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  • The dilemma of being overweight

    Good morning sir!

    I have only recently joined this forum and wished to introduce myself personally. My name is xxx xxxx. I live in xxxxx, xxxx. I'm 26. I am also very overweight. This fact , as well as money problems, has kept me from pursuing my undying resolve to become a Martial Artist. I feel as though I am destined to study and excel in Chinese Gong Fu. I have had no formal training in any fighting art. I also eat too much and do not excercise enough. My question is this. Am I perpetuating a fantasy? Am I too old, too fat, too lazy? Am I fit to practise this ancient and beautiful technique , of self awareness and expression, only in my dreams? I apologise if I seem depressed. It is only one of my many ambitions. But if I could somehow find the will and support to pursue this desire, I know in my heart of hearts I could be very good. I have even decided what styles I want to learn ( I realize these may change of course, but for now... whats the harm in fantasizing!). I wish to study Wushu Shaolin style. Shaolin Five-Animal Style. Northern Praying Mantis. Chi Kung. Tai Ji Juan. I wish to learn the use of the staff and spear as well. I know this is alot for someone who has no knowledge of these things, but these styles are what appeal most strongly to me. Sorry to run-on so. Please reply at your conveinience, do not trouble yourself if you do not wish to take the time. I am sorry if I have been offensive or brash or presumptuous.

    Thank you for your time.

    xxxx xxxxx



    Good question. Let's look at someone else that I know real well.

    He's a relatively older gentleman, compared to you, if you want to call him that. Had a bad accident, which, among other things, destroyed his sense of balance. It also ruined his proprioceptive abilities, especially in his right arm (didn't know where his right arm was unless he was able to see it). He suffered three separate strokes over the previous year, which left his right side weak, an injury which left his ability to walk properly impaired. And because of near-constant headaches, he was drinking a lot of Coca Cola during the day. He had discovered that the only thing, other than sleep, that helped him live with his headaches, was Coca Cola. Something to do with the sugar, the caffeine, and that damned secret ingredient that is found only in Coca Cola (Coke was originally an anti-migraine syrup; its creator in the late 1800 suffered from terrible migraines. During the early 1900's, when carbonated beverages started to soar, he made a soda out of it). The problem was, he was drinking upwards of, and over, twenty cans of Coke. Each and every day. That, and the complete lack of physical activity, had it's effect upon him.

    So, from a muscular and kind of lithe 207 pounds, he blossomed, within months, into a 260 pound mass of not very easily movable flesh. Mix that with poor proprioception, and a very poor sense of balance, and you had a martial artist's nightmare.

    But, due to other problems that we won't get into, he felt a need to go to Shaolin to train. So, one October, not certain if he would ever see his friends or family again due to the instability of his neurological condition, he got on a plane and spent over two months in China. One month was spent training, one on one, with a monk. A very understanding monk, one who recognized his problems, and who was patient enough to spend the time with him, to help him with his chronic pain, his lack of balance, strength, and flexibility, and his serious problem of being overweight. Day in and day out, they worked together, slowly but surely, going over the basics, going over forms, learning once again all that he had once known, and had either forgotten, or was completely unable to do. And with some understanding, and time, slowly but surely, he picked up some skills. He developed some flexibility. He regained some strength. He lost weight.

    And by the time he got home, he was about 202 pounds. He moved well. His gong fu had improved. His sense of well being had reappeared. His balance was slightly better, as well as the muscular strength in his right side. He still had chronic severe headaches, but he had a much better attitude to deal with them. He wasn't the perfect picture of the Shaolin martial arts, but, he had learned a fair amount, and had regained a fair amount of lost abilities.


    The physiology of fat

    Let's talk about fat. What it means, what it does, what the problems are, how to get there, and how to get away from it.

    It's a simple concept actually. Forget all of this shit that you read in all of these diet books. Forget carbohydrates, protein, saturated and unsaturated fats. Forget Ornish, vitamins, Dexatrim, forget everything that you get bombarded with on a daily basis about all that girth around the middle. Forget the electronic muscle stimulators and the vibrating waist belts that will give you a six pack, and bigger breasts to boot. Forget all of the shit.

