walking to lose fat ?

[clia]

on the risk of sounding like a shameful drunk but these 2 drinks are my thing , so is it possible to keep them and still lose weight or they're a deal breaker ?

( Vodka , sparkling water on the rocks )

 

You can keep them, but those calories are part of your daily consumption, so that's 300-400 calories that aren't going toward actual food. There are calculators out there that tell you how many calories to eat in order to lose a pound a week, half a pound a week, whatever your goal. So figure out how many calories you can eat to meet your goals and then determine how much you want to allot each day to alcohol. You can drink sometimes, but 300-400 calories a day is quite a bit to waste when you are trying to lose weight and are eating at a deficit.

[jen1447]

well that's disheartening indeed , you should see me as I speed walk , believe me it's not a good sight , I often be drenched with my own sweat and extremely tired , trust me : I can't handle high intensity stuff just yet but I will

 

I wouldn't worry about it too much - as you can see, other more informed ppl have posted since to the contrary. I've just never had much change in weight when I walk regularly.

[Audacious]

You can keep them, but those calories are part of your daily consumption, so that's 300-400 calories that aren't going toward actual food. There are calculators out there that tell you how many calories to eat in order to lose a pound a week, half a pound a week, whatever your goal. So figure out how many calories you can eat to meet your goals and then determine how much you want to allot each day to alcohol. You can drink sometimes, but 300-400 calories a day is quite a bit to waste when you are trying to lose weight and are eating at a deficit.

 

I was afraid of having my regular 2 drinks yesterday , I ate an amazing salad and I don't know if this is a placebo or something but salads can be satisfying , I really felt good about it

 

I am begining to feel a slight change in my mid section , my a$$ is still big AF though but it won't stay that way for long , it seems to be working .

 

there are things that confuse me though : -

1- Organic peanut butter on whole bread ? is this healthy ? I have a P&J sandwich in the morning with my coffee and it keeps me going for 3 or 4 hours before I get hungry again but I am worried about the Peanut butter , I mean nothing this delicious could possibly be healthy right ?

 

2- Are fruits good or bad ? they sure have sugar in them but will one banana and two apples a day detriment my diet ? I like apples a lot , I was under the impression that they are super healthy but now I am in doubt .

 

3- How can I realistically include alcohol in my diet without completely ruin it ? should it be every other day ? or only two drinks on weekends ?

because at this point I don't think that sacrificing an excess of 400 calories or more for a buzz is worth it

[clia]

I was afraid of having my regular 2 drinks yesterday , I ate an amazing salad and I don't know if this is a placebo or something but salads can be satisfying , I really felt good about it

 

Salads are great, but be wary of the toppings and dressings. Some salads can be loaded with calories and fat.

 

there are things that confuse me though : -

1- Organic peanut butter on whole bread ? is this healthy ? I have a P&J sandwich in the morning with my coffee and it keeps me going for 3 or 4 hours before I get hungry again but I am worried about the Peanut butter , I mean nothing this delicious could possibly be healthy right ?

 

Again, you need to determine your goals as far as calorie intake and macros and track it. There are apps that make it easy, like My Fitness Pal. You can enter in your height, weight, sex, and goals and it makes recommendations. Or there are calculators online to help you. You may have to play around to see what works best for your body.

 

Peanut butter is pretty good, decent for protein, but is high in fat. Jelly is high in sugar. Some people have better results by avoiding carbs, like bread. Total calories for your breakfast probably falls around 550-600, depending on how generous you are being with the pb&j and type of bread. (Around 150 per slice of bread, around 200 for one serving, two tablespoons, of peanut butter, and around 50 for one serving of jelly.). You have to watch portion sizes. So where does that fit with your recommended calorie intake to lose weight? Is it too high or about right? It is good that you enjoy it and it's keeping you full, though.

 

2- Are fruits good or bad ? they sure have sugar in them but will one banana and two apples a day detriment my diet ? I like apples a lot , I was under the impression that they are super healthy but now I am in doubt .

 

There are mixed views, but I think fruit is fine, provided it fits in your calorie goals. Sugar from fruit is better than sugar from sweets. I think it's a good substitute for dessert, and fruit is part of the recommended diet. I think a normal sized apple is around 80 calories.

