I recently heard from a young man who said he knew he would lose weight even if he ate snacks and treats all the time as long as he burned more calories than he ate. He went on with some extensive math calculations on how many calories the average sedentary person burns and how he will be able to lose weight by adding some additional exercises and dropping his calorie intake to under 2000 per day.
My first reaction is, Heaven help this guy...I wonder if he has ever tried to diet before?
Begin healthy and losing weight is not just a math equation...and certainly not a simple one! First of all, there is no "average" person...we are all unique and we react differently to different foods, exercise and moods.
Second, even if you caloric intake is low, you can not heal your body and create healthy, lean tissues if you eat junk food all day long.
Rather than counting calories and trying to figure out the math of losing weight, treat your body at least as well as you would your vehicle. You wouldn't put sugar in your car's gas tank and expect it to run, would you? No, you give your car the proper grade gasoline and oil that it requires. You keep the radiator filled. You check your battery. You inflate the tires to get the best mileage.
Your body is a fantastically complex machine and deserves similar treatment. Give your body good quality fuel, as in lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fats. Drink plenty of pure water (filter it yourself and save money and the environment) to help keep your system flushed and well regulated. By eating small amounts fairly often you keep your battery charged and like putting your car on cruise-control you can keep going and going without the roller-coaster ride of sugar rushes and crashes.
Quit counting calories and keep yourself on the highway of life, looking good and cruising by eating the right foods every day!
Showing posts with label calories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calories. Show all posts
Monday, November 8, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
It's OK to Refuse to Diet
I just read another blogger's post giving us permission to Refuse to Diet...since he was touting "my" line I of course had to read his take on it.
His site is more about exercise, but he admits that most people can't fit in an hour every day--a realist in that regard. He also mentions that counting calories isn't the answer...after all
Yes, I agree moving your body is important for your health, and yes I agree you don't have to exercise an hour ever day, and yes I do not believe counting calories (or fat grams or carbs) is the answer. So while we are on the same page so far, that is where our paths start to diverge.
The answer from this guy is the typical mathematical equation...eat less and move more. Not bad advice, it just isn't really the answer. Real weight loss success (by that I mean the permanent kind...not just another roller coaster ride down a size and up two) is determined by our mindset, not the stuff we put in our mouths or what we do with our bodies. It starts with what we put in our minds!
This guy's solution?
Said like someone who has never had a weight or eating problem!
If you only have a couple pounds to lose, or if you have a temporary weight gain then losing weight can be a simple formula...but if you have carried excess weight most of your life despite your efforts at dieting...or if you weight a significant amount over a healthy amount...then "being careful" to not overeat is waaaaaaay too much of a simplification.
I will say I like this guy's low impact exercises, so go ahead and check him out at http://www.guampdn.com
Low impact exercises are so important when you are just starting out or if you have a lot of weight to lose. Face it, if you are carrying 40, 50, 100 or more extra pounds that is already a lot of impact. Definitely check out isometric and other low impact exercises but also be sure to just move in any way you can...whatever YOUR body will allow. Do it for your health, and yes, it will help you to lose weight too.
Yes, by all means, Refuse to Diet...but don't set arbitrary rules like be careful what you eat after 4pm or don't eat after 7pm unless you believe that is something you can keep up with 80% of the time for the rest of your life! I use 80% as my benchmark because I know there will always be exceptions (life happens, you know what I mean?) Besides, arbitrary rules are...well, arbitrary. They don't take into account YOUR life, your abilities and your lifestyle.
Start with your mind...figure out why you want to lose weight, recognize what may be holding you back...and become a conscious eater. Engage your mind and you WILL lose weight.
If you want specific tools to help you figure this out, check out my book, Refuse To Diet, available on Amazon. And if you have any questions about the worksheets that I developed to help me in my 125 pound weight loss journey let me know...I'd love to help!
His site is more about exercise, but he admits that most people can't fit in an hour every day--a realist in that regard. He also mentions that counting calories isn't the answer...after all
let's be real, you won't be able to count calories for the rest of your life.
