Hi, Im a fatass. But I lift. Please read.

[GooberPHX420]

hey guys, some of you may remember my post that I made back like 6 months ago about losing 100lbs and still going. Anyways, as of now Ive lost right at about 135lbs, and I still need to lose another 100 or so. I used to be seriously, disgustingly obese. Now Im just a fatass, and that makes me happy(er). So now a year later, I see myself stagnating. I need to find a way to boost my weight loss again, and hopefully maintain or even GAIN muscle mass. Let me rephrase that, I need FAT LOSS, not necessarily weight, as I know muscle weighs more.

What I do:

I eat about 2000 calories per day, random BS foods, per Weight Watchers requirements. Im know 2000 cals sounds like a ton, but you have to remember that I used to absolutely gourge myself, eating probably easily upwards of 4500 cals per day. I am slowly trying to shrink my stomach by drinking assloads of water. (hmmm, ass and water..not a good combo.)

I also play a lot of raquetball. I about 350 lbs right now, so Im not the quickest, but I sure get my heart pounding. I cant stand regular running or jogging, or even biking. Its raquetball or nothing, baby!

I lift sparratically. I dont have any set routines and I am unable to do many of the necessary exercises. I cant really squat just because of how large I am and how inflexible I am. I just recently started doing straight-leg deadlifts and shrugs. other than those, I do all the basics, benches, curls, rope pulldowns, rows, lat pulldowns, all the commonplace exercises.


I know I sound like a lost cause, but can any of you recommend some sort of routine thats fairly simple for a big, inflexible guy like me to do? No squats, no hardcore running/jogging cardio.

What Im looking to do is cut the fat a bit and maintain muscle mass or increase it if possible. I know, story of everybodys life right? What are your thoughts on supersetting?

[GooberPHX420]

Extra info: I currently flat bench 240, I can do 175 on the pecdeck fly machine, I curl 50's, Leg press 650.

So Im not a complete loss. I do have a decent amount of muscle mass under this curtain of flub.

[baldguy]

Goober,

How tall are you? How old are you?Although I wasn't as big as you, but I was big. I was about 310 at 6'3" (48% BF). Over the past year or so I have lost 60# of bodyweight while adding 30# of muscle (equating to 90# of fat).

I'm currently about 255 and eat 2500-3000 calories per day and as long as I eat 5-6 times per day, I continue to inch downward. I'm not minding the inching, as I'm trying to hold onto my muscle. I need to get to about 220. I've got a big frame and that should put me about 15% BF. I may try to lose more after that, but that's the immediate goal.

So where am I going with this?

Flexibility: Stretch at least 3x per week. Lifting will increase your ROM (range of motion), but you also need to stretch. This only takes about 10 minutes for full body stretches.

Squats: If you can move your body, you can do squats. I find most big guys can do them even easier, because they're used to moving a bunch of weight around. No doubt, it's hard work, but it's the best overall exercise you can do.

Lifting: Stick to a routine. If you do that, you will notice results quicker. I don't care if it's a 3 or 4 day routine, but you need to make it a priority in your life. Keep a journal. Do the big daddy exercises. I know it may be embarrassing, but I started doing shoulder presses with 3# dumbbells at over 300#! Now people come to me for advice and kids have asked me (outside the gym) how much I can bench, so I must look the part!

Cardio: If you can play racquetball, you can definitely do some biking, light jogging, or powerwalking. Do some interval training if you like. It's easier than endurance for the big fellas.

Diet: If you want to be active, you need to eat more. Most people figure about 10 calories per pound to lose weight. The big calorie deficit may have worked well to drop the pounds, but if you want to be fit and healthy, you need more calories. This may also be the reason your progress has stalled. Also remember to eat every 3-4 hours. This is a huge factor in weight loss. If you only want to lose weight and don't care about health and fitness, do the Subway thing. Jared lost and ton of weight, but does he look athletic? Does he look confident? He's got a small set of shoulders, no taper, and no definition or muscle.

You're not a loss. You just have to work harder than others. That makes the goal even sweeter when you reach it.

[zwarrior99]

heres a Bump for ya. Anyways maybe for a little extra boost maybe some sort of ECA stack. Im going to bump so somebody can give you better diet + training info.

[biggimp]

it has been my experience that most big strong guys used to be fat. me, i used to weight 30 lbs more than i do now, and lifting and dieting helped build strength so easy and quick. big guys have the advantage. its easier for us to gain strength and muscle mass than skinny people.

[Songsangnim]

The most important thing now for you is to be consistent. I know it can be a pain to get to the gym at times, but this is absolutely essential. Even if you miss just one time, it becomes that much easier to skip the next workout, and the next and the next.... SO......


1) Force yourself to go. Focus on the goal and do what you have to do. Get a workout partner, listen to music that you like...anything that gets you in the gym.

2) Eat healthy. Again focus on non-processed carbs and plenty of quality protein. For some good diets look in the forum on diet.

3) Do the big exercises. Squats (work on flexibility first). Leg presses, regular (from the floor, and bent-legged) deadlifts, bench presses, dips (if possible) shoulder presses, and so on. Don't focus too much on the smaller exercises like curls. They won't burn as much calories as doing the big exercises will.

4) Go at least three days a week (more if you have the time). On off days do cardio. This too is absolutely essential for losing weight.


Hope this helps.

[Pwrlftr91]

First of all, it's awesome that you are taking charge of your life and making a positive change. One other thing along with the other good advice already given is to workout in the morning, first thing when you wake before you eat your first meal of the day. Your body will burn fat easier when you are in a fasted state after not eating for the 8-10 hours that you slept. Though it may be harder to get to the gym in the morning if you have to work early but it is a great way to start your day. You already said you drink a ****load of water, but try drinking a full glass of water before your meals. It always helped me to feel full before I really ate too much. Keep it up!

[raniali]

i dont think he needs to worry about feeling full. he is only eating 2000 cals a day, which IMO is way too low. as has been stated, be consistent with both training and diet. that is FAR FAR more important than worrying about the small things every day. i would like to see what your diet is looking like - what kind of ratios and meal planning you are doing. would you post your diet for us? the reason people stagnate in weight loss is almost always diet related, esp if you're training is consistent. eating more can be beneficial so be open to that possibility.

just remember - you have made phenomenal progress so far and you CAN accomplish what you want to.