i need a makeover......need good help/plans.

[jimismynamehi]

as you can see in my pic, i'm in sad shape.

i'm 6-3, 225lbs, 30yrs old. (with very high bf i'd say)

anyway, i'm ready for a change. maybe you guys can all agree on a definite plan/weight lift schedule for me.

i can devote 2 hours total per day, for gym and cardio.

i'd like to look like a new guy in 5 months from now.

is this possible? to lose the belly, and get some muscle, in the alloted 5 months?

i'm planning on protein shakes, tuna sandwitches, pasta, chicken, fish, and other good clean food.

i used to bike 20 miles a day (10years ago) and will start doing that pronto. gonna try some light running/jogging also to help burn the fat.

i mostly wanna concentrate on losing the belly, and gaining upper body muscles. i'm not gonna go nuts working the legs yet.

can you all agree on high reps or low reps? how many sets? etc.

lastly, i'd like to go all natural, if possible.

please please help

and thank you very much for the tips..

[THE BIG RED MACHINE]

Can’t tell if you’ve got a chest or not under all of that hair. Just bugging Jim. Cardio is definitely a good place to start if weight loss is mostly what you’re looking for, but remember that weight is going to come off all over your body. I wouldn’t rule weight lifting out for the moment and legwork is key to building muscle throughout your body, not just your legs. Ruling that out would definitely be a mistake. Start with some light movements with the weight routine, but nothing fancy just yet. Incorporate both high and low repetitions into your routine, both will be a benefit to you. Years ago, the rule was high reps for weigh loss, and low reps for strength. That advice just doesn’t fly anymore, so let your developing experience be your guide and just stick with basic movements, working your cardio in at the end of your w/o. Your body will tell you when it’s time for a change. There is no real hard and fast rule about the order of your routine. It’s usually known that if you do your weight routine first, then you will continue to burn calories throughout the rest of the w/o. If you do your cardio first, then you are thoroughly warmed up for your weight routine, but then your energy levels suffer. It’s really up to you. You really never mentioned how your diet is now so I’ll give you the basics. Try to get in 5-6 equal meals per day. That’s snacks and shakes included. This regulates your body’s insulin levels and prevents the seesaw effect. Try to keep your protein fairly high (About 1-1.2g per pound of body weight). Some will say to go higher, but with the level of activity you are doing this amount should me more than sufficient. Carb’s are also a big priority, but careful not to load up on them. That’s how your stomach got out of control in the first place. The only times that you should keep your carbohydrates higher than normal should be first meal of the day (after fasting overnight) and post workout meal (your glycerin storage will need to be replenished). Keep your fats low, but don’t cut them all together. Omega 3’s and 6’s are essential fatty acids and should not be avoided, and will actually aid you in your quest. These can be found in a lot of nuts, and some fish. Get yourself a calorie guide at your local bookstore. It will help you keep track of the amount of carbs/fat/protein/calories in the foods that your eating, and will help you plan meals. Keep track of your progress and make modifications where necessary. You are going to have to relearn your body, and how it responds to certain types of training and foods. So be patient.

That’s pretty basic, if anyone else has something to add that I may have forgotten, or a different opinion, by all means…

That’s one thing that you’re going to learn on this board Jim. One of your first questions was “I'm ready for a change. Maybe you guys can all agree on a definite plan/weight lift schedule for me”. You’ll learn as time goes on that most people have different ways of doing things here, and agreeing on the rules of the game isn’t one of them. Each has their benefit, so it’s going to be a judgment call in your case to follow which advice is given. They are all going to have certain aspects in common, so paying attention to those would be a first step.

Good Luck

[bex]

First of all i would shave that chest...If i was you i would do high rep work 5 times a week and clean up the diet .....

[jimismynamehi]

ok guys, thanks for the sound advice. eating junk food late at night was my devil. as well as sometimes 15 beers before bed.

i'm changing all that though. i really like pasta and rice, but now i'm getting told its no good in quantity, so i'm cutting back on that.

it will be clean food, and no alcohol, from here out.

i never realized how hair my chest is. that needs to be addressed as well.

weight loss isn't my goal though.

i'd like to lose the belly, while adding as much muscle weight as possible. hopefully a drastic change in a 5 month period.

i was thinking, the 2 hours i gave myself, wont be enough, as the bikriding may be an hour andf a half in itself.

i'd like to commit another 1-2 hours in the gym, working out, building up muscle.

so again, thanks for all the advice so far, and the enlightenment of how crazy/messy my chest does look.

thanks and have a great day..

[Pete235]

BRM gives some solid advice bother. Here are a few more suggestions re: diet. First of all, if I were in your shoes my goal would be "fat" loss not "wieght" loss. Muscle (lean body mass) will help keep your body's metabolism faster and will aid in burning fat even at rest. So, by all means, if possible add a good solid wieght program into your regime. If you have limited experience with lifting, start out slow with a structured circuit 3-4 times per week. When you are comfortable with the movements we can help design a more detailed program (if you wish). At your wieght I would aim for 2000-2500 calories per day, at a ratio of 50% carbs (low GI), 30% protein and 20% fat......divided into 6 evenly spaced meals of approx. equal portions.
Each meal: 250-315g carbs, 150-190g protein, 45-55g fat (1g carb=4cals, 1g pro=4cals, 1g fat=9cals)

