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sobriqueOK, so dieting is a subject that some of you gits won't be aware of, being quite able to stuff your face with pie all day, and never have to care.
For everyone else, the need to 'manage' the body becomes relevant.
So here's a few things that's useful to know if you're planning to try and control your weight.
All the diet plans out there boil down to 1 thing.
Energy in = Energy out.
Daily at rest, the _average_ man uses 2500 calories. The average woman uses 2000.
It's as simple as that.
Well, actually not quite.
All the diets you'll see out there have a kind of 'don't eat this, do eat that, count how much' kind of system. It works, but frankly I find that a little too ... well dumbed down.
You see, imagine a fire. You pile it with fuel. It blazes up, and then dies down.
But the embers can last all night, and as fuel runs low, it burns more slowly (and gives out less heat).
Your body is a quite advanced mechanism that's very good at not dying.
When 'fuel' is low, it throttles back. You'll be tired, and low on energy, because it's 'conserving'.
So basically, if you cut back too far on your energy intake, you won't lose weight (much) - your body'll just save energy, meaning you're using less overall.
Worse still, is your body is really very efficient - it can use fat or protein as 'fuel' for energy conversion - fat is available from fatty tissue, protein is available from your muscle mass. So you will lose muscle tissue as well as fat.
Now, muscles _at rest_ use energy. Pretty much all your muscles 'oppose' each other or 'balance'. So at rest, there's a small amount of tension, burning energy. (That's why even when laying comatose, you need energy to keep going - your heart obviously needs to keep going, but so do all the other muscles).
If you starve, then your body _will_ convert all that handy protein into energy. That'll reduce your weight, short term (muscle tissue is actually fairly heavy). Problem is, you'll also reduce your 'resting' energy usage, meaning you'll probably end up replacing the whole lot with fat.
The other problem is your body likes to store surplus energy. If you eat a sugar cube or two, your blood sugar will increase quickly. You'll be a bit hyper for a short while, and then your body will 'stash' those sugars for later use. And annoyingly, go back to 'conserving' energy too.
Carbohydrates all suffer this problem, to a greater or lesser extent. Sugar and alcohol especially, can be converted quickly, and then get 'stashed' right afterwards. "light" carbohydrates such as white bread, normal pasta are similar - they are slower to convert into glucose to run the body, but they're still 'quick' in the grand scheme of things. Fibrous carbohydrates (brown bread, wholegrain pasta, bran) are slower releasing, meaning you 'run' at an even pace.
Fats and proteins are actually better still from that point of view - they release slower, again, giving a steady fuel to the day to day operation of your body.
The reason diets have 'no fat/low fat' in them is two reasons. One is general heath - fat tends to include cholesterol, which in quantity is bad. The other is that fat has a very high energy density. One of the reasons that your body stores energy as fat, is exactly that reason. It's about 9kcal per gram of fat. (Yes, if you eat that 500gram block of lard, thats 4500 calories, which is enough to live for nearly 3 days)
(Carbohydrates and Proteins are about 4kcal/gram)
Now, if you're keeping track of calories, that's just another number to add in. But the problem is, if you do that, you'll probably feel hungry. In general terms, per mouthful/bellyful you get _way_ more energy out of a greasy pizza than you do from cucumber slices.
But other than that, it doesn't matter. So whilst a lovely chocolate mousse might appeal, then by all means eat it. Just balance the 'rest' around it (eat some protein beforehand, for example).
The same is true of beer unfortunately (much though I wish it wasn't). Whilst technically calories wise, beer has a reasonable amount, they're all fast-ish releasing. Worse still the 'energy density' is actually fairly high too (It's fairly easy to consume a day's calories in a few hours at a pub).
OK, so basically, that should probably make clear to you why 'diets' don't actually do a lot of good. Reduce your calories, costs you muscle tissue, reducing your energy levels, and 'conserving' calories. A reasonable amount to 'cut back' by is 500kcal or less.
Sugary stuff, and 'light' carbohydrates (and beer :/) are good for a swift boost of energy, but don't help 'sustained' activity (e.g. a day at work) unless you want to run on a drip.
Fiberous carbohydrates/Protein and to a lesser extent, fat is a much better 'fuel' to run your body on.
And if you want to make it easy? Well, remember what I said about muscle tissue. More muscle tissue means more energy used at baseline. He-Man gets to eat all the pie. But even if that image doesn't appeal, there's still a lot of scope in the average person to develop muscle tissue - change squidgy bits around the body to firmer bits.
