Body fat in the real world.
banks1850
Posts: 3,475 Member
So I'll try to make this shorter then some other posts I give, and a little easier to read. I'm sorry if it goes a little long. I'll put my "disclaimer at the bottom for those who care."
OK so lots of people ask about their belly fat and such, it seems to be the most commonly asked question about body types and how to lose the fat. I wanted to give everyone a small little bit of knowledge that I have gleened over the last few years on the topic.
I see lots of people ask how to get rid of their "spare tire" or "pooch" or "beer gut" or "<your name for the fat in your belly here>". So here are the straight facts as I have compiled them. If you find something that you believe is incorrect, let me know, and I'll doublecheck, but I don't think you will find any. I'll try to stay away from opinion here and with straight fact (or consensus based on research or direct observation of professionals).
First thing to understand is this, you CAN NOT target where you lose fat. The body will lose fat on it's own schedule, from where it deems the easiest place to grab the fuel from.
Second thing to know is the order of precidence that the body uses to burn fuel. In order to understand this, you first must realize how the body views fuel. the body doesn't care where it gets it's energy, whether that be from ingested carbs, fat and protein, stored fats, or lean tissue (muscle) it matters not to the body. The only reason carbs that you eat are burned before fat and proteins are because it's easier for the body, that's it, no magical calculation to make, nothing, carbs eaten are dropped in a location designed to break down food, the chemicals are already there, and so is the food, so the sugars that are released happen fast. Once the body runs out of energy in the digestive track, it starts signalling other locations to release energy, what ever gets broken down first, wins, if that's fat, great, if it's lean tissue well, the sugars that were once part of lean tissue turn right back into tissue, but sadly, not lean tissue anymore, now it's fat. Fat that is far out of the way (old fat) is harder to get to the blood stream to distribute, and thus, the hardest to get rid of.
The third thing to know is that if the body consistanly receives less energy then required to run itself, you will consistantly burn lean tissue, and your body will slow down the metabolic rate, and speed up fat storage as a result. The bigger the deficit, the faster this happens, there is no switch that you flip to go into starvation mode, it's a fluid process, there is always a percentage of this going on, but with people consuming a near healthy amount of food, it's insignificantly small because likewise, the body is always building muscle and burning fat. this is why we say 2 lbs a week goals don't work for everyone, the less excess fat you have, the harder it is for your body to grab that fat and use it, and the more your body will burn lean tissue and store incomming fuel as fat. This is why "the last 10 lbs" are the hardest to lose.
One note, people who are obese don't conform to these priciples the same way. Because of the amount of fat in the body, obese people can actually, for short periods, eat very low calorie diets safely (WITH a doctor's supervision only!). There are still health risks to this, but the immediate concern of stresses put on the body by the excess weight are usually more immediate, and thus make this a viable option for many.
Here are some of my reference articles, feel free to peruse:
http://www.globalhealthandfitness.com/calories.htm
http://www.annecollins.com/body-fat-adipose-tissue-guide.htm
http://humanbodytips.wordpress.com/2008/02/08/human-body-energy-stores-and-losing-weight/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolism/WT00006
I AM NOT A DOCTOR, nor am I any sort of health care professional, I'm not certified in anything medically related (besides my expired CPR certificate). My credentials are only these: a) I have lost 44 lbs over 8 months The right way (eating healthy and exercising. b) I have a technical college degree and can read chemical composition papers quite well. c) I am a computer professional (network engineer) and know how to google and cross check sources very well on line, and do lots and lots of research.
-Banks
OK so lots of people ask about their belly fat and such, it seems to be the most commonly asked question about body types and how to lose the fat. I wanted to give everyone a small little bit of knowledge that I have gleened over the last few years on the topic.
I see lots of people ask how to get rid of their "spare tire" or "pooch" or "beer gut" or "<your name for the fat in your belly here>". So here are the straight facts as I have compiled them. If you find something that you believe is incorrect, let me know, and I'll doublecheck, but I don't think you will find any. I'll try to stay away from opinion here and with straight fact (or consensus based on research or direct observation of professionals).
