Weight loss thread

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by Komskies

They probably look like that Randy Guido guy that lubes himself up with salad dressing.

are we talking a fat free vinegrette type dressing or a cream based ranch?

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

are we talking a fat free vinegrette type dressing or a cream based ranch?

Naw. Something nice. Like a raspberry vinaigrette.

[IliketoPuck]

Nothing with too much sugar or preservatives. It doesn't help to exfoliate with poor quality dressings.

[MacGruber]

So 5 days in a row with no progress, and I have to blame my eating I think. I've again fallen into the trap of cutting out way too man calories. I didn't do as much cardio this week as I should have, either, but with the right eating I should have seen some progress.

So hard to make yourself eat a minimum amount of calories when your trying to lose weight, it feels so counter intuitive. But then again, bacon for breakfast is so tasty.

[Bane]

Originally Posted by MacGruber

So 5 days in a row with no progress, and I have to blame my eating I think. I've again fallen into the trap of cutting out way too man calories. I didn't do as much cardio this week as I should have, either, but with the right eating I should have seen some progress.

So hard to make yourself eat a minimum amount of calories when your trying to lose weight, it feels so counter intuitive. But then again, bacon for breakfast is so tasty.

Switch to back bacon. Its extremely lean and lets you get your bacon fix. You need the protein first thing in the morning to kick start your metabolism.

Release the frustration, then refocus and tackle it with renewed commitment.

[MacGruber]

Originally Posted by Bane

Switch to back bacon. Its extremely lean and lets you get your bacon fix. You need the protein first thing in the morning to kick start your metabolism.

Release the frustration, then refocus and tackle it with renewed commitment.

About 2 weeks ago I hit a plateau just like this, and didn't lose for 8 days. I turned it around with more calories. I think what happens I just get lazy in counting calories and think it's ok to start slashing the intake.. which I did again.

Back to work tho. No excuses. I'm like a discount mattress store, all this has to go lol.

[underGRADFlame]

I've discovered that I need to cut sodium largely from my diet, cause when I have too much I retain water like a mo fo.

[Weiser Wonder]

I don't lose weight all the time, but when I do it's because I've stopped binge drinking.

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by MacGruber

So 5 days in a row with no progress, and I have to blame my eating I think. I've again fallen into the trap of cutting out way too man calories. I didn't do as much cardio this week as I should have, either, but with the right eating I should have seen some progress.

So hard to make yourself eat a minimum amount of calories when your trying to lose weight, it feels so counter intuitive. But then again, bacon for breakfast is so tasty.

It feels counter-intuitive because it is.

Are you doing a lot of resistance training and trying to avoid losing too much muscle or is it just a matter of dropping the weight?

[MacGruber]

Dropping the weight right now. From everything I've read online, TSD, eating too few calories per day makes your metabolism slow down to a crawl.

[Devils'Advocate]

While that is true, for a male the calories would need to be below 1600 *AND* would have to be for more than a day or two. If you are doing 2400 on Monday, same on Tuesday, same on Wednesday, 1200 on Thursday... does not mean that on Friday your metabolism will be deadened. If you only eat 1000 on Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs, then maybe your body goes into starvation mode.

-=-=-=-=-=-

*IF* you are tracking, and tracking ACCURATELY, and you are absolutely, positively sure that you are burning more calories than you are eating, perhaps the issue is something else. As mentioned previously in this thread, I am in a weight loss support group (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) and it was my turn to do the presentation last Monday. What I presented was that most people that try to take off weight follow the typical online advice - more water, more fruits and veggies instead of carbs. Both things will add a lot of water weight and people get frustrated right from the get-go. So what I suggested was that if people are SURE that they are burning more calories than they are eating, maybe they should take a natural diuretic such as cranberry juice or green tea. However, if you are going to take a natural diuretic to get rid of the additional water you have added to your diet, you have to make sure you are replacing your potassium with an extra banana a day.

