Question for the Nutrition Experts

[Afro]

Originally Posted by Noob

30 pounds is a fair amount of weight to cut in 2-3 months. What's your bodyfat % look like?

No clue

[Noob]

Originally Posted by Afro

No clue

http://www.machinehead-software.co.u...ercentage.html



Go there for a quick estimate. It's not going to be dead accurate, but it will be close enough for an estimation.


How much weight you will be able to easily lose depends on how much you're carrying. If you are at 10% body fat right now then it will be damned hard for you to lose 30 pounds period, let alone in 2-3 months.

[Afro]

Lol, according to this im at 17.5%

let me see if I did this right

yep, 17.5%

[Noob]

• Originally Posted by Afro

  Lol, according to this im at 16

Those are good for estimates, but they are not pinpoint accurate. They will work to give us an idea though.


So you weigh 190 right now. With 16% bodyfat that means you are carrying around 30 pounds of fat.


Some fat is necessary obviously. You need some fat for your organs to function normally, and your body uses lipids for a number of biological processes. 16% is about average for a young male. Because America is the land of the McSuperSize, it's probably actually below average, but all the same.


Point being, you're not obese. It's going to be tough to shed 30 pounds in 2-3 months. Possible, but difficult.



Clint is more knowledgable than me about this, so I'm sure he can add some concrete recommendations. My basic list of guidelines:


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• Pretty much stop drinking calories. No more sodas, sugar drinks, nothing. You want to lose weight, start drinking water and only water. If you get sick of water, get those little taste-powders from the store. They have a dozen or so flavors and they are calorie-free.

• If you cook, start using olive oil and other 'good' oils. Lean meats and lots of veggies. If you don't cook, learn. At least some basic stuff.

• Keep your fat intake low. Not nonexistent, but low.

• Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. This sounds simple, but it makes a big difference. Especially over the course of a few months.

• Eat good. This also sounds really stupid, but use common sense. Everyone knows what they shouldn't be eating a lot of. Eat clean. This will make more of an impact that you probably think. Possibly a lot more.

• Cheat a little bit. Don't be overly strict about your diet. This is how people fail. Your body needs some cheat meals. This is especially true if you don't eat any fats. If you get no fat intake, your body will start to hoard what fat you do have. If this happens, good luck losing weight. So cheat, but just a little. As a general rule, cheat once every ten meals or so. Or twice a week. Start there, see how your body response and change it up as necessary.

• Low intensity, long-duration cardio. It sucks, but that's because it works. Find something you don't hate to do. For me, it's cycling. I can put on some music and spin around the city and have some fun. I almost forget that it's exercise. I suggest you find something similar that you can do. Maybe ride your bike to school if that's possible. Something. High intensity is good, but for fat loss you want longer duration and lower intensity.

• Baby steps. Don't drastically change everything overnight. That's a very good way to make sure you don't accomplish much. Make a few small improvements. Once those stick, add to them. Then give it time and add again. Repeat until you're happy with the results, and tweak little things from there.

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Like I said, Clint will likely have some very good advice for you too. In my experience, these are some good basic ground rules.



Good luck buddy.