Do we eat too much?

[KempoGuy06]

I have no doubt that you were told that cutting calories is not needed for weight loss. That is because people don't want to hear the simple answers; which is simply that eating less and exercising more is what will make you lose weight.

But, it really is that simple. If you consistantly burn more calories a day then you eat, you lose weight. If you conistantly consume more calories a day then you burn, you gain. Keep it balanced, and you stay the same.

People, particularly weight loss experts, dieticians, diet programs, etc., all want to make it harder then what it is.

http://weightloss.about.com/od/backtobasics/a/blcalreal.htm

Now, that said, there are a lot of different ways to consume less calories then burned; and that is where the different programs come in. You can change diet, change exercise habits, eat less carbs, or eat less fat, eat more frequent meals per day, eat less frequent meals per day, etc. The only thing that needs to stay consistant is that you need to consume ample water, vitamins/minerals/fiber, and protien in order to stay healthy. The rest is up to you.

What you are talking about is probably eating more frequently during the day to raise you metabolism. However, because your metabolism is raised by frequent meals (5-8 meals), you are actually burning more calories then you would eating 3 meals a day. However, I conject that you may be eating less calories then you were previously, and you don't even know it, because you are eating smaller frequent meals and concious of what you eat. People who don't think about it and eat 2-3 big meals generally consume more then those who are conscious about diet and eating more often...

Maybe Im making it harder than its supposed to be, but I tried just cutting back on my intake (same amount of meals, smaller portions per meal) but I was feeling weak and didnt have the energy to workout. I amped up the portions to what I was eating before, got my energy and started working out more. Now Im still eating the same portions, working out the same, but my appitite is through the roof and Im never full, well lets not say never, for about 10-15 minutes after I eat Im full but after that I could eat the same amount again.

Would it be a good idea, to maye be cut the portions on the major meals (breakfast, lunch diner) back a little and throw in some more snacks (like a wheat bagle and some peanut butter or some fruit) just to shorten the time between when I eat?

B

 

[jks9199]

Maybe Im making it harder than its supposed to be, but I tried just cutting back on my intake (same amount of meals, smaller portions per meal) but I was feeling weak and didnt have the energy to workout. I amped up the portions to what I was eating before, got my energy and started working out more. Now Im still eating the same portions, working out the same, but my appitite is through the roof and Im never full, well lets not say never, for about 10-15 minutes after I eat Im full but after that I could eat the same amount again.

Would it be a good idea, to maye be cut the portions on the major meals (breakfast, lunch diner) back a little and throw in some more snacks (like a wheat bagle and some peanut butter or some fruit) just to shorten the time between when I eat?

B

What's your goal? Do you want to lose weight, gain weight, or stay the same?

In the end, whatever means you use to get there, to lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn. If you burn about as much as you consume -- you'll stay about the same. If you eat more than you burn up -- you'll add pounds on. If you do this with the right food and excercise combination, it'll be muscle. Do it the wrong way -- it'll be fat. (Hint... your body is, generally speaking, made to survive periods of starvation and surplus. It generally wants to store excess as fat for when food is scarce.)

The exact method to achieve this depends on what works for you. Many people have found success eating several small meals throughout the day. For others -- one large meal works fine. Personally, the most success I've had involved eating breakfast, moderate lunch, and moderate dinner, and NOT eating past about 10 PM. (Some suggest "eat like a king for breakfast, a lord for lunch, and a pauper for dinner" to avoid sleeping on a full belly.) And coupling this with daily exercise, including walks at lunch time. I know someone else who just "cuts everything in half" when he needs to lose a few pounds... Instead of a whole sandwich, he has a half sandwich, or a half portion, etc.

 

[Cruentus]

Maybe Im making it harder than its supposed to be, but I tried just cutting back on my intake (same amount of meals, smaller portions per meal) but I was feeling weak and didnt have the energy to workout. I amped up the portions to what I was eating before, got my energy and started working out more. Now Im still eating the same portions, working out the same, but my appitite is through the roof and Im never full, well lets not say never, for about 10-15 minutes after I eat Im full but after that I could eat the same amount again.

Would it be a good idea, to maye be cut the portions on the major meals (breakfast, lunch diner) back a little and throw in some more snacks (like a wheat bagle and some peanut butter or some fruit) just to shorten the time between when I eat?

