6ft 285 lbs/asthma...where to start?

[stifled]

Eating at McD's is pretty much out of the question if you're trying to lose weight.

Complex carbohydrates are things like pasta and bread. They are just carbohydrates that take your digestive system a long time to break down, which as a result give you energy over a long period of time instead of the burst of energy simple carbohydrates like sugar give you.

[spartan09]

Anywhere in America you can find enough fruits and vegetables year round to eat healthily. Even most fast food joints sell salads nowadays. Packing your own lunch or snack and drinking water is also an effective way to lose weight and save money.

On strength training, bear in mind that your muscle strength will increase a lot faster than your flexibility, your tendons' strength and your ligaments' strength. Especially if you are starting from a point of untrained/detrained, you need to make sure that you anatomically adapt to strength training and do not engage in meathead activity which blows our your joints or tears something you do not want torn.

[Heartbreaker]

Here's a great resource for getting started - http://www.liamrosen.com/fitness.html
Diet is far more important than exercise for weight loss. Your best bet is to use an online calorie counter to ensure you are eating a calorie deficit, but it's a bit of a pain. As far as exercise goes if you are serious you need a set routine, a preferably not one of your own creation, as many experienced people have put together ones that work well. IIRC that link advocates the Starting Strength program which would require a gym, but there are decent dumbell only splits that you could use with your adjustables, check out sites like bodybuilding.com for a dumbell only routine.

[Mjolnir]

There's some good info here. I'd recommend subcribing to Men's Health magazine, too. Essentially, immerse yourself into fitness and health.

Drop ALL fast foods. Period. Drop ALL refined sugars and refined flour.

I'd highly recommend something like Pilates to improve your flexibility. As you age flexibility goes first and the way you're built your flexibility is probably not your strong suit. Not an insult - I wish I were built more like you (and kept much of my endurance and quickness) as I would have played pro football.

1. Flexibility
2. Cardio
3. Strength

is the combination I'd recommend.

The other awesome advice is drink a gallon of water of day (and when you're able to work out regularly whatever your weight is in lbs consume that much water in ounces.

[Hmac]

Diet is far more important than exercise for weight loss. Your best bet is to use an online calorie counter to ensure you are eating a calorie deficit, but it's a bit of a pain.

This is true. You are far more able to sustain a calorie deficit by not taking them in than by burning them. The problem is...does that represent a diet, or a lifestyle? No doubt you can lose the weight by calorie counting, but what happens after you lose it? If you go back to eating the way you were (old lifestyle), you'll gain it all back and likely more. Likewise, can you sustain a calorie-burning lifestyle? Hit the gym 3-5 days a week for the rest of your life? If not, you'll gain the weight back even faster.

Sadly, diet and exercise programs as a means of sustaining a healthy weight range rarely work unless you can be part of that 2% of the population that can manage that lifestyle epiphany.

As to eating "healthy", it's not about what you eat, it's how much you eat. There's nothing wrong with a hamburger and fries from McDonalds. The problem is with three hamburgers from McDonald's along with the super-sized fries.

[Mr. Goodtimes]

Mr. Goodtimes:
No offense taken, I actually got a good laugh out of that. It's funny what you can talk yourself into thinking is healthy. The workout stuff is much appreciated; something I can use as a guide. What constitutes complex carbs? I don't really like sweet stuff for breakfast (was choking down the muffins 'cause I thought they were better than a sausage/egg/cheese buscuit, but maybe not) What about an egg mc muffin instead?

Glad you got a good laugh bro

I would avoid McDonalds like the plague. If you want an egg anc cheese mufin, make it your self. Everything down there is cooked in butter and grease and generally is low quality food.

Also, don't just cut calories right away, taper them down over a couple of weeks to let your body adjust and then once your ready to start lifting hard and packing on muscle (call it a clean bulk) taper them back up. This way your dont gain a bunch of fat. If you cut calories too fast, your body will store more fat (even though you cut calories)... make sense?

