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Program advice

new and just needing advice

ccarp
ccarp g Chris Carpenter
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: August 8, 2016
Posted

Hello, I’m new here and like most just looking for some advice on how to change my body.  My short story is 13 years ago I was 300lbs and lost over 110lbs.  I have pretty much maintained that lost  within 20lbs throughout the years.  I have never been athletic and therefore was left with a soft, flabby body.  2 years ago I decided to get into weight lifting because cardio had always been my main source of exercise.  I have collected a nice gym set up at home and have been doing a push pull legs program for the past two years and have had some minimal gains and actually have a little muscle now when flexed.  Progress has been slow because weight lifting is hard on a 42 year old un-athletic body, but i’m learning as I go.

In clothes I look very thin and get a lot of comments about being a “health nut”, “look thin/skinny” etc… but they don’t know what hides underneath (pics below).  At the beach I rarely take a shirt off.  Dad-bod, skinny-fat, whatever you want to call it, lurks underneath.

I have been a long time follower of Scott and have always found his videos helpful so I decided why not give his program a try, so here I am.  I am going to start Scott’s Home Program for Fat Loss for my weight lifting routine unless you think something else is more helpful.

I will post my stats below along with current pictures.  Any advice would be much appreciated on what I can do to help me get to my goals; which would be the lean, muscular look.

Weight: 197  Height: 6’1”  Body Fat: 22% according to my scale and hand held monitor  

Age: 42

BMR at rest: 1934

BMR in motion: 2321

BMR average: 2127

Calorie Goal: 1800 for fat loss

Macros

Protein 180g

Fat 53g

Carbs 150g

 

I have created a meal plan according to these macros.

 

Thanks in advance for the advice!  Chris

 

 
jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: ccarp

Hello, I’m new here and like most just looking for some advice on how to change my body.  My short story is 13 years ago I was 300lbs and lost over 110lbs.  I have pretty much maintained that lost  within 20lbs throughout the years.  I have never been athletic and therefore was left with a soft, flabby body.  2 years ago I decided to get into weight lifting because cardio had always been my main source of exercise.  I have collected a nice gym set up at home and have been doing a push pull legs program for the past two years and have had some minimal gains and actually have a little muscle now when flexed.  Progress has been slow because weight lifting is hard on a 42 year old un-athletic body, but i’m learning as I go.

In clothes I look very thin and get a lot of comments about being a “health nut”, “look thin/skinny” etc… but they don’t know what hides underneath (pics below).  At the beach I rarely take a shirt off.  Dad-bod, skinny-fat, whatever you want to call it, lurks underneath.

I have been a long time follower of Scott and have always found his videos helpful so I decided why not give his program a try, so here I am.  I am going to start Scott’s Home Program for Fat Loss for my weight lifting routine unless you think something else is more helpful.

I will post my stats below along with current pictures.  Any advice would be much appreciated on what I can do to help me get to my goals; which would be the lean, muscular look.

Weight: 197  Height: 6’1”  Body Fat: 22% according to my scale and hand held monitor  

Age: 42

BMR at rest: 1934

BMR in motion: 2321

BMR average: 2127

Calorie Goal: 1800 for fat loss

Macros

Protein 180g

Fat 53g

Carbs 150g

 

I have created a meal plan according to these macros.

 

Thanks in advance for the advice!  Chris

 

 

Chris,

 

First off, congrats on the massive transformation! I am sure it was not easy to do but your health and self-confidence will be the beneficiaries of the weight loss.

 

Your meal plan and calculations look fine. They key is persistence and patience - it didn't take a short time to get to 300 pounds and it thus took equally long to get down to where you are. Body transformations are also a long journey. Your body will tone up over time just keep doing what you are doing. At 42, it is hard to determine how much of the loose skin will also tighten up. There may be some areas, especially around the belly-button and obliques, that may never be back to pre-300Lb weight tension. However, there is no reason to be discouraged and there is still more subcutaneous fat to be lost which will tighten up your skin. The good news is you got rid of the more deadly visceral fat around your organs that is the stuff that will kill you.