First thing to understand is this, you CAN NOT target where you lose fat. The body will lose fat on it's own schedule, from where it deems the easiest place to grab the fuel from.
Second thing to know is the order of precidence that the body uses to burn fuel. In order to understand this, you first must realize how the body views fuel. the body doesn't care where it gets it's energy, whether that be from ingested carbs, fat and protein, stored fats, or lean tissue (muscle) it matters not to the body. The only reason carbs that you eat are burned before fat and proteins are because it's easier for the body, that's it, no magical calculation to make, nothing, carbs eaten are dropped in a location designed to break down food, the chemicals are already there, and so is the food, so the sugars that are released happen fast. Once the body runs out of energy in the digestive track, it starts signalling other locations to release energy, what ever gets broken down first, wins, if that's fat, great, if it's lean tissue well, the sugars that were once part of lean tissue turn right back into tissue, but sadly, not lean tissue anymore, now it's fat. Fat that is far out of the way (old fat) is harder to get to the blood stream to distribute, and thus, the hardest to get rid of.
The third thing to know is that if the body consistanly receives less energy then required to run itself, you will consistantly burn lean tissue, and your body will slow down the metabolic rate, and speed up fat storage as a result. The bigger the deficit, the faster this happens, there is no switch that you flip to go into starvation mode, it's a fluid process, there is always a percentage of this going on, but with people consuming a near healthy amount of food, it's insignificantly small because likewise, the body is always building muscle and burning fat. this is why we say 2 lbs a week goals don't work for everyone, the less excess fat you have, the harder it is for your body to grab that fat and use it, and the more your body will burn lean tissue and store incomming fuel as fat. This is why "the last 10 lbs" are the hardest to lose.
One note, people who are obese don't conform to these priciples the same way. Because of the amount of fat in the body, obese people can actually, for short periods, eat very low calorie diets safely (WITH a doctor's supervision only!). There are still health risks to this, but the immediate concern of stresses put on the body by the excess weight are usually more immediate, and thus make this a viable option for many.
Here are some of my reference articles, feel free to peruse:
http://www.globalhealthandfitness.com/calories.htm
http://www.annecollins.com/body-fat-adipose-tissue-guide.htm
http://humanbodytips.wordpress.com/2008/02/08/human-body-energy-stores-and-losing-weight/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolism/WT00006
I AM NOT A DOCTOR, nor am I any sort of health care professional, I'm not certified in anything medically related (besides my expired CPR certificate). My credentials are only these: a) I have lost 44 lbs over 8 months The right way (eating healthy and exercising. b) I have a technical college degree and can read chemical composition papers quite well. c) I am a computer professional (network engineer) and know how to google and cross check sources very well on line, and do lots and lots of research.
-Banks
0
Replies
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So I'll try to make this shorter then some other posts I give, and a little easier to read. I'm sorry if it goes a little long. I'll put my "disclaimer at the bottom for those who care."
OK so lots of people ask about their belly fat and such, it seems to be the most commonly asked question about body types and how to lose the fat. I wanted to give everyone a small little bit of knowledge that I have gleened over the last few years on the topic.
I see lots of people ask how to get rid of their "spare tire" or "pooch" or "beer gut" or "<your name for the fat in your belly here>". So here are the straight facts as I have compiled them. If you find something that you believe is incorrect, let me know, and I'll doublecheck, but I don't think you will find any. I'll try to stay away from opinion here and with straight fact (or consensus based on research or direct observation of professionals).
First thing to understand is this, you CAN NOT target where you lose fat. The body will lose fat on it's own schedule, from where it deems the easiest place to grab the fuel from.
Second thing to know is the order of precidence that the body uses to burn fuel. In order to understand this, you first must realize how the body views fuel. the body doesn't care where it gets it's energy, whether that be from ingested carbs, fat and protein, stored fats, or lean tissue (muscle) it matters not to the body. The only reason carbs that you eat are burned before fat and proteins are because it's easier for the body, that's it, no magical calculation to make, nothing, carbs eaten are dropped in a location designed to break down food, the chemicals are already there, and so is the food, so the sugars that are released happen fast. Once the body runs out of energy in the digestive track, it starts signalling other locations to release energy, what ever gets broken down first, wins, if that's fat, great, if it's lean tissue well, the sugars that were once part of lean tissue turn right back into tissue, but sadly, not lean tissue anymore, now it's fat. Fat that is far out of the way (old fat) is harder to get to the blood stream to distribute, and thus, the hardest to get rid of.
