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I am fat :( Anonymous
37y/o 6' 245lbs

I have been lurking for months. Due to that lurking, I have cut out all sugared soda, started drinking lots of water or crystal light flavored water, and started eating more frequent but smaller meals.

That phase one has helped, I am down some, I think. Now I am ready to turn on the cardio and goto phase 2. I have a few questions for you.

1) I enjoy elliptical and used to pull 45 minute sessions that kept my heart rate around 150 and maxed at 180. I am a little older now. What heart range is the best for fat loss? And what is the max length of cardio at one session should I do before it stops being effective at fat loss?

2) I used to like doing my cardio in the morning before work and even shower. That good, or is it better for fat loss later in the day?

3) I work in an office, any good tasting suggestions for 500-700 cal lunches that you bring to work?

4) I intend on turning to stronglifts 5x5 when I complete my phase 2. At what weight would you suggest I close my phase 2 cardio-only workout?

5) Since I intend on doing the cardio early in the am, what do you suggest for eating? I have been eating 2 servings of steel cut oats with granny smith apple for breakfast for a few weeks now. For energy, do you suggest I eat that before the workout or after - or eating something else altogether?
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>> Anonymous
>What heart range is the best for fat loss?
There is no fat loss range. If you go slow, you need to go long.

>And what is the max length of cardio at one session should I do before it stops being effective at fat loss?
There is no max. At some point you will start losing muscle mass too (see: marathon runners).
>> faggot !kzxLmJyzX.
>>1

Don't be concerned over heart rate range, just work your ass off for about 45 minutes.

>>2

It's argued that fasted cardio is more effective for fat loss due to you having alot lower glycogen stores since you haven't eaten and thus you should start burning fat quicker. Whether it's true or not i dont know, i personally don't like doing it as i feel sick.

>>3

Tuna, Onion, laughing cow extra light cheese (20 cals a triangle, 2g protein, very low on the fat side) and some herbs thrown in. The cheese is in the UK, use the appropriate cheese in your own country.

>>4

Don't know, dont do stronglifts programme.

>>5

Personally i have a protein shake in the morning. I want to burn through glycogen stores quickly so eating alot of carbs prior to cardio seems counter productive imo.
>> Anonymous
>265247 (don't know how to hyperlink to another post)

>>And what is the max length of cardio at one session should I do before it stops being effective at fat loss?
>There is no max. At some point you will start losing muscle mass too (see: marathon runners).

OP here.

Right, I don't want to be counter-productive. 45 minutes at 120-180bps would be productive, generally? Would 60 minutes be better?
>> Anonymous
>>265248

Ah, figured out the quoting.

Thanks faggot. So you so the protein shake before workout so you have calories but not the carbs. Makes sense.

We have the Laughing Cow cheese here in the states as well. I'll try that recipe.

As for my phase 3 mention - the stronglifts mention wasn't the most important part of that question, but more so the point of at what weight /fit/ feels I should go from an all cardio workout to lose fat - to a hybrid cardio/lifting phase to keep improving things.
>> faggot !kzxLmJyzX.
>>265253

Stop. Stop. Stop. Ignore heart rate. If you have time to watch tv or can finish your session and the sweat is not in your eyes and you can finish a sentence without any difficulty then you are not working hard enough.
>> Anonymous
>>265256

No, I used to take my own box fan to blow on me when I worked out. I don't focus on the heart rate, but do definitely use it to see at what level my body feels it is being worked.

No, when I was really into cardio I was working it like how some of you workout with weights. I would keep track of performance in a spreadsheet, I would gauge how tired I was at the end, and if not exausted, I would take the difficulty up a notch for the next day.

No, I was a committed, exaustive, sweated-up, cardio freak. It's why I am ashamed to be in the position I am in weight-wise.
>> Anonymous
OP here.

With my 6' frame, I used to be 190 lbs with a 32 inch waist in high school. So now at age 37, what target do I aim for before I start adding working out to the routine?

Because I am presuming/assuming that it would be best for me to not focus at all on lifting and to completely focus on fat loss via cardio.

amirite? If I am wrong, please tell this fatfuck. Because it start here and today.
>> Anonymous
>>265268
>what target do I aim for before I start adding working out to the routine?

Correction:
what target do I aim for before I start adding lifting/bulking to the routine?
>> Anonymous
Do cardio AND weight lift at the same time

as some other anon on this board said
You are like a car, when cardioing you are on cruise control, slow and steady fat loss
When lifting you accelerate, brake and turn
>> Anonymous
Out of curiosity, if you enjoyed being a cardio freak and keeping track of it all, how come you haven't tried running?

With running you can set yourself proper distance challenges and even train for races (there's always a 10k going on somewhere).

Although note, that by running, I mean going outside... not on a treadmill. Never on a treadmill.


Also there is absolutely no reason to do cardio and then start stronglifts 5x5. Strong lifts 5x5 for beginners is a pretty light program, primarily for conditioning yourself. It will help alot with weight loss, and improve your cardio performance (my running performance has increased drastically ever since starting squatting) so start it now as well.

And you don't actually have to decidedly bulk/cut. If you are simply training to gain strength and improve your fitness then the "bulking" can be little more than consciously adding some protein to each meal and having a high protein shake or snack after working out.
>> Anonymous
>>265300

I used to long distance in high school, but haven't thought about it more than worrying it would hurt my knees given my fatness. Part of my desire to get thin is a desire to run a marathon before my 40th birthday - but that's only in about 1100 days from now.

We'll see how this phase of weight loss goes. I had thought that if I started to lift while starting a cardio track, it would conflict with the (you can only do one thing at a time - burn fat or make muscle) credo that is mentioned here often.

But I will try them both out, see how they fit. Thanks for the suggestion Anon.