 

3- How can I realistically include alcohol in my diet without completely ruin it ? should it be every other day ? or only two drinks on weekends ?

because at this point I don't think that sacrificing an excess of 400 calories or more for a buzz is worth it

 

Like I said, you see how it fits in your daily calorie allotment. If you get 1600 a day, eat 500 for breakfast, 500 for lunch, 100 for a snack, and 500 for dinner, you've got nothing left for alcohol. So make smart food choices it you want to drink. If you want to drink on a Saturday night, you could also do a harder workout to give yourself some excess calories.

 

It's all calories in versus calories out. You have to start tracking how much you are eating. Most people find they are eating way more than they think.

[Liam1]

You can refer to my topic that I mentioned in my first post , I have a problem exercising in front of people .

 

it is baffling to me what you said about not being committed , you don't know me nor my struggles , just sounded a bit strange to me

 

Audacious:

 

You sound committed and dedicated to me. However, in order to lose weight walking you need to walk fast enough to be out of breath. When you need to breed a little harder, you are then hitting your fat zone.

 

Walking fast enough to breath harder is the same as running. I.e., if you walk fast for a mile, it has the same effect on your body as running a mile, except it is much kinder to your bones and joints. Running causes a lot of wear and tear on joints. So walking fast is easier on your joints.

 

It's not a good idea to focus on the exact calories burned for a specific excercise because any intense exercise will cause your metabolism to speed up and stay that way for 24 to 48 hours.

 

Also, you will be building muscle walking and muscle burns more calories than fat.

 

You also might want to google brown fat vs. white fat. Brown fat burns off more quickly than white. Certain foods such a fish oils or plant oils high in EPA/DHa and teas such as green tea and match and oolong, stimulate the production of brown fat vs white fat and thus it is burned off more quickly during exercise.

 

In addition, if you work out in the cold it stimulates brown fat production instead of white fat when you eat and again brown fat is easier for your body to use up than white fat.

 

IMO, and indoor treadmill is a great idea because you can keep the room cold, about 63 degrees when you work out and you will than burn more calories and encourage brown fat development vs white. With the treadmill you do not have to worry about rain or ice or snow or suffocating humidity.

[Audacious]

Salads are great, but be wary of the toppings and dressings. Some salads can be loaded with calories and fat.

 

 

 

Again, you need to determine your goals as far as calorie intake and macros and track it. There are apps that make it easy, like My Fitness Pal. You can enter in your height, weight, sex, and goals and it makes recommendations. Or there are calculators online to help you. You may have to play around to see what works best for your body.

 

Peanut butter is pretty good, decent for protein, but is high in fat. Jelly is high in sugar. Some people have better results by avoiding carbs, like bread. Total calories for your breakfast probably falls around 550-600, depending on how generous you are being with the pb&j and type of bread. (Around 150 per slice of bread, around 200 for one serving, two tablespoons, of peanut butter, and around 50 for one serving of jelly.). You have to watch portion sizes. So where does that fit with your recommended calorie intake to lose weight? Is it too high or about right? It is good that you enjoy it and it's keeping you full, though.

 

 

 

There are mixed views, but I think fruit is fine, provided it fits in your calorie goals. Sugar from fruit is better than sugar from sweets. I think it's a good substitute for dessert, and fruit is part of the recommended diet. I think a normal sized apple is around 80 calories.

 

 

 

Like I said, you see how it fits in your daily calorie allotment. If you get 1600 a day, eat 500 for breakfast, 500 for lunch, 100 for a snack, and 500 for dinner, you've got nothing left for alcohol. So make smart food choices it you want to drink. If you want to drink on a Saturday night, you could also do a harder workout to give yourself some excess calories.

 

It's all calories in versus calories out. You have to start tracking how much you are eating. Most people find they are eating way more than they think.

 

sorry for sounding stupid , but I don't know how to calculate calories , I have my fitness pal installed on my iPhone , I will give it a try later on today .

