Please Read Before You Start Your Diet

[Tatyana]

Ladies,
I have been looking over loads of your posts, and I have noticed a number of common issues. It is fantastic that so many of you are so dedicated to getting in shape, however, there is one bit of the solution missing.

All of the diets that fill the pages of women's mags have so brainwashed so many of us, and it really doesn't need to be that hard!!! WHY MAKE LOSING WEIGHT ANY MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT HAS TO BE, and so many of you are making a serious error that will only result in the 'rebound' phase where weight gain, is inevidable as soon as you come off your bonkers diets.

SEVERE CALORIE RESTRICTED DIETS ONLY WORK FOR ABOUT 2 % OF PEOPLE, this has been proven scientifically.

So, please use this formula to check out how many calories you actually need to eat!!!!

BMR=basal metabolic rate, every cell in your body requires energy to function properly, we burn calories while we sleep. If you drop your calories below this number of calories, your body goes into 'starvation mode', and it will start to store as much as it can, AS FAT!! It is an evolutionary adaptation that was really useful when we lived in caves, however, it is now the bane of ladies that want to wear bikinis in the summer! ANd your body will adapt to a lower calorie diet, so you have to keep lowering the calories you eat to lose any more weight!!!


To calculate your BMR based on your total body weight
BMR= 665 + (9.6 x weight in Kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years)

THis will give you what your body requires for all of your basic biological processes, such as digestion, nerve transmission, respiration etc.

NEVER DROP YOUR CALORIES BELOW THIS LEVEL!!!!!

To figure out how many calories you need for the day multiply your BMR by your activity levels

Sedentary BMR x 1.2 no exercise/desk job
Lightly active BMR x 1.375 light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week
Moderately active BMR x 1.55 moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week
Very active BMR x 1.725 hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week
Extremely active BMR x 1.9 hard daily training/physical job or training 2x/day

To lose weight, obviously, you do need to burn more calories than you need!!
So, take about 10-20 % off of your total calorie requirements

However, if you have been eating far too many or far to few calories, PLEASE DO NOT JUST CHANGE TO YOUR REQUIRED CALORIES IMMEDIATELY

Our bodies are far too clever for that, and again, fat storage will occur!!!!
Make the changes in gradual steps, adding or subtracting 5-10% of the calories that you do need slowly, I would recommend doing this in a week by week stages.

All of this information, and more (as there are a few other factors to consider as well ) can be found in Chris Aceto's books on fat loss (as it is really the fat you want to lose) and in Tom VEnuto's E-book burn the fat feed the muscle. This is where I found this fantastic info!!!!


To speed up your metabolism, BUILD MUSCLE!!!!! DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE WEIGHTS!!!! IT IS SO DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN TO PUT ON MUSCLE, YOU WILL NOT TURN INTO SOME BEEFCAKE HUGE MASCULINE LOOKING LADY UNLESS YOU TAKE STEROIDS!!!!!!

If you don't believe me, take a look at my ass!!! I am not young by any means, and I usually eat between 2000-3000 calories /day. At my current weight and body fat, I NEED to eat about 2900 kcal/day JUST TO MAINTAIN MY CURRENT WEIGHT!!!!!

Also, it is a good idea to have a 'cheat' meals or a 'cheat day' once a week, this will confuse your body "oh, I am not starving" as our metabolisms quickly adapt to whatever number of calories we eat, and keep your metabolism humming right along.

I also strongly recommend that you go through the tedious process of recording what you eat, and by this I mean to weigh everything and find out exactly what you are eating before you adjust your diet. ANd then do the same for the first week or two of your new diet. After awhile, you will be able to 'eyeball' things, and have set meals that you know exactly what you are eating.

I have done this several times, and I will be doing it again, AND I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN REALLY SURPRISED!!! Most people have absolutely no idea what they are stuffing down their gob!! You must be aware of the reality of what you are eating if you want to be able to have a fantastically fit body for the rest of your life. The face may go, but the body doesn't have to!!!
I have seen bodybuilders in their 50s and 60s that look better than most people in their 20s!!!

REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A PROCESS, YOU ARE LEARNING HOW TO EAT IN A HEALTHY WAY THAT YOU WILL FOLLOW YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!

So to all the lovely ladies out there, step up, teach yourself how to feed yourself properly, and STOP STARVING YOURSELF!!!!!!

PS I am a competitive bodybuilder, so I do strip my body fat to the bare minimum required for a woman, I HAVE BEEN STUDYING FOOD AND NUTRITION FOR OVER 20 YEARS TO GET TO THIS POINT, so don't look at my comp pics and think, I don't want to look like an anatomical specimen!!! There are so many little tricks bodybuilders use to look really hard,cut and dried on comp day, I don't look that ripped all year round!!!

 

[nelmsjer]

Great post. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

Nominate for sticky, or at least added to one of the posts in the sticky area.

 

[Roonytunes]

Most of us follow the 10-12 x bodyweight formula for cutting on this forum. If I use the formula stated in this thread, that puts me around 2000 cals. If I do 10-12 x body weight, I can eat from 1220-1470 cals. That's a BIG difference. Can someone explain? Now I'm confused

 

[scorpiogirl]

Ladies,
I have been looking over loads of your posts, and I have noticed a number of common issues. It is fantastic that so many of you are so dedicated to getting in shape, however, there is one bit of the solution missing.

All of the diets that fill the pages of women's mags have so brainwashed so many of us, and it really doesn't need to be that hard!!! WHY MAKE LOSING WEIGHT ANY MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT HAS TO BE, and so many of you are making a serious error that will only result in the 'rebound' phase where weight gain, is inevidable as soon as you come off your bonkers diets.

SEVERE CALORIE RESTRICTED DIETS ONLY WORK FOR ABOUT 2 % OF PEOPLE, this has been proven scientifically.

So, please use this formula to check out how many calories you actually need to eat!!!!

BMR=basal metabolic rate, every cell in your body requires energy to function properly, we burn calories while we sleep. If you drop your calories below this number of calories, your body goes into 'starvation mode', and it will start to store as much as it can, AS FAT!! It is an evolutionary adaptation that was really useful when we lived in caves, however, it is now the bane of ladies that want to wear bikinis in the summer! ANd your body will adapt to a lower calorie diet, so you have to keep lowering the calories you eat to lose any more weight!!!


To calculate your BMR based on your total body weight
BMR= 665 + (9.6 x weight in Kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years)

THis will give you what your body requires for all of your basic biological processes, such as digestion, nerve transmission, respiration etc.

NEVER DROP YOUR CALORIES BELOW THIS LEVEL!!!!!

To figure out how many calories you need for the day multiply your BMR by your activity levels

Sedentary BMR x 1.2 no exercise/desk job
Lightly active BMR x 1.375 light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week
Moderately active BMR x 1.55 moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week
Very active BMR x 1.725 hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week
Extremely active BMR x 1.9 hard daily training/physical job or training 2x/day

To lose weight, obviously, you do need to burn more calories than you need!!
So, take about 10-20 % off of your total calorie requirements

However, if you have been eating far too many or far to few calories, PLEASE DO NOT JUST CHANGE TO YOUR REQUIRED CALORIES IMMEDIATELY

Our bodies are far too clever for that, and again, fat storage will occur!!!!
Make the changes in gradual steps, adding or subtracting 5-10% of the calories that you do need slowly, I would recommend doing this in a week by week stages.

All of this information, and more (as there are a few other factors to consider as well ) can be found in Chris Aceto's books on fat loss (as it is really the fat you want to lose) and in Tom VEnuto's E-book burn the fat feed the muscle. This is where I found this fantastic info!!!!


To speed up your metabolism, BUILD MUSCLE!!!!! DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE WEIGHTS!!!! IT IS SO DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN TO PUT ON MUSCLE, YOU WILL NOT TURN INTO SOME BEEFCAKE HUGE MASCULINE LOOKING LADY UNLESS YOU TAKE STEROIDS!!!!!!

