No name title

[terryl965]

Here over the last couple of months I have been training three times a day, in which time I have lost 12 pounds and three inches in my waist, here lies the problem, my calorie in take is about 1200 a day and I only drink water. Wearing a thermol suite when working out twice a day to get rid of the water build up. Should I not be seeing better results by now, I mean these fighter loose 10-12 lbs in a day by sweating it out how come I'am not? I sit in a sauna for two hours in 30 minutes cycles four times a day as well. any help is appreciated, need to be at 190 by National in July currently 217 and hopefully dropping.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Here over the last couple of months I have been training three times a day, in which time I have lost 12 pounds and three inches in my waist, here lies the problem, my calorie in take is about 1200 a day and I only drink water. Wearing a thermol suite when working out twice a day to get rid of the water build up. Should I not be seeing better results by now, I mean these fighter loose 10-12 lbs in a day by sweating it out how come I'am not? I sit in a sauna for two hours in 30 minutes cycles four times a day as well. any help is appreciated, need to be at 190 by National in July currently 217 and hopefully dropping.

First off good for you Terry. Twelve pounds is great.

You are doing it right by taking it off slowly rather than too much at one time. You have all of May, June and some of July so just keep working at it and keep the caloric intake down and stay hydrated. Focus and keep going and you will make it.

Personally shaving to much weight right before a match is a pain so stay on your long term approach and you will do fine.

As to the workout's that you are having. Change them up and have some variety. Cycling, grappling, running, swimming (always a favorite of mine) plus jump rope, pylometrics, etc. If you stop seeing results in the next couple of weeks (meaning no weight loss) then find a personal trainer to push you these last couple of months. Personal trainers can add a spark to your workout because you have a coach right there to push you and tell you when you are not working hard enough.

If the above fails just make the wife mad as then you will have to run!

(nothing beats panic induced sprints :rofl

 

[Flying Crane]

Terry, be careful with the thermal suits. I personally would not recommend them. You are losing water weight, which is replaced when you take your next drink of water. The thing is, you need the water. By losing a lot of water weight, you are risking becoming dehydrated and that can be dangerous. And loss of weight thru loss of water is meaningless in the long run. You want to burn off excess fat, that is what is meaningful in the long run.

Like Brian stated, losing it gradually is much more healthy and makes it easier to keep it off. If you lose it quickly, you will gain it back with a vengeance as soon as you slack a little bit in your training schedule.

Eat a quality diet, don't starve yourself. Get good nutrition, but eliminate excess calories, and limit complex carbs like bread, pasta and rice. Because of how your body uses this stuff and breaks it down, it is what can end up being deposited on your body "for a rainy day". But if that "rainy day" never comes, it just sits there as extra fat. Steady and consistent exercise, in effect having an active lifestyle, is what keeps your metabolism high and makes weight loss easier and more permanent. But you have to keep it up to make the results last.

Get in the habit of walking regularly, whenever you can. Walk in the morning, or after work, or to and from work, etc. Make sure your body MOVES frequently. Then, when your basic lifestyle is active, when you train regularly on top of that, coupled with appropriate nutrition, you will see the kind of steady and quality weight loss that you want.\

Congrats on the progress you have made. It is a real accomplishment.

 

[Flying Crane]

Terry, I want to comment a little further on the Thermal suits and water loss. I don't know a whole lot about these, so I could be mistaken and I invite anyone who knows more to either correct me or verify what I am saying.

I would recommend that nobody use these suits, ever.

However, they do get used, I believe by athletes who need to make weight just before a fight. They need to drop a few pounds just long enough to get thru the weigh-in, so the weight isn't meant to be off for more than a day or so.

Like I stated, there is nothing permanent about this type of weight loss, it is only intended for very very short term effects, and if overdone you can become dehydrated and that can really be dangerous.

I think these approaches to training are hard on your body, and are not good for you at all. I think you should not use the suit. Just keep up an active lifestyle, train regularly, drink plenty of water, and eat a healthy diet. Don't starve yourself.

Good luck!

