ASK ME ANYTHING ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS!!! GREATEST THREAD EVER!!

This is a word of advice, guys. You might want to bookmark this page. Frame it in your living room, even. Some of you may simply want to print my words and keep it safely under your pillow to read each night again and again.
Whatever you decide to do, know this... this is the greatest thread you’re ever going to read.

Members of MFP, lend me your ears...

Anyway, I’ve been here for a week or so now; spreading my words of wisdom, enlightening you with my peerless weight loss advice and all round legendary tales of awesomeness. My inbox is bursting with messages of gratitude, and for that, I thank you.

I do have a problem though...

I peruse the message boards daily. General fitness and motivation are the areas I often frequent. I can’t help but be annoyed by the constant repetition of questions some people pose when their enquires have already been asked and answered in six separate other threads below.

I implore you, no more!!!!!!

Right here and now, I will be putting an end to the recurring queries that are poisoning this place and also offer you guidance and support should you need it.

Question One.

“The scale hasn’t moved HELP!!” or “The scale has gone UP”

You’ve all seen them. You’ve all seen about a hundred of them if you’re honest.

But yes, guys! During your weight-loss journeys, even though your diets perfect and you sweat from every pore at the gym, the scale will always go up at one time or another. It’s just how we are built. There are all kinds of scientific biological processes happening inside you which I can’t be bothered explaining but know this... IT’S NORMAL!!! TOTALLY NORMAL!!!

The one thing you need to remember is that weight-loss is not linear. You’re body will lose some fat, gain some water, hold glycogen, release water, tone some muscle, empty glycogen stores etc...

You’re weight will fluctuate every single day. I’ve woken up some morning 4lbs lighter than the day before.
A week of you working your balls off and eating right will probably look like this on a scale...

Mon 175lbs. Tues 174lbs. Weds 176lbs. Thurs 175lbs. Friday 173lbs. Saturday 174lbs. Sunday 174lbs.

That’s totally normal.

My advice is this. Weigh yourself once a month. The first or last of every month preferably. Pick one and stick to it. Those who weigh-in every day or week will become obsessed by the number they see and miserable when the numbers aren’t to their liking.

I’ve said this a few times in some threads too. Use a photo-log. Nothing and I mean NOTHING is more motivating than seeing REAL PROGRESS. Go by the mirror or peoples comments. A tape measure or the size of your clothes. If you stick to eating right and exercise, YOU WILL SEE RESULTS!!

Just don’t get bogged down by a damn number.

Question 2.

“How many calories should I be eating?”

The thing about this question is that it can NEVER be answered exactly as it varies from person to person.

Don’t worry though, guys. The next paragraph is going to clear this up.

To set up your generic fat-loss diet calorie intake, all you need to is take your current body weight in LBS and multiply it by 10 or 12 calories. The number you see is your GUIDELINE maintenance calorie intake. It’s not perfect, like I said, we’re all different. IT’S A GUIDE. So in order to lose weight, at the end of every single day, you’re body needs to be at a caloric DEFICIT. This means you EAT UNDER THE AMOUNT of calories your body needs to maintain itself. SIMPLE. They say around 300-500 calories is recommended. If you do the math, stick to it and apply some exercise, you’ll lose weight.

That’s pretty much all. I could go on about activity levels etc... But you all need to find that out for yourselves. I suggest trying it for 3 weeks and seeing what progress you make.



Please feel free to ask any questions regarding weight-loss!!!

THE FIRST POST IN THE GREATEST THREAD EVER IS COMPLETE!!!!
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Replies

  • Spot for sale
  • Agatha66
    Agatha66 Posts: 13 Member
    Hi, can I ask about the ratios of carb, fat, protein: I am 5ft 8 female office based nurse who runs slowly lol about 3 times per week, I am doing the couch to 5k. Me carbs seem set quite high at 55 percent, however this said I am a big fruit eater so am nearly always over on carbs, what is the best ratios for minor weight loss , I only have a small amount to loose but want to maintain following loss. Am also battling underactive thyroid . Thanks
  • bump
  • borom44
    borom44 Posts: 24 Member
    There are a couple of others worth adding, namely

    The Fat Myth

    Muscle does not weigh more than FAT, it occupies less space and is more dense, 1lb of FAT weighs the same as 1lb of muscle.

