135,000 miles O.T.

Submitted by foreverbluemaize on

Hey guys I have a quick question for you. I am overweight and looking to trim down for an upcoming trip to Cancun. I have been watching a lot of UFC lately and I have seen this commercial for Randy Couture's Tower 200. It is a body by Jake thing so I tend to trust the quality but am still not sure. I looked on bing for reviews and only came up with one site with two reviews, (both were pretty favorable). My question is have any of you had any experience with the tower 200 or any other Body by Jake stuff that would be helpful in my decision.

turbo cool

March 17th, 2010 at 11:41 PM ^

Don't fall for these gimmicks man. It seems like when most people want to get in shape they immediately latch onto these types of programs. It's far more simple than that. If you're just looking to lose weight then do two things:

1) Eat Right. For instance, whatever you have for breakfast substitute that for a bowl of fruit. Have salads for lunch and curb the amount of red meat and excessive carbs. And obviously cut out the late night food, which can be especially difficult if you're still in school. But, try to limit your overall meat intake. I know personally that's worked for me in addition to completely cutting out dairy but I understand that can be difficult.

2) Run. If you're just trying to lose weight then get your ass on the treadmill. Hell, the weather is getting nicer, you can just run outside. Once you start getting your stamina up, try going on a run when you wake up. You'll be reaping the benefits of that throughout the entire day. Also, you're be directly burning off fat with those.

That's it man. It's simple. Eat right and run. Take care of yourself. If you're looking to put on muscle obviously you'll need to get your ass in the gym but it sounds like you're just trying to lose some lb's. Good luck. The initial phase is always the toughest.

mtzlblk

March 18th, 2010 at 1:25 PM ^

more specifically, you want to get your heart rate to a certain level while exercising and maintain it there for something like 45 minutes, at least in order to get your body to start actually burning fat.

Knowledge is your best weapon. Look online to determine the normal at rest heart rate for your age weight, then look at the levels at which you need to be at and the minimum time for you to be at that level to burn fat. then do it at least every other day. You can do weights on the alternate days to build muscle, which will help also.

That and eat right, reduce your calorie intake and don't eat foods that are high in fat, sugars, etc.

The answer is siomple and will be far more effective than the gimmicks.

ebbtide

March 18th, 2010 at 6:07 AM ^

+1

stick to their diet (very easy and not really restrictive) and do the workouts and you *will* lose weight quickly. It's total body, an excellent blend of cardio and weight training (with very few required weights) and keeps things changed up so your body can't plateau.

But like everything else, you have to *do it*. This is not a workout for someone looking for "20 minutes a day 3 days a week".

Blazefire

March 18th, 2010 at 9:20 AM ^

The thing I like about it is, as near as I can tell from the commercials, the workout series is done with real people doing the workout over the same period of time, so you won't be discouraged on day one watching already-in-shape people kick butt on the excersizes. They'll be no better than you to start, and you'll get in shape WITH them.

EverybodyMurders

March 18th, 2010 at 1:36 PM ^

That's not true. The people doing the workouts have already completed the program and a couple of them are absolute monsters. There's always a person who goes "light" and I suggest following that for a days then slowly progressing. P90X kicks your ass hard at the start, especially if you haven't worked out extensively for a few months. Don't get discouraged though, it's hard work but worth it

Dark Blue

March 17th, 2010 at 11:50 PM ^

You could always try the sticking you finger down your throat and vomiting approach. Eat all you want and still lose weight, sounds like a win to me.

Litt1e Rhino

March 17th, 2010 at 11:54 PM ^

Run. Cardeo is the only way to cut fat. Weight lifting will only build muscle. If you want a really insane workout go with the P90X.

I personally am on my own diet and have cut 25 lbs in the past 2 months. I want to loose another 15 to bring me down to 215.

grUM

March 18th, 2010 at 3:34 AM ^

yes. I lift and eat more food than any diet would consider healthy and I havent gained a pound of fat, only muscle. If you lift with the proper intensity, the only worry about diet you should have is eating enough to get the full potential from your workout.

Space Coyote

March 18th, 2010 at 8:45 AM ^

One of the best things you can do is build muscle. The more muscle you have the quicker your body burns calories. This means even when you are sitting at a computer all day you are burning more calories then a person also sitting at a computer who doesn't weight train.

Weight training has a ton of benefits, the fact that it helps burn more calories through out the day, and you burn calories while working out (as someone else said, depending on the intensity it can be a great combo of cardio and muscle building) are major pluses.

Hemlock Philosopher

March 18th, 2010 at 12:00 AM ^

The key is to be active. Find something you like to do. Personally, I cannot stand running unless it's on the hard court. So I play 3 hours twice a week and then make sure to get over 10K steps on the pedometer on the other days. I've lost 30 lbs in the last year and did not change a thing to my eating* habits. I feel I can maintain my activities and not burn out, then gain it all back.

*by eating, I mean drinking.

OMG the QB is toast

March 18th, 2010 at 12:16 AM ^

I say you should try to find a local pickup ultimate frisbee group. I don't really like running, but chasing a disc is fun and you'll be surprised how quickly you start getting into shape. In Ann Arbor, there are several groups of varying skill level/fitness. The group that plays Sunday mornings at Burns Park or Mitchell Field (seasonal) is very relaxed and welcomes all levels of experience and fitness.