    Let's keep it simple. Caloric intake minus caloric expenditure equals fat storage.

    If you eat a lot, and don't burn it off, you will get fat.

    If you eat a little, and do burn it off, you will lose weight.

    Doesn't matter what the food is. It could be a purely protein diet, with no carbohydrates at all. If your caloric intake exceeds your caloric expenditure, you will store the remaining calories as fat. Though, as we'll see later, there is an energy expenditure cost associated with respect to the kind of foods that you eat.

    Your basal metabolic rate (what you burn at rest on a daily basis), is a bit over two thousand calories, all depending upon your body mass. To be more specific, one formula that can be used to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) would approximately be the following (there are different formulas for men and women, though, they are close):

    Males: BMR = 66.5 + (13.75 x body weight) + (5 x height) - (6.75 x age)

    A few things to notice about your BMR. If your body weight is larger than average, your BMR will be higher than average. Shorter people have lower BMR's than taller people. And, older people have lower BMR's. The components that make up your weight are important too; if you have a lot of muscle, your BMR will increase, because muscle burns more energy than fat. A higher BMR means that you burn a lot more calories than someone with a lower BMR.

    So, if you're old, short, flabby, and fat, you're ****ed.

    Now, to put this into perspective, a pound of body mass is usually gained with an excess of 3500 calories (a calorie is nothing but a measurement tool, to give one a way of describing energy increments, kind of like a "gallon" of gasoline; one calorie is a measure of the energy required to raise one gram of water by one degree centigrade). If you take in 3500 calories more than you expend, you will gain one pound of fat. If you burn five hundred calories more in a day than you eat, you will lose one pound a week. (I've actually gotten to the point during some trips in Shaolin, that I lost one pound each day).

    The type of food you eat will dictate how many calories you ingest. Protein and carbohydrate will give you four calories for each gram that you ingest; fat will give you double that, nine calories for each gram of fat. That's why Baskin Robbins is no good for you. You get more than twice the amount of calories from fat than you do from protein and carbs. And, to make matters worse, ingested fat is the easiest food substance for humans to process into body fat. Turning ingested protein into fat requires a significant amount of energy; if you ingest one hundred calories of protein, you can use upwards of twenty to thirty calories to process that into fat (The end result being, less fat storage). Carbohydrates are easier to process into fat, costing somewhere between ten and twenty percent of the ingested total.

    So, to put this into perspective, if you burned four thousand calories a day (BMR plus exercise), and you ingested four thousand calories of protein a day, you'd actually lose weight. There is an energy cost associated with breaking down the protein chains in your gut and bloodstream. There is an energy loss associated with breaking down fat molecules into something "burnable" by the body, ie, glucose, but, once BMR and energy expenditures are met, excess ingested fat can more easily be converted to body fat.


    Let's look at a few scenarios.

    Weightlifters sometimes ingest upwards of six thousand or more calories per day. But, they don't get fat. The reason is, the excess muscle that they have leads to an increase in BMR (they are constantly burning up more energy just "existing", (which most of these guys do well), and, their increased exercise rate (from their weight lifting program), leads to increased energy expenditure. I've known some guys to eat upwards of eight times per day, just to maintain their body weight. Also, high protein diets are harder to process into fat (consume more energy) than high fat or carb diets. However, there is a danger associated with high protein diets; metabolic acidosis can occur from the increased protein load and consumption; if inadequate water intake is associated with these diets (the metabolic acids are excreted into the urine), serious health problems can arise.

    Computer geeks, especially, for some reason, Apple users, lol, (just look at the editorial pictures of any Apple related magazine), tend to be fat. Their BMR may be relatively normal, compared to the general population, but their energy expenditure, via exercise, is far diminished. Plus, eating Cheetos and Frito Lays and drinking Pepsi while you pound away at the keyboard (lots of fat and carbs), adds easily digested, and easily "converted to fat", calories.