    If the scales don’t move or go up and some one tells you its because muscle weighs more than fat and the three times a week you go to the Gym for half an hour is because of the muscle you have put on b!tch slap em. You would have to train like an Olympic athlete 7 days a week to put any significant muscle on and as for the ladies its even bloody worse. You are not designed to bulk up with muscle.
  • very well said !! :)
  • Microfiber
    Microfiber Posts: 956 Member
    Whenever I reach my weight target, my belly is still big. Does it mean I have to go even lower? I don't want to look gaunt. The equipment I have at home are: my body :laugh: , exercise mat, resistance bands, medicine ball (5kg), balance board and kettlebell (5kg - bought today) so your advise will have to comprise of these. I don't attend the gym and don't wanna :wink:

    Thank you :smile:
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    Hi, can I ask about the ratios of carb, fat, protein: I am 5ft 8 female office based nurse who runs slowly lol about 3 times per week, I am doing the couch to 5k. Me carbs seem set quite high at 55 percent, however this said I am a big fruit eater so am nearly always over on carbs, what is the best ratios for minor weight loss , I only have a small amount to loose but want to maintain following loss. Am also battling underactive thyroid . Thanks

    You can ask that!! WELCOME TO GREATEST THREAD EVER!!!

    Eating fruit is fine!! Don’t let anyone tell you any differently. Full of simple sugars which are GOOD FOR YOU. FULL OF GOOD CARBS – complex carbs!! 55% is not high, in fact it’s just slightly over average.

    When it comes to your macros for losing weight (macronutrients for those a little behind) You need to prioritise PROTEIN!! Why you ask? Well protein preserves your lean mass, keeps you feeling full as hell, is the least likely macro to be stored as FAT and keeps your glucose levels in check!!! AMAZING HUH??!!! Damn straight!!! A starting recommendation that anyone will give you is 1gram per pound of your body weight. That’s a starting point. Go do the math!! (if fact don't i've pretty done it for you at the end)

    FAT!! To keep your hormones happy during your diet you should set your dietary fat intake to around 15-20% of your bodyweight and base it around 9cals per gram.

    Easiest thing ever is set your protein and FAT then fill up the rest with carbs!!!

    Confused??? No worries!!! It doesn’t really matter anyway!! You can’t map and hit your macro diet perfectly anyway!
    Just use this....

    50% protein, 35% carbs and 15% fats!!
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    To set up your generic fat-loss diet calorie intake, all you need to is take your current body weight in LBS and multiply it by 10 or 12 calories. The number you see is your GUIDELINE maintenance calorie intake. It’s not perfect, like I said, we’re all different. IT’S A GUIDE. So in order to lose weight, at the end of every single day, you’re body needs to be at a caloric DEFICIT. This means you EAT UNDER THE AMOUNT of calories your body needs to maintain itself. SIMPLE. They say around 300-500 calories is recommended. If you do the math, stick to it and apply some exercise, you’ll lose weight.

    No.

    You use the 10 - 12 cals per 1 lb of total body weight to generate the rough amount of calories you should be eating for fat loss (in other words your calorie deficit level.) It factors in a reasonable amount of exercise so you wouldn't eat back exercise calories.

    So, if I weigh 200 lbs I would eat somewhere between 2000 - 2,400 calories per day to start losing weight.

    The way it works is this. 10 cals per 1lb of total body weight roughly equates to BMR for women, and 11 cals per 1lb of total body weight roughly equates to the BMR for men.

    Therefore if you eat this amount your calorie deficit will be created by all the other elements which amount for the calorie out side of the energy balance equation: daily activity (NEAT/SPA) planned exercise (TEA) and energy cost of eating (TEF)

    The higher end of the amount (12 cals per 1lbs of total body weight) does amount to maintenance calories for a completely sedentary person and would therefore be more useful as a calorie deficit starting point for someone who engages in quite a lot of exercise.)

    I think it's a great way of getting a reasonable starting point but as said above you don't need to knock anything off it to start losing weight.
  • nathanalgren
    nathanalgren Posts: 30 Member
    Which topic is the bikini one? I couldn't read the rest of your message after realizing I missed that topic.
  • If I were to eat 1200 calories a day, then worked out and burnt 1200 a day...is that unhealthy?


