Relatively light people trying to get leaner

stroutman81

Thanks for that Steve. Going to see Physio today so will ask her about ART for hip flexors and lower back.

ART is simply one form of myofascial release. It's one I've had done to me quite a bit and it has helped a lot. But there are many others. Just so you know.

Interestingly, I was actually looking at buying some bands yesterday for that exact movement as well as using them to train me to push out more while doing squats.

Band training is interesting. I mean, from the rehabilitative/prehabilitative side of things ( like TKEs, band pullaparts, clamshells, etc) they're very useful. But I also use bands (and chains) for my strength training - this helps with something known as compensatory acceleration training. Of course this comprises a small percentage of my training and it's also worth noting it's not something novices should concern themselves with.

But I've done a lot of benching, deadlifting and squatting with bands and chains around the bar.

stroutman81

Wow, what incredible information! So does this explain why people who are not overweight and/or are at a normal BMI level have a harder time losing any weight?

Partly, sure.

Biologically/evolutionarily our bodies don't want to be lean. Our ancestors came from a time when an overabundance of calories was the thing dreams were made of. Food was scarce and to ward off starvation humans would gorge themselves whenever they were presented with food. Storing fat easily saved us and biologically, there was no real reason to have a lot of muscle and a lean physique.

In a way, our "internal wiring" makes for a messy situation in today's culture where fast food joints are on every corner.

The closer we get to being lean, the more our bodies resist.

That's the gist of it anyhow, without delving into the details.

I'm in a normal BMI range and not overweight, just trying to lose up to 10 lbs of weight brought on by pregnancy and "thirty-something-hood". I'm finding that all of the people on here who have a lot more to lose are doing the same exercises as me, for the same amount of time, and burning WAY more calories than I am! They're also dropping pounds at the drop of a hat it seems! And yet I've made drastic changes to my diet in terms of eating more nutritiously AND I'm exercising and working out more than I have since I was a dancer just out of college......AND SEEING ALMOST NO PROGRESS. Is it harder for someone who is lighter and has less to lose than someone who is heavier and has more to lose?

Heck ya.

For the biological reasons I mentioned above paired with things like the calorie allotments small people are working with are much smaller than those larger folks are working with so there's less room for error - less "wiggle room."

stroutman81

that's a very useful post, thank you!

You're welcome.

Speaking from experience I've been exercising more and doing a greater variety of exercise (including more squats/abdominal work along with my usual cardio) for the last 6 weeks or so.
My weight hasn't really changed significantly - it hovers around 122lb which is healthy for me - but I have definitely changed shape. My jeans are looser and I'm more toned, especially around the belly. So some fat has definitely gone, I'm assuming that I've increased muscle mass which is why I don't weigh any less. Which is fine by me, as long as I can see/feel a difference.

I wish I'd used the body fat % calculator on my scales 6 weeks ago as then I'd have a number to compare it to, but I didn't, darn it! too late now!

It's definitely good not to put too much emphasis on weight alone when you are close to your ideal BMI

Thanks for your insights and sharing your experience. Spread the good word!

pj_writer

that's a very useful post, thank you!

You're welcome.

Speaking from experience I've been exercising more and doing a greater variety of exercise (including more squats/abdominal work along with my usual cardio) for the last 6 weeks or so.
My weight hasn't really changed significantly - it hovers around 122lb which is healthy for me - but I have definitely changed shape. My jeans are looser and I'm more toned, especially around the belly. So some fat has definitely gone, I'm assuming that I've increased muscle mass which is why I don't weigh any less. Which is fine by me, as long as I can see/feel a difference.

I wish I'd used the body fat % calculator on my scales 6 weeks ago as then I'd have a number to compare it to, but I didn't, darn it! too late now!

It's definitely good not to put too much emphasis on weight alone when you are close to your ideal BMI

Thanks for your insights and sharing your experience. Spread the good word!

I've just checked my body fat and apparently it's 22.7% - so nice and low for my age range. In fact after my 40th birthday (in June) that will be below the healthy range according to the booklet that comes with my scales. Which seems weird as I'm sure I still have *some* fat to spare

stroutman81

I did't read all the comments, but you are in fitness? Do you have any nutrition degrees?

HELL NO!

I thought long and hard about studying nutrition in a structured setting and at the end of the day it was simply too tedious and dry for me. Plus, I've no interest in the clinical side of nutrition or prescribing diets for folks. Which is why you'll never see me give specific advice in terms of "eat this not that" or "you're diabetic so you need X or Y." That's beyond the scope of my practice.

I give very general advice regarding calories and nutrients and that's the extent of it.

Locally I work closely with a couple of RDs on clients who are beyond my scope of practice ( EDs, diabetics, PKU, and if memory serves me correct that's been the extent of my experience). Also, on my forum, which is quite a bit smaller than this, we've an RD. I bounce a lot of ideas off of the RDs I'm affiliated with but when it comes down to it.... when dealing with non-clinical issues, there's really nothing fancy about fat loss in the vast majority of cases.

