MarkusDarwath Member

My goal is to be 220 at 15% body fat. By my calculations, this means I will need to lose around 15 pounds of fat beyond my goal weight and add it back in muscle. In no way, shape or form would being under 200 pounds equate to "surpassing my expectations." I would have to lower my standards to achieve it.

There are quite a few studies demonstrating that those who are mildly "overweight" according to BMI have a lower risk of sudden mortality than those in the "ideal" range. These are very broad studies and any number of factors come into play, such as greater mass provides better protection from injury in accidents, and…

I will second the advice to plan for after-dinner calories. Also, how are your macros set? Many people find protein and fats to be more filling for longer than carbohydrates. A low carb diet might be a way to stave off hunger while staying in your calorie target.

BMI has never been valid, or more specifically, the scales given defining "ideal" and "overweight" are nonsense, based more on someone's aesthetic sense of what a person should look like and not so much on actual health risk factors. The truth of the matter is there is no statistically significant increase in health risk…

I started at 292. I've dropped 30 pounds in 13 weeks at 2200 calories per day. I do lightly to moderately active work, but haven't been exercising apart from that. The exercise I have just started is for mobility in my lower back and hips due to some mild degenerative changes in my lumbar region, so I'm not really burning…

Depends on how backed up they were before hand. :) *couldn't resist*

I've read plenty of "eat this, not that" articles on yahoo news. Don't waste your time, especially with anything written by that David Czenko (or however his last name is spelled). They tend to follow the nutrition fad of the moment, constantly contradicting themselves from one article to another... no steady principles...…

Women always over-think this communication thing, always wanting to figure out "what's he really mean," etc. Guys are simple creatures and we prefer direct and clear communication. If you feel it and want to say it, then say it. And whatever he does or doesn't say in return, just take it at face value. There is no secret…

I just track with my glucometer. If I wasn't tracking I wouldn't have figured out how basically useless the meds are, and wouldn't currently be fixing it with my diet. Also, type 2 can go into insulin dependence (I'm avoiding that one), and from what I understand, tracking is absolutely vital when taking insulin.

If you're worried about it, you're probably forcing yourself not to do it <thumbs up> I found myself in that mode with the pain in my knees, trying to force myself to walk normal instead of with that 'heading for knee replacement surgery' gait. I haven't always succeeded, but being now 30 pounds down from what I started at…

I drink diet soda, by the gallon, pretty much literally. I typically go through 6 to 10 cans per day plus a 44oz fountain drink or two. Been consuming that much for close to 20 years. If all the hype and paranoia were true I should be dead, or at least riddled with cancer by now. Mind you, I don't suggest that anyone…

I only drink things I enjoy the taste of. I do like various malt coolers like Mike's Hard products, but if I'm also determined to get a good buzz on I gravitate toward something harder. The coolers and such are just too filling/bloating when going for a long night.

Op: Great job! And spot-on message. Body fat percentage and overall health/conditioning is far more important than the pounds on the scale. But I will also agree with what VintageFeline said. For those of us who are starting out much larger, the pounds do matter because of the extra strain they put on our joints and the…

Blech. If you're drinking for effect, Captain Morgan is a lot faster, and better tasting.

This is true. I've noticed that a lot of us fat people have strong legs from carrying our own weight around. The ones that don't seem to give in to that knock-kneed waddle where the lower legs are splayed out like a tripod. Those folks are using their bones instead of muscles to hold themselves up, and doing even more…

I didn't think you were saying that, I was just commenting on the net carbs thing. You mentioned that those of us figuring net carbs subtract fiber and sugar alcohols... I just thought I'd mention that for some folks the sugar alcohols shouldn't be subtracted. If doing low carb for BG control it's one of the details that…

I found the view helpful. I'd not seen or heard of either of these. Based on the OP, I think I'll skip looking for them.

I had that happen 3 or 4 years ago on a previous attempt to hit my goal weight. I dropped 30 pounds in 3 months then just hit a dead standstill. Took over a year to drop another 10 to 15. At the time I was doing 2500 calories per day and not being as careful with my food logging.. was doing it on paper trying to figure…

I do net carbs and it works for me. Some people are a bit different and I've heard of folks spiking on sugar alcohols. Never heard of fiber giving anyone high BG. It seems there are some differences in types of carbs too. Most people are fine with beans, they respond more to the protein and fat in them. For me, the carbs…

I will second that 1900 calories is not enough for your size and activity level. I'm not too far off from you in size (6'1" and just hit 261# this morning) and I'm consistently losing 2 - 3 pounds per week on 2200 calories with no exercise beyond work (self-employed electrician/handyman and part time custodian). You are…

I do low carb for blood sugar control (diabetes), but there really is no need to get insane about it. I try to limit my carbs to 20% or less of my daily calories, and as long as I stick with that, my testing number stay pretty well where they belong. As far as counting calories and weighing/measuring/logging my food, I…

Wish you good progress and perseverance in your journey! Since you're sharing, what are you doing? What is your end goal weight/body composition? Losing over a pound a day for a month is impressive. Don't let anyone who's not your doctor try to tell you you're dropping too fast. The "two pounds max per week" rule was never…

If I correctly remember what she posted, she started at 18% and was trying to hit 16%? That's extremely lean for a woman (heck, it's pretty darn lean for most men). And to look at her pics, she does have a lot of lean mass for her size. What I was proposing is that her body did not view her existing fat stores as adequate,…

Add to the above, I seriously doubt the adjustment in the OP's macro percentages had much to do with her results compared to simply achieving more complete nutrition at a higher calorie level. Since the changes in macros and calories were made more or less simultaneously it's hard to isolate results down to one factor.…

Somebody tell me if this makes sense and could account for OP's seemingly contradictory results. Too steep of a calorie deficit can cause the body to catabolize muscle rather than burning fat. This would theoretically be a state that could be described as a "starvation mode" as the body is trying to retain its calorie…

I have chronically bad sleeping habits, and I can assure you that it does -not- help with weight loss.

True, it can be defined a bit differently depending on who you are talking to. In general, most will agree that "clean" food is generally fresh "natural" food as opposed to heavily processed "manufactured" food. The rule of thumb I've often heard is 'stick to the outside of the grocery store and avoid the center aisles'. I…

Eating clean will make sure you're eating foods that are higher in nutritional density, and (mostly) lower in calorie density. This can make it easier to maintain a calorie deficit. At the same time, a lower-carb, higher protein and fat diet can also make a deficit easier to maintain due to greater satiety, combined with…

For me, "intuitive eating" just doesn't work. Part of it is that the signal when I'm full takes too long to register. I'm also terrible at judging appropriate portion sizes without measuring in some way. On the other hand, I'm also able to lose weight with diet only. At some point I will be adding exercise, but it will be…

So, at 264# and not working out, I shouldn't be embarrassed that I can't do one?