Can't Lose Fat

Training
21

[quote]Bull_Scientist wrote:
Also, where did you guys get your undergrad degrees from? I bet that some of you guys never graduated from college or even went to college at all, compared to me who has a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and is currently a grad student in the healthcare field at LLU.[/quote]
I did almost two whole semesters majoring in creative writing at Hofstra University, then did half a semester at a community college. No degree. Eventually got certified after a two-day seminar with the ISSA and started training clients.

It’s a shame that my lack of degree prevented me from going anywhere with a career in writing for the fitness industry.

22

I have a bachelor’s in political science with a minor in philosophy, and my graduate degree is also focused on political science.

Amazingly, those have been really helpful for my training.

23

As it happens, I have a first class masters in Chemistry from a university that, at the time, was the best in the country. I would say the most important thing I learnt from this degree was humility. I came out of it realising that, compared to the real experts, I know nothing.

24

[quote]Bunny7676 wrote:

…

Please dont let me slip through the cracks. I’m one of your own!!! I’m not lazy and I WANT THIS I’m just feeling very confused and mislead right now… there’s just TOO much information.

Please help!

_ Bunny [/quote]

You’re definitely not lazy. If anything you’re trying too hard. My advice is to simplify everything, diet and workout.

A combination of intermittent fasting, healthy eating, abbreviated weight training, daily walks, and good sleep can work wonders.

I’m a fan of the Eat Stop Eat plan of intermittent fasting. The short version is skip breakfast and lunch twice a week and eat normally the rest of the week. Mondays and Fridays worked for me, on non training days. I trained Tues, Thurs and Sat. So if fasting on Monday, this means you eat a normal Sunday dinner and then do not eat again until you eat a normal Monday dinner. Twice a week will put you in a manageable calorie deficit without the hard work of watching macros every day. If you’re loosing too fast, cut fast to once per week. Still too fast then one day every other week. Simple.

Eat quality protein, fats, and carbs three times a day. Only three meals a day be prepare them yourself and make the quality number one. A hand size portion of protein, a hand sized portion of carbs and all the veggies you want. Don’t be stingy with butter and good fats, you need them. Your hormone profile will be crap without them. But no snacks between meals, no shakes, no bars and definitely no crap that comes pre-packaged.

Weight train hard three times per week, no more than 45 minutes, 30 minutes would be better. Focus on the big compound movements. Get a upper body push & pull, a lower body push and pull/hinge and abs. Maybe finish with loaded carries. No traditional cardio. Keep rest periods short, 2 minutes or under. One minute would be best. Get in and out of gym or basement and enjoy the rest of the day.

Take a 30-60 minutes walk every day. Quick but not super fast pace. Don’t strain. Enjoy the walk and let your head clear. Don’t do this on a treadmill.

Perhaps most important, make sure you’re sleeping well each night. Go to bed earlier and make it a goal to wake naturally without an alarm. Google sleep hygiene for some good ideas at improving sleep.

More is not better. Don’t complicate lifting, eating or walking plan. Give it a shot for 30 days and I think you’ll be amazed.

25

I have an LLB and I manage a lucrative business across 3 countries. That is all I will say.

You are in over your head, meathead.

26

While we’re on the topic of education, I have a degree in biology and am currently in medical school at a fairly high end institution.

27

[quote]Bull_Scientist wrote:
Having both college and grad school education has become so much more relevant these days than it ever has before. Practically speaking, anyone who wants to become considerably successful these days now needs to have at least a grad degree for something highly marketable such as a job in the medical and healthcare industry, which is what I am currently going for.
[/quote]

I think you misunderstood my intent, again. I’m not knocking education. Putting my hat into this ring, I also have several degrees from prestigious universities and they have put me in a very good position for a nice career. I am a staunch believer in the power of a graduate-school education.

However, the point I was trying to get at is that it is results that will ultimately matter in your life, not the completion of a degree. You brought up your UCLA education in pretty much the most arrogant way possible (“I bet that some of you guys never graduated from college or even went to college at all, compared to me who has a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and is currently a grad school in the healthcare field at LLU”) as though it made your opinion count more than someone else’s in a conversation about strength training progression - a subject where you, by your own admission in your own thread in the Beginners forum that you started two days ago, are still struggling.

