Being a Princess and all...

[M2M]

Since I should address the jack...

That said, I have spent the last week really "trying" to make a difference on this site.

This has been noticed and appreciated

Randy, the thing about a forum is that it's open for everyone, and we'll see all kinds of input, some we like, others we don't and a wide range in between.

Sometimes we simply need to take what works for us and leave the rest - and be our own filtering service.

I do think that people such as Steve, and the others have spent a great deal of time and energy learning what they're passionate about - the fact that they are willing to share that information is a good thing.

Will it always be pertinent to me, my situation, where I'm at, no. But then, they don't typically talk in generalizations as much as try to find specifics about the people asking the questions.

I certainly think their input is more on the mark then say someone coming in, offering a book, selling some gizmo, an expensive blood letting program, or telling me I should reduce my calories.

I think they've brought intelligent discussion and information to this form and I look forward to hearing more from them.

 

[M2M]

Hi Leigh,

The overall goal should be to up that BMR level to where it should be, allowing you to take in more food, adding in better and more focused exercise, thus all allowing your to be more fit and lose the weight you want.

This sounds reasonable

Raising calories does not have to come with weight gain, but it will if you do follow the right structure to use this to your advantage. It involves resistance training, interval training (not HIIT, just interval training), and the right ratios.

OK - and sorry for the ignorant question here - what is interval training then (I just figured out HIIT)

The simple of it is eating more will yes help raise your metabolism but yes you could gain weight in the process. If you want to do it the best way and in a way that keep the weight off or even helps you lose weight then let me know.

That's what I was hoping to learn - or at least try to get a basic understanding of.

You stated spring as a start time so that is why I am not sure how much further I can take this at the moment with your given materials and abilities.

Well, come spring I generally have more funds available and am better able to either get the materials I need or join a gym.

In short not exactly sure what you are wanting and willing to do.

I think what I'd like to figure out is what can I be doing (if it's even possible) for strength training or if there are exercises that I can be doing now, before the spring. I can work on the diet and get the calories up - maybe slowly until I see a little gain, then reduce them from there.

I am also not aware if you have any medical issues or concerns and so forth. In general our guidelines are basic. It would be unethical (not cost efficient) to give exact plans laid out for you.

I understand that

On you own behalf ask yourself
What am I able to physically do?
What kind of boundaries am I willing to push past?
Can I give into eating more calories?
What is holding me back from doing so?
Can I add aggressive strength training?
Can I turn the walk/jog into jog/run?

Not sure if you mean for me to just think on these or to answer them here.
I've only recently turned walking into some jogging, but over the last year I' ve been getting progressively faster. I don't know if I can add aggressive strength training without "proper equipment?" I can up calories.

And Leigh - thank you for your time answering this thread

 

[Steve]

I agree with pretty much everything Leigh says. The only way to get your metabolism going again is to start eating more, carefully.

 

[M2M]

I agree with pretty much everything Leigh says. The only way to get your metabolism going again is to start eating more, carefully.

Thanks Steve,

What do you mean by carefully?
Tell me I can just add some pizza and we'll be friends

 

[Steve]

Thanks Steve,

What do you mean by carefully?
Tell me I can just add some pizza and we'll be friends

Ha! No.

When you under eat for a large period of time, your body, mainly hormonally, is set up to store fat very easily. That said, it is a period of time where you have to be most careful in correcting your metabolism, with both food selection and caloric amounts.

 

[M2M]

I had a funny feeling you wouldn't just say pizza!


Do you have food and caloric recommendations?

 

[Steve]

I had a funny feeling you wouldn't just say pizza!


Do you have food and caloric recommendations?

Nope.

I think my famous answer is "It depends."

Foods obviously have to be selected wisely in terms of "clean" foods vs. "dirty" foods at this stage of the game. The focus should really be on systematic, gradual increases in caloric intake. I have seen it go as low as 5% and up to 20% step ups in caloric intake. I have used 1 week intervals, and I have used 4 week intervals, and everything in between. It really depends on the person's past and their responsiveness to caloric step ups.