Yes, I agree moving your body is important for your health, and yes I agree you don't have to exercise an hour ever day, and yes I do not believe counting calories (or fat grams or carbs) is the answer. So while we are on the same page so far, that is where our paths start to diverge.
The answer from this guy is the typical mathematical equation...eat less and move more. Not bad advice, it just isn't really the answer. Real weight loss success (by that I mean the permanent kind...not just another roller coaster ride down a size and up two) is determined by our mindset, not the stuff we put in our mouths or what we do with our bodies. It starts with what we put in our minds!
This guy's solution?
be careful what you eat after 4 p.m. and don't overeat. Eat until you get comfortable and not until you get full.
Said like someone who has never had a weight or eating problem!
If you only have a couple pounds to lose, or if you have a temporary weight gain then losing weight can be a simple formula...but if you have carried excess weight most of your life despite your efforts at dieting...or if you weight a significant amount over a healthy amount...then "being careful" to not overeat is waaaaaaay too much of a simplification.
I will say I like this guy's low impact exercises, so go ahead and check him out at http://www.guampdn.com
Low impact exercises are so important when you are just starting out or if you have a lot of weight to lose. Face it, if you are carrying 40, 50, 100 or more extra pounds that is already a lot of impact. Definitely check out isometric and other low impact exercises but also be sure to just move in any way you can...whatever YOUR body will allow. Do it for your health, and yes, it will help you to lose weight too.
Yes, by all means, Refuse to Diet...but don't set arbitrary rules like be careful what you eat after 4pm or don't eat after 7pm unless you believe that is something you can keep up with 80% of the time for the rest of your life! I use 80% as my benchmark because I know there will always be exceptions (life happens, you know what I mean?) Besides, arbitrary rules are...well, arbitrary. They don't take into account YOUR life, your abilities and your lifestyle.
Start with your mind...figure out why you want to lose weight, recognize what may be holding you back...and become a conscious eater. Engage your mind and you WILL lose weight.
If you want specific tools to help you figure this out, check out my book, Refuse To Diet, available on Amazon. And if you have any questions about the worksheets that I developed to help me in my 125 pound weight loss journey let me know...I'd love to help!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Losing Weight is Not a Math Equation
Lots of so-called "experts" will tell anyone who is trying to lose weight that it is simply a matter of consuming fewer calories than you expend. These "experts" make it sound like weight loss is a math equation.
Having dieted most of my life and calculated calories, fat grams, carbs and just about anything else one can calculate, I can tell you that weight loss success is definitely NOT a simple math equation.
The math equation myth prevails despite evidence by millions of people like me. We are accused of cheating. We are accused of being lazy. We are told we just aren't counting everything that we are eating. We are accused of lying.
The math equation myth goes hand in hand with the diet myth. Neither is right, it isn't simply math and diets don't work either. Neither take into account human beings and our infinite variety.
In my book, Refuse to Diet: Weight Loss Success Starts with Your Mind...Not Your Mouth I explain more about some of the diet myths and why they are fact, not fiction...but still countless people just don't believe that there is any other explanation, they WANT to believe that is just math.
Except for those of us caught up in the math equation nightmare, of course.
What I find ironic is that many of the "experts" who claim you just have to expend more calories (work out more) or consume fewer calories (eat less, or eat lower calorie foods) will be the very same people who will then say on national television that we hold onto weight when we are stressed!
Hello??? Which is it, folks? Don't try to tell me that it is math and then excuse 1 person because of stress. Math is math. Math is not biased. Math doesn't give a *&#$ about your stress level. This is why mathematicians love math. This is why the rest of us do not.
Are there extenuating circumstances that can cause you to either gain weight or not lose weight despite your efforts to exercise and eat fewer calories? You betcha!
OK, there's the infamous aforementioned stress for one. Weather can actually also affect your weight loss. Whether or not you drink ample water will affect the number on the scale...and water has zero calories so that would not figure into any math equation. Some medical conditions and medications will affect your weight. Traveling, eating different foods, or eating more salt than normal...these can all affect your weight temporarily. And of course when you are building muscle while you lose fat (a good combination to go after) there will be times when your pounds will go up, even though your fat content will be dropping. Beyond all that, the source of calories is an important factor on whether or not you lose weight...and especially if you can keep it off.
