RiverRunning Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Just curious as to what you all think about this article: How To Lose Weight Fast and Safely - WebMD - Exercise, Counting Calories, and More In theory, is there really anything wrong with very vigorous exercise like that done on The Biggest Loser - so long as you're under a doctor's guidance, getting in at least a few hours of strength training a week, eating plenty of protein, etc.? The big concern is losing muscle mass. What if you're really overweight, though? I have read studies that show that people who are overweight or obese tend to lose much more fat than muscle even when they lose weight rapidly (which is, I guess, why it's not as big of a deal for them to go on very low calorie diets and the like), whereas thin folks who drastically restrict calories tend to lose a lot more muscle. And I've seen some recent studies where folks on very low calorie diets really didn't lose any muscle so long as they underwent strength training at least a few times a week, regardless of their protein intake. I'll have to dig for that one. Assuming all of that is true - is there really anything wrong with trying to lose weight rapidly, besides the fact that a person probably wouldn't have enough time to settle into good eating and exercise habits long-term? Link to post Share on other sites
FitChick Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Unless you have just been signed to star in a major motion picture starting next month, you are better off with a lifestyle change regarding eating and exercise. You won't be as tired or hungry either. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Exit Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 RiverRunning I'm familiar with just about everything you mentioned, I spend a lot of my free time reading about health and weight loss. Fatter people can afford to do more drastic diets, strength training will help preserve muscle when dieting, I believe all of this to be true. Most of it is common sense. Of course a leaner person will be at higher risk of losing lean (muscle) tissue than an obese person, the energy has to come from somewhere. I think people freak out about muscle loss a bit too much - I would hope the human body is smart enough through evolution that it knows to devour useless fat first and leave your muscles alone as long as possible. Fat is spare energy storage afterall. It would be nice if it were the other way around, eat too many calories and your body is going to pack on some muscle so it can burn it off later, but that doesn't happen. If you were to get lost in the desert for two weeks I would hope your body would leave you with your muscle to travel and survive rather than turn you into a blob of fat with no muscle. I don't think anything is wrong with rapid weightloss. Yes, the important factor is that long term changes still need to be made. You can lose 20lbs in a week, and if you go back to your old bad habits, of course it will all come back, or maybe even more. I disagree with page 2 of the article spitting out the usual "it's a simple math equation, calories in vs calories out". BS. I just read a good article not long ago, maybe it was even in a thread on these forums, about how many other confusing factors can really be involved in weight loss. If it was just about calories, we wouldn't all have that one friend who can drink Pepsi all day and look like a skeleton, meanwhile other people can't touch a dessert without gaining 3lbs. And then page 3 speaks out against crash diets and fasting. I've been reading about fasting a lot lately. As a matter of fact, I tried water fasting this week, I hadn't had anything to eat since Sunday night until this evening (Friday) when I gave in and had dinner. 14lbs came off. I'm sure a good portion of that will come back just from water weight. 4 days into the fast I was still squatting 225lbs and had plenty of energy. My muscles have not disappeared. They might be a little flatter from lack of glycogen. I really enjoyed the experience of staying away from food for a while. I wanted to go longer, but even not needing to eat for 5 days was really an eye opening experience. I see nothing wrong with fatloss being an all out assault instead of the usual boring "aim for 1 or 2lbs a week". It's a psychological battle as well, people want to see the scale moving otherwise they see no reason to put up with all this hard work. That's why so many people watch stuff like Biggest Loser. Nobody would care if they got up on the scale at the end of the episode and were thrilled to lose 1lb. Link to post Share on other sites
hotloader Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I was approximately 235 pounds when I got divorced, and successfully dropped to 160 within a matter of about four months. A "healthy" weight for me is about 170-175, and I'm just about there right now. Actually I'm in the process of burning off a little winter weight. I've got about 5 pounds to go. No big deal. The initial weight loss was rapid and easy, and maintaining it was pretty easy too. Just stay the hell away from the bad stuff, ya know. Soda's the kicker for me. That's how I gained weight over the winter.....I convinced myself that "throwback" Pepsi was alright. The truth is that soda is basically liquid candy and it's all bad for you. Cheese and milk are also things that I've ousted from my diet. We're the only species on the planet that continues to drink from a tit into adulthood. It's pretty effin' disgusting when you think about it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
healthwarrior Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I really do not know if that works or not, if you want to try it, check out How to Lose Weight Programs - I found out about this site and they have great weight loss reviews and basic info I suggest you check it out. Link to post Share on other sites
