Losing fat.

[BonnyBoy]

All good advice, thanks guys. I have 4 pages of notes from my research, I'll post them up when I've typed them up incase you guys can pick up a pointer or two.

[BonnyBoy]

Okay, my notes are up here if anyone's interested. I might write an article up later and submit if I have success and think I know what I'm doing/talking about.

[BlueDragon1981]

Running has been proven to make you lose the fat too. Of course it is the same thing. If you stop running the weight will come back on. I say exercise and eat what you want. (of course you have to be sensible about that..... don't go eating 10 bags of patato chips)

[aes]

We live in a meat and potato mentality society now a days. I agree with some previous statements made here... eliminating carbs is not what is important in the long run it is having much less of them compared to what we are used too. Not only that eating 20 Oz of chicken no matter how lean it is, will not help with weight loss.

 

I am on a pretty low carb diet right now as well to loose weight along with controlled protein intake. I guess I am getting about 1500 cals a day though. So far I have lost about 10 lbs in fat and am looking to loose about another 15 by summer. To minimize kidney stones I have been told to drink 2L of water or more a day as well.

 

Now at the end of the "diet" I plan of phasing more carbs and calories back into my diet, slowly, so the low calorie/carb rebound will not occur, but at this point I will not be returning to my old bad eating habits of large portions of potatos, pasta, rice etc, but making them more modest portions.

 

My wife is on a more extreme doctor supervised version of my diet. Her goal is to loose a lot more weight and it is a low calorie / low carb approach. Several of her friends have been on it and succeded in loosing it and 1 year later have kept it off. It stayed off because eating habits were changed when on it and the diet does not end and suddenly the flood gates of food roll in.

 

I hope this information is of some help.

 

Al

[KickChick]

For BonnyBoy : You may want to read through some of these threads regarding fat loss , low carb nutrition and the importance of muscle training with regards to fat loss..... just to add to those notes of yours.

 

(I just don't waant to have to repeat all that I said on these threads.... sorry!)

 

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=3630

 

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2931

 

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2848

 

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=696

[Mr Heel Hook]

I'll reiterate a bit.

 

Going on a no carb diet is very bad for your health. Yes, it works, but will lead you into deeper waters in the long run. If you want to lose weight the only true way to do it is with a proper diet. (This includes carbs and high protein AKA chicken no skin/tuna/turkey/ very lean red meat...major source of vitamin B-12) and a lot of aerobic exercise.

 

Now, when you exercise you should do at the very least 40 minutes per session every other day. The reason is your body will not burn any fat whatsoever until your heart has been pumping for 20 minutes. Then after that, what I would suggest is eating a meal with a lot of protein in it. Eating after a work out will actually keep your metabolism going longer. Meat and potatoes are actually very good for you.

 

The "bad carbs" you want to stay away from are anything that is instant. Instant rice, instant mash, etc.etc.etc. They are loaded with preservatives and such that give you (in short) those bad carbs.

 

As for drinking water to reduce kidney stones. yes, that is true, but that is true of anyone. Placing yourself in a situation like that while drinking water will only diminish the chances of long run danger by a somewhat meager about. What is found in those starchy carbo ridden foods actually breaks down what causes the kidney stone affects.

 

In short, like I said, contact your own nutritionist and speak thoroughly of the affects of this new fad. Ask what you need to do to lose the weight you so desperately want to get rid of. It will be easier then you think. Just takes patients and exercise. I just want people to be a bit more understanding of the affects of this new diet fad. It does work wonders at first. But like any short cut, there is always a toll to pay.

 

PS: I would suggest talking to AL (aes) about this if you don't want to do the research. A lowered calorie/carb intake is what will work best and what is safest for you. Sorry bout the plug, Al.

[BonnyBoy]

I went running this morning before breakfest, I would have been burning fat though since I've been asleep at least 8 hours, right ?

