Don’t Lose Weight, Lose Fat

Good advice, thanks NaturalPro. I've been meaning to incorporate more weight training into my routine. I really have to force myself to do it, even though I can feel it working the next day or two.

As for calorie counters, I was using one at www.thedailyplate.com for awhile, and it really helped me pay attention to what I was eating. It's so easy to overindulge when I'm in the office or running errands around town. The counter really opened my eyes to the kinds of snacks I was choosing and the calories and ingredients they contained. It was especially great for brand name items where the counts were as indicated on the packages, but home-cooked meals definitely had to be estimated. That particular site also let you set a goal (for example, if you want to lose 2 pounds a week) and provided a daily recommended calorie count for you based on that.

I just started using LoseIt on my iPhone. I love it, very easy to track your food (calories) and it's great to subtract your exercise so that you can budget for a treat. Now I just need to refine my exercise routine to concentrate on the abs. Thanks for the helpful info NaturalPro.

So as a man, I'm reasonably well muscled, but I've gained the traditional middle age paunch in the belly. What types of exercises would help the most to eliminate this?

Chris

Hi Chris,

First off to reap the most success choose something that you enjoy doing - it will obviously make burning body fat and getting rid of that "paunch" seem more like fun than work.

If you enjoy lifting weights and want go that route in order to build a little muscle to help burn fat then I would recommend hitting each muscle group once over the course of a week. Spread over however many days fit best with your schedule. The best exercises will be compound movements, no fancy cables or machines etc.

Most people hate them but squats recruit alot of muscle across the entire body and increase GH release. Dead lifts are great also. But both of these are not for the inexperienced. So focus on at least targeting your major muscle groups with compound basic exercises - legs, back, chest. Your smaller muscle groups you can train with the larger ones (biceps w/back, triceps w/chest, and squeeze in some shoulder work somewhere too). Of course abs will create a stronger core for you too - oh - and then there is calves

Any type of cardiovascular exercise that you enjoy will burn excess calories as well. Brisk walking, running, biking, swimming, hiking, etc.

So decide what you like and make it fun. It is summer and you do not "have" to be in the gym to burn fat and get into better shape.

So best of luck and make getting fit and burning fat fun - and rewarding!

I have been doing squats consistently for more than a year. There are many times I don't want to do them, but I persist. I have lost 22 pounds. My legs are so much stronger. Add push-ups and a bridge and some abdominal exercises and you have a complete body workout. Strength from head to toe.

Hi Chris,

Exercise doesn't help. Eliminate food with Glycemic Index over 50, forget the beer and corn and banana. Accept the fact that Native Indians have bad teeth when Colombus arrived. People eating bananas are fat or obese, not 100% but close to more than 50%. You can fall in the bad 50%, isn't it?

Many people exercise and eat chips, fries, and other fast and bad foods when they are tired after an hour of intense jogging or bicycle.

Walk if you can every evening for 20 to 30 minutes at good pace. It's better then any other activity on or with machines.

Try it for two weeks. Don't tell yourself that Gil is not a specialist. Just do it for yourself. If you don't get results, punch my head and I never suggest what worked for many and for me too, Gil.

"Exercise doesn't help."

"Walk if you can every evening for 20 to 30 minutes at good pace. "

Was there any research also conducted in 1930 that suggested that walking was not a form of exercise?

"People eating bananas are fat or obese, not 100% but close to more than 50%. You can fall in the bad 50%, isn't it?"

I eat a banana within every post workout meal. I am 36 days away from the Mr. Universe contest and my body fat is below 5%. That does not exactly equate to "fat or obese."

NaturalPro:

Thanks for pointing out that the most common mistake made by many people trying to lose weight is not eating enough calories. In fact, the phrases we use, like "loosing weight" and "caloric deficit," are highly misleading. We are tempted to think that all we have to do is eat less and we will loose weight and get healthy.

Nothing could be farther from the truth!

The single most pernicious health problem in America today is insufficient energy flux.

When people "go on a diet" to "loose weight" they only depress their energy flux even more and make their health problems even worse.

If you want to be healthy, you must increase the amount you eat, and increase the amount you burn even more. If you're eating 2000 calories a day, increase that to 2500, but be sure to increase your exercise to burn at least 3000 calories per day. Then you will gain muscle and loose fat. Your body composition will soon reflect your improved health.

You cannot get that amount of exercise in 10 minutes a day like the infomercials claim. Including getting changed, warming up, exercising, warming down, showering and getting changed again, you're looking at an hour and a half to two hours a day. Minimum.

When it comes to exercise, it doesn't pay to be too one-sided.

Resistance exercise is good. You should lift two or three days a week. Hit each major muscle group once or at most twice a week.

Endurance exercise is also good. You should run, or swim, or cycle two or three days a week. Try to burn at least 500 calories per hour.

And don't forget to rest. Rest is a weapon. One or two days a week, you should lie around and do nothing.

Finally, bear in mind that you are what you eat. Literally. So eat good, simple, unprocessed whole foods: Beef. Chicken. Fish. Eggs. Milk. Fruits. Vegetables.