These are just some of the weight loss challenges we face that dispute the math-equation theory.
I say none of this to discourage your from improving your health.
I say it to free you from the tyranny of the scale! There are no health benefits to staying obese. There are tons of health benefits for improving your health by improving your eating and moving your body more--even if you don't drop a single pound!
To lose weight successfully, permanently, you must work on your mindset. You must believe that it is possible and that you are worth it...and the number on the scale has no bearing on your value as a human being!
You must eat food that nourishes and fuels you body. The same number of calories consumed can have a different impact on your health and your weight depending on where those come from. You can eat zero fat and not lose weight...because your body needs some fat in order to lose fat. You can count calories every day but if the calories don't count you won't be healthy or have a sustained weight loss.
If you are struggling with losing weight I suggest you start with your mindset. Once you have that straight then weight loss happens naturally. If you find that you aren't dropping weight and you have made sure there is not a medical reason for it (for example, did you know that diabetes medication almost always makes a person GAIN weight?) and you truly have excess fat to drop, then
Having dieted most of my life and calculated calories, fat grams, carbs and just about anything else one can calculate, I can tell you that weight loss success is definitely NOT a simple math equation.
The math equation myth prevails despite evidence by millions of people like me. We are accused of cheating. We are accused of being lazy. We are told we just aren't counting everything that we are eating. We are accused of lying.
The math equation myth goes hand in hand with the diet myth. Neither is right, it isn't simply math and diets don't work either. Neither take into account human beings and our infinite variety.
In my book, Refuse to Diet: Weight Loss Success Starts with Your Mind...Not Your Mouth I explain more about some of the diet myths and why they are fact, not fiction...but still countless people just don't believe that there is any other explanation, they WANT to believe that is just math.
Except for those of us caught up in the math equation nightmare, of course.
What I find ironic is that many of the "experts" who claim you just have to expend more calories (work out more) or consume fewer calories (eat less, or eat lower calorie foods) will be the very same people who will then say on national television that we hold onto weight when we are stressed!
Hello??? Which is it, folks? Don't try to tell me that it is math and then excuse 1 person because of stress. Math is math. Math is not biased. Math doesn't give a *&#$ about your stress level. This is why mathematicians love math. This is why the rest of us do not.
Are there extenuating circumstances that can cause you to either gain weight or not lose weight despite your efforts to exercise and eat fewer calories? You betcha!
OK, there's the infamous aforementioned stress for one. Weather can actually also affect your weight loss. Whether or not you drink ample water will affect the number on the scale...and water has zero calories so that would not figure into any math equation. Some medical conditions and medications will affect your weight. Traveling, eating different foods, or eating more salt than normal...these can all affect your weight temporarily. And of course when you are building muscle while you lose fat (a good combination to go after) there will be times when your pounds will go up, even though your fat content will be dropping. Beyond all that, the source of calories is an important factor on whether or not you lose weight...and especially if you can keep it off.
These are just some of the weight loss challenges we face that dispute the math-equation theory.
I say none of this to discourage your from improving your health.
I say it to free you from the tyranny of the scale! There are no health benefits to staying obese. There are tons of health benefits for improving your health by improving your eating and moving your body more--even if you don't drop a single pound!
To lose weight successfully, permanently, you must work on your mindset. You must believe that it is possible and that you are worth it...and the number on the scale has no bearing on your value as a human being!
You must eat food that nourishes and fuels you body. The same number of calories consumed can have a different impact on your health and your weight depending on where those come from. You can eat zero fat and not lose weight...because your body needs some fat in order to lose fat. You can count calories every day but if the calories don't count you won't be healthy or have a sustained weight loss.
If you are struggling with losing weight I suggest you start with your mindset. Once you have that straight then weight loss happens naturally. If you find that you aren't dropping weight and you have made sure there is not a medical reason for it (for example, did you know that diabetes medication almost always makes a person GAIN weight?) and you truly have excess fat to drop, then
- Reduce your stress
- Reduce your salt intake
- Increase your pure water intake
- Be sure the calories you are eating are the right ones
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Low Carb Diets Can Lead to Weight Gain Not Weight Loss Success
I don't recommend dieting in general, because it is short-term...and achieving healthy, permanent weight loss success is a long-term relationship! Think of dieting as speed dating and weight loss success is going for the golden anniversary of marriage!