 

I'm on a Cathie Graham-like diet, but I'm making it a lifestyle change. Like BRG suggested, I've cut white bread, potatoes, pasta and softdrink out of my diet and replaced with whole wheat/brown pita bread (lower on the GI index & I only have 1-2 servings a day) to try and control my blood sugar levels, and lower the amount of insulin in my body, so the amount of glucagon is higher. I'm adding spices into my food (makes me burp a lot) to boost metabolism from 5-25% depending on the spice. I'm also drinking iced water to get rid of the toxins in my body.

 

I'm not counting calories, although I imagine it would be lower than my BMR (~1950), but does someonw know of a site with a list of calories in all foods so I can check I'm under my BMR?

 

Also, I am impatient, so can anyone tell me what kind of results to expect weekly? My BMI is currently just over 27.5 (not good). I'd like to shed the excess fat before Uni starts in less than 30 days time, but obviosuly I've left it a bit late for that. Would 6lbs over 3 weeks be a realistic expectation?

 

Mr Heel Hook, would going on a low carb diet to lose excess fat, then incorporate 1-2 carbs back into your diet on a weekly basis & monitoring your weight be dangerous for your health? I figure that the excess weight (we're talking 25-60lbs) is more a health risk than a temporary bad diet.

[Mr Heel Hook]

You are definitely on the right track with the foods you have taken out. Especially the white bread. (Though it taste so good) You seem to be right on track with what you are taking in. There are no true short cuts in this. Aside from that, some people are just genetically predisposed to hold onto that fat in your body. It's a left over from our caveman days when fat was super important in survival. Are you exercising with cardo three times a week? That's just as important for you as eating at this stage. Eating properly, along with eating at the right times (especially AFTER a workout) will be what is most important for you. Try scheduling small meals through the day. As many as 5 to 6.

 

One more thing you need to do, if you can, is try running in the morning. Running in the morning, will actually boost your ability to burn fat as much as 600 percent!! Now, I am sorry for the short answer I have given you, and I will redo it to its complete form tomorrow at sometime. I am just very tired and rambling at this point. If you havemore questions, please feel free to ask.

[BRG]

I'm not counting calories, although I imagine it would be lower than my BMR (~1950), but does someonw know of a site with a list of calories in all foods so I can check I'm under my BMR?

 

https://www.fitday.com is a good site. It's not a pure calorie list, but it lets you input all your food and will give you a breakdown of fat/protein/carb and calories, etc. You have to sign up, but it's free. I also recall a US gov't site with exhaustive details on food makeup, but I can't remember what the url is... do a google search.

[KickChick]

Going on a no carb diet is very bad for your health. Yes, it works, but will lead you into deeper waters in the long run.

 

What happens normally, on a regular carb diet, is that when you eat, the protein is used to rebuild muscle tissue, and carbohydrates are converted to glucose, and used for energy. Now, when you have no carbs, the body resorts to breaking down fat and protein into ketones, which is known as ketosis/lipolysis, and the body uses these ketones for energy instead of glycogen. The theory is that this is also supposed to make it easier for your body to let go of the bodyfat it has.

 

When your body isn't being given sufficient water, what does it do?

 

It holds on to what it has, especially under your skin, and you get that slightly bloated look.

 

When you start getting plenty of water again, what happens?

 

Your body starts to release the water it was retaining!

 

If you starve yourself of food, what happens?

 

Your metabolism goes down, and you start burning less and less, like your body is in conservation mode!

 

(Do I need to ask this?) When you start getting enough food again, what happens?

 

You metabolism rises again!

 

When your oxygen supply is cut off, what happens?

 

You die! (Just making sure you're still paying attention!)

 

I have read that your brain operates only on glycogen, and if you don't get any carbs, your body has to produce glycogen on its own. The good thing is that your body supposedly gets used to doing this after a couple weeks. It seems that the higher your bodyfat, the harder it is to adjust.

 

If your diet isn't supporting your exercise program and your program isn't supporting you health and fitness goals then your body is going to find it very difficult to burn body fat. If your work out includes lots of cardio, then on top of that you are performing more cardiovascular exercise such as running then your muscle may again burn off first before your body fat. In other words "over fat burning" can cause depletion of muscle. Which means less muscle tone.

 

Remember you need muscle to help burn fat!