    People on starvation diets (self imposed or otherwise), can eventually get by on a caloric intake far less than the average population. People that were found in concentration camps during WWII were found to have caloric intakes sometimes of only a thousand calories per day (and less), far below the average BMR. But, their weight loss was not as great as expected. The reason for this is, when a body suffers a decrease in caloric intake, it readjusts its BMR to compensate. This is why, those of you who partake in these so-called "starvation diets", tend not to lose as much weight as expected. The reason being, when you go into starvation mode, your body eventually drops its basal metabolic rate to compensate, that is, to survive, thus, the difference between calories ingested and consumed, diminishes. You starve, you drop your BMR, your weight loss decreases. Starvation diets do not always work well for this reason.

    These three scenarios demonstrate a few things that are important to keep in mind. First, weight loss or gain is directly related to the amount of calories that you ingest compared to the amount of calories that you consume. Second, increased muscle mass leads to an increase in BMR; surfice it to say, the more athletic you are, the higher your BMR. Third, increased activity leads to an increase in metabolic rate; the more you move around, the more calories you burn. Fourth, you can temporarily increase your BMR by having a regular exercise program; the more active you are, the more muscle you develop, the more calories you burn at rest. And, your BMR will continue to remain elevated, for a few hours after you finish your exercise, another plus for a regular exercise regimen. Fifth, being sedentary leads to a decrease in BMR, and a greater propensity for gaining weight. Sixth, starving yourself may not result in as great a weight loss as expected, for the body goes into survival mode and drops its BMR.

    Let's revisit our fat calculation now:

    Change in Body Weight = Calories consumed minus BMR minus EMR (metabolic rate from exercise) minus Food Digestive Costs (protein is more costly to digest than fat).

    From this simple example, it's easy to see, that to lose body weight, you need to minimize your calories consumed, maximize your BMR, maximize your EMR, and decrease your fat intake. And, because of the body's survival mode, you are best to alter all three components (BMR, EMR, and type of food). If you only decrease your caloric intake, your body might try to compensate by decreasing your BMR. Also, you might get more tired with a decreased caloric intake, thus leading to a decreased exercise ability, and its related EMR. You really need to try to alter all three components, if you want to lose weight.


    Are you fat?

    Society has a way of categorizing everything, including us. But when it comes to obesity, it gets kind of difficult sometimes. In the world of medicine, we tend to refer to people who are twenty percent over their expected average weight, to be obese, those who are thirty percent overweight are considered morbidly obese, and females who are forty percent overweight invariably find themselves incredibly attracted to me. The problem is, what exactly is your expected average weight. This seems to change every year the insurance tables come out, and for some reason, keeps going down (most likely, the insurers prefer skinny people to insure, as they have less health problems. What a great way to raise rates for the rest of us....). Quite disturbingly, some weight tables that I've seen recently, puts a man my size at a normal weight of 175 pounds. (I'm 6.3", 204 pounds). I can't remember the last time I was 175, I think it was in high school. And these weight tables do not take into consideration the fact that some people are just larger, or more muscular, than others. (Muscle weighs five times a comparable mass of fat weighs; muscular people will normally weigh more). So, weight tables are fairly inconsistent.

    To compensate for this tragedy (yikes, me being considered to be "morbidly obese"!), BMI calculations are commonly used. Body Mass Index is a better way of assessing your weight compared to your height.

    BMI = Weight (in kilograms) / (Height (in meters) x Height (in meters))
    or
    BMI = W/HxH

    The number you get can best describe your "condition":

    Underweight: below 18.5
    Normal weight: 18.5-24.9
    Overweight: 25-29.9
    Obese: 30 or above

    The problem with this calculation, again, is that it doesn't compensate well if you have more than the average bear's amount of muscle. Those with more than average muscle, will weigh more comparatively, yet, still be in the "normal range". The converse is also true though; those with a below average amount of muscle, may not be considered to be obese or overweight by this formula, even though they are. Like everything else we humans design, it's meant to be used for the "average" person. Yet, it's a good guideline, understanding its limitations.


    Gong fu for the obese

    Those who are overweight or obese need to understand a few things before attempting an exercise program of some sorts. There are health issues associated with being overweight or obese, regardless of your age. There is an increased incidence of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes, among other things, in the "larger" segment of our population. Starting an exercise program with these diseases previously undiagnosed could lead you into a nasty situation where they get diagnosed unexpectedly, and quickly, when you don't want them to. Older people who are overweight are more likely to develop these diseases than younger, though, you can find these ailments in younger obese people. Also, the extra weight that a body has can lead to an increased incidence of joint problems; human joints were designed to carry a certain amount of weight. Injuries to joints during exercise in these people is increased because of the increased stress placed upon the joints. The excess of body fat can decrease one's ability to bend at certain joints, thus leading to an apparent diminishment in flexibility. And, the heavier that you are, the less likely you are to move in an agile, lithe, quick fashion, something which is helpful in the sphere of martial arts exercise.