If you don't believe me, take a look at my ass!!! I am not young by any means, and I usually eat between 2000-3000 calories /day. At my current weight and body fat, I NEED to eat about 2900 kcal/day JUST TO MAINTAIN MY CURRENT WEIGHT!!!!!

Also, it is a good idea to have a 'cheat' meals or a 'cheat day' once a week, this will confuse your body "oh, I am not starving" as our metabolisms quickly adapt to whatever number of calories we eat, and keep your metabolism humming right along.

I also strongly recommend that you go through the tedious process of recording what you eat, and by this I mean to weigh everything and find out exactly what you are eating before you adjust your diet. ANd then do the same for the first week or two of your new diet. After awhile, you will be able to 'eyeball' things, and have set meals that you know exactly what you are eating.

I have done this several times, and I will be doing it again, AND I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN REALLY SURPRISED!!! Most people have absolutely no idea what they are stuffing down their gob!! You must be aware of the reality of what you are eating if you want to be able to have a fantastically fit body for the rest of your life. The face may go, but the body doesn't have to!!!
I have seen bodybuilders in their 50s and 60s that look better than most people in their 20s!!!

REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A PROCESS, YOU ARE LEARNING HOW TO EAT IN A HEALTHY WAY THAT YOU WILL FOLLOW YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!

So to all the lovely ladies out there, step up, teach yourself how to feed yourself properly, and STOP STARVING YOURSELF!!!!!!

PS I am a competitive bodybuilder, so I do strip my body fat to the bare minimum required for a woman, I HAVE BEEN STUDYING FOOD AND NUTRITION FOR OVER 20 YEARS TO GET TO THIS POINT, so don't look at my comp pics and think, I don't want to look like an anatomical specimen!!! There are so many little tricks bodybuilders use to look really hard,cut and dried on comp day, I don't look that ripped all year round!!!

Yes there is a lot of great info. here. And it's been said a million times in various places on this board before now. It won't stop the same questions from popping up on a weekly basis due to the fact that there are so many things to read, people just don't want to take the time. They want to just ask the questions and not do the research themselves.

Not to be nasty here, but it's that very way of thinking (not wanting to do the work themselves) which could be holding people back from REALLY accomplishing ANYTHING. Diet included. You HAVE to be willing and EAGER to take the steps YOURSELF! Nobody's gonna' do it for ya'!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Noyhing, NOTHING, works for everyone. No formula, no diet, no training program. Anyone who says this is the only way, the best way to do things is blowing smoke up your ass.

Diet and training are individual. You find a caloric range, and stick with it for awhile. If it is not producing the effects you desire, tweak it. Finding the correct ratio and amounts for you take TIME, PATIENCE, and trial and error.

 

[scorpiogirl]

Noyhing, NOTHING, works for everyone. No formula, no diet, no training program. Anyone who says this is the only way, the best way to do things is blowing smoke up your ass.

Absolutely! To cut, I have to stay at 10x (or a little under) my bodyweight. For some people, that would be WAY too low. For me, it works. There is no "cookie cutter" program or diet. But the guidelines are set and can be tweaked to the individual.

 

[*Bunny*]

There is some GREAT info here tatyana ... Reminds me a little of pintoca's formula(s) for the way he achieved his awesome weightloss.

I've used that basic BMR formula in Sept-Nov ish to track my daily cals in cals out expenditure and for me, using the the basic 10-12 X bodyweight gives me a similar range of #'s that formula does, however I'm sure that is not the case with everyone.

New ideas, old ideas, same ideas ... any way you play it, I'm always thristy for more knowledge from experienced individuals. Thanks for the informative post & welcome to EF!