 

Your muscles use all three types of fuel that the body uses... carbs, proteins and fats. Which fuel the muscles use will depend on whether you are at rest or moving...and how you're moving as well. When at rest, your muscles prefer to burn fat as fuel. When you are exercising intensively, you mainly burn the carbohydrate glucose, either straight from the bloodstream or as the breakdown product of glycogen, a storage form of carbohydrate. During endurance sports - such as distance running...the muscles use fats as their primary energy source, but "burn" carbohydrates to get the best output of energy from their consumption of fats.

 

 

I went running this morning before breakfest, I would have been burning fat though since I've been asleep at least 8 hours, right ?

 

When you run/or do cardioexercise first thing in the morning, there are no carbs to burn, so all your body can burn is body fatfor energy! When you do cardio first thing in the morning, you haven't eaten anything for the last 8 or so hours because you were sleeping. So, when your body sees that there are no carbs to burn, it goes directly to stored bodyfat. And stored bodyfat is the fat that is on your body, which is the fat that you want to lose!

 

If you jog after breakfast/lunch or dinner, your body will just be using the immediate calories/carbs you have just injested.

 

So doing cardio first thing in the morning (try 5 days a week for 20-30 min. jogging 2 miles or so), on an empty stomach, before you eat anything, is by far, the most effective.

 

Vigorous exercise before a meal raises your metabolic rate, which will stay at the elevated level even after exercise stops, depending on the length and intensity of the exercise. Your glycogen stores (the energy in muscle and tissue) are reduced. When you eat after exercise, the carbs will be stored easily without being converted to fat.

 

If you exercise after a meal, the effort and energy required to help absorb the food is diverted from the digestive process. The blood in the muscles of the abdomen is withdrawn and taken to the working muscles putting the digestive process on hold. Intense exercise inhibits the movement of food through the intestines and decreases gastric and pancreatic juice secretions (the process needed for food absorption and breakdown).

 

The bottom line is, intense exercise is best before you eat in order to decrease your appetite, but take a walk or do light exercise after meals.

 

So....

 

1. Eat breakfast after running/cardio exercise as suggested above) ! When you skip it your metabolism slows down and you will notice that you will have low blood sugar all day long because of it. When you do get the chance to eat you are so hungry that you may make the wrong meal choice ... pigging out on junk food or a candy bar to sustain you. If you hate to eat first thing .... have a whey protein shake with a banana or nutrition bar (I've been having Oatmeal Raisin Slimfast bars).... Breakfast jump starts your metabo

 

2. Waiting too long before or in between meals also lowers blood sugar levels and increases cravings for sugar and to binge. So after you have your breakfast keep your metabo going by eating small meals every 3-4 hours, with the metabo going strong you will inhibit muscle tissue loss and use fat for fuel. They say the key to losing bodyfat is meal frequency. (as Mr. Heel Hook posted )

 

3. Your body starts to store fat the minute it gets the impulse that you are starving or if you eat too many calories. The amount of calories you eat in just one day is doesn't matter as much as how many you eat within one meal. You can ingest all your daily calories in one huge meal but your body will only use the say 500 calories it needs at the moment and then stores the leftovers say the other 1000 as fat to be used later. That's if you do end up using it!

 

4. Each meal should be balanced nutritionally. Say 1/4 protein 1/4 fat and 1/2 carbs ... important to feed the brain, repair/build muscle and fuel metabolism. Contrary to popular (Atkins) belief ....carbs do not make you fat. Overconsuming fat and total calories will make you fat. Overconsuming carbs (eating more than 70%) increases your risk of getting diabetes, but not eating enough carbs can place your muscle gains, metabolism and endurance at risk. One thing I do is not to have any carbs after 5:00 .... if not used immediately for energy it too will in turn into glucose.

 

5. Beware of Fat-Free Foods!!! They do contain high amounts of sugar which causes your body to over produce insulin which will in turn store that excess sugar as fat. So its better to have a small piece of a sweet treat than a larger fat-free dessert.

 

 

So there's my "inflated" 2 cents worth!!!