"Howdja do it?"
AggieCass09
Posts: 1,867 Member
A long one but a good one that is also posted on my blog: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/AggieCass09/view/-howdja-do-it-154899
I’ve been asked this question several times recently and have thought that it’s quite simple, really. But then again, why did it take me twenty four years to figure it out and why don’t others readily get it either?
In short:
There are no quick fixes.
Diets don’t work.
It’s not a simple as calories in = calories out.
It takes hard, focused effort.
Allow me to interject a disclaimer here: I'm no physician but I have expended lots of energy in researching various healthy related topics. Each person must actively seek out what works for THEM specifically in each (and all) of the general categories of (1) food consumption (amount), (2) types of food, (3) activity, (4) exercise, (5) motivation, and (6) long term commitment. Honestly, it’s best NOT to tackle all of these things all at once—it will only lead to frustration and quitting.
#1 Amount of Consumption. This is where most dieters begin. They think that if they create a deficit in what they consume less than the energy they expend, that they will lose weight. And that does work—for a while. But when it stops working, most people quit and re-gain any (and all) of the weight they likely lost. These people should see number 5 and also educate themselves about what is going on to their body. They would find that most people stop losing weight by deficits alone because bodies require fuel to function properly. Evolutionary protection mechanisms prevent the body from starving by not releasing stored fat, hence why plateaus occur—it’s just the body’s way of protecting itself. Plateaus also occur because a body adapts to current activity levels and is no longer challenge thus fewer calories are burned, but this will be discussed in item three. We all know how generalized calorie calculators establish a person’s consumption, but each individual must experiment to see if this generalized calculator works for them.
Back in college when I first started marathon training I was not aware of MFP and all it’s glory. I had no CLUE how much I should have eaten so I did what lots of people do and starve themselves thinking that hunger is the enemy. Seriously, I would maybe eat 800 calories and burn 500-1000 each day during mindless cardio (more on that later). Yes, I lost weight but I had no energy and was always tired and sick. Now, I know how silly I was being—when the body signals hunger, eating is a good idea. I remember my trainer told me to eat more and I thought he was secretly plotting against me. I couldn’t comprehend how eating MORE could lead to weight LOSS?!? Since then I’ve found MFP and done a whole bunch of experminets that started by me gradually increasing my intake to reach 1200 NET (food- exercise) calories, then 1370, 1540, and finally 1680 over a period of a year. Ultimately, my experiments reviled that what worked for me was zig-zagging my calories. I used another general calculator (freedieting.com) to find my ballpark numbers then over time (MONTHS) I fine-tuned what worked for me (see my zig-zagging blogs on my About Me section for calculating YOUR zig-zag numbers). Zig-zagging is my preferred method now because some days I’m very active and need lots of fuel where as other days I don’t. I also have random events (dinners/lunches/work/life/birthdays/etc.) that I like eating at and zig-zagging is flexible to all me to plan accordingly for this. Remembering that since our bodies are dynamic systems this number is ever changing and other factors (activity, stress, sleep, etc.) affect how much I eat.
#2 Type of Consumption. Even though the Twinkie diet worked for that Nutrition Professor, I’d be interested to see how his body composition deteriorated over the months when he tried that diet. Bottom line, the body uses what it is fed to build muscle, bones, and organs. If you put “good” in, your body will use that to build a better body rather than store the junk as fat elsewhere which only puts stress on those poor muscles, bones, and organs. Eating processed foods and fake sugars (high fructose corn syrup, I’m looking at YOU) will not build a better and stronger you, so why would you waste your calories on them? Really focus on eating clean foods and getting enough protein (100+ grams a day is my suggestion). The goal is not ‘skinny fat,’ we want to be muscularly fit!
