ITT: Ask me anything about losing weight.. (part 2)

Sublog · August 2012

I'll bite... When you first started, did you use a heart rate monitor to find how many calories burnt or did you just log your exercise on here using their calories burnt? If you didn't use a HRM, do you now? What brand do you recommend? Can you tell I'm in search of a reliable HRM? haha I log the exercise on here, but I don't rely on it nor do I eat back those calories. I've heard too many things like it's not very accurate, but really what is?

Another thing, what exercises did you start off doing?

I started doing p90x and I did buy and use a heart rate monitor. But it was mostly for curiosity. No, I rarely if ever logged my calories to eat them back. I figure in my workouts in my custom intake. I don't believe in eating back your calories because you really don't know how accurate the calorie burn is.

I'm a big believer of letting your results dictate what you do. Keeping things simple, controlling variables. Keep a static intake of calories and adjust up or down based on your results.

Debbe2 · August 2012

What are the 3 - 5 most important tools or facts you used to lose the weight? Like for me logging and MFP have been crucial. I'm curious how you accomplished what you did and how you continue to have tremendous success. Thanks so much for posting the thread this afternoon! I asked SS so many silly q's in the past and I know I did, and people do appreciate hearing from you guys a lot!!!

Sublog · August 2012

What are the 3 - 5 most important tools or facts you used to lose the weight? Like for me logging and MFP have been crucial. I'm curious how you accomplished what you did and how you continue to have tremendous success. Thanks so much for posting the thread this afternoon! I asked SS so many silly q's in the past and I know I did, and people do appreciate hearing from you guys a lot!!!

Knowledge! Once I understood the science of fat loss and nutrition, it all clicked for me. Follow the rules and get the results. All I had to do was supply the willpower/patience/dedication. I had the formula. I love to learn and knowledge drives my life.
Food scale - learning how to properly measure everything I ate was extremely important.

In the end, you just have to follow a few simple rules.

Workout with weights 3 times per week
Eat 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass/.40g of fats per lb of lean body mass - fill rest of calories with carbs
Reduce calories to lose weight

msbrown92 · August 2012

Hey! My starting weight was 265. As of today my weight is 237.2. I'm 2.2lbs away from losing 30lbs!!!!! However I barely can tell. My pants are getting big on me, but my body still looks the same. Did this ever happened to you?!

Sublog · August 2012

Hey! My starting weight was 265. As of today my weight is 237.2. I'm 2.2lbs away from losing 30lbs!!!!! However I barely can tell. My pants are getting big on me, but my body still looks the same. Did this ever happened to you?!

Yep, your overall body shape will remain the same for a very long time. You'll simply look like a smaller version of yourself. In men, your body starts making a lot of changes once you get below 20% body fat. For women I'd say probably 26%.

Its frustrating for sure. But keep up the great work. It will change. Just have to keep losing weight.

msbrown92 · August 2012

Thanks

jvhall83 · August 2012

Everyone has explained it over and over...so im a bit ashamed to say that im still confused. I started dropping weight and then i found out that I should be no less than my BMR which MFP says 2400 and other places roughly 2100. If you could just run down what was successful for you in regards to this...that would be great. What foods...how much of a caloric deficit did you use? I'm currently programmed for MFP to lose 1 pound a week which does have me under my BMR. It has me at 1700 calories. If you can offer some insight into this...that would be great...I really want to get back on the right track of shedding pounds. By the way i exercise 4-5 times a week burning on average 450 calories...thanks

Basically, I ate below my BMR for a long time and it had no ill effect on me. Typically speaking aim for about 1% weight loss per week max.. If you're 300lbs, you can easily drop 3 lbs a week safely. Eat a high protein diet and do resistance training. Adjust your calorie intake up or down based on your results!

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a few more weeks with this new change and then adjust my calories afterwards. Appreciate it.

Jennical · August 2012

Bump

MTBrob · August 2012

Just wanted to say I am on your path man .. Good post!

BetterCrazyThanLazy · August 2012

bump for a later read

SelenityJ · August 2012

Thank you for doing this! I don't really have any questions at the moment but wanted to post to follow your thread.

moonfruity · August 2012

What's a perfect diet consist of? What's your favorite breakfast? Did you ever fall off the wagon?

esjohnson03 · August 2012

Any suggestions on strength training styles? I read some 4 day suggested routines that work a larger portion of the body 2+ times a week and others that target specific muscle groups but only once a week. For instance the two routine below:

"Routine #1" (1-2 exercises per muscle group)
Day 1: Chest/Arms/Shoulders
Day 2: Back/Legs
Day 3: Chest/Arms/Shoulders (different exercises than Day 1)
Day 4: Back/Legs (different exercises than Day 2)

"Routine #2"
Day 1: Chest (3-4 chest exercises)
Day 2: Shoulders & Biceps (3-4 shoulders exercises, 3-4 bicep exercises)
Day 3: Back & Triceps (3-4 back exercises, 3-4 tricep exercises)
Day 4: Legs (3-4 leg exercises)

Is one approach superior to the other or is it basically just whatever works for the individual? I've been following Routine #2 and find that working one or two muscle groups once a week allows me to lift heavier (still maintaining good form), generally 3 sets/exercise with failure coming around rep 6-8 on each set.

Fabnover40Kat · August 2012

bump!

Sublog · August 2012

What's a perfect diet consist of? What's your favorite breakfast? Did you ever fall off the wagon?

My favorite breakfast? Ice cream!

Perfect diet?

Generally speaking a perfect diet is one that you can sustain, is both micro and macro-nutrient sufficient, and one which will allow you to achieve your body composition goals.

Did I ever fall off the wagon during my journey?. Nope.

Sublog · August 2012

Any suggestions on strength training styles? I read some 4 day suggested routines that work a larger portion of the body 2+ times a week and others that target specific muscle groups but only once a week. For instance the two routine below:

"Routine #1" (1-2 exercises per muscle group)
Day 1: Chest/Arms/Shoulders
Day 2: Back/Legs
Day 3: Chest/Arms/Shoulders (different exercises than Day 1)
Day 4: Back/Legs (different exercises than Day 2)

"Routine #2"
Day 1: Chest (3-4 chest exercises)
Day 2: Shoulders & Biceps (3-4 shoulders exercises, 3-4 bicep exercises)
Day 3: Back & Triceps (3-4 back exercises, 3-4 tricep exercises)
Day 4: Legs (3-4 leg exercises)

Is one approach superior to the other or is it basically just whatever works for the individual? I've been following Routine #2 and find that working one or two muscle groups once a week allows me to lift heavier (still maintaining good form), generally 3 sets/exercise with failure coming around rep 6-8 on each set.

I am by no means an expert on workout routines, but I do know that its best to do a routine that has been designed by someone who is an expert.

For many new lifters, I advocate StrongLifts/Starting Strength ... Both focus on heavy compound movements. I think the key with any program is continual progression.