Working out

[Pineconn]

I'm fat. Always have been.

But since attending OSU, I've been working out 6 times a week. One of my roommates (I live in a tight quad) is in Air Force ROTC, so he knows a thing or two about working out. Obviously I need cardio to burn fat, but he's having me run only 20 minutes a day (which will increase by a minute every day pretty soon) and weight lift for an hour and a half. I haven't lost weight for weeks, but I've become much stronger (which would mean I'm replacing fat with muscle?).

My main goal is to lose weight, period. He insists that I will "break through my wall" eventually, but I really think I should just do more cardio. Does anyone have any thoughts?

[Yapollo]

Exercise is probably the best way to reduce fat, but it requires constant discipline to produce the best effects. Diets can help, but not as much as you might expect. Eating nothing but junk food will obviously have a really bad impact on one's physique, but also make sure you are eating a balanced diet. Don't follow what some diets say and go all veggies. To get down to the absolute science, humans need both meat and vegetables in order to function properly. In other words, diets are shakey ground. Some fat is also genetic and/or influenced by other body functions, and they be harder to clear away. Regardless excercise is the best action for now. More cardio would be helpful probably, but like your roommate said, the process may take time. I congragulate you on your effort, and I wish you the best of luck with your preservance.

[Brasel]

You don't necessarily need to lift weights. I would say hit the cardio hard. Take it from a fellow fatty. First thing you need to do is cut down on portions. If you're fat like me, then you probably eat quite a bit. The easiest way to diet is to eat less of what you normally do, and quit drinking soda and beer. 20 minutes of running is great if you aren't used to running. If the running starts to hurt your knees, you might want to try some lower impact stuff, like an exercise bike or elliptical machine. I wouldn't run every day, as it will take its toll on your knees and joints in the long run. Run every other day rather than every day, and on your off days, if you must run, run a shorter distance or time and hit the bike or elliptical for 20 minutes. I'm army and have had issues with weight all my life. I lost 30 pounds last year. I'm down another 5 this month. It might take a bit to start seeing results, but more than likely, if you aren't eating more than you should and you push yourself, you'll start shedding weight soon. Seriously, though, you don't need the weight lifting if you are going for weight loss. It doesn't hurt, by any means, but you don't need it. Try pushups and situps and variations on that instead, as it seems to burn more for me than just lifting.

[Pineconn]

I should have been more specific on my workout plan, which isn't just weight lifting. I'll do lower body one day (flutter kicks, sit-ups, leg presses, calves, blah blah blah) and upper body another day (push-ups, pull-ups, shoulders, biceps, blah dee blah). I run every day except Thursday and Saturday, and I'll get my heart rate above 180 most times.

I guess I should mention I clocked in at 5 pounds lighter than normal today, but that might be a freak thing.

I've been eating healthy foods at Ohio State, actually. Lots of fruits and low-cal yogurts, grilled chicken, salads, water, etc. One meal for me might be a sandwich, peas, yogurt, and a fruit bowl thing. Another might be a chicken sandwich, some other veggie, soup, and a fruit. I eat less here than I did at home, and I've been eating waaayy more healthily. Pizza still sneaks itself in at times (being a 30 second walk from a pizza place), but I think I eat pretty well nonetheless.

Thanks for all your input so far, I'll be sure to adapt my workout to benefit me the most.

[Saffith]

I'll get my heart rate above 180 most times.
That's not really ideal for losing weight. The faster you burn calories, the more they come from carbohydrates rather than fat. One study recently found a heart rate of 105-134 is best, with the upper end of that range being ideal.

[vegeta1215]

What time of the day do you exercise? I hear that if you do cardio in the morning, maybe 20-30 minutes (running, elliptical, whatever), it helps your metabolism for the rest of the day so you are burning off calories better.

I had been doing a yoga/pilates class once a week, and I really liked that. You will definitely get stronger and feel more flexible. I haven't been recently though cause the weather has been bad. I really need to start going again. I was also running pretty well for a while. Averaging 20 min runs, which is far more than I'd ever been able to do before. I actually did a 5K in the fall, running for 30 min or so non stop till the finish. Good stuff.

