About to take the P90X plunge

[EmoryBellard]

http://www.gymjunkies.com/weight-loss-diet/

It definitely is working (I've lost about 20 lbs in 10 weeks). I like this because it is something I can more or less stick with forever. Don't get me wrong, I cheat on it like crazy, and still have work to do, but so far the results speak for themselves.

As many have mentioned above, it's all about cutting the caloric intake - I would add to that, it's important to make those calories count. In the past, I always thought there had to be some great scheme or strategy to losing weight. In reality, the simpler, the better. It ain't chess, it's checkers.

 

[davatron]

Enjoyed it but took away a lot of my free time. My routine was work, P90x, eat, sleep. Got dull after a while. If you could be so disciplined to complete the workouts in the morning then even better.

ETA: P90x is not for folks that have been sitting on the couch all their life. It's for people that are already in decent shape and want to go to the next level. You won't completely die if you've been inactive for a while, but expect the first month to be very tough. A lot of people quit after two weeks because they feel way out of shape and get discouraged. Stick with it, get through the first month, and you'll be fine.

 

[biguglyjoe]

He weighs 140 tops. Of course he can bound around like a spritely fairy.

 

[Fresno Bob]

You won't completely die if you've been inactive for a while, but expect the first month to be very tough. A lot of people quit after two weeks because they feel way out of shape and get discouraged. Stick with it, get through the first month, and you'll be fine.

I'll echo what Davatron said about just keep going and persevere. I've neverbeen in great shape. Dropped about 40pounds afew years ago basically with diet to get into a good height/weight ratio andhave kept it off eating much more healthy and just stopping when I'm not hungry anymore.

I triedP90X b/c my wife, who has no need for it did, and b/c my only real health issue has been slightly high LDL (in my late 40s now) and I needed to exercise. Isucked the first time around. I'm to thepoint now where I can do all of AbRipper in concert with themwhich still shocks me. I SUCKED at sit ups before.Unlike some of the others Ikind of like the Yoga. I sweat like hell andcan't do a couple of the moves like they can but I sweat and that's whatI'm going for and I can do a lot of it. Plyo is a beast...in a good, sweat your butt off, and KNOW you've accomplished something kind of way.

I've got to figure out some way to do the pullups b/c I've had issues withbands tearing up and breaking and puttinga dent in the wall andI've got nogood place for the pull up bar...but I just doback/bi/tri dumbbellsduring thoseparts and I'mOK.

Sincepickingit up I've lost another7-8 pounds and a couple of inches(not kidding) in my waste.38 to 34 a few years ago with diet. 34 to 32 now on P90X.

 

[weblow]

dietician or someone that can explain a good diet to you. I would really suggest you at least get a program to track calories. There are a ton of free ones online, the most popular being the iphone app Loseit (don't know if it is free).

Couple of things stand out, you are eating way too many carbs and the snacks that you are calling light are anything but. It is really not that hard, cut all the soft drinks and just try and eat mainly whole foods and drink tons of water.

I am a big believer in Turbulence Training and have used it for around 3 years. It requires 45-60 minutes a day and you will do it 3-5 days a week with some type of moderate exercise on your off days (walking, cutting the grass........). The program has been around a long time and it keeps things interesting. Each workout plan is 1 month and it is something diff every day of the week. After a month, you change to a new plan. You can look it up on youtube or go to their website.

The biggest reason people quit P90X is that it is pretty hard core and requires a good bit of your time. Many people don't make it more than a week or two in since they are so sore and feel that they are too out of shape to go on. That is one of the biggest problems in the exercise industry today, people even go to personal trainers and instead of starting a workout regimen that you can build on have it become part of your lifestyle, they work the **** out of you and people are so sore they drop out. Find a program that fits you and eat a better diet.

I just got over an injury (not from working out) that had me sidelined for about 6 months. Started Turbulence Training a little over two weeks ago, tracked my calories and cut out almost all carbs for 2 weeks. I dropped 19 pounds in that time period. That is not a sustainable diet but I would rather have suffered for 2 weeks, dropped the weight and gotten back to where I needed to be quickly, than drag it out over months. Now that I am where I need to be, I can eat a healthy diet and work out to maintain my weight. Just take a look at the Turbulence Training, for someone that is on the road and in hotels a lot, it really fits and will not leave you sore for months at a time.

Also, check out a few of Pat Manocchia's books, the guy really cuts through the ******** and tells it like it is.

 

[Mjoelner]

1. If you're not already in great shape, don't start out by killing yourself. Add an extra week to each phase and take that 1st week light. You'll be plenty sore just from going through all of the motions and soreness is why most people quit.
2. Do not try to keep up with the freaks on the DVD. Hit pause, rest, then finish. You'll eventually get it.
3. I have not lost a single pound. I have actually gained 1 pound but, my waist size is smaller while my biceps, shoulders and chest are larger and are starting to show signs of actual rippage. I'm 6'0", 216lbs with wide shoulders. I don't really need to lose the weight, I just need to rearrange where it is and that is happening so far.
4. I follow the diet pretty close except on weekends. Even then I don't go crazy.
5. I've seen people say they quit because of their work schedule. You can still work this in. Trust me. When I started, I was getting up at 4am to be at work at 5 and was getting home at 5pm then going to bed at 8 and I was still able to finish Phase I. Work schedule did however screw up my start to Phase II only because it was changing 3 times a week during June.
6. Don't be afraid to go through this more than once. I already know that I'm gonna do it again once I finish.
7. Expect to have fins and feathers when you finish from all of the tuna and chicken you'll consume.
8. As Beachbumdawg said in this thread, cut your carbs and increase your protein.