Building muscle isn't all that easy, especially when trying to lose weight - exercise damages the tissue. Your body has to repair. If you're low on 'fuel' it has a harder job (or may just not bother, to save energy).
Now, exercising regularly is very useful for this, and ... well it's also good to feel healthy. Problem I always have is frankly, 90% of the 'do stuff in a gym' forms of exercise are just too boring. The 'run around in a field' kinds of exercise are seasonal. (OK, you _can_ go running in the driving rain, but your odds of not doing so are considerably lower).
The real important thing, beyond 'muscle groups' is to find something that involves sustained activity that you enjoy. Or at least can 'get along with' well enough that you'll be able to do it several times a week. It doesn't have to be intensively either - 6 hour sessions in the gym don't actually do an awful lot of good. A half hour to an hour is generally enough, provided you 'actually work out'. That means 'things that gets your heart rate up', and generally ends up with you being hot and sticky. (one of the reasons I like swimming, is because you're water cooled during your activity)
Exercise just after eating will make you feel unwell. But similarly, exercise if you don't eat won't work either - you'll just be too tired. If you're going to the gym in the evening, a moderate lunch including plenty of protein, and a steak for afterwards really isn't too bad an idea. You have energy that'll 'run' you for long enough to go afterwards, and then when you're rebuilding the muscles you have a ready supply of protein. (A reasonable guideline is 3 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight)
And then of course, on fridays I go out to the pub and drink beer. But on average, since the start of the year, my weight has been dropping steadily, albeit slowly.
Oh yeah, scales are good for this kind of thing. However it should be remembered that they're a) not very accurate and b) your weight will change up and down from day to day, even during the day. I am almost always a kilo or so heavier in the evening than I am in the morning. So just aim to do the measurement at the same point each day. I find just before showering, first thing in the morning is a good point.
And then learn to ignore your scales - cutting back food because it told you you'd gained a kilo is counter productive. Grab a spreadsheet, and track a weekly rolling average (Average over a block of 7 cells, and fill that cell down should mean you're averaging over a 'rolling' block) if that number is going down, you're doing ok. If it's not, then review your balance of calories/exercise.
The same applies, in general terms, if you're looking to gain body mass. Just kinda the other way around :).
Oh, and don't neglect vitamins and minerals. They're easiest to gain from fruit/veg, but vitamin supplements are an option. (Actually not a bad default option, if you're not entirely sure if you're getting enough)
For everyone else, the need to 'manage' the body becomes relevant.
So here's a few things that's useful to know if you're planning to try and control your weight.
All the diet plans out there boil down to 1 thing.
Energy in = Energy out.
Daily at rest, the _average_ man uses 2500 calories. The average woman uses 2000.
It's as simple as that.
Well, actually not quite.
All the diets you'll see out there have a kind of 'don't eat this, do eat that, count how much' kind of system. It works, but frankly I find that a little too ... well dumbed down.
You see, imagine a fire. You pile it with fuel. It blazes up, and then dies down.
But the embers can last all night, and as fuel runs low, it burns more slowly (and gives out less heat).
Your body is a quite advanced mechanism that's very good at not dying.
When 'fuel' is low, it throttles back. You'll be tired, and low on energy, because it's 'conserving'.
So basically, if you cut back too far on your energy intake, you won't lose weight (much) - your body'll just save energy, meaning you're using less overall.
Worse still, is your body is really very efficient - it can use fat or protein as 'fuel' for energy conversion - fat is available from fatty tissue, protein is available from your muscle mass. So you will lose muscle tissue as well as fat.
Now, muscles _at rest_ use energy. Pretty much all your muscles 'oppose' each other or 'balance'. So at rest, there's a small amount of tension, burning energy. (That's why even when laying comatose, you need energy to keep going - your heart obviously needs to keep going, but so do all the other muscles).
If you starve, then your body _will_ convert all that handy protein into energy. That'll reduce your weight, short term (muscle tissue is actually fairly heavy). Problem is, you'll also reduce your 'resting' energy usage, meaning you'll probably end up replacing the whole lot with fat.
The other problem is your body likes to store surplus energy. If you eat a sugar cube or two, your blood sugar will increase quickly. You'll be a bit hyper for a short while, and then your body will 'stash' those sugars for later use. And annoyingly, go back to 'conserving' energy too.