The third thing to know is that if the body consistanly receives less energy then required to run itself, you will consistantly burn lean tissue, and your body will slow down the metabolic rate, and speed up fat storage as a result. The bigger the deficit, the faster this happens, there is no switch that you flip to go into starvation mode, it's a fluid process, there is always a percentage of this going on, but with people consuming a near healthy amount of food, it's insignificantly small because likewise, the body is always building muscle and burning fat. this is why we say 2 lbs a week goals don't work for everyone, the less excess fat you have, the harder it is for your body to grab that fat and use it, and the more your body will burn lean tissue and store incomming fuel as fat. This is why "the last 10 lbs" are the hardest to lose.
One note, people who are obese don't conform to these priciples the same way. Because of the amount of fat in the body, obese people can actually, for short periods, eat very low calorie diets safely (WITH a doctor's supervision only!). There are still health risks to this, but the immediate concern of stresses put on the body by the excess weight are usually more immediate, and thus make this a viable option for many.
Here are some of my reference articles, feel free to peruse:
http://www.globalhealthandfitness.com/calories.htm
http://www.annecollins.com/body-fat-adipose-tissue-guide.htm
http://humanbodytips.wordpress.com/2008/02/08/human-body-energy-stores-and-losing-weight/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolism/WT00006
I AM NOT A DOCTOR, nor am I any sort of health care professional, I'm not certified in anything medically related (besides my expired CPR certificate). My credentials are only these: a) I have lost 44 lbs over 8 months The right way (eating healthy and exercising. b) I have a technical college degree and can read chemical composition papers quite well. c) I am a computer professional (network engineer) and know how to google and cross check sources very well on line, and do lots and lots of research.
-Banks0 -
Thanks Banks, you are truly a great resource!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And thanks for reminding me that I will probably never get to my goal!!!! Those darn last 6 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :grumble: :bigsmile: :flowerforyou:0
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:flowerforyou: You're my hero, Banks. :flowerforyou:
I call my brother Superman, so I will call you Superman part Deux!0 -
Great post... Thanks Banks:flowerforyou:0
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Thanks Banks, you are truly a great resource!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And thanks for reminding me that I will probably never get to my goal!!!! Those darn last 6 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :grumble: :bigsmile: :flowerforyou:
Oh, you'll get there, I know you will :bigsmile:0 -
Thanks Banks, I always look forward to your 'long' posts.
I've read countless articles, supported by studies, that say you can't spot reduce fat.
On the other hand, it is interesting how there are so many articles and advertisements promoting spot reducing fat. Some of them even site results of studies. However, I know you can buy 'studies'.
There was once a 'study' done by 'Stanford Univesity' that ranked weight loss companies based on success, charts and all. Nutrisystem was number one. Then followed a lawsuit from Stanford against Nutrisystem... Nutrisystem apparently came up with a 'clever way to use the Stanford name in their marketing and the resulting lawsuit with Stanford was just a 'business expense'. There never was a scientific study that Nutrisystem claimed.
The point being, you can't even trust claims of scientific studies especially when someone is trying to sell something.
I'm familar with all this as I was working in the weight loss industry at the time (though not for the slimey Nutrisystem btw)
Here is the related article from http://news-service.stanford.edu/pr/91/910625Arc1278.html
NEWS RELEASE
06/25/91
CONTACT: Stanford University News Service (415) 723-2558
Stanford Wins Injunction Against Nutri/System
STANFORD -- Stanford University won a preliminary injunction against Nutri/System, Inc., in U.S. District Court in San Francisco Monday, continuing terms of a restraining order that bars Nutri/System from using the university's name in advertising and promotion of its diet products.
The injunction, granted by Judge D. Lowell Jensen, also orders Nutri/System to send copies of the restraining order to the company's general managers, regional managers, area managers and center managers.
