Looking to shed a small man

So

Stats

Height 1,94m
Weight 205.5kg

I have always been a big guy, last years of primary school I was hitting close to the 80kg range while still being active in Hockey, cricket, and just general kiddy shit

Highschool I went up, probably around 90-100 before taking a major dip in Matric, the lowest I weighed was around 80kg's. Then I found the couch...

Because of my size, I know I have muscle somewhere, I'm easily able to bench 150kg's for reps, Legpressing 400kg's for a few too, but unfortunately, because of the abuse my Knee's don't like that


Now, my goal is to drop to the 150 range,

I have been dieting (calorie counting, changing my foods, etc) since Jan,
Gymming 5 days a week for around an hour. Mondays shoulders, Tuesday chest, etc. New part every day. But this is just making me flop between 204 - 211 depending on my poo and what i had for dinner.

I just can't break the 200 mark. I think I have low test levels, I have not been tested however. Currently my medical doesn't pay for it.

Are there any recommendations? Something that could change me from an Obelix to a chubby hulk perhaps? I would love to be able to take my shirt off without upsetting the children and other family members around the pool

I would say you need to try get blood tests before considering taking any type of replacement supplements or anything not OTC

How many calories are you eating now?
If it were me, I would add walking daily to the routine and probably prioritize this over weights if I had to choose between the two. If you can fit both in then even better. I am not sure how your frame is, but 205 is really heavy and any kind of cardio is probably going to be brutal on your body.
Slow steady walks daily will probably do more for weight loss at this point than anything else. I cant imagine you not dropping weight easily in the first few weeks of that
If you are inclined you can add in swimming, but that might be challenging in the beginning.

syntax wrote: I would say you need to try get blood tests before considering taking any type of replacement supplements or anything not OTC

How many calories are you eating now?

At the moment im hovering around 3000-3500 (Calculating on myfitnesspal)

syntax wrote: If it were me, I would add walking daily to the routine and probably prioritize this over weights if I had to choose between the two. If you can fit both in then even better.

Most days im hitting 7000-8000 steps in, Problem is though joints dont like the walking. I have a big frame so elipticals etc dont quite work for me either

syntax wrote: I am not sure how your frame is, but 205 is really heavy and any kind of cardio is probably going to be brutal on your body.

It sure is

syntax wrote: Slow steady walks daily will probably do more for weight loss at this point than anything else. I cant imagine you not dropping weight easily in the first few weeks of that
If you are inclined you can add in swimming, but that might be challenging in the beginning.

Access to a pool is the problem there, I go to a private gym with limited features. Really try to avoid the planetfitness type gyms that kill you with contracts


Thanks for the feedback though

That seems like quite a low calorie amount.
I am around there and am much much smaller.

I dont have much other advice unfortunately. I think your height would make cycling really uncomfortable as well so the only thing would be to get really good shoes and try find decent surfaces to walk on.

Good luck man

I thought it was alot,

I dont understand why im not losing... Which is what led me to start looking into this world.

Obelix wrote: I thought it was alot,

I dont understand why im not losing... Which is what led me to start looking into this world.

You are probably gaining muscle while losing fat so it's not reflecting on the scale, and because you have a lot of body fat covering the muscle it's hard to visibly see.

This often happens for quite a while at first with overweight people. It is very frustrating. But it is not in vain and results will come. But if you have not lost weight in months then you have to eat less calories. Calories in, calories out. Laws of thermodynamics can't be broken.

It sucks, i have lost some weight, but sadly its less than 5% of my bodyweight.

Will keep at it

Muscleaddict wrote:

Obelix wrote: I thought it was alot,

I dont understand why im not losing... Which is what led me to start looking into this world.

You are probably gaining muscle while losing fat so it's not reflecting on the scale, and because you have a lot of body fat covering the muscle it's hard to visibly see.

This often happens for quite a while at first with overweight people. It is very frustrating. But it is not in vain and results will come. But if you have not lost weight in months then you have to eat less calories. Calories in, calories out. Laws of thermodynamics can't be broken.

Well... calories in, calories out is not necessarily interesting thermodynamically.

I don't mind the concept as it has to be true to some extent, it just isn't relevant information.
Hence why IIFYM fails at some point and does not equate to health across various diets.

Obelix, sorry I'm late to the party. Here's my story:
Used to be in great shape, then got busy, lazy and boozy.
I'm 1.73m and I weighed 136kg with very little in the way of muscle mass.
I changed my eating habits (hate the word "diet") and tuned it according to my weight loss. I could only walk for exercise at first. After losing 10kgs I hit the weights again. Cardio became less of my time (now only for heart health.)
Currently I'm at 88kgs with 12.1% body fat (I know, not really jacked yet.)

This all took me 4 years. So, as MA mentioned, keep hitting the weights, lower your intake a bit and mostly, be patient and keep looking after yourself.

Builder wrote: Obelix, sorry I'm late to the party. Here's my story:
Used to be in great shape, then got busy, lazy and boozy.
I'm 1.73m and I weighed 136kg with very little in the way of muscle mass.
I changed my eating habits (hate the word "diet") and tuned it according to my weight loss. I could only walk for exercise at first. After losing 10kgs I hit the weights again. Cardio became less of my time (now only for heart health.)
Currently I'm at 88kgs with 12.1% body fat (I know, not really jacked yet.)

This all took me 4 years. So, as MA mentioned, keep hitting the weights, lower your intake a bit and mostly, be patient and keep looking after yourself.

Amazing progress. Discipline + Consistency -> Winning at life. Keep it up.

Thanks man

I have been monitoring my intake for the last 82? days ... using myfitnespal. I changed my 'activity level' to inactive and dropped my calories allowed per day.

in the end its all a mental game, must stop eating when im bored, must want to eat healthier etc.

You are what you eat. So before you eat, think.

So I got hold of some metformin, lets see how that works out

I have also decreased calories by a bit (Around 700) and am doing HIIT for around 20min every 2nd day

Obelix wrote: So I got hold of some metformin, lets see how that works out

I have also decreased calories by a bit (Around 700) and am doing HIIT for around 20min every 2nd day

If it is proper HIIT training every second day might be too much. It is really hard on the body and recovery of a few days is normally needed. If you have reduced calories this will probably be compounded and you will get sick or feel garbage.

syntax is right, Obelix. I do 15mins of cardio a day max. One HIIT session a week is probably ok, but don't let it ruin your time on the weights (muscles are much more efficient at burning fat - so grow them.) Bottom line from own experience: weights first and second, cardio for heart health, but not at the expense of muscle recovery time. Easy does it. Sort out the kitchen, then the weights, then cardio and then work hard with patience.