Weight - Blog (somewhat)

triRN · Mar 29, 2007

In order to get rid of belly fat you must perform at least 1 hour of cardio, including walking, running, cycling, swimming on most days of the week. Also, diet is huge, if you're not eating right exercise doesn't matter. Try to eat lots of vegetables. I'm not a huge beliver in counting calories, but I think it can be a big eye opener. I used to personal train and I also use this method for myself. Try counting calories for 1 week. It will give you some insight on how many calories you are consuming and how much you need to cut back or if you need to take in more.

Lifting weights is also important, the more muscle mass you have the more calories you can burn.

Hope this helps.

kukukajoo, LPN · May 6, 2007

I HATE cardio with a passion. Several years ago I was able to lose 50# with strictly weight training and kept it off for a few years until I began to have health issues and go to nursing school- my eating habits went out the window! I will be re-joining the gym this spring with my old trainer and used the Body For Life book as a guide and never got to the cardo but ended up very cut and defined.

Also there is a fairly new site I have been going to www.sparkpeople.com that is a wealth of information and encouragement.

I will check in and let everyone know how I am doing once I begin my training- trying to first get thru finals next week!!

llg, PhD, RN · May 6, 2007

I'm a woman ... but here's my story.

I've lost 33 pounds in the past 6.5 months eating a low carb diet. I don't follow a specific formal program, I just gave up those foods that have a high level of carbs and a high glycemic index -- pasta, rice, potatoes, regular bread, sweats, pastry, etc.

I seem to be the classic case described in the books. The weight has melted away quite easily and my fat/cholesterol lab results have improved significantly, too -- even though I eat a moderate amount of fat. I try to be reasonable with the fats, but I do eat eggs, bacon, beef, sausage, gravey etc. or something along those lines once each day. My total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides have all decreased ... and my HDL has increased on this diet.

My doctor is thrilled.

As for exercise, I either do some walking or a 20-minute exercise tape 3 or 4 times per week and lately, I have been doing a little strength training to develop a few muscles, tighten things up, and boost my metabolism.

Good luck.

Rizpah · May 7, 2007

OP - question for you--- do you have co-workers that are constantly talking about their weight, dieting, working out, etc.? If so, maybe listening to this topic is making you doubt that you really are "fine". Medically maybe you are ok, but how do you feel physically? I know myself when I don't exercise regularly, I start to feel sluggish, joints get achy, just feel yucky. But overall, medically, I'm fine too - BP is good, cholesterol was good last time it was checked, people have a hard time keeping up with me as I walk. But the more I hang with people talking about dieting and wt loss, the worse I feel about myself and more guilty too if I'm not working out the way I should, cuz I still have a LONG way to go to reach my goals. God Bless!

psychonaut · May 7, 2007

Would any of you have any questions, tips, hints or inspiration suggestions for me? For some reason I just can't get it in my mind that I'm fine - it's just that I don't think I am. Sharing personal stories would be appreciated too!!

Essential:

height?

weight?

age?

Helpful:

waist circumference?

skinfold measures?

psychonaut · May 7, 2007

In order to get rid of belly fat you must perform at least 1 hour of cardio, including walking, running, cycling, swimming on most days of the week.

hahaha

To lose *any* kind of fat, you need to be in negative energy balance, i.e. consume fewer kcals than you expend. Do it via diet or exercise or (probably ideally) a combination of the two.

Try counting calories for 1 week. It will give you some insight on how many calories you are consuming and how much you need to cut back or if you need to take in more.

that is *very* good advice; fitday.com seems a good choice for this.

Lifting weights is also important, the more muscle mass you have the more calories you can burn.

Skeletal muscle consumes, if I remember correctly, something like 5 kcal/lb (edit: looked up the source, its 30-40 kcal/pound per day). For the vast majority of people, LBM gains will not result in enough of a significant increases to metabolic rate to lead to a reasonable rate of fat loss. Not to say that weight training isn't a very good idea from a health benefit (wrt *maintaining* a certain bf %, peripheral insulin resistance, joint and bone health, the beach, etc. etc.), but caloric control is still going to be your best route for fat loss.

Vandaltriathlete · May 7, 2007

Interesting reply by psychonaut....but how was that any different than what TriRN said. Sometimes more simplified advice is more beneficial than big words and research done via the internet. I have a Masters in Exercise Science and personal trained for three years while in college and I think antidote would be better off listening to the basics of weight loss than getting confused and discouraged like I have seen so many people do when getting too complex of advice on healthy living.

psychonaut · May 8, 2007

Interesting reply by psychonaut....but how was that any different than what TriRN said. Sometimes more simplified advice is more beneficial than big words and research done via the internet. I have a Masters in Exercise Science and personal trained for three years while in college and I think antidote would be better off listening to the basics of weight loss than getting confused and discouraged like I have seen so many people do when getting too complex of advice on healthy living.

Fair enough, although I will note that the OP is an RN, and thus it can be assumed they are educated in human anatomy and physiology at a level above the general population.

What really caught my eye was "In order to get rid of belly fat you must perform at least 1 hour of cardio, including walking, running, cycling, swimming on most days of the week." I reacted to "belly fat" (i.e. spot reduction) and "you must...at least."

Sure, I realize that is just a way to say "it is a good idea to create a daily caloric deficit through some form of aerobic exercise." But really, 1hr+ per day of running in a possibly untrained individual is not the same as 1hr total low-intensity cardio (e.g. walking).

Also, I've seen too many people get caught up in the idea of increased LBM raising metabolic rate. Certainly, an untrained obese individual can possibly gain a bit of muscle while losing fat, but not enough to significantly boost the amount of calories burned per day.

In the end, my advice is simplicity itself, and nothing at all groundbreaking: eat less, move more. The sad fact is that the former is far more important than the latter. Stated simply, to lose fat, you are going to have to eat less. Exercise can give you a little more leeway.

[i also want to make very clear that the above is related to exercise for fat loss; obviously, regular aerobic and weight-bearing exercise has many, many health and wellness benefits, including *maintenance* of the desired body weight]

potterific_student · Feb 20, 2008

if your problem is how to maintain/lose wieght, mine's the other way around. i have problems on gaining weight. i'm 21, male and rarely does exercise but has an active lifestyle. i do walk a lot (if u would count it as an exercise). the last time i checked on my weight i was

do you have any other ideas how can i gain weight or at least tone my body????