I digress...what I wanted to talk about today is low carb diets...short term or long term (if you think of diet in the definition of what you eat as opposed to what you eat to lose weight.)
While I know many people have dropped pounds while on low carb diets there are others who have not...no one diet works for every body.
Where I caution people who ask me about low carb diets is to make sure they understand what carbs are, and why having carbs in our diet is important.
The best and easiest way to reduce your carbs is to focus on the SIMPLE carbohydrates in your diet. That's the "white stuff"--refined white flour and sugar (which does by lots of different names, but that's a whole nother topic!)
These refined simple carbs have no, or extremely little, nutritional value. They truly are empty calories. While they give you some immediate fuel, they also result in a very quick blood sugar drop shortly afterwards. This is the carb craving that so many of us experience...we want the quick sugar boost and we have to keep eating these simple carbs to keep that "high" feeling.
Many people mistakenly think going on low carb diets means they can't have any carbs. First that is next to impossible to achieve. Second, complex carbohydrates are good for us...they provide nutrients we wouldn't get otherwise, they give our bodies fuel, and they give us fiber which keeps our system regular and also helps us feel full.
Another thing about carbs...although I don't count calories, if you do you should know that gram for gram, carbohydrates have fewer calories than protein or fats.
Going on low carb diets if done incorrectly can actually leave you hungry or bored...both of which will backfire in the long run.
So for maximum weight loss success eat plenty of complex carbohydrates. Enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes...you will have the energy you need, feel fuller and more satisfied, and be getting a better balance of nutrients your body needs.
I digress...what I wanted to talk about today is low carb diets...short term or long term (if you think of diet in the definition of what you eat as opposed to what you eat to lose weight.)
While I know many people have dropped pounds while on low carb diets there are others who have not...no one diet works for every body.
Where I caution people who ask me about low carb diets is to make sure they understand what carbs are, and why having carbs in our diet is important.
The best and easiest way to reduce your carbs is to focus on the SIMPLE carbohydrates in your diet. That's the "white stuff"--refined white flour and sugar (which does by lots of different names, but that's a whole nother topic!)
These refined simple carbs have no, or extremely little, nutritional value. They truly are empty calories. While they give you some immediate fuel, they also result in a very quick blood sugar drop shortly afterwards. This is the carb craving that so many of us experience...we want the quick sugar boost and we have to keep eating these simple carbs to keep that "high" feeling.
Many people mistakenly think going on low carb diets means they can't have any carbs. First that is next to impossible to achieve. Second, complex carbohydrates are good for us...they provide nutrients we wouldn't get otherwise, they give our bodies fuel, and they give us fiber which keeps our system regular and also helps us feel full.
Another thing about carbs...although I don't count calories, if you do you should know that gram for gram, carbohydrates have fewer calories than protein or fats.
Going on low carb diets if done incorrectly can actually leave you hungry or bored...both of which will backfire in the long run.
So for maximum weight loss success eat plenty of complex carbohydrates. Enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes...you will have the energy you need, feel fuller and more satisfied, and be getting a better balance of nutrients your body needs.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Counting Calories Just Sucks...and Waist of Time for Weight Loss
I've never liked counting calories, or carbs or fat grams for that matter. But, boy did I.
Religiously.
Until I realized that no only was it sucking away my time and pleasure, it just wasn't working! Counting calories was in the period before I really figured out that diets don't work...I may have had an inkling, but just wasn't convinced.
Is it important to be aware of calories? Well, if you've never looked at calories it might be an eye opener to see comparative values...but generally speaking most people who are counting calories already know that when something is fried it has more calories than that plate of steamed vegetables.
But counting on counting calories to lose weight? Not for me. I did it for years and it doesn't work! For me it was such a negative focus and it became about math...how many calories am I eating and how much exercise do I have to do to burn that off? No thanks!
