Eat Less, Move more!! - why is it so difficult for people? (low carb, cardio)
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Sugar is carbohydrate....carbohydrates are essential to the human body in the form of energy. Remove sugars (carbs) completely and you wont be in too good of shape for long (in particular since your brain uses glucose for fuel).
For fast food...it has more to do with the fact that fast food items are packed with calories...even though the portions may be small. A Big Mac alone is what, half a days worth of calories....
Not all carbohydrates are created equal. You don't have to consume excess sugar in order to get carbohydrates.
The only foods that I know of that do not have carbs are unprocessed meats and fats. Everything else has them.
Weight loss is absolutely dependent on reducing energy intake below what is used for daily needs.
If you are gaining weight, you are consuming too much food. It does not matter whether it is carbohydrate, fat, or protein. The excess will be stored as fat.
You can decrease carbs to lose weight or decrease fat or decrease protein, or you can just decrease portion size and decrease all three. Increasing activity means you will either lose more rapidly or you will be able to eat a bit more and lose more slowly.
If your weight is stable, you are consuming what you are burning.
If you are gaining weight, you are consuming more than you are burning.
To lose weight, you will need to create a calorie deficit, and if you are gaining when you start trying to lose, you will need to create a bigger deficit than you would if you were overweight but not gaining.
The best way to create a deficit is to first eliminate foods that do not have significant nutritional benefits but do have significant calories, such as beverages sweetened with sugar and desserts, which usually have both sugar and fat. Many people who eat a normal mixed diet that includes fruits, vegetables and meats will then do well by increasing the vegetables, limiting fruits, and limiting meat to about a 3 ounce serving.
I have not seen any evidence that artificial sweeteners are dangerous, and if they help people cut sugar, then I think that is valuable. Certainly replacing sweet beverages with just plain water is an excellent option.
I am convinced that this country's obesity problem is fueled by the restaurant industry. We begin to believe that the enormous quantity of food they serve as a meal for a single diner is a portion of food. It is not.
I had the privilege recently to eat at a Seasons 52 Restaurant in Atlanta, GA. All of the entrees are under 475 calories. I had trout with new potatoes and steamed veggies. While our family group waited on the entrees, we shared a basket of crispbread --- each person had one piece. We shared one bottle of wine --- each person had one glass. And most of us had dessert, which is served in a tiny glass and is only three or four bites (one source says 250 calories or less.)
I figure my entire meal came in at about 900 calories. Skipping everything except the entree would have cut that in half, and I could have added a salad with balsamic vinaigrette to get a little more food for only a few more calories.
The restaurant was packed, by the way. There are a lot of people who would prefer to eat this way.
To lose weight you have to create a calorie deficit. As Lao says, eat less and move more.
Weight loss is absolutely dependent on reducing energy intake below what is used for daily needs.
If you are gaining weight, you are consuming too much food. It does not matter whether it is carbohydrate, fat, or protein. The excess will be stored as fat.
You can decrease carbs to lose weight or decrease fat or decrease protein, or you can just decrease portion size and decrease all three. Increasing activity means you will either lose more rapidly or you will be able to eat a bit more and lose more slowly.
If your weight is stable, you are consuming what you are burning.
If you are gaining weight, you are consuming more than you are burning.
To lose weight, you will need to create a calorie deficit, and if you are gaining when you start trying to lose, you will need to create a bigger deficit than you would if you were overweight but not gaining.
The best way to create a deficit is to first eliminate foods that do not have significant nutritional benefits but do have significant calories, such as beverages sweetened with sugar and desserts, which usually have both sugar and fat. Many people who eat a normal mixed diet that includes fruits, vegetables and meats will then do well by increasing the vegetables, limiting fruits, and limiting meat to about a 3 ounce serving.
I have not seen any evidence that artificial sweeteners are dangerous, and if they help people cut sugar, then I think that is valuable. Certainly replacing sweet beverages with just plain water is an excellent option.
I am convinced that this country's obesity problem is fueled by the restaurant industry. We begin to believe that the enormous quantity of food they serve as a meal for a single diner is a portion of food. It is not.
I had the privilege recently to eat at a Seasons 52 Restaurant in Atlanta, GA. All of the entrees are under 475 calories. I had trout with new potatoes and steamed veggies. While our family group waited on the entrees, we shared a basket of crispbread --- each person had one piece. We shared one bottle of wine --- each person had one glass. And most of us had dessert, which is served in a tiny glass and is only three or four bites (one source says 250 calories or less.)
I figure my entire meal came in at about 900 calories. Skipping everything except the entree would have cut that in half, and I could have added a salad with balsamic vinaigrette to get a little more food for only a few more calories.
The restaurant was packed, by the way. There are a lot of people who would prefer to eat this way.
To lose weight you have to create a calorie deficit. As Lao says, eat less and move more.
