losing much weight. Everytime I did the math of what was recommended, I figured too much.

as far as the cardio goes, I use a treadmill...I feel like I can measure it better than doing "aerobics". I try to keep my heart rate in the recommended range using a heart rate monitor. I usually walk at 4 degree incline and range from warming up at 3 mph and working up to 4.25 mph for the max. Then I cool down. I realize I am not running but the heart rate monitor tells this is in the zone. As a beginner and as a new heart rate monitor user, maybe I don't have my numbers right. The instructions don't help much. But, I am pretty confident that I have it right.

One of my sons coaches (my son is a quarterback and is working on some fundamentals) set up some drills for my son. He is working on footwork and agility in the off season. He recommended some short windsprints (10x5 yards; 10x10 yards; the 10x20 yards). I can't hang with my son, but I was thinking about running with him some. Working up my speed and ability over time. Anyway, this cardio is the hardest part for me (well, the eating is the hardest part). I love lifting weights.

as far as the vitamins and minerals go...I am taking most of what you recommended...I have been using Flax Seed Oil and Fish Oil...the one that I haven't tried is green tea. Are you drinking it or are you talking about the pills?

I appreciate the help...I had a feeling I should shoot for loosing a pound a week rather than 3-5 or more...if you have any other suggestions, I am more than willing to listen

Bigd

answered your questions in red.

Biohazard

Do I shoot for equal grams of carbs to protien...or less? Also, does it matter when I eat the complex carbs...I read someones post that said it didn't matter when you eat it just balances out for the day...but I read another post that says eating carbs should only be done in the morning, lunch and early afternoon...while eating nothing in the evenings...I love whole oats and usually eat it at breakfast. And I enjoy brown rice. I don't care for sweet potatoes unless I put all the sugars in them and that defeats the point. Is the whole grain/sugar free bread like "Natures Own" a complex carb or is it a simple carb?

I would start out having around 100 carbs a day for now. so, you'll have roughly 205-225 grams of protein with 100 grams of complex carbs. you'll really have to listen to your body here. you should be able to figure out how it responds. within a few weeks, you should start to notice some bodyfat loss. you also need to check up on your muscles. if you are burning too much muscle, add some carbs. when i say add, start with 20 grams throughout the day. if you like the results with the 205/100 ratio, keep it. if you're not losing muscle but you are losing fat, then stick with it. as for not eating carbs at night...i think that's bullshit. when i dieted for my show, i would have meals 30 minutes before i went to sleep. as for your cereal, it does say it's whole grain. so, yes, it is a complex carb.

Thanks for the calorie recommendations. I keep reading and finding many of these pro's eating 6-10K calories...which I guess is fine if you weigh 300 of solid muscle and workout 3 hours a day...but not for me. I was trying 3500 as a target...but wasn't losing much weight. Everytime I did the math of what was recommended, I figured too much.

when i diet, my caloric intake drops from 4000 to 2500 to 1500. i have different phases of my diet. the point of that is 3500 is too high for a cutting diet. unless this person has a badass metabolism and can still burn fat with a high caloric intake...all i can say is congrats to them.

as far as the cardio goes, I use a treadmill...I feel like I can measure it better than doing "aerobics". I try to keep my heart rate in the recommended range using a heart rate monitor. I usually walk at 4 degree incline and range from warming up at 3 mph and working up to 4.25 mph for the max. Then I cool down. I realize I am not running but the heart rate monitor tells this is in the zone. As a beginner and as a new heart rate monitor user, maybe I don't have my numbers right. The instructions don't help much. But, I am pretty confident that I have it right.

i would say that is fine on one condition. how much are you sweating? you should have your shirt almost drenched after cardio. if you're not sweating, you're not doing a damn thing. the whole point of cardio is to raise your body temperature to start burning fat for energy. it takes energy to burn energy.

One of my sons coaches (my son is a quarterback and is working on some fundamentals) set up some drills for my son. He is working on footwork and agility in the off season. He recommended some short windsprints (10x5 yards; 10x10 yards; the 10x20 yards). I can't hang with my son, but I was thinking about running with him some. Working up my speed and ability over time. Anyway, this cardio is the hardest part for me (well, the eating is the hardest part). I love lifting weights.

if you run with him, just keep in mind that you need to stretch before and after. when you stretch, stretch a whole lot more than him. also, make sure you warm up enough before you start running with him. keep in mind, he is young and so is his body. there is no need to injure yourself. just use your brain. i'm sure that you would...you know what i'm saying here. haha!!

as far as the vitamins and minerals go...I am taking most of what you recommended...I have been using Flax Seed Oil and Fish Oil...the one that I haven't tried is green tea. Are you drinking it or are you talking about the pills?

good. as for your fish oil, move to salmon oil. there are higher levels of efa's. yes, i was referring to green tea extract.

I appreciate the help...I had a feeling I should shoot for loosing a pound a week rather than 3-5 or more...if you have any other suggestions, I am more than willing to listen

i believe i have said what i think you need to know to get started. in all reality, i need your feedback and questions to help you further. so, ask away.

Bigd