A note on macronutrients, the body is amazing a converting what it is fed into what it needs through very complex biochemical pathways involving hormones and a variety of of signaling processes (yup, putting to use my biochemistry and genetics undergrad degrees). So picking a low carb/low fat/high whatever diet doesn’t really do much good (assuming there are no underlying health issues that require certain macros) since fats and carbs and proteins can all be interconverted to what the body needs. Each of those types has a role so my philosophy has been to give it even ratios (about 35 c/35 p/30 f) and let the body do the work. Time of day doesn’t matter either since the body doesn’t have a clock, so basically eat a substantial breakfast to get your metabolism going, don’t eat a huge meal right before bed (doesn’t allow for sound sleeping!) and drink a protein shake within 30 minutes of working out. Simple!
What worked for me was eating a clean, vegetarian diet. I’m not saying that this is the ONLY way to go for everyone, but it worked with my metabolism and lifestyle. I gradually eliminated fast foods, sodas, and high fructose corn syrup over a period of three years. I eat a high protein breakfast (30+ grams). I enjoy rice, pasta, and bread in moderation. I drink a protein shake after every work out-- immediately after! Most of my meals are centered on fresh fruits and veggies; because of this I may exceed the 35% carb ratio and I’m not concerned. I do not restrict things from my diet-- if I want cake/ ice cream/ coffee/ pizza/ whatever, I’ll eat it (in moderation). It is imperative to experiment with what works for each individual—is there a carbohydrate intolerant? Is daily function benefitted with a high protein breakfast? Does eliminating sodas and fast foods for a month have benefits? Is carb-loading before a ___ mile race, really necessary? Again, don’t change everything at once; pick one thing to focus on each month and worry only about that. This way, it is more likely for a person to stick with it.
#3 Activity. Humans were not engineered to sit on their bottoms for eight hours a day, five days a week. I know it isn’t reasonable for everyone to quit their day jobs and focus entirely on hunting and gathering again, but it is possible to increase your daily activity by taking the stairs, parking further away, taking walk breaks every 50 minutes, walking during lunch, taking the long way to the rest room, etc.) These individual tasks can greatly increase your daily activity and thus your baseline metabolic rate.
#4 Exercise. It is not entirely necessary to exercise to be successful with weight loss or overall fitness. Along the same line with all of the previously mentioned items, the” best” type of exercise is different for everybody. However, spending hours on the gym’s cardio machines is a very ineffective way to exercise. Yes, this does work for most people starting out who are generally in poor shape (or even those in decent shape) but once the body gets used to hours on end of cardio, the weight loss will drastically halt. To remedy this, either increase the intensity (i.e HIIT- high intensity interval training) and/or completely change the type of work outs (lifting, spinning, yoga, zumba, kickboxing, MMA, etc). This process of continually changing and forcing the body to be uncomfortable will have to continue forever (see #5).
I started out training for a marathon (i.e. endless hours of cardio) over the course of a year back in 2007. I was grossly out of shape and couldn’t run 100 yards to save my life (seriously). But of the weight I lost, it was all in the initial onset and my mentality of “oh I’m burning so many calories, therefore I can eat whatever” caught up to me and I gained it all back. Gradually, I realized how much I enjoyed running which kept me going even though the plateau phenomenon happened to me as well. I was grumpy then I stumbled upon HIIT, so I added this once a week to my normal running regimen with great improvements on my race times. But I wasn’t losing as much weight as I wanted so I really cleaned up my eating in this period. This reiterates how complicated weight loss really is; all facets-- food and exercise-- must be attended to. Next, I tried P90X and had success with that until I got bored and annoyed with Tony. Enter, NROLFW this summer! In such a short time I’ve seen amazing results in my physique, metabolism, and lifting weights because it is totally different from what I’ve been doing. Now, at some point this too will become easy for my body but I know now how to add in different types of lifts to challenge myself sufficiently. Who knows what I’ll do next, which is a perfect Segway into number five…
#5 Motivation. Weight loss is not easy. It often sucks and is miserable. However, the end result of a long, healthy life is substantial enough to motivate one to continue. Whatever phrase, image, threat, or whatever that resonates with a person will be that driving force necessary to do the work to reach any desired goal. Setting goals, parameters of evaluation and finding personal ways to sustain the determination are of upmost importance. This is where most people shoot themselves in the foot, they don’t realize all of the many parameters by which to gauge their success and end up quitting too soon. The scale is NOT the only indicator, nor is it the best one! (See my blog on the scale lying.) Incorporate inches, body fat measurements using calipers (not the inaccurate body composition scales), how clothing fits, how a person FEELS (energy and general wellbeing), progress pictures, etc. When setting goals (and DO this because it is SO important) do not just set scale goals, use other parameters too; sign up for races, activities, or walks that exceed the comfort zone. These goals will aid in keeping up moral so keep them reasonable at first and adjust as needed. Reward yourself (mani/pedi, new clothes, etc.) when goals are attained as well as when they are maintained.
