Journey, Not A Destination

Steve,

I am married to who I call my personal "Nutritional Nazi"! She told me I needed to increase my daily calories, about the protein increase and has been pretty much directing our nutrition for the past few months. Starting yesterday, I increased my calories per day and focused on increasing my protein intake as well. I am eating lean foods and healthy items.

I think that most of her knowledge has come from reading your posts and told me I shuld do the same.. however, 151 pages is alot of reading to do!!! LOL

I am getting what you are telling me. We'll see what my results are in about 6 weeks! I'll post before and after pics on my diary and let you be the judge.. deal?

Thanks again!

Bruce
 
Exercise is the easy part. If you think of it like a vehicle. Exercise is the body of the car. Sure, it looks really big and important but in reality, it is just a shell. Nutrition. Now nutrition is the engine and the wheels. And that is the truth.

I've been reading that over and over again. That's such great advice.

On another note...
So I get that being in deficit and weight training with heavy weights will help me maintain my muscles, but why doesn't your body still take up your muscles for energy since you are still eating at deficit? Or maybe it still is taking muscle and fat for energy but with the lifting, those mechanics equal everything out?
 
Steve,

I am married to who I call my personal "Nutritional Nazi"! She told me I needed to increase my daily calories, about the protein increase and has been pretty much directing our nutrition for the past few months. Starting yesterday, I increased my calories per day and focused on increasing my protein intake as well. I am eating lean foods and healthy items.

I think that most of her knowledge has come from reading your posts and told me I shuld do the same.. however, 151 pages is alot of reading to do!!! LOL

I am getting what you are telling me. We'll see what my results are in about 6 weeks! I'll post before and after pics on my diary and let you be the judge.. deal?

Thanks again!

Bruce

Deal, haha.

I don't expect anyone to take my words as the "bible" when it comes to this stuff. I am only one person, and the truth of the matter is you could go to some other person and experience great results following completely different theories. There is no one right way to do things.

But, most of my advice comes from basic physiological laws that we are all locked into abiding. I don't offer any "guru" type of information. So best of luck to you and if in 6 weeks your progress has been unsatisfactory relative to your expectations, we will take a closer look at things.

Deal?
 
NO WAY *blushing furiously* Are you serious??

Completely.

You have listened to everything I have said, and actually executed. You lift weights how you are SUPPOSED to lift weights and the results speak for themselves.

Plus you have the heart and determination that it takes to reach your physique goals.

It is damn admirable.
 
I've been reading that over and over again. That's such great advice.

On another note...
So I get that being in deficit and weight training with heavy weights will help me maintain my muscles, but why doesn't your body still take up your muscles for energy since you are still eating at deficit? Or maybe it still is taking muscle and fat for energy but with the lifting, those mechanics equal everything out?

Glad you liked that advice. I thought it was pretty good myself, haha. :D

A deficit will always lead to fat AND muscle loss. Doing things properly will simply minimize the amount of muscle that is catabolized and increase the amount of fat that is catabolized.

Your body responds to the stresses you place upon it.

You stop eating enough to maintain what you've got, that is a stress. Your body responds to this stress by breaking down its existing stores of energy called tissue.

Weight lifting is a stress. Using it properly, your body responds by holding onto the tissue required to perform heavy lifting. Hence, you have muscle maintenance.
 
Completely.

You have listened to everything I have said, and actually executed. You lift weights how you are SUPPOSED to lift weights and the results speak for themselves.

Plus you have the heart and determination that it takes to reach your physique goals.

It is damn admirable.

Thank you, I appreciate it! (Is that sappy music playing the background? ;) ) No really, I'm glad--but I tell you one thing, lifting weights sure makes me space out in the gym! Does that ever happen to you? Between reps do you stare off into space and almost forget reality? Must be the brain chemicals....
 
Thank you, I appreciate it! (Is that sappy music playing the background? ;) ) No really, I'm glad--but I tell you one thing, lifting weights sure makes me space out in the gym! Does that ever happen to you? Between reps do you stare off into space and almost forget reality? Must be the brain chemicals....

I am always in "the zone" when lifting. All things leave my focus and the only thing that exists is my mind-muscle link. If I am not actually moving the weight, I am thinking about the next set. I am visualizing the execution of it. I am feeling my muscles fire even while at rest. If my mind is not right in the gym, my workout suffers drastically.
 
I am always in "the zone" when lifting. All things leave my focus and the only thing that exists is my mind-muscle link. If I am not actually moving the weight, I am thinking about the next set. I am visualizing the execution of it. I am feeling my muscles fire even while at rest. If my mind is not right in the gym, my workout suffers drastically.

Yeah, that's the way to do it. I had a great session yesterday, but I continually had to snap back into concentrating on the moves. In between sets I spaced out so bad, though--probably all the wine I drank last weekend ;)
 
Thanks, for responding Steve.

That's a lot of mountain dew. All of those excess calories would certainly make a prime condition for weight gain. Congrats on cutting back so drastically and quitting smoking! That is excellent.
Yeah, Way to much mountain dew. Like I said I am keeping one a day. I feel like if I try and change everything at once, I am at higher risk of caving in.

Thanks, today is day 22. :D

You are exactly right about starting slow/low and building up intensity in exercise. I talk a lot in here about optimal behavior for losing weight and maintaining muscle. However, I don't say this enough: I don't expect ANYONE to pick up with exactly what I preach and start doing everything tomorrow. If anything, you would be better off starting at your own pace, and working toward the optimal behavior. So I am glad you recognized this fact.