Also, (judging by your pictures) your a huge dude (big frame) so, your not going to ever look like one of those skinny little faggots in an A&F poster. But thats a good thing. Truth be told, I dont want to look like one of them, ever. Id rather eat more and squat more than have some beach muscle.

I think I listed examples of complex carbs in my original post but just in case... Complex carbs are:

-Whole grain pasta
-Potatoes, especially swee potatoes (these are more of a starch)
-Oats


Eat lots of veggies and fruit as well. Fruit is awesome before a work out. I've found bananas are great after as well.

[theblackknight]

Dude, your built like a bear. DO BEAR STUFF.

Lift old truck rear ends in your backyard and stuff. Not everybody is built to run triathalons

[Iraqgunz]

I have some friends that tried this and they now highly recommend it. As soon as I get settled in my next location I will be doing it as well.

https://www.visalussciences.com/bbvi...894b&id=449840

Most of them have chosen package #2. The results have been very inspiring.

[Magsz]

Dude, your built like a bear. DO BEAR STUFF.

Lift old truck rear ends in your backyard and stuff. Not everybody is built to run triathalons

Rofl.

Thats an awesome post! I love it.

Cutting calories will work in the short term but it is not sustainable, not at all. I went from being a 300+ pound sack of fat shit to 195. I still have alot of fat on me that i want to lose but i know over time i will lose it.

Ive learned alot over the past ten years of fighting with my weight.

1. Cutting calories as mentioned prior is not sustainable in the long run. Your body will crave food. You will become weak and you will eventually strip your body of muscle mass if you're trying to sustain yourself on 1500 calories a day for the rest of your life.
2. You've got to eat to grow. The key is to eat good quality foods that will support muscle growth and work with your body to be metabolized correctly.
3. Cardio is over rated as a method to lose fat. You can control your weight and fat loss strictly with diet depending on how dedicated you are. Cardio enlarges your calorific deficit and gives you more leeway if you do not have a perfect diet. The best forms of cardio for fat loss are walking, swimming and other low impact exercises UNLESS you're looking to condition yourself.
4. Machines dont work themselves. Weights also do not lift themselves. You need to find a sustainable program for yourself that you can continue for the rest of your life without driving yourself insane. Variety is the space of life. See if you can incorporate some form of lifting or strenuous exercise into your daily lifestyle. Install a pullup bar into a secure doorway (you're huge, you might pull the house down) and go to town whenever the hell you're feeling spunky.
5. Eat a shit ton of protein. Its filling, its satisfying, it helps support muscle growth and recovery. Make sure its good quality lean proteins, not skirt steak every day.

There's a lot more to this but the bottom line is that you need to find what works for you. There are general rules that you can stick to but by and large everyone leads a different lifestyle and one persons program that works wonders for them may not work for you.

For example, there are tons of guys out there in fantastic shape that run three times a week. I dont have time for that, nor can my weak, boy like ankles support that kind of punishment. Instead, i make it a point to walk the dog three times a day for at least 10-15 minutes per walk.

Also, dont over do it. Its very easy to get addicted to exercise once you see results but that can be a detriment believe it or not. The first time i lost 120 pounds i ended up looking like a fat Ethiopian...dont ask, it was hideous.

You have a great frame to build on, you're a huge dude and alot of small, little guys around the world are envious of the natural skeletal mass that you have. Work with it, decide what you want and GET STRONG.(er)

[300WM]

Complex carbohydrates are unrefined sugars that naturally occur in foods before processing. Table sugar contains simple carbohydrates where as an apple contains complex. Search the web (if you have not already) for a list of foods high in complex carbs. These foods greatly contribute to good digestive health which is a major factor in over all good health. Also, google a glycymic index. Even if not a diabetic, low glycemic foods can help you lose weight (as long as you are not adding butter, sugar, or other empty calories) and they will satisfy your hunger.