Sticking with it is the hardest thing. 6 days a week is a lot. I would consider doing cardio every day (mix light and heavy, liek Anthony suggested, cause running all the time will hurt), and weightlifting or strength training a few times a week. Diet is a big part of it all. Portion size control is a big thing (as Anthony said too), but over all lifestyle change is needed to see big results I think. Good luck!

[Darth Marsden]

I've found that I've had to start wearing a belt, since I've lost so much weight since starting my job. I do a lot of physical stuff - lifting boxes and stuff - and in the past month I've been moving a lot of heavy pallets, so it's all helping out.

I'd say that eating less junk food, getting about 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day and maintaining a positive attitude will do a world of good.

[Cloral]

The one thing I would add is to make sure that whatever you do is sustainable for you. You don't want to push yourself so hard that it becomes too much and you end up giving up on it. That's why I think it's important to not give up on what you like to eat completely. Cutting back on the portions of unhealthy things is obviously a good idea, but if you cut them out completely, you'll probably find yourself with a strong craving for them later. So don't feel bad about eating pizza sometimes, or having a beer once in a while, or whatever else it is that you might like. Just don't do it all the time and you'll be fine.

Also, keep in mind that your roommate's exercise regimen is designed to ready soldiers for combat. Obviously your fitness goals are different from that. And the problem with too much strength training is your body becomes used to taking in a lot of food each day to fuel that muscle. So if you then lose that muscle you'll put the weight back on (for instance, look at almost any ex football player and how fat they are). So make sure you find a good balance.

[Brasel]

Also, keep in mind that your roommate's exercise regimen is designed to ready soldiers for combat.

Airforce ROTC? Combat? HAH! More like designed to ready for office work!

[Pineconn]

That's not really ideal for losing weight. The faster you burn calories, the more they come from carbohydrates rather than fat. One study recently found a heart rate of 105-134 is best, with the upper end of that range being ideal.

So, slower (but longer) is better than faster (but shorter) for fat burning? Interesting...


What time of the day do you exercise? I hear that if you do cardio in the morning, maybe 20-30 minutes (running, elliptical, whatever), it helps your metabolism for the rest of the day so you are burning off calories better.

Yeah, I do it at 9:00 PM, unfortunately. Maybe next quarter I can do something early in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I know that eating a breakfast also jump starts metabolism, which I can hopefully do next quarter.


I've found that I've had to start wearing a belt, since I've lost so much weight since starting my job. I do a lot of physical stuff - lifting boxes and stuff - and in the past month I've been moving a lot of heavy pallets, so it's all helping out.

I'd say that eating less junk food, getting about 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day and maintaining a positive attitude will do a world of good.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE?! UNFAIR!!!


The one thing I would add is to make sure that whatever you do is sustainable for you. You don't want to push yourself so hard that it becomes too much and you end up giving up on it. That's why I think it's important to not give up on what you like to eat completely. Cutting back on the portions of unhealthy things is obviously a good idea, but if you cut them out completely, you'll probably find yourself with a strong craving for them later. So don't feel bad about eating pizza sometimes, or having a beer once in a while, or whatever else it is that you might like. Just don't do it all the time and you'll be fine.

Ahh, but I don't drink. I've actually been enjoying all these... fruits... and crap. Any craving I might have is usually vanqushed with a fiber bar. Yum.


Airforce ROTC? Combat? HAH! More like designed to ready for office work!

Hah, I'll be sure to tell him that. :p

--------

So it looks like more fat-burning exercises, less (but maintained) miscellaneous lifting. Cool beans.

[jerome]

I'm bracing myself for the "I don't think so" comments, but the "eat less" theory of losing weight, is actually a badidea. I've been told by several personal trainers to eat more meals a day if you are trying to lose weight. You aren't supposed to be eating 7 course meals or anything like that but just decent portions.
Your body has to have carbs for your metabolism to get in to the fat burning zone. If your body's blood sugar level falls below a certain point, it has to find something to burn for energy. Your body will turn to protein for energy before it will fat. Why? Better energy source. Where does it get protein to burn? Muscles. So your body breaks down your muscles to make energy for them to work.

So skipping breakfast should be the first thing you should quit doing. Eat a bowl of oatmeal. It's cheap, easy, and not too terribly bad really (flavored oatmeals are not recommended I hear).