 

Basically I'd have a P&J ( sugar free , organic on whole bread ) in the morning with black coffee , then I would be having two chicken breast sandwiches during work , after work I would go for my usual walk and then go home and eat a rather large salad consisting mainly of ( cabbage , carrots , cucumber , tomatos ) .

as for dressing I use low fat Greek or light Italian dressing with salad spices , pepper , Tabasco and sometimes I add mustard to the mix , basically anything to mask the flavor of vegetables .

 

I am trying to cut back on tomatoes since they're basically a fruit ( don't understand why but apparently that's they way they're classified )

 

haven't touched any other fruit for the past two days .

 

looks like booze will have to go for sure , can't risk putting that much effort only to ruin it by drinking , I'll make it 2 drinks per week , it will save me alot of money in the process , which is always good

[Capster]

In general terms, fat gets burned as a result of aerobic activities. The idea is that when you start working out, your body finds the quickest and easiest place it can to find energy - blodd sugar. Only after 20 minutes or so (if you are above your aerobic threshhold) does your body look to fat to find a more longer-term energy source. By 30 minutes, your body is now burning more fat than blood sugar.

 

BUT, you have to reach that aerobic threshhold (usually determined by your heart rate, but that depends on age, level of fitness, etc.). If you are walking and not getting your heart rate fast enough, your body will not switch over to the fat burning phase. It doesn't need to.

 

So by walking, you may be getting some calorie burning as well as some toning, but you are mostly not burning fat.

[fitnessfan365]

I wanted to second cutting way back on alcohol consumption. It's one of the major culprits in effecting the mid section. Instead of having two drinks a day/six days a week, cut back to one drink on Sat and one on Sun. That's it. Start making water your drink of choice. Staying hydrated will go along way in making you feel better and flushing out water retention.

 

This is actually something one of my clients is struggling with. She's dedicated to her fitness and works her ass off in her training sessions. But she absolutely refuses to modify her alcohol consumption. She was dragging ass in her training session the other day so I asked her about her weekend. "Oh I spent way too much time drinking this weekend". Unfortunately what you eat/drink has a MAJOR impact on how your body looks/feels.

[Liam1]

I wanted to second cutting way back on alcohol consumption. It's one of the major culprits in effecting the mid section. Instead of having two drinks a day/six days a week, cut back to one drink on Sat and one on Sun. That's it. Start making water your drink of choice. Staying hydrated will go along way in making you feel better and flushing out water retention.

 

 

In addition, your body burns sugar alcohols first. So then the fat from food stays unburned until you burn off the alcohol.

 

Walking is just as good as running, but ONLY IF YOU ARE BREATHING HARD.

 

Breathing hard means your heart rate is up and you are introducing oxygen into you body to burn fat and carbs.

 

Aerobic simply means with oxygen... and when your body is working hard enough to gulp air, you are consuming more oxygen.

 

Aerobic exercise, any type, helps your body absorb and transport oxygen so your body burns fuel from food more efficiently.

 

Aerobic exercise uses oxygen to burn fat and carbs to produce energy.

 

Here is a UK article discussing walking vs running and how they offer the same benefit.

 

Walking IS as good for your health as running - but you'll need to do it for longer to get the same benefits | Daily Mail Online

 

From the article:

 

It had been thought that running was superior because runners travel further.

 

 

 

But the benefits of both types of regular exercise were compared among 48,000 adults and found to be almost the same.

 

 

So long as the energy used is similar, the health boost is similar, says a report in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

Paul T Williams, of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said the findings were surprising but showed the key factor was the number of calories worked off in each form of activity.

 

 

 

‘Walking and running provide an ideal test of the health benefits... because they involve the same muscle groups and the same activities performed at different intensities,’ he said.

 

 

He estimates a person would need to walk 4.3 miles at a brisk pace to have the same amount of exercise as running 3 miles. It would take twice as long – around an hour and 15 minutes instead of 38 minutes, he said.

 

 

The six-year study analysed 33,060 runners and 15,045 walkers.

[RecentChange]

If you are serious about wanting to lose weight - start tracking EVERYTHING you eat in one of those weight loss apps. I like "Lose It" and have dropped weight every time I have used it.

 

The more you track and log what you eat - you will start to learn how many calories are in things. What choices are light, and which ones are calorie dense, sometimes it can be surprising!