I try and stay abreast of the latest research on the nutrition stuff, especially about the nuances I'm interested in, but admittedly I spend much more time researching physiology and psychology.

mbnharrison

It's been stated over and over but thanks for posting and helping put the journey in perspective. I've been calling my last bit of weight my vanity pounds mainly because whatever the scales says really only makes a difference to me so I've been sticking to measurements as a true reflection of what's changing. Vanity or not, I'll be sticking it out for the long run

Lisamarie7574

Steve, you are just a wealth of information.....thanks a billion. MFP should hire you.....or have they already?

sweetsarahj

It's crazy what some of these trainers believe. Unfortunately though, there aren't any significant barriers to entry in this profession. Even the best of certifications aren't very great. And most people opt for easier certifications. And that's not the problem. The problem is that's the extent, more often than not, of their education.

This is one of those fields where you should be learning every single day. You should have a baseline foundation of knowledge in the basic sciences dealing with the human body, you should know how to read and dissect research, and at the very least, you should understand the core tenets of objective and critical reasoning.

The VAST majority aren't even close though.

I bring this up only to get people thinking very critically when dealing with trainers. The only way the industry is ever going to improve is if the masses demand it.

I read a scary article in Maclean's magazine (a Canadian news magazine) last year about people working as trainers with little to no certification. The story they reference was about a woman with no gym experience who had gone for her first personal training session. The “trainer” had her doing leg presses with an extreme amount of weight- and ignored her when she told him it was too much. 3 days later, the poor woman couldn’t walk and was urinating blood. She went to the doctor to find out that her muscles had ripped so badly she had serious internal bleeding. I wish I could find that article to share!

Also my niece, who has never exercised a day in her life, recently decided to become a personal trainer as a part time job. All she had to do was write a test. She is very slim and pretty, I’m sure she will get hired at a gym no problem, even though she has no idea what she’s doing! Scary…

stroutman81

It's been stated over and over but thanks for posting and helping put the journey in perspective. I've been calling my last bit of weight my vanity pounds mainly because whatever the scales says really only makes a difference to me so I've been sticking to measurements as a true reflection of what's changing. Vanity or not, I'll be sticking it out for the long run

Exactly.

And you mentioned journey...

My journal that I keep on my forum is titled "Not a Destination, But a Journey." Cliche sounding I'm sure... but there's so much truth to this it's not even funny. If more people started focusing on the process I think there'd be a whole lot less anxiety and frustration.

Sure, it's good to have end targets. When structured properly they can help motivate folks. But if that's the extent of your focus, it can bite ya in the you know what. It's a slow, arduous process. Pair that with the fact most of us are brainwashed to strive for instant gratification. If you're only focusing on some arbitrary, far-off number.... chances are you're not going to enjoy this very much.

Personally I focus on finding ways to enjoy the here and now - the process. I focus on getting stronger in the gym, increasing certain metrics such as power, speed, etc. I'll focus on how much better I climb mountains this year vs. last. These are the things that keep me driven.

And as I known for saying.... FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION. Because I enjoy the process and I'm consistent with it... how I look and feel follows suit. So instead of focusing on my weight or my body.... I focus on those things that indirectly influence my weight and body. Not only that... I derive pleasure from those things.

Rambling a bit... but perception can be a huge hurdle for some people.

stroutman81

Steve, you are just a wealth of information.....thanks a billion. MFP should hire you.....or have they already?

Haha, thanks... but I've a feeling that MFP doesn't even know who I am. This is a big community. I'm just another fish in the sea!

stroutman81

I read a scary article in Maclean's magazine (a Canadian news magazine) last year about people working as trainers with little to no certification. The story they reference was about a woman with no gym experience who had gone for her first personal training session. The “trainer” had her doing leg presses with an extreme amount of weight- and ignored her when she told him it was too much. 3 days later, the poor woman couldn’t walk and was urinating blood. She went to the doctor to find out that her muscles had ripped so badly she had serious internal bleeding. I wish I could find that article to share!

Also my niece, who has never exercised a day in her life, recently decided to become a personal trainer as a part time job. All she had to do was write a test. She is very slim and pretty, I’m sure she will get hired at a gym no problem, even though she has no idea what she’s doing! Scary…

It's the sad reality.

And I'm sure every industry has its issues. It seems to be, though, that the training industry draws out the mentally lazy and inept folks more than any other. And worst of all, these lazy inept folks generally have huge egos to boot. But the industry isn't going to change itself - too much easy money involved. I mean, certifying trainers is a BIG business with the upfront costs and ongoing continuing educations costs.

I say "education" very loosely, mind you.

So if things are going to change, it has to be the consumers that force it. They vote on what's acceptable and what's not each time they spend their dollars. The more discussion we have like this and the more awareness we create, the more consumers can go into buying and hiring fitness products and professionals with an educated and critical eye.

Which is why my current article series (which the final part is due out next week) dissects the industry from the top down - my intent is to help the consumer not get ripped off.

