How can I lose weight even faster, build muscle and get stronger at the same time?

[Kellen21]

I'm 6'2 283lbs. I already lost 35 pounds in 4 months so far and that isn't freaking enough. I need to lose at least 60 more. I also need to be ripped or least toned. And I want to become stronger. For example my current bench is 300 pounds, I need to be at 350.

I already have a high protein diet with protein powder (Muscle Milk). I eat fruit and veggies. I take a metabolism booster (DFine). I try to eat 4-6 times a day. I workout 4-5 days for one 1/2 hours. Lots of CARDIO and LIFTING. I sleep for 4-8 hours.

What should I do more? What should I buy (supplements, etc.)

I need to be at my goal by spring break or summer time.

[sammyangel9991]

If you're doing it the right way, you shouldn't be losing more than a pound or 2 a week. You don't want to lose crazy amounts of weight fast. You want to hold onto your muscle and lose fat. If you are pushing yourself hard enough with your strength training and you are eating properly, you are going to gain muscle. So even though you may not lose scale weight, you will be losing fat and gaining muscle.

The scale doesn't tell you what kind of weight you are gaining or losing. You could be losing fat and putting on muscle. The number won't say you gained a pound of muscle or that you lost water weight or muscle instead of bodyfat.

You will not be able to lose that much weight and have it all be from fat in that short period of time. Just take the right steps to get healthy and you will slowly transform your body composition.

I would recommend that you get your bodyfat percentage tested once a month and take measurements. That will give you a more accurate measure of your progress. Bodyfat calipers pinch different areas of your body where you carry fat and you can determine based on the measurements from the pinch test what your current bodyfat is.

If you don't lose anything on the scale, but you get your bodyfat tested in a month and you are down 2% bodyfat, then you know you are making progress and gaining muscle. The scale doesn't matter if your bodyfat percentage is going down.

Try to drink a gallon of water a day and really push yourself with your weights. I mean, never compromise your form for more weight. But make sure you are challenging yourself. Try adding in HIIT cardio. It's basically interval training and it can help get you past a plateau. Instead of keeping your speed the same the whole workout, you alternate between high and low intensities. Jog for a minute and a half and then sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Alternate those intervals for 20 mins. Do this on days you don't lift. On days you lift do normal cardio after lifting.

Make sure your diet is good. Eat lean protein, a serving of a complex carb and veggies at every meal. Try to eat as unprocessed as possible. Protein bars are OK once in a while, but try to avoid them. They have a lot of junk in them. Stay away from white sugar and enriched bleached flour. Instead of muscle milk, get Optimum Nutrition natural whey. There's no junk in it. Avoid dairy whenever possible except for greek yogurt.

[sammyangel9991]

Also, try supersets. Instead of doing a set and then resting, do a set of something and do another set of something else right after and THEN rest. You can also do giant sets where you do 3 or more exercises right after each other before you rest. Go to muscleandstrength.com and pick a workout routine if you are not sure that yours is good. They also have an awesome forum if you want more advice. You should join it and ask any questions you may have.

[Kellen21]

Thanks for the site.

[funkadelic5]

Avoid dairy? wtf? non-fat milk is just about the most protein-dense food you can eat besides meat, and casein is the slowest digesting protein which makes it really easy to prevent muscle loss. not to mention the other stuff they chuck in there most of the time; a healthy dose of calcium/vitamin d

[InquisitiveMale]

Time my man. There is no way around it. 35lbs in 4months isn't half bad. You could do better but you'd have to cut down on your strength training and dedicate more time to burning off that fat. It would be a trade off.

Also... one 1/2 hours is not necessary. Increase you intensity and lower your time intervals between sets. 45 minutes upwards of an hour should be plenty. If you do to much you're actually going to impede on your results.

Take every third or forth week off. It allows your body time to fully heal and makes your muscles feel it that much more when you jump back into the rhythm of things. You'd be surprised how beneficial this really is for gaining quick results.

Eat a couple hundred less calories then you burn each day. You should be hungry at all time but not starving. Eat enough so you can sustain your energy for your workouts but you should feel exhausted by the end of the day.

That's about all I can give you. I've always had the opposite problem, putting on mass, and not loosing it. It took me several years to gain 35lbs while it took you four months to lose the same amount. lol

[Longshot]

For men, it's realistic to lose about 2 lbs/week. (For women, it's less.) I would recommend cutting back on the powders and supplements and stick with real food. Also if you haven't tried it, eat your daily meals in reverse order (e.g. have dinner at breakfast time). Many of the major diets like Weight Watchers say this will help you lose a little faster.

You seem to be doing fine and you could lose the 50-60 by the end of June. One other way to become lean and gain muscle is by swimming. I am a swimmer and can tell you it will change the look of your body. The only problem with swimming is that the calorie burn is significant and after good workouts, you will feel like you could eat a house. But you will be lean quickly.

By the way, I am currently on an exercise and nutrition plan where I am losing 10 lbs/month. I am not swimming this time due to a shoulder problem but if I were, I would be losing closer to 12-15 lbs/month. Having experienced that kind of weight loss in the past, I can tell you it does take a toll on the body.

[WoIIie]

It's actually a much more simpler solution than what others would have you believe.

Do more cardio.

Cardio does not shrink muscles or do anything detrimental to your long term goals. What it does is burn fat. Benching isn't great cardio. Pick up a basketball or go for a jog. Heck, try M-100's (though at your weight, they might be more like M-60's)

[funkadelic5]

Should eat less (2-3 times a day)

Workout 3 days a week

You only need to work out for an hour each time, spending more "time" doesn't mean more results

Get more sleep (8 hours a day is good)

Eat heavy protein in general but eat a lot of carbs on workout days (especially right after your workout)

Supplements are a waste of time, just eat whole foods and take a daily vitamin / fish oil

[Anonymous]

It's January. June is 6 months away. You've been losing close to 10lbs a month. You'll get there.

Spring Break? Nope Summer Solstice? Absolutely

[Anonymous]

Carb Cycling

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=uqPAzi1rZno