Weight Loss

[rpietsch]

Been fighting some bad lower back discs and MCL problems in the knee. Makes running tough and I do miss it. Rowing good alternative. Row anywhere between 5k - 11k per day at different paces. Tracking times in on-line log book.

Black belt in karate trying to get back in shape. Height = 183 cm. Age 42.

July 31, 2009: Weight = 115kg, Body Fat 35% (start)
Aug 27, 2009: Weight = 108kg, Body Fat 27%

90k meters rowed so far + some 30 minute jogs. Travel several days per week for job.

Daily workout routine when I'm home is:

1. Row each morning 30 - 40 minutes at 6am
2. Lift weights immediately after rowing (Bowflex machine). 3 days to cover entire body (1: Back & Chest, 2: Shoulders & Arms, 3: Legs & Abs)
3. 1 hour of karate every night

Don't feel like I'm over training yet. 1 month loss of 7kg. But with weight lifting, and loss of 8% body fat... I'm excited because I'm seeing increase in muscle. Had to punch 3 new holes in my belts, dropped 2 pant sizes, and 1 shirt size in the neck.

Also... you MUST change your diet. Cut calories back to basic metobolic rate of someone 87kg (my ideal karate fighting weight). 2g of protein for each kg body weight (using 90kg). 180g of carbohydrates & fiber (raw vegetables, raw grains). No processed food. Fat limited < 20g per day.

Feel great. More energy. People taking notice.

Good luck to everyone on the same journey !

Rob Pietsch

[anthonysemone]

well, Rob, you and whoever reads this probably won't like what I have to say, but, nonetheless, here goes:

1. www.bodybyscience.net
2. www.proteinpower.com and head to the blog of Michael Eades or click on the 6 Week Cure for the Middle Aged Middle.
3. www.paleonu.com
4. www.nutritionandmetabolism.com
5. www.high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com

I just finished up the 6 Week Cure couple of weeks ago. I've dropped as of today in 8 weeks 10.2#'s and 5% body fat, weighing in at 161.2 and 8% BF. I'm 71yrs 6 months of age; I've been doing HIT strength training for about 10 years, x1/week and for the past 6 months or so learning how to scull, with OTW x1 to x2 week.

My HIT workout today was on my usual M-factor protocol, also called Rest/Pause, and on each of the 7 exercises, I improved in terms of length of time and/or amount of resistance, with two exceptions: leg press was the same as last time I did the workout (I'm on an A, B, C sequence) about 7 weeks ago (I missed a week or two) and trunk curl.

Weight loss is really about body fat% loss, so do yourself and your body a favor: less is more

now, standby for all the high volume folks to weigh in (sic)

good luck,

tony

[bobkwan2007]

well, Rob, you and whoever reads this probably won't like what I have to say, but, nonetheless, here goes:

1. http://www.bodybyscience.net
2. http://www.proteinpower.com and head to the blog of Michael Eades or click on the 6 Week Cure for the Middle Aged Middle.
3. http://www.paleonu.com
4. http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com
5. http://www.high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com
good luck,
tony

You actually expect anyone to wade through all this junk? Why don't you summarize your position and make it easier for the rest of us.

[emccorm]

In my experience, the ONLY thing that matters is food intake. The old theory that you need more going out than coming in is abolutely true. For years i ate well, and exercised like crazy but never actually lost weight. By well, i mean limited junk, but in hindisght was eating WAY too much. I was at about 24% fat and 120kgs. I now back to about 16% fat and am between 105 and 110kgs. Still have 5 or 7kgs to go. What i didnt realise was how hard it is to maintain muscle mass whilst in calorie deficit. In my experience its nigh on impossible. The bottom line is your body needs more fuel than it is getting through your mouth so it gets it from fat and lean tissue. The common theory is that you lose 1kg of muslce for every 3kgs of fat, all things being equal. Of course, there are things you can do to influence this ratio. ie, lifting heavy weights and making sure you protein intake is 40 to 50% of your calorie intake. but in the end, ig has more to do with genetics than anything else. maybe this concept is something everyone is famliar with, but i wasnt. when most people start a weigt loss plan ad set goals they dont tke this "extra 25%" into account. A lot of people will, as a result, hit goal weight, but still carry effectively 25% more fat than they think they are.

Calorie counting and accurate body composition testing (DEXA) have changed me completely. I was a bit slow onseeing the importance of calorie counting. I always figured that if you ate well you would lose weight if you needed to. Its a falacy. Eating less is the most important thing of all. the rest is very secondary.

just my oexperience anyway.

[Steelhead]

Eat less -- move more.

A recent study, I don't have the citation at hand, shows that less calories does more for weight loss than more exercise.

From the Ninth Edition, Nutrition for Health, Fitness & Sport, one rule of thumb was to maintain body weight we need to eat 15 times what we weigh in pounds: weight 200 lbs -- calories to maintain are 15x200=3000. To lose weight, 10x200=2000.