 

The more familiar you become with the calories of various things - the easier it will be to make good choices.

 

Peanut butter isn't "bad", but it is calorie DENSE. Around a 100 calories per table spoon - so, 2 1/2 table spoons would have the same amount of calories as a candy bar, or each table spoon has more calories than a whole egg.

 

I can eat a low sugar greek yogurt, an apple, and an egg white (what I had this morning) and for just 200 calories, I am full, and got 15 grams of protein.

 

Vs. your breakfast (I agree with the other posters break down) comes in at 500-600 calories and probably less than 10 grams of protein.

 

As for walking - people have shared the links, personally, I just can't get breathing nearly has hard walking as I can running - and as for leg burning, no pain no gain! Stretch your legs out a bit mid walk.

[Zahara]

I am introverted as well

so I feel kinda weird running , so I'll stick to walking for the time being but maybe when I finally break the barrier and go to a gym , I would definitely get on the treadmill

 

 

I am already doing that and going easy on fruits as they have alot of carbs or so I heard

 

Audacious, I'm like you. I don't like going to the gym. I started exercising in my apartment and overtime have built up a small little gym in a section of my apartment - bench, weights, bands, etc. I either do DVDs (Insanity/P90X) and I also have a library of workout videos from health and exercise channels on YouTube -- strength, HITT, low impact cardio, yoga, pilates, etc. Just go on YouTube and do a search on low impact workouts - there's a ton of full length videos. I started this way because 2 minutes into Insanity and I was dying and felt discouraged so I took it slow and now I can go an hour of HITT without stopping. Walking alone won't cut it.

 

I get to workout at my own pace and in the comfort of my own home. With various levels of intensity you get to choose what works for you and your fitness level.

 

I've built a 5 day schedule of my exercise routines and I meal prep to track my calorie intake, every weekend making sure I'm not straying away from a weekly healthy meal plan. Exercise, but most importantly, a healthy diet is key.

[Liam1]

I

 

As for walking - people have shared the links, personally, I just can't get breathing nearly has hard walking as I can running - and as for leg burning, no pain no gain! Stretch your legs out a bit mid walk.

 

If you are already a runner and in good shape, it's easier to transition to race walking. Racewalking is far different than just a stroll or even power walking. Yet, you get all the benefit of running without the pounding and damage to your joints.

 

If a person is not in good shape, yet, power walking is a safer way to intro into race walking, and if they are not yet in good shape, their heart rate will go up simply from walking very fast.

 

You likely do not breath hard when power walking because you are already fit and conditioned. Still racewalking is different.

 

Some race walkers, walk faster than joggers. It is also very physically demanding.

 

When I race walk people joke about me walking faster than they run. Even passerby.

 

Racewalking: The benefits of running without the pounding | ACTIVE

 

From the link:

 

Health professionals agree that racewalking is great low-impact and cardiovascular exercise.

 

 

"If you have the joints to be able to jog, that's fine. But walking for an hour is better than jogging for 30 minutes," says John Lumpkin, director of Physical Therapy at Spine and Sport Physical Therapy of Woodstock.

 

 

"I used to be a runner, but now my knees are shot," Miller says. According to coaches, some runners add racewalking to their training to boost their speed.

 

 

Others racewalk to lose weight, but you should always remember three things before you start any weight-loss program.

 

 

 

"You must eat correctly and burn off more calories than you take in -- cardio is good for that," Lumpkin advises. "You should also work on muscle mass and do some form of strength training."

 

 

Experts say walking a 15-minute mile for an hour can burn anywhere between 360 to 420 calories.

 

 

 

Racewalking burns even more since you exert more energy with the proper technique.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Liam1

[RecentChange]

But I would feel silly (back to the OP's issue!)

 

Race walking sounds like a good exercise - I just, enjoy running (I am not super fast, 9 min pace) - and have to cram my exercise into a short lunch break.

 

OP - I still think you need to get a handle on how many calories a day you are consuming. Calories in, calories out is what it all comes down to.

