If I had a time machine... - JP Fitness Forums

Lost Dog · 01-11-2007, 07:01 PM

If I had a time machine, I would go back in time to when I started to lose weight, and hit the weights hard from day one.

If you tell yourself that you want to wait until you've lost a bit (or a lot) before you start weightlifting, you're making a huge mistake.

It took muscle to move my top weight around. Muscle I didn't know I had. A year of dieting and cardio sure had me lose weight, but a good amount of that weight was muscle. I ended up light, but non-so-lean.

You might not want to be a muscle guy, but I'm sure you'd be happy to find a way to lose fat faster. And, that's the part that I don't think people realize.

The example of me: I was 232 and 30% body fat. That's 70lbs of fat.

Through diet and cardio, I got to 197 and 25%. That's still 49lbs of fat. I lost 35lbs, but only 21 was fat. I lost 14lbs of lean mass. What a waste.

I know, you're only worried about the fat part. But, consider that your 3500 calorie per week deficit lets you drop about one pound per week. One pound of something... Only 60% of that was fat, for me.

I hope everyone knows that weight training, resistance exercise, lifting weights, etc. not only builds muscle, but also lets you keep the muscle you have when you're trying to shed fat.

So, assuming I used my time machine, my second shot at the 197 would have left me closer to 20% body fat. Yep, I would likely have dropped 11 more lbs of fat!

I've been 25% and I've been 20%. There's a big difference.

What's the other big difference? Time. Without the weights, that 11 lbs of fat would have taken another 15-16 weeks to lose.

Cardio is fine. Eating right is essential. Weights are a blessing.

Don't waste the muscle you've got. Go lift some weights.*

* anyone who needs to be pointed in the right direction, just ask.

tasinquefield · 01-11-2007, 07:55 PM

Great post Roland!

James Newman · 01-11-2007, 08:21 PM

Roland...another amazing post. For me the importance of weights were similar. I started many times to get into cardio, it sucked big time. But I tried and I kept trying. I starved myself. I RAN! My God, I tried to RUN. Unbelievable. In the end, it was the weights that got me on the right track and that is where I have stayed ever since....

God Bless Weights...and their users...

Newman

RobLL · 01-11-2007, 10:55 PM

For me the three years of machine lifting I did not a lot for me. That probably is not accurate, it may well have protected my lean body mass. What really dropped my BF was switching to RepReboks. From 32% BF to about 15 or 16. For that I will always have some loyalty to the RR program, though I don't go much anymore.

GG300 · 01-12-2007, 08:02 AM

If I could have borrowed that time machine I would have started off with a good trainer 4 years ago. I ended up waiting a year which could have been much more productive if I would have known what the hell I was supposed to be doing. Then again if I could go back in time I wouldn't have started chowing down on everything imaginable when I was a junior in High School.

Aoife · 01-12-2007, 08:46 AM

So true.

If I had the time machine I would have lost the majority of my weight eating more than 800 calories. 800 was way too low (thought I didn't realize how low till later), I was always exhausted (good thing the only thing I did every day was work out and sleep), and could have done just as well on 1400 calories and not have been miserable.

Oh well, live and learn.

Phaedrus49er · 01-12-2007, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aoife

So true.

If I had the time machine I would have lost the majority of my weight eating more than 800 calories. 800 was way too low (thought I didn't realize how low till later), I was always exhausted (good thing the only thing I did every day was work out and sleep), and could have done just as well on 1400 calories and not have been miserable.

Oh well, live and learn.

I absolutely concur. This is exactly what I did, while wrestling no less. No wonder I was always sick and couldn't recover from injuries.

RacerBill · 01-12-2007, 01:07 PM

Great post.

For me, I NEVER managed to stick to a cardio routine. I'd do it a few times, then because it was so mind-numbingly boring I just found no motivation to go back and do it again. Running was okay, but my knees began giving me problems when I was only 23.

I have always walked, though -- I wouldn't call that true cardio, though. When I was in grad school I walked about a mile to work, and in nice weather I usually would walk to the post office and back, which was about a five mile round trip.