But here's another reason why counting calories doesn't work--they lie about the calorie content! Who is checking the labels?
Recently a study was conducted of a variety of well-known chain restaurants...looking at the calories they claimed were in their foods and how many they contained. Surprise! They actual count averaged almost 20% higher than what was advertised!
Think you can count on the frozen foods from big name "diet" labels like South Beach Living, Healthy Choice. Think again. Even Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers fell short when it came to accuracy in numbers--they all had on average 8% more calories than claimed.
Is this because of some plot to keep us fat? Probably not. Experts recognize that there are variations in testing methods and small changes in portions and also the human factor...you might actually get an extra dollop of mayo on your meal for example.
So is it a waste of time reading the nutritional content when we look at labels or go to restaurants? No! It might be the only thing that gives you a clue that there are "hidden" ingredients in the meal...it can give you a general comparative value...just don't believe that it is 100% accurate.
Bottom line--don't count calories. Be aware that some foods have enough calories to meet your minimum daily requirement...but losing weight is not about math...it starts with your mind!
Religiously.
Until I realized that no only was it sucking away my time and pleasure, it just wasn't working! Counting calories was in the period before I really figured out that diets don't work...I may have had an inkling, but just wasn't convinced.
Is it important to be aware of calories? Well, if you've never looked at calories it might be an eye opener to see comparative values...but generally speaking most people who are counting calories already know that when something is fried it has more calories than that plate of steamed vegetables.
But counting on counting calories to lose weight? Not for me. I did it for years and it doesn't work! For me it was such a negative focus and it became about math...how many calories am I eating and how much exercise do I have to do to burn that off? No thanks!
But here's another reason why counting calories doesn't work--they lie about the calorie content! Who is checking the labels?
Recently a study was conducted of a variety of well-known chain restaurants...looking at the calories they claimed were in their foods and how many they contained. Surprise! They actual count averaged almost 20% higher than what was advertised!
Think you can count on the frozen foods from big name "diet" labels like South Beach Living, Healthy Choice. Think again. Even Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers fell short when it came to accuracy in numbers--they all had on average 8% more calories than claimed.
Is this because of some plot to keep us fat? Probably not. Experts recognize that there are variations in testing methods and small changes in portions and also the human factor...you might actually get an extra dollop of mayo on your meal for example.
So is it a waste of time reading the nutritional content when we look at labels or go to restaurants? No! It might be the only thing that gives you a clue that there are "hidden" ingredients in the meal...it can give you a general comparative value...just don't believe that it is 100% accurate.
Bottom line--don't count calories. Be aware that some foods have enough calories to meet your minimum daily requirement...but losing weight is not about math...it starts with your mind!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
High Fructose Corn Syrup
There have been some recent reports that High Fructose Corn Syrup is not as bad as it has been painted. There have even been commercials on television, which by the way are paid for by the Corn Refiners Association, that tout the safety of High Fructose Corn Syrup.
The ads state that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a natural substance. Like that alone makes something safe! Dr. Oz points out that not that HFCS is the equivalent to cyanide, but cyanide is a poison and 100% natural. There are lots of things that are natural that are poisonous to us. Consider snake bites, certain mushrooms, and even the beautiful Daffodil can be fatal if eaten. For some plants only a part of them is poisonous--take the Rhubarb plant--we can eat the stalks but eating the leaves can be fatal. Many common household and garden plants are fatal if ingested.
This isn't an article about gardening but just to point out that being "natural" is not the same as being "healthy" or even "benign".
What the Corn Refiners Association is claiming is that HFCS is no worse for you than sugar. This may (or may not) be true. However, who said sugar, especially in large quantities, is healthy for you?
In a day when we have sky rocketing rates of diabetes and obesity amongst our children, we deserve to look at our personal habits and cut out the empty calories--sugar, high fructose corn syrup, as well as other syrups and sugars. These are found in sodas and other packaged foods. Sodas are the biggest culprit from shear volume but if you read your labels you will find these sweetners are in almost everything we buy--even in the ketchup for you burger!
