Hey, what’s up guys? I'm a newbie, so this is kinda embarrassing... BUT, I'll get right to it. I found this site a few weeks ago and I found some awesome information (so thanks for that)! It's really helped out a lot so far, but I'd like to get some opinions from you guys... so any help is greatly appreciated!

I started eating right and exercising about 4 weeks ago... I'm 24 years old, 5'9 and I was at 340 (I know, really bad). Anyway, I'm now at 327. Better, but still horrible. Anyway, I really can't follow the "normal" plans since I work during the evenings (15:30-00:00). I'm just hoping to put out my schedule/eating habits and hope that you guys can help me tweak it. I’m not even sure if I’m doing things right.

Anyway, here goes:

Nutritionally, I’ve pretty much cut out sucrose. I used to drink a ton of soda everyday… and now, I just drink water or diet drinks such as crystal light. I’ve also cut out junk food. I’ve pretty much been sticking to things like chicken, turkey, tuna, brown rice, whole wheat breads, etc. Here’s an example of how I break my day down:

12 PM: Meal / Multi, 2400mg creatine, 2 caps HOT-ROX, 1 cap CLA, 1 cap Om3 Fish

04 PM: Myoplex Meal Replacement Shake

07 PM: Meal

08 PM: Multi, 2400mg creatine, 2 caps HOT-ROX, 1 cap CLA, 1 cap Om3 Fish Oil

10 PM: Light Meal

03 AM: PWO Myoplex Meal Replacement Shake mixed with creatine and glutamine

As you can tell, my schedule is pretty weird… because of that, I joined a local 24 hour gym. I’ve been working out five days a week. Four of those days consist of weight training and then cardio, while the last day I try to just relax and concentrate on a light cardio workout. I usually try to do an hour/hour half on 2 muscle groups and 30-45 minutes of cardio (normal days).

So, does this stuff look alright? I’ve been reading a lot and some people say that you shouldn’t take the PWO shake because it negates cardio efforts. I’ve also read that you shouldn’t take the creatine because it bloats you. I’m pretty confused J So, please help a kid out… and try to take it easy on me!

BTW, I have progress pics… but I’m not sure if I’m ready to post something like that lol.

slow and steady dude, keep it up

You did the most important thing in your life, you changed it for the better. You recognized that you had to do something about your habits and your life style.

You're headed in the right direction, but like a lot of people will tell you on these forums, the "diet" is 70% of the battle. If you dont have a good diet, your working out / cardio is doomed.

Chicken Breasts, Lean Meats, Salmon, Tuna, Cottage Cheese and a lot of other healthy foods are your allies in this. I have been dropping my weight very nicely with fasted cardio in the mornings. This means no food before the cardio and after only Protein and Healthy Fats...NO Carbs. (my own opinion)

My morning after cardio meal would look something like this..

2 Scoops of Whey Protein mixed with Water and Ice then blended, followed by a medium sized chicken breast off the grill. You can replace the chicken breast with my different items. Its your choice how you want to mix it up, but i prefer to keep the carbs away until at least a couple of hours after my cardio.

When i hit the gym to do weights, its much different. I would have a Protein shake before and after the workout, followed by some carbs along with protein and fat. This is because i need to restore energy for my body and allow my mucles to recover.

Hit up FitDay.com and calculate out your metabalism. Check how much your body burns with minimal activity in the day. Then Figure out what your short term goal is so that you can have an idea of how many calories you can eat and how much your defecit has to be. Remember, if you're in deficit of 1000 calories per day, you should be loosing about 2 pounds a week. Be careful not to over do it, because you dont want your body to be in starvation mode.

Hope some of this is useful to you, you're doing great. Stick to it and your life will change, you wont even believe by how much :) :claphigh:

thanks for the words & advice, guys. Much appreciated!

I did go to fitday and make a profile. I also followed the BMI formula that is a sticky post in this forum. I guess I'll limit myself to a 2400 cal/40-40-20 diet.

But I have some more questions :)

1. Should I be using creatine as much/if at all?

2. Strona, do you do weights and cardio on different days? What would you suggest I eat when I do both lifting and cardio? I read that people tend to lift, drink their shake, wait 30 minutes and then do cardio.

You may or may not see any effect with the creatine. That is mainly for muscle gain (granted you take to creatine, and you are cycling correctly).

It looks as if your plan is to drop fat, first and foremost. I think we would all agree that should be your first course of action. You're a good sized guy, so you probably have some good muscle underneath it all. You will be surprised that if you stick to a good cut, you will see some awesome muscles below.

I think some people in this forum will say that you should be eating more, but honestly, you are smack where you want to be to take off that weight fast. You can stand easily to lose more than 2+ lbs/wk.

Diet: those meal replacements make me suspect. I prefer whole foods, and I think getting more real food in there will be better for you in the long run, and when you finally do lose the weight, you'll have to learn to cook healthy eventually- you can't always spend your money on those supplements. You must get hungry! Get more green veggies, lots of lean meats, and complex carbs. Split your meals to carb/protein or fat/protein (e.g. chicken breast/brown rice, or cottage cheese/olives- I know it sounds gross, but I eat it before bed every night and I've dropped 20 lbs in 2.5 months). Here's a link (http://freedomfly.net/x.php?adminid=355&tid=4400) to a spreadsheet that you can figure out your daily intake based on the Katch-McArdle formula.

Gym: If you are looking to drop that weight at a steady pace, hit the cardio 40-45mins each time (once you're in shape enough). If you're going to lift and do cardio in one session (due to your schedule), DON'T drink your PWO shake before cardio. There is a 2 hour window AFTER lifting, and if you get the protein into your system within that time, you will be fine. Don't be so concerned with the timing, honestly. Sure, it's important, but you are looking to maintain the muscle you have. You will lose some of it, but you WILL lose a hell of a lot of fat on the way. Worry about putting that muscle back on once you're at a healthy, fit size. I would say lift hard 3-5 days/wk and cardio 5-6 days.

You are on the right track. Take some pictures, get yourself motivated, and if you're feeling up to it, let us know where you're starting from. When you hit a goal (SET GOALS!), show us your progress. Keep us posted.


thanks for the words & advice, guys. Much appreciated!

I did go to fitday and make a profile. I also followed the BMI formula that is a sticky post in this forum. I guess I'll limit myself to a 2400 cal/40-40-20 diet.

But I have some more questions :)

1. Should I be using creatine as much/if at all?

2. Strona, do you do weights and cardio on different days? What would you suggest I eat when I do both lifting and cardio? I read that people tend to lift, drink their shake, wait 30 minutes and then do cardio.

IMO you are doing the right thing. My personal preference is to get some more actual food. You have a few meal replacements in there and I'm not sure whether that is because it is easier for you. But in my opinion you can replace those with clean foods and it will be just as effective. I am not an expert but I follow Tom Venuto's advise, which is to eat as much real food as possible. Meal replacements are OK but good old fashion Brown Rice, Chicken, Tuna, Oatmeal, etc, are great. That's just my 2 cents.

Good job and good luck.