 

[terryl965]

Terry, I want to comment a little further on the Thermal suits and water loss. I don't know a whole lot about these, so I could be mistaken and I invite anyone who knows more to either correct me or verify what I am saying.

I would recommend that nobody use these suits, ever.

However, they do get used, I believe by athletes who need to make weight just before a fight. They need to drop a few pounds just long enough to get thru the weigh-in, so the weight isn't meant to be off for more than a day or so.

Like I stated, there is nothing permanent about this type of weight loss, it is only intended for very very short term effects, and if overdone you can become dehydrated and that can really be dangerous.

I think these approaches to training are hard on your body, and are not good for you at all. I think you should not use the suit. Just keep up an active lifestyle, train regularly, drink plenty of water, and eat a healthy diet. Don't starve yourself.

Good luck!

Thank you for the advise and don't worry I will not strave, I love food to much. I will also look into the suite and see what I cab find on the internet about them. Thanks

 

[terryl965]

First off good for you Terry. Twelve pounds is great.

You are doing it right by taking it off slowly rather than too much at one time. You have all of May, June and some of July so just keep working at it and keep the caloric intake down and stay hydrated. Focus and keep going and you will make it.

Personally shaving to much weight right before a match is a pain so stay on your long term approach and you will do fine.

As to the workout's that you are having. Change them up and have some variety. Cycling, grappling, running, swimming (always a favorite of mine) plus jump rope, pylometrics, etc. If you stop seeing results in the next couple of weeks (meaning no weight loss) then find a personal trainer to push you these last couple of months. Personal trainers can add a spark to your workout because you have a coach right there to push you and tell you when you are not working hard enough.

If the above fails just make the wife mad as then you will have to run!

(nothing beats panic induced sprints :rofl

Thanks Brian will look into a personal trainer.

 

[charyuop]

In my opinion 1200 calories a day for this much activity is too low. Just a little suggestion, increase calories and number of meals (6 to 8 meals a day would be good). I would go with at least 100 oz. of water a day and of course no salt. The absence of salt will help you getting rid of the excess of water instead of having to wear a thermal suit.
Have a balanced diet (Mediterranean would be great), don't think about skipping any kind of food: meat, fish, planty of vegetables, fruit and carbs (I would go more on potatos and rice, I would skip noodles since it goes through alot of processing). Include a tea spoon of olive oil (extra virgin is excellent) in your daily diet, it is good as salad dressing along with some vinager...but I suggest to have it raw, not cooked. Use of milk up to you...some people says it is good, some says it is not for losing weight. Just know that many vegetables have more calcium than milk or cheese.

I AM NOT A DOCTOR....this is just I regulate myself when I want to lose some weight.

 

[terryl965]

In my opinion 1200 calories a day for this much activity is too low. Just a little suggestion, increase calories and number of meals (6 to 8 meals a day would be good). I would go with at least 100 oz. of water a day and of course no salt. The absence of salt will help you getting rid of the excess of water instead of having to wear a thermal suit.
Have a balanced diet (Mediterranean would be great), don't think about skipping any kind of food: meat, fish, planty of vegetables, fruit and carbs (I would go more on potatos and rice, I would skip noodles since it goes through alot of processing). Include a tea spoon of olive oil (extra virgin is excellent) in your daily diet, it is good as salad dressing along with some vinager...but I suggest to have it raw, not cooked. Use of milk up to you...some people says it is good, some says it is not for losing weight. Just know that many vegetables have more calcium than milk or cheese.

I AM NOT A DOCTOR....this is just I regulate myself when I want to lose some weight.

Thanks I am eating alot of veggies in place of ohter food such as carrot and celery and good old lettuce, thanks

 

[Flying Crane]

Thanks I am eating alot of veggies in place of ohter food such as carrot and celery and good old lettuce, thanks

carrots are good, celery and lettuce don't give you much. Go with things like broccoli, asparagus, spinach, bell peppers of all colors, squash. These are the things that give you a lot of the vitamins you need. Celery and lettuce are mostly fiber, not much for nutrition and will probably leave you feeling hungry.

