[Septimius]

Whatever.

[DragonKnight]

With that last reply i'm official abandoning this thread.

[Liquidus]

Cocaine works pretty great. Lost 50 pounds in a month and a half.

[Zefah]

What the hell? Everything I said is perfectly true, and I follow this regimen. If you abuse the dressings you will get fat, and clog your arteries. Are you kidding me? How is this misinformation? Armchair dietician, show me your physique. There's a difference between LOSING weight, and not wanting to gain weight. It's always better to make your own dressings with olive oil, garlic, vinegar, and guess what, it speeds up your metabolism too. Oh yes, and stay away from bread and gluten.

I don't think I can have a conversation with you if you actually buy into that rubbish.

It's also weird to completely underestimate what human physiology is capable of. Just because humans didn't eat grains before the agrarian revolution doesn't mean the human body was never capable of processing them. Humans do not have an enzyme (or any microorganism that does in symbiosis) to break down cellulose, but yet humans were still capable of eating fruits and vegetables in pre-agrarian times. Just because humans today in western societies are fat and unhealthy, doesn't mean all post-agrarian civilizations in history had unhealthy diets. Today though, with industrial processing, grains and many foods are of course different - but going to the extreme of a paleo-diet because that is what paleolithic humans ate is a bit ridiculous. For the record, I have no problem with the paleo-diet. If you have the commitment to do it, by all means. I haven't found any major risks to the diet. It's just the "evolutionary" reasoning behind it is a bit hyperbolic.

How so? All evidence seems to indicate that people who avoid grains and sugar are more healthy than those who don't.

[Dark Knyght]

I originally posted this in the insanity and weight loss thread but a lot of times posts get lost in the shuffle because other people want help to. Here goes: Since november my gf has been trying to lose weight. She's 5'4 and started at say 185. Through a combination of better eating she has lost 20lbs to be 165 today. Two weeks ago she became determined to hit her goal of 130lbs. I drew her up a diet plan (she's trying to stay vegetarian) and she got into p90 insanity. So after two weeks on the program, she steps on the scale and nothing has changed? What gives? To be fair her body is weird. One day she's 159.7 and the next she's back up into the 160s. It's so discouraging for her to step on the scale because she thinks that all her efforts are just in vain. I mean we calculated her BMR, added in her activity multiplier and everything. My suspiscion is that she isn't eating enough but it's hard to get in cals when she wont eat meat. I tell her that she needs to eat more and more frequently throughout the day. Her BMR is around 1550 and with her activity multiplier she just isnt getting enough food. I want to encourage her to reintroduce meat into her diet. Gaf, I need help. Low carb didn't work because she wasn't supplementing with exercise, so she ended up eating too much. Should I try and convince her to reintroduce meat into her diet? But she's still under 100carbs a day with the diet I drew up for her. We just really don't know anymore. Everyweek when she is disappointed I tell her to try something else but it's all in vain. I sucks because she thinks she is losing weight and the scale disagrees. Her BMR is about 1550cals and with her activity levels its 2700 She's sticking with Insanity. No changing that up. She's even cut out alcohol after learning what it does to the body

Sounds like the problem is you. She was fine until you stepped in with the "diet plan".

In all seriousness though, she's probably just hit a plateau. Losing weight and exercise is about consistently challenging yourself and giving more effort. Her body is probably used to what she's doing now, time to switch it up. Her body is probably converting fat to muscle which is why she isnt "losing" weight. Her body should be changing shape though, which is actually more important than actual weight. Also, she is pretty short, and everything she's eating damn sure aint going to her height. She could be eating much more than her relatively small body requires.

[DragonKnight]

Sounds like the problem is you. She was fine until you stepped in with the "diet plan". In all seriousness though, she's probably just hit a plateau. Losing weight and exercise is about consistently challenging yourself and giving more effort. Her body is probably used to what she's doing now, time to switch it up. Her body is probably converting fat to muscle which is why she isnt "losing" weight. Her body should be changing shape though, which is actually more important than actual weight. Also, she is pretty short, and everything she's eating damn sure aint going to her height. She could be eating much more than her relatively small body requires.