    So, should you do it?

    The first thing that a seriously overweight person (or anyone for that matter), prior to starting an aggressive and strenuous exercise program, is to obtain a good and proper physical examination, by a trained health professional. Better if you find out you've got some nasty disease and get it taken care of, before you over exert yourself, and suffer the unexpected complications of it.

    Second, find a good, understanding, instructor. Someone who will be patient, someone who will cater the instruction to your needs. Your needs are going to be different than the average student; you're not going to be able to exercise as much as the average bear. Your heat production is going to be increased, your ability to get rid of it will be lessened. Your exercise tolerance will be diminished. Your cardiovascular capacity will not be as great as the next student's. Your physiology is different, so your training and instruction will have to be different.

    You'll need to go slowly, and surely, and purposely. It will be difficult in the beginning, your body is just not configured properly to do gong fu well. But you'll get there. Take it easy. Remember what Shi De Cheng says all the time. You climb a mountain one step at a time. You certainly won't turn into some gong fu superstar overnight. You won't lose the weight overnight either; it will take some time. Be patient, go slowly, build up your exercise tolerance slowly, adjust your diet appropriately, drink plenty of water (avoid soda and alcohol like the plague, talk about empty calories), and get plenty of rest. And be persistent.

    It will take some time, but, after a while, you'll notice, that as you lose weight, your flexibility will increase, your speed and power will improve, and your ability to move around will get better. And, as that happens, your ability to lose weight will increase, thus leading to an increase in your ability to move, etc, etc. It will happen, you have to be persistent and patient. And, do it.

    You can do it.

    I did.
    Experienced Community organizer. Yeah, let's choose him to run the free world. It will be historic. What could possibly go wrong...

    "You're just a jaded cynical mother****er...." Jeffpeg

    (more comments in my User Profile)
    russbo.com



  • #2
    good post

    but i only read like..maybe a quarter of it..

    i think the most important thing to have while attempting to loose weight is motivation, really doing anything is going to help, and every little bit does help..so just like doing something will help

    but doc is right..from what i read anyhow..the best way ive found to loose weight is to work out and eat less..

    when i was in middle school i tried out for football and i weighed somethin like 120 and they were like..since your younger then the other guys you gotta loose like 10 pounds..so im like ok whatever..after like 2 weeks of football training i dropped down to like 90 pounds and they only had a spot for me in the peewees so i quit..but what i did was worked my azz off while i practiced and afterwards i didnt even feel like eating..i had a wierd feeling in my belly like i didnt want to eat, so id just drink a gatorade and go home and eat a bannana or something and fall asleep..

    anyway, i think the best way to loose weight is just work your ass off..eat less and stay motivated

    26 to old? are you ****ing kidding me?

    i dont even plan on maybe possibly having kids till im like in my thirtys..even then its sketchy though
    "did you ask me to consider dick with you??" blooming tianshi lotus

    Comment


    • #3
      From my personal experience, eating somewhat healthy, and starting out a workout routine will help you drop some pounds and get into better shape. Don't be too discouraged in the beginning and always remember it is a long road. I was way overweight (and am still a bit) at the beginning of my gong fu training, now several years later I am much healthier, more confident, agile, etc..
      I guess I'd suggest finding a teacher, and just go for it, it has to start somewhere, why not here. All the luck finding a teacher/school to start out at, and don't be scared to work yourself out, it can be a bit embarrasing in the beginning because it'll be a constant reminder of any weaknesses, but the overcoming of those weaknesses are the best reward anyone can give themselves. Stay motivated, positive, and strong.

