Please help a desperate new guy

[clash]

Hi guys. I have been looking around this site for a week and I have found good information. But I would still appreciate some one on one help.

Anyways, here is my sad story. I am 17 and currently 190 pounds, 5'10-5'11. As a kid, I used to be very fat. Then, at 15, I decided to lose weight. But I did it all wrong. I basically starved myself and did a lot of exercise. I did not really know any better. So what ended up happening was that I lost a lot of weight and I was about 5'9 155 pounds. The only problem was, I still had a lot of fat but no muscle. So from starving myself and by over-exercising, I ended up losing muscle but I was still fat from the outside.

So I became very frustrated with all of this and basically gave up. I started eating whatever and not caring at all for my health. I also got very busy at school and gave up any chance of becoming fit. So now, after a little less than two years, I'm 190 pounds and around 5'10, maybe a little taller. Now, I know that if I was a big muscular guy, 190 pounds wouldn't be too bad but I'm not. I'm fat. I have fat around my hips, my chest, my back etc. However, I am now serious about doing this right.

So I need advice. What should I do? What should I eat? How should I lose this fat? I know you can't gain muscle and lose fat but I just want to be in a normal weight range, not have so much flab and look decent with my shirt off. I don't hope to become a male model and I don't expect a great muscular body anytime soon. I know it takes effort and years of dedication. But don't think that I'm not ready to put in effort, because I am.

But please help me out and help me set up some plans.

 

[H_T_]

isn't this site 18+?

 

[clash]

I don't know but come on. I'm almost 18. This is probably the best place for me to get help. Going up to some of my friends who are muscular give the same crap advice: "come work out the gym bro, I can bench 200 now! Heres a protein shake".

These guys have been athletic since they were 5. They already have a good base established so I have nowhere else to go.

 

[fEkuaR.]

You can post here at any age as far as i know..... i have seen alot of people post here under 18. Just wait clash someone will give you some good advice

 

[alex2678]

Hi guys. I have been looking around this site for a week and I have found good information. But I would still appreciate some one on one help.

Anyways, here is my sad story. I am 17 and currently 190 pounds, 5'10-5'11. As a kid, I used to be very fat. Then, at 15, I decided to lose weight. But I did it all wrong. I basically starved myself and did a lot of exercise. I did not really know any better. So what ended up happening was that I lost a lot of weight and I was about 5'9 155 pounds. The only problem was, I still had a lot of fat but no muscle. So from starving myself and by over-exercising, I ended up losing muscle but I was still fat from the outside.

So I became very frustrated with all of this and basically gave up. I started eating whatever and not caring at all for my health. I also got very busy at school and gave up any chance of becoming fit. So now, after a little less than two years, I'm 190 pounds and around 5'10, maybe a little taller. Now, I know that if I was a big muscular guy, 190 pounds wouldn't be too bad but I'm not. I'm fat. I have fat around my hips, my chest, my back etc. However, I am now serious about doing this right.

So I need advice. What should I do? What should I eat? How should I lose this fat? I know you can't gain muscle and lose fat but I just want to be in a normal weight range, not have so much flab and look decent with my shirt off. I don't hope to become a male model and I don't expect a great muscular body anytime soon. I know it takes effort and years of dedication. But don't think that I'm not ready to put in effort, because I am.

But please help me out and help me set up some plans.

Sounds a lot like what I went through in high school. Only I took it to a whole new level and got down to under 130 pounds at 6'1. lol

For training stick to the basics. 3x a week full body routine done with free weights. Only basic exercises and no isolation work. Bench press, barbell row, full squat, deadlift, shoulder press, lying tricep extensions and barbell curls. Low sets (3 sets max) and keep the reps in the 4-8 range. Your goal should be to get stronger every session. Meaning try to get at least one more rep with the same weight you did last time or add 5 pounds to the bar and get the same number of reps.

For cardio, fast walking on the treadmill (with an incline if you can) I've always found worked well. 45 minutes to an hour.

Diet start with 10x your bodyweight in total calories spread throughout the day. Everyone's body is different however. Write everything down that you eat for a week and make note of your progress. Losing too much weight and strength? Increase your calories. Not losing any bodyfat? Decrease the portion size of your meals.

As long as your strength is increasing every week, your diet is clean and you're doing some cardio you should look a lot different over time. Best of luck.