Some suggestions:
Protein: chicken, turkey, white fish, tuna, shell fish, egg whites, lean beef (stay away from ground beef), some unsalted nuts, a little "low fat" dairy and a good whey protein
Carbohydrates: brown rice, wheat pasta, oats, wheat breads (bagels, wraps, etc....) some fruit and veggetables
Fats: olive oil, natural peanut butter, flax seed oil, egg yolks, unsalted nuts, fatty fish (salmon, herring, mackerel)

[jimismynamehi]

awesome !!! thanks for the food tips.. and yes, i'm looking for fat loss, not weight loss, sorry.

i'd be happy to gain wieght. i just need to lose this body fat..

i'm stopping eating 3 hours before bedtime. maybe a protein shake right before bed would be good?? or after a midnight bathroom run? (to feed hungry muscles) or wait till i get a month or 2 into heavy lifting before i have the late night protein shake.

cardio is 1.5 hours of biking a day. i see on charts that burns roughly 500 per hour.

also going to try to start jogging/running. gonna drag my sorry ass over some dirt trails in a local park here in philadelphia.
i never ran before, and i've always been told its bad for the body, that it shocks/jolts, etc, but i will do it on dirt for starters.

thanks again for any advice/tips this community can offer.

[Pete235]

Sorry bro...you're exactly right, no carbs after 6:00pm...a protein shake or egg white omlette would be fine.

Biking is awsome!! I would say (from experience) limit your running and jogging as I can be catabolic and make your leggs look soft....try walking up steep hills or use the incline function on the treadmill.

[Tobey]

Jimismynamehi,

Pete and the other guy's have given you some sound advice. If you need any ideas on what to eat or if for some reason you get bored with your diet as we all often times do, pop over to the reciepe section of the board. There are many different reciepes there that can make dieting really kinda of fun.
Good Luck
IC

PS. To everyone reading this, I am going to update the reciepe section with about 75 to 100 new reciepes here soon. I'm going to post them all at one time so keep and eye out for it and pass the word around.
IC

[Psycoswole]

Hey bro, i just wanted to commend you for taking the initial step. You will be AMAZED how much different you will look and feel in 5 months with a steady w/o routine and decent diet. 2 hours is more than enough time to get a good workout. Resistance train for 30-45 min and then hit the stairmaster for 30-45 min. Once you get past the first month you will begin to see some good results and get hooked, just stick with it. Good luck bro!

Hey Tobey, i dont post in the recipes forum but ill definatetly be keeping my eyes peeled for those recipes. I sit my gf in front of the computer and let her browse through the existing ones for ideas

[K Dog]

Hello Jim, I can feel what your saying. I am still new to this myself and I have learned alot from reading the forums here. The guys here really know there stuff. What BRM said was pretty deep and true. The only thing I could add was drink plenty of water. Every cellular transition in your body takes place in water. It is also a natural fat burner. Good luck!

[Pete235]

Originally posted by K Dog
The only thing I could add was drink plenty of water. Every cellular transition in your body takes place in water. It is also a natural fat burner. Good luck!

Excellent point KD!!! I forgot that....yes Jimi...drink a MINIMUM of 1 gallon per day (4 litres)...2 gallons is even better!

[jimismynamehi]

thanks everyone for the help and motivation.

i'm anxious to find the recipies and nutrition help.

thanks again, and have a great day..

[georgie24]

just train hard buddy

[Cali]

The guys have you covered, I just wanted to say good luck! I know how hard it is to get going sometimes, but the people on this board will be great motivation. Update your pics as you go so you can see progress. That helps me drag my butt to the gym on the lazy days when I would rather put my butt back on the couch in front of the tv.

Again, good luck!

[THE BIG RED MACHINE]

Originally posted by Cali
The guys have you covered, I just wanted to say good luck! I know how hard it is to get going sometimes, but the people on this board will be great motivation. Update your pics as you go so you can see progress. That helps me drag my butt to the gym on the lazy days when I would rather put my butt back on the couch in front of the tv.

Again, good luck!

Or in front of you PC, huh Cali.

[arthurb999]

With a good diet and excerise, you will look like a new man in 5 months. Make it happen!

[jimismynamehi]

thanks for all the help and motivation,, it does feel good..

if anything looks "off" with my plans, please let me know, but i'm only trying to eat low GI carbs,

and my diet consists of

tuna sandwitches on whole wheat (from can, plain, no mayo, etc)
egg white scrabmled eggs, boiled chicken breasts, boiled chicken on whole wheat, salmon-baked on cookie sheet plain, small amount of angle hair pasta with low fat sauce, quaker oats oatmeal,,,,,

thats my current diet, unless something is way off...

and again, thanks for the help, tips, and motivation.

have a great day !!!!

[Psycoswole]

Tuna no mayo, blah, thats gross hehe. Dont torture your self! I buy fat free kraft mayo, has 2 carbs and 0 fat in 1tbsp

[jimismynamehi]

ok, thanks for the tips.. the tuna is still going down ok, so i may skip the mayo, for now.

i fell off a spooked horse yesterday, and fked up my low back. i think its just bruised, but it hurts, and i walk with pain.

i expect it to pass/heal fast, its just sore, but i gotta think its gonna push back my routine a week or so..

i'll just keep eating right, and do what i can in the gym.

take care, and have a great week everyone..

[Psycoswole]

Diesel-Thanks bro, thats my pre cycle pic

Jimmi- dont worry about it bro, you're in no rush, you need to ease into a training regimine anyway, other wise you will burn yourself out. Best of luck to you

[Cali]

Originally posted by THE BIG RED MACHINE


Or in front of you PC, huh Cali.

It's no laughing matter. I'm addicted!!