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+--- Thread: Simplest approach to weight loss? (/showthread.php?tid=69310)
Re: Simplest approach to weight loss? - Joey Cupcakes - 12-30-2008
kap wrote:
[quote=volcs0]
calories out > calories in = weight loss
can't get much simpler than that.
It was working fine and dandy until I got hypothyroidism!
I deal with exactly that issue; so the ratio changes. But still, after getting my meds stabilized, when I eat sensibly and get up from the damn computer and take a walk for a half hour or more a day, I lose weight or at worst maintain without gaining.
Re: Simplest approach to weight loss? - Joey Cupcakes - 12-30-2008
wickedsteve wrote:
[quote=volcs0]
calories out > calories in = weight loss
can't get much simpler than that.
People use a lot of calories each day to stay alive. If you don't get enough calories you will starve to death.
Seriously, that sums up what I was gonna say, eat less and be more active.
I have found that Weight Watchers has the most sensible approach, combining getting enough caloric intake of the right kinds of foods with encouragement to get out and move and teaching good eating habits that you can carry through the rest of your life without fads, schemes, easy pills that NEVER EVER WORK in the long term or forcing you to buy their branded foods like Jenny Craig and others.
Re: Simplest approach to weight loss? - space-time - 12-30-2008
Since weight is a force, you just need to tie some Helium balloons around you belt and you can reduce your weight significantly.
Oh, you were talking about mass, weren't you? Liposuction!
Re: Simplest approach to weight loss? - OWC Jamie - 12-30-2008
DIY home liposuction kit
runaround town with the fluids running the SUV
Re: Simplest approach to weight loss? - volcs0 - 12-30-2008
Pam wrote:
So much garbage info on weight loss out there...
First, the scale sucks as a metric for progress. Throw it out. Take measurements and progress picts instead.
Second, realize that what you want to lose is body fat. Not lean muscle mass. Getting smaller/lighter is all well and good but when you're smaller because you've also lost lean muscle mass you are not going to be happy with the results. You'll just be a smaller lump.
Third, it *is* all about diet. At least 85% of your success will hinge on what goes in your mouth. And if you go on a diet plan that is not one that you can live with for life you will gain the lost body fat back.
Fourth, do not eat too little. 1200 calorie a day diets are diets that are sure to lose lean body mass and stall out your metabolism. If you eat below your basal metabolic rate you are screwing yourself. If you have too large a caloric deficit relative to your activity level you will screw yourself. This is not a race.
Fifth, steady state cardio is horrid for fat loss. Yeah, people claim to lose all kind of weight doing hours of cardio but it came mostly from their diet changes, the slight increase in lean muscle mass (initially), and the decrease in lean muscle mass (eventually can be catabolic). Cardio is great for the cardiovascular system. If you want to do a cardio activity for fat loss, do HIIT (high intensity interval training) for no more than 20 minutes no more than 3x week. There are a lot of HIIT variations but essentially you warm up on your equipment of choice, then up the resistance/incline and go flat out for 15-30 seconds, then back down and recover for 2 minutes, then back up for 15-30 seconds. Rinse/repeat for no more than 20 minutes.
Sixth, second to dietary changes weight lifting has the biggest impact on fat loss. By increasing your lean muscle mass you improve your metabolic rate and look better as the fat comes off. Getting on a good 3x week lifting program, including free weights, squats, rows, etc. will do far more than hours on a treadmill.
Seventh, weight lifting and HIIT can cause an increase in metabolism up to 48 hours after you leave the gym. You burn fewer cals while exercising than you did while doing hours of cardio, but because of the longer term effects you lose more calories overall. Train smarter, not longer.
Lastly, low carb diets work for many, until they stop. It's better to get on a good caloric intake diet and keep your macros around 40/40/20 (percentage of cals from protein/carbs/fat). You can use a site like fitday.com to track your diet. Not to be anal about counting cals, but to gather data and keep the macros in line. If you should lose weight at 2000 calories but aren't and your macros are 10/60/30, well duh. Tracking data can also help you see if you are more carb sensitive or more fat sensitive. Macros 50/30/20 and 40/30/30 may be a better fit. But you must stay on the same plan for several weeks in order to really make an assessment. Do not try for zero fat either! Fat is essential for good health and body fat losses. Olive oil, natural peanut butter, nuts, tuna, salmon, and avocados are examples of good fats.
http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/articles/aerobicexercise.htm
http://www.alwyncosgrove.com/hierarchy-of-fat-loss.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/helpful_tips_for_newbie_success.htm
http://www.hotnfit.com/nutrition_design.htm#top
This should be a sticky. Incredible advice for all. Nice job, Pam. Is this your business or just a hobby - or a way of life?
Re: Simplest approach to weight loss? - Pam - 12-31-2008
A way of life. I was very lucky to find bodybuilding people who know the real deal about fat loss/muscle gain. No tricks, no fads, just hard science and lots of experience. Most are just using bodybuilding to get in and stay in shape (me) while others compete.
A few more things:
No, women will not get bulky!
Toning is building muscle.
Men and women train the same way. Same exercises.
No, working chest with not make women flat chested. Those bodybuilding picts you've seen were taken right before a competition. Women get down to around 8% body fat, men 4%. They are being judged on muscle which can't be seen with a layer of fat over them. Once final judging is over, contestants walk backstage and eat! Everything fills back in. Men go back to a minimum of 8%, women to a minimum of 12-15%.
Abs are made in the kitchen, not by doing thousands of crunches. Lower your body fat and you'll see the abs.
Body fat comes off in sheets, from all over. You cannot spot reduce. Your problem areas will be the last to lean up as they are usually the largest areas of body fat.
Building muscle is a very slow process. You need to do years of consistently eating right and training hard to gain substantial mass. Newbie gains, ie gains during the first 6 months or so, can be awesome, but they will slow down. Men are lucky to put on 2 pounds a month the first year, women 1 pound. After that first year, men are lucky to put on an additional 10, women 5. And that is if everything is done right and consistently.
No, you do not need to take supplements. Whole food works better.
Cleaning up your diet may surprise you. It takes a lot more "clean" food to reach calorie goals than from the typical diet.
Muscle gain and fat loss are not usually linear. Use trends over weeks, not daily measurements.
A good muscle pump (increased blood flow) can increase your legs as much as 0.5" and increase scale weight by a few pounds. Don't freak out. You don't have big legs due to too much muscle.
Muscle loss increases with age. It starts around 30 and only gets worse. As much as 1% can be lost each year. It's called sarcopenia.
Two often recommended sources for getting the diet and exercise started:
http://bodyforlife.com/
http://www.burnthefat.com/
An often recommended starting point for new lifters:
http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-2nd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0976805421/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230682806&sr=8-1