 

My advice is to keep doing what you are doing. Add in some cardio as well (if you aren't already) but always favor weight lifting over cardio if you have to make a choice. Muscle tissue is active tissue and the more of it you have the higher your BMR is 24/7. This means you burn more calories - even at rest - and it is easier to stay lean and healthy. Cardio is a nice addition to weight training but cardio in-and-of itself does not build muscle which is why it is not the best thing to do for permanent weight loss. Cardio plus strength training has been scientifically proven to be the best method followed by weight training by itself.

 

I am probably stating the obvious but it also should be evident that you must eat a wholesome nutritious diet and permanently stay away from all the foods and beverages that got you to 300 pounds :-)

 

 

John

 

 

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: ccarp

Hello, I’m new here and like most just looking for some advice on how to change my body.  My short story is 13 years ago I was 300lbs and lost over 110lbs.  I have pretty much maintained that lost  within 20lbs throughout the years.  I have never been athletic and therefore was left with a soft, flabby body.  2 years ago I decided to get into weight lifting because cardio had always been my main source of exercise.  I have collected a nice gym set up at home and have been doing a push pull legs program for the past two years and have had some minimal gains and actually have a little muscle now when flexed.  Progress has been slow because weight lifting is hard on a 42 year old un-athletic body, but i’m learning as I go.

In clothes I look very thin and get a lot of comments about being a “health nut”, “look thin/skinny” etc… but they don’t know what hides underneath (pics below).  At the beach I rarely take a shirt off.  Dad-bod, skinny-fat, whatever you want to call it, lurks underneath.

I have been a long time follower of Scott and have always found his videos helpful so I decided why not give his program a try, so here I am.  I am going to start Scott’s Home Program for Fat Loss for my weight lifting routine unless you think something else is more helpful.

I will post my stats below along with current pictures.  Any advice would be much appreciated on what I can do to help me get to my goals; which would be the lean, muscular look.

Weight: 197  Height: 6’1”  Body Fat: 22% according to my scale and hand held monitor  

Age: 42

BMR at rest: 1934

BMR in motion: 2321

BMR average: 2127

Calorie Goal: 1800 for fat loss

Macros

Protein 180g

Fat 53g

Carbs 150g

 

I have created a meal plan according to these macros.

 

Thanks in advance for the advice!  Chris

 

 

I'll join John in congratulating you @ccarp!! Losing 110lbs is an awesome effort, so proud of you!!

 

I think the home program is a great choice. If you're still at around 22% bodyfat, then it would be a good idea to try to cut that down a bit more so that you are at least in the teens. The home program will help you do that, however, if you do have access to a gym (or have been thinking about getting a membership), the PPL program wouldn't be a bad choice either.

 

If you feel like you have that 'skinny fat' look, the PPL will keep you going with a more effective muscle building program compared to the home program. So it will help you work past that skinny fat area, and as long as you do the circutis in the program, maybe add in 1-2 extra days of HIIT cardio, and keep your diet in check, then you'll still be dropping fat on that program too. So that's something to think about.

 

Your macros look OK, although for a guy over 6 foot tall, I would say 1800 might almost be too low. I know age plays a factor, but even with light exercise 1-3 days a week I have your BMR in motion at 2600 calories with the calculator on the @mealplan page. This could increase if you went with the PPL, meaning you could probably afford more like 2200-2500 calories while still being in a deficit. It's all a matter of trial and error.

 

If I were you, I would start at around 2300 calories minimum if you're doing the home program, and more like 2500 if you go for the PPL, and then see what kind of results you get from there. Keep your carbs the same, but increase protein and fats to add some more calories. So your new macros might be...

 

Protein: 250g (1000 Calories)

Carbs: 150g (600 Calories)

Fat: 80g (720 Calories)

 

Total Calories = 2320

 

What do you think? Let me know!

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
ccarp
ccarp g Chris Carpenter
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: August 8, 2016
Posted
Posted By: jmboiardi

Chris,

 

First off, congrats on the massive transformation! I am sure it was not easy to do but your health and self-confidence will be the beneficiaries of the weight loss.

