Ask me anything about fat/weight loss....

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  • Robyn120
    Robyn120 Posts: 249
    bump to read later...
  • JamesonsMommy
    JamesonsMommy Posts: 771 Member
    bump
  • outtanms
    outtanms Posts: 237 Member
    bump
  • strandedj
    strandedj Posts: 128
    Hi- I am new to machines and have been using Planet Fitness's 30 minute express program. I have been doing it Wed and Sat. I don't really enjoy it and don't seem to increase the amount of weight. I do feel sore the next days. Do I have to increase to 3 times a week? I do cardio nearly every day for at least 30 minutes with a day of rest per week. I do hope to lose weight but want it to be a lifestyle I can live with. Thanks for your input;)
  • mrs_dwr
    mrs_dwr Posts: 189 Member
    Bump for later
  • bray2160
    bray2160 Posts: 12
    Personally, I like P90X more than any other weight loss product because it's convenient. I can use it at my leisure and it's probably one of the only programs that I've actually seen work. I know people who are currently on the system and have lost tons of weight. Their bodies are more defined as well.

    For those of you who may be interested in getting in shape, you can get P90X for $65 at http://www.squidoo.com/where-can-i-buy-p90x also read the comments in the guestbook section to see that this place is legit.
  • jendool
    jendool Posts: 13 Member
    bump for later:smile:
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    Should I NET my BMR or eat up to it?

    Elaborate. If you just ate up to your bmr everyday, you would still lose in the long run so long as your counting was spot on. Bmr assumes you're not doing ANYthing. So time you move out of bed, brush your teeth, and walk to the car, you're already ahead of it.

    Well, I burn 600 calories a day. Should I stick to my BMR (1493) or eat back those 600 calories? I net at 900 if I don't eat back my calories from exercise- I don't eat them very often. THANK YOU!!:flowerforyou:

    A 900 deficit from what I've experiened on myself and clients is WAAAY too low. Eat back some of your calories. I'd reco about 300 more so that you would be around a 600 calorie deficit.
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    I am a 19 year old female, 106.5 lbs, and a distance runner. Not running right now, but cross train for more than an hour a day, usually burn over 400-600 calories through moderate to intense cardio a day plus alternating days of resitance training and yoga, and a lot of walking to get around town. Most if not all of my deficit comes from exercise as opposed to bmr, and I eat back some of the calories burned, but I'm not sure how many to leave as a deficit to lose the most weight from fat and not muscle.

    Great question! So long as you don't go drastic on your deficit(like 750+), you are getting a lil more than your daily protein requirement, and you are still lifting consistently and intensely, you have a great chance of sparing most of your muscle until you get to extremely low body fat percentages. Me personally, I go 250-600 for a deficit. I start off slow, and start increasing the deficit as I start to plateau.
  • sabawden
    sabawden Posts: 15 Member
    thanks for answering all these questions! very informative!

    my question is jhave you had any clients with thyroid problems, and if so, how was their routine different for losing weight? im asking b/c i've been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and im finding weight loss more difficult now despite eating relatively low cals (1500) and burning about 500-600 cals/ day. unfortuately my doctor hasnt given much guidance for my weight loss goals!

    thanks!!
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
    :happy: Great thread. Thank you!
  • fitsharon
    fitsharon Posts: 137 Member
    Bump!
  • megacy
    megacy Posts: 80 Member
    I've always wanted to do a triathlon. In the past, running itself was never a problem, I enjoy running. And biking itself is never a problem, I enjoy biking even more so. However, putting the two together is where I have an issue. A few minutes into running after riding my bike, my legs are leaden and I struggle with keeping my stride as well as speed. I've done other activities right before running and this doesn't happen. Swimming, tennis...
    Any ideas what's going on? I talked to a runner friend, and he said maybe we're (happens to him too) not built for triathlons. What? How can someone not be built for a triathlon? I always meant to ask him what he meant by that. Never got around to it, then I moved.