 

Basically I'd have a P&J ( sugar free , organic on whole bread ) in the morning with black coffee ,

 

Ok - so we have estimated this at 500-600 calories

 

then I would be having two chicken breast sandwiches during work

 

Sliced bread or rolls? Mayo? Slices bread x 4 you are looking at 500 calories, rolls? Make it 600 calories. Chicken breast, around 150 cals for a large half breast x 2, 300 calories. So lunch, coming in at 800-900 calories, if having mayo, add another 100 calories.

 

So now, before you get to dinner, you are looking at 1300 - 1500 calories. Most "diets" will call for 1200 - 1500 calories a day.

 

after work I would go for my usual walk and then go home and eat a rather large salad consisting mainly of ( cabbage , carrots , cucumber , tomatos ) .

as for dressing I use low fat Greek or light Italian dressing with salad spices , pepper , Tabasco and sometimes I add mustard to the mix , basically anything to mask the flavor of vegetables .

 

Vegis hardly count at all - maybe 100-200 calories there. "Light" dressing usually comes in at 70 calories for 2 table spoons - so lets say another 150-250 for dinner.

 

I am trying to cut back on tomatoes since they're basically a fruit ( don't understand why but apparently that's they way they're classified )

 

haven't touched any other fruit for the past two days .

 

Fruit isnt bad. Fruit is good for you. Just moderation is key. Personally I would ditch some of the bread in favor of fruit.

[Liam1]

But I would feel silly (back to the OP's issue!)

 

 

My post does address OP's issue, if she reads it.

 

It talks about calories and the link excerpt talks about regular walking vs running not just racewalking.

 

I hope she reads it. Running is not a good exercise for beginners. It is too tiring and causes pain and frustration.

 

There are also websites that give the approximate calorie counts of certain foods and toppings.

[Audacious]

But I would feel silly (back to the OP's issue!)

 

Race walking sounds like a good exercise - I just, enjoy running (I am not super fast, 9 min pace) - and have to cram my exercise into a short lunch break.

 

OP - I still think you need to get a handle on how many calories a day you are consuming. Calories in, calories out is what it all comes down to.

 

 

 

Ok - so we have estimated this at 500-600 calories

 

 

 

Sliced bread or rolls? Mayo? Slices bread x 4 you are looking at 500 calories, rolls? Make it 600 calories. Chicken breast, around 150 cals for a large half breast x 2, 300 calories. So lunch, coming in at 800-900 calories, if having mayo, add another 100 calories.

 

So now, before you get to dinner, you are looking at 1300 - 1500 calories. Most "diets" will call for 1200 - 1500 calories a day.

 

 

 

Vegis hardly count at all - maybe 100-200 calories there. "Light" dressing usually comes in at 70 calories for 2 table spoons - so lets say another 150-250 for dinner.

 

 

 

Fruit isnt bad. Fruit is good for you. Just moderation is key. Personally I would ditch some of the bread in favor of fruit.

 

I think my diet would be around 1600 without the drinks , if we added 500 for the drinks on top of that it would be 2100 , subtracting 230-260

 

Thats around 1900 a day , not ideal but not bad either , I think I already established that drinks will have to go as I don't see them fit in my diet .

[Audacious]

My post does address OP's issue, if she reads it.

 

It talks about calories and the link excerpt talks about regular walking vs running not just racewalking.

 

I hope she reads it. Running is not a good exercise for beginners. It is too tiring and causes pain and frustration.

 

There are also websites that give the approximate calorie counts of certain foods and toppings.

 

Liam , what gave you the impression that I am a girl

I am a guy ,

I did read your posts and I appreciate it

[Liam1]

Liam , what gave you the impression that I am a girl

I am a guy ,

I did read your posts and I appreciate it

 

 

Hi Audacious:

 

Oops, sorry, actually I wasn't sure if you were a guy or a gal. Your screen name did not give any clues.

 

I am glad you read the posts.

 

IMO, a treadmill is a great idea since you do not like working out in front of others.

 

Personally, I understand that feeling. I eventually, installed in my basement, gym equipment and a treadmill and an elliptical trainer and a stationary bike because I do not like working out at a commercial gym.

 

At those gyms, too many people go there to socialize and I am only interested in working out, not socializing.

 

Also, I don't like working out outside in the rain, snow, ice or very high humidity.