Calculated her BMR and factored in her activity level. She's eating enough. I don't think the problem is me. It's high fat, high protein, and low carb.

[Zoe]

Did you actually measure how much she is burning off during her sessions?

[Srsly]

I'm going to assume that the people who think peanut butter is bad for you are buying brands that are made using hydrogenated oils with lots of trans and saturated fats rather than unsaturated fats. Saturated/trans fat, as well as too much fat circulating in your blood, can have severe impacts on the cardiovascular system, so yes they should be minimized. However, fats are still essential to cell regeneration (not just for energy, but also for rebuilding cellular membranes), so they are necessary, especially when doing exercise. The reason why most people think fats are bad is because of a study done a few decades ago (can't remember which one) correlating body fat to cardiovascular diseases. So the assumption was people gained body fat primarily from eating too much fat. Even though health professionals suggested eating less fats, the American population still got fatter and less healthy (clearly there are other confounding factors, but I will just address one issue). More recent studies are claiming it is most likely due to higher fructose intake - I am isolating fructose because fructose is stored via a different biochemical pathway than glucose (fructose cannot be stored as glycogen, and follows a different pathway when converted to fat). Some of those byproducts of that pathway have detrimental effects on health - many studies link this to diabetes, hypertension, etc (I should stress that this isn't to say that fructose is the only cause). The fact that fructose is converted to fat isn't really the primary issue, it is how it is converted to fat. Having said that, fructose isn't a "poison" as some want it to be labeled as. Fruits are full of sucrose (half glucose, half fructose) but also contain cellulose/dietary fibers that affect sugar absorption. Human physiology is much more complicated than what most people try to make it out to be. I wouldn't recommended completely cutting out carbs (even a ketogenic-diet still has a minimum carb intake), as the brain is heavily/preferentially dependent on glucose as it's energy source, and to break down fat during the Krebs cycle, there needs to be a constant supply of oxaloacetate (which is a derivative of pyruvate - a carbohydrate). If you do go low-carb, then just make sure you're getting enough amino acids as amino acids can be converted to pyruvate to fuel the Krebs cycle (without either glycogen stores, carb or amino acid intake, this will come primarily from the amino acids in the proteins of your skeletal muscles). Also, note that the glycerol in triglycerides (how fat is stored) are not enough to constantly fuel the the Krebs cycle. Finally, just as a reminder, even though the byproducts of converting fructose to fat, rather than the fat itself, is the primary issue with fructose intake - having high body fat/eating far over your metabolic needs still puts a lot of stress on your joints, vital organs, impairs physical function (flexibility, agility), affects kidney function, etc. (and if I am mistaken/misinformed about something I just said, please let me know).

Placing saturated fats in the same category as trans fats is criminal.

[DragonKnight]

Did you actually measure how much she is burning off during her sessions?

No. Listen. We are taking the advice from this thread and i'll see you guys in two months.

[Zoe]

No. Listen. We are taking the advice from this thread and i'll see you guys in two months.

It's something you really should consider. Calorie burning is relative to how your body handles the exertion. If you're trying to base things off the numbers, you should work off of an accurate measurement.

[Devolution]

You expected results too soon is the real problem, which some have mentioned. And if she's trading muscle for fat you won't see a weight change right away that's for sure.

[Slavik81]

Muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound of muscle is equal to a pound of fat.

And a pound of gold weighs the same as a pound of feathers. You know that people are usually talking about density when they say that, right?

[DragonKnight]

It's something you really should consider. Calorie burning is relative to how your body handles the exertion. If you're trying to base things off the numbers, you should work off of an accurate measurement.

Heart rate monitors don't come cheap but yes. When I see her later i'm going to outline all the important stuff I learned here and encourage her to get one.

[TheExodu5]

I know it restricts you from a lot of good stuff you'll miss out on. Dairy, rice, oats, etc. Forget that. What I meant by processed stuff is the really unhealthy stuff like sugary cereals and junk food. But fancy diets are just psychologically restricting altogether imo because it'll always be planted in your brain. And it really doesn't have to be.

So by processed stuff you didn't mean processed stuff.