Anyway, your post is right on the money: body composition is the key factor, not body weight.

This is a subject close to my heart (literarily) ever since I had a heart by-pass operation 18 months ago. Since then I have studied the subject of cholestorol, simply put, cholestorol is fat (in it's different forms) and is something our bodies need for our cells and nervous system, to give us energy and for our general well being. However, if we have to much cholestorol our body stores the fat which we do not use until such time as our body requires the energy which is stored in our surplus fat, therefore by exercising our body "burns off" or consumes any excess stored fat. The end result is less fat, improved muscle tone, a healthier cadovascular system less prone to heart desease,strokes and in general a better overall feel.

Cholestorol comes as:

• LDL (the bad stuff) mainly comes from meat and dairy produce, the recommended max. level of LDL by the BMA (British Medical Association) = 2,9mmol/ltr (chicken and turkey are considered to be low sources of LDL)
• HDL (the good stuff) comes from fish, cereals preferably whole grain, vegetables, the recommended min. level of HDL by BMA = 1.5mmol/ltr.
• Triglicerides are a type of cholestorol manufactured by the liver and comes primarily from sugars, carbohydrates in all their different forms.

Recommendation is, enjoy your food, eat a balanced diet (preferably limit ones intake of processed foods) and moderate exercise for about 1/2 hour a day like a brisk walk. This will keep your cholestorol in check, stop any excess weight gain and help to maintain muscle mass & bone density.

richard f.

As a cancer survivor whose gone from 200lbs to 170lbs in the past three months I'm wondering what you would recommend for increasing body weight. Right now I eat plenty of milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, celery, eggs, pasta, pizza, beer, salads and Ensure. (I even invented the Sick Russian, one part vodka, one par Kaluha and one part chocolate Ensure. Very tasty)

I'm gradually weaning myself off the painkillers and will be excercising later but what can I do to gain weight in the meantime?

stevem:

Most of those are good food choices. I would eliminate or consume alcohol in moderation (sorry). Alcohol contains empty calories and provide no health benefits.

Aside from that depending on the type of pasta - alot of them contain an abundance of preservatives and the pizza - nothing but......(granted if you are looking to gain soley "body weight" eat away). But pizza has no nutritous calories within it either.

Trade the pizza & alcohol for potatos and good ole H2O. But I imagine that takes away some of the enjoyment.

Or one more option - Years ago I wanted to gain strictly body weight and did not care what form the weight came on in. I ate a frozen pizza and a bowl of ice cream every night before bed. Let me tell you, that did the trick.

"Trade the pizza & alcohol for potatos and good ole H2O. But I imagine that takes away some of the enjoyment."

We'll see how it goes over on poker night

Steve,

Why you want to gain weight? Image or health problem. When you act, think, gesture, move or say something, you use calories but you cannot take too much. Your metabolism dictates what you need. When you will be better and can do more things, you will start to eat more. What's your higth?

Let nature, your body to work freely. Desire and wants are not for you. Follow some of recommendations made by Guest in a long "expose". Eat lots of fruits and veggies. Forget the cow products, they can hurt you.

Wish you fast return to normal, Gil.

Personally, I commend stevem for listening to what his body needs and realizing that he needs to gain weight. While I would say the average male would strive for 170-180 lbs, I imagine taller males may need to weigh more along the lines of 200 lbs to have a healthy fat percentage.

In a world where people constantly strives to lose weight, it is hard to image that people may want to gain weight, but it happens. Unfortunately, I feel like people should change their goals to "being healthy," because if you treat your body right, your "healthy" or "ideal" weight will not be too far behind. Eat healthfully and exercise.

I'm 6'1" and 170 just feels too light to me. And my pants don't fit anymore.

Thx for the good wishes Gil.

Well that is the first time I ever heard anybody try putting on weight so they don't have to go shopping anymore. Haha.

Is this an advice column? And I don't care who advises, so long as it sounds like sense (as if I'd know - but I'll take a chance on it).

For most of my life I've been healthy and active; yoga, running, swimming, TaeKwonDo, outdoor work.

Some time ago, I dropped a young oak tree into a tangle of grape vines (not where I was aiming it) and wrecked my right hip wrestling it loose. Now I'm looking at surgery, and in the meantime, this right leg isn't good for much. Physical therapy was recommended, but the nearest location is a three hour commute from here, and really not feasible - on top of working - and I need to sleep @ least ten hours (body attemting to self-heal?)

Anyway, I've gained weight, although I eat a healthy diet, and am eating less. I can't even manage a Sun Asana anymore, since I have to move my right leg with my hand. Is there some kind of weight training I could do, to prevent my becoming a complete marshmallow?

Jaen,

Sorry to hear about your predicament. I would definitely consult with your doctor or a physical therapist in regard to weight training for you "lower body". It sounds like it is not even feasible or possible given your current situation.

You can however weight train and soley focus on your upper body. You will need to select certain exercises that do not put any pressure, weight or pose possible imbalances to your lower body/legs. Utilizing seated exercises will be ideal. This would entail more use of machines and dumbbells.

