aight everyone i have a question for those of you that have lost weight or are trying to do so…is it really as complicated as everyone on these boards makes it sound? all these cycles, special diets, supplements…whey powder at this this and that time of day…flax oil and cottage cheese 18.3 mins before sleep…etc
not to upset anyone-i’m sure you’re all gettin the results you want, but aren’t some of you overcomplicating things? im in the same boat as many, tryin to lose 20 pounds or so by summer (primarily i suspect its just chillin in a santa-like belly)…but i come from the school of training where you just sweat it off as you need to…that is, eat right (fruits, veggies, smoked turkey, grilled fish, chicken etc), run, jump rope, hit up some calisthenics (sp) and weight train as necessary…for every 3500 calories ur body is in the hole, one pound is gone…now i know someones gonna wanna tear me a new asshole for not addressin that you can lose muscle mass, but people lets be realistic…the only time your muscle will actually diminish is when you’re at such a low bf% you probably don’t even need to lose weight. for the rest of us (where you can clearly identify fat deposits on your body (i.e. gut, thighs etc)), this is generally NOT a real concern.
for the record, ive posted my stats/goals in another post but ill do it again...im 5'11, 195 (down from 205 a few weeks ago), lookin to hit 175 by may/june...i have a noticeable gut, and barely noticeable fat on my legs..how am i plannin on losin it? cardio every day for like 40 minutes (although i may make it cardio twice every day), weights 5 days a week and eating healthy stuff (lettuce, carrots, grapes, and so on) and generally limiting my fat/carbs each day...i mean ill eat bread and potatoes and corn or whatever but i certainly wont sit at the kitchen table and mindlessly throw down two loaves of pita bread while howard stern coerces the two lesbian midgets to make out any more...oh and im taking one supplement- xenadrine (i bought it before i heard about md6 so now i gotta finish it!)...isn't this routine enough to get me down to the weight i need? aren't i on point with this long, somewhat ranting post? hahah lemme know what y'all think
No, is not. The main diet, fat loss “law” is that calories burned off must be more than calories taken in. This apllies to atkins-type, hi-pro, fasting, or whatever. The permanent lifestyle change of exercise (cardio and wts.) Most of us won’t have problems with the exercise part. Another fact you mentioned is that you don’t need to worry about muscle loss, keep 1-2 grams of protien per lb. of body weight. There is no such thing as spot reduction–i.e. ab work never “melts” tummy fat away. See my wt. loss story under my “fatty” post, and cardio entries. QUEST is me–whether all CAPS or small letters. Maybe you can get in the thread started by jason n. about fat loss support.
Carrots are no good, but I think that is probably the least of your problems. Yeah, you seem to be overthinking things. I say multiply bodyweight by 12 or 13 to get total calories, stick with carbs at or below 1g per pound of bodyweight, keep protein constant between 1.5 and 2g per pound, and fill in the rest with healthy fats. Focus carb intake early in the day and post-workout. If your caloric intake is appropriate, you won’t need to rub your ass raw on a bike for two hours a day to see results. Just be patient; training hard and eating right will yield noticeable improvements.
Pete: The answers is “Yes”, “No” and “Maybe” to whether or not weigh loss is complicated:
“Yes” for the “Fat Hardgainer” like me who easily puts on fat and must watch his diet like a hawk. I also have a low threshold for high-glycemic carbs; over that threshold, I get water shifts, bloating, fat/water gain…you name it. It also takes a LOT of effort and monitoring to make sure that I’m losing fat and not a lot of lean tissue mass. Bottom line? I HAVE to be meticulous. Most likely cause? Genetics/slower metabolism and a lifelong history of weight gain and “yo-yo” dieting.
“No” for the “Slim Hardgainer” with the fast metabolism, slender parents, extreme difficulty in putting on weight of ANY kind OR the person who was VERY athletic most of their young life and at college age, gained a little “punch, gut and lovehandles” with their job and kids, but does not have a screwed up metabolism like those with genetics and poor dietary/exercise habits behind them.