    Edit to say, I was on my bike every day, rode my bike instead of driving a car. And running was about 5-10 k 2 or 3 times a week.
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    I am a 32 year old 5ft6 in woman. I'm around 154 pounds. I'm also a group exercise instructor so overtraining probably pertains to me. My question is, I've been trying to lose 5-10 lbs for over 2 years and even after teaching 10 classes a week nothing really budges. I bought a BodyMedia FIT and my TDEE is around 2900 on average. Some days 2800, some over 3000. I haven't gone any higher than 2200 as a max really for a long time in fear of regaining weight. As a woman would taking 500 calories off a 2900/3100 day (23-2500 calories) be too much for me to eat? Is this what is stopping me losing weight? Would 2500 be too much food or could not eating that amount be what's keeping me from dropping? Thanks!

    That does sound like a bit much. Try 1,800 spot on for a week and then message me with your results. That will tell me everything I need to know. Either your metabolism has just stalled out, or you've just been way overestimating for too long. I'm thinking the latter. That can be changed easy enough. A stalled metabolism is no big deal either. Only take usually 2-4 days to reset it.
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    Ok probably a huge repeat Q. but you said anything so....Ok I am a girl...I have ALWAYS had BIG...like 15" around arms...no matter what size I have ever been.....I got them down to 14" right now by lifting weights every other day...3 to 5 pounds depending on what type of lifting I am doing...I also do 20 push ups every other day (that is sadly all I can do...and that is up from only being able to do like 5 in the beginning, don't laugh at me...lol.)...at least 30 minutes of cardio every day...except Sundays......I am starting to gain to much muscle i think...I just want them smaller d*mn it! Any suggestions?

    Focus on weight/fatloss. I guarantee you will like your arms better if you lose 10 pounds of weight. Think what it would look like if each arm just loss two pounds each....See what I'm getting at? :)
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    How bad is diet pop for your body? I gave up drinking regular coke and began drinking diet..I drink 4-6 cans per day. Does it slow down my metablolism? Thk for your help.

    Not bad at all on a body composition standpoint. Not the best thing for overall health though. Have too many of those things and they'll reek havok on your kidneys yeh!
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    Alright, I'll bite. I'm looking to lose some body fat/build some lean muscle

    Tell me if I'm in line with the numbers.

    27 yr old female, 170 lbs, 5'3.5 tall, work out with weights 3 days a week (45 minute sessions) and like 2 days of cardio (at about 30 minutes a session)

    My BMR is 1550, TDEE is 2400
    I'm eating 1900 calories a day on days that I don't strength train and adding about 200-300 extra calories on the days that I do strength train.
    Macros are 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.

    Anything you would change?

    I've been testing this out for about a month, but I'm always up for suggestions :)

    Sounds good, but are you losing?.....If you are then don't change a thing. When you stall a bit decrease the calories by about 100-200 less a day, or up the cardio just a bit. Overall a very well rounded plan.
  • janjancc
    janjancc Posts: 8
    Bump!
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    Fat loss question: I'm 5'7" with 23-24% bf at about 147-149 lbs. I lift weights 4-6x's a week fairly heavy. I added muscle and now I'm ready to cut. Eventually get down to around 19% bf. Is there truth behind eating more to burn fat? I'm having a hard time figuring out how much I should be eating to effectively burn fat but not deprive myself.

    There is definitely truth to eating more to burn fat, you just have to know when and how to use it. Bumping calories to spike a metabolism is wonderful. Refeed are good. An occasional cheatmeal is good. Constantly eating more than you're burning is bad. That is the science of weight gain. You can shuttle more excess calories to building muscle if its a slight caloric surplus, but you will add SOME amount of body fat regardless. And if you bump them up substantially, you're going to add a lot of bodyfat. Back to your question, definitely truth behind it....but you have to know what you're doing with it. If you're not losing, then you're obviously doing it wrong. Hope this helps
  • Justacoffeenut
    Justacoffeenut Posts: 3,749 Member
    I'll be honest I didn't read through the now 13 pages of messages yet

    But my question is what's this about eatting back your exercise calories. Everytime I do I gain weight. I even tried it even for a week and I gain. I know not everyone body's is the same I get that.