Now I actually have a problem with gaining and maintaining weight. But the eat 6x a day thing did help cut my Body Fat % from 11 down to 7. Also, it's not that you are eating 6x a day, it's what. Try some tilapia if you like fish, very high in protein and other good things. Brown rice. Use honey in your oatmeal instead of sugar, it's better for you. Locally made honey also helps against seasonal allergies.

As far as your workout is concerned, good job on sticking with it. I know it's hard to some times. I'd cut back on the running like everyone else has said and for the same reasons. You have to also remember that your muscles need time to heal in order for them to continue to work for you and help burn more fat for you. The more muscle you have, the better you will be at burning fat.

Some personal trainers I had talked to said to give 1 weeks time for each muscle group to heal. So if you work out legs on Monday, you shouldn't work on them until the following Monday. But Tues may be legs, Wed back, Thurs chest, Fri shoulders. You will still be working out 5-6 times a week, but it supposed to benefit you more.

Also weight tends to fluctuate throughout the day and week. Pick ONE time, same time, every week that you will check your weight. Do your best to avoid the scale the rest of the time. A pound or two in the opposite direction that you are looking for can cause a loss of motivation if you let it. So it's best to only check it once a week. First thing in the morning is probably the best before that breakfast you need to start eating. Low water weight and no extra food in you to throw off your reading.

Shoot, I better get to bed.
Sorry for rambling all of that, but it's a subject I like talking about. Oh, and my mom followed what they had said and it helped her too while she was going to the gym.

:)

[Brasel]

Jerome, you are spot on with eating more meals of smaller portions throughout the day. Your body's metabolism picks up and you burn calories better...or something. I don't have the time to really go into it right now.

Drink a lot of water, too. You might notice an increase in weight if you are properly hydrated, but the inches around your waist will be fewer if you keep up the exercise. Staying properly hydrated really helps you with that extra push when you're exercising too. That's something I need to start being better about myself.

[Pineconn]

One week cycle? My ROTC roommate laughs at you and says that's useless. I wouldn't know, personally. But thanks to all for advice. This should make my waistline happier.

One thing... How does everyone feel about sushi? It seems to be everywhere on campus, and even though I've never really eaten it, I was told it's super healthy.

[Nathaniel]

I love sushi. I think it is pretty healthy because raw fish is loaded with protein. You can be selectively brave with it depending on how much wasabi you like to mix in with the soy sauce. My personal favorite is the eel roll.

[erm2003]

Sushi is amazing and I could eat it every day. If you aren't sure about the raw thing - then stick with crab and shrimp rolls. Anything that says tempura is fried first so you know it's cooked. It's great for anyone who loves seafood but also loves spicy food as well. You don't have to spice it up too much - just stay away from the wasabi if that is not your thing (as suggested above). It certainly doesn't hurt to try it. You may end up loving it, who knows.

[AtmaWeapon]

If you want to boil weight loss down to a single problem, that single problem is that your body is a very complicated biological machine. While nutritional science and biological knowledge of digestion can create plans that work for 90% of people, there's that niggling 10% that don't respond to the plan the same way a normal person does. Losing weight isn't just about changing the food you eat. It's not just about changing your lethargic lifestyle. It's a combination of several factors, and a process of becoming more aware of how your body works.

Take me for example. Processed food diet, 4 cokes/day for 10 years or more. Perfect blood glucose. Perfect blood pressure. Triglycerides so high I'm guaranteed to get pancreatitis within 10 years if I don't correct them. Low HDL cholesterol, and LDL can't be measured due to error introduced by the triglycerides.

So I'm on a South Beach diet with a prescribed 40 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 times weekly, more if possible. This diet is well-tuned to my needs actually. Not all carbs are good: simple carbs and sugar carbs digest very quickly and spike your blood glucose. That causes the pancreas to spew out insulin like crazy. Too much insulin gets put out, and glucose drops. Then you're hungry again. Ever had that drag around 3-4 where you need a snack? That's the cause. "Sushi coma" is what happens when you dump a cup of highly processed white rice into your stomach (it's like eating a handful of sugar since the fiber's been bleached and processed out). Sugar makes glucose, insulin eats glucose, and when glucose drops too low your brain triggers hunger cravings to force you to eat something that will get more glucose in you. In the end, you should favor as few carbs as you can get away with while maximizing dietary fiber. The stomach processes carbs from fiber more slowly, and the insulin response is more healthy.