Good luck and here's to a healthy recovery!

Loosing fat is not easy for most of us. It is a matter of burning more calories than we take in. If we can do that, your body will begin to draw on its fat supplies for the needed calories. It is that simple.

Exercise is important to keep your muscles fit. Your exercise routine should work the muscles that you want to strengthen. Aerobic exercise that gets your heart rate going is also important as it will keep the most important muscle in the body strong, the HEART. It also burns calories.

That is my view on this subject.

tommm

A couple points...

My understanding is that the number of fat cells you have is static for the most part. They increase or decrease in size as fat is stored or burned. This is why the potential to put weight back on even after losing it is great. Metabolism can be shifted. Many, many years ago there was a good book about this entitled, "The Dieter's Dilemma" (http://www.amazon.com/Dieters-Dilemma-Eating-Less-Weighing/dp/0465016537/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273163950&sr=1-1). Another old but good (and simple) book, also, out of print now, I think, is Total Fitness in 30 Minutes a Week. (http://www.amazon.com/Total-Fitness-30-Minutes-Week/dp/0671729934) I did this religiously for several months and it really works. Look for them in a local library or used book store.

Cholesterol: Yes the body makes it. And one of it's uses is to repair damage to artery walls due to free radicals. High levels are, IMO, an indication of improper lifestyle; diet, exercise, habits (i.e., smoking etc.) which lead to damage to the circulatory system. Lowering cholesterol without changing these factors doesn't keep the damage from continuing.

Hip and skeletal problems: If it's actual bone damage, IMO, minimize protein in the diet until you recover. Or increase the right kind of calcium... calcium citrate is a good form. Protein byproducts require calcium by the body to neutralize the acidity. This ultimately, leads to osteoporosis. The calcium/protein ratio in milk and other dairy products actually runs a calcium deficit when view from this perspective. If it includes cartilage/tendon damage, MSM, Glucosamine, and chondroitin may be beneficial to speed the healing process. Also, vitamin C promotes the absorption of calcium. But oral vitamin C is only absorbed at around 24%. There is a newer form, called Liposomal C, which is worth investigating. Using more than one form is probably best.

I also forgot Vitamin E. Very helpful for healing in the body, as is Zinc.

Local to me news.

Something worked well for Muzzy and in a very short time.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36974073/ns/local_news-pittsburgh_pa/

Wonder if Insurance will pay for this?

Hi Pro,

From the 1930s, many knowledgeable people, two American doctors, Newburg and Johnston from University of Michigan, told to millions that "correct" calory in-take is the essence of loosing weight or not being obese, rather a deficiency of the human metabolism. Few years later, they told that their early publication was not tested enough to prove what they said was correct but the second publication was lost in the nature.

I disagree with your comment about: "number of calories you consume, along with their type, determines whether you gain or lose weight. The most common mistake made by many people trying to lose weight is not eating enough calories. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit (i.e., burn more than you eat). Obviously, the opposite holds true for gaining weight.

Calorie calculators can be found online. Keep in mind, however, that they are only to be used as estimates or as a starting point. You must first determine how many calories you currently consume in a day and track your weight. Once you determine the number of calories needed to maintain your current weight, you can adjust your intake accordingly."

I agree that human body needs calories, energy. If we need 3,000 calories to do our daily things and we take only 2,000, our body will take 1,000 calories from our reserve, our fat. This principle does not work, and was confirmed by the two doctors in the late 1930s but no one want to listen. It's an easy way to tell someone what that person needs to do to be fit normally. When you eat less calories, you loose weight during a certain time but body adjust and weight gain starts over again. Originally we used 3,000 calories to achieve the daily chores but the body adjust to the needs of 2,000 after a certain time, and 2,000 calories become excess as was the 3,000 earlier.

Also, today, the low calory business became huge and extremely profitable. We pay for it because we believe in it that this is the truth!

The theory based on the calories is wrong, false, and forgery.

Foods are edible substances, containing organic elements as proteins, lipids, glucides or carbohydrates, salts and minerals, vitamins, also, water, non-digestibles, and other insoluble things as fibres.

My suggestion is simple. We have to respect how and what we eat. Eliminate from your food list all with a "Glycemic Index" over 50. No beer, no corn, no white bread and rice. You can consult books on and select what is good for you as human.

1) Never mix carbohydrates with proteins as paste or bread with meat. Hamburgers are the most manifest example. Visit a "fast food" outlet and see the obeses.

2) Eat carbohydrates with vegetables. Never cook carrot!

3) Eat meat with vegetables.

4) Eat fruits ONLY at empty stomach! Fruits after a good meal produce gas by not digesting them for hours and fruits get rotten.

5) Eat and don't drink. Drink and you can eat. Dilution of food don't help digestion.

6) Take extra vitamins every day because we need more than we take. Follow Linus Pauling's recommendation in "How to live longer and feel better" at page 8.

Wish you a good appetite, Gil.