B

As JKS said, it depends on your goals.

Lets assume your goal is weight loss.

Well, really, your goal should be fat loss, because no one wants to lose muscle.

Burning more calories then what you take in is always the formula; but there are right and wrong ways to do this.

If you cut too many calories too soon, you'll lose muscle weight rather then the weight that you want. This could cause your metabolism to slow, making weight loss harder. Some people then gain weight due to this. Also, this would make your cheating more impacting because the tendancy is to binge because your body is in starvation mode, would also cause gains rather then loss. And so on.

So the key is to keep the metabolism up, and cut gradually. Do not cut too much, especially if you are exercising more. Basically, if you lose more then 2 lbs per week that is not water, you are not eating enough.


And eating smaller frequent meals is certainly a good way to go.

I have seen the best results for myself by keeping the starches low and the fresh veg., fruit, and lean proteins and meats high, only eating what amounts to smaller snacks during the day, and my biggest meal at night.

But that is just my personal preferance...

 

[KempoGuy06]

Thanks for the advice jks and Cruentus.

My goals are weight loss first (about 30-40 pounds) and then to tone everything up. Im on a pretty good workout routine right now. I work out 1.5 hrs every morning 6 days a week and do cardio 3-4 nights a week. Starting in the next week or 2 im going to be lifting in the morning and at night.

My diet is pretty sound. High protein and high complex carbs for breakfast, protein, veggies and a mixture of complex and simple carbs for lunch (white and brown rice) and protein, veggies and no carbs for dinner. In beteween meals Ill have some raw veggies and a protein shake usually.

Does this sound like the right path?

Again thanks for all the help.

and I really didnt mean to hijack this thread

B

 

[Cruentus]

Thanks for the advice jks and Cruentus.

My goals are weight loss first (about 30-40 pounds) and then to tone everything up. Im on a pretty good workout routine right now. I work out 1.5 hrs every morning 6 days a week and do cardio 3-4 nights a week. Starting in the next week or 2 im going to be lifting in the morning and at night.

My diet is pretty sound. High protein and high complex carbs for breakfast, protein, veggies and a mixture of complex and simple carbs for lunch (white and brown rice) and protein, veggies and no carbs for dinner. In beteween meals Ill have some raw veggies and a protein shake usually.

Does this sound like the right path?

Again thanks for all the help.

and I really didnt mean to hijack this thread

B

Sounds good enough. As long as you are getting results. If you stop getting result, then look into changing something.

 

[KempoGuy06]

Sounds good enough. As long as you are getting results. If you stop getting result, then look into changing something.

will do, thanks

quick question though: what are your thoughts on the whole body cleansing thing? Have you tried it? did it work? what would you recommend?

B

 

[Cruentus]

will do, thanks

quick question though: what are your thoughts on the whole body cleansing thing? Have you tried it? did it work? what would you recommend?

B

Real quick, then I gotta go to an appointment:

I am glad you asked this, as body cleansing can be very helpful, if not an important part. The best way to do this is to Juice/veg. fast for a couple of days (there are programs online for free, but you don't have to go really drastic with this; just a couple of days), and then be sure that you drink a ton of water throughout the day. Try to each clean as well (organic if possible)

The reason this is important is because our food today has high toxicity. As a defense, our body stores toxins in fat cells. This can make fat loss really difficult, and you can actually get sick if you loose fat too fast and you have high toxicity in the fat cells. This is because it gets released into the blood stream, and then gets put out as waste.

Body cleansing reduces your toxicity, and clears your digestive/intestinal tracts for better absorbtion of nutrients and discarding of toxins.

I believe that a large reason for our obesity rates is the high toxicity of our foods, and fat storage as a natural defense mech. for this.

Any questions on this, I'll have to answer later on.

 

[KempoGuy06]

Real quick, then I gotta go to an appointment:

I am glad you asked this, as body cleansing can be very helpful, if not an important part. The best way to do this is to Juice/veg. fast for a couple of days (there are programs online for free, but you don't have to go really drastic with this; just a couple of days), and then be sure that you drink a ton of water throughout the day. Try to each clean as well (organic if possible)

The reason this is important is because our food today has high toxicity. As a defense, our body stores toxins in fat cells. This can make fat loss really difficult, and you can actually get sick if you loose fat too fast and you have high toxicity in the fat cells. This is because it gets released into the blood stream, and then gets put out as waste.