To bring us back to the real world and where-you-got-your-degree thing: as I said, a good education is a good thing, but it must be couple with the ability to put those skills into practice. My degrees would not mean a damn thing if I couldn’t produce the work that my collaborators need. I have a couple of graduate school classmates (with the same degree that I have) who are scuffling because they lack the SKILLS to put their education into practice. RESULTS are what will define you going forward. Not the degree you have. It’s unfortunate that so many kids today think that getting a college degree is the end, and now they’re qualified and ready to go out and run the world. Kid, it’s just the beginning, and while that degree may get you the first job, it will not matter a damn thing if your productivity doesn’t match up.

28

[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:

[quote]Bull_Scientist wrote:
Having both college and grad school education has become so much more relevant these days than it ever has before. Practically speaking, anyone who wants to become considerably successful these days now needs to have at least a grad degree for something highly marketable such as a job in the medical and healthcare industry, which is what I am currently going for.
[/quote]

I think you misunderstood my intent, again. I’m not knocking education. Putting my hat into this ring, I also have several degrees from prestigious universities and they have put me in a very good position for a nice career. I am a staunch believer in the power of a graduate-school education.

However, the point I was trying to get at is that it is results that will ultimately matter in your life, not the completion of a degree. You brought up your UCLA education in pretty much the most arrogant way possible (“I bet that some of you guys never graduated from college or even went to college at all, compared to me who has a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and is currently a grad school in the healthcare field at LLU”) as though it made your opinion count more than someone else’s in a conversation about strength training progression - a subject where you, by your own admission in your own thread in the Beginners forum that you started two days ago, are still struggling.

To bring us back to the real world and where-you-got-your-degree thing: as I said, a good education is a good thing, but it must be couple with the ability to put those skills into practice. My degrees would not mean a damn thing if I couldn’t produce the work that my collaborators need. I have a couple of graduate school classmates (with the same degree that I have) who are scuffling because they lack the SKILLS to put their education into practice. RESULTS are what will define you going forward. Not the degree you have. It’s unfortunate that so many kids today think that getting a college degree is the end, and now they’re qualified and ready to go out and run the world. Kid, it’s just the beginning, and while that degree may get you the first job, it will not matter a damn thing if your productivity doesn’t match up.[/quote]

I agree with AG entirely. I’ve always said that at every level of education, all you’re doing is preparing yourself for the next stage. Once you’ve achieved that next stage, no-one gives a crap. I don’t even list the subject of my degree on CV’s anymore, or where I studied, and so far no-one has asked because my real world experience and results are all that matter.

I disagree with Bull Scientist entirely. Degrees are nice and all, and they can be useful, but the list of people who’ve become successful without them is so long I’m not even going to consider it. Likewise, the list of unsuccessful people with degrees is even longer.

I also don’t think any of this is in anyway relevant to training. Having degrees in no way qualifies your opinions on training, even if said degree is in “exercise science” or whatever they call it these days.

29

A degree certainly opens up opportunities that otherwise might be unavailable. But how you market yourself is vastly important. “It’s not the grades you make, but the hands you shake” holds true in many fields.

30

[quote]dagill2 wrote:

[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:

[quote]Bull_Scientist wrote:
Having both college and grad school education has become so much more relevant these days than it ever has before. Practically speaking, anyone who wants to become considerably successful these days now needs to have at least a grad degree for something highly marketable such as a job in the medical and healthcare industry, which is what I am currently going for.
[/quote]

I think you misunderstood my intent, again. I’m not knocking education. Putting my hat into this ring, I also have several degrees from prestigious universities and they have put me in a very good position for a nice career. I am a staunch believer in the power of a graduate-school education.

However, the point I was trying to get at is that it is results that will ultimately matter in your life, not the completion of a degree. You brought up your UCLA education in pretty much the most arrogant way possible (“I bet that some of you guys never graduated from college or even went to college at all, compared to me who has a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and is currently a grad school in the healthcare field at LLU”) as though it made your opinion count more than someone else’s in a conversation about strength training progression - a subject where you, by your own admission in your own thread in the Beginners forum that you started two days ago, are still struggling.