      Regards,
      Shaolinstylee
      aka:
      NP
      practice wu de

      Comment


      • #4
        actually

        its better to work out long after your last meal, not right after or even an hour or so after, because if you work out a long while after eating..ie 8 hours or so since dinner your body will burn your fat cells instead of your food as energy

        there are alot of good ways to help you burn fat faster..really though you dont need that kinda stuff..you just gotta keep it simple and stay motivated..
        "did you ask me to consider dick with you??" blooming tianshi lotus

        Comment


        • #5
          More frequent meals are better than three big ones a day. The Swedes eat about eight small meals a day; we Americans tend to eat three bigger ones a day, plus snack one hell of a lot.

          Smaller more frequent meals leads to a smaller stomach pouch, thus leading to satiety earlier. Plus, you're more likely to burn up what you eat. Larger meals don't get burned up; they tend to get stored into fat. Once you've got the fat, it's harder to get rid of.

          Timing with respect to meals only matters with respect to the digestive process. Don't exercise right after meals, but, give yourself an hour to allow the stomach to do its job, and start pouring the mixture into the intestines. Let's keep things simple: exercising at that time will allow you to burn up the glucose stores as they're absorbed into the bloodstream. If you don't burn it up as you absorb it, eventually the liver will get it and start the conversion to fat.

          Maestro, read that entire post. And understand it. All if it. You'll learn a few things....
          Experienced Community organizer. Yeah, let's choose him to run the free world. It will be historic. What could possibly go wrong...

          "You're just a jaded cynical mother****er...." Jeffpeg

          (more comments in my User Profile)
          russbo.com


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          • #6
            I'm screwed.

            Oh Well, Forget that diet I was going to start. I'm screwed to try to lose weight. Guess I will just have another beer and more sushi.
            I do not have a psychiatrist and I do not want one, for the simple reason that if he listened to me long enough, he might become disturbed.
            "Life can keep providing the rain and I'll keep providing the parade."
            "I would just like to say that after all these years of heavy drinking, bright lights and late nights, I still don't need glasses. I drink right out of the bottle."
            "Whatever guy said that money don't buy you pleasure didn't know where to go shopping"

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            • #7
              Doc you know a hell of a lot about diets and digestion, seems you know more than any doctor I've seen, I'm more than impressed.

              As such perhaps you can answer a related question, I've never found anyone I felt knowledgable enough to answer. I am not to bothered about my actual weight more the distribution of it. I weigh about 14 stone (200 pounds I think) but my legs and arms are quite lean and reasonably muscled but my gut and general torso has too much fat. It resembles a British beer belly, although my beer consumption is very minimal. I have tried to lose weight but have been quite unsuccessful for reasons I'll get on to later. Even when my weight does decrease there seems to be little effect on the distribution. What is the reason for this and what is the best way for focussed weight loss?

              Dieting as such is very difficult for a number of reasons. Mainly I am very picky about what I actually like eating, this has been a curse throughout my life, so diets are difficult as a lot of the food they suggest just doesn't appeal. Next, living in London I have to leave for work before eating breakfast, so I have to get something in work, thus limiting what is available. Lunch is similarly limited. When I go home it is quite late so it's difficult to prepare someting really healthy as by this time all I want is something quick so I can relax a bit. On the days when I go to kung fu training I don't have time to go home and make something so I have to get something at work, or bring sandwiches, so again the choice is limited. With this lifestyle it is difficult to stick to a diet plan.

              I try to go to the gym at lunchtimes three times a week and go to kung fu training twice a week, so my execise rate is relatively high (compared to the avarage Joe anyway) but nothing seems to be working.

              Does your knowledge extend to this, weight loss for annoyingly busy people? Sorry if this post is bit sad and whinny, didn't want to bore anyone but I hope there's a solution.

              Ross

              Comment


              • #8
                Fat distribution in males is different than females. Let's discuss how a male puts fat on.

                Typically, fat will first get noticed around the face. (You also seem to lose it first around the face, I really don't know why). Fatty deposits subsequently increase around the torso, predominantly in the abdomen. Men will also increase fat stores in their ass, their thighs and legs and their upper arms.

                Women also seem to develop fat deposits first in their face. But, subsequently, they seem to deposit fat differently than men. Their primary deposit areas seem to be in their ass, hips and thighs. Breast tissue will also increase, though, usually the lower half of their bodies get more deposits of fat storage. Subsequently, abdominal areas can increase, along with legs and arms.

