Thread: losing bodyfat

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Hey man, first of all, congratulate your gal on losing that much weight!

So, as far as diet and exercise
Diet - Yes, she could do low carb for several days followed by a carb day but this approach is probably not necessary. Find out how many calories she would eat on a normal day and reduce it by 200-300cal per day.

Exercise - She needs to be pumping those irons! Working the largest muscle groups (LEGS, back, and chest) will increase her metabolic rate and she may not even need to reduce calories. My opinion on cardio - use it sparingly but focus on weight training.

Hopefully someone with a bit more experience will post on here also... do you have any specific questions?

just wondering why she cant lose weight even though there is clearly a massive calorie deficit, she is prob only eating 1000 calories a day, with less than 20g carbs, only just started this though

Originally Posted by dteller1

just wondering why she cant lose weight even though there is clearly a massive calorie deficit, she is prob only eating 1000 calories a day, with less than 20g carbs, only just started this though

She has to eat to lose weight. As somebody else mentioned a couple hundred calories below her maintenance will help her lose body fat while preserving muscle. A massive calorie deficit will only put the body in starvation mode, where the body will burn muscle and preserve the body fat.

from what ive read "starvation mode" is a bit of a myth, ie it was all based on a starvation experiment in missisippi in the 1950's, males went on a starvation diet for a number of months, there was a decrease in metabolism but only at 5% bf did the drop in metabolism get to 40%, at higher levels of bodyfat there was only a slight drop in metabolism i cant find any other scientific basis for people having a normal amount of body fat and getting to this "starvation mode", any other feedback would be appreciated from anyone with any further knowledge

here is some reading about starvation mode:

ww w.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/81391-starvation-mode-myths-and-science

if it really was as severe as people say, gastric bands would never work, as they reduce very obese people to an extremely small amount of calories

a good plateau breaker is a splurge. tell her for a week to eat all she can eat and don't work out. that will shock her body. then after that week when she goes back on the diet and starts back working out, it will shock her body again. she will break through the plateau.

Originally Posted by klc9100

a good plateau breaker is a splurge. tell her for a week to eat all she can eat and don't work out. that will shock her body. then after that week when she goes back on the diet and starts back working out, it will shock her body again. she will break through the plateau.

I agree our bodies need a shock now and then and when back in the gym change to primarily weights to bust the plateau.

thanks for the advice so far guys, id really like built to comment, where is she when you need her!

Originally Posted by dteller1

thanks for the advice so far guys, id really like built to comment, where is she when you need her!

Out-squatting the broskies at her gym -- during her warmup.

Originally Posted by Phineas

Out-squatting the broskies at her gym -- during her warmup.

that im certain of! but i need her advice here!!!

I should have specified... when I said "normal diet" I did mean maintenance calories.

And even in "starvation mode" the body can lose weight, but it will be some fat, muscle, body water, etc. However, after a period of time of not enough calories, the body will not burn fat but attempt to store it. If you want to be a step ahead of Built, find out how many calories your gal eats in a day on FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal!

Originally Posted by dteller1

just need a few tips really, my girlfriend is trying to lose some weight, she has lost a lot over the past 2 and a half years, down from 200lbs to 140lbs, (she is 5 foot 7)

Fan - freaking - TASTIC!!!

Originally Posted by dteller1

she wants to finish just above 9 or so, but she cant seem to lose anymore no matter what she tries! its been around 140 for 6months and she exercises most days and has a good diet not eating that many calories, i think her bf is at about 26% she wants to get it closer to 22%. she has just started to try cutting out nearly all carbs except veg/fruit etc, only been doing it for a few days, is this a viable option? still exercising most days for approx 40 mins, swimming twice a week and some kind of aerobics other days, ive persuaded her to do some weights, just need some advice really, i got no idea why it wont go down, she had a blood test about 1 and a half years ago and all levels were normal.

Calories? Macronutrient grams?

she was eating a reasonably balanced diet of about 1200 or so calories but it was very carb heavy, now she is trying to eat less than 30g carbs a day, about 70g protein, 90g fat, this is a very rough estimate, but she's eating about 1000-1200 calories a day id guess, shes gone from eating very carb heavy food, (not bad food though, was always complex carbs no sugars) to trying to eat very little carbs. she eats a lot of veg now to get fibre up, the only thing i can say for def is her total calories are approx 1000-1200 and her carbs are less than 30-40 everyday. i have persuaded her to do weights twice a week as well. she's only just started this a few days ago, but personally i cant figure out why she wasnt losing weight before, very confusing

Is she weighing her food? Because those calories are about half of what it should take for her to maintain her weight.

Either she's totally screwed herself up (unlikely), or she's sneaking food / grossly underestimating her portion sizes.

Do you have a food scale? And is she desperate enough to do and eat exactly what I suggest for one month?

she does have a food scale, but days where ive been with her for the whole day i know what she's eating and she definitely isnt overeating which is why i cant figure it out, im a bit concerned it may be some thyroid issue or something that has developed, she is going to see the doc tomorrow to talk about it, but in the past they've said "your body just doesn't want to lose anymore weight, its happy where it is" i dont buy that though. ive told her to push for a blood test to confirm everything is normal. people talk a lot about "starvation mode" is it possible? she has been dieting for approx 3 years id guess now, but most of that has been at a reasonable calorie intake 1200-1400 calories, and most scientific evidence seems to suggest "starvation mode" as a little bit of a myth

I want to see meticulously pre-planned and weighed intake for a week.

an update she went back to the doc, this was a different doc she'd never seen before and she reviewed her blood test results that were from beginning of 09 and the doc is convinced that she has PCOS, the previous doc just stated that she had slightly elevated testosterone levels but nothing to worry about it and put it down to exercise. the new doc has stated this is highly unlikely and there are also 2 figures that are slightly out, and was puzzled how the old doc missed it, but the new doc was amazed that my girlfriend had lost all that weight on her own! so she's booked in for a new blood test and then ultrasound, so we may have found a reason why she's finding it tough, but now at least we can start trying to tailor things that will help if you have that condition. anyone got any tips? ive read low gi/ low carb diets are effective for people with PCOS.