[Srsly]

The trading muscle for fat thing makes no sense if she's on a calorie deficit diet. She will, unequivocally, lose mass if her intake of calories is less than she expends. It's impossible to gain mass on a deficit. It's possible to lose fat and gain muscle for unconditioned people incorporating exercise into a weight loss diet, but they will be losing more fat than muscle and body mass will be reduced. Again, it's impossible to not lose mass while in a calorie deficit.

However:
1) Fluctuations in water retention could be masking the loss of body mass.
2) She's not actually in a calorie deficit, in which case she could be gaining some muscle and losing fat, but her net weight would remain the same.
3) She's not losing weight because something is wrong hormonally, such as hypothyroidism.

[rififi]

Placing saturated fats in the same category as trans fats is criminal.

Yeah I know, the difference in chemical structure, behaviour, and human physiological responses between trans and saturated fats are significant, but my post was already long and I didn't really want to go through it because too much saturated fat is still far from ideal, albeit trans fat is far worse.

[bangladesh]

So by processed stuff you didn't mean processed stuff.

JUNK FOOD AND SUGARY YUMMIES.

[TheExodu5]

JUNK FOOD AND SUGARY YUMMIES.

You won't accomplish much without cutting excess carbs, namely potatoes and bread (rice to a lesser extent). I still enjoy eating a bit of bread and potatoes, but I really, really have to restrict my portions of these because it's extremely easy to overindulge with these foods.

[Deadly Cyclone]

What a shitty diet! Is she always going to live on Flax Seed and Benefiber for the rest of her life? No? Then learn to eat properly. Proper diet and excercise will shed those pounds.

Hey, be fair now, eating correctly is expensive as hell. I spend like $70 a week on groceries. It almost kills me.

[Srsly]

Yeah I know, the difference in chemical structure, behaviour, and human physiological responses between trans and saturated fats are significant, but my post was already long and I didn't really want to go through it because too much saturated fat is still far from ideal, albeit trans fat is far worse.

The focus on saturated fat in the diet has been shown to be pretty misguided. Recent reviews of all the trials and epidemiological data regarding saturated fat have shown little to no evidence that saturated fat consumption plays a role in developing CHD. As with salt, some people may be more sensitive to dietary saturated fat than the general population (those with 1 or 2 copies of the APOE4 allele). If you don't consume saturated fat, your body will just convert carbohydrate to palmitic acid, which is supposedly the worst SFA, anyway. Also, as long as EFAs are consumed in sufficient quantity (which is not a lot), lipid metabolism is normalized and saturated fat isn't really a problem.

Trans fats adversely affect almost everything when they are incorporated into the phospholipid bilayer of cell membranes. They've even been linked fairly convincingly to a host of behavioral issues, including increased aggression.

[TheExodu5]

Hey, be fair now, eating correctly is expensive as hell. I spend like $70 a week on groceries. It almost kills me.

That's not a lot.

[Tex117]

Well, it does seem neogaf is not the place for fitness advice!
LOL

[maximum360]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kris...r-week-12.html

I have been loosely following the above program just for some motivation really. I don't do supplements and I'm not as strict on the diet (meaning I still drink skim milk, eat fruits, wheat bread, yogurt, nuts, etc). I was working out on my own for a couple months doing things like pushups, squats, etc. at home and working up to the weights again. I can see even a slight difference even after a couple of weeks. Really, the hardest part is the diet. It takes quite a bit of discipline. The only stinker is that I just strained my hamstring while playing football so my lower extremity workouts are on hold and so is most of the cardio for a week or two (at most). That just means I might have to push beyond the moderate cardio that's recommended and do HIIT on my non-weight training days to catch up. I should end the 12 weeks on my birthday so here's hoping it will be worth it.

I also modify the workouts. 50 weighted squats is just pure insanity (and several sets of it at that). I have a 3 day weight-training routine and 3-4 day cardio.

[RBH]

With that last reply i'm official abandoning this thread.

Again, I'd really recommend checking out the Fitness thread (if you haven't already) to get more streamlined answers instead of so many dissenting opinions:


http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431741

[Deified Data]

GAF's collective response to threads like these tends to be along the lines of "she's not trying hard enough".

[Zefah]

GAF's collective response to threads like these tends to be along the lines of "she's not trying hard enough".

