43 Year old looking for some help/info

**syliyn** · 07-10-2015, 02:09 PM

Was told by NACH3 to post this over here along with my TDEE.

I have some questions for anyone that can help. I am not sure I am in the right place.

I am 43 years old and in 2001 I was diagnosed as bi-polar, I was placed on several anti-depressants and gained 65 pounds in 3 months. I was put on trazodone in 2003 and over the years I gained another 20lbs or so. I seem to stay around 300lbs. Being 5'10" and at my age its getting tougher to do things. I am having back problems and I am in per-diabetes.

I have tried different diets with exercise over the years, my wife, daughter and I have been working out every other day with free weights for a month but I haven't lost any weight.

I am not sure what to do or where to get more information that may help me get some of this weight off.
I am not looking for a quick fix, just something that I might see some progress.

I think my TDEE is 2899.
I am not sure what all else to post. I have sort of given up on trying to be healthy, But my daughter is 12 and I would like to be around for her later in life, so any help would really be great.
NACH3 also said to get a hormone panel, is that something I ask from my Doctor?

**Back In Black** · 07-10-2015, 02:15 PM

Yes you can get a hormone panel from your Dr but he will probably be advising you to lose weight regardless.

What does your current diet look like on a typical day?

How much cardio are you doing?

Do you pig out on a weekend? Drink? Smoke?

**syliyn** · 07-10-2015, 02:32 PM

thank you for your reply

I do not smoke at all and only drink every once in awhile, as in maybe a beer or two a month if that.
My diet is a wreck.
For dinners we are doing more chicken then anything else but I was placed on permanent disability back when I was diagnosed as bi-polar so I have all day sitting around so I end up snacking or over eating out of just being bored. So I end up eating white bread for sandwiches and cereal for breakfast.
I do try to walk in the mornings in my treadmill but I don't do that everyday. I seem to get off track easily.
I am going to stop taking the trazodone because of the weight gain and other side effects that it causes.
I know I have to make some serious life changes, I just feel discouraged.

**Back In Black** · 07-10-2015, 04:16 PM

Do your cardio, first and foremost and clean up the diet. You don't have to actually starve yourself but if you make the right food choices they can keep you full for a long time and drink plenty of water. Every time you want to snack have a glass of water.

There's no magic to the amount of times you should eat in a day but if you like to 'graze' then make it 5 or 6 meals evenly spread. You canto ably start off with a whopping 3000cals per day. Protein at every meal. You'll get away with eating a fair amount of carbs at that calorie count but you need to make the right food choices to aid in satiety.

Oats
Brown rice
Sweet potato
Wholewheat pasta
Baked potatoes wholemeal bread

Chicken breast
Salmon
Tuna
Tilapia
Turkey breast
5% fat ground beef
Pork fillet
Whole eggs

Cuciferous veggies (brocolli, cauliflower, sprouts)
Spinach

Avocado
Fish oil
Coconut oil
Olive oil

You need to form a habit with this, the more you do it the easier the habit is to form. Results help too, of course.

Download the myfitnesspal app and buy some digital kitchen scales. Shoot for 200-220g protein, 60-80 g fats and around 300g of carbs. Sounds high to most people but I'm taking into account your 300lbs and if you start high then calorie removal as you lose weight is less stressful.

**dubrovin1012** · 07-10-2015, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Back In Black

Do your cardio, first and foremost and clean up the diet. You don't have to actually starve yourself but if you make the right food choices they can keep you full for a long time and drink plenty of water. Every time you want to snack have a glass of water.

There's no magic to the amount of times you should eat in a day but if you like to 'graze' then make it 5 or 6 meals evenly spread. You canto ably start off with a whopping 3000cals per day. Protein at every meal. You'll get away with eating a fair amount of carbs at that calorie count but you need to make the right food choices to aid in satiety.

Oats
Brown rice
Sweet potato
Wholewheat pasta
Baked potatoes wholemeal bread

Chicken breast
Salmon
Tuna
Tilapia
Turkey breast
5% fat ground beef
Pork fillet
Whole eggs

Cuciferous veggies (brocolli, cauliflower, sprouts)
Spinach

Avocado
Fish oil
Coconut oil
Olive oil

You need to form a habit with this, the more you do it the easier the habit is to form. Results help too, of course.

Download the myfitnesspal app and buy some digital kitchen scales. Shoot for 200-220g protein, 60-80 g fats and around 300g of carbs. Sounds high to most people but I'm taking into account your 300lbs and if you start high then calorie removal as you lose weight is less stressful.

Why does he need to eat so many carbs if he's trying to lose weight?

Sent from my samsung phone

**Arete** · 07-10-2015, 05:45 PM

Another approach to loose weight, heal the brain and gut is ketosis. I utilized this and lost 70# of fat and also had the best blood work in 4 years of experimenting. It's a High Fat, moderate protein low carbohydrate (zero at first) approach. I can stress the importance of using healthy fats high in omega 3 and MCT like grass fed butter, coconut, avocado and some olive oil. Educate yourself and decide but it can reverse type 2 diabetes, certain cancers may stop growing and helps brain ailments such as depression, epileptic seizure, Alzheimer's and dementia. Type in ketosis and weight loss, bi polar or type 2 diabetes and read up.