    I just want to do this the right way and a way that I can maintain long term. This is lifestyle not diet.
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    i do a lot of walking, at least 2.5 hours per day (15k or 9 mile) unfortunately there is no way around this as its the school run. i have my activity level set as sedentary and count the calories burnt. i also try to do at least 3 sessions of Jillian Micheals per week, jogging 3 times per week, and try to do half an hour on my exercise bike everyday, but that's because i was recommended it to strengthen my knee muscles (dodgy knee from an accident 23 years ago)

    my questions are.... should i change my activity level, is this much walking counterproductive to my weight loss, and in the long run am i messing with my metabolism

    im 35 and since January 2011 i have lost 79 pounds

    It could be if you're overtraining. It is good to vary your activity though as your body can adapt to it too. Better question is are you still losing?....if so, then keep doing what you're doing!
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    Who was this guy? Like a super hero appearing out of no where to help out and than, in a flash, he's gone again.

    Thanks for all the time you put into this. You are the "Main Man"!!!!!1

    Lol. Thank, mate! Guinness on me yeh! ;D
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    Just started running and read that it doen't burn as much fat as walking. What's your take on that?

    You burn primarily fat in then aerobic oxidative zone(walking). You burn primarily carbs in the anaerobic zone(sprinting). Both burn calories though. The deficit is what matters. I prefer getting in a bit of both throughout the week. This is the good old LISS vs HIIT question. Both can be effective. Choose which YOU like best though.
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    Thanks for being so generous with your time and knowledge! Not only is this great info, your willingness to do it is really inspirational. Very much appreciated!

    Thank you for your kind words yeh! :)
  • megg0616
    megg0616 Posts: 59 Member
    Bump.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Question: Is this some sort of court ordered social service commitment for you, or are you really nice enough to answer rapid fire weight loss questions for hours at a time for complete strangers?
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    480mg of sodium bad?? cuz I had 2 slices of my chicken meat at 20 calories per slice.. But the sodium scares me now :/
    heres the link to what i ate:
    http://fosterfarms.com/products/product.asp?productcode=15003

    also, um water weight I had gained about 4 pounds of it in 2 days well when I ate bad junk food..(that im gonna try to stay away from now all wk)
    now the scale says I lost it after I wrapped up my stomach and sweated alot.. HOWEVER, ALL I DRINK IS WATER AND I AIM FOR 8 CUPS A DAY..
    Um, am I gonna gain the water weight once I keep drinking my water again today ?

    I only worry about sodium if I'm going to do a photoshoot or going to the beach within the next few days. Drink a ton of water and you'll flush it out. Your body needs sodium. Too little is VERY bad on the system. Google 'Hyponatremia' and you'll find out.
  • TheOfficialEpic
    TheOfficialEpic Posts: 406
    Loving this thread and learning a lot!

    Now for my question. I am a 64 year old male and when I was in my 20's & early 30's I worked out religiously and was in decent shape. For whatever reason one day I just stopped working out and really let myself go. In September 2011 I weighed 254 lbs ( I'm 5' 9" ) and was badly out of shape ... then my doctor dropped a bomb on me when she told me I was pre-diabetic. That was my wake up call. In October 2011 I found MFP and I have logged in every day since then and really kept myself on track. I've lost 55 lbs so far!

    In December 2011 I joined a gym and I now workout 3 - 4 days a week.. I generally do 15 min of cardio and weight train heavily (for me) for 60 minutes. Since joining the gym I have dropped my body fat from 38% to 27%. My goal is to get to 20%. Do you feel this is a realistic goal given my age?