I think Leigh also recommended increasing the calories expended at this stage of the game too. I am not sure I would do that personally, simply b/c it would offset the net increase in energy balance that we are shooting for. Thoughts Leigh?

 

[Fourth&100]

You guys have this advice under control, but I just wanted to add something.

There's not one answer for ANYTHING in regards to weight loss that works for EVERYONE. Advice given on this board (or any board) should be taken as advice, and different alternative ways to find what works.

For example, I'm not degreed, I don't have any training experience, but I started at 378 pounds and am down to 334(ish), and I know what's worked for me. If I can give advice to those in the same situation, and it may work for someone, then we both win.

To those who give advice on this, I've taken a lot of it and it's worked. Some hasn't. That's how life is.

For those who TAKE advice on this, just keep this in mind - Your body isn't the same as mine, or anyone else's. You just need to find a strategy that works for you, and continue with it.

Just my 1/50th of a dollar.

 

[Steve]

You guys have this advice under control, but I just wanted to add something.

There's not one answer for ANYTHING in regards to weight loss that works for EVERYONE. Advice given on this board (or any board) should be taken as advice, and different alternative ways to find what works.

For example, I'm not degreed, I don't have any training experience, but I started at 378 pounds and am down to 334(ish), and I know what's worked for me. If I can give advice to those in the same situation, and it may work for someone, then we both win.

To those who give advice on this, I've taken a lot of it and it's worked. Some hasn't. That's how life is.

For those who TAKE advice on this, just keep this in mind - Your body isn't the same as mine, or anyone else's. You just need to find a strategy that works for you, and continue with it.

Just my 1/50th of a dollar.

Hence my answer to everything, "IT DEPENDS." While I agree with you that everyone is unique based on genetics, state, and history... there are quite a few physiological factors that dictate each and everyone of us. Most, if not all of my blanket recommendations are based on these general physiological factors, as I am sure are Leigh's as well.

You are right, you have lost weight, and congrats to you! No better feeling in the world, right?

FYI, anyone, within the boundaries of medical conditions can lose weight. There is no right or wrong way. Simple thermodynamics rule weight loss. That said, I do believe there is an optimal way.

FYI #2. We are not talking about weight loss so to speak in this thread, we are mainly talking about plateaus and repairing metabolisms.

 

[Fourth&100]

I can't argue with that at all. I just don't want anyone who reads these bits of advice to get the idea that "this is the only way". I'm not referring to anyone in general, but just a reminder to anyone who is facing the crisis of weight problems.

Hell, I'm still 85 pounds from where I want to be, so I'm learning every day as well.

 

[M2M]

For those who TAKE advice on this, just keep this in mind - Your body isn't the same as mine, or anyone else's. You just need to find a strategy that works for you, and continue with it.

Oh absolutely - our bodies all do work differently. It's just nice to hear suggestions on nutrition & fitness.

I think what's good about this discussion is that what I do is SO common amongst dieters. Can we lose weight this way, yeah, and if I only had 75 pounds to lose, it would have served me well. However, I have more to lose - not to mention, when I'm done losing and get to where I want to maintain, I certainly don't want to start gaining weight simply because I increased my calories to what *should* be maintenance levels.

So by figuring out what I need now and getting on track, by the time I get to my goal weight, my body could be working functionally.

Hearing ways that can help that now and incorporating different things now, would be a good thing

 

[Steve]

I can't argue with that at all. I just don't want anyone who reads these bits of advice to get the idea that "this is the only way". I'm not referring to anyone in general, but just a reminder to anyone who is facing the crisis of weight problems.

Hell, I'm still 85 pounds from where I want to be, so I'm learning every day as well.

Best of luck to you, I really mean that! If you ever need an outside opinion, you know where to find me.

For anyone reading this, please realize that while much of the advice given here is specific to M2M, almost all of it fits the general population as well, looking to repair ones damaged metabolism.

 

[maleficent]

looking to repair ones damaged meta

not my thread but i'll ask anyhow - how does a person know that their metabolism is damaged?

 

[Steve]

not my thread but i'll ask anyhow - how does a person know that their metabolism is damaged?

A caloric deficit will always lead to weight loss. However, it can slow to the point where you will not even notice it. Plateaus are a sure sign.