                So, for one, be glad that you're putting it on in your belly. If you were putting it on in your hips and ass, people would look at you funny.

                Male abdominal fat distribution is both internal and external. Thus, the old adage of sticking a pinky in your belly button to see how thick your abdominal wall is, doesn't tell the whole picture. The omentum inside your abdomen plays a few crucial roles, but one of them, is fat storage. Weight loss is an inside and an outside thing.

                And they don't call it a beer belly for nothing. Beer has a lot of empy calories, as does alcohol. Strangely enough, alcoholics tend to be skinny, predominantly because they spend their money on booze and not on food. They tend to be horribly nutritionally deficient. But, for the rest of you guys, a beer a day will keep the babes away. You can put some serious weight on, with the addition of beer to your diet. Want to lose weight? Drop the beer ("minimal beer consumption? What's minimal to you might be devastating to me. It's all relevant. Get rid of it) . Water is better.

                The problem with modern day living, as you describe, is that it is not conducive to healthy meal eating. Nor is it conducive to good exercise programs. We tend to eat what's quick and easy to eat. Problem is, those things are horribly fattening. Just walk into McDonalds or KFC; fat people abound. That food may be fun to eat, and easily manageable, but, with respect to nutrition and calories, its just horrible. You've got to learn to avoid the fast food places, period.

                But there are ways around this. I suggest the following:

                Eat four or five small meals each day. Cut out all sugar, candies, soda, beer, cake, butter, breads, and fast food.
                Eat salads with minimal dressing. Sushi is great, watch the rice though. Soups are good too.
                Make sure that you drink two full glasses of water before each meal. Eat the part of the meal that has the most fiber, first. Make sure that you get plenty of fiber in your diet.
                Don't eat anything past six or seven at night.
                Have a decent breakfast in the morning, try to eat your largest meal in the morning or afternoon, so you can work it off before you go to sleep at night.
                Walk to places you go as much as you can. Walk stairs instead of taking elevators. Try to walk at least an hour each day. Swimming is the best for weight reduction. If you can get in a pool, and swim a few laps, a few times a week, consistently, it will raise your metabolic rate, and you will continue to burn calories even though you're not exercising. Gong fu is great too, the amount of weight that I can drop working out six hours a day is incredible. But, this is difficult to do when you've got a job.

                Forget the diet solutions and books that you see. Appetite suppressants, such as Dexatrim, are effective ONLY if you supplement it with a good consistent exercise program. Remember the whole starvation theory I talked about before, if you don't exercise, you're basically wasting your time. (And if you do lose some weight starving yourself, you'll most probably put it right back on once you return to your normal habits). This is the key; we're not talking about a diet, we're talking about a lifestyle change. You have to get the exercise increased in your life. Exercise is key.

                Also, watch your eating habits. We humans tend to eat more when we're unhappy, scared, uncertain, and bored, and tend not to eat when we're hungry. Eat when you're hungry. Eat slowly, so that you let the satiety kick in with the minimal amount of food ingested. Start with salads and fruit, save the protein and carbs to the end of the meal. Cut out all dessert.

                You'll be amazed at how you can keep your weight down, if you don't drink soda. Soda is the absolutely worst thing you can do if your fat. The blood sugar drops that inevitably occur will prompt you to drink more. It's a never ending cycle. Stay away from it, ice cold water eventually can become a good replacement. And when you're dieting, drink a lot of water each day. Two glasses before your meal to fill your stomach up, and many more during the day to facilitate the excretion of metabolic acids that will build up during your self-imposed starvation.

                Sit ups? Don't waste your time. Isolated muscle activities might make that six pack stronger, but nobody will see it under the two inches of fat you have. If you want to burn calories, use the big muscles of the body to do it. The legs. Walk, run, swim. Abdominal musculature is small by comparison, and therefore doesn't burn calories the way the bigger muscles can. Besides, fat depletion in the body is not area dependent; sit ups won't make the gut go away.