Judge Jensen also ordered Nutri/System to appear Aug. 30 for a hearing to show cause why the company should not be found in contempt for violating the restraining order by continued unauthorized use of Stanford's name.
(After the June 7 restraining order, Nutri/System began a new advertising campaign throughout Canada using Stanford's name and seal.)
Stanford filed suit June 3 to block Nutri/System from continuing to use newspaper ads and radio and TV commercials that included a reproduction of Stanford's seal and featured a rating of weight loss plans that appeared in the magazine Healthline.
The magazine has no official connection to Stanford. Its editor-in-chief, Paul Insel, is a psychologist in private practice who holds a voluntary clinical faculty appointment in the psychiatry department of the School of Medicine.
The article on weight loss plans that appeared in Healthline was written by Associate Editor Dr. Walton D. Roth, a Stanford professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. The article discussed 16 commercial diet plans and rated Nutri/System's plan number one.
Nutri/System agreed to pay Healthline $25,000 in conjunction with the Roth article, and retained editorial control over the article.
In its suit, Stanford noted, "The views expressed in this article are the personal opinion of Dr. Roth and are not based on or reflective of any comparative scientific study or other research conducted by Stanford. There was never any such study by Stanford at any time." 6/25/91 -rg- nutri/system6/250 -
Great post as usual, Banksy.
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Thanks folks, let's just hope some others get to see it. Posts age out very fast now-a-days. LOL!0
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I AM a doctor (doctora) and I can say (in a very scientifically sound tone) that there IS a way to spot reduce fat: after a good day of healthy dieting and exercise, stand naked in front of a full-length mirror and stare very angrily
at those areas you wish to reduce! well.....:ohwell: it works as well as any other method!
:laugh: :laugh: I slay me!0 -
I AM a doctor (doctora) and I can say (in a very scientifically sound tone) that there IS a way to spot reduce fat: after a good day of healthy dieting and exercise, stand naked in front of a full-length mirror and stare very angrily at those areas you wish to reduce! well.....:ohwell: it works as well as any other method!
:laugh: :laugh: I slay me!
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:0 -
Hehe! If that worked, I'd be Mr Universe by now.0
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Great write up banks.
I am a nursing student and nutrition and exercise are my pet topics.
I like how you put that in plain text.
Have to add the scientific research of Dr dshandt to my library, that is absolutely great
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:0 -
Great write up banks.
I am a nursing student and nutrition and exercise are my pet topics.
I like how you put that in plain text.
Have to add the scientific research of Dr dshandt to my library, that is absolutely great
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Well thanks! Validation is always nice.
0 -
This is SHORT? :laugh:
I guess for you it IS! 0 -
This is SHORT? :laugh:
I guess for you it IS!
HEY!
Quiet you. Just cuz you look great now, doesn't mean you can surpress the banks mojo!
:bigsmile:
:bigsmile: 0 -
OMFG, I just looked and realized I have posted over 2500 times. I'm truely a little soft in the squash I think!0
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OMFG, I just looked and realized I have posted over 2500 times. I'm truely a little soft in the squash I think!
interesting way to put it....is that said with a British accent?0 -
OMFG, I just looked and realized I have posted over 2500 times. I'm truely a little soft in the squash I think!
interesting way to put it....is that said with a British accent?
Whatever floats your dinghy d! :bigsmile:0 -
Thanks Banks!!! Great info.
So, does this mean it will take me FOREVER to lose this last 7lbs!!?!?!?
I've been stuck without any loss for 4 weeks, so on Monday I decided to take your advice of eating more, and I increased both my exercise AND calories by 400 cals per day (so the math would say I was the same as before - eat 400 more, exercise and burn off 400 more) however I peaked at the scale this morning, and I'm down 2lbs!!!!! I'm not holding my breath, but I think this is working to break the plateau!
Thanks again!
:flowerforyou:0 -
Thanks Banks!!! Great info.
So, does this mean it will take me FOREVER to lose this last 7lbs!!?!?!?