 

[HiDnGoD]

I'm not sure about the 18+ thing. But I would suggest reading around the site. Gain knowledge. Read the personal logs. Read the stickies. Stick to the diet & exercise forums.
As a guideline, since you're trying to gain muscle mass, 12X bodyweight, for total calories. 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat. Broken up into 5-6 meals per day.
For protein, white meat & fish are best, with red meat a coupla times per week. Stay away from processed meats. Whey protein shakes to fill out your day. Stay away from soy.
For carbs, stay away from white flour based breads & pasta's. Lots of veggies, namely cruciferous & leafy green.
Fats will come with the meats. Stay away from too much butter, or anything hydrogenated oil based. Olive oil is great for cooking & as a condiment.
Avoid any processed meals/foods.
Allow yourself one cheat meal per weak. At this point, eat whatever you want, but eat a reasonable amount.

Exercise. Cardio: High intensity cardio for 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times per week Build up your tolerance. Don't start full blast.
Weights: Start with lighter weights than you think you can handle. Work up to tougher weights. Compound lifts (look it up). 3 - 4 exercises per workout, 3 sets per exercise, 10-12 reps per set. Do that 3 times per week. Allow yourself one day of rest per week.
Use all this as a starting point only. Do research. There are a lot of smart people on here. Read their stuff.
Good luck.

 

[clash]

Hey thanks. I do not have a treadmill but how about this: I walk home from school everyday? I live about 30-35 minutes of walking distance and it is a nice walk. I think this way, I'll incorporate my cardio exercise into my day very easily plus it will save me some money from bus tickets.

 

[HiDnGoD]

Hey thanks. I do not have a treadmill but how about this: I walk home from school everyday? I live about 30-35 minutes of walking distance and it is a nice walk. I think this way, I'll incorporate my cardio exercise into my day very easily plus it will save me some money from bus tickets.

Can you lift at home? Do you have a gym membership, or a school gym?
The walk home sounds good, but I would also suggest some kind of interval running, or jogging. 1 minute walk, 1 minute run. Or 30 sec run, 90 seconds walk. Whatever you have to do, and can do.

 

[clash]

Yes, interval training sounds like a good idea.

I work out at home because I have some of my brother's old equipment left over. There is a bench, couple of bars, and a whle bunch of weights. I an easily go and buy more weights,

As far as a membership goes, I didn't bother getting one from school this year. Like I said in my first post, I had really given up on exercise at the beginning on this year. Plus this was my final year and I was going to apply to a good university so I thought that I would have too much studying to do and probably would not bother exercising. But now that everything has gone down well, I want to start again. However, I will not bother getting a membership now from school because there are less than two months of school left and they will ask for a year's charge.

 

[Cucumber_Jones]

17 is very young. You have ages to figure stuff out. It's nice to see you being proactive at this age, so please listen and digest all that is offered to you. Good diet, proper training & rest is what you should focus on now. 3 times a week with weights is perfect. Your metabolism is like a shrews at this age, so more training is often not better. Train, Eat, Grow.

 

[HiDnGoD]

Did I mention research. Knowledge is power, and there are no absolutes. When you come across something that doesn't work for you, havin something else waiting in the wings will keep you going.

 

[clash]

Yea this site is good for research. I've read many threads from other posters. There was a great one which described the basic exercises and set up a plan for beginners.

Which types of foods do you suggest are the best? I've heard that Tuna, chicken breast, lean turkey meat are all good. Brown rice, oats, whole wheat bread, green veggies are all considered good too. What else should I add to my diet?

 

[Cucumber_Jones]

Yea this site is good for research. I've read many threads from other posters. There was a great one which described the basic exercises and set up a plan for beginners.

Which types of foods do you suggest are the best? I've heard that Tuna, chicken breast, lean turkey meat are all good. Brown rice, oats, whole wheat bread, green veggies are all considered good too. What else should I add to my diet?

Keeping a positive nitrogen balance can be tricky. Involves eating mucho protein. But that will get you where you are going.

 

[HiDnGoD]

Yea this site is good for research. I've read many threads from other posters. There was a great one which described the basic exercises and set up a plan for beginners.

Which types of foods do you suggest are the best? I've heard that Tuna, chicken breast, lean turkey meat are all good. Brown rice, oats, whole wheat bread, green veggies are all considered good too. What else should I add to my diet?