Salt should be used in moderation for many reasons, including the possibility of developing high blood pressure. However, salt is essential in your diet. Like potassium (found in bananas and pistachios) it is an electrolyte, and plays a roll in the proper firing of nerve cells and other essential bodily functions on a micro level. If you sweat a lot you are also losing your electrolytes, and if done excessively this can also be dangerous. Don't overdo the salt, but it's important to not eliminate it either.

 

[terryl965]

carrots are good, celery and lettuce don't give you much. Go with things like broccoli, asparagus, spinach, bell peppers of all colors, squash. These are the things that give you a lot of the vitamins you need. Celery and lettuce are mostly fiber, not much for nutrition and will probably leave you feeling hungry.

Salt should be used in moderation for many reasons, including the possibility of developing high blood pressure. However, salt is essential in your diet. Like potassium (found in bananas and pistachios) it is an electrolyte, and plays a roll in the proper firing of nerve cells and other essential bodily functions on a micro level. If you sweat a lot you are also losing your electrolytes, and if done excessively this can also be dangerous. Don't overdo the salt, but it's important to not eliminate it either.

Great advise as always what about fruit in place of meal how really good is that for you.

 

[Jade Tigress]

You've already been given great advice that I can't add to, but I'd like to say congratulations on your progress so far and good luck in the long run. :asian:

 

[terryl965]

You've already been given great advice that I can't add to, but I'd like to say congratulations on your progress so far and good luck in the long run. :asian:

Thank you

 

[Flying Crane]

Great advise as always what about fruit in place of meal how really good is that for you.

I love fruit. They are good sources of vitamins as well, and give you natural sugar which, I believe, is useful quick energy and doesn't get processed into fat as readily as the complex carbs.

Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit are good for vitamin C, bananas are great sources of potassium which is very important in the firing of nerve cells when you are using muscles in an athletic endeavor.

Peaches, plums, blueberrys, strawberries, raspberries, dates, apples, all great stuff. I like to snack on them throughout the day. I actually make up a tub of fruitsalad, then fill tupperwares and take some to work with me everyday. I put various things in it, lots of berries, grapes, fresh pineapple, melons, mango. Mix it up with a light sprinkling of lemonjuice to help keep it fresh, and it's ready to go. If you eat a lot of fruit you might find that it loosens your bowels a bit, so you might want to adjust how much you eat, but I eat fruit regularly.

 

[Carol]

Hey Terry,

Fat is burned in muscle tissue.

When your caloric intake is too low or your body is put under too much duress, your body catabolizes (eats) its muscle tissue. Catabolic weight loss ulitmately interferes with your body's ability to burn fat.

I'd strongly suggest seeing a personal trainer. Cardio activity for fat loss involves getting your heart rate in a certain range and then exercising steadily to keep it there for a period of time. You must be exercising with your heart rate in that range for 20 minutes before any fat burning takes place.

 

[Kacey]

Terry, everyone who has posted so far is correct - once you lose the first 5-10 pounds of water weight, that's it - you won't lose any more, because it comes back as soon as you drink.

If you eat too little (and 1200 calories a day is way too little if you're training hard) your body will decide it is a famine situation, and will hoard fat for future use - you will burn muscle tissue instead. Muscle tissue is more compact than fat, and burns more calories per gram - you need to build muscle if you want to raise your metabolism, which will help you lose more weight - to build muscle, you have to make sure you eat enough protein from lean meat, legumes (soy beans, peanuts, etc.), beans, and cheese.

You will also get better results upping your exercise in any fashion than sitting in a sauna, as that won't build the muscle you need to increase your metabolism. Walking briskly is great exercise; so is biking (stationary or outdoor), yard work, house work, TKD practice - it doesn't matter what you do, as long as you do it consistently. As has been said, you will need to increase your calorie intake to fuel muscle growth, and to maintain general health.

You should consider talking to your doctor about a diet that would be appropriate for your goals, and what realistic goals would be for you to lose what you want in a realistic, healthy time.

 

[Sukerkin]

Some very good advice from everyone here {I shouldn't be surprised, it's what I've come to expect in my short time at MT :rei:}.