**syliyn** · 07-10-2015, 06:47 PM

Thank you for the replies. I will look into the ketosis.

I was just discussing Back in Blacks response with my wife and she really appreciated it. It gives us somewhere to start. Thats one of the biggest problems when you are where we are. You get so far down that you don't even know where to begin.

**Arete** · 07-10-2015, 07:35 PM

Back and Black just posted this link in the forums in another post. It may not work since I may not know how to link to another post. Back in Black could you link it as you did in the other post if it doesnt work please.

[QUOTE=Back In Black;7077617]This is my favourite thread on the subject of keto for lifters

**Back In Black** · 07-11-2015, 12:59 AM

Originally Posted by dubrovin1012

Why does he need to eat so many carbs if he's trying to lose weight?

Sent from my samsung phone

The answer is in my post.

what would you do and why do you think carbs are the enemy?

**dubrovin1012** · 07-11-2015, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by Back In Black

The answer is in my post.

what would you do and why do you think carbs are the enemy?

Oh my bad. I guess you may be right but If I was him I would try to eat no more than 200 carbs and not to eat any before bed. Also maybe eat smaller meals instead of big meals.

Sent from my samsung phone

**CharlesThe4th** · 07-11-2015, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by dubrovin1012

Why does he need to eat so many carbs if he's trying to lose weight?

Sent from my samsung phone

He's 300 pounds.... 300 carbs is right where it needs to be

**Back In Black** · 07-11-2015, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by dubrovin1012

Oh my bad. I guess you may be right but If I was him I would try to eat no more than 200 carbs and not to eat any before bed. Also maybe eat smaller meals instead of big meals.

Sent from my samsung phone

Then you'd have super low calories or shed loads of protein, neither of which is healthy.

I split meals into how many I want (based on how much or how little food I am eating) and what time I have. Sometimes that's 3 sometimes 6 but there's no magic to eating a lot of meals in terms of metabolism but it can help curb cravings.

No carbs before bed is a bit of a fallacy too. There are ways of improving lipolysis by not eating carbs but at 300lbs the OP doesn't need those tricks. He needs to get into a healthy food choice habit.

**syliyn** · 07-15-2015, 05:36 PM

Thank you all for the responses. We went to pick up my daughter from track and field camp at Stanford and turned it into a mini vacation.
There is a lot of good information here.
We are looking at changes in our diet and working out more.
The Ketosis thing sounds interesting. I am going to look more into that.

**Arete** · 07-15-2015, 07:39 PM

Send me a pm and I can provide additional information on eating lower carb if that's what you choose. Ketogenic is the extreme version of low carbohydrate so you may want to transition into and as mentioned above understand what healthy foods are and how they effect you.

This is the link I was trying to attach before to a post on here. http://forums.steroid.com/diet-nutri...enic-diet.html

**tarmyg** · 07-15-2015, 10:29 PM

Listen to Back in Black. Trying to overcomplicate things in the beginning at your weight is exactly why you get discouraged and can not keep it up. One small change at a time and start by making different food choices. Decide to eat maybe 6 times/day and do not even count calories, just eat food that is generally considered healthy. Once you get that habit down add something else, maybe decide to count calories. More than one change at a time in your state will, IMHO, lead to failure. Slow and steady and realize it took you a while to get to where you are right now and the same will be true in the opposite direction.

**ab037** · 07-15-2015, 10:44 PM

Best thing you can do for yourself is to start tracking everything you consume. Plenty of phone apps that make it super convenient like myfitnesspal.. just plug in your goals and it sets your calories for the day, knowing what you consume is a huge piece of info that helps. gl

**dubrovin1012** · 07-16-2015, 07:07 AM

Just have a lipo bro.

Sent from my samsung phone

**syliyn** · 07-18-2015, 12:32 AM

I'm back to using Myfittnesspal today, Going back to tracking everything. I just need to make better choices on what im eating.

**GirlyGymRat** · 07-18-2015, 06:14 AM

First you must decide if your heath is important. Do you want to live healthier?

I have to agree with Back in Black and Nach.
Healthy food choices is the best start and being aware of the amount. You don't need surgery now.

Identify a meal strategy and then implement.

Design a training schedule and then implement.

Drink plenty of water. Often thirst is confused as hunger.

**ab037** · 07-18-2015, 08:07 AM

All the advice looks good, I am biased towards Keto myself. It has worked wonders for me. At your weight you would drop so fast. No matter which diet plan you choose just stick with it and try and keep any cheating to a minimum. Only get out what you put in, in effort.

**Arete** · 07-18-2015, 11:57 AM

Great info from the knowledgable people here. The main reason that I suggest the keto reason for you in particular is not just the weight loss body composition goals we all can have which the diet has so much todo with. It's because of the drugs you are in and the ailments you have regarding brain clarity. Type in bi polar or depression and ketosis and read up for yourself. Eating clean as most of these guys will greatly improve everything as well but in addition lets get you off some of those drugs so your body can be healthy on the inside as well.