General Weight Loss

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I'm a fairly large gentleman, I'm 6 feet but I'm 270 pounds.

I need to lose weight and fast (Not too fast) but I feel like I don't see results. I've changed my eating habits - No pop, no fast food and smaller portions... etc

I work out at the gym five times a week for about 2 hours, depending. I've been doing this for the past three months.

What I'm asking you is what can I do make sure that I see results because I don't see any. I do this religiously now but it's not working and it's getting frustrating. Can you suggest anything that could help me out?

ANSWER: Hi Joe,
First I'd like to congratulate you on making healthier decisions, even though you're not seeing the weight loss yet, by cutting out those junk foods and exercising, you're doing wonders for you health.

Simply exercising and eating better won't always lead to success, as there is a lot of science to all this (as one of my clients said to me).

Let me know exactly what a routine day looks like for you nutritionally, and what are you doing for exercise?

-Mark
www.fitnessxpressu.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sure,
I've actually become very strict in terms of my eating so I just eat three times a day normally around the time I get up in intervals of perhaps 4 - 5 hours apart. (If I wake up at 9am, my first meal would be around 10am and lunch would be around 2pm and dinner would be around 6pm).

If I do get hungry inbetween, I snack on a fruit that may be lying (It's hard) or I down a bottle of water.

I've divided up my plate into three parts. Normally salmon or chicken, and either rice, or some sort of pasta. I guess it's not that perfect... Sometimes I have to resort to some mac and cheese. Also, if it's a available, I'd put corn, or brocolli or both depending. And that pretty much it.

In terms of working out - I run the treadmill about 30 mins, then the cross trainer for the other 30 mins. When that's done, I move to the weights where I work specifically on my stomach. Sometimes crunches ( 3 sets of 10 reps) or I just use a machine (At 90 lbs also 3 set of 10) I do cardio everyday, but weights I do every other day.

Anyway, that's pretty much it. :)

- Joe

Answer
Hi again Joe,
Try to space meals out every 3 hrs as this will be more ideal for controlling blood sugar levels, which equates to fat loss.  Also, snacking on fruit is fine, just be sure to add a protein source to help slow down digestion of sugar from the fruit. Some nuts (walnuts, almonds) or a protein powder would fit the bill, or a plain fat free yogurt.
As for the meals, your division is pretty good, cept that you are including 2 starchy carbs (the rice and pasta), choose one or the other, or cut way back on the portion size if you must have both (and be sure it's brown rice and/or whole wheat or vegetable based pasta).

For your workouts, do weight training first, as doing the reverse can lead to muscle loss and a decreased metabolism. And don't just focus on the stomach, as that will do nothing for the fat loss from the stomach. You'll want an overall training program, targeting each major muscle group.

I would also advise on cutting down on cardio on your weight training days, and include some interval cardio (this will allow you to burn the same # of calories in a shorter amount of time).

I know this can seem overwhelming, but the good news is that putting into place at least one of my above directions above will start moving you in the right direction.

-Mark Shields

I would suggest checking out my site, and possibly signing up so you can get much further detailed info on an exact routine to follow, or even signing up with a qualified personal trainer in your area.
www.fitnessxpressu.com

best of luck :)

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