The points about water loss being illusiory, 'sweat suits' being inadvisable and eating too little making weight gain worse are all key highlights.

One thing I didn't see mentioned, perhaps because of delicacy (grin) is the metabolic effects of age.

I'm only three years younger than Terry and since I turned forty I've put on masses of weight - and I mean a lot. I joked about it over at MAP by saying it was as if a switch marked "FLAB - ON" had been flicked. I'd stayed pretty much the same weight all my adult life and now I'm fat .

What to do about it I haven't quite decided. Start smoking again? I think not! Drink less? That's not going to happen.

The primary culprit is actually, believe it or not, my missus. She feeds me as if I'm 6' 6" and all those excess calories have to go somewhere. Combine that with the slowdown of my metabolism and you get ... a growth in waistline from 32" to 36" in three years.

The only cure will be excercise I think - where to find the time is problematic but it has to happen before things really get out of hand.

Anyhow, the emotional precis of all of the above is, don't let it stress you Terry. you're far from alone :tup:.

 

[MBuzzy]

If you are going solely for weight loss, there is a fine line between losing muscle and losing fat. On one hand, muscle is what burns your calories....but the more muscle you have the more you weigh. If you lose the muscle, you will burn less calories, thereby burning less fat....but you will weigh less due to muscle loss.

All I can say, is good luck! The best I've done is when I was eating about 1600 calories a day in about 4-6 small meals and doing elliptical for 60 mins every day. I had stopped lifting weights and all other excercise, except for push ups and sit ups and lost about 20 lbs in 2 months. I had a lot to lose though! Which is another problem, the more you have to lose, the easier it is to lose it!

 

[Last Fearner]

Master Stoker,

Glad to hear about your efforts. I'm doing the same thing. Excellent advice thus far! I concur with those who advise against the thermal suits. First, this is not the kind of weight loss you want or need. Second, there are extreme dangers here. Many people have damaged internal organs and even died from misuse of these types of suits - - risks of heart attacks, cooking your liver, boiling your brain, and other health problems (there are those who really over-do the suits). Any use of these suits are a risk, and mainly work on temporary water loss (like others have said here), so I suggest not at all.

This advice goes for others reading here too in the future. Don't exercise in a sauna, or hot shower room (I know you said you were just sitting in one, but I would do that rarely, also). Sweating profusely to lose weight is very dangerous (on a side note: so is repeated tanning in tanning beds and tanning rooms to get that quick tan - - people have died from that too). For weight loss, slow, steady fat burning exercises are healthy and results last longer. When I was in High School Wrestling in the 70s, the coaches all pushed for weight loss - - "try to make the next lower weight class." They encouraged all the wrong methods (didn't know as much back then as we do now!). You should fight where you are comfortable and healthy, not weak from rapid weight loss.

Get your food intake healthy, and steady. Don't deprive, but don't indulge. Carol Kaur is exactly right! Get your heart rate slightly elevated (not too high - you should be able to breathe, not pant). Run, run, run! If you are not accustomed to running, start with short distances, use a tread mill, or jogging trampoline (rebounder). Skip rope! Weight lift to increase some muscle mass to burn more calories. You will be stronger, and lose the weight. Outdoor cycling is better than stationary (you have to maintain balance and negotiate hills (plus fresh air). Swimming is great exercise, but typically does little for weight loss (but I just love to swim in a pool anyhow).

Remember, what you weigh is not as important as what your body fat percentage is. Bones, muscle, tissue, and some fat is healthy, and all weigh something. Be more concerned with getting fit, and improving your stamina - - for that, you could throw the scales in the garbage!

Good Luck, and maybe I'll see you at the nationals! :ultracool

CM D.J. Eisenhart

 

[tellner]

So far the amphetamine diet seems to be working fine. Thirty pounds in a couple months because I get sick to my stomach when I eat too much. Less weight, less ADHD. Better living through Chemistry! :shrug:

 

[Carol]

Moderator Note:

Thread moved to Health Tips for the Martial Artist


Thank you,

- Carol Kaur -
- MT Moderator -