Eating too much HFCS may also contribute to obesity in another way. An important hormone in our digestive-system, called leptin, signals the brain when you have had enough to eat and that you should stop. Mounting research indicates that having too much HFCS in your diet disturbs the leptin to brain communication, thus allowing us to eat more than we should and gain weight.
Cutting the HFCS from your diet is one of the easiest ways to cut hundreds of calories a day for most people. Every soda, canned (sweetened!) ice tea or fruit drink contains 200+ calories--mostly from high fructose corn syrup and other sugars.
Eliminating these empty calories will help you (and your children) lose weight and also help prevent diabetes!
The ads state that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a natural substance. Like that alone makes something safe! Dr. Oz points out that not that HFCS is the equivalent to cyanide, but cyanide is a poison and 100% natural. There are lots of things that are natural that are poisonous to us. Consider snake bites, certain mushrooms, and even the beautiful Daffodil can be fatal if eaten. For some plants only a part of them is poisonous--take the Rhubarb plant--we can eat the stalks but eating the leaves can be fatal. Many common household and garden plants are fatal if ingested.
This isn't an article about gardening but just to point out that being "natural" is not the same as being "healthy" or even "benign".
What the Corn Refiners Association is claiming is that HFCS is no worse for you than sugar. This may (or may not) be true. However, who said sugar, especially in large quantities, is healthy for you?
In a day when we have sky rocketing rates of diabetes and obesity amongst our children, we deserve to look at our personal habits and cut out the empty calories--sugar, high fructose corn syrup, as well as other syrups and sugars. These are found in sodas and other packaged foods. Sodas are the biggest culprit from shear volume but if you read your labels you will find these sweetners are in almost everything we buy--even in the ketchup for you burger!
Eating too much HFCS may also contribute to obesity in another way. An important hormone in our digestive-system, called leptin, signals the brain when you have had enough to eat and that you should stop. Mounting research indicates that having too much HFCS in your diet disturbs the leptin to brain communication, thus allowing us to eat more than we should and gain weight.
Cutting the HFCS from your diet is one of the easiest ways to cut hundreds of calories a day for most people. Every soda, canned (sweetened!) ice tea or fruit drink contains 200+ calories--mostly from high fructose corn syrup and other sugars.
Eliminating these empty calories will help you (and your children) lose weight and also help prevent diabetes!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Weight Loss is Not a Simple Math Equation
Thank goodness! Math is not my strong suit! LOL!
There are lots of "experts" who maintain that losing weight is simply a matter of expending more calories than you ingest. That's a fancy way of saying eating less than you burn!
It is possible that it is that "simple" on a short-term, basic, theory kind of level.
However, personal experience (mine and that of millions of other folks around the world) proves that this math equation is not the long-term, real solution.
Yes, to have our optimum health we must make choices in what we eat that support our health. Our bodies need certain vitamins and minerals and nutrients in order to survive--and to thrive. (I vote for thriving!)
Yes, to have our optimum health we must move our bodies. By challenging our muscles and our bones we improve our strength, our flexibility, our circulation. All these challenges give us improved health for our entire lives...not just from a losing weight stand point.
Sometimes, even when we are doing these things we do not lose weight. I think that may be one of the great mysteries on earth! Each of our bodies is unique. That means what is the right balance for me might not work for you and vice versa. The right number and type of calories to be eaten for my body type and temperament to achieve ideal weight and health might lead to another person being overweight or underweight.
That is why we have to start by loving ourselves and listening to our own bodies.
Tomorrow we'll talk more about listening...
There are lots of "experts" who maintain that losing weight is simply a matter of expending more calories than you ingest. That's a fancy way of saying eating less than you burn!
It is possible that it is that "simple" on a short-term, basic, theory kind of level.
However, personal experience (mine and that of millions of other folks around the world) proves that this math equation is not the long-term, real solution.
Yes, to have our optimum health we must make choices in what we eat that support our health. Our bodies need certain vitamins and minerals and nutrients in order to survive--and to thrive. (I vote for thriving!)
Yes, to have our optimum health we must move our bodies. By challenging our muscles and our bones we improve our strength, our flexibility, our circulation. All these challenges give us improved health for our entire lives...not just from a losing weight stand point.
