a question for the fitness buffs.

[kariann330]

So im sick of being over weight. Last time i weighed 220 it was muscle, not fat. Im thinking about doing Insanity and following the included diet, the only way it really works, so i can get back into shape before doing Asylum 1 & 2 again. I used to do them when doing MMA and miss them so much. My question is do yall suggest doing the workout before or after work? I have the extra hour at both times but am worried about it effecting my night at work. I lift a 50 pound clamp countless times a night and also push a cart that weighs about 100-150 pounds countless times a night. Now if anyone is familiar with manufacturing, you would know the carts we use are designed to move with little effort with heavy loads. The rest of my night is paperwork and using an overhead crane.

So suggest away cuz i really need to loose the weight.

[Jill F]

If it's all muscle, you are not overweight from a body comp perspective.  BMI is garbage- an archaic one-size-fits-all approach favored by elderly physicians and insurance companies.

That being said, if you want to look more feminine, that's WAY too much muscle mass on you unless you're like 7 feet tall. 

Skip the heavy lifting, especially upper body.
Do lots of cardio (1+ hour) 5 or more days a week without fail.
Stop eating meat and other high-protein foods until your goal has been reached.  (Relax, it's temporary and veggies are awesome!)

It's working for me...

[Randi]

My experience has shown me that there is no level of exercise that will cause you to lose weight, if you don't restrict you caloric intake.

At one time I thought that if I exercised heavily I could eat anything I want.  I was wrong.

Randi

[Brooke777]

If you are not in shape, then I suggest you start a light work out regime. If you go to hard too fast, you will get burnt out and not stick with it. I suggest you do about 15-20 minutes of cardio. Follow that with about 10 minutes of stretching (of course you need to stretch before the cardio as well). After stretching, do some light arms (5-10lbs for 20-30 reps per muscle group). Do this about 3 times a week for the first three weeks. Then up it to 5 days a week for 3 weeks. After that, increase the cardio time, number of ab reps, but not the weight or reps on the arms.

You will also need to adopt a very healthy diet. Different diets work better for different people. For me, a mostly vegetarian diet is the best. Others are better off with a paleo diet, vegan, or general balanced diet. This is a trial and error process that you will need to do for yourself.

REMEMBER: This will take time. It should take at least 1 month before you see any lasting changes so don't get discouraged.

(for what it's worth, I used to be a personal trainer)