Originally Posted by Built

I want to see meticulously pre-planned and weighed intake for a week.

There's not much we can do if she cannot follow that instruction.

no one said she cant follow that instruction.....i was asking for some tips for people suffering from PCOS....?

Her best bet, nutritionally speaking, is probably to get leaner --- there likely isn't any magnificent dietetic treatment that extends beyond the dietary guidelines recommended by this forum that will straighten out her PCOS.

She's done a great job so far -- Built can certainly help out with the last bit.

i meant tips for people who wish to lose weight whilst having PCOS ie what foods are good and which exercises etc

Same foods and same exercise as anyone else.

That being said, if it were me, I'd get into and stay in ketosis. PCOS is by and large a condition of excess insulin. That's why metformin is so often prescribed.

Also, in PCOS, there is a profound uncoupling of appetite to metabolic need. She'll need to pay careful attention to satiety-inducing foods if she's to stick to a deficit. My money says she's cheating on her diet - and I certainly hope she is, because if she can't lose on 1000 calories a day and her doctor says she's fine, I'd like to sue him.

no her new doctor says she isn;t fine and believes the reason she's now got stuck is because she believes she has PCOS, the new doctor is confused why the old doctor didnt do anything to anything with blood results when she had blood taken at the beginning of 09, she has just recently changed her diet to a lower carb intake and started to add weights, the doc has prescribed her orlistat to help her lose the last 7lbs or so, the doc said she should get to approx 130lbs and that would be ideal for her height but no lower.

My wife used to have PCOS. Then she met me while I was losing weight myself. She then lost almost 100lbs and after I stopped dieting she gained some weight back but it doesn't matter. The point is she followed the same principle anyone should to lose weight. Actually losing weight helped her condition go away. She no longer has PCOS. We had a baby about a year ago. So she is doing really good in that respect. If insulin is high playing with ketosis would be dangerous I think. Insulin is the storage hormone and if you eat extra fat, its going to be morelikely to be stored. Now if as you say she is eating 1200 calories there is no reason for her not to lose weight. She must have slowed her metabolism by eating that little for so long. Or she is simply eating more. I remember my wife used to claim she was eating 1800 calories then I followed everything she ate in a day and measured everything and in reality it was 2500 calories. I'm very careful measuring what I eat. Even now during bulking time I eat around 5000 calories and I don't eat more than 60 grams of fat a day. I don't think a keto diet is a really good idea unless you're very disciplined about it. I was planning on doing that fee pre contest prep and a experienced bodybuilder told me that carb cycling works a lot better. I also think hiit works a lot bette to lose fat.

Originally Posted by dteller1

no her new doctor says she isn;t fine and believes the reason she's now got stuck is because she believes she has PCOS, the new doctor is confused why the old doctor didnt do anything to anything with blood results when she had blood taken at the beginning of 09, she has just recently changed her diet to a lower carb intake and started to add weights, the doc has prescribed her orlistat to help her lose the last 7lbs or so, the doc said she should get to approx 130lbs and that would be ideal for her height but no lower.

Orlisat won't do shit.

Originally Posted by stronger4ever

My wife used to have PCOS. Then she met me while I was losing weight myself. She then lost almost 100lbs and after I stopped dieting she gained some weight back but it doesn't matter. The point is she followed the same principle anyone should to lose weight. Actually losing weight helped her condition go away. She no longer has PCOS. We had a baby about a year ago. So she is doing really good in that respect.

Fantastic!

Originally Posted by stronger4ever

If insulin is high playing with ketosis would be dangerous I think.

The doctors thought I had PCOS back when I was fat; I've investigated ketosis and PCOS quite extensively and I can assure you not only is it not dangerous, it's profoundly beneficial - especially for women affected by PCOS. Insulin isn't high by itself - insulin resistance means your body will crank out too much insulin, too soon, in response to a meal. Ketosis normalizes this.

Originally Posted by stronger4ever

Insulin is the storage hormone and if you eat extra fat, its going to be morelikely to be stored.

Only if the extra fat means calories in excess of maintenance. Otherwise, this won't happen.

Originally Posted by stronger4ever

Now if as you say she is eating 1200 calories there is no reason for her not to lose weight. She must have slowed her metabolism by eating that little for so long. Or she is simply eating more. I remember my wife used to claim she was eating 1800 calories then I followed everything she ate in a day and measured everything and in reality it was 2500 calories.

Bingo.

Originally Posted by stronger4ever

I'm very careful measuring what I eat. Even now during bulking time I eat around 5000 calories and I don't eat more than 60 grams of fat a day. I don't think a keto diet is a really good idea unless you're very disciplined about it.

There's actually no other way to do a keto diet.

Originally Posted by stronger4ever

I was planning on doing that fee pre contest prep and a experienced bodybuilder told me that carb cycling works a lot better. I also think hiit works a lot bette to lose fat.

It all works. It's just a matter of maintaining a deficit.

honestly she isnt eating more than we think, she has been weighing food and used a food diary and it normally comes out around 1200, but she was having more carbs then, for the last week she is trying to reduce her carb intake and up the protein and that would tie in if she had pcos. she's also going to do weights twice a week (she was doing none before) to as well as cardio 3 times. hopefully that will get it moving and she's scheduled in for a blood test in the next couple of weeks

sounds like she is eating too little and screwed up her metabolism