A lot of people just love to simplify things and act like any given problem is due to someone's character defect or other fault. That's a big part of why the calories in/calories out + "move more, fatass!" mentality is so popular with people and caught on like it did. Doesn't get more simple than that.

With that said, there are plenty of responses in here that don't amount to that.

[Deified Data]

A lot of people just love to simplify things and act like any given problem is due to someone's character defect or other fault. That's a big part of why the calories in/calories out + "move more, fatass!" mentality is so popular with people and caught on like it did. Doesn't get more simply than that. With that said, there are plenty of responses in here that don't amount to that.

Certainly. But these threads almost always devolve. Once someone broaches the subject that perhaps, maybe, there are weight-loss factors outside of one's control (i.e. genetics, medical conditions), a can of worms opens.

[Slayer-33]

Stick with the "diet", tell her to adopt her new eating habits..

She needs to stick with it. People see drastic results in the long run if you do the right thing for the most part.

[hydragonwarrior]

Scratch out cheese and reduce eggs to maybe 2-3 times a week (not every day).

Cheese should be saved as a dessert.

Next, she should just jog daily. Make sure she has good shoes. Jog with her whenver you can.

[Deadly Cyclone]

That's not a lot.

Just for myself? In college I got away with about $40 a week, but that was all crap foods (Mac & Cheese, lot of tacos).

$70 a week, and coming out of the store with like 4 bags of stuff seems like a ton in comparison. :P

[Zefah]

Scratch out cheese and reduce eggs to maybe 2-3 times a week (not every day). Cheese should be saved as a dessert. Next, she should just jog daily. Make sure she has good shoes. Jog with her whenver you can.

Why to both of the bolded parts. Any good reason?

Personally, I eat a minimum of three eggs per day on most days.

[Seguin]

Scratch out cheese and reduce eggs to maybe 2-3 times a week (not every day). Cheese should be saved as a dessert. Next, she should just jog daily. Make sure she has good shoes. Jog with her whenver you can.

Hahahahaha what is wrong with eggs and cheese?

[captive]

Check out myth #1

eating more frequently isn't about keeping your metabolism high. Its about not getting hungry between meals and eating junk food and keeping yourself going throughout the day.

I know personally, if i only eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, i get fucking hungry around 10-11am, 2-4pm and 8-9pm and I also get tired after lunch. So i plan healthy snacks in between because if i don't the only things that are typically available to me at work is junk food.

[Slayer-33]

eating more frequently isn't about keeping your metabolism high. Its about not getting hungry between meals and eating junk food and keeping yourself going throughout the day. I know personally, if i only eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, i get fucking hungry around 10-11am, 2-4pm and 8-9pm and I also get tired after lunch. So i plan healthy snacks in between because if i don't the only things that are typically available to me at work is junk food.

Not to mention having more time to burn off the fractioned pieces of food you intake per day as opposed to eating a larger meal at tail ends of inactivity periods and not burning anything off.

[SouthernDragon]

http://crissfit.tumblr.com/

I'm just going to drop this off right here.

[OnkelC]

Dormatron?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yj8FQ0Z0OQ

[Bombadil]

OP, this could backfire on you. If she loses a ton of weight, she's going to start thinking she's better than you. And then she'll dump you. You have to stop this before it's too late!

[Barkley's Justice]

http://www.thefreshdiet.com/

[bangladesh]

You won't accomplish much without cutting excess carbs, namely potatoes and bread (rice to a lesser extent). I still enjoy eating a bit of bread and potatoes, but I really, really have to restrict my portions of these because it's extremely easy to overindulge with these foods.

Sensitivity to carbs varies from person to person, yeah. But it's ridiculous to give it up entirely. Excess is bad. Reasonable amounts are good along with regular exercise. If you're an endomorph or mesomorph and you're eating huge amounts of bread it's no wonder you'll get thick.

[SpinningBirdKick]

Train first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

Eat your largest meal of the day 40 minutes after your training sessions ends.

Eat your 2nd meal 4 hours later.

Eat your final meal of the day 4 hours after that.

Less carbs, more protein. Lots of fluids.

[akira28]

Robotics.

[goldensun]

Even though my post will probably go unnoticed, I'd look into leangains/intermittent fasting.