“Maybe” for a lot of other people. You really have to see how your body responds to diet and exercise (especailly what foods, what type of workouts, etc.)
No flame from me. Great question that made me think before I answered!
Well put Pete… I agree with you, I think if you eat healthy, do cardio, and workout hard, you will get the results you are looking for and it is as simple as that, but a good thermogenic never hurt, I know it has helped me rid those last few pounds of stubborn fat.
You’re right, many of us overanalyze what is a simple concept, the caloric deficit. Taking 13 different supplements, scheduling our protein intake and following intricate workout plans isn’t necessary, but these customizations might contribute just a little more towards success. I think it is just our nature to want to do everything a certain way, to optimize every part of our diets and workouts. For many of us we train for years and it becomes our passion. We don’t have to go into such minuscule details, but we do it anyway because we enjoy it. It’s all part of the game.
BTW: I personally do tend to lose a lot of lean mass when dieting, even at higher bodyfat percentages. Maybe you’re lucky and tend to hang on to your muscle when dieting, but some of us have to be very careful.
thanks for the well-written and thought out responses guys…i was just beginning to get lost readin all the diets and advice on this site…its good to see that some of you agree…ill definately be watching everythin i eat and (reluctantly) attempt to keep a “food log”
the one thing i have plenty of this semester is time…i can pretty much afford to hit the gym 7 days a week (whether it’s to do cardio or weight-train or both)…unfortunately i am the stocky type who loses weight (any kind of weight) very hard. although my father was a relatively thin fella (until he married my mom hahaha) apparently i got the pudge genes…my metabolism is slightly better than average, but i hope runnin like a maniac every day and eating right will improve it…i’ll keep you all posted on my progress (assuming there is any hahaa). i’m not lookin to get crazy-big like so many here are or wish to be…i just want to be healthy…and irresistible to the ladies hah.
ps-what’s wrong with carrots? btw my friend came over tonight and dug out a box of frosted flakes (i didnt even know i had any in this house)…once he cracked it open i was done for…three bowls of Tony the Tiger’s delicious cereal, one turkey sandwich and two small bags of “Andy Capp’s Hot Fries” later i feel like im about to erupt…urrrgggghhh
For the vast majority, you are right. We should quit complicating the process. As Mufasa stated, this may not be so for the fat hardgainer and I consider myself a borderline fat hardgainer. Anyway, all those tweaks are to fiddle with the last 10% of the equation. Create a negative caloric balance, lift weights, and eat high quality foods and you have 90% of the equation. Can you make excellent progress with 90%? ABSOLUTELY! Can you make even better progress when you tack on the little 10% tweaks to the 90% foundation? ABSOLUTELY! The problem is that too many people focus on the 10% tweaks and ignore the 90% foundation.
first, due to the abundance of "pete"s out there i shall hence forth be known as ‘pete screwtape’ haah…anyone wondering what that’s a reference to, it’s one of my fave cslewis books…
jason n.-i think you're absolutely on point. 90% of weight loss is based on firmly established principles..eat right, train hard...you will lose weight...10% is more for the elitist minority (altho they may constitute a majority on these boards). but i remember when i first started researching weight loss, my efforts were stymied over stupid bs...like i couldn't make the littlest decisons cuz i was readin soo much it made my head spin. i think most readers on this site know that weight loss is the result of the calorie defecit...but the general public, im pretty sure is quite ignorant to many basic facts...haha i remember my friend (female) trying to convince me that her trainer ASSURED her that no human can do 7days a week of cardio AND weightlift on any of those same 7 days. this is the same trainer who told her that "limiting" fast-food consumption would get her rotund ass in shape...hmm makes u wonder...anyway, the last thing the public needs is the trillion products out there tryin to convince them that weight loss can be easy, pleasant, fun or quick. it is certainly none of the above. but who am i to talk, im still a slovenly wretch who assumes he's doin it ALL right...
hahaa tony the tiger’s grin is just too tempting sometimes…i’m only mortal