Thread: Newbie desperate for help

Hey all. I'm new here and really could do with some guidance. Basically, I'm 36 and used to train when I was in my 20s. I got relatively fit and strong but I kinda fell off the wagon and never really stuck with it. I've regretted it ever since.

I've done some research on IF and feel this is the route I want to take. I currently weigh in at around 185Ibs and would like ideally to get to the 163-165 mark.

Seeing my belly lately and the fact I never fully managed to peak in my 20s and get that dream set of abs/pecs has made me more determined than ever. I've also all my life suffered with mild depression and feel the need more than ever to get back on the wagon in the hope I can not only look better but lock that depression behind a door and throw away the key.

Thing is and I know this sounds so cliche but don't know where to start in terms of training & diet and how to implement a routine.

I want to go the 16/8 route and train in the morning as I believe there are certain benefits to working out in a 'fasted' state.

I work from 8 till 4 Mon to Fri and if it means hauling my ass out of bed earlier so I can train from 6am until 7 so be it. The trouble is my gym opens at 6am and I gotta be in work bang on 8, no exceptions. You might say that is plenty of time but I normally leave home just after 7 to allow for traffic on my commute. My gym is a 20 min drive from my home in itself.

This is where I considered doing HIIT at home or go running instead. But again, I really don't know what HIIT I should be doing and how to go about it.

I hear to lose fat, HIIT is really good but there has to be some time dedicated to strength training so you don't lose too much muscle. Do I have that correct?

Ideally, I want to train Mon, Wed & Fri and perhaps go swimming alternate days of a weekend.

If the gym is out of the equation before work is the better option:

A - do a home workout/routine
B - go gym after work and adjust the IF to suit

If it helps my TDEE is 2,111 and I am thinking I need to have a defecit goal of around 1,611. Another reason I opted for an IF regime is because for as long as I remember eating breakfast especially if early, wreaks havoc on my tummy. So a 12-8 window would suit me as my tummy settles around lunchtime.

Any advice on the above and of course nutrition tips would be greatly appreciated.

I'm just gonna preface this by saying that I ain't no pro, and there are plenty on here that will chime in and be of more help...

But I can speak of my own experience.

I started at 241 and am currently at 199. I slowly drifted down to 231 then I really got my tail in gear and starting cutting quickly from 231 to 199 and still working on it.

I'm 5'11". Knowing your height would help because to me 185 don't sound too bad as a starting point, so that's great.

Its all about being in a calorie deficit. That is A#1 priority. IF is something that a close friend of mine does and it works for him...it does not work for me. I may be able to workout fasted sometimes but not always.

Keto/IF/Low Carb/all these diets..they at least get you looking more closely at what you are eating and will in turn most likely cause you to lose some weight as a result but at the end of the day its calories in/calories out and completely deleting food groups (in my opinion) is not sustainable.

HIIT is not something to do everyday. If you look up Greg Doucette on YouTube he says HIIT is pure trash and compared to steady state cardio, I somewhat agree. Doing actual HIGH intensity interval training is super difficult and its super tough on your body. Most people are only doing mild IIT when they think they are doing HIIT.

Steady state cardio is where its at. Whether that be low intensity, moderate intensity, or high intensity steady state, that is up to you. Just for reference, I do what I'd consider moderate to high intensity steady state cardio 3-4 times a week. In the past week I've done a 2hr21 min 50.1 mile bike ride and a 1 hour 32 min 10.22 mile run. My intensity was about the same for the entire duration of each of these exercises and I find it hard to believe that you could replicate that amount of calories burnt with HIIT.

You definitely need to strength train, that is a given. Once you get your workouts in line you should be able to get in and out in less than an hour. I have a hard time with this so if I was you I'd do some cardio in the am and lift in the afternoon. Don't burn yourself out though.

My .02 cents.

As far as calories, I used the Mifflin St. Jeor equation to find my BMR. I used it knowing that I was going to be exercising multiple days a week but I selected "sedentary lifestyle" to give me the most conservative BMR number and I went 500 under that. I am not saying that is what you should do, but that's what I did.

At 5'11" 231 lbs that put me at 1730 calories a day. Once again, I'm not a doctor and am not telling you to do that but that's what I've done and I feel good, and still feel good.