Body cleansing reduces your toxicity, and clears your digestive/intestinal tracts for better absorbtion of nutrients and discarding of toxins.

I believe that a large reason for our obesity rates is the high toxicity of our foods, and fat storage as a natural defense mech. for this.

Any questions on this, I'll have to answer later on.

Thanks I was thinking about doing this to give my body a little boost.

you have any sites that you would recommend I look at?

When you say fast, does that mean no food period?

What did you mean by this line?

Try to each clean as well (organic if possible)

B

 

[jks9199]

Thanks for the advice jks and Cruentus.

My goals are weight loss first (about 30-40 pounds) and then to tone everything up. Im on a pretty good workout routine right now. I work out 1.5 hrs every morning 6 days a week and do cardio 3-4 nights a week. Starting in the next week or 2 im going to be lifting in the morning and at night.

It's not a one-then-the-other thing -- and that's not really what you're doing, so you're on the right path, in my opinion.

Improve you muscle tone while working to reduce fat. Think of it as meeting a friend from 100 miles away by both of you going somewhere in the middle... Eat less, but enough to support your muscle mass, and work out. You'll be burning more fuel than you're putting in -- and also adding lean muscle that burns more fuel and raises your metabolism at the same time.

 

[Cruentus]

Thanks I was thinking about doing this to give my body a little boost.

you have any sites that you would recommend I look at?

When you say fast, does that mean no food period?

What did you mean by this line?

B

Sorry for the late reply.

Try this site to start off:

http://www.falconblanco.com/health/fasting.htm

I don't recommend that you fast all the time or as a means to lose weight (although this might be a result). Just do one 3 day or 8 day fast.

It doesn't mean no food. I don't recommend the water only fast. I recommend 3 days of liquids (veg and fruit juice and water), then 5 days of raw foods only (salad, fruit, nuts, etc.) Don't do this alot either. It is purely as a means to clean the body of toxins and clean the digestive system out.

Oh... and by eating "clean," I mean not having overly processed or fast type foods. Fresh "alive" foods like fresh fruits and veg., and fresh meats. Also by eating organic, you are reducing the toxins and making it less likely that you'll store them.

Anyway, good luck...

 

[Lynne]

I eat very healthy but Tang Soo Do actually made me gain weight, not just muscle either. My poor body didn't realize I was already 20 pounds overweight. What's this intense exercise??? Let's save the fat!

It's quite easy to gain weight on healthy foods, by the way, unless one is eating mostly salads. I eat dense calories like beans and whole grains. A four-cup salad is very filling but I'm hungry two hours later if that's all I eat.

For me, it's been very difficult. I need energy to get through my workouts and I'm hungry afterward. The dieting mentality is what made things difficult for me. Should I eat? Should I not eat?

I stopped dieting and the weight finally started coming off. Instead of eating 1500 calories a day, I'm eating closer to 2000. I was starving myself and my body was hanging onto fat. That's the female body for you.

I just ordered a new dobok and I'm down two sizes though the scale is only down about 5 pounds. Well, it's closer to one size down because the doboks run a little large. So, that's down at least one size anyway.

 

[newGuy12]

How about that? And you are right -- if you practice this, you will loose weight, no problem. You don't have to go on a diet, you just must practice, and not eat junky food, no candy, that is useless.

Also, if you wish to loose weight fast, you can eat kimchi, but even if you do not, you will still reach an optimum body mass, as we see is happening in your case!

 

[KempoGuy06]

to me it sounds like you are doing things wrong...no offense. To me it sounds like you arent getting enough protein, fiber, fatty acids and such. it sounds like all you are eating are carbs (salads, whole grains) thats why you may not be loosing weight. The body is not getting the protein it needs to feed the muscles so its getting it from other placesand instead of burn the carbs for energy its storing them.

try to balance things out and I get more protein and fatty acids (cheese) in your diet and I bet you notice a difference

B

 

[turtle]

It's also important to look at your body shape and not just your weight in pounds. You might be gaining muscle, which is denser and weighs more than fat, so you could weigh more (not be losing as fast as you think you should be) but at the same time have a smaller waist and hip size. I tend to go by how my jeans fit rather than what the scale says.

 

[turtle]

Also meant to say - congrats on the progress you're making, sounds like you're on the right track.