Spices to keep it from getting bland. But watch the salt. Healthy fats, like Olive Oil. I'd suggest supplementing with CLA, and Omega 3.

 

[clash]

Hey, is it possible for anyone to help me make some sort of a meal plan. Remember, I'm in school so It has to be something parctical. As much as I would love to, I can't really cook during my lunch and there are many foods I probably won't be able to eat.

Anyways, from what I've read, Oats sound like part of a good breakfast. How about some egg whites? Maybe fruits? And how many eggs get too dangerous because of the colesterol?

For lunch, How about a chicekn sandwich in whole wheat bread? I'll make my own chicken breast, cut it into slices and put it into the bread with some lettuce?

At around 2 when I get home, what should I have? More protein?

I'll probably work out at around 4. Should I have something right before it and something right after? Help?

 

[HiDnGoD]

Hey, is it possible for anyone to help me make some sort of a meal plan. Remember, I'm in school so It has to be something parctical. As much as I would love to, I can't really cook during my lunch and there are many foods I probably won't be able to eat.
I cook my foods, about 2-3 days at a time. B.S. Chicken, or diced roast beef in a skillet with Olive Oil & Spices. Boil a little brown rice. Split over 3 meals in plastic containers & just grab for lunches on the way out the door.
Anyways, from what I've read, Oats sound like part of a good breakfast. How about some egg whites? Maybe fruits? And how many eggs get too dangerous because of the colesterol?
I don't think dietary cholesterol is an issue any more, but limit the amount of whole eggs per day, due to the fat.
For lunch, How about a chicekn sandwich in whole wheat bread? I'll make my own chicken breast, cut it into slices and put it into the bread with some lettuce?
That works too. Try using canned Tuna a coupla days instead of Chicken.
At around 2 when I get home, what should I have? More protein? Protein shake.
I'll probably work out at around 4. Should I have something right before it and something right after? Help?

I have a shake before & after each workout. The one before has more carbs for fueling the workout. The one after is just protein, 'cause it's usually about 1/2 hr before supper..

 

[wlmcrae]

Also, really good resources for the beginner are Body for Life (book) by Bill Phillips and Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (e-book) by Tom Venuto. Both have detailed nutrition and training plans, with Venuto telling you a bunch on how to tweak it.

Best source for diets in detail - read logs. I'm not sure about the guys area, but the Women's Board has lots of logs with very detailed diets. Be aware, however, that the diet for a 6'5" 230lb guy on a bulk or a 5'2" 135lb woman on a cut will be guidelines only in TYPE of food to eat unless you've got the same goals, train the same, weigh the same and supplement identically (oh yeah, and are their identical twin . . ) You'll need to be able to set your own up soon, so best to start that way.

Women's Forum stickies do offer some detailed diet plans, esp. with the Shadow Plan.

 

[Jimbo15]

These guys are giving some good advice. I used to be fat in middles school, started lifting when I got into high school. I now have the same waist size I did when I was in 6th grade, but taller and leaner now.

As for training and diet: eat lean proteins, green veggies, whole grain carbs-in limited amounts. Make portion sizes small, eat something every 2.5-3 hours with 16oz of water, should be about 6 meals a day. Dont do cardio. Sure you'd be a lean little guy, but look at a distance runners muscle structure. Not appealing. Do cuircut workouts, interval sprint workouts, etc. Workout at school before your walk home.

 

[mcwp101]

join a gym.. do a lot of cardio.. lay off the sweets. eat a lot of tuna, meat, fish, and vegetables... dont eat junk food

 

[poysyn]

yea, eat 6 even spaced meals (I'd stray way from the 10x your bodyweight in calories at your age, though..seems way to low)

If you lift 3-4 x week and walk home from school everyday, id say you should be at least eating 2,200 calories if not more at your age. eat clean foods (oats, potatoes, yams, vegetables, some fruit is ok, egg whites, chicken, lean turkey, even lean beef would be ok)

Like everyone said above, stray away from simple carbs and bad fats if you can. Do not avoid fat in general, though. It is very important to get some healthy fats (nuts, fish oil, olive oil) in order to keep your body efficient.

it boils down to a very simple concept once you get a good diet in check. I'm certainly not going to take the time to make you a diet, this board is filled iwth tons of them so look around.

eat clean, lift hard, and live life