I'm 22 yo, I weight 358 and 6 foot tall and I want to get in shape really fast.
I'm a computer engineer student and spend a lot of time in front of a computer 8 to 14 hours a day. I want to change my eating and exercise habits to lose weight. I've got a gym membership so machines are acceptable.
Without being too time consuming or extremely hard for someone of my weight, which routine should I follow?
Thinking that you can ...get in shape really fast... is a first step in the wrong direction. It might take as long to get in shape as it did to get 'out of shape'. Here's a list of steps to success:
GOOD LUCK, dedication and determination will get you where you want to be.
I also, am a computer engineer and am tied to a computer all day. I started at 185lbs and 20% body fat. Not nearly as big as you proclaim yourself to be, but in a similar position nonetheless.
Diet is very important: I use a protocol called Intermittent Fasting. If you can embrace this lifestyle change you will drop fat very fast. Get in a caloric deficit, eat healthy foods, and stay away from fast and fried foods. MyFitnessPal, as mentioned in other answers, is a big help for tracking calories and macronutrients, add this in with IF. Supplement with protein shakes, etc.
Exercise: Unless your arms don't work, stay away from elliptical machines, and the treadmill to start. Get on a workout routine where you strength train maybe 4 days a week and do some kind of low intensity cardio, i.e brisk walks (1 hour), until you can get into some HIIT High intensity interval training.
Make your strength training a split routine, try Chest/back, arms, legs, shoulders - do not run around the gym and try every machine there is to get a full body workout. It's not going to do anything dramatic, compound movements are your friend, try to squat, bench, deadlift, etc. I used the Get Swole program, which worked very well for me. (Nevermind the stack of musclepharm products, and the meal timing they are irrelevant)
Core Development is hugely important and has been a major factor in my progress. Make sure to spend some time and do core work, maybe on your low intensity days. And I don't mean crunches I mean planks, weighted twists, resistance twists, ab rollouts (if you can), etc.
Take your time: It's going to take a lot of consistency in your diet, don't get misguided. If you fall off track: get back on.
Also in terms of timing, I wake up eat 5:00am and get to the gym by 6:30-7:30 before I start my day. That, intermittent fasting and bulletproof coffee result in high energy, high focus, excellent fat loss results, retain lean muscle mass, and see results, which is of course the most important thing.
I would agree as above to set yourself in a caloric deficit. Use [MyFitnessPalmfp or Lose It! if you live in the states. But make sure you move enough. Instead of dieting away your fat, burn it. If you have a smartphone, use MyFitnessPal and connect it to RunKeeper and burn the calories away.
Also check out Scooby's Workshop. Scooby has a lot of good advice for those who can get in shape as comfortable as possible.
The best cardio for you is: Brisk to very brisk walking. Human beings are made for walking. If you have a smartphone use RunKeeper to measure your distance. Walk an hour a day and make a habit out of it. To make it more fun and rewarding: Build up your speed. Break your distance record every day if you can, which will unstress you. Also don't push yourself to death to break your daily record. Even it is just 20 meters by last record, it is still breaking the record. Biking is also good, because it has also very low impact on your knee joints.
And what I would expect you to have is: You are doing this because you want, and not because you must. You are the one who can make it happen! Look for support, a close friend or family member to join you in your quest. You can start it alone and go on for a while, but you will hard time keeping it up alone.
Like yourself I work with computers and I put a lot of weight on sat in front of them eating chocolate bars and drinking fizzy drinks, I got to a silly weight of 320lbs and realized I needed to do something when my family and friends would make jokes (Horrible family and friends I know, haha) but it wasn't until I met someone that I really realized I had to change call her my motivation if you will. Hear are my nutritional, diet and workout plans I did.
This is was my standard 6 week on 1 week of program for some time.
This would be my standard work out when I started as you can see I didn't really have a plan except for losing weight, I did have rest days they have always been Wednesdays and Saturdays. I started in November 2012 at 320lbs and I am now 194.007lbs. Losing the weight has opened up so much for me I have since joined the Police as a Special Constable and I start 2 weeks ago Mixed Martial Arts training but some might say I might not have her but I do. We are best friends and has stood by me through thick and thin I am just not good enough for her yet.. Ok I'm getting into personal things.
Back on topic
Since losing the weight my main focus when in the gym is now weight training so I have a routine and supplements (Protein, Creatine, etc) but since your just wanting to lose weight I'm not going into that but I read a few articles on here and hopefully they will help you.
Don't think it will happen over night/days or even weeks it is a very long drawn out process months to years. I would recommend finding something that will motivate you so when your feeling down (because you will) you can focus on mine was a girl I love, yours could be your kids, wife. But don't get into a set mind you're doing it for them it is you you're doing it for.
Good Luck
I am a software engineer and been already two years in a gym. As far as my experience goes, I never did really lose until I did something important
Be active!
The most single important change I made for my fitness was just enforcing the rule of no matter what, I must move. No single day I should stay still longer than 30 minutes.
I work from home, so I do spend a lot of time seated and get some days where I never had a reason to go outside.
While working I use the Pomodoro technique (work 25 min, stand up and away from screen 5 min).
Being in the same position too long can harm your body in a way that no sport can repair the damage. There are studies where participants seating longer than 10h a day had 35% more chances of death, and exercise did not improve things.
Now, sport is a great thing, just don't overdo. I never lost much hitting the gym four/three times a week. Changes appeared when I forced myself to stay active, stand up, walk for computer break, read walking around...
Oh wait... I ride my bike an average of 45 min every day, nordic walk 2-3 hours a week, swim 2 days, and lift weights 2 days. The only intensive thing being the 30 min of a weight training workout. I would never consider myself the sport type of guy.
Avoid at all cost thinking that one single type of training can heal your body, and then continue your normal life the rest of the time.