Plus, I think you'll find that ultimate players are generally great people.

GVBlue86

March 18th, 2010 at 12:16 AM ^

p90x is legit...if you arent disciplined enough to work yourself hard by yourself, this program makes you do the right stuff. It is intense but you lose weight fast. Those before and after pics are actually genuine too.

BrayBray1

March 18th, 2010 at 12:17 AM ^

You are going to Mexico, you're gonna want to look fab in your hostage video. Seriously, that country is a fucked up, third world war zone....Why people still want to go there is beyond me.

BlueintheLou

March 18th, 2010 at 12:54 AM ^

I think it comes down to one thing, regardless of what you try to do. If you want to do Tower 200, fine. P90X, fine. Running and pushups fine. Eating right combined with any of the above, fine.

Commit 100% to it and you will see results. Those who don't see results, don't dedicate themselves to their goals. Set realistic goals and commit. Commit, commit, commit.

Good luck.

DoubleMs

March 18th, 2010 at 2:47 AM ^

The only things that aren't Bowflex (which do work pretty well, by the way) sold on infomercials that I would use are the Perfect Pushup and one of the door chinup bars.

Monocle Smile

March 18th, 2010 at 3:31 AM ^

As a athlete in sports that involve a lot of running (soccer, tennis), I will agree that running is key to losing weight, but for many folks, running outside is extremely hard on knees and ankles. Elliptical machines help with this, but I would recommend cycling. If you bike far enough at a reasonable pace, you can burn just as many calories as running with less strain on your joints.

OMG the QB is Toast is right about pickup sports. I find myself far more exhausted playing pickup soccer or flag football than I do just running in a circle for the hell of it.

ShockFX is right about muscle and metabolism. More lean muscle means your body uses more energy to function.

If you can somehow develop the ability to not sit still but not in an annoying manner, studies have shown that certain "nervous twitches" (like me pumping my legs up and down when I'm seating) when done all day long can burn calories equivalent to running 4 miles. If this is a mental challenge, don't do it. You'll stress yourself out.

The biggest obstacle is inconsistency. If you want results, you must do cardio every single day with an OCCASIONAL one-day vacation.

Finally, a healthy diet is the cornerstone to all of this. Greens, fruit, and protein (from lean meat, nuts, and certain vegetables) should be your bread and butter. Also try drinking tons of water. You'll feel better and your system will find exercising easier.

foreverbluemaize

March 18th, 2010 at 7:20 AM ^

I appreciate all of the great advice. It kind of seems to me that the general consensus here is KISS (keep it simple stupid). Makes me think of a Rocky Balboa kind of thing. I have bad knees so I don't think running is going to be an option for me but biking is definitely possible and I do have access to P90X. I am not leaving until June so I have until then to lose 50 lbs. Kind of a tall task but I think if I just get of off my fat ass I can do it. Thanks everyone. Wish me luck.

hokiewolf

March 18th, 2010 at 8:24 AM ^

I've found the Abs Diet to be effective. It's about eating the right things rather than depriving yourself, and eating six small meals rather than three large ones.

Cardio mixed with weights is very effective, especially if you work on core strength and long and lean muscle rather than just big bench numbers. A workout of dumbbells, crunches and push-ups that all incorporate working off a stability ball and/or bosu ball is great for balance and core.

If you are still a student, see if personal training is offered at the school gym. They are usually much cheaper than at a standard gym. I work out twice a week with a trainer for ridiculously low payments (something like $12 an hour if I buy bundles).

Kilgore Trout

March 18th, 2010 at 8:38 AM ^

This sounds too simple, but I went from 230 to 205 (at 6'6") in four months by keeping a food journal and doing it honestly. Go to a site like livestrong.com and sign up for their free "My Plate" feature. You tell it the rate you want to lose weight and it will give you a calorie goal per day. Just input everything you eat in, and you will quickly see you're probably eating way too much. The first few weeks are rough, but your body adjusts and it's pretty easy, in all honesty. The real key though is that you have to put down EVERYTHING you eat or drink. Lying to the food journal is only hurting yourself. It's very tempting to do.

In my experience, working out will certainly get you in better shape and improve lots of things, but if you're purely looking to drop pounds off, checking your intake is definitely the best first step.

Nickel

March 18th, 2010 at 9:31 AM ^

The KISS principle you mentioned is really the easiest thing. Eat better/less and exercise more.

Also look at things you eat or drink that you can change.
-whole wheat bread for white (healthier, more filling)
-crystal light or equivalent for soda or fruit juice
-lean meats like chicken or turkey for beef
-canned fruits packed in juice or water instead of syrup

Small things make a big difference in the long run. Cutting out just a single can of regular soda (150 calories) per day will help the average person lose over 15 lbs per year.

Blazefire

March 19th, 2010 at 7:31 AM ^

This is VERY VERY condition specific. A clean cut of chicken or turkey over beef, yes. However, if you go out to eat, and they offer a turkey burger and a regular burger, order the regular burger. Ground turkey almost always has the very fatty skin in it. As long as your beef is at least 85% lean, it will be better for you.