Need Help in Making a Diet...

G

GuitarZan

New Member
Hi,

I am going to start workingout/cardio, very soon, and want to start eating what I am supposed to. I don't even really know where to start, and would like some help.

I am going to start light (fast walking for cardio, and like 15-20 reps for weights, just to get the form).

Thanks,

C.K.
 
Hello GuitarZan,

What do you intend to gain from your diet and workout routine? Do you wish to gain muscle mass or lose body fat? As a bare minimum you should be eating 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Protein supplement shakes can usually aid in that goal as well as protein rich diet (lean meats, dairy, etc.). You should also measure how much you are taking in for calories. Spend at least a week tracking your calories by reading food labels and measuring portions. Use fitday.com to help you keep a daily log... You will also need to find your maintenance calorie intake. Take your current weight in pounds and multiply it by 11 or 12 to get a rough range of how many calories you need to eat on a daily basis to maintain your current weight. Eat more calories then this maintenance level and you gain weight - eat less and you loss weight. However all this is just the bare basics. I strongly recommend you read more on the topic in the HST FAQ:

Diet and nutrition

Its legnthy, but definitely worth it... By the way, I'm assuming you're planning to go on HST eventually? Give us more details =)
 
Hi,

Thank you for the reply.

I am 200 pounds right now, and am definitely looking to lose weight. Yes I will probably go on HST in the future, but want to lose the fat first.

C.K.
 
What is your height?

Thats a good idea to cut the fat first... actually I"m in the same situation as you right now. I'm at 19% body fat and trying to get to at least 15% but hopefully much lower. I'll pass the advice I received for our goal.

For diet you will want to cut your calories 300-500 below your maintenance level. If you start at 300 cals below and find you aren't loosing anything, drop further. But if you find you are losing muscle, increase the calories. Don't forget to keep your fat intake low, take a protein shake before and after exercise, and consume 0.8-1.0 grams of protein a day per pound of body weight.

For exercise, it sounds like you're going to start slow which is fine. Proper form is always important so that's good you are concerned about it... Once you're comfortable in the gym and you start HST you can start HIIT for cardio/fat loss. HIIT stands for high intensity invterval training and you can learn more about it here:

HIIT

In a nutshell, you'll start out running at a comfortable pace for a few minutes. Next you push your self as hard as you can for an interval - either about a minute or as long as you can stand it. Then drop down to your comfortable pace for a while. Repeat these intervals for 5-10 minutes... You will want to go easy on the HIIT as you are new however. Please read that link I posted on HIIT above to find the specific of a "beginners" routine.

Hope this helps!
 
C.K.- I agree with Techno that HIIT is an excellent way to do cardio, for a lot of reasons, but it's extremely important to work your way into it gradually. The link Techno posted is good, and there are others if you Google HIIT. However, I wouldn't wait to start HST until after you've lost weight. HST is an *excellent* cutting program, and for someone who's been out of the gym, like yourself, you'll see tremendous results if you add weight training (especially HST) to your overall routine. Select your exercises, check your form (see www.exrx.net), and create your program. Get your maxes over the period of a week (M=15s, W=10s, F=5s, for example), then take 14 days off from all workout activity. Then get busy! Best of luck, and keep us posted!
Jake
 
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