#6 Long-term Commitment. The mentality must be “in it for the long haul.” A person is not likely to keep it up forever if they are just thinking about looking hot on their wedding day (this would go in the motivation/goals section above). A saying I came across, "shortcuts in life are not worth taking" applys to weight loss also. Every time thoughts about eating an entire pizza arise, think how will this help or hinder in reaching the established goals. When contemplating skipping a work out, envision reaching the set race goals and think about how improper training will affect that. Fast-forward twenty, thirty, or even fifty years from now, and envision how much energy a person will possess since you they setting themselves up for a long and healthy life. When considering diets, think it is realistic to sustain that ___ diet forever? Traditional methods may be slow but most importantly, the commitment to put in the hard work IS worth it. YOU are worth it! Regardless of how long it takes.
These are just the tidbits that I’ve acquired during my experience with experimenting with what works for me over the past four years resulting in finally maintaining a thirty pound loss for longer than a few months. It is no longer about chasing a number on the scale, but about overall wellbeing. Bottom line is to find what works for the specific individual so that it is maintainable and beneficial to their specific goals. I’m by no means a doctor, but I am highly educated on the various things I’ve researched over the years. If you want any references of medical studies or scholarly sources of any of the topics I’ve mentioned, please ask. If something seems to be missing from my rambling, please send me a message!
I’ve been asked this question several times recently and have thought that it’s quite simple, really. But then again, why did it take me twenty four years to figure it out and why don’t others readily get it either?
In short:
There are no quick fixes.
Diets don’t work.
It’s not a simple as calories in = calories out.
It takes hard, focused effort.
Allow me to interject a disclaimer here: I'm no physician but I have expended lots of energy in researching various healthy related topics. Each person must actively seek out what works for THEM specifically in each (and all) of the general categories of (1) food consumption (amount), (2) types of food, (3) activity, (4) exercise, (5) motivation, and (6) long term commitment. Honestly, it’s best NOT to tackle all of these things all at once—it will only lead to frustration and quitting.
#1 Amount of Consumption. This is where most dieters begin. They think that if they create a deficit in what they consume less than the energy they expend, that they will lose weight. And that does work—for a while. But when it stops working, most people quit and re-gain any (and all) of the weight they likely lost. These people should see number 5 and also educate themselves about what is going on to their body. They would find that most people stop losing weight by deficits alone because bodies require fuel to function properly. Evolutionary protection mechanisms prevent the body from starving by not releasing stored fat, hence why plateaus occur—it’s just the body’s way of protecting itself. Plateaus also occur because a body adapts to current activity levels and is no longer challenge thus fewer calories are burned, but this will be discussed in item three. We all know how generalized calorie calculators establish a person’s consumption, but each individual must experiment to see if this generalized calculator works for them.
