I am making a huge change in my life! I shot up to 252 lbs over the last 3 years (5'10") and i finally got fed up! For the last week I have been going to the gym for an hour EVERDAY ( 3 days a week i do 1 hour of cardio on the bike... usually about 20 miles and the other 3 days i did 40 minutes of cardio with lifting in there as well, today is rest day) And hitting the cardio hard and lifting every other day. I'm not weak.. just FAT. I am VERY determined to get the fat off but i have NO idea what in the hell to eat... I am sooo lost on that it almost seems that I'm not doing any good going to the gym! I'm puttin up some pictures to let me know what you guys think is posibble and what is not!

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa210/armando_crespo/8-14-07Startingat252lbs2NET.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa210/armando_crespo/8-14-07Startingat252lbsNET.jpg



My biggest fear is my midsection... I'm terrified that it will never come back to the way it used to be. It just seems like Im going for the impossible But none the less i am going to bust my ass anyway! This site and it's members have really been an inspiration to me to get my fat ass into shape! I just need a little guidance especially on destroying the midsection!!... Thanks everyone!!

Read the stickies at the top of this forum. That will give you a good start to put together a plan. Once you get a base plan put together, post it for people to help you tweak.

We can't just give you a plan.

I am sort of in the same situation, setting up the diet seems to be the hardest part. I am sort of lost/unsure what to do in that area as well. Good luck!

First, read this :tu: http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=19229

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My biggest fear is my midsection... I'm terrified that it will never come back to the way it used to be. It just seems like Im going for the [/b]impossible[/b] But none the less i am going to bust my ass anyway! This site and it's members have really been an inspiration to me to get my fat assinto shape! I just need a little guidance especially on destroying the midsection!!... Thanks everyone!!

I bolded the words that you need to start removing from your vocabulary. I italicized the part I liked :) You're going to find that mental preparation goes a long way, and as silly as it may seem, making negative comments about yourself only holds you back. Just focus on your goals and achieving them.

Now for your actual question, I'm going to give you the list of foods that I eat quite often on my little fat loss journey:

Steel cut oats (I prefer the taste over old fashioned oats. instant oats are trash).

Eggs. Typically I try to eat double the egg whites to full eggs.

Chicken breast. Get to know chicken breasts. Embrace them. Love them. Learn different recipes so that you don't get tired of them. They are a staple of fat loss.

Natural peanut butter. Delicious, and a great source of good fats. Be careful with serving size, though!

Low fat cottage cheese. Another good source of protein.

Tuna fish.

Sweet potatoes. Good source of carbs w/ fiber.

Blueberries and Strawberries....pretty much any berry.

Green veggies. Can't go wrong.


As a rule, steer clear of processed foods. The above list is just to get you thinking and get started. Plan ahead and stick to your guns, and you'll do well :nod:

First of all, I second (pardon the pun) the suggestion to read the nutrition sticky threads. You could track your food intake via a food diary like www.fitday.com (http://www.fitday.com) - see how you're eating now, and with the help of the info in the stickies, tailor your food intake to fit your required caloric intake, for your size and activity level, in order to lose 1 - 2 lbs a week.

Second, you say you've been hitting the gym for a week? That's not enough to see any significant changes. However, if you keep it up, even if your food intake is the same, you'll eventually start to see changes. For optimal results you need to clean up your diet. Eating some of the foods suggested above will help.

Other foods to consider are canned tuna and salmon. Cut out refined carbs - make your breads and pastas whole wheat. Lots of veggies, of course. Skim or low fat milk and yogurt, and good fats like extra virgin olive oil and nuts.

This is just a starting point, but if you do your research I have full confidence that you'll be able to achieve your goals. This place is a great inspiration. :)

http://www.calorieking.com/ is also a good site for finding out what's in your food.

WOW Thanks for all of the replies! I realize that after a week im not going to see anything. But none the less I'm going 6 days a week and i already ahve a HUGE list for the grocery store on thursday!

I took some time to read the stickies after i made this thread and they REALLY helped out. Fortunately for me, i LOVE chicken and LEAN beef and canned tuna! I have somewhat of a plan for nutrition that im going to start come monday. So i will see whats up from there!

I already FEEL better and have WAY more energy. So working out is helping already! Thanks again for all of the help and I hope to be putting up some pictures of my progress next month!

I'll let you guys know next week how things are moving along and what I'm eating. Again, thanks.

Here's a tip:
When you first start out, try to wean yourself away from cereal (oatmeal is far better), bread (keep it to a minimum), and milk.

Eventually all of those things can be added back in without any trouble, but it's good to try to plan a diet around better choices and often the cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch trend carries on and people try to make it healthier when in the end they should look for other options.

I think full-fat mayo is totally fine, by the way, just make sure to watch the portion size. So just have tuna salad without the bread :D

(Note: Ezekial Bread is just fine ;))

Quick question about the bread. This (http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=460638) T-Nation article (a good read, btw, if you're looking for which foods to include and avoid) says that wholemeal bread can be safely included in a healthy diet. Is this correct? Can one include a small amount of bread provided it's wholemeal?

Here's a tip:
When you first start out, try to wean yourself away from cereal (oatmeal is far better), bread (keep it to a minimum), and milk.

Is milk really that evil? Some research indicates that adding nonfat or lowfat dairy products can be beneficial to weight loss on a reduced-calorie diet. Quick link here (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/AN01138).

Of course, it's one of those deals where 'more research is needed', but even if it's not beneficial per se, it doesn't seem to be detrimental (as long as you're maintaining the calorie deficit).

As for wholemeal/wholewheat bread, I think it's reasonable to include a small portion, preferably earlier in the day (breakfast or lunch).

Then again, I'm not super-strict with my diet. I'm not very good in the long-term when I feel I'm depriving myself. I'm still seeing results though (with dairy and whole wheat goodness added in). :tu:

And remember protein shakes. Eaten at the right time (stickies) they are a massive help.

I am in a similar situation. I have worked on weightlifting and cardio for years and have very good routines. The best advice I can give is that you won't lose a pound unless you fix your diet, and it's taken me many years to realize this.

Good luck!:)

Is milk really that evil? Some research indicates that adding nonfat or lowfat dairy products can be beneficial to weight loss on a reduced-calorie diet. Of course, it's one of those deals where 'more research is needed', but even if it's not beneficial per se, it doesn't seem to be detrimental (as long as you're maintaining the calorie deficit).

As for wholemeal/wholewheat bread, I think it's reasonable to include a small portion, preferably earlier in the day (breakfast or lunch).
Milk is fine. Some people are sensitive to carbohydrates and see better weight-loss results when they shift a portion of their calories over to protein instead. I'm sensitive to carbohydrates the other way, in that if I try to cut them back I suffer from painful food cravings and general unpleasantness. So, while I understand the science of suggesting the minimization of carbohydrates (including starches and dairy products) I actually get better results with bread, yogurt, and pasta as a significant portion of my diet. I'd also be worried about making up the nutritional deficiencies if I tried to cut back on them.