[xxoo]

I try my best to speed walk , I end up burning my legs and stopping for a while

 

Whatever the exercise, it's ok to stop when it gets too intense. Take a break, walk slowly and breathe, then jump back in when you feel recovered a bit. I do intense HiiT workouts on DVDs, and I take little breaks throughout. I just keep jumping back in until the workout is finished. It's an effective strategy, and you'll see your strength and endurance increase over time.

 

Just stick with it!

[Els]

 

Slices bread x 4 you are looking at 500 calories

 

What kind of sliced bread is 125 calories a slice?? Most sliced bread averages 70-80/slice, and even the ones I buy that are packed with whole wheat and grains/seeds (more calories, but more fiber/nutrition) are 90/slice. I mean, I agree that too much bread isn't good, but I think we're overestimating the calories for the bread and the peanut butter sandwich (unless they're slathering gigantic gobs of PB&J onto the bread). My estimate of the OP's daily intake are about 200-300 cals lower than yours.

 

https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/usda/white-bread

 

Of course, the point is probably moot since the OP can easily check their own bread packet for the nutrition info (those panels are your friend, OP!).

 

Fruit isnt bad. Fruit is good for you. Just moderation is key. Personally I would ditch some of the bread in favor of fruit.

 

Yeah, agree. But I think the OP's main 'problem' is the 2 alcoholic drinks a day.

[Audacious]

Hi Audacious:

 

Oops, sorry, actually I wasn't sure if you were a guy or a gal. Your screen name did not give any clues.

 

I am glad you read the posts.

 

IMO, a treadmill is a great idea since you do not like working out in front of others.

 

Personally, I understand that feeling. I eventually, installed in my basement, gym equipment and a treadmill and an elliptical trainer and a stationary bike because I do not like working out at a commercial gym.

 

At those gyms, too many people go there to socialize and I am only interested in working out, not socializing.

 

Also, I don't like working out outside in the rain, snow, ice or very high humidity.

 

You're lucky to have a basement I guess , I think I am gonna get a small bonus next month so I will buy that . Still waiting to move into a larger apartment so I can put my fitness equipment:)

 

 

I have been doing great, I can see that I am losing weight, if I can keep this diet up for 3 months, I think the results will be astounding .

 

 

Next step will be overcoming my irrational anxiety about going to the gym , so as soon as I shed the extra weight I will be working on getting in shape and lift weight.

 

 

Thats the plan anyway, it could always get f$&ked up

[Audacious]

What kind of sliced bread is 125 calories a slice?? Most sliced bread averages 70-80/slice, and even the ones I buy that are packed with whole wheat and grains/seeds (more calories, but more fiber/nutrition) are 90/slice. I mean, I agree that too much bread isn't good, but I think we're overestimating the calories for the bread and the peanut butter sandwich (unless they're slathering gigantic gobs of PB&J onto the bread). My estimate of the OP's daily intake are about 200-300 cals lower than yours.

 

https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/usda/white-bread

 

Of course, the point is probably moot since the OP can easily check their own bread packet for the nutrition info (those panels are your friend, OP!).

 

 

 

Yeah, agree. But I think the OP's main 'problem' is the 2 alcoholic drinks a day.

 

Lmao , I agree , it's just nice ya know , to kick back with a drink or two after work . But as I said before , they can't fit into my diet no matter what . I think I am gonna make it 2 drinks on the weekend and that is it . Or maybe 1 .

 

 

I eat the same type of bread that you do , I have 2 sandwiches a day. It is just hard to make salad at work so I make a sandwich after giving up on ordering food , there is no healthy option so I must suck it up.

 

 

I have upped my walking distance by 50% ,

Burned 359 calories today which is not impressive but it's something I guess .

My goal is to up that to at least 500 .

 

 

I have been enjoying salads , I never knew that salads don't have to be bland , I spice them up like a MF , but nothing bad , no heavy dressing and whatnot.

[Audacious]

By the way guys : what do you think of eggs ? Are they healthy ? There is a place that serves omelettes cooked in olive oil. I don't know is that healthy ? Is it dense in calories ?

[mrs rubble]

Lmao , I agree , it's just nice ya know , to kick back with a drink or two after work . But as I said before , they can't fit into my diet no matter what . I think I am gonna make it 2 drinks on the weekend and that is it . Or maybe 1 .