If you are eating 1200 calories per day and your maintenance estimate is 2750 per day, but you are maintaining at 1200, you can assume that your metabolism is not running efficiently.

I really don't like the word "damaged," and I wish I had not usesd it. Massive caloric restrictions and healthy caloric restrictions will all lead to one thing: The body resisting the weight loss. It is our survival mechanism. The closer we get to our setpoint weight, the more our body is going to resist the diet. The resistance is triggered a lot faster if you starve yourself though. That is what I am talking about when I say "damage."

 

[M2M]

OK - so let me do the math...
If my daily requirements are 2775 (183# * 15 calories)
for a full week that's 19425 calories a week possibly needed to maintain.
Over the last 7 days, I've eaten 8592 calories. That's a net deficit of 10,833 calories. At 3500 calories per pound, that works out to a net loss of 3.095 pounds that should be lost this week - not counting calories burned through my cardio. Supposedly, or estimatably (my word) I expended 4662 calories with my weekly walk/jog or 1.332 pounds lost due to exercise.

If my metabolism is working properly - the combined caloric deficit & exercise would net a 4.427 pound weight loss for this week.

So far, I've lost about 2 pounds.

I guess that would indicate that my metabolism is working - but that it's starting to slow down(?) or other factors, i.e., miscalculating calories in, an exaggerated BMR, or mis gauging exercise calories burned?

Does this sound about right?

 

[Steve]

Technically, yes. But fundamentally, weight loss does not work out so clean. If all you needed was a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound of fat consistently, weight loss would be simple. But what happens when you get close to your set point weight.

I don't like the math of saying, "Create a 3500 calorie deficit per week to lose one pound of fat." Physiology does not work like that most of the time.

Bottom line is this. Even if you set up your diet perfectly by my standards, your metabolism is still going to naturally slow down as the weight comes off. So think about what drastic cuts will do.

 

[M2M]

You just keep taking the fun out it - I LIKE clean, simple answers!


OK - so I'll *gradually* increase my calories with clean foods (I have the link for LV's list).

Are there strength training exercises I can do outside the gym without purchasing equipment at this point (I have no idea how stupid that question may have just sounded)

 

[Steve]

You just keep taking the fun out it - I LIKE clean, simple answers!


OK - so I'll *gradually* increase my calories with clean foods (I have the link for LV's list).

Are there strength training exercises I can do outside the gym without purchasing equipment at this point (I have no idea how stupid that question may have just sounded)

Hmm, Leigh, or anyone else for that matter, do you have any links to body weight workouts that we could provide? I could write out some exercises, but again, I am lazy. The best body weight workouts I have seen to date come from Craig Ballantyne, a strength coach who I respect very much.

Please know, I am not pushing anyone to purchase his products, I am just passing along a recommendation:

 

[M2M]

Thanks Steve,
I'll look into it when I get back in

 

[theleip]

I think Leigh also recommended increasing the calories expended at this stage of the game too. I am not sure I would do that personally, simply b/c it would offset the net increase in energy balance that we are shooting for. Thoughts Leigh?

My recommends for caloric increase are to only tie in with increase of energy output (hince why I said if waiting for spring then well wait till then to increase however looking back I don't think I made that clear.)

When I work with caloric increase it is a slow and steady pace. Every week is different in regards to weight training, ratios, caloric intake, aerobic and so forth. It is different for every person. So yes my guidelines are very general and based. The principal though is the following..

-Slow increase of calories at no more than 100 week (usually it is 50)
-Heavy focus on weight training in the beginning stages
-Less focus on cardio till the later stages
-Caloric bouncing added when needed
-Ratio bouncing
-Heavy focus on flexibility and postural repair for dynamic alignment
-Plenty of rest bouts

It all depends on the state of the body when program starts. For example a underweight anorexic not look to lose weight but increase energy and healthy eating has a different plan then someone stuck needing to repair their metabolism that still has fat to lose.

In a few months I will be working with a local metabolic tester to preform specific studies on this repair process with better cohesive data to present.

But no I would not recommend an increase of calories unless activity was as well increased and even then it should be at the right intervals.