 

[Todd4State]

If the rumors are true.

Also, Dreya Weber annoys me.

But, I really like Audra. There are times during ab ripper I take a break to look at her boobs. Makes it worth it to me. The dentist chick- Shauna?- is hot too.

 

[Statefan1001]

I used to be pretty adamant about this "all calories are equal" stance, but recently i've seen some info that seems to contradict it. Not saying you are wrong, i've just moved into the unsure camp.

 

[OneParticularHarbor]

Ungawa.

 

[Shmuley]

 

[AssEndDawg]

Because this is all from new studies that have come out in the past two years. There are differences in how your handles different foods and your brain's reaction (i.e. cane sugar versus corn sugar)but in terms of losing weight calories are calories. You use more than you eat you will lose weight. You eat more that you use you will gain weight. We are all individuals, we have different resting metabolic rates, we handle exercise differently, and our bodies reactions to certain foods can be different. But a calorie is a measurement of energy and a calorie from sugar is the same as a calorie from steak.

The Reddit Fitness sub-reddit is a great place to get good info. When in doubt ask these guys: http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/

 

[MSUArrowCS]

nor do I disagree with much in your post. The diet itself is all about the calorie deficit, but the way you get your calories definitely makes a difference. Some burn off slow, others fade fast. This is partly the point, as I understand it, of the glycemic index. Not that diets built around the damn thing aren't over the top, but knowing that blood sugar peaks and the necessary valleys afterward lead to hunger/fatigue and are more likely with some foods than others is actually pretty significant in the long run.

Only bothering to say something because I've lost 65 lbs. since January and realizing that all foods' calories aren't created equal was a big reason why I lost anything more than 20. I tried the "I don't care, just count 'em" approach and it only got me so far. For me, realizing (often by trial and error) that higher fiber and protein foods led to more even hunger levels made a huge difference and was the only way I could survive 1% or so calorie deficits/week.

It's certainly different for every person, though. Just my two cents.

 

[GreaterCowbell]

So you can keep your ends straight.

 

[LTblows]

[No message]

 

[MonkeyCheese]

Try eating the Paleo eating plan. Check out RobWolf.com andhttp://robbwolf.com/faq/<div>
</div><div>There is some good info here (NerdFitness.comand here)and here (MarksDailyApple.com) too.</div><div>
</div><div>Basically it's drop pretty much all grain and dairy and processed foods, and eat meat, fruit/vegetables, and nuts. Eat as much as you want.</div>

 

[AssEndDawg]

This is partly the point, as I understand it, of the glycemic index. Not that diets built around the damn thing aren't over the top, but knowing that blood sugar peaks and the necessary valleys afterward lead to hunger/fatigue and are more likely with some foods than others is actually pretty significant in the long run.

You succeeded because you mentally put yourself in a place to continue through the normal ups and downs that come from changing how you eat. Does what you eat affect how you feel? Sure. You eat **** you are going to feel like ****. Does the "blood sugar peaks and the necessary valleys afterward lead to hunger/fatigue", well that all depends on the individual. Some people are more affected by blood sugar levels than others. Does any of that actually effect how your body burns calories and how those calories are either consumed or converted into storage as fat? Nope. Not even the slightest bit.

So sure, food affects your mood and your mood can affect your resolve. So from a mental standpoint I'll grant you the points you make. But from a diet standpoint it is meaningless. You succeeded because you got awesome and nutted up. And I'm sure you used a lot of trial and error information you gathered from previous attempts about what foods made you feel good and what exercise you could stick with. But at the end of the day you lost weight because you took in less calories than you burned.

More people fail at losing weight because they are trying to get cute with some unsustainable, ******** diet. More people would be successful if someone would just tell them that can eat the foods they like as long as they keep up with the calories and eat in moderation and/or exercised. These diets people keep throwing around lead to boomeranging and aren't helping anyone. Think of weight loss like a bank account. You start out with a certain amount of cash (calories) a day and you can make more cash by exercising. Then you get to spend that cash on food. It's the best way to approach dieting.

 

[Barkman Turner Overdrive]

10%er.

 

[biguglyjoe]

Many, many changes for the good since I started this way of eating. MDA is the site I go to most.

 

[MSUArrowCS]

I strongly disagree with that, although at the end of the day, if someone's health is improving I'll admit that it doesn't really matter, mental or physical. In numerous consultations with trainers and MDs, I've heard the exact opposite of what you're saying. First, that what you eat can have significant effects on how your body responds other than just the amount of calories you burn. And second, that those effects are scientific, physiological, and significant in almost everyone. If there have been recent developments to the contrary, I would be interested in reading them.

In the long term, your body adjusts to that bank account model. You have to start changing up what you eat and what you're doing physically, or you'll just keep doing the math and starve yourself into fatigue. Your real, physical body evolves. Not just your mood. In my individual case, I got fatter by percentage and my heart even enlarged to adapt. Mental my ***. The math-only stuff is a great way to get started, but it also burns people out faster than a diet that does the math + balanced then eventually varied intake/exercise. Even a balanced diet and varied exercise can be adapted to, but that too only attests to it being about much more than the calorie math.

Again, I agree with almost everything you're saying. For most people, etc. etc. But as someone who had the same "just do it" oversimplification forced down my throat for a decade, I'm also adamant that sustained weight loss, for those who need it, is about more than calorie counts. And telling someone that it's just mental can be more harmful than helpful.