    BTW, I had originally set my goal weight at 185 lbs. I am now at 198. As my body fat percentage drops I have noticed my weight loss has slowed, but I am still losing inches and starting to notice muscle gain. I have now realized that a certain number on the scale is not as important as the body fat percentage.

    Very realistic. I know a 58 year old leaner than I am....He can outlift me too!! Just keep on working hard, holding yourself accountable, enjoying the small successes, and eventually you'll get to your goal. Consistency is key yeh.
  • belladonnablue
    belladonnablue Posts: 24
    Thank you so much for doing this. I'm a newbie here and feel a little awkward spamming the board with my questions, so having someone willing to hold still and let me fire a barrage is really awesome. :)

    I had my first baby about a year and a half ago and have subsequently been heavier than I've ever been. I was a bit heavy even before that, but steadily losing weight due to a combination of being too broke to eat + walking EVERYWHERE. I exclusively nursed and was reassured that it would melt off the fat in the months after giving birth, but... yeah, didn't happen. I was 160 pounds (and 5'2") after the birth, and stayed that way until I got fed up a year or so later and did fanatical calorie tracking and 45 minutes of cardio daily. Lost about 10 pounds, but couldn't sustain obsessing over calories so much and the daily workouts, so fell off and gained back about five pounds over six months. A couple months ago, I started tracking calories and working out again.

    I started off at about 1300 calories a day, since that's what all the calculators said, but I'm a stay-at-home mom chasing a toddler and still doing some nursing, so I started feeling like the calculators may not be very accurate for me. (I felt like I was starving to death and my mood and sleep went totally off-kilter.) So lately I've been eating 2000 calories + keeping up with workouts and seeing if it causes me to gain or lose, then adjusting from there. I'm not scared to gain a pound or two in the interest of figuring out the most I can eat and still lose. I gained a little under a pound in the first week, but I knew to expect that, so I'm seeing how week 2's weigh-in goes.

    Hopefully that's enough background. Here are my questions!:

    1. My workout regimen consists of four days of REALLY high-intensity circuit training for 30 minutes, high intensity cardio for 30 minutes on one day, and then two "rest" days where I do really low-impact stuff like yoga, bellydance, or ballet (dancing is one of my hobbies.)

    Does the circuit training gives me enough strength training, since it's not exactly "lifting heavy"? I HAVE noticed significant strength gains in the past few weeks -- my upper body is stronger, my lunges and squats are going deeper and holding longer, and my formerly too-heavy toddler is getting lighter.

    2. I currently am at the correct ratio for an hourglass figure (I'm just a "fat" hourglass) and I'd like to keep that. My understanding, though, is that overdoing it on exercises working the abs can create that square torso look that pilates instructors have and that I really don't want to develop. What's the best way to avoid getting the square look and keep the narrow waist definition?

    3. How accurate have you found MFP's calorie counts? I cook from home most of the time and rely on MFP's estimates on the nutritional content of my recipes.

    4. I'm a recovering soda addict, and while I've made a LOT of progress, I still have a soda a few times a week. I always record it and I'm staying within my calories. I'm aiming to quit entirely by the end of the year. Am I going to totally sabotage any progress I might make if I don't cut it out right away? With all the noise about high-fructose corn syrup, I'm half believing that I can workout all the time, eat well, and yet a soda a week will make me gain ten pounds. :P

    5. Sometimes I have to do my workouts while my toddler's awake. Most of the time, I can push through it with her only being a little irritated at not having my undivided attention, but sometimes she gets into something, gets hungry, or needs comfort in the middle of my workout. I worry that these little interruptions are really cutting into the effectiveness of my workouts, but obviously I'm not going to ignore my daughter if she really needs me. Am I worrying overmuch, or am I really better off restarting the whole program until I can do it from start-to-finish with no interruptions?

    I am so sorry for the wall of text. Thank you for holding still. :)
  • Lwillis1234
    Lwillis1234 Posts: 990 Member
    bump
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