My 100lb plan for 2016 elk hunt

[backyardsniper]

I thought it would be interesting to keep a running thread on my train up for the 2016 elk season. I hunted on the group hunt last year with NTO and being from ky I really had no idea what to prepare for. I did crossfit and a lot of walking with my pack. As the hunt got closer I was still not close to what I thought was a suitable weight. I'm a big guy anyway, so cardio is not really my thing. Think more like powerlifter. So 40 days before the hunt I did a very drastic diet and lost 43lbs in 40 days to get down to what I felt was a reasonable weight. I had lost some in the months prior doing other training and dieting. End result was going from 313 down to 255lbs for the hunt. I'm 6'0 so that still isn't exactly in shape.
That being said I have dropped a deposit for a hunt in 2016 and I intend to be well ahead of the curve this time. Due to my love of all things unhealthy, namely beer and red meat in large quantities, I have returned to the 300lb mark. 301lb as of last monday to be exact. So I started talking with a freind of mine here at work who went from 290ish down to 170lb and now runs 7 miles a day. I have devised a pretty specific diet and exercise program and my goal is to get to 199lb before the hunt. Which is approx. 15 months away. I'm due to weigh in Monday and I'll update then, that will be 7days in.
I'm using a mix of strength training coupled with HIIT cardio and keeping my calories around 1800 with a ballance of approx. 45% protien40% fatand 15% carbs which balances out to around 250gr protein 88gr fat and 76 gr carbs per day spread out over about 5-6 small meals. I'll adjust as necessary. For reference I did 500-700 calories a day to lose the weight for the last one and that was not very fun at all.

I'll keep you all posted for anyone that is interested in following. Right now any stats on my exercise are simply bad and worse. Ha ha

 

[lazylabs]

Good luck, starting this early is a great plan!

 

[wvlongshot]

Try this, it may make things easier to keep track of. Weigh every morning b-4 breakfast, record it at the same time, or close to it. Also make notes if unusual routine for any reason. Kinda like a journal. I have friends that have been doing this for over 20yrs. Kinda nice to look back in time over the years.

 

[backyardsniper]

Weighed in this morning. Down 7.5lb. Gonna continue with the same macro percentages for the next week and check weight again

 

[Barrelnut]

Tag. Would like to follow your progress. Thanks.

 

[eshorebwhntr]

I did kind of the same thing as you did for a Wyoming mule deer hunt last year. I started on July 1st at 247. I'm also 6ft even. I started on the treadmill every day with a 55-60 lb pack stuffed with 45 cal 230gr FMJ bullet packs and towels. Initially all I could do was about .75 miles at 3mph and max incline. When I got up to the point where I could do 2 miles without stopping I started alternating every other day with a 4 mile run. Diet wise I was staying around 1100-1200 calories a day. Always fruit or eggs in the morning, salad or a can of peas/green beans at lunch, and meat/vegetable at dinner. Carbs were probably less than 40g/day, protein was probably 50-65g, and fat was less than 15g. When the hunt rolled around in late September I was around 189.

I thought I made out pretty well during my 5 day hunt. The only thing I couldn't prepare for that kicked my *** was the elevation. I live in Maryland on the eastern shore and it's below sea level for the most part. Going to 10,000 feet every day was something that I wasn't ready to handle. Physically I was fine but a 300-400 yard walk in that country would wind me instantly to where I had to stop for a minute.

I've since seen these masks that make you look like Bane but they apparently have inserts you can modify to simulate altitude.

Good luck with your progress. Are you going on the same elk hunt again next year?

 

[backyardsniper]

Yeah i'm gonna go on the elk hunt In 2016. Hopefully the group hunt on here which is what I didast year and then I hope to have enough points to draw a muke deer tag in 2017. I did a lot of rucking last year to gwt ready also, kind of a funnt note ammo cans and towels is what i used to fill my pack as well. Works pretty good doesn't it. That elevation is tought to prepare for though. I'm with you. Not much you can do to get ready for that.

 

[Hornhunter32]

I thought it would be interesting to keep a running thread on my train up for the 2016 elk season. I hunted on the group hunt last year with NTO and being from ky I really had no idea what to prepare for. I did crossfit and a lot of walking with my pack. As the hunt got closer I was still not close to what I thought was a suitable weight. I'm a big guy anyway, so cardio is not really my thing. Think more like powerlifter. So 40 days before the hunt I did a very drastic diet and lost 43lbs in 40 days to get down to what I felt was a reasonable weight. I had lost some in the months prior doing other training and dieting. End result was going from 313 down to 255lbs for the hunt. I'm 6'0 so that still isn't exactly in shape.
That being said I have dropped a deposit for a hunt in 2016 and I intend to be well ahead of the curve this time. Due to my love of all things unhealthy, namely beer and red meat in large quantities, I have returned to the 300lb mark. 301lb as of last monday to be exact. So I started talking with a freind of mine here at work who went from 290ish down to 170lb and now runs 7 miles a day. I have devised a pretty specific diet and exercise program and my goal is to get to 199lb before the hunt. Which is approx. 15 months away. I'm due to weigh in Monday and I'll update then, that will be 7days in.
I'm using a mix of strength training coupled with HIIT cardio and keeping my calories around 1800 with a ballance of approx. 45% protien40% fatand 15% carbs which balances out to around 250gr protein 88gr fat and 76 gr carbs per day spread out over about 5-6 small meals. I'll adjust as necessary. For reference I did 500-700 calories a day to lose the weight for the last one and that was not very fun at all.