BTW - speaking of water weight, one other thing I mentioned during my presentation is that the scale is a great big liar. What you want to get rid of is FAT, not WEIGHT. Which is why I purchased a scale that measures body fat percentage. The other decent measure is waist size. Body fat for men should 24% or less, 17% would be fit, 13% would be athletic. Men's waist size should be 35in or lower.

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by MacGruber

Dropping the weight right now. From everything I've read online, TSD, eating too few calories per day makes your metabolism slow down to a crawl.

Your metabolism is going to slow to a crawl regardless because you're operating at a loss and your body is going to do all it can to maintain your fat stores.

It is truthful to say that you'll burn more calories if you eat more from an absolute standpoint because the thermic effect of food constitutes 10% - 15% (this varies very widely depending on diet, exercise, etc) of your resting energy expenditure. From a relative standpoint, however, taking into account the amount of calories you're eating, eating more calories will always mean you're at less of a deficit.

That being said, it's still recommended to keep weekly weight loss moderate and focus on good lifestyle rather than purging for a couple of months. Big change is rather traumatic on the body and when you're operating at too much of a loss you have some unpleasant side effects (loss of muscle, constant fatigue and dizziness - although these are likely present in all weight loss regimes to a certain extent).

It's a good recommendation that you've incorporated, but the physiological mechanisms you were told are wrong. And that bugs me!

[MacGruber]

Sutter while I appreciate your input, I don't think your really aware of my own situation or calorie intake. This last week I was likely eating between 1500 to 2000 calories less than my RMR. Losing 2 lbs per week require a calorie deficit of 1000 per day.

What I said was eating too few calories can lower your metabolism and hurt weight loss... this is really not disputed by any serious nutritionist or doctor.. not sure you felt the need to correct me..

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by MacGruber

Sutter while I appreciate your input, I don't think your really aware of my own situation or calorie intake. This last week I was likely eating between 1500 to 2000 calories less than my RMR. Losing 2 lbs per week require a calorie deficit of 1000 per day.

I'm aware.

Originally Posted by MacGruber

What I said was eating too few calories can lower your metabolism and hurt weight loss... this is really not disputed by any serious nutritionist or doctor.. not sure you felt the need to correct me..

No, what you said is that lowering your caloric deficit from, say, a 2000 calorie / week deficit to a 1000 calorie / week deficit would actually help your weight loss because it would increase your metabolism. It's not true based on the mechanisms that I went over.

[MacGruber]

I'm not sure that I said that I'm reducing my calories by a weekly basis.. but if that was the suggestion I apologize. My calorie deficit last week was upwards of 1500 to 2000 per day. Too much of a deficit.

Anywho I got myself out of my last funk by adding more food, and I'm trying again. Started Friday and I'll see if I can get some results.

[Gundo]

I have a meal plan for an entire week that is used for weight loss that a nutritionist made for me. Works very very well if anyone is interested Ill gladly email it to them. Im 6'2 240lbs currently and in 6 weeks of doing this plan I dropped down to 216lbs and felt great. Then came an all inclusive vacation, and christmas and it was all downhill from there.

[SHOGUN]

- Eat High Poly/Saturated Food (Animal Fats ARE GOOD FOR YOU! Yes this means bacon and fatty steaks are a green light)
- Cut Carbs (No breads or grains, complex carbs such as leafy greens are alright)
- Cut Sugar (Alright to eat fruit, but 1-2 servings is enough)
- Drink at least one gallon a day.
- Lift heavy weights at least three times a week, cardio isn't necessary to lose weight but helps.

This diet uses fats as energy instead of carbs, which has been proven to cut fat more efficiently and effectively than adding heavy carbs to your diet.

Eat this way 6 days of the week, leaving one day as your cheat day.... eat anything you want, just don't over do it. Guarantee success.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

- Eat High Poly/Saturated Food (Animal Fats ARE GOOD FOR YOU! Yes this means bacon and fatty steaks are a green light)
- Cut Carbs (No breads or grains, complex carbs such as leafy greens are alright)
- Cut Sugar (Alright to eat fruit, but 1-2 servings is enough)
- Drink at least one gallon a day.
- Lift heavy weights at least three times a week, cardio isn't necessary to lose weight but helps.