I could rattle off so many examples of horrific training you'd be amazed. Trainers working novices to the point of rhabdomyolysis. They feel that they need to physically hurt the client so that they feel they're getting their money's worth, which is asinine. Trainers not referring out clients who need other specialized attention (dietetics, physiotherapists, orthos, etc). Not only allowing but even promoting horrible form. No understanding of basic biological adaptation. On and on it goes.

sweetsarahj

So if things are going to change, it has to be the consumers that force it. They vote on what's acceptable and what's not each time they spend their dollars. The more discussion we have like this and the more awareness we create, the more consumers can go into buying and hiring fitness products and professionals with an educated and critical eye.

Which is why my current article series (which the final part is due out next week) dissects the industry from the top down - my intent is to help the consumer not get ripped off.

I could rattle off so many examples of horrific training you'd be amazed. Trainers working novices to the point of rhabdomyolysis. They feel that they need to physically hurt the client so that they feel they're getting their money's worth, which is asinine. Trainers not referring out clients who need other specialized attention (dietetics, physiotherapists, orthos, etc). Not only allowing but even promoting horrible form. No understanding of basic biological adaptation. On and on it goes.

Yes, rhabdomyolysis is what the person in the article had!

And I completely agree with you about voting for the service you want with your dollars. I just recently left Extreme fitness and switched to Goodlife. The difference in their "assessments" was night and day. At Extreme, the trainers just do their best to convince you that you don't know what you're doing. The 'trainer' that assessed me filled out a form and when entering my information spelled "weight" like this: "wait." And I'm supposed to trust my health to this person?

At least at Goodlife they are more straightforward, there are no tricks to try to get to you sign contracts and the trainer I met with could spell.

ShellBomb05

THANK YOU,THANK YOU, THANK YOU for this post! I believe you have solved my issue since I am mainly interested in fat loss and a few pounds. I'm 5'6" and weigh 135 and would like to be 130 and a lot leaner! After reading this post I'm pretty sure I am not consuming enough calories.

stroutman81

Yes, rhabdomyolysis is what the person in the article had!

And I completely agree with you about voting for the service you want with your dollars. I just recently left Extreme fitness and switched to Goodlife. The difference in their "assessments" was night and day. At Extreme, the trainers just do their best to convince you that you don't know what you're doing. The 'trainer' that assessed me filled out a form and when entering my information spelled "weight" like this: "wait." And I'm supposed to trust my health to this person?

At least at Goodlife they are more straightforward, there are no tricks to try to get to you sign contracts and the trainer I met with could spell.

That's the way it should be. The most my clients can sign up for is 20 sessions. And even then, if they stop early I'll refund them their money, which only happened once and that was due to an out-of-state move.

And my assessment, at least the written part, is very in depth. It's how I learn about the client's current level of understanding regarding nutrition and exercise, past experience, health history, and heck, I even want to know what they're reading assuming they are reading stuff pertaining to fitness.

Good luck with Goodlife!

stroutman81

THANK YOU,THANK YOU, THANK YOU for this post! I believe you have solved my issue since I am mainly interested in fat loss and a few pounds. I'm 5'6" and weigh 135 and would like to be 130 and a lot leaner! After reading this post I'm pretty sure I am not consuming enough calories.

YOU'RE WELCOME, YOU'RE WELCOME, YOU'RE WELCOME!

ShellBomb05

Ok, I posted earlier but now I need to go more in depth and ask a couple of questions.

I am currently 135 and want to get lean and be down to 130. Do I use my current weight or goal weight to multiply by 12?

Should I use the same calculations on the days I do not work out or do I need to lower my calorie intake on my days off?
( I am basically working out about 5 times a week and burning anywhere from 280-500 calories with every workout depending on what I do that day).

If you have already answered these question I do apologize for asking again but this thread is so polular that it would take forever to read all the questions and answers. lol

gillleeman

bump

taiyola

Wow, now I'm just confused, ha! I don't have a clue how much or little I should be eating, and how many calories I should be burning per day.

Can you tell I'm new?! O.O

stroutman81

Ok, I posted earlier but now I need to go more in depth and ask a couple of questions.

I am currently 135 and want to get lean and be down to 130. Do I use my current weight or goal weight to multiply by 12?

Should I use the same calculations on the days I do not work out or do I need to lower my calorie intake on my days off?
( I am basically working out about 5 times a week and burning anywhere from 280-500 calories with every workout depending on what I do that day).

If you have already answered these question I do apologize for asking again but this thread is so polular that it would take forever to read all the questions and answers. lol

Hi there. First, didn't you know reading is good for you?

In all seriousness, this thread has had some great conversation and I think it'd be worth your time. Hell, people are buying crappy, prepackaged diet books as if they were going out of stock and reading them cover to cover.

Anyhow...

You use your current weight. But your current weight and goal weight are close enough together that you're *almost* splitting hairs. Just remember, this is a process. Start at 12 and adjust accordingly. If you've not read this thread yet, please do:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/172515-frantic-about-adhering-to-the-right-calorie-intake-read-t

As for your second question, you could go about it one of two ways. Keep them constant each day and follow the process as detailed in the above provided link. Or you could eat higher calories on your training days. If you opt for that though, your protein and fat intake should be pretty steady and your carb intake should be high on your training days and lower on your off days.

stroutman81

double post