I like to take goal weight and multiply it by 15; e.g., goal weight 150 then 15x150=2250 is maximum calories. I also like to ensure that I eat at minimum my resting BMR.

An easy approach to weight loss is to switch to a whole food, plant based diet (for the wimps in the crowd, just limit animal protein to no more than 10% of daily calories: about 50 grams or 200 calories), low fat, high fiber; cut out all sugars, processed foods, junk foods. The whole foods fill you up and stick with you. This way you don't have to count calories.

[peterd099]

It is, unfortunately, simply not a matter of calculating calories out (expended from BMR plus activity level) and eating less (calories in), in order to lose weight. The metabolism will gradually slow to match the lowered calorie intake, resulting in lowered BMR and the dreaded 'plateau' that dieters experience. The key is to reduce carbs (carbs, in all of their forms = sugar to the body) down to a low level. Eat plenty of lean protein and fresh green vegetables. This limits insulin production (insulin stores excess carbs (sugars) as fat) and forces the body to burn fat in the form of ketones for energy. Exercise is critical, rowing is as good as anything, but important to keep moving.

[Steelhead]

It is, unfortunately, simply not a matter of calculating calories out (expended from BMR plus activity level) and eating less (calories in), in order to lose weight. The metabolism will gradually slow to match the lowered calorie intake, resulting in lowered BMR and the dreaded 'plateau' that dieters experience. The key is to reduce carbs (carbs, in all of their forms = sugar to the body) down to a low level. Eat plenty of lean protein and fresh green vegetables. This limits insulin production (insulin stores excess carbs (sugars) as fat) and forces the body to burn fat in the form of ketones for energy. Exercise is critical, rowing is as good as anything, but important to keep moving.

Calorie restricted diets typically fail; a high animal protein low whole food carbohydrate diet can also be dangerous for an athlete. The brain and body function on carbohydrates (glycogen). And for those who exercise, the metabolism of a resting BMR is not going to slow that much. Certainly, sugars should be minimized and processed carbohydrates -- starches and beans are excellent choices to limit insulin production. The high animal protein diet forces the body to use protein as an energy source which creates kidney stones and damages the kidneys.

Moreover, several studies have shown that athletes have less need for protein than the non-athlete. So eat plenty of whole food, low fat, high fiber vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and limit animal protein to no more than 10% of your daily caloric intake (e.g., 2000 calories = 200 calories of animal protein = 50 grams). The body will use the glycogen to burn the fat (we need glycogen for the body to burn fat), and weight loss will occur effortlessly.

"Some studies lasting more than six months have found that weight loss can be three times greater for individuals consuming low-energy density foods (low in fat) than for those simply consuming low-fat foods [22]. It has been widely known that regular exercise can reduce body weight for most individuals [1,3]. When implementing weight management programs, modifying the energy balance is essential, and this can be achieved by manipulating the diet and/or increasing energy expenditure (e.g., exercise). However, no study has examined the combined effects of dietary energy density with exercise on weight change.

"Overall, the results suggest that a strategy combining a low-energy density diet [whole food, plant-based, low fat, high fiber, with some lean animal protein] with exercise for weight loss is more effective for slightly overweight young females. Both the LDE and HDE [refined, processed, low fiber, high fat food] groups showed a similar pattern of weight loss, but those in the LDE group felt less hunger than those in the HDE group. Because both a low-energy density diet and exercise have been found to be effective for controlling and maintaining body weight, diet strategies that combine a low-energy density diet with a moderate-intensity exercise program may be effective for weight management. In addition, such a strategy may encourage individuals to participate in the weight management program longer because it can reduce the sensation of hunger.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... ool=pubmed

So I think we have to stay away from the high-protein, low carbohydrate mantra as the panacea for weight loss. We want to eat in a way that preserves muscle mass and reduces fat while providing a high level of energy throughout the day -- this is not a diet per se but simply a life-style change. E.g., http://www.tcolincampbell.org/courses-r ... 7ad518b2c7

I'm not a "vegan," and actually disagree with its political agenda -- moreover a vegan may and most often does eat a high fat processed food diet becoming a junk-food vegan, but if "strict vegetarian" is substituted for "vegan," then this article is a three-week program that those interested in weight-loss, muscle gain, and high energy levels should consider following -- three weeks is worth it IMO (and if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, among other things, you will see dramatic drops), so maybe we should get a group (me included - I'm actually doing this myself now but having the pizza once in a while, etc. LOL - we should try following this for 3-weeks strictly) together? http://www.tcolincampbell.org/courses-r ... f92d0e39f6

[Steelhead]

Other studies show that skipping breakfast or eating a small breakfast can result in overall fewer calories eaten during the day. http://www.nutritionj.com/content/10/1/5/abstract Is this crazy or what? But might be worth trying?