 

[Tatyana]

If you want to go on body weight, from what I understand:

Fat Loss 12-13 kcal per lb of body weight
Maintenance 15-16 kcal per lb of body weight
Gain 18-20 + kcal per lb of body weight

I use a different formula, the Katch-McArdle -BMR based on lean body weight

BMR = 370 + (21.6 x lean mass in kg)

For this you need a fairly accurate body fat % reading, there is a cheap caliper called the Accumeasure that you can use (it doesn't track low enough for me as it only goes down to about 13.5-14.5 % for women), so I have electronic calipers I use to check my body fat every now and then, (and when I get all weird near a competition when I think that I have become fat overnight! LoL)

From what I understand, the minimum calorie requirements for women is 1500 kcal/day.

If you want to eating less than that and are quite happy with it, please continue to do so. Personally, I enjoy eating and my food, and as I eat quite 'clean', meaning whole natural food, sort of along the lines of a modified macrobiotic/bodybuilders diet.

I can eat stacks and stacks of food, it does really perplex all of the women I work with who are always on a bloody diet. ANd still have rear ends the size of a lorry!

I do have a string of letter behind my name-B Sc. Biology B Sc Biomedical Sciences, currently working on an M Sc in Clinical Biochemistry (part-time) as well as part time 'conversion' of my degree to gain a BA in psychology, so. . . .

I don't 'diet', and I only really ever did one stupid diet while I was doing my first degree at Uni for a short period of time. And afterwards, I gained more back than I been before!!!!!!

Preparing for a body building competition, I do cut out dairy (except egg whites), and most simple sugars. Fruits is restricted to before, during and just after my work-outs. Sometimes if I am really hungry (like first thing in the morning) I will have a banana on my way to work on the train (this is after my morning oats). All salt is cut out of my diet about 2 weeks before a competition. Snacks are rice cakes, or corn cakes and cocoa powder in water with a little bit of soya milk.

Off-season my simple sugars are usually in the form of rice syrup, barley malt, maple syrup, date syrup, honey, and some organic cane sugar (as it is in Green and Black's dark organic chocolate-YUM).

I don't find it difficult to stick to this diet, in fact I quite like it, feel great on it, however there is 'the hunger' that starts about 2-2.5 hours after I have eaten, so then I eat again!!! I eat more frequently in the morning, my first three meals are about every 1.5 hours, just because I am so hungry in the morning and (said like ARnie) 'the muscles are hungry'!

I may have to post my diet, and keep posting pics of myself as I rip up for a competition as I get the feeling you ladies still need some convincing.

As I said before, DIETS DON'T WORK AND ONLY MAKE YOU FATTER

WHY MAKE IT ANY MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT HAS TO BE

Big Love

Respect

T

 

[Gymgurl]

Me too Bunny....nice to see some new post and infor!

 

[Sassy69]

That's exactly the purpose of the sticky at the top that say "ARE YOU NEW TO EF LADIES' BOARD - START HERE!".

Yes there is a lot of great info. here. And it's been said a million times in various places on this board before now. It won't stop the same questions from popping up on a weekly basis due to the fact that there are so many things to read, people just don't want to take the time. They want to just ask the questions and not do the research themselves.

Not to be nasty here, but it's that very way of thinking (not wanting to do the work themselves) which could be holding people back from REALLY accomplishing ANYTHING. Diet included. You HAVE to be willing and EAGER to take the steps YOURSELF! Nobody's gonna' do it for ya'!

 

[Roonytunes]

If you want to go on body weight, from what I understand:

Fat Loss 12-13 kcal per lb of body weight
Maintenance 15-16 kcal per lb of body weight
Gain 18-20 + kcal per lb of body weight

I use a different formula, the Katch-McArdle -BMR based on lean body weight

BMR = 370 + (21.6 x lean mass in kg)

Well, when I use the two formulas up here, they equal to around the same. I know there's no one method that works for everyone, but I'm going with these numbers as a start for now and will tweak later as needed.

T, as everyone else has said, it's nice to get a new perspective and another source of information. You look GREAT, btw!

 

[Tatyana]

Noyhing, NOTHING, works for everyone. No formula, no diet, no training program. Anyone who says this is the only way, the best way to do things is blowing smoke up your ass.