I was struggling to lose weight for so long and intermittent fasting really did the trick for me.

Also, weight is gained through calories, as long as you have a caloric deficit each day, you will slowly lose weight (losses are more noticeable right away in those who are very overweight).

Try to aim for 1500 or less calories a day, eat whole, unprocessed foods, and go for a 30 minute walk each day, and you will gradually be in very good shape. A little muscle building isn't too bad of an idea either, since the less fat-free mass you have the better your metabolism is.

Honestly though, just eat less. Try intermittent fasting.

[ClassyPenguin]

Sensitivity to carbs varies from person to person, yeah. But it's ridiculous to give it up entirely. Excess is bad. Reasonable amounts are good along with regular exercise. If you're an endomorph or mesomorph and you're eating huge amounts of bread it's no wonder you'll get thick.

I haven't really researched it but, it's odd to see that grains are now considered as evil as fats used to be. Especially coming from a Mediterranean culture that loves their breads and rice dishes.

Weight loss should be a long-term goal by eating better and in moderation and being more active. It shouldn't be a chore.

[Etrian Oddity]

I haven't really researched it but, it's odd to see that grains are now considered as evil as fats used to be. Especially coming from a Mediterranean culture that loves their breads and rice dishes. Weight loss should be a long-term goal by eating better and in moderation and being more active. It shouldn't be a chore.

It's funny, but it's true. I went low-carb last summer and slimmed down quite a bit...

Anyways, eating healthy doesn't have to be that expensive in terms of grocery trips. I tend to average $40 a week, which is still a little more than I'd like to spend. I normally get a lean meat (sirloin tips, ground turkey, or fish), two or three vegetable options, and eggs at the bare minimum, with sundries taking up the rest of my cost.

You can eat healthy for real cheap by hitting up the produce section, though. A head of fresh romaine lettuce sets you back around $2 and lasts you for a whole week.

[Krowley]

I haven't really researched it but, it's odd to see that grains are now considered as evil as fats used to be. Especially coming from a Mediterranean culture that loves their breads and rice dishes. Weight loss should be a long-term goal by eating better and in moderation and being more active. It shouldn't be a chore.

But it takes excess to create a problem in the first place.... The people who get the fattest are usually doing something way over the top, like drinking a whole two liter coke every day and eating a box of snack cakes... Stuff like that... Years and years of eating wrong has the potential to screw up the way your body responds to food (see insulin resistance and metabolic disorder.) As a result, you may need to go drastic in the opposite direction to get your body back in order. This isn't true for everybody. Some people can just switch to a slightly more reasonable way of eating, but the fattest people usually have the most screwed up insulin response.

[To Far Away Times]

It takes a long time to gain weight, and a long time to lose it. Just gotta watch those calories, exercise and keep at it.

[EnderWiggles]

HEY GUYZ MY GIRLFRIEND IS GUZZLING PEANUT BUTTER AND CHEESE AND SHE HASN'T LOST WEIGHT IN FIVE MINUTES WHAT IS SHE DOING WRONG KEEP IN MIND I'M GOING TO IGNORE ALL CONVENTIONAL ADVICE

[ClassyPenguin]

It's funny, but it's true. I went low-carb last summer and slimmed down quite a bit...

oh no doubt, after years of being told that you should be eating 6 or more servings of grain a day, cutting back is obviously beneficial.

[Jason's Ultimatum]

And a pound of gold weighs the same as a pound of feathers. You know that people are usually talking about density when they say that, right?

Was just going to say this. Come on, FallingEdge.

[Futureman]

Anyways, eating healthy doesn't have to be that expensive in terms of grocery trips. I tend to average $40 a week, which is still a little more than I'd like to spend. I normally get a lean meat (sirloin tips, ground turkey, or fish), two or three vegetable options, and eggs at the bare minimum, with sundries taking up the rest of my cost.

how do you eat 14-20 times per week off that though? Or do you eat a lot of meals out?

I just don't know how you make dinner every night if all you have is one lean meat and some veggies. Do you just have the same thing night after night?

I really need to start spend only $40/week at the grocery store, but I doubt I could once you figure in all the little things you need.