I've been stuck without any loss for 4 weeks, so on Monday I decided to take your advice of eating more, and I increased both my exercise AND calories by 400 cals per day (so the math would say I was the same as before - eat 400 more, exercise and burn off 400 more) however I peaked at the scale this morning, and I'm down 2lbs!!!!! I'm not holding my breath, but I think this is working to break the plateau!
Thanks again!
:flowerforyou:
Tough to say. See the thing is, the smaller the numbers get, the harder it is, the more of a tweaking act it becomes. It could be as little as 100 calories one way or the other at the end. But yeah, it's gonna take a while for the last few. Trust me. 3 months later I'm still trying to get rid of the last 5. Life has gotten in the way a little, and I KNOW I'm stronger, and my waist is smaller, but damn if I can't get below 187! I will, oh yes, I will. Well actually, I really don't care about 187 so much, I just want to get to a point where I'm 10% body fat. I'm about 13.5 right now, and I was about 25% when I started last september, but still, I want the ripples in my stomach! I'll have em, mark my words I will!0 -
I AM a doctor (doctora) and I can say (in a very scientifically sound tone) that there IS a way to spot reduce fat: after a good day of healthy dieting and exercise, stand naked in front of a full-length mirror and stare very angrily at those areas you wish to reduce! well.....:ohwell: it works as well as any other method!
:laugh: :laugh: I slay me!
I'm nice to mine. . .I even call her "gutly".
I say to her, "you can leave now, little gutly. . .I can go on without you.":flowerforyou:0 -
Thanks Banks!!! Great info.
So, does this mean it will take me FOREVER to lose this last 7lbs!!?!?!?
I've been stuck without any loss for 4 weeks, so on Monday I decided to take your advice of eating more, and I increased both my exercise AND calories by 400 cals per day (so the math would say I was the same as before - eat 400 more, exercise and burn off 400 more) however I peaked at the scale this morning, and I'm down 2lbs!!!!! I'm not holding my breath, but I think this is working to break the plateau!
Thanks again!
:flowerforyou:
Tough to say. See the thing is, the smaller the numbers get, the harder it is, the more of a tweaking act it becomes. It could be as little as 100 calories one way or the other at the end. But yeah, it's gonna take a while for the last few. Trust me. 3 months later I'm still trying to get rid of the last 5. Life has gotten in the way a little, and I KNOW I'm stronger, and my waist is smaller, but damn if I can't get below 187! I will, oh yes, I will. Well actually, I really don't care about 187 so much, I just want to get to a point where I'm 10% body fat. I'm about 13.5 right now, and I was about 25% when I started last september, but still, I want the ripples in my stomach! I'll have em, mark my words I will!
Banks, I've, ahem, seen some of your pics, and do you really need to go any lower!!! You are already pretty cut... but hey, go for it!!! Oh yeah, get the ripples!!!
If I never lost another pound, and never gained another I would be a happy gal! I will persist though!
:flowerforyou:0 -
I'm about 13.5 right now, and I was about 25% when I started last september, but still, I want the ripples in my stomach! I'll have em, mark my words I will!
Banks,
You've lost almost 50% of your body fat!!! That's the good news.
You're right, the last bit gets tough that extra 3.5% you want represents a 26% reduction from your current body fat. When you don't have much to lose it gets real hard.
I'm with you as I'm at 14.5% but my goal is to be 13% or less. I've read that the athlete range is 6% to 13%, I want to be in that range.0 -
I'm about 13.5 right now, and I was about 25% when I started last september, but still, I want the ripples in my stomach! I'll have em, mark my words I will!
Banks,
You've lost almost 50% of your body fat!!! That's the good news.
You're right, the last bit gets tough that extra 3.5% you want represents a 26% reduction from your current body fat. When you don't have much to lose it gets real hard.
I'm with you as I'm at 14.5% but my goal is to be 13% or less. I've read that the athlete range is 6% to 13%, I want to be in that range.
Oh I hear ya guys. I'm not obsessing about it. 9% is ideal for atheletes (men), but 10 is probably as low as I'll be able to ever get it, I'd be happy with 11% actually. but I like to set high goals, I don't worry about failure, cuz I'm smart enough to realize that even if I don't get there, I can get damn close (I was an engineer afterall!)0
This discussion has been closed.
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