Just make it sustainable and take it one step at a time. I hope that helps and doesn't muddy it up. If I can help any further from my own experiences I'm glad to do so. Get after it man, as long as you're moving and controlling your diet you are progressing forward towards the best body of your life.

Originally Posted by vansnxtweek489

I'm just gonna preface this by saying that I ain't no pro, and there are plenty on here that will chime in and be of more help...

But I can speak of my own experience.

I started at 241 and am currently at 199. I slowly drifted down to 231 then I really got my tail in gear and starting cutting quickly from 231 to 199 and still working on it.

I'm 5'11". Knowing your height would help because to me 185 don't sound too bad as a starting point, so that's great.

Its all about being in a calorie deficit. That is A#1 priority. IF is something that a close friend of mine does and it works for him...it does not work for me. I may be able to workout fasted sometimes but not always.

Keto/IF/Low Carb/all these diets..they at least get you looking more closely at what you are eating and will in turn most likely cause you to lose some weight as a result but at the end of the day its calories in/calories out and completely deleting food groups (in my opinion) is not sustainable.

HIIT is not something to do everyday. If you look up Greg Doucette on YouTube he says HIIT is pure trash and compared to steady state cardio, I somewhat agree. Doing actual HIGH intensity interval training is super difficult and its super tough on your body. Most people are only doing mild IIT when they think they are doing HIIT.

Steady state cardio is where its at. Whether that be low intensity, moderate intensity, or high intensity steady state, that is up to you. Just for reference, I do what I'd consider moderate to high intensity steady state cardio 3-4 times a week. In the past week I've done a 2hr21 min 50.1 mile bike ride and a 1 hour 32 min 10.22 mile run. My intensity was about the same for the entire duration of each of these exercises and I find it hard to believe that you could replicate that amount of calories burnt with HIIT.

You definitely need to strength train, that is a given. Once you get your workouts in line you should be able to get in and out in less than an hour. I have a hard time with this so if I was you I'd do some cardio in the am and lift in the afternoon. Don't burn yourself out though.

My .02 cents.

As far as calories, I used the Mifflin St. Jeor equation to find my BMR. I used it knowing that I was going to be exercising multiple days a week but I selected "sedentary lifestyle" to give me the most conservative BMR number and I went 500 under that. I am not saying that is what you should do, but that's what I did.

At 5'11" 231 lbs that put me at 1730 calories a day. Once again, I'm not a doctor and am not telling you to do that but that's what I've done and I feel good, and still feel good.

Just make it sustainable and take it one step at a time. I hope that helps and doesn't muddy it up. If I can help any further from my own experiences I'm glad to do so. Get after it man, as long as you're moving and controlling your diet you are progressing forward towards the best body of your life.

Thanks for the very informative reply. A lot to take in ngl but you've clearly spent a fair bit of time writing that out so it is appreciated.

My height is 175cm. My body is not a train wreck but my belly is noticeable and the straw that broke the camels back was trying on jeans that were simply too tight. Put it this way, I avoid looking in the mirror when I change now because I'm ashamed.

Regarding cardio, there is actually a lake nearby well actually, nature reserve of sorts. Basically, I could jog/run around that and it does have additional routes with varying difficulties. I wonder then if doing that in the AM would be better than HIIT?

I forgot to mention I do have a skipping rope and was hoping I'd be able to implement this into my training. Quite where, I'm unsure.

I get the whole calories in vs calories out thing and have recently got a hold of myfitnesspal. Not started tracking with it yet I find it rather intimidating to be honest. I know I need to work out my macros so any help in that department would be welcome.

Regards gym and getting in and out I totally agree. I don't want to be there to faff around. I'm just bummed my gym is not open earlier than 6 cuz I know for sure a PM workout means busier and less flexibility to use machines plus you can guarantee the free weights section will be hammered.

Even a strict 45 min session, shower, change and gone is gunna be tough to get to work on an AM schedule so I may have to adopt gym in the PM. I would still do 3 days a week.

Any advice regards a good starting point for strength training? Remember, I don't want to build up and turn out like Dwayne Johnson. I want to lose my gut but at the same time trim up. My dream scenario is the abs I was chasing in my 20s. Sadly, I never achieved them.

Hoping this time will be different.