                As you lose weight, you'll notice it in your face first, then your ass, legs, and gut last. It's a systemic thing, not a localized phenomena. The electrical stimulation devices "to stimulate muscles to burn fat", and the weight reduction belts, are only beneficial in the sense that they line their creator's pockets with tons of money. Get a bicycle and ride instead. Remember, exercise is key.

                I find that a change of venue always helps break the habits that we form, with respect to eating and exercise. If you've got a two week vacation coming up, go somewhere where you're sure to exercise consistently. You'll find that with consistent exercise, you'll be less hungry, and will eat less. Concentrate on what you're eating, and start to take your time with meals, picking much healthier ones. It's a lifestyle change, one which is very difficult to do when you're in your working and living rut. I find vacations to be the right time to alter your dietary and exercise habits; once you lose the weight, you have to maintain that change, otherwise you'll tend to put it right back on.

                And once you've successfully lost weight, you really have to be careful. Our bodie's (more specifically, the hypothalamus it seems), seems to have some sort of "body fat" regulator built in. Much like a thermostat. It senses that our body weight has dropped, and will cause us to eventually start eating more to build us back up to our previous weight. Since it can take upwards of six months to "reset" this fat thermostat, the first six months after a weight loss are crucial. You have to be careful that you don't rebound back up during this time.
                Experienced Community organizer. Yeah, let's choose him to run the free world. It will be historic. What could possibly go wrong...

                "You're just a jaded cynical mother****er...." Jeffpeg

                (more comments in my User Profile)
                russbo.com


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                • #9
                  Cheers Doc, excellent and sensible advice, I knew I could count on you.

                  Ross

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                  • #10
                    Spot on, thanks doc...

                    Plus the whole, use the larger muscles thing.. our core muscles are some of the most important for gong fu.
                    practice wu de

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                    • #11
                      Amen

                      The key term here is lifestyle change. You have to have the will, desire, and perseverence necessary to completly change your life and your way of living. It is not possible to permanently change your body without changing your life, and it is not possible to change your life without changing your mental outlook. It's not going to be easy. If it were, there wouldnt be so many obese people in america. Just do it, change things, and start now. As doc recommended its best to get a thorough medical examination and treat any serious conditions before you go drastically changing your lifestyle. And for God's sake, the importance of fiber (brown rice, whole grain pastas, raw vegetables) cannot be stressed enough. Fiber and vegetables. No soda, no sugar, no candy, no alcohol, no dairy, no refined carbs (white rice, white pasta, nothing with bleached refined flour). And the right program of excercise. Walking is great. I usually walk 4-10 miles a day. But then again I dont own a car and I'm in decent shape. Start off small and keep working.
                      Show me a man who has forgotten words, so that I can have a word with him.

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                      • #12
                        Of course there are some other factors, but your body is a good representation of your lifestyle. And again, as always, good luck...
                        practice wu de

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                        • #13
                          so mr russel

                          how many health books have you written??

                          cause this shit sounds familiar

                          ......
                          "did you ask me to consider dick with you??" blooming tianshi lotus

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                          • #14
                            Maestro, it's all simple basic nutrition. But very important concepts, nonetheless.
                            Experienced Community organizer. Yeah, let's choose him to run the free world. It will be historic. What could possibly go wrong...

                            "You're just a jaded cynical mother****er...." Jeffpeg

                            (more comments in my User Profile)
                            russbo.com


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                            • #15
                              Doc's got a point there Maestro, he hasn't said anything that wasn't covered in the nutrition course I took last year at UConn, and that class was mostly college freshman. It's all pretty basic nutritional stuff. Even the BMR calculations et al.

                              Funny how people are amazed by the basics when the master reiterates them. I suppose the foundations of practice really are its peaks as well.

                              You want to know something really scary? I'm 6'3", 185 lbs, and no more than 10% body fat, and yet according to the BMI calculations, I'm mildly overwieght. And yet I have a washboard stomach and you can see a few of my ribs. (though the external obliques tend to look a lot like ribs too) Yes according the Body Mass Index scale, I'm mildly overweight. The BMI scale does not in the least bit account for the presence of muscle. That's why Doc is morbidly obese according to said scale. Doc you fat bastard you, no wonder you're having respiratory problems.
                              Show me a man who has forgotten words, so that I can have a word with him.

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