Diet and training are individual. You find a caloric range, and stick with it for awhile. If it is not producing the effects you desire, tweak it. Finding the correct ratio and amounts for you take TIME, PATIENCE, and trial and error.

Thing do need to be adjusted for different body types. I am fortunate enough to have almost a 'pure' mesomorph body type, which means I can basically eat whatever I want whenever I want as long as the quality of the food is good, meaning no hydrogenated fats, nothing deep fried, no processed foods.

Endomorphs (pear shaped) have to be very strict with their diets and may benefit from slightly carbohydrate restricted diets.

Ectomorphs are the tall, thin type of people who can basically eat whatever they want and not gain weight, they often have difficulty in gaining weight.

This is a general summary, there is more information on each body type in numerous books.

Human being have been studied by biologist and physiologist for ages. There are established reference ranges for nearly every parameter about our bodies, height, levels of blood sugars, total protein, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), estrogen, progesterone. THese reference ranges do only apply quite precisely to 95% of the population, some people may function quite well on a slightly higher or lower level.

However, there are general rules of thumb, and our bodies need a certain amount of calories just to function. You might be one of the lucky 1-2% of the population that is able to lose weight (and it would be quick) on a severely calorie restricted diet!

I am lucky in that I have the genetics that have me put on muscle quite easily! More muscle, more calories burned. I have to eat like a P.I.G, and loads and loads of really bad food to gain weight (and I have!!!). I have had to lose weight before, when I first moved to England, I gained about 20 kg, (lost it got to about 15% body fat) and during the last 6 months of my degree I gained about 7 kg. I was eating nearly a half a tub of Hagen Daas with 500 ml of Bailey's every night (this was just after my divorce and I had just moved into my own flat). Oh yes, and probably about a half a bar of Green and Black's choc a night as well! Chips/french fries for lunch, kettle crisps, you name it, I ate loads of it.

I really should have been one of those super obese that you see on Discovery channel, it was only my 'lucky' mesomorphic genetics and all the previous weight training that I had done that saved my ass!!!!

I really don't like to diet and lose weight (except for ripping up for comps now, it's such a trip!), so I finally decided to really apply all that I had learned.

I still eat choc, I still go out for an Indian once a week off season (peshwari naan-YUM). I have just learned these few little 'tricks' and done my homework!!

And I don't spend hours and hours every day doing cardio either!!!

Up to you hun, as I keep saying

DIETS DON'T WORK THEY ONLY MAKE YOU FATTER, AND LOW CARB/ZERO CARB DIETS ARE EVEN MORE EVIL

how hard do you want to be on yourself?

 

[Miss24k]

I may have to post my diet, and keep posting pics of myself as I rip up for a competition as I get the feeling you ladies still need some convincing.

As I said before, DIETS DON'T WORK AND ONLY MAKE YOU FATTER

WHY MAKE IT ANY MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT HAS TO BE

You seem to think your approach is the only approach since you think these ladies need you to convince them that you are right, and they are wrong. What works for you will not work for everyone.

 

[*MissFit*]

I think we all agree diets don't work.. u have to change the way u eat for life..

some people r luckier than others and can eat whatever they want and some have to count calories.. there is no tricks.. the stickies r great tools bu each ladie in this forum must do what works for her..

We look to each other for guideance and advice.. the forum is great for that and we have all learn at least something from reading these threads...

u look great..

Miss 24k looks great, Daisy looks great Sassy and bunny looks great and so on.. but each one has used slightly different methods to achieve those goals.. same toals.. but different formulas..

 

[RottenWillow]

I'm reminded of a show I loved when I was little, Clarisa Explains It All.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

You seem to think your approach is the only approach since you think these ladies need you to convince them that you are right, and they are wrong. What works for you will not work for everyone.

Exactly what I was trying to get at.

I love seeing more ideas, more approaches, more information. The more information you have, the better off you are. BUT .....