Back in college when I first started marathon training I was not aware of MFP and all it’s glory. I had no CLUE how much I should have eaten so I did what lots of people do and starve themselves thinking that hunger is the enemy. Seriously, I would maybe eat 800 calories and burn 500-1000 each day during mindless cardio (more on that later). Yes, I lost weight but I had no energy and was always tired and sick. Now, I know how silly I was being—when the body signals hunger, eating is a good idea. I remember my trainer told me to eat more and I thought he was secretly plotting against me. I couldn’t comprehend how eating MORE could lead to weight LOSS?!? Since then I’ve found MFP and done a whole bunch of experminets that started by me gradually increasing my intake to reach 1200 NET (food- exercise) calories, then 1370, 1540, and finally 1680 over a period of a year. Ultimately, my experiments reviled that what worked for me was zig-zagging my calories. I used another general calculator (freedieting.com) to find my ballpark numbers then over time (MONTHS) I fine-tuned what worked for me (see my zig-zagging blogs on my About Me section for calculating YOUR zig-zag numbers). Zig-zagging is my preferred method now because some days I’m very active and need lots of fuel where as other days I don’t. I also have random events (dinners/lunches/work/life/birthdays/etc.) that I like eating at and zig-zagging is flexible to all me to plan accordingly for this. Remembering that since our bodies are dynamic systems this number is ever changing and other factors (activity, stress, sleep, etc.) affect how much I eat.
#2 Type of Consumption. Even though the Twinkie diet worked for that Nutrition Professor, I’d be interested to see how his body composition deteriorated over the months when he tried that diet. Bottom line, the body uses what it is fed to build muscle, bones, and organs. If you put “good” in, your body will use that to build a better body rather than store the junk as fat elsewhere which only puts stress on those poor muscles, bones, and organs. Eating processed foods and fake sugars (high fructose corn syrup, I’m looking at YOU) will not build a better and stronger you, so why would you waste your calories on them? Really focus on eating clean foods and getting enough protein (100+ grams a day is my suggestion). The goal is not ‘skinny fat,’ we want to be muscularly fit!
A note on macronutrients, the body is amazing a converting what it is fed into what it needs through very complex biochemical pathways involving hormones and a variety of of signaling processes (yup, putting to use my biochemistry and genetics undergrad degrees). So picking a low carb/low fat/high whatever diet doesn’t really do much good (assuming there are no underlying health issues that require certain macros) since fats and carbs and proteins can all be interconverted to what the body needs. Each of those types has a role so my philosophy has been to give it even ratios (about 35 c/35 p/30 f) and let the body do the work. Time of day doesn’t matter either since the body doesn’t have a clock, so basically eat a substantial breakfast to get your metabolism going, don’t eat a huge meal right before bed (doesn’t allow for sound sleeping!) and drink a protein shake within 30 minutes of working out. Simple!
What worked for me was eating a clean, vegetarian diet. I’m not saying that this is the ONLY way to go for everyone, but it worked with my metabolism and lifestyle. I gradually eliminated fast foods, sodas, and high fructose corn syrup over a period of three years. I eat a high protein breakfast (30+ grams). I enjoy rice, pasta, and bread in moderation. I drink a protein shake after every work out-- immediately after! Most of my meals are centered on fresh fruits and veggies; because of this I may exceed the 35% carb ratio and I’m not concerned. I do not restrict things from my diet-- if I want cake/ ice cream/ coffee/ pizza/ whatever, I’ll eat it (in moderation). It is imperative to experiment with what works for each individual—is there a carbohydrate intolerant? Is daily function benefitted with a high protein breakfast? Does eliminating sodas and fast foods for a month have benefits? Is carb-loading before a ___ mile race, really necessary? Again, don’t change everything at once; pick one thing to focus on each month and worry only about that. This way, it is more likely for a person to stick with it.
#3 Activity. Humans were not engineered to sit on their bottoms for eight hours a day, five days a week. I know it isn’t reasonable for everyone to quit their day jobs and focus entirely on hunting and gathering again, but it is possible to increase your daily activity by taking the stairs, parking further away, taking walk breaks every 50 minutes, walking during lunch, taking the long way to the rest room, etc.) These individual tasks can greatly increase your daily activity and thus your baseline metabolic rate.
