Here comes the fat loss ~ New Elliptical machine & New goals for the next 8 weeks.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

My uncle graciously gave me his used (but unused LOL) Elliptical bike/machine.

It's time to get rid of the excess fat once and for all.
This is my way to a to new leaner and meaner me.
So I think with my new dedication to cardio, my diet will fall in line too.

As of today I am 225 lbs, so lets see what I can do with this in the next proceeding weeks.

My goals:

* The obvious: To lose the belly I have hanging over my belt when I sit down LOL
* To achieve this within 6-8 weeks time (preferrably 6 weeks!)
* Lose about 20 lbs of fat & perhaps get down to 205 or 200 lbs
* Clean up diet, no empty calories/crap
* Carb Cycling
* Intense Cardio sessions 4-5 days per week (20-30 mins)
* Lifting schedule scaled back 10-15% during this time frame, although this is a toss up, just thinking about recovery here.


Feel free to tell me what you think?


Oh, and here's a machine that looks similiar to mine, not a top end model or anything, but nice enough to jump start my fat loss I think.... or I hope.

[virus]

Seemingly you have it planned out well and I think you'll be able to reach your goal in that amount of time too... What would you guess is your BF at 225lbs?

None the less, good luck to you.

Edit - the picture isn't showing up either. Used but unused, hahaha.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

I have no idea how much my bodyfat level is, but I'd easily say 18% - 19% now.
But it's hard to guage my actual BF% as I carry virtually ALL my fat in the midsection.
There is no fat on my legs or back , it's all in the abdomen and lower chest.

And here's another pic of a similiar model to mine

[ambientdeath]

All that sweet tail bouncing on the cardio machines at the gym isn't enough of an incentive to get you doing cardio?

On a more serious note, but by having that machine, it will be MUCH more convenient. You could watch tv and use it! I think scaling back the lifting will do wonders too. I would focus on maintaining the muscle (not adding more) and just lose bodyfat safely and slowly for 2 months.

It'll be worth it in the summer!

[CubanChick]

Thats so cool Tommy.. Best of luck with you new equipment and fat loss

[mcchunter]

good luck bro and keep us updated.

you seem to go through phases and can change your body drastically.
i think you will have no problem in achieving your goals.

[surferph34]

Hi mate,

TBH I think it’s too early for you to worry about carb cycling just yet, just reduce your calories below maintenance and adjust as required.

Also I think you have calculated how much you will lose in that period of time a little too high.

If we take it from 225 to 205 in 8 weeks were losing 2.5lbs per week if you have your diet spot on. This is just a little too much for fat loss per week to do on a regular basis unless you’re using AAS, and will be catabolic for sure, even above the little you should expect to lose just by cutting in the first place.

Have you a plan on paper of what your diet would look like and your needed calories?

IMO there’s no need to scale back on the lifting if you perform your cardio fasted in the AM, for at least half hour per session. Anything less is beneficial but not optimal.

Surfer

[ambientdeath]

Originally Posted by surferph34

IMO there’s no need to scale back on the lifting if you perform your cardio fasted in the AM, for at least half hour per session. Anything less is beneficial but not optimal.
Surfer

Cardio while fasting in the AM? C'mon man, the body will catabolize his muscle for energy!

Of course he might lose a little bit of muscle during his fat loss, but the point is minimize that and keep his body just shedding fat.

[surferph34]

Originally Posted by ambientdeath

Cardio while fasting in the AM? C'mon man, the body will catabolize his muscle for energy!

No your wrong.

Surfer

[POWERJIM]

Good luck with the cardio mate, first you will hate it then you will learn to love it once the fat starts melting away, really want to see a leaner Tommy boy in the new year.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by POWERJIM

Good luck with the cardio mate, first you will hate it then you will learn to love it once the fat starts melting away, really want to see a leaner Tommy boy in the new year.

Thanks man, lets see how I do

Originally Posted by ambientdeath

It'll be worth it in the summer!

Oh yes it will huh? No more tank tops at the beach, it's full frontal for me LOL

Originally Posted by mcchunter

you seem to go through phases and can change your body drastically.
i think you will have no problem in achieving your goals.

I surely do... it's a good thing and a bad thing though
Thanks man

Originally Posted by surferph34

Hi mate,

TBH I think it’s too early for you to worry about carb cycling just yet, just reduce your calories below maintenance and adjust as required.

Also I think you have calculated how much you will lose in that period of time a little too high.

Have you a plan on paper of what your diet would look like and your needed calories?

Being that I want to simplify this as much as possible, you are probably correct here and yes, it's probably too much too soon. Sometimes in life when we get wired up for a new goal, we talk off adrenaline, but thats ok, it's always better to set the bar at it's highest so if you fail, you'll be that much farther ahead.

So far as calculating it on paper, I cant get into that much, I dont want to over complicate things. I personally think with a modification done to how I eat and what I eat and to throw in some cardio and this is all I need to get started. I'm not trying to get shredded. I just want to burn off the excess adipose tissue (FAT).

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

UPDATE:

BAD BUMP IN THE ROAD!!!

Let me take you back to last week. Well I lifted Thursday night as regularly and THE VERY MINUTE MY LAST SET ENDED, I started feeling like crap.
With every minute that ticked by, I started feeling cold/flu symptoms and
RUN DOWN big time!!!

Well I came down ill faster than ever in my life, it was fast as lighting.
The next morning I was too ill to go to work as I already had severe chest congestion. Then Friday night the worst as it turned to my stomach as I had a bad fever and was puring out sweat with cold chills and I started throwing up for 18 hours straight!!!

I couldnt eat a thing until SUNDAY...I started feeling better as of yesterday and started eating again. I stepped on the scale and it read 208 !!! HOLY SH!T! It was mostly water I know, but man, thats 17 lbs!

Well after some light eating all yesterday, today I woke up and scale read 215, so I am still now 10 lbs down....BUT at least I have jumpstarted myself in the right direction LOL Shhh, let me feel better somehow ok!
I am sure my body catabolized some muscle in the 2 days I wasnt eating though, but screw it. So I guess my starting point now is about 215

[POWERJIM]

In my opinion to try and calculate your fat lost on paper is a bad idea, id rather go with the flow and take each day at a time, adjusting diet only when needed as ive found that sometimes weight loss will halt for a few days then suddenly jump back with Vengeance. In my head i made weight loss predictions on where i might be per month and met every target and sometimes even surpassed my goals, in any event it dont help to get over technical and can make you loose interest in the long run.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by POWERJIM

in any event it dont help to get over technical and can make you loose interest in the long run.

Precisely my logic buddy

[DanBoyle]

Hey man I say go and make a big goal.. even if you don't hit that one I bet you will have gone farther than you could have it you set a smaller one.

Good luck...

I would not decrease your weight lifting and mainly try to cut the fat by dropping the calories. I did an extreme 2 week 1500 a day calorie intake with a specialized 3 days a week lifting routine. I dropped my body fat from about 12% to 9%.

It was really hard and don't want to do it again. You should go and invest in a bodyfat scale.

I hope it goes well!

[ambientdeath]

Originally Posted by DanBoyle

I would not decrease your weight lifting and mainly try to cut the fat by dropping the calories. I did an extreme 2 week 1500 a day calorie intake with a specialized 3 days a week lifting routine. I dropped my body fat from about 12% to 9%

1500cal/day with a 3 day split? If your body doesnt get the extra calories it needs while working out, wont it go to muscle and catabolize it for energy?

I guess it depends what 3 day routine you did.