You can post all the pics in the world - but that does not make your approach THE ONLY ONE. It is ONE out of many possibles. You obviously have worked very hard to get to where you are - congrats on that. You have good information, but chill on the way it is delivered. You are coming across as a self-perceived "know it all". All the degrees in the world don't make a bit of difference.

 

[caligirl]

The whole topic is subjective...... fitness/BB/figure/sport/nutrition/diet..... it's endless.
That is why so many books have been written, so many "experts" have their opinions, so many different approaches.... I think Scorpio girl summed it up here with the patients comment, and I think everyone else has said it at some point, what works for you, may not work for me.
What Tatiana posted can be found in most any personal training manual, BMR, calories expended formulas. To be fit and healthy is a lifestyle, to what level you want to take it to is a personal choice.
Did that sound bitchy? I have PMS... not intended to be bitchy... ; )


Rooneytunes,
don't be confused, stay on your track you found whats works for you, and are making great progress by being consistant!

 

[*Bunny*]

The whole topic is subjective...... fitness/BB/figure/sport/nutrition/diet..... it's endless.
That is why so many books have been written, so many "experts" have their opinions, so many different approaches.... I think Scorpio girl summed it up here with the patients comment, and I think everyone else has said it at some point, what works for you, may not work for me.
What Tatiana posted can be found in most any personal training manual, BMR, calories expended formulas. To be fit and healthy is a lifestyle, to what level you want to take it to is a personal choice.
Did that sound bitchy? I have PMS... not intended to be bitchy... ; )
Nope, not at all...

Rooneytunes,
don't be confused, stay on your track you found whats works for you, and are making great progress by being consistant! EXACTLY

 

[Sassy69]

Yep, pretty much T- you say you can eat all you want and build muscle. I've experimented w/ several different diets under different trainers and stuff I play w/ myself - conclusion: I can build crazy muscle, if I eat 2-3000 cals I can lift like crazy, but I get "thick". I cut on 17-1800 cals. That's it. Anymore I can't drop bodyfat, any less, I get light-headed, start to lose muscle mass and generally starve.

Its probably a good guess that say 85% of the people (women I'm thinking of right now, but I'd venture that its pretty high for the guys too - they may know how to train & cycle, but they dont' know squat about nutrition) come to EF w/ a goal of "losing weight and toning up", they are armed w/ the myths & crap that society & the media pound into our heads about how you have to follow some canned program to even consider losing weight and girls aren't supposed to have any shape in their arms and if they do anything besides lift pink weights & do cardio, they will turn into Hulkette.

But as we learn things from various places, I think the cross section of all that each of us brings to the boards is very close to what T is posting as methodology & guidelines, and then we have to try what works for each of us in our lives, our lifestyles & our own bodychemistry.

 

[Tatyana]

You seem to think your approach is the only approach since you think these ladies need you to convince them that you are right, and they are wrong. What works for you will not work for everyone.

not my approach hun, just basic physiology. I didn't make any of this stuff up, I found it!!

However, all the studies have shown that people that go on calorie restrictive diets that end up 'rebounding' and gaining more weight

Don't kill the messenger

 

[Tatyana]

Exactly what I was trying to get at.

I love seeing more ideas, more approaches, more information. The more information you have, the better off you are. BUT .....

You can post all the pics in the world - but that does not make your approach THE ONLY ONE. It is ONE out of many possibles. You obviously have worked very hard to get to where you are - congrats on that. You have good information, but chill on the way it is delivered. You are coming across as a self-perceived "know it all". All the degrees in the world don't make a bit of difference.

LOL, I am quite fanatical about people being healthy and fit!!!

 

[Sassy69]

Its critically important for people to understand the basics of nutrition, apply it to themselves and find out what works for themselves.

I'm a case study that says 2-3000 cals will NOT cut me up.

 

[Miss24k]

not my approach hun, just basic physiology. I didn't make any of this stuff up, I found it!!

However, all the studies have shown that people that go on calorie restrictive diets that end up 'rebounding' and gaining more weight

Don't kill the messenger

And others have found their ways also and they work for them.