Fat's similar. Trans fat is horrible for you and should be avoided completely. Saturated fats are bad as well and should be minimized. Unsaturated fats can be healthy for you; in particular Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fat that *smashes* triglycerides. In the end, you don't have to watch the *amount* of fat you intake so much as you watch the *kind* of fat you intake.

Anyway, the point is arguing about carbs and fat usually focuses on numbers, when source is important. Sashimi is a great food. Sushi not so much. It tends to come bundled with a ton of white rice, and around here it comes with fatty sauces. If you could get it with brown rice (which might make the sushi chef attack you) it would be better due to the increased dietary fiber. I just ate some brown rice jambalaya with turkey sausage and it's as good or better than any other jambalaya I've ever had. I've got some frozen pizzas with a flaxseed crust and skim mozzerella that are healthier for me than a salad, because it has lots of fiber and Omega-3. I can also trick my body into making meals healthier than they are. A glass of Metamucil 15 minutes before a meal means I eat less and have a lot of fiber that slows down processing of simple carbs. Tomato sauces are acidic, which slows down processing of simple carbs. So does water with lemon.

Exercise is good, but if weight loss is your goal you really don't want to build muscle. I take that back; if weight loss is your only goal you need a better reason to diet. Muscle weighs more than fat. If you build muscle while you lose fat, you will likely see an increase in weight. But you'll be more healthy! Muscles burn calories even at rest. If you have more muscles, you can consume more food in a day without contributing to your fat reserves. I've heard that Michael Phelps has something like a 33,000 calorie diet; but that guy swims 5 miles like you open bags of potato chips. If the average person needs 1,500 calories per day, I'd wager Phelps probably needs 2,800 or more due to his high metabolism and muscle demand.

So what I'm getting at is weight loss is kind of a silly goal; health is a better goal. If you change what you eat, your heart health will be better. If you do aerobic exercise, your cardiovascular system and respiratory system will be better. If you build muscle, your metabolism will make you more resistant to falling off the diet from time to time. Focusing on any one of these things at the expense of others seems silly.

I'm not just blowing smoke here, either. Last year, the only vegetables I ate were fried potatoes. Now I eat salads. I used to eat a bacon cheeseburger plain for lunch 3/5 days of the work week. Now it's a turkey burger with half the whole wheat bun tossed in the garbage, topped with lettuce, a tomato, and red onion. I also eat salads from time to time. I drink at most one coke per day, and that's maybe 3 days a week. I either play DDR or jog on the treadmill for 40 minutes at least twice a week (though sickness and other factors have kept me away for a couple of weeks.) The goal is to feel my heart pumping, sweat, and get out of breath and maintain it for as long as possible; this burns fat.

I lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks when I couldn't even spend more than 20 minutes on the treadmill at jogging speed. I've maintained -25 pounds for 4 months now, and I've slipped *far* off of the diet in the past month. I can see my ribs through my chest again. My face is more thin. I don't lose my breath as easy. Unfortunately, despite all this my triglycerides are still super-high despite a cholesterol medicine and ridiculous doses of fish oil. My doctor thinks I'm skipping doses. My guess is I have a genetic predisposition towards high triglyceride production, and I'm going to have to fight harder than others to see meaningful progress. But I can either choose to alter my diet and lifestyle now and enjoy the process, or I can develop pancreatitis followed by Type 2 diabetes and have the choice made for me. A man chooses, a slave obeys.

My advice for you? Find a diet plan that you can follow. Read a book about it. Make sure it's backed by science. Learn the science. Then find a way to incorporate those rules into your life. I don't worry about what I eat for more than a moment or two anymore, because I learned what to avoid. I don't think about exercising because it's part of morning routine and makes me feel good during the day. I don't miss old treasured foods because I let myself eat them once every two weeks or so. I don't miss prized condiments like sour cream because I've learned that the burrito tastes fine without it. If it feels like you're losing something, you won't stick with the plan. If it feels like you didn't really make any changes, you'll stick with it.

[Masamune]

I've found that cutting soda from my diet and doing an hour of cardio a day helps tremendously.

[Cloral]

So how are things going? Keeping up with your exercise routine?