To bring us back to the real world and where-you-got-your-degree thing: as I said, a good education is a good thing, but it must be couple with the ability to put those skills into practice. My degrees would not mean a damn thing if I couldn’t produce the work that my collaborators need. I have a couple of graduate school classmates (with the same degree that I have) who are scuffling because they lack the SKILLS to put their education into practice. RESULTS are what will define you going forward. Not the degree you have. It’s unfortunate that so many kids today think that getting a college degree is the end, and now they’re qualified and ready to go out and run the world. Kid, it’s just the beginning, and while that degree may get you the first job, it will not matter a damn thing if your productivity doesn’t match up.[/quote]

I agree with AG entirely. I’ve always said that at every level of education, all you’re doing is preparing yourself for the next stage. Once you’ve achieved that next stage, no-one gives a crap. I don’t even list the subject of my degree on CV’s anymore, or where I studied, and so far no-one has asked because my real world experience and results are all that matter.

I disagree with Bull Scientist entirely. Degrees are nice and all, and they can be useful, but the list of people who’ve become successful without them is so long I’m not even going to consider it. Likewise, the list of unsuccessful people with degrees is even longer.

I also don’t think any of this is in anyway relevant to training. Having degrees in no way qualifies your opinions on training, even if said degree is in “exercise science” or whatever they call it these days.[/quote]
Yup. Seriously, I don’t get offended by arrogance. I’m not Liam Neeson. I just don’t think he’s accomplished anything to justify it.

It’s comical, like watching a 10 year old delight in beating his 4 year old sister at arm wrestling.

31

[quote]Bull_Scientist wrote:
Also, where did you guys get your undergrad degrees from? I bet that some of you guys never graduated from college or even went to college at all, compared to me who has a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and is currently a grad student in the healthcare field at LLU.[/quote]

Since I just can’t resist dropping this additional nugget…I thought it was a little peculiar that I couldn’t name “LLU” off the top of my head (I am also “in the healthcare field”), so I looked up LLU and found that it’s Loma Linda University.

I’m not sure what program you’re in at LLU but according to USNWR rankings for graduate schools of public health (my field), LLU is ranked 44th…out of 44 programs. I took a quick skim through a few other programs, but let’s just say that LLU is not exactly up there with Johns Hopkins and Harvard. Most of their programs are ranked in the lower half of the schools ranked by USNWR, many near the bottom.

Now, rankings don’t mean everything. When it comes to the individual, skills and knowledge matter more. But, kid, this is exactly why you need an attitude adjustment; the air of superiority you brought to this discussion is NOT going to hold up within your own field. Your school definitely isn’t going to be something you can name-drop and expect people to grovel at your feet in awe; contrary, you will have to be so damn proficient and accomplished that you can overcome this, because if you’re in the pool for the same job/post-doc/whatever with kids from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and the other big fish, they’ll ALL have that leg up on you.

Do I Have Bad Genetics?
32

[quote]Bunny7676 wrote:
I was hoping there would be one person on this forum that would take the time to read this and REALLY try to help me.[/quote]

There are. Fortunately for you, this forum also has an abundance of people who will help you weed out the good information from the bad.

[quote]Bunny7676 wrote:
I have been overweight for quite some time. Over the past 3 years I have tried multiple programs/diets with no success, (and YES, I did give each of them time to work…) I understand these things do take time…

(lots of info about bunny)

Please help!

_ Bunny [/quote]

First I’d like to join in the chorus of helping this young lad gain some perspective.

[quote]Bull_Scientist wrote:
Hey Bunny7676, I know that it can be incredibly frustrating to not see the results that you deserve after all of the hard work that you put into it.

However, Chris is right. If your goal is weight loss and only weight loss then it is it is very easy.[/quote]

Chris never described what she’s trying to do as easy. You did, even though…

[quote]Bull_Scientist wrote:
Also, I have always been very lean. Though, during most of my early adolescence I was very close to being underweight until I was 15 and a half when I actually did become definitely underweight for about a month.[/quote]

So how do you know how easy it is to drop a lot of fat? The answer is that you don’t. Everyone knows it can be done. Some people find it easy. Some people find it difficult. You are neither, because you’ve never done it.

That said, I’m not the best guy to give advice on this subject either. Now, if you want to know how to maintain bodyweight and eke out some strength gains while getting way more calories from beer than you should, well, I’m your guy.

Best of luck to you, Bunny7676!

33

Hire Amit Sapir for 16 weeks he can be contacted here on these boards. In 16 weeks you can thank me for the suggestion.