Hey sweetie I'm not trying to kill the messenger, it's all in how she's delivering the package!

 

[scorpiogirl]

Thing do need to be adjusted for different body types. I am fortunate enough to have almost a 'pure' mesomorph body type, which means I can basically eat whatever I want whenever I want as long as the quality of the food is good, meaning no hydrogenated fats, nothing deep fried, no processed foods.

I am also a mesomorph, and can gain and lose quickly. Just mentioning the body type thing alone should be proof enough that what works for a meso, won't work for an endo (hard for them to lose & keep it off). An ecto needs MORE calories than either an endo or meso to gain (usually the "hardgainer").

Stress, diet, genetics, activity level etc., etc., etc. all play an important roll nomatter what body type you are. They definitely do not all see the same result with the same diet and training schedule.

 

[Tatyana]

Yep, pretty much T- you say you can eat all you want and build muscle. I've experimented w/ several different diets under different trainers and stuff I play w/ myself - conclusion: I can build crazy muscle, if I eat 2-3000 cals I can lift like crazy, but I get "thick". I cut on 17-1800 cals. That's it. Anymore I can't drop bodyfat, any less, I get light-headed, start to lose muscle mass and generally starve.

Its probably a good guess that say 85% of the people (women I'm thinking of right now, but I'd venture that its pretty high for the guys too - they may know how to train & cycle, but they dont' know squat about nutrition) come to EF w/ a goal of "losing weight and toning up", they are armed w/ the myths & crap that society & the media pound into our heads about how you have to follow some canned program to even consider losing weight and girls aren't supposed to have any shape in their arms and if they do anything besides lift pink weights & do cardio, they will turn into Hulkette.

But as we learn things from various places, I think the cross section of all that each of us brings to the boards is very close to what T is posting as methodology & guidelines, and then we have to try what works for each of us in our lives, our lifestyles & our own bodychemistry.

Hey Sassy,

just have to say, I am so jealous you have been to ARNie's show, and probably Olympia, and ????? I swop and chop between physique and figure, depending on natural/gear show, so stay quite lean all year round for pics. Only second season, want pro card in WNBF, and think I may do well in WABBA as well.

 

[Tatyana]

Hey ladies,

Sorry to rub you up the wrong way, if you are on this forum regularily, it is like preaching to the converted (or is that preaching to the perverted? I have looked at some of your pics, lol). Looking good ladies!!!

It wasn't really meant for you, it was meant for all the women that come in and have a peek!! Just check out how many hits this site gets!!!!

Oh, yah gotta love that 'rugged individualism' that pervades the US "everyone is different", yes, and we are also all the same at the same time! Connected but distinct!

THis is not 'my' stuff, it is, as far as science is able to 'prove' so far, this is the basic biology of weight loss.

Ok, so for you regular lot, I will also add a few bits. Ok, low calorie diets will work. ANd people can lose loads of weight on them. For awhile. And then our bodies get used to the diet. Physiologists call this the 'law of adaptation'. Our bodies are EXTREMELY GOOD at learning how to function on whatever amount of calories that they are given. Humans would not have survived our pre-history without this ability.

Problem with this is that while fat is initially 'burned off', it is almost easier for our body to cannabalise other tissues, such as muscle, and even internal organs. All twenty essential amino acid, 'slot' back into the Kreb's cycle, as well as go through the process of gluconeogenesis in the liver, to produce glucose for the brain.

Muscle is basically responsible for how fast your metabolism is. (SAID like ARNie) "the muscle is hungry!", LoL. Low calorie diet, initial weight loss from fat, body adapts to calories, weight loss from muscle, metabolism slows down, have to eat fewer and fewer calories to lose weight, brain needs sugar to function, canabalises the muscle, metabolism slows down........ its a vicious cycle.

Haven't you ever broken your diet over the weekend or for a holiday, and after months and months of 'being good', you completely blow it out!! Going back to the scales and expecting them to be off the scales, you find to your surprise, that you have actually lost weight!! YOur body has realised that it isn't starving, this isn't a time of depletion, but surplus, no need to hang on to as much as possible.