I found I really liked the weights, once I got started with TAP. It wasn't repetitious like cardio. I could push myself a bit and get out one more rep, or add more weight. That added a lot of interest to the activity. And there is something that just feels good, deep inside, when you realize you're stronger than you were before, and that fires up your mental strength to keep going.

Sign · 01-12-2007, 03:17 PM

Great post and so true. Luckily for me I started (the first time) with TAP and HIIT since I started of reading the MH forums before I even began so I knew what to do. If I could use the time machine I would go back and slap myself for finding MMORPGs and giving up the workout. I have always known what to do but never seemed to find the motivation and dedication to follow through.

Lost Dog · 01-12-2007, 07:03 PM

Quote:

I would go back and slap myself for finding MMORPGs

MMORPGs?

Sign · 01-12-2007, 07:12 PM

Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. Examples are Everquest, Everquest II, Final Fantasy XI, World of Warcraft, etc. I got hooked on Final Fantasy XI and it sucked the life out of me. It killed my health, my grades, and almost my relationship. I have since broken free of its hold and am working on repairing all I have destroyed. I don't care what anyone says, those games are addictive and very dangerous. It has also led me to believe I have an addictive personallity so from now on I have been more careful with things.

Lost Dog · 01-12-2007, 07:15 PM

Gotcha. Never played those. But I used to play traditional role playing games (D&D and all) in high school and college (shhhh... don't tell anybody).

ohammersmith · 01-12-2007, 08:29 PM

Duly bookmarked. Good post.

Makes me feel really good that despite not wanting to do my lift last night, I just changed up what lift I did rather than going off to cardio.

RacerBill · 01-13-2007, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lost Dog

Gotcha. Never played those. But I used to play traditional role playing games (D&D and all) in high school and college (shhhh... don't tell anybody).

Didn't everybody? Except perhaps, for the unimaginative kids who had no greater aspiration than hanging out at the mall.

James Newman · 01-13-2007, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RacerBill

Didn't everybody? Except perhaps, for the unimaginative kids who had no greater aspiration than hanging out at the mall.

I walk right into this one. I must have been unimaginative. When I was younger, I played sports, went to movies, hung out at the mall (invariably with girls...other motives I guess - I hate shopping), etc. But I never was a big game player. I did learn to play Risk last summer.

I have been thinking about Roland's time machine some...and while I would go back and change how I came to lose the amount of what I have (mechanism) and such. I wouldn't change becoming the man I am today with the man I perceive I might have been had I never become fat.

In becoming fat I gained a greater appreciation for relationships (for people in general). My attitude toward many things changed. My knowledge base, career, etc. I might have ended up doing any number of things, but I am thankful that I am who I am. The man that I have become and the man that I am becoming.

It may take me a long time to finish the journey that I am on, but I am ok with that. Sure, I get frustrated, angry, saddened...but I know that if I am dedicated, if I consistently take action toward my goals - I WILL achieve them.

Newman

RobLL · 01-13-2007, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobLL

For me the three years of machine lifting I did not a lot for me. That probably is not accurate, it may well have protected my lean body mass. What really dropped my BF was switching to RepReboks. From 32% BF to about 15 or 16. For that I will always have some loyalty to the RR program, though I don't go much anymore.

Actually I left the biggest (pun) thing out, wished I knew about nutrition at 40 what I learned 22 years later. And the effect of carbs on metabolism. Congrats on all who got smart early

RacerBill · 01-14-2007, 02:38 PM

I hope you know I wasn't really serious about that mall comment, Newman.

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Newman

In becoming fat I gained a greater appreciation for relationships (for people in general). My attitude toward many things changed. My knowledge base, career, etc. I might have ended up doing any number of things, but I am thankful that I am who I am. The man that I have become and the man that I am becoming.

It may take me a long time to finish the journey that I am on, but I am ok with that. Sure, I get frustrated, angry, saddened...but I know that if I am dedicated, if I consistently take action toward my goals - I WILL achieve them.

Newman

Good perspective! I have a tendency to replay past events mentally and wish I did it differently. Intellectually I know it's a waste of time and energy, but it's a tough habit to break.

I'm reminded that Lance Armstrong has said that given the choice, he does not wish he'd never had cancer. That experience really changed every aspect of his life.