    My BMR is 1464...if that helps o.o
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    Whenever I reach my weight target, my belly is still big. Does it mean I have to go even lower? I don't want to look gaunt. The equipment I have at home are: my body :laugh: , exercise mat, resistance bands, medicine ball (5kg), balance board and kettlebell (5kg - bought today) so your advise will have to comprise of these. I don't attend the gym and don't wanna :wink:

    Thank you :smile:

    Big like flabby or big like weak abdominal wall?

    I'm thinking you mean flabby. Stubborn fat around the stomach is the most common thing ever. Eating right and WEIGHTS will tighten that whole core area in no time!! you don't want the gym though, right? No problem.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POdzasJklxw

    44 bodyweight exercises that will have you in tears when you're finished doing just 3 of them.

    If you do decide to purchase more equipment, get a bench and do squats or better yet the 5x5 program will turn your stomach into a washboard before you know it!!!
  • LIKE YOU SAID, THE BEST THREAD EVER. *like button*:flowerforyou:
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    mfern123!! good pick up! it's your guideline deficit not guideline maintenance!!! I type quicker than I can think!!
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    mfern123!! good pick up! it's your guideline deficit not guideline maintenance!!! I type quicker than I can think!!

    Top banana dude;)

    I think it's great to see someone using this method: it is an incredibly simple way of getting a reasonable starting point for your fat loss which you can then tweak as you progress.

    You see people tearing their hair out and doing all kinds of mathematical voodoo to find their calorie deficit level which is simply unnecessary.
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    If I were to eat 1200 calories a day, then worked out and burnt 1200 a day...is that unhealthy?


    My BMR is 1464...if that helps o.o

    Depends on how you much you weigh :-) I'd say don' though. stick to what we know -300 to -500 deficit is perfect.
    Burning the 1200 you eat plus losing the 1464 at BMR leaves you a very high deficit if you are a smaller person.
    larger people can get away with more! Experiment and see how you feel, It may not be optimal for you though.

    did you know one guy weighing 250lbs didnt eat for over a year and still lived? Just water and vitamin supplements.
  • If I were to eat 1200 calories a day, then worked out and burnt 1200 a day...is that unhealthy?


    My BMR is 1464...if that helps o.o

    Depends on how you much you weigh :-) I'd say don' though. stick to what we know -300 to -500 deficit is perfect.
    Burning the 1200 you eat plus losing the 1464 at BMR leaves you a very high deficit if you are a smaller person.
    larger people can get away with more! Experiment and see how you feel, It may not be optimal for you though.

    did you know one guy weighing 250lbs didnt eat for over a year and still lived? Just water and vitamin supplements.

    Mind if I inbox you?
  • Around 90% of the people on here posses the elementary ability to read. The remaining 10% spend their time over at the ‘women in bikinis’ thread pressing REFRESH over and over. Well, I’m not talking to those people. Nobody really should...

    Bahahahahaha!
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
    Dude, who are you?
  • Gitana323
    Gitana323 Posts: 1 Member
    Will Beer affect my weight loss? What if it's entirely within my permitted calorie intake?? I don't eat butter or sweets but in 3 weeks I've had only 1kg weight loss (no exercise implemented YET).... is the beer to blame?!?!
  • Can I ask you please :
    Iv been at this just over a month, I stick to my 1200 cals making sure to check every thing before I eat it and I work out at least 3 times a week I lost a good 6lbs in first week as i expected, then week after 1, and for last 3 weeks 2lb a week then this week 0 Iv changed nothing why does this happen its so knocked my will power. One thing I dont do is go over my 1200 even after the work out cals are added so some days Im left with loads could this be the problem im 5 2 age 41 and have 76 lbs left to loose thanks x
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    Will Beer affect my weight loss? What if it's entirely within my permitted calorie intake?? I don't eat butter or sweets but in 3 weeks I've had only 1kg weight loss (no exercise implemented YET).... is the beer to blame?!?!

    Within your calorie allowance? No, not really. You will still lose weight. It will, however, hinder your results in my opinion.

