40 yrs old and..

[mustgo69]

Love to jog (3-4 miles) 2-4 times a week. Slowly gaining weight and hating it. I know, diet and cardio will do it. I would love to cheat, Clen , T3, anything..

I work shift work, try to eat good (don't), have four boys who mom buys nothing really to help me in my goal.

My will power is okay if I was to start dropping weight 1st to get my mind right. Is this too much to ask? I am hoping to drop 20-25 pounds for a goal of 195-200lbs. within a couple of months or so.

I really want to keep a healthy lifestyle, getting older is making it just a little harder though.

Any help would be great, just don't beat me up too much.

[bigdug]

Welcome mustang069, I understand your frustration, as we get older our bodies change and as a part of that change we need to change how we approach exercise and training. Your post is somewhat vague, are you a weight lifter as well as a runner or just a runner? Are you looking at weight lifting? Are you looking at some sort of testosterone replacement therapy or q cycle. If you are not a weight lifter of many years experience then I would not recommend a cycle...I would recommend that you see a Dr. and get some blood work done. It just might be that you qualify for TRT. To answer one of your questions, gear will not help you loose weight. If anything, you willmost likely gain weight on a program/cycle. It sounds like you just need to crack down,clean up your diet and use your willpower to stick with it. TRT sounds like it would be good for you to keep your hormon levels balanced and bring up your testosterone levels . Do some reading and get yourself well informed on the topic so you can have a good,productive conversation with your Dr. Stick around here and post some specific questions, there are lots of people here willing to help you. Read through the posts on this site, it may be that many of your questions will already be answered. Keep us posted and good luck.

[mustgo69]

Thanks for the reply, I am by no means an "athlete", I enjoy jogging to try to keep it off. I used to use a treadmill like a maniac and try to keep a limited (maybe not the smartest) diet to shed weight and it worked. Now I jog outside - just not with the same insane pace. I need the help that supplements/drugs can offer, being older doesn't help.
I am not a hardcore dude, just wanting to shed 20-25 pounds in order not too look so pathetic! I am the normal dad, shift worker that doesn't have the best direction on how to stay fit. I have worked out for yrs, just never dialed it in. HELP!

[SlimmerMe]

Hi! here's an idea and I am serious: there is a challenge coming up in January. This challenge is for anyone who wants to join in. YOU will get a personal trainer who will guide YOU thru PM's. The goal is: who is most improved over the course of 12 weeks. Either with weight loss or gains. I bet you could really get a kick start with this. A moderator,when the time comes, will line you up with your trainer. It is the first ever like this here on this site! Please look at this link and announce you want to enter. That is ALL you have to do. I would love to see your name in the list!

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...tion-Challange

[mustgo69]

Wow, not so sure about all that. Not being snobby, its just that there are alot of very fit people on the board and I am just an older person wanting to lose 25ish pounds through some good advice!

[SlimmerMe]

^^^ the whole point is to improve. And to tell you the truth the challenge will be hard for the "fit" members too. Your before and after phots of losing 25 pounds could really make an impact and show a difference in photos. Plus, just participating would more than likely guarantee that you would lose the 25 pounds which would be worth it, would it not?

[ostermann]

Man, it's all about diet (nutrition) and training yourself to eat healthy. You need to be eating several--like six--times a day. Small meals. Breakfast should be your biggest and most important meal--eggs, oatmeal etc. Then cut back on each meal, eating the least at dinner in the evening. Eat lots of protein and you can consume quite a bit of fat. Carbs are your enemy. You can't lose weight without a drastic cut in carbohydrates ( breads, desserts, pastas, pizza, etc.) Go extremely low carb for a few days, then have a high carb day to trick your body out of going into a starvation mode. If you drink soft drinks cut them out totally. They are one of the worst things you can consume. Beer is better for you than coke, for example. You don't need to go hungry. Eat when you are hungry, but eat the right stuff--protein in the form of things like low fat meats, yogurt, cheese, protein shakes, fruit, salads, etc. Then once a week have a splurge meal where you indulge in your favorite not-so-healthy food, to keep you from abandoning your new way of eating. This can not be a diet that you go on for a few weeks then off, like many people do, only to gain back all the weight they lost and then some. It will need to be a life long change of eating habits. Once you train yourself to eat healthy, it becomes natural and you will find you don't even care to have those carb-ridden, sweet, greasy fattening foods any longer. You see them for what they are and the damage they do to your body. I know. It worked for me.

[lifeforce0019]

Wow, not so sure about all that. Not being snobby, its just that there are alot of very fit people on the board and I am just an older person wanting to lose 25ish pounds through some good advice!

Hi mustgo69. Lifetime weight management requires a mix of aerobic and strength training. You need to do strength training to increase your resting metabolic rate. I recommend that you make it a family affair and get your boys in on the fun! You need to do full body strength training a minimum of two times per week along with your aerobic work. You also need to determine your resting metabolic rate (rmr) using indirect calorimetry. Find a local gym / nutritionist / doctor that has a bodygem device to determine your rmr. This is how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight at rest. Then you can determine your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) based on your daily activity level. Then to lose 1 pound per week subract 500 calories per day from your TDEE and in 4 to 6 months you will lose that pesky 25 pounds! If you lose the weight too fast by a crash diet your body will rebound and when you fall off the wagon you will gain back more than the 25 pounds as your body tries to protect itself from starvation. We are not that many generations removed from being cavemen and our genetics try to hoard fat to protect from starvation.

