How to lose fat....

[willowey124]

Willowey, what are you doing now?

Alan - I prefer Jillian Michaels workouts or Tonique (haven't Toniqued for quite some time tho). I seem to have developed a short attention span and can no longer stand repetitive workouts - any kind of TIFT-ing drives me nuts and makes me want to seriously harm the instructor lol! I think that's why I like JM workouts - do the circuit and move on (another menopausal symptom, methinks! )

The best results I ever had were with Tonique Premier/1.1 & 1.2/Mat and walking - unfortunately my knees now no longer like too much squatting and lunging.
http://s656.photobucket.com/user/wil...view=slideshow
Unfortunately, I look like the before pics, plus some, now

I have tried everything over the last 4 years: yoga/pilates/stretch workouts only, metabolic conditioning, walking, circuits.....and so on. The only thing haven't tried is heavy weights ( I dabbled with Chalean Xtreme several years ago but only stuck it our for a few weeks). Maybe I need to try again and be my own experiment?

Thanks to everyone for your input - really interesting discussion.

[Kitten]

Originally Posted by Footballnut

If you don't mind my asking, how old are you? I am finding my old formula doesn't work for me any longer, but then I am 50.

I'm 45, 44 when I started last year.

[Kitten]

Originally Posted by pricek

Congratulations on your results! I'm starting Body Beast next month. Did you follow the nutrition portion of the program? I'm excited to start, but I still can't figure out how I'm going to eat 2800 calories a day!!!

Haha, no. I do eat more than normal when I do Body Beast. Probably closer to 2,000 than 2,800.
And thanks

[JackieB]

I have really changed my diet in the last couple years, and I've increased my workouts. I walk more now...I have to walk the dog. (She's been a great exercise program for the whole family). I also have been doing longer workouts. Yes, they are CS/Essentrics, but I'm teaching classes and they are an hour as opposed to doing the 23 minute episodes.

Since last fall, I've lost about 7 pounds...not a lot I know but I am only 5'2". I don't do intense workouts any more. Although I would argue that when I'm teaching Essentrics, it is a lot of work.

Weight loss and metabolism is so individual.

[videofit]

Most people eat more than they think they do. When I began weighing, measuring and logging my food intake on FitDay, I found out exactly how much I was eating and in what proportions (carbs, fat, protein).

Before my hypothyroidism and menopause were diagnosed and treated with natural hormones, when I needed to lose weight I would eat 1500-1800 calories a day, do The Firm classics and walk half an hour daily to lose weight. I lost one pound per week.

When both medical conditions were treated, I did exactly the same things in terms of diet and exercise and lost two pounds per week. I still do the same things now. When I gain weight I look back through my eating history (you can sort by date) and can clearly see how all those extra calories over a couple of months add up.

[Eibhinn]

Originally Posted by Sophie

Yay McMaster

I saw that article earlier, and once I looked at what they were doing, in terms of calorie restriction and workout routine I completely agree - very few people would be happy living that way long term.

They also all worked out together 6 days a week, and kept each other motivated in a competitive environment.

Even if the science is solid (I believe it is, it comes out of the same lab that did research on HITT), how many people can duplicate these results and maintain them?

I'd be curious to see the study in question, rather than an interview, to see if the results were reported for before/after or before/after/after-after. Because, based on the result of previous studies I've read, I would be shocked if all of those subjects didn't regain more weight than they lost, particularly given their "obsession" with food at the end. Historically, in studies where they were able to reliably restrict calories to a large degree like that (ie. provide meals and keep up compliance), the subjects' binged at the end and had a hard time stopping.

As for the original question, I think before looking at the general research to see how to lose weight, each of us have to try to see if we can determine why we gained weight in the first place. For example, if menopause played a role for you, probably research done on university-aged athletes (which a lot of kinesiology research is) is not going to give the right answer for you. I keep gaining weight and my doctor has suggested it's due to stress - my cortisol levels are sky-high. So restricting my calories and doing a lot of cardio probably isn't going to help me lose fat nearly as much as stress reduction will.

[Chomper]

The best advice I've seen on losing fat has been to focus on habit formation. Replacing bad habits with good habits when it comes to eating healthier, portion sizes, exercise, stress reduction, sleep hygiene, etc. pick habits you can live with long term, and only add one new change at a time. Pick something on the easy side to change first, so your success with it will add momentum.

[desie]

I would agree with Chomper. So much of what we do in a day is auto-pilot stuff. If you work to structure your habits, you've won the battle once and for all.

(My winning habit is to prepare food for the whole day in the morning - I have time in the morning - and then during the day I can count on a salad and lean protein just waiting for me when it's time to eat, and soup or a roast just needing to be re-heated.)

[LoveVA]

Yes, like Chomper and desie said. Make healthy eating and fitness, a habit. Put those things on auto-pilot instead of bad habits.

Become a meal prepper!

http://jackieshealthycorner.com/meal-prep-plans/

http://mymealprepsunday.com/2015/03/09/hello-world/

[Cecelia]

I'd be curious to see the study in question, rather than an interview, to see if the results were reported for before/after or before/after/after-after. Because, based on the result of previous studies I've read, I would be shocked if all of those subjects didn't regain more weight than they lost, particularly given their "obsession" with food at the end. Historically, in studies where they were able to reliably restrict calories to a large degree like that (ie. provide meals and keep up compliance), the subjects' binged at the end and had a hard time stopping.

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/ea....full.pdf+html
I think that's the link to the study.