 

 

I eat the same type of bread that you do , I have 2 sandwiches a day. It is just hard to make salad at work so I make a sandwich after giving up on ordering food , there is no healthy option so I must suck it up.

 

 

I have upped my walking distance by 50% ,

Burned 359 calories today which is not impressive but it's something I guess .

My goal is to up that to at least 500 .

 

 

I have been enjoying salads , I never knew that salads don't have to be bland , I spice them up like a MF , but nothing bad , no heavy dressing and whatnot.

I've given up drinking alcohol altogether, and was shocked to learn how many calories I was consuming each day.

If you're planning on giving up daily drinking you'll likely have sugar cravings, I'm going through tonnes of grapes to help satisfy that urge, plus after a few days of no alcohol your energy levels just go through the roof.

I add flavour to my salads with chopped gherkin or pickled onion or sun dried tomatoes.

[thefooloftheyear]

So are you saying that anybody who is slender but who doesn't do weight training and high intensity exercise is skinny fat? That suggests lack of health.

 

In France (regularly touted as one of the 10 healthiest nations in the world) exercise there is something that is done as part of everyday living, rather than compartmentalised in a gym. Gyms aren't popular in France in the way that they are in, for instance, the UK and the US. People will tend to get their exercise by walking or cycling a lot, playing social sports etc.

 

So if those slender people who tend to live long and active lives are skinny fat - which, going by your logic they must be if they don't engage in strength training and high intensity exercise, why would "skinny fat" be a negative thing? Or is it possible that due to their active lifestyles, while not "ripped" gym style, they have the healthy fat ratio suggesting of a good fitness level?

 

I just find it peculiar that the kind of lifestyles lead by people in a lot of the healthiest nations in the world tend to be looked down upon in the US for not being "enough" for proper fitness...or that those people should be deemed fat (as in "skinny fat"). The reality is that the lifestyles, diet and exercise habits, in healthier nations tend to be moderate. If you don't think that leads to a muscular enough look for your personal tastes, that's fair enough - but you seem to be implying that those people can be criticised for not being healthy.

 

I think the approach which employs moderate eating habits and exercise occurring as part of normal everyday living (and getting around) is a healthy model which a person who doesn't like the gym environment can live very well by following.

 

Not disagreeing necessarily with your point, however not having good muscle tone will put you in all kinds of peril as you start to age..Man or woman....Just being slim with no muscle tone is probably worse than being slightly overweight, IMO...

 

The aging process degrades your joints and connective tissues..Without a strong frame, these degraded parts become heavily relied upon...Having good muscle tone "protects" the degrading joints, tendons, cartilages, etc..

 

One of my customers(woman) recently had a shoulder( rotator cuff) problem..She is slim, but has no tone...I don't think she injured it doing anything strenuous, but probably just a light tear..Had it surgically repaired, and even well after a year, she has limited range of motion..I had the same injury, but judging from what she told me, ID gather my injury was more severe..No surgery for me, and while it took a solid 8 months, I have about as much strength as before and full range of motion...And the injury is "still there" for me...I just have enough body muscle to overcome it, and not rely as heavily as she does...We are approx the same age..

 

As for the OP...Losing weight can be done as easy as deserting yourself on an island...But that's not the point...While some do it, just a low intensity walk and moderate diet will have limited effect, IMO...Build some muscle mass....You don't have to be a hulking beast, but just get some basic muscle tone and it will make everything that much easier ..

 

I wont go into further detail, as Its already been hashed out...

 

Good luck

 

TFY.

[thefooloftheyear]

By the way guys : what do you think of eggs ? Are they healthy ? There is a place that serves omelettes cooked in olive oil. I don't know is that healthy ? Is it dense in calories ?

 

 

Good source of high quality protein...Don't overcook, though...Some of those places burn those things to a crisp, which along with ruining the taste, just about destroys the nutrient potential..

 

Don't worry too much about cholesterol..Studies have shown that although once egg yolks were considered a no no, now researchers say it was overblown.Don't eat only the whites...Body needs some of the yolks to get full benefit..

 

TFY