Author RiverRunning Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 I've lost a total of 50 pounds last year, albeit the slow and boring way - I have cheated plenty and haven't always eaten the best foods, but exercise has helped keep it off. I'm running a 5k in two months. Between Sunday morning and this morning, however, I managed to drop 7 pounds. I've been working out between 2 and 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, on average. I'm getting plenty of protein (after a work-out, I'll usually go for a protein shake or something). I'm trying to avoid sweets and junk like that. If I want a treat, I try to go for nonfat yogurt and low-fat granola. Just trying to stay away from added sugar. With the exception of today - I had a little bit of fun (and I might regain some of that 7 pound loss - oops! ) I'm also eating fewer than 2k calories a day, getting about 80 - 90 grams of protein a day and plenty of fiber. I'm also drinking plenty of water. I don't feel deprived or hungry ever. I've lost inches in the past week too - I even went down a pant size. If I am able to lose the pounds rapidly (to a certain point...I don't expect to lose 3 - 5 pounds a week once I'm only 10 - 20 pounds overweight), but this is certainly a very encouraging change. I'm just very accustomed to not losing anything or losing very little. That's part of why I'm interested in rapid weight loss - I have been exercising/eating better for a year now. I maintained my weight loss for about 6 months and have just recently started losing again. So, I know that I can maintain a 'healthy' lifestyle for the long-term. It would just be nice to have at least a few weeks of rapid weight loss to keep me motivated, especially after busting out of a plateau. Giving up cheese, though? I don't know if I can do it. I've started drinking chocolate milk after a long work-out, but that's fairly rare. Link to post Share on other sites
FitChick Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Cheese and milk are also things that I've ousted from my diet. We're the only species on the planet that continues to drink from a tit into adulthood. It's pretty effin' disgusting when you think about it. You might be interested in reading the latest research about dairy products. Link to post Share on other sites
fucpcg Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 If you want to lose weight, educate yourself on nutrition, not on diet fads. If you want to learn about nutrition, start with a book called The Zone Diet. Link to post Share on other sites
Star Gazer Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 As a matter of fact, I tried water fasting this week, I hadn't had anything to eat since Sunday night until this evening (Friday) when I gave in and had dinner. 14lbs came off. I'm sure a good portion of that will come back just from water weight. 4 days into the fast I was still squatting 225lbs and had plenty of energy. I don't believe that for a second. Link to post Share on other sites
joniyy Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 1. Fad Diets That Work? Forget It!... You WON'T lose weight fast and keep it off by just eating low carb diets, low fat diets, or low calorie diets. The truth is, fast weight loss that lasts comes down to a diet that works, but that is right for you. You're going to discover an easy way you can "trick" your body into burning more calories by eating more of these delicious and healthy fat burning foods that fight your cravings... 2. Cardio Doesn't Work Like This... Those long and frequent cardio or aerobic workouts from quick weight loss programs are among the WORST WAYS to burn fat. You're going to see how to boost your fat loss and fitness results by exercising in almost the complete OPPOSITE manner with these tips for just 45 minutes a WEEK...with no separate cardio at all! 3. You Probably Won't Lose Any Real Belly Fat With Sit-ups & Ab Gizmos... 1000's of crunches, sit ups, or those crappy infomercial abs gizmos WILL NOT allow you to lose belly fat or give you a flatter stomach and certainly not six pack abs. You're going to learn how to lose stomach fat 5 times faster with these full body exercises that don't actually target your abs at all. Weight watchers – Proven to be one of the most reliable weight loss diets in history. Their program is pretty simple, and it has already helped several people on how to lose weight quickly. They carefully choose programs and have been consistently up-to-date with their fast weight loss plans. The latest program they have is the PointsPlus, which is the newest method based on the most advanced nutritional science. This new program can help you in staying full and handling temptation and hunger. Medifast – A low calorie weight loss diet that can certainly bring rapid fat loss (about 2 to 5 pounds each week). You can start your diet by buying meal replacement good from Medifast. The most well-known weight loss diet offered is the 5&1 diet program. This includes five meal replacements each day. Aside from the typical shakes, these replacements include soups, meal, fruit drinks, hot drinks, puddings, bars, and stew. Caloric intakes can sum up to 800 to 1000 calories every day. Nutrisystem Reviews – Considered as the most effective among quick weigh loss diets. This diet program came from Nutrisystem, who is a fat loss company based online. This diet plan uses the Glycemic Index as a basis. The program comprises of three meals and two snacks. The food is provided by NutriSystem, who will immediately ship your food into your home. The main thought of this diet is to limit food intake and divide it into accurate portions. Link to post Share on other sites
thomasmite Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 weight is only increase when you eat more calories and consume less calories. These difference are the result of over weight. Weight can be minimize by taking effective control on eating habits. Do some simple exercise in the morning for 30 mints. And don't eat fat and high protein foods like meat, fish, chicken etc. It is better solution for reduce weight. Link to post Share on other sites
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