I did know that this would be met with resistance, it is almost like going from the world is flat (and of course everyone KNEW that that was how it was), to the world is round. I am sure new practices will be refined and replace this one, that is the nature of science. AS far as physiologists are concerned, this is basically how it works, your body adapts to the low calories.

So, if you still want to stick to the low cal thing, mix it up a little, throw in a few cheat meals and confuse your metabolism, and do it quite often, so you don't get to that point where you find yourself inhaling an entire box of cookies or tub of ice cream, or both!!!

There is more to weight loss, there is the frequency of meals, the quality of the food, macronutrient ratios, carbohydrate and calorie cycling, body type (genetics) and of course, exercise. Don't get me started on excessive long cardio, LoL, the body adapts to that too!!!

Really like the "all the degrees in the world don't make a bit of difference comment" as well!!! Wow, I really did piss you off!!!! Sorry hun, SMiles

Everything you need to know about fat loss by Chris Aceto
Burn the FAt, Feed the Muscle Tom Venuto

 

[Tatyana]

And others have found their ways also and they work for them.

Hey sweetie I'm not trying to kill the messenger, it's all in how she's delivering the package!

Hun, so many women have been so brainwashed by things like the 1000 cal diet you have to hit it hard!!! I know that 'shock' tactics don't work with everyone, and that 'it is not what you are saying but how you say it'.

I am passionate (overly so?, thanks for the constructive criticism) as I believe there is a bigger issue at hand. As long as women are focused on how bad they feel about their bodies (as so many do) and using diets almost as a way of punishing themselves, they are not going to be effective in the world. IMO we need more strong women to get out there and make a difference. Who else is going to do it? The guys? THey have been running the show so far, and bless their cotton socks....with all their best intentions, have made a bit of a mess of things all on their own. We have to step up and take our place by their side! Get a bit of balance back.

In the WEstern world we have the luxury of being able to go on bloody diets!!!! We are also in the position that we can have a huge impact, make a difference. Heal the body, heal the emotions, heal the mind, get out there and help to heal someone else.

THat's my agenda, maybe I should have started with my manifesto.

Again, sorry to get you going hun

Respect

 

[Sassy69]

I think you came across as something like this new, when some of us have been giving the same basic common sense advice for nearly 5 yrs on literally a daily basis - it will never end but the good news is that we make converts left & right along the way!

It isn't enough to just tell people how many cals they need, its more about educating them as to what goes into those cals and fueling the body to get the results you are looking for. That's the whole purpose of the "Are you new to the EF Ladies' Board - START HERE" sticky. It isn't rocket science, but the media has skewed the basics of nutrition so far from center that the best a person could do is collect a few basic guidelines, kill their belief in the myths and let them educate themselves and always seek answers to more questions, even if they are the same ones we see every day. Its just one more person converted to the "truth"!

 

[caligirl]

I think you came across as something like this new, when some of us have been giving the same basic common sense advice for nearly 5 yrs on literally a daily basis - it will never end but the good news is that we make converts left & right along the way!

It isn't enough to just tell people how many cals they need, its more about educating them as to what goes into those cals and fueling the body to get the results you are looking for. That's the whole purpose of the "Are you new to the EF Ladies' Board - START HERE" sticky. It isn't rocket science, but the media has skewed the basics of nutrition so far from center that the best a person could do is collect a few basic guidelines, kill their belief in the myths and let them educate themselves and always seek answers to more questions, even if they are the same ones we see every day. Its just one more person converted to the "truth"!

Amen!
Cant tell you how many clients I have had to reprogram.... it's a conspiracy... pharmaceutical companies want us sick, the goverment wants us stupid, scared & vulnerable, who tf made the food pyramid?????? Media, advertising,Jenny Craig wants us fat so do diet food manufacturers, 24 hr fitness, Ballys, Billy Blanks........ Curves...... fitness is a 40 billion a year industry! fat= $$$$$$
they don't want you to know the truth........