Of course, I followed almost nothing in this guaranteed plan and lost 170 pounds. I'm vegetarian, so no bacon or steak. I have 4 to 5 helpings of fruit a day. I drink very little and get most of my water from watermelon, tomatoes, etc.. I don't lift weights ever and do lots of cardio. There are many paths to the same goal.

[Flame Of Liberty]

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

- Eat High Poly/Saturated Food (Animal Fats ARE GOOD FOR YOU! Yes this means bacon and fatty steaks are a green light)
- Cut Carbs (No breads or grains, complex carbs such as leafy greens are alright)
- Cut Sugar (Alright to eat fruit, but 1-2 servings is enough)
- Drink at least one gallon a day.
- Lift heavy weights at least three times a week, cardio isn't necessary to lose weight but helps.

This diet uses fats as energy instead of carbs, which has been proven to cut fat more efficiently and effectively than adding heavy carbs to your diet.

Eat this way 6 days of the week, leaving one day as your cheat day.... eat anything you want, just don't over do it. Guarantee success.

I'd be curious to know how do you lift heavy weights if you drastically cut carbs and sugar. No way you'll be able to train heavily with any kind of intensity.

I think cutting sugar drastically often backfires, because most people wont be able to cope with that and will not train properly and will "slip" once the inevitable cravings come (late in the evening). Limit the intake for sure, but don't go crazy, wholegrain bread/rice/pasta and the occasional chocolate are fine IMO.

[TheSutterDynasty]

This is mind-bogglingly horrible advice.

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

- Eat High Poly/Saturated Food (Animal Fats ARE GOOD FOR YOU! Yes this means bacon and fatty steaks are a green light)

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (specifically omega-3) is good for you. Monounsaturated fats decrease LDL without affecting HDL or TG. Polyunsaturated fats decrease LDL, and only decrease HDL minimally without affecting TG. Low LDL, high HDL, and low TG decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. Also to note, you want a high ratio of omega 3 : omega 6, as it decreases inflammation in the body and therefore decreases the risk of CVD as well.

Saturated fats are never good for you. They raise LDL substantially. So no, bacon and fatty steaks are still terrible for you.

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

- Cut Carbs (No breads or grains, complex carbs such as leafy greens are alright)

Leafy greens aren't 'complex carbs'. Complex carbohydrates are whole GRAINS (not whole wheat, although it's better than white) and oats.

If you're cutting carbohydrates and exercising with any regularity, you're probably going to start feeling fatigued pretty quickly from a lack of liver and muscle glycogen stores. Not to mention how tough it is to maintain a low carb diet.

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

- Cut Sugar (Alright to eat fruit, but 1-2 servings is enough)

You got this one right at least.

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

- Drink at least one gallon a day.
- Lift heavy weights at least three times a week, cardio isn't necessary to lose weight but helps.

I'm assuming you meant drink a gallon of milk a day. Classic pseudo-knowledgeable, beginner weightlifter internet advice bullplop.

Milk is good. A gallon of it.. not so much.

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

This diet uses fats as energy instead of carbs, which has been proven to cut fat more efficiently and effectively than adding heavy carbs to your diet.

The substrate used for energy depends on the intensity of the exercise you are performing and its respiratory exchange ratio. So no, there's no way a diet can somehow magically melt fat off and spare, say, glycogen stores. Calories are indiscriminate; you live at a deficit and you lose weight. Simple.

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

Eat this way 6 days of the week, leaving one day as your cheat day.... eat anything you want, just don't over do it. Guarantee success.

Haha cheat day. Good one. Weight loss isn't about a battle of wills with you and food, it's about lifestyle changes and education. If you know exactly how and why something is bad for you, there's a good chance you won't eat it.