Your post is excellent. The basic math is burn more than you consume if you want to lose weight. If you eat nutrient, fiber dense foods all the better. Eat good fats and drink plenty of water. Stay away from junk food and chain restaurants as much as possible. I am fortunate to live in a place that has almost zero chain restaurants. This area is known for its culinary excellence so the restaurants here make their meals from fresh, whole ingredients. I know that is not the same for most places in America where strip malls and Applebees are everywhere. People need to know how to make good choices when dining out. And exercise in non negotiable for everyone! Get out there and move your body somehow some way. If you need to lose weight up the intensity. A leisurely stroll around the neighborhood is not going to burn any calories.
Your post is excellent. The basic math is burn more than you consume if you want to lose weight. If you eat nutrient, fiber dense foods all the better. Eat good fats and drink plenty of water. Stay away from junk food and chain restaurants as much as possible. I am fortunate to live in a place that has almost zero chain restaurants. This area is known for its culinary excellence so the restaurants here make their meals from fresh, whole ingredients. I know that is not the same for most places in America where strip malls and Applebees are everywhere. People need to know how to make good choices when dining out. And exercise in non negotiable for everyone! Get out there and move your body somehow some way. If you need to lose weight up the intensity. A leisurely stroll around the neighborhood is not going to burn any calories.
Thanks!
I have to disagree about the leisurely stroll around the neighborhood, though. For some people, doing more than that, especially if their overall level of fitness is low, may not be a good idea. They may have to start with the stroll and work up. They will burn calories, and the distance covered has more to do with it than the speed. Running at 5 mph burns more than walking at 4 mph, but not as much as you might think. It is also a function of body weight and lean muscle mass. As a previous poster pointed out, plateaus happen because you have to adjust diet and exercise for a lower weight to keep losing.
Here's a chart for the calories burned for different activities.
Again, you can keep the meal under control if you skip appetizer and alcohol and dessert.
Another problem with restaurant meals can be too much sodium. Avoiding sauces and asking for no salt to be added in cooking can help some with that.
You really have to be aware of what a portion is. If a restaurant meal is more than one portion, either divide it and take some home or share an entree.
I have to disagree about the leisurely stroll around the neighborhood, though. For some people, doing more than that, especially if their overall level of fitness is low, may not be a good idea. They may have to start with the stroll and work up. They will burn calories, and the distance covered has more to do with it than the speed. Running at 5 mph burns more than walking at 4 mph, but not as much as you might think. It is also a function of body weight and lean muscle mass. As a previous poster pointed out, plateaus happen because you have to adjust diet and exercise for a lower weight to keep losing.
Here's a chart for the calories burned for different activities.
Again, you can keep the meal under control if you skip appetizer and alcohol and dessert.
Another problem with restaurant meals can be too much sodium. Avoiding sauces and asking for no salt to be added in cooking can help some with that.
You really have to be aware of what a portion is. If a restaurant meal is more than one portion, either divide it and take some home or share an entree.
You are right about the leisurely stroll as long as it is a starting point. I see way too many people at my gym who are the same size they were when they started and all they do is get on the treadmill and set it to a low number and just go through the paces. For some folks it may be all they can do because of medical reasons, but for others at some point you need to increase the intensity if the goal is weight loss. There is something to no pain no gain in that you have to be willing to push through some comfort zones to realize a goal. The rewards though are limitless.
Some of those chain restaurants do offer reduced calorie meals but as you said the sodium is through the roof. So I do not know how much of a benefit people are getting.
I ate at some chain roadhouse BBQ place when I was traveling last summer. I just had a few bites, my husband and I split a meal. And we were both so thirsty all day long. It was a relentless thirst. We attributed it to all the sodium that must have been in our meal. If people have other choices besides the chain places they will be much better off. The food is of poor quality and either fat and/or sodium laced.
You are right about the leisurely stroll as long as it is a starting point. I see way too many people at my gym who are the same size they were when they started and all they do is get on the treadmill and set it to a low number and just go through the paces. For some folks it may be all they can do because of medical reasons, but for others at some point you need to increase the intensity if the goal is weight loss.
You're not keeping track of what these people are eating, and what their activities are when they're NOT at the gym. It's very easy to jump to conclusions when you see people at the gym, because it's easy to assume they're there, because they're trying to get fit. And then you can extend that assumption, by also assuming that they're eating healthy and low-cal or low-carb or weight watchers or whatever the latest trend is in weight loss dieting.
Huge problem with that.
See that lady on the treadmill? That middle-aged woman with the saggy boobs and muffin tops and love handles and saddle-hips? Figure she's what, 180 pounds, buck naked and soaking wet, and only 5'7" if she's an inch.
And there she is, at the gym, doing her 3.4mph stroll on the treadmill for 90 minutes. She even has the incline set at 2, so that's around 350 calories burned per hour - 475 calories burned, just from the treadmill alone.
Problem is, she made up for it at lunch 2 hours later, when she ordered the Double Whopper with Cheese (no pickles, no ketchup), small fry, and a diet coke. It was the dulce de leche pie she ate for dessert that blew TOMORROW's 90 minute stroll right out of the ballfield.
That's a big problem (pun intended) with judging people by what you observe. If you're not observing them all the time, you're probably missing something.