Carbohydrates all suffer this problem, to a greater or lesser extent. Sugar and alcohol especially, can be converted quickly, and then get 'stashed' right afterwards. "light" carbohydrates such as white bread, normal pasta are similar - they are slower to convert into glucose to run the body, but they're still 'quick' in the grand scheme of things. Fibrous carbohydrates (brown bread, wholegrain pasta, bran) are slower releasing, meaning you 'run' at an even pace.
Fats and proteins are actually better still from that point of view - they release slower, again, giving a steady fuel to the day to day operation of your body.
The reason diets have 'no fat/low fat' in them is two reasons. One is general heath - fat tends to include cholesterol, which in quantity is bad. The other is that fat has a very high energy density. One of the reasons that your body stores energy as fat, is exactly that reason. It's about 9kcal per gram of fat. (Yes, if you eat that 500gram block of lard, thats 4500 calories, which is enough to live for nearly 3 days)
(Carbohydrates and Proteins are about 4kcal/gram)
Now, if you're keeping track of calories, that's just another number to add in. But the problem is, if you do that, you'll probably feel hungry. In general terms, per mouthful/bellyful you get _way_ more energy out of a greasy pizza than you do from cucumber slices.
But other than that, it doesn't matter. So whilst a lovely chocolate mousse might appeal, then by all means eat it. Just balance the 'rest' around it (eat some protein beforehand, for example).
The same is true of beer unfortunately (much though I wish it wasn't). Whilst technically calories wise, beer has a reasonable amount, they're all fast-ish releasing. Worse still the 'energy density' is actually fairly high too (It's fairly easy to consume a day's calories in a few hours at a pub).
OK, so basically, that should probably make clear to you why 'diets' don't actually do a lot of good. Reduce your calories, costs you muscle tissue, reducing your energy levels, and 'conserving' calories. A reasonable amount to 'cut back' by is 500kcal or less.
Sugary stuff, and 'light' carbohydrates (and beer :/) are good for a swift boost of energy, but don't help 'sustained' activity (e.g. a day at work) unless you want to run on a drip.
Fiberous carbohydrates/Protein and to a lesser extent, fat is a much better 'fuel' to run your body on.
And if you want to make it easy? Well, remember what I said about muscle tissue. More muscle tissue means more energy used at baseline. He-Man gets to eat all the pie. But even if that image doesn't appeal, there's still a lot of scope in the average person to develop muscle tissue - change squidgy bits around the body to firmer bits.
Building muscle isn't all that easy, especially when trying to lose weight - exercise damages the tissue. Your body has to repair. If you're low on 'fuel' it has a harder job (or may just not bother, to save energy).
Now, exercising regularly is very useful for this, and ... well it's also good to feel healthy. Problem I always have is frankly, 90% of the 'do stuff in a gym' forms of exercise are just too boring. The 'run around in a field' kinds of exercise are seasonal. (OK, you _can_ go running in the driving rain, but your odds of not doing so are considerably lower).
The real important thing, beyond 'muscle groups' is to find something that involves sustained activity that you enjoy. Or at least can 'get along with' well enough that you'll be able to do it several times a week. It doesn't have to be intensively either - 6 hour sessions in the gym don't actually do an awful lot of good. A half hour to an hour is generally enough, provided you 'actually work out'. That means 'things that gets your heart rate up', and generally ends up with you being hot and sticky. (one of the reasons I like swimming, is because you're water cooled during your activity)
Exercise just after eating will make you feel unwell. But similarly, exercise if you don't eat won't work either - you'll just be too tired. If you're going to the gym in the evening, a moderate lunch including plenty of protein, and a steak for afterwards really isn't too bad an idea. You have energy that'll 'run' you for long enough to go afterwards, and then when you're rebuilding the muscles you have a ready supply of protein. (A reasonable guideline is 3 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight)
And then of course, on fridays I go out to the pub and drink beer. But on average, since the start of the year, my weight has been dropping steadily, albeit slowly.
Oh yeah, scales are good for this kind of thing. However it should be remembered that they're a) not very accurate and b) your weight will change up and down from day to day, even during the day. I am almost always a kilo or so heavier in the evening than I am in the morning. So just aim to do the measurement at the same point each day. I find just before showering, first thing in the morning is a good point.
And then learn to ignore your scales - cutting back food because it told you you'd gained a kilo is counter productive. Grab a spreadsheet, and track a weekly rolling average (Average over a block of 7 cells, and fill that cell down should mean you're averaging over a 'rolling' block) if that number is going down, you're doing ok. If it's not, then review your balance of calories/exercise.