#4 Exercise. It is not entirely necessary to exercise to be successful with weight loss or overall fitness. Along the same line with all of the previously mentioned items, the” best” type of exercise is different for everybody. However, spending hours on the gym’s cardio machines is a very ineffective way to exercise. Yes, this does work for most people starting out who are generally in poor shape (or even those in decent shape) but once the body gets used to hours on end of cardio, the weight loss will drastically halt. To remedy this, either increase the intensity (i.e HIIT- high intensity interval training) and/or completely change the type of work outs (lifting, spinning, yoga, zumba, kickboxing, MMA, etc). This process of continually changing and forcing the body to be uncomfortable will have to continue forever (see #5).
I started out training for a marathon (i.e. endless hours of cardio) over the course of a year back in 2007. I was grossly out of shape and couldn’t run 100 yards to save my life (seriously). But of the weight I lost, it was all in the initial onset and my mentality of “oh I’m burning so many calories, therefore I can eat whatever” caught up to me and I gained it all back. Gradually, I realized how much I enjoyed running which kept me going even though the plateau phenomenon happened to me as well. I was grumpy then I stumbled upon HIIT, so I added this once a week to my normal running regimen with great improvements on my race times. But I wasn’t losing as much weight as I wanted so I really cleaned up my eating in this period. This reiterates how complicated weight loss really is; all facets-- food and exercise-- must be attended to. Next, I tried P90X and had success with that until I got bored and annoyed with Tony. Enter, NROLFW this summer! In such a short time I’ve seen amazing results in my physique, metabolism, and lifting weights because it is totally different from what I’ve been doing. Now, at some point this too will become easy for my body but I know now how to add in different types of lifts to challenge myself sufficiently. Who knows what I’ll do next, which is a perfect Segway into number five…
#5 Motivation. Weight loss is not easy. It often sucks and is miserable. However, the end result of a long, healthy life is substantial enough to motivate one to continue. Whatever phrase, image, threat, or whatever that resonates with a person will be that driving force necessary to do the work to reach any desired goal. Setting goals, parameters of evaluation and finding personal ways to sustain the determination are of upmost importance. This is where most people shoot themselves in the foot, they don’t realize all of the many parameters by which to gauge their success and end up quitting too soon. The scale is NOT the only indicator, nor is it the best one! (See my blog on the scale lying.) Incorporate inches, body fat measurements using calipers (not the inaccurate body composition scales), how clothing fits, how a person FEELS (energy and general wellbeing), progress pictures, etc. When setting goals (and DO this because it is SO important) do not just set scale goals, use other parameters too; sign up for races, activities, or walks that exceed the comfort zone. These goals will aid in keeping up moral so keep them reasonable at first and adjust as needed. Reward yourself (mani/pedi, new clothes, etc.) when goals are attained as well as when they are maintained.
#6 Long-term Commitment. The mentality must be “in it for the long haul.” A person is not likely to keep it up forever if they are just thinking about looking hot on their wedding day (this would go in the motivation/goals section above). A saying I came across, "shortcuts in life are not worth taking" applys to weight loss also. Every time thoughts about eating an entire pizza arise, think how will this help or hinder in reaching the established goals. When contemplating skipping a work out, envision reaching the set race goals and think about how improper training will affect that. Fast-forward twenty, thirty, or even fifty years from now, and envision how much energy a person will possess since you they setting themselves up for a long and healthy life. When considering diets, think it is realistic to sustain that ___ diet forever? Traditional methods may be slow but most importantly, the commitment to put in the hard work IS worth it. YOU are worth it! Regardless of how long it takes.
These are just the tidbits that I’ve acquired during my experience with experimenting with what works for me over the past four years resulting in finally maintaining a thirty pound loss for longer than a few months. It is no longer about chasing a number on the scale, but about overall wellbeing. Bottom line is to find what works for the specific individual so that it is maintainable and beneficial to their specific goals. I’m by no means a doctor, but I am highly educated on the various things I’ve researched over the years. If you want any references of medical studies or scholarly sources of any of the topics I’ve mentioned, please ask. If something seems to be missing from my rambling, please send me a message!
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bump to read later today.0
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This is full of awesome. Thank you
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