You are right about the leisurely stroll as long as it is a starting point. I see way too many people at my gym who are the same size they were when they started and all they do is get on the treadmill and set it to a low number and just go through the paces. For some folks it may be all they can do because of medical reasons, but for others at some point you need to increase the intensity if the goal is weight loss. There is something to no pain no gain in that you have to be willing to push through some comfort zones to realize a goal. The rewards though are limitless.
Some of those chain restaurants do offer reduced calorie meals but as you said the sodium is through the roof. So I do not know how much of a benefit people are getting.
I ate at some chain roadhouse BBQ place when I was traveling last summer. I just had a few bites, my husband and I split a meal. And we were both so thirsty all day long. It was a relentless thirst. We attributed it to all the sodium that must have been in our meal. If people have other choices besides the chain places they will be much better off. The food is of poor quality and either fat and/or sodium laced.
If you are exercising for weight control, the more you do, the more you will lose. The number of miles you walk will be more important than how fast you cover the distance. All your daily activity will add up, even things like yard work and cleaning house. You can choose to park farther from the door to the store. You can walk a few laps inside the mall if you go there to shop. I have even walked up and down concourses in airports while I was waiting to board an airplane. You can put in some distance at the Atlanta airport, especially if you skip the train and walk from the main terminal to your gate.
For increasing fitness and reducing the risk of heart disease, you have to ramp up the intensity and get your heart rate up.
So the people on the treadmill at low speed may help their weight loss if they stay on the treadmill long enough --- say an hour rather than fifteen minutes.
Eventually, they need to speed it up. I would hope they would take advantage of the staff at the gym to get advice on how to do that.
You're not keeping track of what these people are eating, and what their activities are when they're NOT at the gym. It's very easy to jump to conclusions when you see people at the gym, because it's easy to assume they're there, because they're trying to get fit. And then you can extend that assumption, by also assuming that they're eating healthy and low-cal or low-carb or weight watchers or whatever the latest trend is in weight loss dieting.
Huge problem with that.
See that lady on the treadmill? That middle-aged woman with the saggy boobs and muffin tops and love handles and saddle-hips? Figure she's what, 180 pounds, buck naked and soaking wet, and only 5'7" if she's an inch.
And there she is, at the gym, doing her 3.4mph stroll on the treadmill for 90 minutes. She even has the incline set at 2, so that's around 350 calories burned per hour - 475 calories burned, just from the treadmill alone.
Problem is, she made up for it at lunch 2 hours later, when she ordered the Double Whopper with Cheese (no pickles, no ketchup), small fry, and a diet coke. It was the dulce de leche pie she ate for dessert that blew TOMORROW's 90 minute stroll right out of the ballfield.
That's a big problem (pun intended) with judging people by what you observe. If you're not observing them all the time, you're probably missing something.
Of course it is an assumption and you make a good point. My point however is that the people that I see, and some of them it has been years, is that they never do more. They do the exact same workout at the exact same level for the exact amount of time. And observing and judging are two different things. I never judge people at the gym. I figure as long as they are there they are on the right track.
And maybe these women are perfectly happy with their shape and just enjoy their routine. But in order to lose weight one needs to up the intensity and not do the same thing over and over where the body is not challenged at all.
If you are exercising for weight control, the more you do, the more you will lose. The number of miles you walk will be more important than how fast you cover the distance. All your daily activity will add up, even things like yard work and cleaning house. You can choose to park farther from the door to the store. You can walk a few laps inside the mall if you go there to shop. I have even walked up and down concourses in airports while I was waiting to board an airplane. You can put in some distance at the Atlanta airport, especially if you skip the train and walk from the main terminal to your gate.
For increasing fitness and reducing the risk of heart disease, you have to ramp up the intensity and get your heart rate up.
So the people on the treadmill at low speed may help their weight loss if they stay on the treadmill long enough --- say an hour rather than fifteen minutes.
Eventually, they need to speed it up. I would hope they would take advantage of the staff at the gym to get advice on how to do that.
It really depends on how many calories one is burning. A body adapts and becomes more efficient. That is why it is essential to up the intensity. Running is going to give you a much better calorie burn than walking twice as far. Or walking at a quicker pace. Pumping arms and getting the heart going.
If someone is trying to lose weight they need to challenge themselves. A stroll is just not going to cut it.
A stroll, if it's a challenge, will cut it. It's as you said, Luckydog. They need to challenge themselves. For some people, walking for a couple of blocks IS a challenge. My dad can't walk more than half a block without stopping. My mom can't go more than two blocks, and that's only if she goes at a leisurely pace of maybe 2.4MPH. They claim it's because they're old (they're in their late 70's). But I know it's just an excuse. They're unfit because they've rejected physical exertion in exchange for driving down the block to the clubhouse to play bridge. Their idea of an "active" community, is meeting half the neighborhood in the clubhouse on Pizza night and watching a movie together. Or picking up their friends and going to the all-you-can-eat senior special buffet.
That's what happens to people who refuse to exercise when they're able. They cease to be able to exercise, because their bodies just can't handle the physical challenge of simple movement. Mom even gave up swimming because it was too stressful. It's pretty sad, but there's nothing I can do about it other than to vehemently refuse to follow in her footsteps.
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