Thanks, just took a little common sense. Mybe I didn't get mine out of a cracker jack box after all. :p

What do you mean when you say, "I assume I can't rid it all"? You certainly can. Just as the fat has come on, it can/will come off. It takes a lot of hard word and consistency, but if you stick to your guns, progress will follow. I am the last person to tell you that this is easy. It isn't. But it is certainly well worth the effort and then some!

I know several people who have lost large amounts of weight and have what I refer to as, flab and lots of it. These peeps did the gastric bypass, not sure if that had anything to do with it or not. I suppose, I invisioned myself that way and felt doomed. Pretty pessimistic I know. :confused:


Muscle training as you put it, I like to call it strength or resistance training, is an integral part of any weight loss plan, IMO. It facilitates muscle maintenance. Anyone with half a brain knows that maintaining muscle is a good thing. However, very few do what it takes to preserve their lean body mass while dieting.
Sheesh, I don't even know the proper terminology...I will though. I am determined to succed.

Did you join a gym? If not, what do you have at your disposal for use in terms of exercise? Would you ever consider joining a gym?
I haven't joined a gym. I have a treadmill and a Lifestyle stepper.
I have Fit tv as one of my channels. I would consider joining a gym. However, I don't know if I should from the get-go or wait and let me get use to exercise. I do have high blood pressure..and am hypoglycemic. I also have COPD. If I did join a gym, what kinds of questions should I ask, to make sure that it is appropriate for me?

Do you have any idea how many calories you were consuming before you started dieting? With the soda alone, coupled with the foods that you ate, I am sure it was on the high side. Just like exercise, with dieting, I find it better to start out slow. Meaning, you should not go from eating 3000+ calories per day to eating less than half that amount overnight. Gradually work yourself into a diet.
I usually skipped breakfast and sometimes lunch. I know not good. I didn't do it to lose weight or anything, I just forgot to eat. Let me try to explain. Sometimes I would feel a small pang of hunger. I would be busy and think I will get something in a minute, all the while drinling mountain dew. before I knew it...I would look and it would be 2:00 or 3:00..by then my tummy was mad at me. However I knew if I ate then I would miss dinner with the family so I waited. On other occasions, my bipolar would be at a low and I would be in bed for weeks at a time..didn't want to eat. I have never had a good appetite...I have been with hubby since I was 14....whenever we would go to krystal (an Example) I would eat 2 cheese Krystals and drink a water...at that point I felt over full.

I would like to see you start with a calorie intake around 2000-2250 per day coupled with exercise. Does your current caloric intake (1500 I think you said) satisfy you? Or, put differently, could you stand to eat more?
I have decided to increase my caloric intake to 2000 per day.


Thanks very much for saying so. I think you will find that most people here are "awesome." I am no different than anyone else around here. But I appreciate your words. I will try and peak at your diary sometime soon. I am really busy today as I just got back from a trip. Hope to hear from you soon.

Your welcome. The people I have had the pleasure of, meeting here thus far have been awesome. Hope your trip went well. :D
 
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Ughhhhh, I tried the quoting to no avail. Maybe I can figure it out later.

Sorry Steve...you will have to decipher this one.:eek: :(
 
I know several people who have lost large amounts of weight and have what I refer to as, flab and lots of it. These peeps did the gastric bypass, not sure if that had anything to do with it or not. I suppose, I invisioned myself that way and felt doomed. Pretty pessimistic I know. :confused:

Losing weight as fast as you do when you have surgery creates a prime environment for excess skin. Skin is elastic, but the elasticity does not respond as quickly as the fat comes off, which leads to baggy skin.

I have seen the same things happen with normal, healthy weight loss, but majority of the time the skin can keep up. If you run into some problems, I know Leigh here on the forum has done some research on this subject.

I haven't joined a gym. I have a treadmill and a Lifestyle stepper. I have Fit tv as one of my channels. I would consider joining a gym. However, I don't know if I should from the get-go or wait and let me get use to exercise. I do have high blood pressure..and am hypoglycemic. I also have COPD. If I did join a gym, what kinds of questions should I ask, to make sure that it is appropriate for me?

I don't think there are any questions you should ask. I think it is more a matter of doing trial runs at the various gyms in your area and see which one suits you most. Which one you feel most comfortable in.

If you are planning on hiring a trainer, then there are certain questions you should ask. Like, what kind of experience do they have. What certifications do they have. Have they worked with people with similar physique and goals as you, etc.

I usually skipped breakfast and sometimes lunch. I know not good. I didn't do it to lose weight or anything, I just forgot to eat. Let me try to explain. Sometimes I would feel a small pang of hunger. I would be busy and think I will get something in a minute, all the while drinling mountain dew. before I knew it...I would look and it would be 2:00 or 3:00..by then my tummy was mad at me. However I knew if I ate then I would miss dinner with the family so I waited. On other occasions, my bipolar would be at a low and I would be in bed for weeks at a time..didn't want to eat. I have never had a good appetite...I have been with hubby since I was 14....whenever we would go to krystal (an Example) I would eat 2 cheese Krystals and drink a water...at that point I felt over full.

If you are eating that much on a regular basis, the weight should be coming off! Not optimally (comprised of muscle) but still, the weight should be coming off. That is, unless you are having periods of serious binges, which I would suspect eating so little.

I have decided to increase my caloric intake to 2000 per day.

This is great. How do you plan on tracking your nutrition?
 
Good morning. So far this one is better than yesterday for me. I took a break on everything yesterday. I gained a lb for my troule too. Oh well!!:D
 
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