To help jumpstart the fat buring process in addition to the strength training you need to do aerobic work four times a week for one hour each at a heart rate in the fat burning zone ~ 130 - 140 beats per minute at your age.

Finally, next time you go for your annual physical ask the doctor to check your testosterone levels to see if they have fallen below the "normal" range.

Sorry for the long post but I hope it helps.

I was in your boat when I turned 40 and this is what worked for me! Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. It can be done and many on this site have succeeded!

[lifeforce0019]

Man, it's all about diet (nutrition) and training yourself to eat healthy. You need to be eating several--like six--times a day. Small meals. Breakfast should be your biggest and most important meal--eggs, oatmeal etc. Then cut back on each meal, eating the least at dinner in the evening. Eat lots of protein and you can consume quite a bit of fat. Carbs are your enemy. You can't lose weight without a drastic cut in carbohydrates ( breads, desserts, pastas, pizza, etc.) Go extremely low carb for a few days, then have a high carb day to trick your body out of going into a starvation mode. If you drink soft drinks cut them out totally. They are one of the worst things you can consume. Beer is better for you than coke, for example. You don't need to go hungry. Eat when you are hungry, but eat the right stuff--protein in the form of things like low fat meats, yogurt, cheese, protein shakes, fruit, salads, etc. Then once a week have a splurge meal where you indulge in your favorite not-so-healthy food, to keep you from abandoning your new way of eating. This can not be a diet that you go on for a few weeks then off, like many people do, only to gain back all the weight they lost and then some. It will need to be a life long change of eating habits. Once you train yourself to eat healthy, it becomes natural and you will find you don't even care to have those carb-ridden, sweet, greasy fattening foods any longer. You see them for what they are and the damage they do to your body. I know. It worked for me.

Well said Ostermann! Good post!

[zaggahamma]

you know what to do...SHUT UP AND DO IT

[bass]

you know what to do...SHUT UP AND DO IT

haha, i heard that before!


Mustgo69,

I’ll give anything to be 40 again. Dude, if i can do it, most certainly you can. you are not going to lose 25 pounds in two months! that’s 3.125 pounds per week!!! maximum you want to lose is 2 pounds a week, but at your age i would set my goal to 1 pound a week if you want to keep it off. it took me almost 2 years to lose 50 pounds working my ass off every day and eating right, but i started at 49, you have 9 years on me in terms of youth, so you will do much better. cardio and diet is the healthy way, and it can be done easily. good luck...and welcome to the forum!

[turk1968]

At our age (im 49) calorie intake is the most important aspect as we have much slower metabolisms . I would suggest you log everything you eat for a week then try to work out your average calories per day. I know its a chore to do but you can work your ass of in the gym but just by incorrect eating can ruin everything. Good eating is just a habit you get into. I started training at 15 stopped at 30 after serious injury then started back at 40 . my wife i met at 33 , three years after packing up training so when i started back she didnt quite know what to expect. The whole clean eating thing she wasnt sure about but as time went on and my physique changed she got right behind me and started training herself . I have two young girls so know the " temptations in the cupboard" but as a result the whole family now eats healthy ,bike rides and swims together. you know it makes sense !

Ps the diet forum is fantastic for info and help ,just by reading you can learn so much .

Best wishes my friend from someone looking forward to being 50 years old next year and getting in my best shape ever

[mustgo69]

Thanks to everyone for the help, turk I really liked your response without being told to shut up. We get older (40+), have kids (4) and work (rotating 12's) days and nights. So for some it not always easy to find the time to fit things in. I know with the great info this place gives, it will be possible.

Thanks for the encouragment!

[DeniZen]

[QUOTE=mustgo69;5438517]
I work shift work, try to eat good (don't), have four boys who mom buys nothing really to help me in my goal.

QUOTE]
IMO its really imporant that your wife is on board. My ex-wife was a stay-at-home mom and did all the shopping and cooking. She was old school and cooked lots of large portioned, high calories meals. When I started working out regularly, I had to hammer on her for six months to get our family nutrition under control. She kinda took it as an insult. Pain in the ass. Anways clean out the fridge and pantry and get after it!

[turk1968]

Its all about organisation thats all and after a while it becomes habit. I run my own company spend alot of time in my car ,on building sites or in my office. The only meal i eat at home apart from weekends is my evening meal. I pack all my food in a cool box for the whole day even drinks and just take it with me whether i go . I am sure if you sat down and looked at things you could come up with a diet which wouldnt be perfect ( dont believe any of us part time bbs are) but would be pretty near the mark. Start with breakfast and last meal before bed . Thats two easy ones to sort out of the six recommended meals. Dont forget whether bulking or cutting weight you still need to eat regularly .all that should change is the amounts as such .

[GirlyGymRat]

Diet and cardio. Your wife needs to be on board or u need to cook for yourself. It is dedication. Jump onto the diet forum, post ur stats height weight bf% and age. The pros there will help ya out with a plan and the exercise forum for workout advice. We are all rooting for you!

[mustgo69]

Thanks to all.

[JohnnyVegas]

I agree on the "support from the wife" issue. I am 42 and can't eat the amount of calories I used to...it totally bums me out. So, I make sure I do my dieting at the store, not at home. By that, I mean that I simply can't buy stuff that I know I shouldn't eat. It is easier to have good willpower for 45 minutes at the store than to have good willpower for two weeks at home.