Please check my diet advice for overweight friend.

[Davidelmo]

He's just registered on this site as wbb1 but I figured I'd ask this for him :D

He is about 6"0, 260lbs+, pure endomorph
He's not very strong either, especially for his size.

His diet was (and kinda still is) complete crap.

He regularly eats nothing all day until the evening when he'll have pizza.

He tracked on fitday for a few days and was eating round about 1500-2000kcal a day and 40g of protein, 50g of fats and all the rest carbs.
This is obviously WAY WAY too low.

My advice so far has been:
Start WBB1 - which he has done
Try to eat at least 3 proper meals a day.
Increase calories to around 3000-3500 a day (just a rough estimate)
Increase protein to 200g a day.

We're attempting to find out his maintenance calories but it's kinda difficult since he's been at the same weight for ages and is eating so little every day.

Am I right in thinking that he has basically crashed his metabolism and gone into starvation mode? He says eating 3 meals (2700kcal) yesterday was a huge struggle because he didn't feel hungry.

By increasing to 3500kcal for a week or so (which is surely somewhere closer to his maintenance) will this kickstart his metabolism so that he can then calorie deficit in the normal way?
Hopefully it won't make him GAIN weight, because that's the last thing we want.

Thanks guys

[mrelwooddowd]

I've been his size, and with his eating habits. I had the exact same results...

He should spend a few days eating at least three solid meals of whatever he feels like eating, to get his system accustomed to the intake.

He needs to lift, which will give him back his appetite.

Then, track what he's eating and see how his weight is going. If he wants to cut, I'd just set him up something with about 2500 calories, adequate protein, and enough carbs to keep him happy (or fat..whatever makes him feel better). I wouldn't even worry too much about finding a solid maintenance intake. At his weight and bodyfat, any changes and consistency will pay huge dividends for quite some time. Getting too strict will only set him up for failure, until he's learned to self-manage his lifestyle.

[Davidelmo]

Just a few days? I was thinking it might take 1-2 weeks to get him used to it and to kickstart his metabolism etc. Since you've been in the situation before, I'll take your work for it, thanks.

Well, he told me he managed only 1700kcal today... we're going out shopping tomorrow to buy food. He works at a corner shop, but there's NO good food to eat.. it's all sweets and crisps and crap. We're going out tomorrow to get chicken etc so he can make sandwiches. Also gonna get a blender and some whey, oats etc etc.

I also coached him through WBB1, day 1 today. He put up a mighty 35kg bench press!! hehe

[Holto]

I was thinking it might take 1-2 weekss to kickstart his metabolism.

Minnimum.

If he's severly crashed. 3-4 weeks.

I agree starting to train will turn him into a whole different being. Going from insulin resistant to being very responsive. Going from building and storing fat to building muscle.

He's lucky to have a friend like you.

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Hey bro, we know you're reading this.

Listed to DAVID everything you think you know has been brought to you by media channels designed to sell fitness/weight loss products.

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[mrelwooddowd]

I guess if he's that bad off, it could take a bit more time. But if he's hitting the weights his body will have no choice but to turn into a furnace, requiring more food.

[Built]

When somebody's starting out this rough, it's like cleaning up a messy house: Start anywhere.

Get him tracking, get him eating more protein, get him lifting, see how he reacts, tweak his diet accordingly.

Nice of you do to this, David.

[Eszekial]

During my very early football career, i was lifting and running more than i ever had.

I didn't shed a lbs. Why?

I ate nothing all day, and pigged out for dinner.

Having him eat a good breakfast will probably get his hunger going.

Also, he may gain SOME weight (in muscle) early on in ths process, especially if he has so little now. At least, that's what happened to me when i got hardcore.

[Davidelmo]

Right on, thanks guys :)

He's got such a good build.. he could be absolutely huge- he's pretty tall, big shoulder span, huge forearms, big legs etc.

We're going out shopping today to buy a ton of food, whey protein and a blender, hehe.

[Holto]

During my very early football career, i was lifting and running more than i ever had.

I didn't shed a lbs. Why?

Because you were eating maintenance cals.