 

Your meal plan and calculations look fine. They key is persistence and patience - it didn't take a short time to get to 300 pounds and it thus took equally long to get down to where you are. Body transformations are also a long journey. Your body will tone up over time just keep doing what you are doing. At 42, it is hard to determine how much of the loose skin will also tighten up. There may be some areas, especially around the belly-button and obliques, that may never be back to pre-300Lb weight tension. However, there is no reason to be discouraged and there is still more subcutaneous fat to be lost which will tighten up your skin. The good news is you got rid of the more deadly visceral fat around your organs that is the stuff that will kill you.

 

My advice is to keep doing what you are doing. Add in some cardio as well (if you aren't already) but always favor weight lifting over cardio if you have to make a choice. Muscle tissue is active tissue and the more of it you have the higher your BMR is 24/7. This means you burn more calories - even at rest - and it is easier to stay lean and healthy. Cardio is a nice addition to weight training but cardio in-and-of itself does not build muscle which is why it is not the best thing to do for permanent weight loss. Cardio plus strength training has been scientifically proven to be the best method followed by weight training by itself.

 

I am probably stating the obvious but it also should be evident that you must eat a wholesome nutritious diet and permanently stay away from all the foods and beverages that got you to 300 pounds :-)

 

 

John

 

 

John - thanks man!  its a daily struggle but yes I have to avoid a lot of food and beverages because once you have been that overweight the body just wants to get back there, so fat gain is very easy for me!  Chris

ccarp
ccarp g Chris Carpenter
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: August 8, 2016
Posted
Posted By: Scott_Herman

I'll join John in congratulating you @ccarp!! Losing 110lbs is an awesome effort, so proud of you!!

 

I think the home program is a great choice. If you're still at around 22% bodyfat, then it would be a good idea to try to cut that down a bit more so that you are at least in the teens. The home program will help you do that, however, if you do have access to a gym (or have been thinking about getting a membership), the PPL program wouldn't be a bad choice either.

 

If you feel like you have that 'skinny fat' look, the PPL will keep you going with a more effective muscle building program compared to the home program. So it will help you work past that skinny fat area, and as long as you do the circutis in the program, maybe add in 1-2 extra days of HIIT cardio, and keep your diet in check, then you'll still be dropping fat on that program too. So that's something to think about.

 

Your macros look OK, although for a guy over 6 foot tall, I would say 1800 might almost be too low. I know age plays a factor, but even with light exercise 1-3 days a week I have your BMR in motion at 2600 calories with the calculator on the @mealplan page. This could increase if you went with the PPL, meaning you could probably afford more like 2200-2500 calories while still being in a deficit. It's all a matter of trial and error.

 

If I were you, I would start at around 2300 calories minimum if you're doing the home program, and more like 2500 if you go for the PPL, and then see what kind of results you get from there. Keep your carbs the same, but increase protein and fats to add some more calories. So your new macros might be...

 

Protein: 250g (1000 Calories)

Carbs: 150g (600 Calories)

Fat: 80g (720 Calories)

 

Total Calories = 2320

 

What do you think? Let me know!

Scott - thanks so much!  I will give it a try, I am really scared of those calories because I gain fat so easily but I see it is very high in protein so I will give it ago especially with the increased activity.

 

I did the Upper Body 1 work out last night on the Home Fat Loss Program and really enjoyed it.  I have not had a pump like that in a long time.  Do you think there would by anything wrong with incorporating this into my PPL program as well and running them side by side and just so I can keep my bench and squat strength up?

 

Thanks again for your advice, much appreciated!  Chris

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: ccarp

Scott - thanks so much!  I will give it a try, I am really scared of those calories because I gain fat so easily but I see it is very high in protein so I will give it ago especially with the increased activity.

 

I did the Upper Body 1 work out last night on the Home Fat Loss Program and really enjoyed it.  I have not had a pump like that in a long time.  Do you think there would by anything wrong with incorporating this into my PPL program as well and running them side by side and just so I can keep my bench and squat strength up?

 

Thanks again for your advice, much appreciated!  Chris

I know what you mean about the calories being scary going up from what you normally have, but as long as you keep an eye on the scale and how you look and feel in the mirror, you can quickly make changes if you need to. Give it a week or two on those calories and see how you go.

 

If you feel like you have the energy you can totally run some of the workouts from the home program with the PPL program, they will just act as a bit of an extra calorie burn, which in your case trying to lose some fat isn't bad at all!

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
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