    You'll be told time and time again that losing weight is simple as calories in v calories out. It's true to an extent but there are other things going on inside your body than increase or decrease the rate at which you will lose. alcohol can disrupt these cycles and sabotage your weight loss SLIGHTLY!!!

    probably not enough to stop you losing though.

    I will put my head down and await the sea of people coming at me saying "YEAH BUT I COULD'NT LOSE WEIGHT UNTIL I KICKED BEER" and to them, I will say this. Moderation.
  • if diet is so important what kind of diet do you recommend for toning up and losing fat?
  • angel101netta
    angel101netta Posts: 152 Member
    bump for later:)
  • Microfiber
    Microfiber Posts: 956 Member

    Big like flabby or big like weak abdominal wall?

    I'm thinking you mean flabby. Stubborn fat around the stomach is the most common thing ever. Eating right and WEIGHTS will tighten that whole core area in no time!! you don't want the gym though, right? No problem.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POdzasJklxw

    44 bodyweight exercises that will have you in tears when you're finished doing just 3 of them.

    If you do decide to purchase more equipment, get a bench and do squats or better yet the 5x5 program will turn your stomach into a washboard before you know it!!!

    Thank you. I'll check it out :smile:
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    Can I ask you please :
    Iv been at this just over a month, I stick to my 1200 cals making sure to check every thing before I eat it and I work out at least 3 times a week I lost a good 6lbs in first week as i expected, then week after 1, and for last 3 weeks 2lb a week then this week 0 Iv changed nothing why does this happen its so knocked my will power. One thing I dont do is go over my 1200 even after the work out cals are added so some days Im left with loads could this be the problem im 5 2 age 41 and have 76 lbs left to loose thanks x

    So...

    Week 1 = 6lbs loss
    Week 2, 3 and 4 2lb loss. equals another 6 total.
    This week = 0 loss.

    that's 12lbs lost total in 5 weeks, am i right?

    You are doing perfectly!!!!!!!!!!

    Do yourself a favor and throw the scale into the nearest river to your home. Then watch it sink to the very bottom to rot. The scale lies every single time you step on it. It weighs everything from your brain to your poop and is not an accurate representation of your fat loss.

    Stick to what you're doing and use a photo-log instead. the results you'll see are far more motivating than a scale will ever be.

    If the scale doesn't belong to you and you don't fancy throwing it away, then weigh in ONCE A MONTH. once a week is useless.

    Oh, and I don't need to say this but please... drink more water!!!!
  • I was loosing steadily for 5 weeks - 10lbs. Then I hit a plateau for over a month! I have just lost 1lb again last week. I eat 1200 cals a day - I work out a lot and burn around 600-800 a day - I try and eat back some of these calories so I net around 1000 a day. Why does the body plateau - any advise?
  • Microfiber
    Microfiber Posts: 956 Member

    Are you kidding me? :noway: :noway: :noway: Just seen it :noway: :noway:
  • chatogal
    chatogal Posts: 436 Member
    There are a couple of others worth adding, namely

    The Fat Myth

    Muscle does not weigh more than FAT, it occupies less space and is more dense, 1lb of FAT weighs the same as 1lb of muscle.

    If the scales don’t move or go up and some one tells you its because muscle weighs more than fat and the three times a week you go to the Gym for half an hour is because of the muscle you have put on b!tch slap em. You would have to train like an Olympic athlete 7 days a week to put any significant muscle on and as for the ladies its even bloody worse. You are not designed to bulk up with muscle.
    love this one:smile:
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    if diet is so important what kind of diet do you recommend for toning up and losing fat?

    Lean meats, vegetables, fish, fresh fruit and portion controlled pasta and rice. Drink water.

    Don't be fooled by LOW FAT, DIET, LIGHT or ZERO products. They have sugar and fat replacements that can confuse our bodies and sometimes even be worse than the real things.

    Don't go overboard with CARBS!! AND ACTUALLY EAT FAT!!!! YES EAT IT!!!

    You know farmers need to sell as many fat animals as quick as possible, right? You know how they do that?

    Shoving them in a field and feeding them CARBS!! not fats!!!

    your Body has a limited capacity to store carbs and due to an UNLIMITED CAPACITY to store fat will then be turned into fat and stored as such.