Hi everyone,
I started my lifestyle change almost 5 weeks ago. I have lost 10.5 lbs so far. I would like some support, though since it's tough. Hopefully I can help others as well. I posted this in the Newbies forum, but thought it may be better suited for in here. I'll be 28 in April, and I am male. My current
goal is weight/fat loss. I am monitoring what I eat, my weight, inches around my
body,
BMI and
body fat %.
I have a quick question, too. Someone told me that I may be overdoing it, but I don't think I am. I have never had this much
energy, or had this much endurance. Sorry, this will be long, but looking for some advice/help. Here is my workout routine:
Monday: In the morning, I lift using chest and tricep muscles. I do 7
exercises for chest and 4 for triceps. I shoot for 4 sets of 15 reps (which has really boosted my endurance). Then, after work I go back to the
gym for a quick 30 minute
cardio exercise and
abs workout.
Tuesday: I do
cardio in the morning and afternoon.
Wednesday: In the morning, I lift using back and bicep muscles. Same as Monday, I do 7
exercises for back and 4 for biceps, shooting for 4 sets of 15. I come back after work for 30 minutes of
cardio and
abs.
Thursday: same as Tuesday
Friday: I lift using legs and shoulders. same as other weight days. Come back after work for a 30 minute workout and
abs.
some notes:
I switch up my
cardio between biking, elliptical,
treadmill, tread climber and cross ramp. I do a different machine every
cardio session. Also, within each machine, I alter my workout method. If one week I do bike on random, I will do manual the next time I get on the bike.
abs: I do a different set of
exercises every time I am there.
Friday workouts: I plan on finding a different
exercise routine every Friday from my Men's Health magazine.
Lifting: I try and choose
weights where I work up to 4 sets of 15... usually starts with sets of 12, 10, 9, 8 reps. Also, I am never in the
gym longer than am hour and a half (including a 15 minute stretch. Also, every 4 weeks I change the order of the
exercises I do so my
body won't have time to get adjusted.
stretching: I stretch before any workout, whether it's
cardio or lifting.
Protein: I'm trying to consume my
goal weight in grams of protein. Along with egg whites and lean meat, i am having a GNC whey protein shake twice a day.
Magic Pills: I am trying to stay away from any
diet pills. I have no idea how safe they are, or if they really work. The guy I was talking to yesterday said I should get on something to help me.
Food: I never eat the same things routinely. I limit the 3 whites (sugar, salt and white flour) to hardly anything. I give myself one cheat day, and if I feel a craving for something, I have it, but with a VERY small quantity. (I have buckeyes from Cracker Barrel and will have a single one maybe every 3 days... thats my only sweet).
Thanks guys. In a short 5 weeks, I have also dropped at least 2% of
body fat, and 1 inch off my waist line. I am also keeping a food log and putting everything I eat/drink in there. Any thoughts/comments to my method/approach?
Should I include a time period where I take a week off from my workout? if so, when should I consider doing it?
How often should I weigh myself? I hear some people say every day to track, and others say once a week. i am currently weighing myself every week, take a
body fat analysis every 2 weeks and get
body measurements every 2 weeks.
When I started, i was 256.5 lbs. What is a healthy weight for me to attain? I thought 175 would be alright (I'm 5'85", almost 5'9") but my wife says that's ludicrous.