I'll keep you all posted for anyone that is interested in following. Right now any stats on my exercise are simply bad and worse. Ha ha

Hey buddy, it's Todd from ND. I was on that hunt with you last year. Good luck with training. That hunt kicked my butt as well with being too heavy and having asthma.

I drew my once in a lifetime elk tag for ND so I've been trying to get in shape all over again. It's been hard to find time to workout with a baby now but I'm in better shape than I was last year. Since it's in ND, I don't have to worry about elevation, which is huge. Again, good luck!!

 

[StrutNut]

We are pretty similar as well although you got me by a couple inches, the good ones I too am planning to head out west next year. Just not sure if by gun or bow. I have done the trip once before and honestly got around better than I thought with working out with cardio. I have a elliptical and a kind of everything machine and home. The machine has cheaper version of a stair climber but similar motion and resistance. I have started off walking for about 30-45 minutes in the skyways here in Minneapolis. That gives me time to eat when done. Right now healthy food is my enemy. Funds are tight and pasta is cheap. I have a raise and bonus coming so that will change. For a big guy I have always moved around pretty good but the time has come to start dropping weight as well. I will be following your progress and good luck!

 

[backyardsniper]

Hey Todd. Good to hear from you. Congrats on the new baby and the elk tag. I remember yall weren't far from having the little one when we were in Wyoming. Strtnrut. I hear ya on the health food. I would recomend if you are gonna go cheap do black beans and pinto beans and rice instead of pasta. They're much better carbs and real cheap. Add in some canned tuna or some baked bonless skinless chicken thighs. Fairly cheap and still reasonably healthy.

 

[Hornhunter32]

Hey Todd. Good to hear from you. Congrats on the new baby and the elk tag. I remember yall weren't far from having the little one when we were in Wyoming.

Thanks! We had a little boy so I was very happy about that! I couldn't believe I drew an elk tag for ND. It's the 2nd hardest tag to draw. It's not on a pts system so it's pure luck. I know many people that have put in for 40 years and still haven't drawn a tag so I'm pretty jacked. I was out scouting and hiking last weekend and I found 20 head with 4 bulls. The biggest bull was a pretty decent 5x6, but one I would pass on right away(I learned my lesson in Wyoming ). We are headed out there again this weekend to try to find some bigger bulls.

 

[j3cub]

Be careful no to over do your exercise plan. An injury can put you on the side lines for the hunt.

One other thought. I have done several western trips into the mountains. If you can get vacation time, try and get a week or more off before the hunt and walk trails in the same type of area you will be hunting in. As you have indicate a flat lander trying to keep up with young guides at ten thousand feet can kill you. Depending on the area, take your rifle and do some shooting in situations you might experience during the hunt. Work the bugs out.

 

[backyardsniper]

Changing the eating plan up a little bit. After talking to some guys who are pretty seriously into the workout and fitness business, apparently I am not eating enough calories to support my Lean body mass. They recommend 2500 calories at least for a guy my size to lose 2-3 lbs a week. I am also coupling this with a pretty intense lifting program so I do want to be able to support my lean muscle. They have also talked me into trying the IIFYM, if it fits your macros, style of eating. This is basically done by running your height and weight and age through an equation that tells you your basal metabolic rate which is the amount of calories you would burn if you sat on the couch or stayed in bed all day, which for me was 2700ish. You then add in you activity level and the intensity , frequency, and duration of your workout program and this will give you your TDEE, total daily energy expenditure, which is the amount of calories you burn in a typical active day. Approx 3300 for me, so I chose 2500 calories in order to create roughly an 800 calorie daily deficit.which should produce approx a 2lb per week loss. The IIFYM style of eating involves then taking your body weigh times .08 which will tell you the grams of protein per day, 235 in my case, and body weight times .04 gives you grams of fat per day, 117 in my case. Once you reach these minimums you then fill out the remainder of the calories with whatever you wish. 940 calories worth of protein and 1053 calories worth of fat, total of 1993 calories for my needs and that leaves me 507 calories of whatever I wish, more protein, extra carbs, maybe a bag of M&M's. This is of course not a license to eat junk all day and think you will lose weight but it does allow you some degree of flexability in what you eat. Hit your minimums on fat and protein with whatever foods you wish, and fill out the rest with whatever makes you happy.
Had an excellent leg workout today and I have logged around 4 hours of cardio so far this week. I am definitely starting to feel the effects of the cleaner eating after two weeks. My lifts are starting to get stronger, and cardio is becoming slightly less miserable. I have found walking outdoors is much preferable to trying to do cardio on a treadmill, and flipping a tractor tire provides for a great cardio, and full body workout.

 

[backyardsniper]

Well I believe 2500calories is too much. Not seeing the results I'm looking for. I have lost 2.5" off the waist but I'm holding fairly steady on the weight. I do believe i have been putting on some muscle though. My bench press and dead lift are way up. Doing sets of 10 with 225lb on the flat bench and I dead lifted 405lb. Problem is that really doesn't help me much with losing weight to elk hunt. So I'm going to switch to more of a hiit, high intensity interval training and cut down the calories a bit more. We also have a cardio machine at the gym i go to called a jacobs ladder. Google it, I believe it is the best mountain hunting preparation that a person who lives on flat land could possibly do. So still holding steady at 291lb down a total of 10lb from the 1st of August and down 2.5" on the waist. There's this weeks update. Hopefully the loss will pick up after this week.