The same applies, in general terms, if you're looking to gain body mass. Just kinda the other way around :).
Oh, and don't neglect vitamins and minerals. They're easiest to gain from fruit/veg, but vitamin supplements are an option. (Actually not a bad default option, if you're not entirely sure if you're getting enough)
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no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 11:54 am (UTC)Plus you'll save money and help the environment.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 02:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 11:57 am (UTC)The alcohol thing does make things rather hard, and I'm sure when I'm on a diet about half my calories are dark red and come in a glass. But if I lost the weight once, I can lose it again.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:24 pm (UTC)Then, by 'counting' that for a daily limit, you'll also probably find that you're more tired and sleep more, reducing the amount you use overall. And probably end up converting muscle tissue into energy in preference, so whilst weight loss is happening, the ratio of fat is actually increasing.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 11:58 am (UTC)Diets don't work.
What needs to be done is an entire alteration of the attitude towards food and the reasons behind it. I work with a lot of people wanting to loose weight and once we get started it is always about issues, food is a very compliated matter that represents many many aspects of a persons life and is one of the greatest symbols, it comes to represent security, activity, wealth, love, comfort, obediance, the need to be seen or not seen, to be kept safe, and well to be honest the list goes on and on. You never know until you start working with someone. The trick is to identify what eating represents for the individual and take it form there.
A couple of tips to help are never eat after 7pm and ALWAYS leave a little bit of food on the plate even if it is just a forkfull. The worse custom we have in the west is "clearing your plate" in a society where the larger the portion you give a person the greater your generosity (and wealth) and the "nicer" person you are, this is the greatest culprit fo over eating and obesity .
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 03:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 04:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 05:22 pm (UTC)The trick is rather than to play games with 'what you eat to lose weight' instead to alter 'what you eat normally'.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:29 pm (UTC)I think I've done 'em all by now. Slimming World, Herbalife, Low Fat, Low Carb, Low Calerie, Cabbage Soup....
Still over 15 stone.
However thanks to a visit to a certain hypnotherapist my latent bulemic tendencies (which came up when I was very stressed) were blown out the water, which helped alot, I just had to deal with everything else.
'Diets' make me bloody stressed and I can't cope with 'em.
I am now following the infamous habits of thin people, which is being truly in touch with what your body NEEDS, and learning the difference between physical hunger, and emotional hunger, ie when you are sad, bored, stressed etc. Going well so far but time will tell.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 12:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 01:57 pm (UTC)Her recipe for this? Lots of home cooked fresh food, especially steamed veg, fruit, tea (no sugar) and tonic water, plus moderate amounts of alcohol. And plenty of gentle exercise in the fresh air. She has never counted calories or done any other form of diet in her life. She says "eat what you want, when you want, but in moderation". She looks a good 10 years younger than she really is, and despite always having a healthy light tan, has the most fantastic skin.
Its all about making the right choices to suit you. If you put weight on just by looking at a cream cake (e.g. my super slim sister), then just don't eat cream cakes very often. If, like me, you build muscle and lose fat quickly compared to most folk, then you can afford to be a bit more careless with your diet. It all boils down to common sense. Mum knows best :)
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 03:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 06:10 pm (UTC)Me... on getting a job i started eating more regularly and somewhat overdoing it on the sweets. After the inital weight gain of about 5kg I found another plataue on which i have been for two years now. I am noticing slightly rounder edges though and tighter trousers. Then again I have slowly been moving towards a more balanced diet, even if it may not be much healthier.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 07:32 pm (UTC)you should only wear leather trousers if you are riding a motorcycle, or are female. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 06:51 pm (UTC)With this in mind something else to be warey of is the use of the actual words "diet" and "loss".
Diet implies depriving the body of food which can make the subconscious panic and rebel by boosting cravings so you eat more.
Loss means to loose something. When you loose something you generally want it back so telling your subconsious that your "loosing" weight makes it a little jittery.
So thinking along the lines of "new eating patterns to rid yourself of excess fat" helps reprogram the brain.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 10:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 10:27 pm (UTC)How's about some tactical lj-cuts?!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-22 10:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 12:22 am (UTC)Good post BTW.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-24 12:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-24 06:27 pm (UTC)I tend to work in kilos these days though, simply because I like working in base 10
no subject
Date: 2006-02-25 01:36 am (UTC)Metric all just fits together better though.