Grossly Obese Beginner

[RaptorJack]

Firstly, let me appologise for the length of this post.
Not sure if I've posted here before, but here goes anyway.

Let me start out by saying "Hi. I'm a big fat-ass."
On the 8th of december I was 220 pounds (I'm 6 feet tall, 22 years old) and I decided I didn't want to be fat anymore. So I totally re-arranged my diet and started to go to the local gym. For the first month or so, I went from 220 to 212 pounds.

But for some reason, I can't loose any weight this month...and I'm STILL fat. I've been stuck at 212 for 3 weeks now. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

My Workout Routine
I try and work out every day of the week. Sometimes I can't make it to the gym because I am out of town on the weekend, but I try and go to the gym every day. I alternate my upper and lower body workouts, with my cardio and sit-ups as an every day warmup. The only time I can get to the gym is around 9:30 at night. If i go in the morning I won't get to work on time. If I go right after work It's too busy and I can't get on a machine. So I go an hour before they close at night.

My Cardio / Warmup (every day)
20 minutes of bike riding (i try to get my heart rate up to about 160...any more and I collapse before I'm done my 20 mintues)
3 sets of 30 slightly inclined sit-ups. I usually can't finish the last set, but I try. My gut is the thing I want to work on the most.


My Upper Body Routine (every other day)
Dumbell Fly - 22.5 pounds - 3 sets, 15 reps each
Side Laterals (sometimes front laterals, if there is such a thing) 10 pounds - 3 sets, 15 reps each
Dumbel Curls - 22.5 pounds - 3 sets, 15 reps each

My Lower Body Routine (every other day)
Leg press - 200 pounds for 15 reps, 300 pounds for 15 reps, 400 pounds (the whole stack on the machine) until fail (usually 10 reps)
Leg Extentions - 70 pounds (i think) - 3 sets of 15 reps
Leg curl - 70 pounds - 3 sets, 15 reps each
Calf Press - 80 pounds, 3 sets, 15 reps each.


What I eat in a typical day
Breakfast - Unfortunately I skip breakfast most of the time. I sleep in too much and have to hurry to get to the office on time. I will usually take a multivitimin with a glass of water.

Lunch - Usually I'll have a footlong sub from subway or go home and have 2 tuna sandwiches.

Dinner - Almost every day I'll have either chicken or vegetable stir-fry (without cooking oil), and a vodka on the rocks.

After the gym - I have a gatorade and then munch low-fat pretzels until it's time to go to bed.

[Fudomyo]

That's the saddest diet I've seen in a while. I mean it even. I'm not even cranky today.

Always eat breakfast. Even just a yogurt. Fruit. Ham and eggs even.
Eat 6 times a day.
Mountain Dew and pretzels is sugar on top of sugar (pretzels). You should basically never eat this.

After you eat breakfast.
Eat half a ft long at lunch.
Eat the other half at 3pm.
Split dinner in half if you can.
Or have a fat-free yogurt and some cheese as a snack. Or Turkey instead of the cheese.

Go read all of Cursors posts. He has excellent diet advice.
Here's another link

It's not hard, just read up some in the Diet and Nutrition forum and you'll be on the right road.

Fudo

[RaptorJack]

Do you think going to the gym for what ammounts to an hour every day is overdoing it?

Also, I'm stuck at the office all day (from 8 am to 6 pm, usually). That's about 10 hours at a keyboard all day (with time at noon for lunch). It's kinda hard for me to go out and get / prepare 3 meals, let alone 6. Any store-bought or quick suggestions? I know subway is healthy, but I'm really getting sick of it every day, and I'm a crappy cook.

[Kitara]

For me, tuna is the easiest quick protein out there since they made those packs that you don't even have to drain! Cut up some veggies and bring them with you to work for something crunch to snack on in place of pretzles .

Do you have a refridgerator/microwave at work? If so, get yourself a george forman grill and grill up some chicken breasts to bring with you at work. You don't have to be a good cook to use that thing. It's SO easy! I hate cooking! Sometimes I cook up a big batch of brown rice and mix in some lean ground beef.

Ok, here's my simple advice to start with. Cut out ALL sugar from your diet. Cut out white bread and things made with white flour. It's just a start, but it will help. And then read anything posted by Cursor because he's the the best advice on the web for healthy eating.

Just my $.02

[Kitara]

Oh yea, there are always MRPs, but I don't know much about them except the fact that they are expensive. Always better to go with real food, but in a pinch they work. Eating 6 times a day keeps your metabolism going. Basically, what people here have said over and over is that your body is like an engine. Without fuel it doesn't run correctly. You need to eat every 2-3 hours to keep your body running.

Ok, one more thing and then I'll shush. Make sure you're DRINKING YOU'RE WATER!!! That's very important especially when you're trying to lose weight.

[ChrisFL]

Reading this post made me ponder this:

What impact does liquor have overall? I mean, I can see that having a few beers every day would be a bad thing, but what about straight liquor? I don't know what's in it, but I'd imagine it's not sugar, etc.?

[1more]

im pretty darn sure that all grog is distilled with sugar...pure ethanol, which i think is pure alcohol?? would burn a whole straight through your body, so i wouldnt suggest that as a replacement!

[cursor]

a search for alcohol:

http://www.discussfitness.com/showth...=5561#post5561

http://www.discussfitness.com/showth...=5554#post5554