(01-14-2017 01:16 AM)StackGsMan Wrote: I have a lot of time on my hands for the next 8 or so months, and I have considered doing a routine where I lift either 4 or 7 days a week, but where I walk 6 hours a day as well. With just my diet of 800 or so calories from protein (chicken breast), I have been able to lose weight and retain most if not all my muscle, but the rate of weight I've dropped is about 15 lbs a month.
I have calculated from online research that if I walk 6 hours a day in addition to the diet I can lose something like 30+ a month, and within 3 months I will be at my ideal weight (I know there is a difference between losing weight and looking good, but I want to start by losing the weight).
My major concern is will I increase my risk of having disgusting loose skin? Should I just take the 15 lbs a month route while lifting, or should I kick it into high gear and reclaim my life?
From the research I've done (which is very sparse on the internet), I have come to conclude that loose skin comes mainly from the way your body looks and how your fat is stored more so than the actual weight you are. Although I am certainly fat at 300 lbs, I only wear a size 40, and comfortably at that. I have a large amount of muscle and am decently strong despite years of not working out.
What do you guys think? Three months of rapid weight loss and reclaiming my life and manhood or a slow and steady approach over 9 months?
Hey Stack,
Gotta say that I love your enthusiasm. It sounds like you've had a rough couple of years and you are finally ready to move forward and improve yourself physically. Mental well-being and confidence will flow naturally once you begin seeing changes in your body and physical abilities.
However, I have to say that your current plan is not only detrimental in the long run, but can cause severe harm to your body, metabolism, and hormonal balance. I'm going to comment on each part of your workout plan individually.
Quote:I have a lot of time on my hands for the next 8 or so months, and I have considered doing a routine where I lift either 4 or 7 days a week.
If you are just getting back into weight training, stick to working out 3 or 4 days a week. Anything more than this is downright counterproductive and will cause you to catabolize muscle and will increase your cortisol levels to dangerous levels. This WILL cause your testosterone to plummet and will stall your weight loss progress.
Also, remember that muscles are built on your day off. Every time you lift weights, you create hundreds of microtears in your muscles. It is vital that you give them time to repair themselves and grow larger.
Quote:where I walk 6 hours a day as well
This is just crazy. You should be walking for 2 hours a day max, split into two sessions (and even this is very intense and can cause joint problems for people who are severely overweight; 1 hour-long walking session a day is perfect).
When you walk across a flat surface, the force placed on your knees is roughly 1.5x your body weight. If you weigh 300lbs, this means that you are placing 450lbs of pressure on each knee every time you take a step (
http://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/why-w...int-pain).
Furthermore, if you are walking an average of 4 miles an hour (a reasonably fast rate), you are talking about walking 24 miles a day. That's crazy and something that trained soldiers can only keep up for so long. Don't do this to your joints or body.
Quote:800 or so calories from protein (chicken breast)
Okay, I get the protein-focused nature of this diet, but you are only eating 800 calories a day with this much exercise!?! This type of extreme low carb dieting is only meant to be done under a doctors supervision and with minimal low-impact cardio or light resistance training.
In addition, think about the caloric deficit that you are in on a daily basis. If you are weight training and walking 6 hours, you are burning more than 3,000 calories a day with a 2,200 calorie deficit (~500 calories burned per 4 miles), you are literally eating away the remaining muscle that you have.
If you are at a 2,200 calorie deficit, are not eating carbs or a primarily fat diet (allowing your body to produce ketones and turn to stored bodyfat as a source of fuel), you are literally catabolizing your muscles and using their stored glycogen and protein (which is converted to glycogen) for energy.
If you are fine with permanently wrecking your metabolism and hormonal balance, as well as losing half of your lost weight as muscle, then go ahead. Just be aware that such a program could reduce your metabolism by 25% or more of its normal rate in the long-term, making keeping the weight off more difficult.
Otherwise, I would sincerely recommend that you read the following threads. They involve relatively rapid fat loss with some strength training and cardio, but include a reasonable amount of work given your caloric intake and help you to preserve your muscle mass:
-/archive/index.php?thread-8462.html
-/thread-48982.html
-/thread-4922.html
The key to these diet programs is moderate exercise combined with a reasonable caloric deficit.
Lastly, keep in mind that saturated fat is the building block of testosterone. If you are eating nothing but skinless chicken breast, you are starving your body of the building blocks necessary to create the god molecule, testosterone.
Quote:My major concern is will I increase my risk of having disgusting loose skin? Should I just take the 15 lbs a month route while lifting, or should I kick it into high gear and reclaim my life?
If you are losing 30 pounds of weight a month (and undoubtedly a good portion of this will be muscle), you will likely be left with a significant amount of loose skin. Note that I say likely, because I don't know your age, how long you have been fat, what your skin's natural elasticity is, and how hydrated you are.
However, there are some things you can do to help reduce excess skin after weight loss:
-Slow and steady weight loss. This gives your skin time to tighten naturally.
-Drink a gallon of water a day. Dry skin does not stretch or return to form well.
-Along those lines, apply moisturizer every time you get out of the shower. I have used a combination of coconut oil and cocoa butter, and this has helped me avoid any loose skin issues.
I do feel your desire to rid yourself of all of that extra weight as soon as possible. I have always been a fat guy and I am roughly 2/3rds through my weight loss journey, having dropped 80lbs since my heaviest weight.
However, I understand that weight loss done hastily and without regard for consequences can leave your health in tatters. It could leave you suffering from excess skin, low testosterone, high cortisol and adrenal gland problems, and more.
If you need any help or just want to bounce ideas off of someone, feel free to ask in the thread or PM me. I'm always happy to help another forum member who is actively trying to better themselves. I hope this helps.