Sometimes, even when we are doing these things we do not lose weight. I think that may be one of the great mysteries on earth! Each of our bodies is unique. That means what is the right balance for me might not work for you and vice versa. The right number and type of calories to be eaten for my body type and temperament to achieve ideal weight and health might lead to another person being overweight or underweight.
That is why we have to start by loving ourselves and listening to our own bodies.
Tomorrow we'll talk more about listening...
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Starving is Not the Answer
One of my good friends, a guy who happens to be about 6 feet tall, has been trying to drop a few pounds...mostly around his middle. He has that lanky build that no one in my family has, so instead of chunking out all over like we do, he was developing a little pot belly. Or beer belly. Literally.
He finally gave up the beer because of some health issues and he is looking good. When I saw him last he mentioned that he had hit a wall though. Hmmm...I think we call that a "plateau", and practically every woman on earth, or at least in the US knows that.
He told me he was frustrated because he was taking in less than 1000 calories a day and not losing weight.
If you are like my buddy, thinking that by dropping your caloric intake to extreme lows you will lose weight, then you too are in for a rude shock. Frankly, I thought he knew better than this, but he didn't.
If you reduce your calories you will lose weight at first. But if you do it by too much for very long your body thinks you are going through a famine period and will actually retain weight! Your metabolism will slow down and, because it won't be possible for you to maintain a ridiculously low caloric intake (especially if you aren't getting rewarded with dropping fat)you will start to eat more. So now if you eat a healthy amount of calories, say 1200-1500 for a typical woman wanting to drop some fat, more for a guy my friend's size, you will actually GAIN fat back.
I know this from personal experience. I tried the Liquid Protein Diet back in the 70s. I lost a lot of fat, sure, but it didn't last. And when I put the weight back on, it came on super fast and even more than I had lost. AND I had years and years of a whacked out metabolism making maintaining any kind of healthy weight extraordinarily difficult.
I have found that by mixing it up, I feel better and my body responds much better, too. Some days I might eat less than 1000 calories, but other days I eat over 2000. As long as I keep the variety my body stays in a healthy balance and my fat level is dropping. Not that I'm actually counting calories--but after decades of dieting, you start to get an idea of how many calories you are taking in, even without counting. Kind of like cooking without a recipe.
So my tip for the day is mix it up. Don't pig out all the time, but don't let your body think it will be starved either. You'll be able to enjoy life and you will be a healthier weight while you do!
He finally gave up the beer because of some health issues and he is looking good. When I saw him last he mentioned that he had hit a wall though. Hmmm...I think we call that a "plateau", and practically every woman on earth, or at least in the US knows that.
He told me he was frustrated because he was taking in less than 1000 calories a day and not losing weight.
If you are like my buddy, thinking that by dropping your caloric intake to extreme lows you will lose weight, then you too are in for a rude shock. Frankly, I thought he knew better than this, but he didn't.
If you reduce your calories you will lose weight at first. But if you do it by too much for very long your body thinks you are going through a famine period and will actually retain weight! Your metabolism will slow down and, because it won't be possible for you to maintain a ridiculously low caloric intake (especially if you aren't getting rewarded with dropping fat)you will start to eat more. So now if you eat a healthy amount of calories, say 1200-1500 for a typical woman wanting to drop some fat, more for a guy my friend's size, you will actually GAIN fat back.
I know this from personal experience. I tried the Liquid Protein Diet back in the 70s. I lost a lot of fat, sure, but it didn't last. And when I put the weight back on, it came on super fast and even more than I had lost. AND I had years and years of a whacked out metabolism making maintaining any kind of healthy weight extraordinarily difficult.
I have found that by mixing it up, I feel better and my body responds much better, too. Some days I might eat less than 1000 calories, but other days I eat over 2000. As long as I keep the variety my body stays in a healthy balance and my fat level is dropping. Not that I'm actually counting calories--but after decades of dieting, you start to get an idea of how many calories you are taking in, even without counting. Kind of like cooking without a recipe.
So my tip for the day is mix it up. Don't pig out all the time, but don't let your body think it will be starved either. You'll be able to enjoy life and you will be a healthier weight while you do!
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